You gonna talk or tell me what you want?

[Ganlon Martel]

Ganlon could remember the last time that he had actually entered a tavern. Usually the patrons came to him after too much drinking to ease their heads and bellies. Ginger root was often a good remedy for such an issue. Ganlon fingered his pouch and notice that he had a small supply of ginger. His father’s thirtieth birthday party that was it, that was when he had gone to a tavern. He had liked the wine then and hope they had some here at …. He looked up at the sign, The Peaceful Promenade. He also hoped that they had a room where he could wash up. He knew that if he didn’t wash his equipment soon he would be vulnerable to such parasite as body lice. The itching involved with body lice made him suddenly itch. Just a mind game he knew but he shuddered away. He pushed the door open and walked inside. The warmth and smells of the room hit him first. Then the noise hit him like a hammer. He closed his eyes and forced himself into the wall of sound. He walked through the groups of tables and past all kinds of people and creatures. He walked to the bar. The man behind it grunted and looked up. With a half smile the man asked, “help ya?”
“Well that was enthusiastic," Ganlon smiled, “if I didn’t know better I’d think you didn’t actually want to help me.”
The Bartender looked straight at Ganlon, “you gonna talk or tell me what you want?”
“Some wine and a room if you have it.” Ganlon placed his hands on the bar.
“A room we have. Wine we have. Coins do you have them?” The Bartender smiled and was missing four teeth right up front. Ganlon swallowed hard startled. He placed the money on the bar and took the glass of wine. He turned his back on the bar and faced the room. He took a sip of the wine and looked around. What did the goddess have in store for him here?

[blackdog1]

Milo wandered out of the forest and into Underwood, in his current state he figured it may be a safer place for a short while. The Peaceful Promenade looked like a good establishment to get a bit to eat and drink. The local guard appeared to stop here which told him that at least the fried bread was good and plentiful.
As he casually entered the tavern and slipped to the side of the door, Milo paused to take in the scene and looked about for a place to park himself. The Peaceful Promenade was doing a brisk bit of business this afternoon. Businessmen visited with their clients, friends gathered for socials, and working folks taking a break from their labors. The atmosphere was open and friendly, but he had no doubts that the patrons shifted to a darker and less open crowd for the night shift.
The only space that Milo could see to fit himself in was a place at the bar, a little bit exposed for him, but it would have to do. He moved into the opening at the bar and while he waited for the barkeep to register that he had a paying customer, he assesed the man to his left.
He was a younger man that had an amused smile on his face, like he had never been in a bar before or perhaps he was touched in the head. Either way , it didn't matter much to Milo. But strangely, the smile and look of him struck a cord of familiarity.
The bartender got his attention " What'll you have?, " eyeing the gold on the bar top.
" Brown ale and the wood plate special," Milo replied.

[Ganlon Martel]

Ganlon watched a couple of different people come into The Peaceful Promenade. The last had been a non- descript sort of fellow. This fellow made his way over towards the bar where Ganlon stood. Ganlon wore his normal smile and glanced towards the new patron as this fellow paid for a drink. At first it didn’t register, then a light fired in Ganlon’s brain and a memory push through to the front of his head. It played in his head like he was reliving it. His father was coming home from service in the Corone Army with him was a friend from that service. A half-elf named something Elkheart. Ganlon thought this was that half-elf. Ganlon was unsure how to greet this man. He played a couple of quick scenarios over in his head. Finally stepped away from the bar and turned to face the man with his hand extended.
“Ganlon Martel is my name.” He smiled at the Half-Elf. “I think you new my father.”
“You think so huh?” Milo said.
“Yeah, I think you served with him in the army of Corone.”
Milo thought hard was this why this man looked familiar. He grabbed his ale from the bar and took a sip. Think Milo, think where did I see this man?

