After they seated themselves in the Cooper’s Rooms dining hall Isa said, “So you and Thorn - Rose - you were lovers.”

“About that…. ‘Twas a wind and a storm and a crashing of wills.” Mery looked out across the room as if trying to find the words. “I’ve never met anyone quite so captivating - at first glance, mind. And it wasn’t physical, not all of it. Rose had a spark of genius - well you’ve seen what she created.”

Their breakfast arrived. “Yes,” Isa said. “A crime syndicate.”

“I guess I see what she might have become.” Mery shrugged. “She had talent. She said she’d been a singer in your world. But she hadn’t gotten the audiences that she craved, that she felt her songs demanded.” Mery grabbed a roll.

Isa said, “She became a bard. I guess that makes sense. The music. But she didn’t become the most famous singer in Varana. So that never really was her focus, no matter what she might have told you.”

Mery opened her mouth to reply and then closed it. After a moment she said, “We’re all of us strands of light and dark banded together, tangled together, maybe. The good and the bad twisted or loosed depending…. Maybe. I don’t know.”

“You thought she might find redemption.” Isa’s voice was quiet. “Are you mad at me for making the final blow? You think that I--”

“No! She woulda killed us all, given the chance. But just the same, she woulda welcomed us if we’d shown up saying we wanted to join her.”

“You really loved her.”

Mery took a sip of water. “I did. Once. That was years back. But I can’t deny it. She was my first real love. She stormed into my life and showed me what it can mean to truly seize the day.” She shook her head. “But she didn’t love me back. Even the dumbest person can figure that out, given enough time.”

“I’m sorry,” Isa said, and she meant it. The same pain she’d felt at Celeste’s betrayal, it showed plainly on Mery’s face. “Thorn. She chose the name well.”

“Aye,” said Mery. “She told me that was the name of her best song, the one she thought would make her fame in your world. Thorn’s Song.”

“I will look it up once I’m home.” Isa shook her head. “How could she have done the things she did?”

“Talking with Wat, and thinking of my own time with her, I think she probably started out with good intentions. Some of those kids - Wat included, they’re not safe at home, and maybe Rose thought she could save them.”

“The road to Hell is paved with good intentions. My grandma used to say that.”

Mery shrugged. “Never been there. But I’ve seen more than one fall to the love of coin. First you’re helping kids find work and shelter, then you’re sheltering them yourself for a fee, and then who knows? Orphans in short supply, make some of your own.”

Just then Joth sat down at the table, and Wat followed not far behind. Wat’s hair was wet. He said, “You can dunk your whole head in those bath barrels!”

Isa smiled. “We call them hot tubs.”

“I like that. Hot tubs. Tuuubs.” He smiled and ducked his head.

“We were just talking about getting you and Isa home,” Mery said to Joth.

“Ah, yes indeed.” He nodded. “We have what we need now.”

“Except money,” said Mery. “I’ll take Wat with me and we’ll get the goods exchanged today. We can meet you in Bywater tomorrow. To say goodbye.”

Joth spooned breakfast casserole onto his plate. “I have some things I want to do here in Deney today, so I’ll see Isa to the druid circle. She can take a tree back to Bywater, and then we can all meet up tomorrow for the departure.”

After breakfast Joth and Isa left the others at Cooper’s and headed toward the druid circle. Isa said, “We didn’t arrive at this circle. Why do we have to leave that way?”

“The heavy lifting of the magic happens on this end,” said Joth. “They create the portal here and just envision the end point, I guess you’d call it.”

“Sometimes magic seems, well magic.” Isa laughed.

“It is. And that’s why I’m staying,” Joth said.

“I’m sorry, what?”

“I said, I’m staying.”

Isa gave a laugh. “In Deney, today. I heard you at breakfast.”

“I mean here in Varana. I’m not going back with you.” Joth gave a tiny shrug. “There’s nothing for me there. Not anymore. Everything I know is here.”

Isa opened her mouth, closed it, and then said, “I’m sorry. I….”

“It’s fine,” he said. “More than fine, really. Sometimes you speak, and I don’t know quite what you’re talking about. The world - that world - has passed me by. But this world. Isa, this world, I know what I’m doing. Things make sense.”

She smiled. “I am going to miss my quest log.”

“Speaking of that, I expect to get a fat chunk of experience for helping you get home. Probably won’t level again yet, but it will help.” He stopped in front of a tall hedge. “Here we are. Deney’s druid circle. They’re a pretty humorless bunch; let me do the talking.”

While the druid cast the spell, Joth and Isa stood nearby waiting. “Look,” Joth said suddenly, “I don’t know if I’m gonna be in Bywater tomorrow. Not big on goodbyes.”

“But you said--”

“Yeah, that was just because I didn’t want to make a big announcement. What does Mery Braydon care what I do? She barely tolerates me.”

“Well I can’t force you, but I’d like a chance to say goodbye.”

“We’re doing that now!” Joth gestured at the scene.

“Yeah,” Isa glanced at the druid who was now standing beside a glowing archway. “But this is too hasty. How long does that spell last?” She gave Joth a quick hug. “I hope I see you tomorrow. That’s all I’ll say about it.”

Isa turned quickly and stepped into the archway in Deney…. and out beside the large tree behind Lund’s Tavern. She blinked at the change in light. It was overcast here in Bywater. With a smile she looked up at the second story of Lund’s. What a difference between her first morning here and this morning.

