Adventuring with Lurker and Lady, Part the Third; Or, A Delicately Seasoned Evening

Upon returning to the boarding house, Lurker prepared for the evening while I contacted my parents since I had missed them earlier in the day. When I finished my conversation, Lurker announced that he had a surprise for me, a special dinner guest. Charming, another friend from Lurker and Lady's academy, planned to join us for dinner.

I had seen Charming a couple of times when I visited Lurker and Lady in the past, usually just passing him on the street as he exchanged greetings with Lady. It was never difficult to notice Charming since he is a very attractive man. I assumed that he must be intelligent as well since he attends the academy, so I was excited to have him as a dining companion. I was also nervous, very nervous. Nothing intimidates me more than attractive, intelligent men.

The weather turned increasingly cold and windy throughout the day, so we debated whether we wanted to walk all twenty blocks back to Kabul, the Afghani restaurant, or try to find something closer to the boarding house. Since we already had a table reserved at Kabul, we decided to hire a hansom cab to transport us there.

We were a little late arriving at Kabul, but our table was ready and waiting for us. Lurker arranged the reservation in person earlier in the day as we walked through town, but the staff did not recognize him without his hat. As soon as they figured out who he was, the head waiter graciously escorted us to our table. We laughed because throughout the evening the staff always reacted to whatever Lurker wanted or suggested, as though they had some special affection for him that the rest of us had not yet earned.

I was excited to dine at Kabul since I last ate there exactly one year earlier. Going back again on the same day made this the beginning of a tradition.

The establishment does not serve alcohol, but patrons are welcome to bring bottles (or boxes) of wine with them if they wish. We started out with a white wine before moving along to a bottle of red. We were disappointed when all of the red disappeared ... until Lurker pulled a second bottle of red out of his magic bag! We had no idea that he was holding out on us, that he had another bottle hidden away.

Lurker and Lady had not previously eaten at an Afghani restaurant. Charming had eaten at the other Afghani restaurant on the same block, but Kabul was new to him. We decided to start with sambosas for all, some stuffed with meat and others stuffed with pumpkin. We also ordered three dishes to share, two with chicken and one with lamb. We were all amused that so many of the items on the menu were described as "delicately seasoned" that the phrase became our motto for the evening.

Charming turned out to be more than just incredibly attractice and intelligent. He was also a nice guy. He spent a lot of time talking to Lurker and Laura about people they all knew at the academy, but he took the time to note that we should change the topic so I would not be left out of the conversation. I assured him that I did not feel excluded; I had already met many of the people being discussed and I knew the backstory on many of the more interesting characters. Charming also turned out to be quite witty and funny.

Of course, when I am in close proximity to a man who happens to be attractive, intelligent, and nice with a sense of humor then there is only one possible reaction for me: studiously ignore that man, ignore that man to the point of snubbing him and seeming cold and unfriendly. After all, I would not want to seem too eager in any way. I have no problem going up to a stranger in a tavern and flirting shamelessly, but sit me down at a table with a good man and I lose both my tongue and my nerve. Sigh.

Of course, that did not keep me from looking. Charming wore a pair of jeans and a very sporty shirt, the perfect outfit for going dancing later in the evening. I was envious of his hair: short, dark, and full. I may not have been talking too much, especially not to him, but I know that he caught me gazing intently at him more than once. Again, that made me even more shy since I feared that he already thought I was drooling over him. Why compound that by actually talking with him?!

Well, dinner was quite satisfying. We managed to catch another hansom just outside the restaurant. Lurker instructed the driver to take us to Woody's for some dancing. We had a couple of ales in the downstairs tavern before heading upstairs. We chatted for a while, though it was usually two of us chatting together while the other two chatted. By now, dear townsfolk, you know that I always chatted with either Lurker or Lady, never with Charming.

Once I had enough ale in me, I decided it was time to dance. Lady joined me on the dance floor. Lurker does not dance, so Charming kept him company. (Lurker's barkeep was working and would have been more than happy to keep him company, I am certain!) Lady complimented me on my dancing, especially how I move my hips, making her the second person to make a similar comment in the last month. Alas, no princess dancing ever took place. I was just a little too reserved, or a little too sober.

