"Alright, alright! No shoving! I'll be here until St Veralyn's Day." Minstrel Brownie's voice could be heard over the crowd as if she were standing right beside me and not up on the stage in Scowls. "Who's ready for a rowdy song to start off the evening?"

A cheer of excitement near shook the tavern. Most of the furniture, I noted, was enchanted or made from incredibly durable materials - some of the tables were even reinforced with strips of iron casing. His Royal Viciousness had declared tonight a celebration of Nilheim’s ‘overwhelming victory over the invading forces of Drendil.’ Although everyone I had spoken to was actually disappointed by the lack of Experience Points.

Keith and I sat in the back of the hall, lounging at a cozy corner table. We were nursing mugs of warm honey and cream, with a foam top and a dash of cinnamon sugar to tie it together. We were also cuddling. It wasn't something I was familiar with, but as of this evening it was my new favorite thing.

"You don't think she'll play the song about us, do you?" Keith asked, a little nervously. "She said it wasn't ready yet. I don't know if I'm ready yet."

"Have you never had a song written about you?" I reached up and plucked at his neatly done up buttons. They so rudely covered his neck, and I had an urge to rip them off.

"Well. There was this one that kept popping up a decade ago in Drendil about how I ate babies…" Keith coughed. "But I'm happy to say it didn't get popular."

"I remember that one! He'll come for your child so hold them tight. The Dark Lord will feast till your bones clean white. So lock up your doors and turn off the light!"

Brownie cut me off with the start of her show. Probably a good thing since Keith had buried his face in his hands. He looked in pain.

"I'll start the night with a crowd favourite, Tammy's Tavern.

Now Tammy was a mean one who would water down the beer

Her inn was full o fleas and her face a happy sneer

No matter what you did you couldn't get her to admit

That the floaties in your drink were spit, and not some barrel grit!

So Jack and I went up the hill to see what could be done

To rid us all of Tammy's ill before the rising sun.

Chorus

She smokes like a dragon, poison in the flagon.

And she keeps all the change for a tip!

She won't wash the dishes, or debone the fishes,

she slaps you for giving her lip.

So tonight is the night friend, we'll give her a fine end,

one long overdue, gather round

By spell or the sword, if you're in get on board

We'll burn the place down to the ground!

So off we went together, to share in one last drink

And Jack he brought his Axe and Jill her quill and ink

But what happened on fateful night i never will live down

Tammy must o seen through us - She spiked our final round!

Ol Roger the Rogue was out on the table, and Jack asleep at the bar.

The moaning and groaning, the stomachs unloadin, And Tammy just laughed from afar

But Jill, oh Jill, with her ink quill, was a rowdy magical lass

She danced in the aisle, she danced on the table, she danced on spilled beer and glass.

And when she fell down

in a heap on the ground,

She hated the grime and the smell,

So she whipped out her book,

that was all that it took

To activate Skill and a Spell

The fire ball took to the beer and the wood

And the clothing of some sorry few

The cry and the clatter were stopped as the crowd

Rushed to exit the inn two by two

Some carried the fallen by head or by tail

Some carried them over their back

But none tried to save the old inn or the maid,

As it all burned down in a stack."

The crowd was singing along. For a song about magical arson, it was very popular in taverns around Valaria. It was always amazing to watch Brownie work. Her voice was lyrical but very emphatic and she could sing like a nightingale or a gritty old sailor at the drop of a hat.

"I still can’t believe that," Keith pointed to where a particularly enthusiastic fan was trying to contain himself. "Is my Demon General."

Rufus was vibrating with excitement as he sang along with the songs. He knew all the lyrics to every song Brownie sang. Including Minstrel Fine, Dragon's Wife, and Ander's Widow. He sang a beautiful harmony to The Traveler's Tale and just watching him was as entertaining as watching Brownie.

Though I'd never tell her that.

For some reason he was trying to hold it in, and besides singing along he stayed seated. It looked like his claws were gouging holes into the bar with his grip, though his tail gave away his happiness. The proprietor, a male selkie named Vincent, had chastised the Demon General - but everyone knew he would repair the damage.

"Woooooooooooo!" Rufus howled along with everyone else as another song ended.

"I'd like to see him let loose at one of the concerts. I'm more surprised Brownie doesn't recognize him… he's clearly been to her previous shows, and he’s very, well, big and noticeable?"

Keith let out a soft, "heh heh heh. I just had a thought."

"Yes?"

"What if," Keith surmised, "She's never seen him out of beastman form?"

"Ohhhh. She mostly plays in Drendil and only travels to festivals in other kingdoms a few times a year."

"If you think about it, few if any have seen him in his human form. He could come and go without causing too much trouble."

I nodded. Our food arrived, and we enjoyed some fish cakes, stuffed mushrooms, and tossed flowers. There were a lot more varieties of food harvested in the forest. Since arriving, I'd had at least fifteen different kinds of mushrooms, four different tubers, and over a hundred different edible flowers. My favourites so far were the glowing blue stringy mushrooms with little green gills, and the Ignia Bulb flower that I tapped and it burst open with motes of pollen sparkling in the air and settling like sweet glitter on the rest of my plate.

"I'm so happy Brownie will be here for St Veralyn's Day. I'll be sad to see her go, but she'll be performing at the Spring Ball two weeks later and she'll need to get there early to prepare. I'll miss her when she's gone."

"We can invite her often." Keith said.

It was a kind offer, and I thanked him. He looked at me for a second and then sighed. "You know you can invite her whenever you want, right? I'm just saying that we could invite her for official things as well."

"Oh." I blushed. Actually, I hadn't realized that.

Keith took a sip of his drink and came away with a bit of foam on his lip. We both laughed.

I was so happy I didn't think of the other important event coming up.