The hero’s party finishes preparing for departure with the caravan and setting a tentative guard schedule with the other groups. The morning is moist with humidity as the rain stopped overnight, and the road still wet. Several hours pass full of mugginess and avoiding wash-outs on the road when the group stops for a long rest and meal. They re-check the wagons and equipment and head off again. They are somewhat surprised as they pass the next hill that the road appears more and more dry for as far as the eye can see.

The caravan’s pace increases with the dry road, and proceeds mostly uneventfully except for a small pack of goblins and several Sparrow-Rocs. The guards and merchants alike are pleasantly surprised at the pace they made for the day, as it puts them into a post town a half day’s ride from Salem near sundown. As there was a proper inn and the hero’s party has enough cash, they decide to get two rooms for the evening and a meal in the tavern.

Finding nothing suspicious on arrival to town, the hero’s party turns in for the evening. Marvin sleeps in a clean(er) set of tunic and trousers, Rory in his soft cotton nightwear and cap, and Ernest in just his shorts. It’s a mystery what Rachel’s preferences are.

The next morning proceeds smoothly with everyone moving out on time. Without any interference from weather or beast, the caravan arrives in Salem just after midday. After making it through the gate to a staging area, the escorts have their paperwork signed and stamped by the lead merchant in duplicate. The hero’s party decides to find a decent inn before heading to turn in their papers to the guild.

As it was midday, there were a number of people in the guild either eating or turning in completed forms, but the queue proceeded smoothly. Afterwards, they left for the Handbell’s compound, which is easily seen from the main roads and gate. Along the way they pass many weapons and equipment shops, which is not surprising as the city is located at the edge of the forrest, with the walls twice the distance of the farthest shot of projectiles from the wall. In recent years, it has become a competition between the siege corps and magicians, and a thin layer has been taken from the edge of the forrest. The forrest floor and trees that distance again are kept clear and widely spaced.

When the hero’s party arrives before the pedestrian gate, they retrieve the letter they prepared asking for an audience with Viscount Herman Handbell III. The party doesn’t expect much as they are arriving unannounced and have no connections to the family. Custom dictates that a hero’s party should be able to meet with a local lord within a week, but in practice most will attempt to meet them within two days unless there are circumstances, or a grudge.

However, as Marvin begins to explain their request and remove the letter, one of the guards interrupts him.

“Ah, so you are the hero Marvin’s party. We were informed by the Viscount himself you would be arriving, and to bring you inside immediately.”

“Is that so?” replies Marvin. “We have just arrived after traveling, and it may be more pleasant if we at least wash up a bit beforehand.”

“You’ve clearly never met the Viscount,” states a second guard. “He himself was known to take reports while he was covered in mud from hunting. Though that was still years ago, and even then his wife insisted he do so in the barracks or stables. And that’s why he moved an office there, so you’re fine. Follow this esquire, he will guide you.”

Taken slightly by the suddenness, the party follows the aspiring knight to a building with tall ceilings near the east end of the compound. Spartan and worn, this building was a single room with a single, large desk placed prominently near the far wall. A bookshelf and a few scattered chairs were the only other furniture present. The elderly Viscount was hard at work sifting through reports and expenses. He was attended by yet another young boy and a knight with whom he was verifying information. Hearing the announcement of visitors and seeing the hero’s party, his eyes linger on Rachel for a split second longer than the others before whispering to the esquire at his side and sending him out a side door.

“Welcome to Salem, Hero Marvin and company,” says Herman Handbell. “I don’t believe we’ve had the pleasure of meeting, though I have heard of you through my Great-nephews who are working with the Hero called Haider. It has been several weeks since I’ve heard from them, so perhaps you’ll indulge an old man in his curiosity after our business is settled today.”

“Certainly, if it is something I can answer,” says Marvin, to which Handbell nods. “However, I was surprised that you not only knew of our arrival but that we wanted to speak with you.”

“Ah, perhaps I was a bit presumptuous. You seem to have a good understanding of how typical nobles like to be spoken to, so let me say this clearly, I will be blunt and I expect you to be as well. I get more things done faster this way. Sound fair?”

“Fair enough.”

“Excellent,” Handbell says as the side door opens again and a young maid is brought in. “I shall start with this then, I knew you were coming because we received a supply crate with your names on it along with the shipment of weapons we received this morning. I received instructions with it, along with a letter to give to your healer.”

At this, the knight picks up a letter from the desk and walks it over to Rachel and continues where Handbell left off. “These all arrived from a trustworthy source, so please follow this maid, Miss Rachel.”

Rachel and the party look at the letter and see a simple wax seal with letters scrawled on the outside saying, “Rachel, Read before opening.” The party’s confusion and Marvin’s scowl is interrupted by the Viscount.

“Gentlemen, let’s talk while the lady takes care of your crate. While trustworthy, I don’t like it when his packages sit unattended for long. Now, I believe you have a story to tell me. Grab a seat, and who’s starting the story?”

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Rachel is whisked off by the maid and brought to a flower garden surrounded by a hedge. Near the center of this garden is a gazebo, placed a step above a reflecting pond, lined by cherry trees as if they were sentinels. However, a crate has been placed in the center of the gazebo and is surrounded by three other maids, two holding towels and one holding a crowbar.

Seeing this, Rachel becomes worried and opens the letter and starts reading. Regretfully for Rachel, the letter provides few details on the crate.