Charming eventually joined us on the dance floor, then Lurker and Lady went back downstairs. It seems that somebody grabbed Lurker's ass in the privy, so I can hardly blame him for wanting to move to another part of the tavern with more lighting. Ironically enough, somebody else grabbed his ass again downstairs. Meanwhile, Charming and I danced some, though another guy appraoched and started a conversation with him. The interloper finally figured out that Charming was not especially interested, so he moved along.

We did not dance for long before deciding to check on Lurker and Lady. As we stood at the bar talking with them, Chraming discovered that he had misplaced his coat check tag. Charming and Lady went back upstairs to look for it while Lurker and I talked at the downstairs bar. Their search did not yield the desired results, but Charming sweet-talked the staff into giving him his coat.

As we headed back to the boarding house, Lurker and Charming appropriated a pylon and a traffic barrier from a work site. They dropped them off in creative places in one of the town squares, a small bit of harmless vandalism at the end of the evening.

After arriving back at the boarding house, we had another round of drinks and talked for more than an hour before Lady decided that she needed to get some sleep. Lurker walked her downstairs to her rooms and then decided that he would just stay down there, leaving Charming and me to our own devices in his rooms. We chatted for a while, but not too long, before Charming also decided it was late and he needed to walk to his own boarding house.

I walked him downstairs to the front door, pointing out the door to Sweet's rooms when we passed. He did not realize that she had moved into the building recently. We made a little bit of small talk before he kissed me on the cheek, very sweet, then headed down the road. He did ask how often I came to town to visit Lurker and Lady, but I am trying not to read too much into that. I told Lady the next morning that I felt just like a little schoolgirl, wanting her to be the go-between who finds out who likes whom and how much. Sadly, I was so flustered that I did not even think to ask for digits.

All in all, Lurker and Lady showed me a great day around town!

Adventuring with Lurker and Lady, Part the Second; Or, A Spirited Circumnavigation of the Globe

I awoke the following morning with a horrible taste in my mouth. The wines, ales, and spirits of the previous night did not have too much effect on my head, but the persistent flavor of tobacco made me feel sick to my stomach. I brushed my teeth and rinsed again ... but the taste remained. I knew that Lurker and Lady like to sleep late on the weekends, so I snuggled back under the blankets and slept for another couple of hours.

I finally decided to roll out of bed again shortly before noon. My stomach was starting to feel hungry, so I decided to sample the banana-blueberry bread I baked for Lurker and Lady. It helped to camouflage the cigar aftertaste. Just as I was starting to really get moving, fully awake, I heard Lady at the bottom of the staircase letting me know she was coming to visit.

"How are you this morning?" she asked. "I know you get up early. I hope you haven't been too bored up here waiting for us."

"No," I cheerfully replied. "I actually just got out of bed myself."

"So, is everything all right?"

"Yeah, I'm good this morning ..."

Then I remembered! Lurker and I had made a plan to convince Lady that I was offended and leaving town. I had already foiled the plan before it even got off the ground!

Since I could not move forward with the scheme, I decided to just confess it all to Lady. She was amused, but she also said that Lurker had partially given it away all on his own. When he arrived in her rooms the previous night, he told her a tale of woe about how upset he made me ... but he was inebriated enough that he exhibited a giant grin as he rehearsed the story for her. She knew that it did not quite add up!

That was about the time that we heard Lurker coming up the staircase. He launched into his routine again, but I told him that I had already failed to go through with the plan. I had actually been worried the night before that he would be so convincing that Lady would not sleep well.

We decided to get ready for the day and head out to the local marketplace for some lunch, though Lurker decided that he wanted to sample the banana-blueberry bread as well.

We had a brisk walk to the marketplace. The weather had tuned decidedly colder. On our way, we discussed which merchant should provide our meal. In the end, we opted for some Southern cuisine at Delilah's. I had a delicious turkey chop with gravy over rice, corn bread, candied yams, and strawberry lemonade. I also ate a side the macaroni and cheese, supposedly the best macaroni and cheese in the realm. It was truly delicious. I could have made an entire meal out of just the macaroni and cheese. As we looked around at the other patrons dining at Delilah's, it became apparent that many of them had been dining there regularly. They had obviously been munching copious amounts of fried chicken and macaroni and cheese!

