[Tevildo]

Mistress Ellie fondled the round white fluffball that was curled up placidly on her lap and leaned over to plant a kiss on top of Tevildo's furry head, whispering in his ear, "When are you going to settle down? Out all night carrousing! Shame on you."

Ellie could never understand how a sweet looking kitty, one with eyes so mysterious and a coat of silky-soft fur, could behave in the way he had done last night. Tevildo looked like the kind of cat who should be curled up on a mat beside a roaring hearth, perhaps owned by a fine lady with soft rustling gowns who lived in a very large house. But Ellie was not such a fine lady, and did not even own a house of her own. And however fine and sweet Tevildo might look to outside eyes, he had always been a bit of a hooligan, eager to pick fights with other cats.

Seeing the deep scratch on her cat's left ear, Ellie frowned and shook her head, as she reached into an oversized canvas bag, drawing out a bottle with a fragrant smelling tincture. She gently rubbed the mixture over the tip of Tevildo's ear, making sure to cover all the injured spots. Once Ellie had done that to her own satisfaction, she took a few tidbits of sausage off her own breakfast platter and set these down on the floor to share with Tevildo. The cat had slipped off her lap and was rubbing his shoulder against her knee, purring rhythmically. Once he had discovered the sausage and begun to eat, Tevildo quickly lost interest in his owner's knee and turned his attention to the food.

At least, I still have something to share with my cat. With that thought, Ellie glanced anxiously about the Common Room. She had rented a chamber from the Innkeeper but there were only enough coins in her pocket to pay for a night or two. Her dress was neatly stitched and darned, but her threadbare cloak with its material worn thin suggested that she was pitifully near the end of her resources. She wished she had a heavier cloak to keep out the cold drafts that were circulating in the room. Her knees and back still ached from the long miles she had marched down the road. Her fingers felt stiff and not as responsive as she would like. She couldn't blame that on the open road.

Perhaps, she was too old for this kind of life. Perhaps she should settle down somewhere. But where or how was still a mystery.

Glancing over at the next table, she saw an Elf approaching. Ellie noticed it was a woman, but wearing clothes that were different from most of the other Elves she had seen......not that she had seen too many Elves. Still, it wouldn't do to be unfriendly. She smiled at the newcomer and observed. "You look tired. Have you come a long way?"