"Suya?" One of the elf guards checks the list. "Oh, Jave Suya's party! Yes, sir!" He gives a hammy conspiratorial wink. Perhaps Jave is well-known in Enche, or sprinkled some fat bribes where he thought they'd be needed along his daughter's route. The two guards wave the party through.

Fortunately, they're out of sight of the gates by the time the half-elf wakes up with a start and screams, "BANDITS! I'VE BEEN KIDNAPPED!"

The voodoo man slaps a hand over the half-elf's mouth. "Not kidnap. Rescue. Bandits attack. You live. Parents die. Go to grandparents - now, if you like." He tries to give a comforting grin. "I take hand away. Don' scream." And he does just that.

"Grandparents?" She looks around at the crowd, most of whom are staring at the party with mild, amused interest. "Where?"

"We'll help you find them," Yala promises. "Tomorrow. We'll look aaaaall day if we have to."

Meanwhile, Edric remains in the back of the cart, looking into his hat. Now he's asking his hat to show him this girl's grandparents.

Zaljan slaps a hand to his forehead. "You neva visit grandparents before? We in Enche. Parents say grandparents in Enche."

The hat shows him a split screen view: an elderly elf woman sitting alone in a small, dim house; an elderly elf man trudging along a dirt path.


"I've visited them lots of times," she says, "but I was never, you know, driving the cart." She seems to be perking up a little after her long rest. "I'm sorry I screamed. It startled me."

Greenleaf moves back towards the cart after the girl's scream. He listens intently to Zaljan's exchange with the girl. Afterwards he smiles and says, "P-pleased to meet you miss. I'm Greenleaf. What's your name?"

"Can she sit up, Zaljan? I'd like her to confirm for me that these are her grandparents. Sometimes the hat is bad with abstractions."

"I'm Megara Milkweed-Carver." She tries to prop herself on one elbow to offer her free hand to shake.

"I'm Yala. I'm glad you're my new friend," Yala butts in, with an angry warning look in Taddeo's direction.


"Is that a magic hat?" She looks fearful. "I'm sorry. I'm very nervous around magic."

"Well not actually. It's just a hat. I'm a wizard, though, and I can see things in it. I could show you, too. We want to get you to your grandparents as soon as possible." Edric tries to look as friendly as possible.

"It okay," Zaljan assures. "He too big to hurt you."

"He can hold you very tightly, though," Yala advises.

Megara gives Zaljan a "what's up with her?" look and then nods. "Okay. Let me see the hat, good Master Wizard."

While Megara deals with the hat, Greenleaf turns his attention to the Oxen once more.

"Ok beasties, you know the drill. We need a room for the night. Take us to our master's favorite inn." Greenleaf has grown quite fond of the oxen. He's talked to animals before on his own in the woods, but being able to genuinely communicate with them is a whole 'nother matter.

Edric has the hat images zoom in on the faces of the subjects, then holds out the hat for the half-elf girl to look into. "Are those your grandparents, dear?"

"Yes. They look so sad, though. Is it because of my ... my parents?" She looks at Zaljan in anguish. "Are you sure? Maybe it was someone else who died. Maybe they're just missing ... ?"

Meanwhile, the oxen stop in front of a fancy-looking inn called the Silver Peapod.