After we finished lunch, we decided to visit a relatively new museum located near some of the city's most historic buildings. I had never visited this museum before, but Lurker and Lady both highly recommended it. Being a Saturday, the museum was crowded, so we did not have a chance to see the special exhibit about a local printer, but we did observe the theater-in-the-round presentation and browsed through the permanent collection. The entire museum focuses on the document that defines our government (even if the current king and his advisors choos to ignore it as often as not). The final exhbit consists of bronze statues of the men who signed the document, arranged in small conversational clusters throughout the room so visitors can walk around them and see them up close. The museum also possesses one of only twenty extant copies of the first newspaper that published the document in its entirety, a generous donation made by a benefactor that Lurker, Lady, and I have all met and benefited from his other philanthropic and scholarly interests.

Having engaged our minds for a couple of hours, we opted to undertake a pub crawl for the twenty blocks that we needed to walk to return to the boarding house. We needed to find some way to make it as interesting as possible, so we decided to circumnavigate the globe in our choices of beverages. Having been to an Italian franchise, a traditional Irish pub, and a genteel European parlour the night before, we decided to start our odyssey at a modern Irish tavern with an American flare. The place was lively and crowded, even for a Saturday afternoon, but we managed to get a spot at the bar. I ordered a Long Island iced tea, a drink I had been craving since the night before. Lady had a Tom Collins, though she said she could not taste the alcohol. I pointed out that is supposedly the sign of a good drink. We watched the other patrons, including an incredibly tall man we dubbed Goliath and a couple negotiating who would eat the last of the shrimp tacos.

Having made our nod toward the Irish-American sensibility, we moved along to a tavern in antique row, a tavern that specialized in Latin American and Caribbean foods and beverages. Before we even made it to the bar, I knew what I wanted: the barkeep was stunning with jet black hair combed back from his face. Lurker, Lady, and I all decided to sample the Caipirinha, a classic Brazillian cocktail which combines Cachaca, sugar, fresh lime and Bacardi Lime Mix. The barkeep chatted with us for a while, but his shift must have ended because he disappeared and a tavern wench took his place. All of the food that emerged from the kitchen looked and smelled wonderful.

We had previously decided that our pub crawl needed to include three places so each of us would have a chance to spend out gold pieces on the others. For our final destination, Lurker and Lady suggested a Mexican tavern that played an important part in their lives. They often visit that tavern to milestones at their academy and they have taken their parents there on the important occasion of first meetings. The late afternoon crowd was rather large; Lurker and I both noticed a woman wearing no undergarments as we passed her barstool on our way to end of the bar. For some reason, whenever I spend time with Lurker I am exposed to a lot more female flesh than I ever see on my own. Lurker highly recommended the sangria, so we ordered a pitcher and some chips to go along with it. We were all astounded to see many of the barkeeps balance trays of drinks on their heads.

After finishing our sangria, we decided to head back to the boarding house and prepare for the rest of the evening. Lurker arranged for us to dine at an Afghani restaurant, completing our imagined circumnavigation of the globe.

Adventuring with Lurker and Lady, Part the First; Or, Alec Wraps His Mouth Around Something Fun

I announced last week that the Quill and Saber might appear a bit empty for a few days since your devoted host planned to make a journey to visit Lurker and Lady in their fair city. Indeed, I made that journey over the weekend. Lurker and Lady arranged many adventures so I will try to do justice to their efforts as I tell the tale.

The weekend started on Friday afternoon at an archive. We gathered to watch a scholar talk about her researches into the history of planetary motion and the emergence of science as a community of refinement and gentility as well as a professional pursuit. A lively discussion ensued. Lurker, Lady, and I all questioned the scholar, each of us brilliant in our own way.

The archived offered a small reception following the scholar's lecture. That gave us a chance to talk to others in attendance about the researches and abut our daily lives. I spent a fair amount of time speaking with a writer from my own town who is spending a year away conducting her own researches. The company was good, which was fortunate since the ale had turned bad and the wines were not even of a quality that Carey would drink from a box.

