The villagers of Pancreedy went about their day with lethargy under the combined lunchtime glare of the twin stars. It didn’t help that it was also Paltims, the seventh and last weekday before they had their days off on Rarnday.

Well this was true for most villagers except for those who sold food or drink, considering Rarnday was the most profitable day of the week. Nevertheless the farmers had very little to do and went indoors. The loggers at the edge of the Whisperwoods stopped for their packed lunches. Their guardians, the village guards themselves slack in their vigilance as they themselves dug into their pies and waterskins as they all chatted together.

Mrs. Loamwicker whom was ever the hardworking baker, even temporarily closed down her pie shop as business was sure to pick up again in the evening. She did so for the critical assessment of the juiciest gossip with Jude, the Halfling wife of Mr. Gneeple the farmer.

The Pancreedy’s Ladies meet was yesterday on Dayims, but sometimes some news needed to be mulled over more than once. This was especially true when you considered the ladies all had sub factions of close friends and neighbors.

“Oh Bettle, all this talk of refugees in the meet yesterday was awful!” spoke the tiny dark haired Gnomish lady in a brown frumpy dress. She was sitting in a tiny chair at the back of the bakery.

“You’re telling me Jude! All this terrible business has been keeping Delm knee deep in paperwork, I tell you! Pie?” replied Bettle as she offered a slice of sweet pie on a plate to Jude. The Gnorkling baker was also in a equally small chair, but inside shade of the bakery.

“Oh why does the Union always have to be at war? Can’t we just be at peace so we can go back to talking about who’s shagging who again!” said Mrs. Gneeple with a sigh as she took the proffered treat.

“Jude we have to fight! Or else the evil three will take all of the Union. We wouldn’t be wanting any of that now do we? And never mind whatever the Sea-kin get up to in the oceans,” fussed Bettle as she fidgeted with her apron.

“But its all just so boring!” complained Jude as she bit into a corner of sweet pie. “Hrmm, delicious as always dear, what is it?” she asked as she inspected the purple filling.

“Oh it’s just some Armourgrapes love, and what’s boring about being charitable and helping the poor Leporian refugees get back on their feet again?” asked Bettle as she cocked her large head with her brown bob-cut angling to the side.

“Well that’s easy for you to say, your family doesn’t have to take any of them on like we did,” retorted Jude with a sneer before biting into the pie again.

“Hrrrmm true,” answered Bettle as she nodded away whilst looking at her home that sat directly behind the bakery.

“Actually, speaking of trysts, have you noticed that Joantack has been going into the woods with Hoarast a lot since the beginning of the summer?” asked Bettle with a conspiratorial look.

“What?! I heard that they were going off to do some late night logging, you can’t be suggestin….” gasped Jude as she whipped round to her friend, flabbergasted.

“Oh their doing some logging all right, always going in with them ‘axes’ in hand, but they never come back with any wood but are always so sweaty deary, plus people say they never even get past the creak where the woodsmen say that the good lumber is,” spoke Bettle with a smirk as she continued nodding away.

“But what about Joantack’s wife! Poor Evalain! And he’s a Minotaur Bettle! Whilst Hoarast is a Bearkin! They are both male, Bettle! Male!” exclaimed Jude with eyes wide and a hand over her mouth.

“Pfft don’t be like one of them fanatics under Fantimal deary, two people can do whatever they like, but I do agree that he has done bad on our poor Evelain,” continued Bettle with a pout.

“Oh the divines deary, my oh my, now that is something to think about,” declared Jude as she blinked a few times before she continued with her pie.

Round the front of the bakery, the two ladies heard people exclaiming as a commotion went through town.

“What in the Realms is going on deary?” Asked Jude.

“I haven’t a clue but let’s go have a wee nosy,” replied Bettle as she got out of her chair and whirled round so fast she seemed like spinning top. Jude shot out of her chair and was right behind her with her pie in hand.

………

“Get out the way!” Shouted Lem with labored breath as villagers came out to see the commotion.

Many whom saw the large Capyban charging through town came out of their homes to gawk. These people quickly got out of the way of the large Kaholin Bull that was hot on the heels of its master. But once they have gone a few villagers starting milled about and congregate to form a small crowd.

“What the Realms is Lem doing running about like that?” asked Paekflower the brown and black Desert Kobold. The canine humanoid wore her rustic green bib with braces over her white shirt as she carried her groceries in a wicker basket.

“Dunno but he-eck looks to be in a-eck hurry to me,” replied Hedwigcan. The owl-like Strigian was on her way to sell her brace of Whisperwood rabbits and still in her hunting leathers.

“What’s that all about?” asked Mrs. Loamwicker as she opened the door to her bakery, with Mrs. Gneeple looking over her shoulder.