[blackdog1]

Milo did think for a minute before slowly answering, " That could be true."
He paused, wondering how much to tell Ganlon, also curious how Ganlon could help him answer all of his questions. Maybe Ganlons father was still alive and could help him trace things even farther back. There was only one way to find out.
" Milo, Milo Elkheart, " he said as he extended his hand in greeting.
" Yes," he continued, " You could have met me when you were younger, as far as I know anything is possible. It's unfortunate for both of us that we only have your memory to go on."
Milo could see by Ganlons diminishing smile that he needed to explain himself better. He took off his hat and stuck a finger through the fresh burn hole in it's top, and bowed his head forward to display the matching batch of burnt skin and hair on the top of his head.
" You see," Milo pointed to his skull, " I have a little problem with my head. A few days ago I woke up on the ground at the end of a storm, don't remember how I got there, where I was going, nothing. Hell, I could have been rushing to save the world or running to save my own skin, don't know."
Milo realized he was getting agitated and was speaking really fast. He took a deep breath to calm down before he continued.
"Sorry," Milo resumed "it's just that you'er the first person I've run into that may be able to fill in the blank space that was my life. "

[Ganlon Martel]

“I remember this one time Tyrik Legette got kicked in the head by a horse and he lost his memory for a whole month. No words, no eating, no walking, he just kinda laid there. I think Dad and Ms. Legette had to teach him to piss again.” He laughed out loud.
“Then there was the time that Eliv hit Laura in the head with the axe handle and she forgot everything for a week. Dad gave her the poppy for a while and she came back.”
Ganlon realized that he had started talking to himself. Milo just stood there looking at him.
“Hey why don’t we try and find a table and sit down.” Ganlon pointed towards a spot near the fire. Milo nodded and walked towards the table.
Milo put his hat back on and tilted his head down. The spot where the table was better than at the bar he turned his back to the wall of the bar and blended into the shadows. Ganlon followed and sat at the table across from him.
“Well, Milo. It is Milo right? What was the last thing you remember?”
“I told you I woke up lying on the ground after a storm.” Milo took a sip of his brown ale.
“Okay, I get it your not quite as bad as Tyrik but worse than Laura. The poppy really won’t help you, unless your head hurts.” Ganlon started to reach for Milo’s head. Milo pulled back and gave Ganlon a cock-eyed look.
“Okay so the poppy is out,” Ganlon took a sip of his wine, “the wine is great here. Do you drink wine? Oh wait, I guess you wouldn’t know would you. Your brain being messed up and all. I hope I can help you.”
Milo looked at this queer fellow again. Maybe he wasn’t the right one to help him.
“Is your father still alive? If, I did know him, he might be able to help me find out more about myself.” Milo felt a need to survey the room and looked around. This place was bustling with people. A dwarf was talking loudly in one corner and there was some sort of a disagreement over spilled ale that the town guard cleared up quickly. Come to think of it the color of their uniforms looked very familiar. Was this a good start? Would his memories start flooding in?
“ .. and then I just buried Dad next to Mom right there in the woods. Our woods, I guess there my woods now and Genove is there with them.” Ganlon was still talking.
Milo’s mind returned to the conversation,
“I’m sorry did you say your father was dead.”
Ganlon stopped and looked at him.
“Your brain really is messed up isn’t it? Boy that must really suck.”
Ganlon reached for Milo’s hand.
Milo just let him take it. Ganlon grasped Milo’s hand and looked for his pain. Ganlon opened the portal in his mind. It was like opening a door in the back of his head. He saw the door open and the light on the other side of it. He let the light out. He felt it flow down his neck past his shoulder and down his arm. It went through his arm and when it went into Milo he saw the Half-Elf flinch a little. He pushed the light into Milo up his arm, past Milo’s elbow and towards his head. He felt the pain of the burns and then the light made pain go away. Ganlon watched the skin and hair come back. He tried to push into Milo’s mind but it was like the light just faded into a black space when he pushed it there. Ganlon thought of the Chalice. No, not here, not in the middle of a Tavern, Goddess, he was suddenly so tired. He let go of Milo’s hand and fell back into his chair. Milo fell back too. He felt like he had just slept for a week. The pain on his head was gone and his arm felt warm, tingly.
“Milo… I have to go to my room… you want to come….Wow, never thought I’d say that to another man.” Ganlon staggered to his feet.
Milo stood up too. This was going to be a very strange evening.

