“So what now? I’m not sure we can train with either swords or Vison powers inside the city,” Linna said.

Jasper noticed Avril shift uncomfortably out of the corner of his eye. He followed her gaze to Linna’s wagon, and a thoughtful look worked its way across his face.

“When’s the last time you organized your stuff?” Jasper asked.

“What do you mean? My wagon is fine,” Linna said defensively. “It’s just a little messy.”

“That isn’t what I meant,” Jasper said. “Let’s say a group of bandits popped up in the middle of the night and you had five seconds to grab something and run. What are you going to take, and can you reach it?”

“Why would I run? There are three Visions here. I don’t think-”

“Forget that. Let’s say you had no choice,” Jasper interrupted.

“Then I guess I don’t know. I suppose I could go make a grab bag or something,” she said, screwing up her face.

“That’s always a good idea. Make sure you pack something to keep your sword polished. Food is a decent idea too,” Ethan said.

“I think your priorities are wrong,” Linna muttered as she headed back toward her wagon. Once she was out of range, Jasper raised an eyebrow at Avril.

“You’re not going to tell me why you look worried, are you?” He asked.

“I’ve helped more than I should have already,” Avril said. She smiled sadly and shrugged her shoulders, drawing a sigh out of the gremlin.

“Is it wise for us to leave Linna alone? She’s been getting better with the sword, but her Vision powers are still undeveloped.”

“She’ll be okay,” Avril said after a long pause. Droplets of sweat started to bead up on her forehead and she repressed a grimace behind a halfhearted smile.

“That’s the end of my help for now. Don’t ask again. Please.”

“Thank you,” Jasper said seriously. He picked at his teeth with a sharp fingernail and scanned the area around the caravan.

“Does anyone have something to eat? I’m hungry,” Ethan said, ignoring the somber mood that had settled over them.

“We have no money. Maybe we should go get our payment from Melinda early,” Ethan suggested.

“I’ll join you two in that case,” Avril said. “It’ll be fun to visit a local tavern.”

“Only because you win all the gambling games, you short nosed cheat,” Jasper said as they walked over to Melinda.

“There is absolutely nothing wrong with my nose. You’re just jealous that you’ve got a carrot glued to your face.”

Jasper touched his nose subconsciously and frowned. He settled for flipping Avril off just before they reached Melinda. Her face was buried in a large logbook. Her pen rapidly shot back and forth across a sheet of paper.

She glanced up from her work, a grimace crossing her face before she could stop it at the sight of Jasper.

“What can I do for you?” She asked, putting the pen down and leaning back.

“Money,” Jasper said, sticking his open palm out toward her.

“What he meant to say,” Avril said, pulling Jasper away from the merchant and patting him on the head like a small child. “Was that he’d like partial payment so we can afford to eat today.”

“And who would you be? I’ve seen you hanging around the caravan. We don’t take freeloaders kindly,” Melinda said.

“I keep Jill under control,” Avril said promptly, waving a hand in Jasper’s direction.

“That’s almost reason enough to pay you as well. Are you also a Vision?” Melinda asked, counting out several silver coins and dropping them into Jasper’s outstretched hand.

“She’s more like my stalk–” Jasper was abruptly cut off as Avril smacked him on the back of his head.

“I’m just his babysitter,” Avril said.

Melinda let out an amused huff of air. She picked her pen back up and waved it aggressively at them.

“I’ll be taking that out of your pay. Now, unless there’s something important, stop bothering me!” She barked.

They left the caravan and wandered down the main street of Ringden. The houses that lined the streets were similar to the average neighborhoods in Rellen: endless rows of stone brick houses with old roofs and little space between them.

“How are we supposed to find the tavern when each damn house looks the same?” Jasper complained.

“It will probably be the one with a ‘tavern’ sign hanging on the door,” Ethan said helpfully.

He gestured at a building that was just a short walk down the road. It was a mid-sized with two floors and a well-kept exterior. There was a steady stream of people flowing in and out of it.

A waxed wooden sign hanging from two chains above the door revealed the tavern’s name to be the Guzzling Gopher. The interior of the building was warmly lit, and several dozen people were scattered across its interior.

A burly man at the counter finished pouring a woman a glass of frothing beer. He glanced up at the new visitors and gave them a sharp nod. He waved toward one of the few open tables near the center of the room.

“You planning to cover dinner?” Ethan asked Avril as the three sat down at the table to wait for the barmaid.

“Just this once,” Avril said, rolling her eyes as she fidgeted with a small purse tied to her belt. Jasper noticed the motion and a frown crept across his face.

“What can I get you lot?” A young woman with a round face and pleasant smile asked them as she sashayed up to their table.

“You got anything light?” Jasper asked.

“Lightest thing we’ve got right now is stew. The alternative is lamb chops,” She paused for a moment. “and ale if you aren’t hungry.”

“I’ll take the stew,” Jasper said, absentmindedly tracing a finger along one of the grooves in the wooden table.

“As will I,” Ethan said. “I can smell the broth from here. I think I might be in love.”

The swordsman sent a longing glance toward the kitchen. The barmaid hid a smile and turned toward Avril. The tall woman chewed her lip for a moment before she came to a decision.

“The beef pie for me,” Avril said.

“Ah, those aren’t quite ready. They should be out of the oven pretty soon though if you’re willing to wait.”

Avril just gave the girl a small smile and waved her away. They waited for the food silently. The air felt heavy despite the positive mood within the bar. The waitress returned a few minutes later. She set two bowls of stew as well as a meat pie down on the table. Steam rose up from the pie, which was hot enough that Jasper could feel the heat from across the small table.