“We haven’t a clue Bettle! It was Lem running through town like a mad human with a huge Kaholin chasing him or something,” answered Paekflower as she readjusted her grip on the basket.

“Where’s he off to running like that?” asked Jude as she poked her head over her friend’s shoulder in the doorway of the bakery.

“Oh hey there love,” greeted Mr.Gneeples whom was amongst the crowd.

“Wait isn’t that the way to Xerneg’s house he was heading off to?” suggested Hedwigcan with a frown. The look was very menacing with the large black circular pattern around her eyes and raptorial beak, but most in the village have long grown accustomed to the Strigian huntress.

“Oh no! I hope none of the boys are hurt on the ranch,” said Paekflower with a sad whine as she lifted her free hand to her chest. The saddened Desert Kobold wore a frown but the effect was lost due to her many protruding canines.

“Oh hey Ban you bought the eggs yet? Oh no that does sound like dire news indeed!” shot out Jude in one quick sentence as she flitted between questioning her husband to distress.

“Well lets hope whomever it is, isn’t hurt too bad,” concluded Bettle with a nod.

The crowd continued to murmur and discuss the possibilities of what king of incident would illicit Lem running through town, but eventually they broke off and went back and about their business.

…….

In a fine dining room was a long wooden table that was laden with food and drink of all kinds. Alone at the table sat a large flabby grey Hebdican in a fine blue robe whom was currently reading a letter as he happily ate his second lunch.

In his green beard was many pieces and morsels of food that had escaped whilst he chewed messily. But Xerneg paid it no mind, for he was currently engrossed with reading his correspondence with his old colleagues whom still taught at the Healer’s hospital. Xerneg adjusted his bottom pair of glasses as it had slipped whilst he tackled a particularly delicious game pie.

Xerneg’s pleasant dining was interrupted by the entrance of his apprentice from the side door. Without any refreshments, he noted sadly.

“What seems to be the problem Flowing-reed?” he asks the young Desert Kobold whom stood there in her light blue robes.

“It’s Mr. Brownwhisker master, he states that it’s very important,” replied the girl timidly as she played with the hem of her robe.

“Then why not let him in girl? I’m retired but I am still a grandmaster healer whom would never balk in the face of an emergency,” Xerneg declared with a huff as he reaches down with a pudgy hand to grab another slice of cake. He accidentally forgot that he was holding the letter and smudged it with icing, so he filed away the letter in a small side table for later.

“But you said not to disturb you when you’re eating master,” said the girl as she bowed her large canine head down to look at the floor.

“But it’s an emergency girl! And stop acting all scared all the time you poor thing, people are going to think I’m mistreating you or something,” spoke Xerneg with a frown between mouthfuls of cake. The Hebdican managed to make more of a mess and sprayed cake all over his large belly and onto the floor.

“Yes master,” replied Flowing-reed as she sighed quietly before shutting the door. Why does master have to eat so messily? She once again wondered as she went to fetch Mr. Brownwhisker.

A moment later disheveled Lem came through the same door that his apprentice previously used.

“Lem! To what do I owe this pleasure? And why are so bedraggled?” asked Xerneg with surprise at Lem’s appearance, as he reached for his glass of wine to wash down the delicious cake he had just scoffed.

“Xerneg, *huff -need- *huff -down at the ranch! *huff hurt bad,” gasped Lem as he leaned on the frame of the door.

“Wait, someones hurt? I hope its not one of your boys! What are we waiting for? Let us hurry down to the ranch!” shouted Xerneg as he sprayed wine everywhere, with all his jolly pretense from before gone. With a grave look on his face, Xerneg was swiftly on his feet and rushed over to Lem with lithe grace that was at odds to his large nature.

“Prepare the traveling kit Flowing-reed!” he barked down the hallway as he lay a huge pudgy hand on Lem’s arm.

A distortion came to be at the point of contact along with a fiant susurration as he worked his healing magic. Xerneg’s pudgy hand then slightly shrunk as the Hebdican transferred over a meager portion of his reserves to help boost the circulation of blood in Lem’s body and refill his stamina.

Lem on the other hand, felt the roar of his blood rushing in his ears and a cold refreshing wave that washed over him from his arm.

“Whoa!” shouted Lem with a musk of surprise at having been healed of his fatigue.

“My don’t be a little nissy now Lem, and why’s your stamina so low? Did you look at your stats or something? Never mind, GIRL WHERE IS THE KIT!” shouted Xerneg as he rushed to the entrance hall with his blue robes fluttering behind his huge flabby body.

“Right here master,” replied Flowing-reed as she stood just beside the doorway, right behind her master as she held up a picnic basket.

“Whoa! What in the realms girl! Don’t go sneaking around like that, you scared a few years of my life sneaking about like that!” Shouted Xerneg in fear with a large pudgy hand over his flabby chest.