“This is something I thought I should send with you, but you were already gone. A friend of mine as of lately apparently ran into a nasty curse, figured you could help! Also, if there are any men around you should give them a good smack with that staff of yours should they insist on staying, just chant ‘You wouldn’t like me when I’m angry’ while pouring in mana beforehand and aim for the sky. They’ll be fine. Probably. Physically at least. It makes it so they’re paralyzed and immune to attacks until you hit them with the staff again.”

As Rachel stares blankly at the implications of the letter, the maid holding the crowbar coughs lightly. When Rachel looks over to her and realizes there’s a bit of tension among all the maids, she nods and gives them the go-ahead. As the metal-wielding maid knocks on the crate and says she’s going to open up the crate, they hear a strange call belonging to what they assume is a bird. The women all look at each other and Rachel breaks the silence.

“What were you all told? This was almost useless besides saying someone was cursed.”

“There was someone sleeping inside,” says the maid who brought Rachel.

“And that things would get wet,” says one holding towels.

“And to keep the men away,” says the one waving the crowbar.

Hearing the voices speaking, whatever is in the box makes noise again. As the women look at one another one last time, the maid begins opening the crate as the others prepare themselves. In short order the top of the crate is loose, and the maid who didn’t speak hands her towels to the other and helps lift it off and away. The crate’s resident makes another cry, and they see a penguin hop up onto what turns out to be a block of ice with clothing and equipment inside. The penguin is notable for having sunglasses and long yellow feathers above its eyes.

After a couple squeaks of surprise, the maids open up the front of the crate under the direction of the penguin. As soon as the panel is removed the penguin claps it flippers in approval while humming.

“Do you intend to stay up there as I remove the curse?” Rachel asks in a concerned tone.

The penguin replies by making another strange call and bobbing its head, as if it is trying to hurry the process along. With a “Hmm” and a frown, Rachel proceeds with the incantation for the Light God’s blessings after telling the maids to stand off to the sides of the crate since there’s a good chance the ice will melt immediately.

Soon enough, a flash of light with undertones of angelic voices fills the gazebo, followed by a flood of water and several voices going ‘Eeep.’

- - - - - -

About two hours later, a very tired Rachel is seen walking back into the spartan office of Herman Handbell with the escort maid. As soon as they enter, the maid looks around briefly to determine where the nearest chair is and promptly brings it close to the Viscount’s desk where the hero’s party is still meeting. Rachel, not realizing she didn’t have a chair until she arrives at the desk, happily takes the chair from the maid and gives her a hug. The maid responds with light pats on Rachel’s back as someone who understands.

The men, who were finishing up their conversation, pause for a moment while the hug happens and Rachel sits down and immediately puts her head down on the clean corner of the Viscount’s desk.

Marvin is interrupted by the Viscount before being able to say anything.

“That bad was it lass? Can we get you something?”

“Caaaaaaaake,” is the reply he receives while her head is on the desk. “And a vacation. And maybe something soft and fluffy that I can pet. And some tea.”

“Charlotte, work on the first and the last one,” Herman Handbell says to the maid. “And hold the door open a moment as you leave.”

As the maid acknowledges the order and opens the door, the viscount apologies briefly before whistling loud enough that there is a brief echo in the room. Soon enough sounds of thud-thud-thump, thud-thud-thump can be heard from outside and two medium sized dogs with relatively long silky hair skid to a stop in front of the door. After sniffing the maid and wiggling their butts, they dash inside and go up to the Viscount to be acknowledged.

“Cooper and Daisy,” Herman Handbell says, pointing to the dogs in turn while patting them. “Calm down a bit and let this young lady pet you.”

As Rachel shows an exhausted smile while playing with the dogs, Ernest eventually says, “Are you always this accommodating to your guests?”

“None of my guests ever receive packages from that guy, and out of all of you only Hero Marvin, and now the lady, truly knows the pain of receiving unwanted gifts from him.”

Rory responds to this by asking Rachel what happened.

Rachel, who is smiling softly while ruffling the dogs ears and not looking at anyone else, simply says, “We were sent a cursed penguin, but it was really a cursed elf.”

As Marvin rubs his temples and the Viscount’s eyebrows twitch, Ernest and Rory are dumbfounded with looks of confusion. Interestingly, the knight nods knowingly while the esquire has his mouth ajar and is looking at everyone’s reaction. Silence, apart from Rachel humming and speaking softly to Cooper and Daisy, ensues for what seems like an eternity for the young squire, when Charlotte returns with a tray filled with butter cookies and tea, with a satchel of baked dog treats.

“So,” Ernest begins, slowly, after the maid sets the tray in front of Rachel. “What happened then?”

Sparing the details of the immediate aftermath from removing the curse, Rachel begins explaining why she’s been gone for nearly two hours. After, or more properly during (though the men weren’t told), being changed into fresh, clean clothes, the now liberated elf wouldn’t stop crying and hugging the maids and Rachel. In order to calm her down, they began to talk and found out through short sentences and long pauses, her name is Autumn of the Lost Woods, and had been searching or was in a set of ruins when she activated a trap after obtaining a certain bow where she was teleported to a beach somewhere and turned into a penguin. However, due to the curiosity of the maids and the lack of a bow, they asked her about what happened to the bow.

That is when disaster struck.

The elf nodded and held out her hand to summon a Spirit Bow. As the maids were fawning over the bow, the elf smiled gently and de-summoned it. As soon as that happened, the elf immediately shrunk and turned back into the penguin she was. Naturally, everyone was surprised and the elf/penguin was crying in distress. The nearest maid held the crying penguin as Rachel cast another curse breaking spell to change Autumn back. After finally settling Autumn down and getting her to sleep in a guest room, Rachel made her way back with the maid.