bemusement
bemusement at Shelyid’s unexpected tale, he had not thought to inspect the gnome’s person. Thus did Shelyid retain the shilling in his waistband, this being the annual allowance permitted to him by his master. The coin proved just sufficient to cover the cost of a small room at the inn for two nights.
Exhausted by the journey, Shelyid curled up on his pallet and promptly fell asleep. Not so the thaumaturge, who was—any fool could see it!—engulfed in a humor both sour and bleak. He paced to and fro until the wee hours of the morn, muttering loud imprecations at the foibles of happenstance, and bringing down many fell oaths, curses, and contumely upon the absent head of a certain Rascogne de Sevigneois. At length, however, this amusement palled, and the wizard fell into silence. Clear it was that he pondered over his present worldly state. As the first light of dawn appeared, he sighed deeply.
“Alas, there is no other way. Shelyid—arise! Arise, I say!”
Grumbling and mumbling, the dwarf rolled over and sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
“What is it, master?”
“Get up, dwarf. We must discuss our present circumstances, eschewing all pusillanimous melancholy.”
“Yes, master!” exclaimed Shelyid, astonishment writ plain upon his face. Rare indeed were the occasions upon which Zulkeh deigned to discuss their common situation with his apprentice. Unheard of, in fact.
The dwarf now awake and attentive, the mage began his exposition of the problem. “Shelyid, we find ourselves in dire straits—this, the result of our recent calamity. I refer,
Exhausted by the journey, Shelyid curled up on his pallet and promptly fell asleep. Not so the thaumaturge, who was—any fool could see it!—engulfed in a humor both sour and bleak. He paced to and fro until the wee hours of the morn, muttering loud imprecations at the foibles of happenstance, and bringing down many fell oaths, curses, and contumely upon the absent head of a certain Rascogne de Sevigneois. At length, however, this amusement palled, and the wizard fell into silence. Clear it was that he pondered over his present worldly state. As the first light of dawn appeared, he sighed deeply.
“Alas, there is no other way. Shelyid—arise! Arise, I say!”
Grumbling and mumbling, the dwarf rolled over and sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
“What is it, master?”
“Get up, dwarf. We must discuss our present circumstances, eschewing all pusillanimous melancholy.”
“Yes, master!” exclaimed Shelyid, astonishment writ plain upon his face. Rare indeed were the occasions upon which Zulkeh deigned to discuss their common situation with his apprentice. Unheard of, in fact.
The dwarf now awake and attentive, the mage began his exposition of the problem. “Shelyid, we find ourselves in dire straits—this, the result of our recent calamity. I refer,