Page 22 of Sorcery, Swords & Scones (Tales from the Tavern #2)

Twenty-Two

If Sass had thought she couldn't be more surprised by the elf and his elaborate campsite, she’d been spectacularly wrong. Only when he cocked his head at her in amusement did she realize she was gaping at Erindil with her mouth dangling open.

Korl attempted to stand quickly, but his massive frame had been so awkwardly perched on the low ottoman that he rolled sideways off the furniture, catching himself before his face met the carpeted floor.

Val helped Korl get to his feet, as Thrain's grip on his battle axe slackened so much that the weapon nearly slipped from his fingers.

Even Cali's ears lay flat, and the fur on the back of her neck stood on end.

When Sass finally spoke, the words came out as little more than a strangled whisper. "You’re the one who bought the tavern for us?"

She and Lira had wondered about their mysterious benefactor, the anonymous elf who had purchased The Tusk & Tail and quietly transferred ownership to them. She’d never imagined that the answer would be sitting on a velvet chair in a forest clearing drinking mulled wine .

Then another possibility struck her like a hammer blow. Her eyes widened as she peered at Erindil. "Are you Lira's father?"

The effect of her words on the elf was immediate. Erindil's crystal goblet froze halfway to his lips, his eyes flying wide. For a moment, he looked as if he might keel over. Then he started laughing.

“A father? Me?" His laugh was both musical and slightly manic. "No, no, my dear. I am most certainly not Lira's father." He paused, seeming to gather himself before putting his goblet on the low table beside his chair, steepling his fingers, and gazing over them. "But I am her uncle."

Everyone in their group went silent, and Korl stiffened. Even the lute player paused, as if sensing the import of the moment.

Lira’s uncle? Sass hadn’t known that Lira had an uncle, and she suspected Lira didn’t know either.

Cali was the first to recover her voice, her ears pricking forward as she fixed Erindil with narrowed gold eyes. "This is a conversation that Lira should be a part of.”

Sass recognized the protective tone of someone who had known Lira for years and considered her family.

Erindil nodded gravely, his expression solemn for the first time since they'd arrived. "I agree completely," he said, his voice losing some of its theatrical lilt. "In fact, I've been trying to work up the nerve to approach her without completely upending her life."

Korl crossed his arms over his chest. "Why would you upend her life?"

Erindil reached for his goblet again, taking a longer sip of the mulled wine as if he needed the fortification. When he set it down, his hands were steadier, but his slender face remained pinched.

"Lira's father—my brother—left Lananore long ago.” He sighed.

"He was never one to stay in one place for long, preferring the freedom of exploration to the responsibilities of court life.

But he returned for brief visits over the years, and during one of those visits, he mentioned having a daughter who was half human.

" The elf's gaze grew distant, as if he were looking back over years.

"Since my brother never lingered anywhere for long, I made it my business to learn about this niece I'd never met.

It took me quite some time to track her down, but when I finally did.

.." He gestured vaguely in the direction of Wayside.

"She seemed happily ensconced at The Tusk & Tail, working alongside a dwarf companion to rebuild it from near ruin.

It seemed only fair to ensure that both of you received ownership of the tavern, since I'd observed you working together to restore it. "

Sass was pleased to hear about what she and Lira had accomplished, but another question quickly overshadowed it. "Then why come back?"

Erindil's smile flickered as the creature Sass had seen in the village approached with a tray of Pip's sweet rolls. The elf plucked one and held it up. "Aside from a fondness for halfling pastries?”

The man walked the tray of pastries around their group, but Thrain was the only one who took a sweet roll. Even Erindil set his pastry down untouched, his rings catching the firelight as his hands fidgeted with the silk tassels of his robes.

"I never planned to return," he admitted, his voice growing quieter. "Why stir up old family wounds for Lira when she seemed content with her life here? But recent events in Lananore have forced my hand."

He paused, seeming to gather his thoughts before continuing with obvious reluctance.

“We recently celebrated the ascension of a new Lord of Lananore—a position that comes with considerable ceremony and tradition.

All members of the family are expected to attend, regardless of how far they might have wandered or how long they'd been away. "

Korl's frown deepened as a growl rumbled in his chest. "What does that have to do with Lira? The elves didn’t expect her to attend, did they?”

Erindil's shoulders sagged, and he looked suddenly smaller. "Because Lira's grandfather is the new Lord of Lananore. I can think of very few reasons her father—my brother—would miss such an important family occasion."

Sass tried to make sense of what the elf had said. She knew little of elf customs, but she knew they held their ceremonies in high regard and their royalty in even higher esteem.

“I still don’t understand how this connects to Lira,” Sass said, glancing at her friends in case they understood something she didn’t. “As far as I know, she’s never laid eyes on her father.”

Erindil nodded. “She might not know him, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t know her. Or that he hasn’t kept track of her. I came here to find out if Lira’s father also visited Wayside and to see if I could track him from here.”

Korl fisted his hands at his side. “And what did you learn?”

Erindil reached for his goblet with shaky hands. “He has been to Wayside—many times. But so far, I have not discovered where he went when he last left. I fear something might have befallen him.”

Korl’s scowl summed up how Sass felt. She thought of Lira learning not only that she had family she'd never known about, but that the father she’d never known was missing.

The part of Sass that loved Lira fiercely and wanted to protect her from any more pain wished desperately that they’d stumbled upon a camp of warring dwarves instead.