The archivists promptly requested that we leave the library premises after an hour of socializing and avoiding the unfortunate ales. Nearly two dozen of us headed to a local tavern for more sustenance --- and some decent wine. We especially enjoyed the sporkie! Now, these social outings can sometimes be tricky affairs. It is important to make sure that you are seated next to a dinner companion who is a good conversationalist since you will spend the next two hours in close proximity to that person. Lady and I managed to do well; we sat next to each other and had a variety of interesting folk surrounding us. Lurker sat to the left of the scholar, the guest of honor. Alas, a gentleman known as Freak was seated between Lurker and myself. I managed to avoid too much contact with Master Freak, concentrating on the dinner companions across the table and to my left. Lurker reports, however, that Master Freak spent the entire meal commenting on every tavern wench who happened to pass within view.

Following our dinner, we returned to Lurker's residence. Lurker and Lady live in the same building, though Lady rents rooms on the first floor while Lurker has his space at the top of the building. We chatted for a little while until Sweet, one of their friends from the academy, joined us. Sweet also rents rooms on the first floor of their building. As we chatted, Lurker contacted their friend Eagle, also from the academy. Eagle said he really needed to have an ale, so we headed to a tavern in the neighborhood.

The tavern was lively without being too crowded. We quickly grabbed the only available table and ordered a round of drinks to keep the four of us occupied until Eagle arrived. Once Eagle joined us, he tried to get the tavern wench's attention so he could have a mug of ale too, but the wench seemed mightily annoyed when he attempted to flag her down. Eagle and Lurker talked to each other as Lady, Sweet, and I watched the mating dance taking place at the next table. Two women dressed as though they might seek employment as ladies of the night received very focused attention from five young bucks. Actually, three young bucks, an aging stag, and a little man. At one point, the little man and one of the ladies stood side by side to demonstrate that she was indeed an entire head taller. Eventually all seven of them left the tavern with the ladies in the lead. It was not clear that they wanted their suitors to follow.

By that time, the clock in the city square was preparing to toll midnight, a new and special day. Lurker decided that I needed a special treat so he suggested that we head over to one of those taverns that specializes in fine tobacco. The hostess at Mahogany on Walnut seated us comfortably on couches and easy chairs in the ornate front parlour. Eagle, Lurker, and I each opted to partake of a fine cigar, though Lady and Sweet declined to join us in that pursuit. We all had another drink; I requested one of my favorite whiskeys, neat.

Lady and Sweet talked to each other as Lurker, Eagle, and I enjoyed our cigars. I have noted before that Lurker takes a much more conservative view of government, that he ranks among the supporters of the current king and helped him to take the throne. Well, Eagle holds many of the same views. Our conversation turned to discussing the differences in our outlooks. Lurker and I both became rather animated. Sweet needed to get some sleep as she had many tasks ahead of her the next day; Lady generally dislikes discussions about government, so the two of them headed back to the boarding house. Lurker, Eagle, and I continued our discussion until the parlour closed.

On our walk back to the boarding house, Lurker revealed that he worried that Lady might be concerned that I was upset by the topic of the conversation, especially since Lurker and Eagle presented a united front. As I have noted before, I believe that Lurker is a man of integrity who engages in these kinds of discussions in good faith. He and I share common goals, the same end point, though we happen to disagree on the path that should be traveled to get there. He does not use conservative rhetoric to disguise exploitation or discrimination. I enjoyed our conversation, even though I was not able to convince him of the error of his ways.

Well, Lurker and I hatched a plan as we walked the city streets. He would tell Lady that I was rather angry following our discussion, that I would probably just pack my belongings and return to my own town. Then, when she came to check on me, I would act as though I was more than offended and make excuses to leave town immediately rather than go on the other adventures we had planned. With our plan in place, Lurker let me into his rooms before he joined Lady in her rooms for the rest of the night.

I gulped down a couple of glasses of water and then made myself comfortable in the trundle bed, hoping that my head would not be pounding too much the next morning. That cigar was awesome, but I knew the aftertaste would be in my mouth for quite some time. Still, I brushed and rinsed, all to little avail. I guess that was the consequence of putting something that much fun in my mouth.

