This chapter is read by Addy
Chapter two. At the Tavern
             
Phlebus had a finely tuned sense of when Torgin was willing to listen, when he wanted to drink, and when he was ready to brawl. Since it had been a long week of rough travel from Central Brittany, complete with a tour of local rotting corpses (including complimentary aromatic country air) and because Zyrina had claimed he would buy the first round, he held out a tray full of too many ales for five people.
 
“Well, this is exactly as promised. Well done Phle.”  Torgin rubbed his hands together.
 
The twins exchanged looks with each other and grinned. He was not smiling at Zyrina on purpose.
 
Lucy took a wooden tankard of ale in each fist as did Torgin, then lifting the pints aloft they waited impatiently for Elnoth, Zyrina, and Phlebus to join them.
 
Phlebus handed Zyrina one of the three remaining mugs, offered one to Elnoth, and took the last one for himself.
 
Then he set the tray aside, raised his ale alongside his friends, and Phlebus and the twins all spoke in solemn unison, “To the chase” before the three downed them in nearly one gulp.
 
“Is that a ritual or something?” Zyrina asked.
 
“Yes, a ritual.” Phlebus began to explain as he picked up the tray and headed to the bar again.
 
“When we each go on our first mission outside of the school this is the toast we make,” added Torgin.
 
“Every time we drink until the mission is over,” Lucy finished.
 
“Well, cheers.” Elnoth added his own toast.
 
Zyrina matched it with “for Honour,” then tapped mugs with Elnoth.
 
By the time she finished her first swig and wiped her mouth, Phlebus had returned and set four more of the same ale down in front of the twins and took their empties to be filled before sitting down to enjoy his second pint while Zyrina and Elnoth still sipped their first.
 
“So THAT’S why you didn’t want to get the first round,” Zyrina clapped Phlebus on the shoulder and gave a hearty laugh.
 
“They are on their own now,” he grumbled. “Torgin is large,” he added with a wry shrug, “and he likes a wee ale upon occasion.”
 
Zyrina nearly choked she laughed so hard. It was about as big of understatement as Phlebus was ever to make. Torgin made even Lucy look tiny and she ducked when going through doorways. He scowled at the world even in his sleep. He fought with everything in his path and everyone knew it except him. Zyrina had also observed that he also had no understanding of ‘quit’ and he had a heart worth knowing.
 
“Where did you get the snowy lynx, Torgin?” Zyrina asked.
 
She hadn’t said anything earlier about the large feline that had been following Torgin silently from the shadows since they met up in Xenos. The cat lay curled at Torgin’s feet now, resting but not asleep. Her ears twitched occasionally.
 
“Lucy gave Kitty to me for my birthday, isn’t she perfect?” Torgin looked lovingly at the cat curled at his feet.
 
“Oh, Torgin, it’s not like you were pleased.” Lucy interjected, “You protested and swore at me and told me you didn’t need any ball of fur before that kitten wrapped you around her finger.”
 
She leaned closer to Zyrina and added, “On the very first day, that fluff ball just ignored all his loud grumbling, yawned, and curled up on his shoe to sleep.” Lucy was enjoyed telling this story of her big scary brother being at the beck and call of a tiny ball of fuzz. “He sat there for an hour until the kitten woke up and he’s been devoted ever since.”
 
“And Kitty is the name you chose?” Zyrina wondered aloud.
 
“Kitty doesn’t have a name. I call her Kitty because I don’t know her name.” Torgin replied stiffly.
 
“I think Torgin believes Kitty will talk to him and tell him her na...