They retired to rooms in the Dead End Inn. Vanni, Eomore, Boomer, and Big Jon guarded the stairs in shifts but there was no intrusion against them.
The next morning they gathered for breakfast.
“Do you trust Elphis?” Knarra asked.
“Of course not,” Nigel answered. “He does like baubles and bling. I’ve promised him five hundred Dakin and a bejeweled dagger if he leads us to the junction of the path of which he speaks. He is a weasel- a scoundrel. But I think he is telling the truth about the bewitched pathway. It may lead to our foe.”
“It’s worth investigating. It would beat running around aimlessly in the swamps hunting for a place to break our hearts,” Cara responded.
Elphis arrived with three comrades. The three comrades were more like hobgoblins than men. They were tall and had pointed ears. Elves did not have pointed ears. Elphis called them Axell, Taggyrt, and Boogymille.
Elphis asked, “Are you ready? I have business to attend. I’m a business elf. I’m always doing business. Do you have the money?”
Nigel said, “We didn’t barter for these three guys. I’m not paying them.”
“I’ll take care of that,” Elphis answered. “If we run into any wraiths you’ll be glad they are along. Are you afraid?”
“I’m not afraid,” Dael asserted.
“You will be,” Elphis answered. “You’ll probably be dead! But I’m not going to tell you your business. I’m just a guide.”
Cara consulted Nigel; she said, “I don’t want to wake up with one of these cutthroats slicing my throat. Let’s watch them carefully!”
“It’ll be done, my lady,” Nigel assured her.
They returned to the Hallucinatory Forest and retrieved their gear. The bluewood canoes were still there. The dock master approached Nigel.
“Some local guys were very upset with you! They tried to burn the canoes. My men handled them. They said something about ripping off your head and …”
“Not in front of the ladies, please,” Nigel replied. “You did your job well. Here’s your reward.”
“Here’s a piece of free advice, my friend. You are traveling with the biggest scoundrel in Rancide. Watch him and the dynamic trio closely,” the dock master advised.
“Your advice is noted,” Nigel answered and gave the man another twenty Dakin.
They entered the canoes and paddled downriver. About midday they arrived at a small hamlet. They went ashore and paid a local fisherman to watch the canoes. The party started down a well trodden path. There were no houses outside the settlement. Soon they entered the wilds of the Lachinor. The air was fetid; the insects were thick; beasts roamed throughout the swamp. The path quickly became less trodden. They splashed along the trail.
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