“Sorry master, you said to be quick when there’s an emergency,” whisper the Kobold with her head held down.

“What? Never mind, we got the healing potions?” he asked.

“Yes,” replied Flowing-reeds.

“The pies from this morning?” he continued.

“Yes master Xerneg,” replied the Kobold.

“The beers from your father? Mrs.Gneeple’s Armourgrape wine and the cake?” he listed off.

“Yes, yes and yes master its all there.” dutifully replied Flowing-reeds.

“Ok you stay here and tell anyone who comes calling I’m out on urgent business. Alright Lem lets go, you got a ride?” Xerneg asked as he grabbed the picnic basket and a wide brimmed green felt hat. It was his favorite and matched his beard quite well.

“My best and biggest Kaholin is right outside Xerneg,” rumbled Lem as he followed the master-healer.

“Damnit I hate riding Kaholins, so which one of the boys is the patient Lem?” continued Xerneg as he left his villa and head for the large brown Kaholin that was idling just beyond his hedgerow. Xerneg was slightly annoyed to see that it had been previously chewing on his beautiful hedgerow.

“It’s not the boys Xerneg, it’s Dittat hes hurt real bad,” spoke Lem with worry as he ran towards the Kaholin.

“Wait what?” retorted Xerneg as Lem took a knee beside the monster.

“It’s the wurmling Xerneg, hes been in a fight and he’s hurt real bad,” explained Lem as Xerneg used his knee as s mounting block. Lem let out a grunt as he took on the huge weight of the Hebdican who was currently panting heavily as he finally mounted the saddle with the picnic basket in hand.

“Surely you don’t think I have enough fat to do a transferal heal on that large monster?” Xerneg chortled with a pale face at the humongous task ahead.

“Wait what?” said Lem with a confused look as he started to jog back with Hork in tow.

A moment passed before he understood Xerneg’s case of mistaken identity.

“No! No its not Da’Nittan the Shellwurm, its DITTAT the little Woodworm, my son’s partner,” he explained as he tried to steady his breathing as he activated his Longfoot skill once again.

“Oh thank the Harvestking,” answered Xerneg as he released the breath he was holding whilst he bounced in the saddle. The ride was just beginning, without them even having gone through the village and his pudgy thighs were already chafing. Plus the jolting ride was positively trying to dislodge his two glasses off his nose.

“You know this is highly unusual for me to heal a monster right Lem?” he asked the Capyban whom was jogging just slightly ahead.

Lem slowed his joking speed to align beside the riding healer and looked up straight at the Hebdican before answering.

“Yes master Xerneg *huff I understand that, but it’s my son’s partner and the little thing *huff is pretty much family and a gift from my late wife,” he said earnestly as he huffed away.

Xerneg nodded as he felt touched by the honesty of the Rancher, plus he was sure that he was going to be enjoying some Chitpulka eggs as a reward soon enough.

The Hebdican’s daydreaming of beautiful omelettes whilst his blue robe flapped crazily in the wind was interrupted as they entered the village.

Up ahead was Lok-Tars whom was heading over to Joantack’s farm to delivery a bucket of nails.

Heck I just saw him this morning with all that crazy stuff about his son and now he needs the healer? thought the orc with worry.

“Oii Lem! Iish everything all reich?” shouted Lok-Tars with concern as they rush past.

“Yeah! It’s Dittat! See you tomorrow!” Lem shouted back over his shoulder with a wave as they left his friend behind.

Lok-Tars waved back automatically with the hand holding the bucket and sent the nails flying all over the road.

“Ahh fuck!” swore the Orc as he got down and begun to collect the nails, before someone accidentally stepped on them and hurt themselves.

“Well alright,” Xerneg said before looking back at the sound of swearing. Behind him the large Orc was on his hands and knees on the dirt road for some reason.

“So tell me all about the patient,” Xerneg asked as they left the village behind them and along the long road that eventually lead to the Ranch. His favourite hat was missing atop his head, having fallen off long ago without his notice.

……

Back in the kitchen, Kano kneeled down beside his partner in vigil. He was worried sick for he had never seen Dittat so weakly before. The normally rich green skin of the little guy was now a pale and sickly hue. Plus he wasn’t able to commune with his partner, for the medicine had put him to sleep.

He looked over at the prone form of his brother on the table. He knew that Nosal was fine and just out from mana exhaustion, but Kano nevertheless felt so guilty because of the whole situation.

If I hadn’t been so keen to see brother’s skill then none of this would have happened, he thought in chagrin with his musk of shame.

Outside he heard the sound of running feet and the heavy thudding, the sound of a galloping Kaholin.

Father’s back, he thought happily as he rushed out the kitchen.