At the Goat-Head

Astra pondered her current situation, she was glad to have been relieved of the children of her womb. She felt much conflict in her thoughts about them; one moment she wished to hold each one, the next she felt repugnance at the occasion of their conception and the manner of their birth. She knew that soon there would be much time spent in atonement before her Patroness Artemis. She shook her head and concentrated on the task at hand.

Not knowing the locations of the various inns and taverns, she decided to begin her investigation within the Goat-Head Tavern where she and Fred had been for the last few days. She smiled at the thought that no one would recognize her, for she had been a fox-beast only hours before! She sidled up to a man at the bar and asked the man behind the bar a few questions.

"Bar Keep," she said. "Being such a man as yourself, would you ever have had the pleasure of serving the man Ibn?"

The keep eyed her over and smiled. "Now what do you make me for, missy, some town crier?" He laughed and a gust of foul breath came Astra's way.

"Not at all," continued Astra. "I figured you for a goat-humping hack not bright enough to wash away the stains." She smiled and batted her eyelashes at the man.

"Why YOU!" growled the keep and made to lunge at Astra, but she quickly grappled his outstretched arms and bent them at the elbows... not in the fashion they were made to bend, however! "Aaaagh!" he cried.

"Now, tell me... you don't want some little girl to beat you up, do you?"

"Nnnn... aigh!... nnnno," he gasped. "Let me... go."

"What's the magic word?"

"Please."

"OK," and with that Astra let the man go. "Golly, its good to be back in practice! Now," she said looking at the barkeep. "know anything?"

Unfortunately the answers to her questions were 'no'. Having to ask things indirectly, not mentioning the wizard's full name put her at a disadvantage. After a few more questions, she put a few silver pieces on the bar, blew the barkeep a kiss, and left. As she walked away from the Goat-Head, the man who had been drinking at the bar sidled up to her. "Heh, heh, heh, sweety, he didn't tell ya the whole of it."

"Really?"

"I knows there be a few men by the name Ibn roundabouts."

"Do you, now?"

"Indeedy I do, honey. I be Master Stitch, and I know a few things 'bout this place and the people within."

"Is that a fact? And what would you be 'master' of, Stitch?"

Astra knew a few things about drunken men and their desire for silver. She felt that here was just one more sheister, and her voice betrayed her disdain. The man recognized the tone of derision within her voice, although he may not have recognized the reasons. Ptooey! spit the man at the ground at their feet. "You mock me because I drink a lil' too much?!!? Because my clothes are a lil' on the crusty side! Because my face is unwashed and my teeth as well! Well, screw you! You women are all alike!" With that Stitch stomped away mumbling and growling. The last words Astra heard were "...you would too if you worked for the same #$!@@!?! as I did..."

Astra murmured a few choice words of her own about men and strong drink and then resumed her walk to the next tavern. There she would continue her inquiery about Ibn the Small.

1. She arrives at the Wolf & Lamb Inn...
2. A detachment of Town Guards just happens to blocking the street she needs to get to her next destination...
3. She gets that strange sensation that someone is watching her...

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