Strap On The Feedbag

There's some good eating at the Quill and Saber tonight --- and plenty to go around for anybody who wants to share. I have been curious about Master IceCat's meatloaf ever since he distributed a handbill with the recipe over the weekend. Today seemed like a good day to give it a try, so it is the main course here at the Quill and Saber. To accompany the meatloaf, we offer couscous with sun-dried tomato and lentils as well as a vegetable medley of brocolli, spinach, julienne carrots, and peppers. As a treat to finish the meal: peanut butter pie. Enjoy!


Master IceCat's Perfect Meatloaf
1 lb extra lean ground beef
1 cup fine bread crumbs
1 large egg, beaten
1 cup diced fresh tomato
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped mushroom
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 tbsp Club House Vegetable Spice
2 tbsp honey mustard
2 tbsp BBQ sauce
1/4 cup tomato sauce

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well then form into a loaf in the bottom of a shallow baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until evenly browned and cooked through.

(I made two substitutions: Vegeta instead of Club House Vegetable Spice and Safeway Jazz and Spice Buffalo Wing Marinade instead of BBQ sauce.)

Impending Journey

I plan to spend next weekend with Lurker and Lady. I am looking forward to the trip. I wonder what kinds of trouble will find us. I wonder if Brooke will be involved. I wonder what she will (not) be wearing. I am sure there will be plenty of ale and spirits involved!

Lurker, ever the gracious host, has already asked if I have any special requests for the weekend. Everybody raise a glass to Lurker and Lady!

Athlete of the Day

I have been enamored of this athlete since I first saw him skating at the games eight years ago. Sigh. I think that his tunic would fit in very nicely here at the Quill and Saber.

Contrary to the common stories about skaters, he has a bawd at home. She actually chooses his costumes. The red tunic with the black belt really underscores the common story if you ask me...

Another Delicacy

Yesterday I extolled the virtues of a good black tea. Today I would like to speak of the virtues of a delicacy known as the calzone.

Imagine a shell made of dough, cooked to a nice golden hue, stuffed with deliciously melted cheese, green peppers, mushrooms, onions, ham, and a special sausage called pepperoni, all with a cup of tomato sauce for dipping each bite as you munch away. At first the tomato sauce seems to be the dominant flavor, then the melted cheese seems to overwhelm everything else. As you slowly savor this treat you can pick out the flavor and texture of each meat and vegetable, all grounded by the not-quite-crispy yet not-too-chewy dough that encases the fillings.

I ate one of these delicious treats when I joined a friend for lunch at a local tavern earlier this week. I dreamed of the calzone last night. I continue to crave it today.

Ranger of the Day

What is a ranger? Let us turn to the Handbook for the Player, edition the third and a half, printed by the Wizards of the Coast, to see how a ranger can be described. I have provided my own annotations to accompany the original text.

The forests and hills are home to fierce (Bobby) and cunning (not Aras) creatures, such as bloodthirsty owlbears (Misty) and malicious displacer beasts (Cirie - she could displace a lot). But more cunning and powerful than these monsters (Dan!!!) is the ranger (Nick - sigh), a skilled hunter and stalker (at least he knows how to hold onto his spear). He knows the woods as if they were his home (as indeed they are --- at least for thirty-nine days), and he knows his prey (Casaya) in deadly detail.

A ranger often accepts the role of protector (translation: he turned down the opportunity to give Sally the tongue lashing she so rightly deserved after losing the spear), aiding those who live in (Terry and Ruth Marie) or travel through (farewell Tina and Melinda) the woods. In addition, a ranger carries grudges against certain types of creatures (Jiffy and EPMB) and looks for opportunities to find and destroy them.

The ranger's best role is that of a scout and secondary combatant. Without the heavy armor of the fighter (Terry) or the staying power of the barbarian (Shane), the ranger should focus on opportunistic and ranged attacks. Most rangers use their animal companions (six wooden snakes) as sentries, scouts, or to assist them in melee combat.

Hide in Plain Sight: While in any sort of natural terrain, a ranger of 17th level or higher can use the Hide skill even while being observed. (Loremistress Estee believes Nick mastered this skill as a 1st level ranger.)





I enjoy the final portrait. I imagine he really knows how to handle his big snake.