Going over her agenda in her mind, Isa walked to the front door. Lund, Gimble, Zileek, and then if Lund didn’t mind, she’d spend the night in the little room she’d woken in on her first day. No special reason - it just seemed right to Isa to sleep there on her last night in Varana.

“My last night,” she muttered to herself. It was a little sad, and it was OK to admit that. She’d met really great people; she’d done some amazing things, seen amazing, unbelievable things. And now she was going home where she’d never, ever, ever get to talk about them. Maybe she’d play D&D with Marissa - she’d pay closer attention to the game this time, that was certain.

“Isa!” Lund’s voice broke into her thoughts. “I heard you took off with Joth.” He stood smiling behind the bar. “Good adventuring, I hope? Come tell me about it.”

She dropped her stuff and climbed onto a bar stool. “Is it too early for a beer?”

“Ha! It’s never too early for a beer. Red Robe is smooth and strong. Perfect as a wake-you-up.”

“You still have some of that? From the house?”

He leaned forward. “I played around with my recipe and got a pretty good match to the original stock. It’s popular, and I think part of that is everyone thinks it’s gonna run out.”

“They’ll catch on eventually,” said Isa as she took a sip of the pint in front of her.

“Will they?” He laughed. “Tris said you guys were off like a shot the other morning.”

“Lund,” Isa shook her head, “so much has happened.” She leaned forward across the bar. “I’m going home!” she whispered loudly.

“Really? That was some adventure payout, then. You kill a dragon or something?”

“We found the scroll.” She sat back.

“The scroll-scroll? The gate spell?” Lund gripped the edge of the bar.

“Yeah.” Isa took a sip of beer. “It was a crazy fight, and somehow--”

“Where is it now. The scroll?”

“It’s in my bag.” Isa leaned away from the bar. “Lund, you’re scaring me.”

“Good. Do you have any idea how much a scroll like that is worth?”

“I….”

“You are carrying around about 200,000 gold there.”

“Two hundred?” Isa could barely breathe.

“Thousand.”

“Gold. Like gold coins? Money.”

Lund nodded. Isa looked around the empty tavern. “But it’s just a spell. I mean, it’s a class 9, sure, and you don’t need the diamond, but…..” She blew out a breath of air. “Can I store it in your lockbox until tomorrow?”

“Yeah, I think that’s wise.” Lund moved to the end of the bar. “Right now. Come on.”

As Lund pulled out his iron-bound box he said, “Who else knows about this?”

“Just Joth and Mery. Oh and Wat.”

“The kid?” Lund flashed a brief smile. “He’s doing OK then?”

“He was great in that fight.” Isa wrapped her arms around her waist. “I feel like I’m going to throw up. You got me so scared.”

Lund stood up. “Good thing too! Anyone coulda jumped you on the road.”

“I took a tree,” Isa said absently. “So, Mery and everybody are supposed to meet me here tomorrow. It will be safe overnight, right?”

“Safer than in your bag.”

Isa put a hand on his shoulder. “Thank you. You’ve been looking out for me since the moment I got here.”

He waved his hand and started back toward the bar. “You’d a done the same.”

“Maybe.” She retook her stool and picked up her glass. “Can I buy you a beer?”

“Can you afford it?”

“Don’t be an ass. Pour yourself a pint, and let’s toast.” She held up her glass and waited until Lund had a full one in his hand. “To Lund and his tavern! May strangers always find a friendly face behind the bar.” Isa took a drink.

“To Isa,” said Lund. “May you find what you seek.”

She put her glass down. “I did.”

“Your questing days are over then?”

“Well, yeah. I’m going home.” He shrugged, and Isa laughed. “My world isn’t like this.”

“You don’t have bars and people and problems? Sounds boring.”

“It’s just different.” She finished her beer. “And yeah maybe a little boring, but I’m kind of excited to have boredom again. Lund, that fight. There were like 6 guys, and this one - he used swords in both hands. I knew we needed to be there, but I was worried about holding my own.”

“But you did. You’re here.”

“Yeah, they barely touched me. Poor Joth, he almost died. I got a scratch. Like literally a scratch.”

“So you didn’t level?”

Isa’s hand went to her bag. “I don’t know!” She pulled out her notebook and flipped it open. “No. I’m still level 4. I guess that’s OK. Not like it matters anymore.”

“If you say so,” sad Lund. “Your world sounds weird. But,” he sighed, “finishing that quest got you the reward, so--”

“What do you mean?”

“The scroll. That was the reward.” Lund gestured at the notebook. “Right?”

Isa turned to her quest log. “Under Children of Thorn, it says See Vernal Fedru and claim your reward.”

“See? It pays - money usually - to check your log.”

“But I don’t want to see that guy. He’s weird and scary.”

Lund shook his head. “Isa, he’s a wizard. That’s just…. Being scary is part of his outfit. Don’t you want to go home with a little gold in your pocket?”

“I’d planned on selling stuff to Gimble so that I could make a donation to Fazar - you know, to thank Ealda. And I figured I could maybe take some coins home with me. I dunno if it will work.” She let her fingers rub against the words Vernal Fedru. “What if I don’t complete the quest? That doesn’t hurt me, right? And why do I care? I’m leaving!”

“I don’t think it matters, for what it’s worth.” Lund picked up her glass and held it out. “Another?” Isa shook her head. Lund went on, “Most people want rewards, of course, but I don’t think you have to see him.”