and stew and drank the mead that was served him Odovacar felt much better and more relaxed. He had been days on the road and needed a place to sleep and a bath. He knew that the sleep and bath would have to wait until he met his kinsmen who would see him safely to his own land.

Everyone seemed to be having a high time at the inn and it was nice to be among his own kind again. The watchful one he had noticed from the kitchen seemed to be very interested in him. She had been watching him intently. She almost fell on her way to the back to the kitchen observing him and not watching where she was going. Odovacar smiled to himself and put her in his memory for further examination.

He went to the bar and got his large drinking horn fill to the brim with the excellent house mead and returned to his corner and started his vigil.....