Luxury in a Cup

Does anything taste better than a hot cup of Earl Grey with a bit of sugar and milk? Does anything smell better? I know that we usually prefer to have an ale or stout here in the tavern, but we shall take a few moments to appreciate a nice black tea. If Earl Grey is not to your taste, I have several others to offer: English Breakfast, Irish Breakfast, Lady Grey. I also have plenty of honey, sugar, and milk, so you can sweeten your tea to taste.

I know that some folks really enjoy visiting the coffeehouses and drinking the exotic beverage for which those establishments have been named. To tell the truth, that bitter brew turns my stomach in knots. It smells so good, but I know that I can only drink it at my own peril.

Once upon a time, my best friend and I met at a coffeehouse every Friday afternoon to talk about the week, our friends, our studies, and our relationships. I don't recall having any probloem with coffee back then, though I usually drank some sort of specialty drink that combined coffee and chocolate.

Porter of the Day

I have been away from the Quill and Saber for a few days. I see that the place is still standing, so I guess the celebrations did not get out of hand ... though I imagine that the local vintner and the resident lady of the night distributed a lot of their wares. Anyway, while I was away I arranged to have supplies delivered to the tavern. You know what that means! I had to hire a porter or two to transport all the supplies from the wholesalers to the tavern. Does anybody have any requests for anything that you would like to see the porters lift? You will be surprised what they can hoist onto their shoulders.

Bruises

I mentioned a week ago that I let a local apothecary draw my blood to test for certain kinds of diseases. I have fears of both needles and blood (especialy my own) so I looked away during the process. I barely felt it at all.

A bruise appeared a few days later. It is still evident on my arm, right at the elbow. It extends about four inches (though I have know many guys who would claim it to be six and a half inches) and it is a mottled red surrounded by ugly yellow splotches.

I have a friend who works as a healer in one of the local hostels. I showed him my arm and asked if I needed to be concerned. He assured me that bruising is often a normal part of drawing blood, though he also noted that the apothecary did a really poor job to have caused such an extensive mark.

Fortunately it is not painful.

Minstrels of the Day

The management of the Quill and Saber regrets that other commitments prevented a local from being recognized for all his hard work yesterday. To make amends, today I present not one but two deserving young bucks. Everybody loves the minstrels: singing those love ballads, strumming their mandolins, playing on the pipes. I always love when these minstrels pass through town and play at the tavern. They always put on such a good show!

Four Things

I got tagged by Nutz, who got tagged by MCatt, who got tagged by Alice, who got tagged by Dweeze, so here are my answers:

Four jobs I've had:
1. Pharmacy Technician
2. Service Coordinator at an Advertising Agency
3. Researcher for a Documentary that Aired on PBS
4. College Instructor

Four movies I can watch over and over:

1. Dead Poets Society
2. Strictly Ballroom
3. Star Wars
4. Dead Again

Four Places I have lived:

1. Washington, DC
2. Philadelphia, PA
3. Baltimore, MD
4. Napoleon, MI

Four Shows I love:

1. The West Wing
2. Babylon 5
3. The Amazing Race
4. Nip/Tuck

Four highly-touted TV shows I detest:

1. Everybody Loves Raymond
2. Will & Grace
3. The Family Guy
4. Everybody Loves Raymond

Four books I'd recommend to anyone, anytime:

1. The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
2. Magician by Raymond E. Feist
3. Paris Underground by Etta Schiber
4. A Midwife's Tale by Laura Thatcher Ulrich

Four places I have vacationed:

1. Dublin, Ireland
2. Rome, Italy
3. Sliema, Malta
4. Oxford, England

Four of my favorite dishes:

1. Moo Shu Chicken
2. Chicken Tika Masala
3. Ropa Vieja
4. Falafel with Baba Ganough

Four sites I visit daily:

1. Blogger
2. RTVW
3. Guys4Men
4. Google

Four places I would rather be right now:

1. Philadelphia
2. My parents' house with the dogs
3. Paris
4. Australia

And I'm tagging:

1. BZ
2. Puffy
3. Seana
4. Nookie

More About Maps

Speaking of doppelgangers, I would like to confirm that I have identified my own doppelganger out there. Many of you have encountered him too. I don't know exactly how he earns his keep, though I get the impression he does most of his work either in a library or from atop a soapbox. I'm certain that is is not anything as much fun as operating a tavern.