[blackdog1]

Milo was overwhelmed by what Ganlon just did and took a few moments to take stock of himself. He felt amazingly good, head to foot his body felt repaired and fresh, even the small aches that he excepted as part of his everyday life had disappeared. Ganlon, on the other hand, looked completely wasted as he silently tried to finish his meal.
" You should warn people before your going to do some thing like that," Milo said to break the growing silence.
"Yeah, I know." was the tired reply.
They finished up in silence and retired to the room Ganlon had rented for the night even though it was still day light outside.
The room was small but neat. Milo opened the window as soon as he entered to get whatever fresh air he could, he wasn't a big fan of sleeping inside.Ganlon shuffled toward the small bed like a zombie, he looked tired enough to fall down and sleep in a pile of horse shit.
Milo thought that he should get his questions out to Ganlon before he lost him to what looked like was going to be a long sleep.
" Before you pass out ," Milo started, " what the hell did you just do down there? I just went from feeling like a lump of crap to feeling like a new man. Thats not normal."
Ganlon dropped his gear in a heap, not seeming to hear what Milo had said.
" And if you do that again without asking," Milo continued, " I'll chop your damn hand off."
Ganlon looked shocked at first, but then began to redden in anger.
" That was a joke son," Milo quickly added, " you know, Ha- Ha , chuckle, chuckle."

[Ganlon Martel]

Ganlon looked deep into the eyes of Milo. There was no guile, no hatred, and no duplicity in his eyes. He saw only concern and curiosity there. Ganlon decided it was time to tell the story. He sighed deeply and sat on the bed. The room itself was small he noticed that Milo could touch both walls if he spread his arms. The bed was straw with homespun fabric on it. The one table in the room was large enough for the single whales wax candle to sit on. The wind blew in through the open window and the smell of garbage floated in. It was still better that the smell he had on him.
“Could possibly help me get this shirt off? “
Ganlon pointed to his Mail shirt. Milo eyed the boy warily.
“I promise this is the only piece of clothing I’m taking off.” Ganlon smiled his biggest smile.
“It better be. Are you more awake now?” Milo lifted the shirt as Ganlon put his arms up in the air.
“Yes. Alright let me see if I can explain.” Ganlon wondered where he should start, the dream, the Goddess, the lady lying in the road. His emotions were torn again. He wanted to be understood, but he was afraid to be judged. His mind struggled with the idea of something bigger than he was and how to tell Milo.
“I am lost.” Ganlon looked down at the floor.
Milo stopped for a second. This is not at all what he was expecting. This boy sitting here looking small, tired, and now lost had just made him feel the best he had in years. What was going on in there? What was inside of that head of his?
“I am looking for a place that I don’t even know if it exists. Okay, here goes. I’m just a healer from a village that I’m sure no one around here has ever heard of. One day I’m just going about my normal routine, hating my life, feeling sorry for myself and the next I have this,” Ganlon pulled the Chalice from his backpack.
“It’s a cup…” Ganlon held up a hand hoping to still Milo before he could continue.
“I know a lot about healing. I know the major reason you hurt or are sick and can use all kinds of normal things to make you better. The day I got this was the day that I could start doing that thing I did to you. It’s like I have this energy or light hiding inside of me. “
Ganlon focused and he thought of the light in the back of his head and the edges of his fingers and his hand lit up.
“Whoa, young man, where did you get this thing? “ Milo wasn’t frightened now he was truly intrigued by this boy. The thoughts of using this boy to find out more about his father fled from Milo’s head. He wanted to know more about him. There was something there right at the front of his brain. It kept slipping through his thoughts like quicksilver through a sieve.
“Tell me more, Ganlon. Where did you get it?” Milo pushed himself onto the bed next to Ganlon.
“It’s Okay, boy. I’m not going use it against you.”
Ganlon was tired now; with the healing and using the light he could feel that his energy was gone.
“One day I left my house to go to town. There she was lying in the road. I couldn’t help myself, you know, I guess it’s in my blood. She was hurt and she needed to be fixed. So I stopped to help her and the next thing I know I’m standing on a hill top somewhere with bodies all around me. I know I can help them. I mean I felt like I could fix them all if I wanted; but there was this one thing. A creature, a Demon that was there with me, it didn’t want me to fix anyone. I know it was a dream now but at the time it felt so real. Then she was there. The Goddess, at least I think she is a Goddess. I am not really sure. I woke up and the Chalice was there. “
Ganlon stopped talking for a moment. His head was foggy. He felt like he had sheep’s wool between his ears.
“Don’t stop now, Ganlon. How did you learn about the healing?” Milo’s voice wasn’t much more than a whisper, prodding the boy to continue.
“Salt, I needed Salt. There was this merchant and his family. His wife was hurt and a Demon had control of her. I’m pretty sure that the Goddess led me through that one. It was amazing. I knew that I could fix things that I never could before. So now I am looking for that hill. I’m looking for answers to what She wants me to do.” Ganlon stopped again this time laying his head onto the bed.
“Fate is a fickle mistress. Looks like we are both lost. You’re looking for parts of your future and me I’m looking for pieces of the past.” Milo sat on to the floor and started to sharpen his axes. He looked at this boy, this boy with a Goddess guiding him. Where to next that was the question?