I have noticed that some townsfolk have marked me on their maps while others have marked the doppelganger. A few have marked both of us. Given a choice, I truly prefer that latter method. The doppelganger and I are two separate individuals running two different kinds of establishments. There's no reason not to have maps to both of our places so patrons can enjoy both or choose the one they prefer on their own. One of us has not replaced the other, so I hesitate to have the wrong sort of patrons get that idea in their heads.

That being said, I have marked some of my favorite townsfolk on my map, but only those who have visited the Quill and Saber. I will add others once they make an appearance. For some, I have made a best guess about their occupation. If I have made any inappropriate assumptions, please let me know and we can change your entry to whatever you wish. I know that one local weaver was nervous about being confused with a particular kind of Weaver --- as if we could ever confuse the goodness of the one with that hatchet-mouthed, leather-skinned harpy or any of her demon spawn.

Doppelganger of the Day

I have warned you before that doppelgangers walk among us. Yesterday one or two patrons seemed to figure out the truth of that matter. Now I present conclusive evidence that doppelgangers do exist and have infiltrated our ranks. You probably recognize this gentleman. You know that you have seen him before ... if you could just put your finger on it. Yes, you know. You just saw him over at Master Volsfan's brewery ... but there is no possible way that he could have gotten to the Quill and Saber Tavern before you arrived. He was actively entertaining Master Volsfan and his patrons. How can this be?!

I offer you proof that doppelgangers do exist. One is in my tavern at this very moment. If you do not beleive me, go back to Master Volsfan's brewery and see for yourself that the original gentleman remained there the whole time. Be not afraid, however, since this doppelganger seems more than friendly and only wishes to please the patrons of the Quill and Saber.

Faded Ink

I once kept a daily journal. I applied quill and ink to parchment on a daily basis to record my thoughts and feelings as well as the events of the day. That ritual lasted about four years coninciding with the time that I studied at the academy in this fair town. Then one day I stopped writing. On occasion I hoisted the quill again, but never for more than a few days at a time. Eventually I fell out of practice completely.

That was a decade ago. I have saved all of those journals. They rest on a special shelf in my sleeping chamber so I know where they are at all times. I have recently been looking through some of them. Many are quite legible, but I am worried that the ink has faded in others. I can still decipher what I wrote if I look at the impressions that the nib made on the page. I worry, however, if a time will come that I can no longer read those entries at all.

I feel as though a part of my past is slowly being erased. It seems odd to nurture such feelings. After all, in a sense I have already lost every day of the last decade that I did not record anything in a journal at all. The days from the previous four years are now achieving parity with those that are more recent. On the other hand, I intentionally attempted to preserve my memories during a certain period. I invested time and effort in something that I expected to be more permanent.

Is it truly possible to record the past, even by writing something every day? Yes, I may mention something that was important to me in the moment, but it is impossible to re-create every event, every thought, and every feeling. For each entry that I record, there are dozens of others that I choose not to compose. My journal can only give a partial portrait of who I am and what I experience.

A Quick Missive

I only have one sibling, a younger brother. He lives far away, in the wooded lands in the northeastern part of the realm. He works as a gaoler and shares a garret with a young woman who arranges hair. He was unable to visit the rest of the family during the holidays as he had to watch over the gaol.

I do not have much contact with my brother. We see each other each year for the holidays. We do not exchange letters throughout the year. We have never been close even though we grew up in the same house.

My mother revealed to me that my brother never sends gifts when they celebrate the days of their birth or commemorate their marriage. That does not bother her since she knows that he does not have many gold pieces. She was upset, however, that he does not at least send a message or otherwise get in touch. Those days just pass with no word from him.

My father will celebrate the anniversary of his birth on Saturday. Earlier this week I composed a quick missive and dispatched it to my brother to remind him of these important dates, suggesting that he remember to send an illuminated parchment with good wishes.

I do not think that I took an inappropriate approach, though I wonder how he will react considering that we do not usually have much contact. When we both still lived with our parents, he often thought that I was the favored child. Now that he is approaching thirty years of age, will he be able to take my message as a friendly suggestion rather than some sort of posturing to set myself up as the "good son" in comparison to his poor example.

Groundhog of the Day

Well and truly, this furry guy is not really a groundhog, but he does care for all the animals up at the Duke's villa. Since Zombs is hosting a Groundhog Day soiree over at her haberdashery shop, I thought it might be nice to invite this guy along and see if he spots his shadow. If the Duke's beastmaster does see his shadow and determines we are in for six more weeks of winter then I hope that he returns to the Quill and Saber to hibernate for a while. With all that fur, I am sure he can keep me warm throughout the night even if the fire in the hearth goes out.

New Maps

I have taken a few moments to draw some new maps so those of you new to this fair town can find your way around.

Putting these maps together was a bit of an odd process. It seems that many of my favorite places, especially the taverns and coffeehouses, never bother to have broadsides or pamphlets printed to announce their services. I wonder if part of the explanation could be because this is an academy town.

After all, good custom is fairly guaranteed at many of these establishments simply because they are situated so close to the academy. Thousands of students walk past them every day and need places to seek their meals, so the taverns do fill up with little effort required on the part of the proprietors.

I am disappointed that I can not point you in the direction of a couple of my favorites. There are others in town that I know are quite good purely by reputation, but I have only indicated how to find those that I know from personal experience offer a good victuals and cold ale.

I will call attention to only one tavern that I have not added to the map: Jerusalem Garden. It does not surprise me that this tiny Mediterranean tavern has not had any broadsides printed. The entire establishment is only a little larger than a hole in the wall. The victuals, however, are delicious. If you ever visit my fair town and you only have time to visit one tavern, I highly recommend that you make it Jerusalem Garden. Try the falafel with baba ganoush. If you arrange your visit during the summer months, take advantage of the patio seating. Nothing beats munching away while watching the town and gown parade past.

The Adventures of Alec and Lurker: Epilogue

I do not really have any tales to tell today. I just reasoned that since I provided a prologue that I should compose an epilogue to accompany it and bring the stories full circle.

I am sure that there will be more stories to weave. In a little over a fortnight I will travel to visit Lurker and Lady once again. Who knows what kinds of adventures we might have? Given the amount of ale that we consume, something interesting is likely to happen.

On one outing about two years ago, Lurker and I (accompanied by our friend Prodigy) went on a tavern crawl. I do not recall how many different kinds of ales and wines I tasted that evening, but when I returned to the inn where I was staying I immediately collapsed into my bed. The room was spinning. It continued to spin all night.

The following morning I got into my carriage to return to my own home about two hours distant. I made it about halfway befre I had to stop at a waystation for weary travelers at the side of the road. I had a little nap inside the carriage before I continued the rest of the way home, but my head continued to pound.

Considering that I have these types of adventures more often than I first realized, it is quite appropriate that a certain kind weaver provided me with a pilsner glass of my very own.

Tailor of the Day

Patrons have certain expectations when they visit the Quill and Saber. Among them, they expect the barkeeps and the tavern wenches to be attired in a genteel fashion. Those expectations are set even higher for the host. In order to measure up, I regularly spend time in my favorite tailor's shop. He usually manages to create a perfect fit, though I realize that claim may be belied by the portrait below since he seems to be spilling out of his codpiece.

Odd and Perplexing

About a month ago I visited my parents at their villa on the lake. My mother packed up a basket of victuals for me to munch once I returned home. She included a jar of crabapple jelly she made from the fruit in the tree near the entryway to the villa. She also sent along a jar for me to give to my mentor at the academy.

My mentor took a journey out of town for a while so I left the jar of jelly with the other messages and packets that had accumulated for her at the academy. I secured a note to it explaining what it was and from whence it came. My mother had also marked the jar with a simple mailing label.

Shortly after she returned to the academy, I discovered the jar of jelly sitting with my messages and other packets. The note I attached had been removed, but there was no explanation of why she returned it to me.

This was more than a fortnight ago. I have seen her on more than one occasion since then and she has not mentioned it. I have not felt comfortable asking about it.

Since her message box had been overflowing, I wondered if the jar got separated somehow. Could my message have been accidentally removed, leaving my mother's label as the only identifying mark? Could some enterprising and helpful person have then returned the jar to me not having any better idea what to do with it? As I said, I don't feel comfortable asking.

The whole incident leaves me feeling perplexed.