[blackdog1]

The soothing rhythm of the whet stone on steel was too much for Ganlon to handle as tired as he was. He shrugged either in acceptance or resignation and was fully asleep quicker than Milo thought was humanly possible.
Milo waited for a few quiet minutes before slipping out of the room and into the streets of Underwood. He felt great and needed the activity of a walk and a think. The possibility of something jogging his memory was also a good reason to get out and about. Did Ganlons power to heal reach into his brain the way that it did his body? He didn't know, but sure would like to find out.
He had no plan as he wandered the streets, just another person among many going about their business for the day. No one called out his name in greeting, he didn't recognize a single face, shop or merchants stall. He truly was lost in his life, probably more so than the young healer. The boy had the key to his life, the chalice. Milo had lost his key.
The path seemed pretty clear for Milo now. He could stop worrying about what he had lost for now, and move forward into whatever life he could make for himself on the road. Beside the fact that he implied that he would travel with the healer, he felt that he already owed him something for the healing that he did today.
Making the decision final in his head, Milo didn't dwell on what he had lost for the rest of his walk about town. He started building his new memory today and it felt good. At dark he made his way back to the room to find Ganlon just as he had left him. He reclined on his bed roll and soon drifted off in a peaceful and dreamless sleep.

[Ganlon Martel]

Ganlon awoke with a start. This always happened to him when he woke up in a strange bed. He had been dreaming he was in a grave and the small room did little to help him get over the feeling as he rose. The light outside the room told him it was close to dinner and the noises in the tavern down stairs confirmed it. Ganlon’s stomach made a noise like it knew how to speak and this was the final confirmation of the time.
Milo lay on the floor on his bed roll. He looked younger asleep then he did awake. Ganlon studied him for a moment. He focused and could find no injuries on the Half-elf. Ganlon stood and shifted his mail shirt back on. The sounds that Ganlon had made caused the Half-elf to awake with a start and grab one of the axes at his side.
“Hey, it’s just me,” Ganlon raised both of his hands with his palms out.
“Not a good way to wake someone, boy.” Milo shifted, put the axe away, and rose from his spot on the floor.
“See,” Ganlon said, “military training. You jumped right up when you hear the armor.”
“Moving when you hear armor isn’t military training Ganlon, its life preservation.” Milo stretched.
“I could eat a herd of elk. Come Ganlon lets go get some thing to eat.” Milo opened the door to the room.
“I always feel the same way after I do my healing, sleeping, then eating. “ Ganlon stepped through the door.
“I think you and I should go to Corone Military Headquarters and see if you are in their records” Ganlon stood and looked Milo in the eye.
“You know what Ganlon how about we just see what the Tavern has to offer before we go too far with our plans. I have a strange feeling something is about to fall in our laps.” Milo brushed past him and down the stairs.

[blackdog1]

The healer was right, eat and sleep where pretty important things right now. His brand of healing worked, but it was exhausting and came with a cost. So once again they ended up in the common room of the tavern which seemed to change little sense their last visit, still full and busy. Not being Milo's favorite environment, he once again found a seat with his back to a wall, taking what comfort he could in the close space.

They got right down to business, hearty stew for Ganlon and sweet pie for Milo. As they tucked in the tavern mutt wandered over and placed his head on Milo's leg, not to beg, but in concern. Ever the friend to creatures great and small, he stroked the dogs head to see if he could ease the animal nervousness.

" Ganlon," milo said calmly, " you should stop eating your stew now."

" Why?, it's good." He replied while spooning more into his mouth.

" Do you see the serving woman over there? , " pointing to a thin middle aged woman with vacant eyes and a thin fixed smile. " She poisoned the stew."

Ganlon put down his spoon and gave his new friend a hard and increduious look, " And how, may I ask, does a man with scrambled brains know something like that?"

" The dog told me, she fed some to him too." was the factual answer.

" The dog told you?," Ganlon still looked unconvinced as he shifted his gaze to the serving woman as she delivered stew to two more of the bars patrons.

" Yup. The pie is clean though, " Milo said before shoving a large bite into his mouth.