Lowfolk!! (Patreon)

I quickly ducked back into the shadow of the dolmen and concentrated on mushrooms.  My heart was racing as the lowfolk approached.  These creatures could be very dangerous!  Hapless elves in tales from the Long Ago were constantly meeting their doom in interactions with lowfolk!  I had to do this right if I was going to survive.  I wish Estvan had told me more about this, since he apparently had been quite successful among the lowfolk ...

What did I know from all the old ballads I had learned from Dame Chitterleigh?  Bargaining would be a mistake, for no matter how clever the elf tried to be, the lowfolk always got the better of him in the end.  Demanding what I wanted would be a better option, but still they might refuse or attack me.

I held my breath and backed against the wall as they peered into the opening.

"Gone," the male lowfolk remarked.  "But it was here a moment ago.  You saw it, right?  There's no way out of that chamber."

"Mayhaps it turned invisible to hide from us," the female theorized.  "The poor thing.  If it's been living out here all alone, it must be hungry.  Perhaps it wants a share of our picnic.  They do like to receive gifts you know.  If we're nice to it, perhaps it will grant us a wish!"

"Great.  She's probably not going to have venery with me now," the male complained.

Wait a second ... he hadn't actually said that, but I heard it quite distinctly nevertheless.  Was I able to read these creature's minds??

After peering curiously into the shadows and not seeing me for several more seconds, the pair of lowfolk turned and began to walk away.

I quickly elf-shot them.  They'd be unconscious for a few hours; long enough for me to plunder the picnic they'd brought .. and I would not have to risk actually talking to them.

I followed the direction they had been walking, and found their picnic basket.

It was just outside the circle, where Edessa's magickal barrier blocked my way.  What cursed luck!

I stared morosely at the basket of food, just out of reach, until it occurred to me that I might be able to apport it into the circle.  Should be easy, since it was a portable object, in clear view, only a few feet away.

I concentrated, composed a Gramarye, and visualized my desired result ...

And a second later, I was digging into a basket laden with cheese, carrots, grapes, cold roast chicken, and a bottle of wine.

Nestled into one end of the basket was a book.  The title, "Le Chanson du Percy le Gobelet" sounded vaguely familiar, so I opened it and began to read it while I ate.

As I suspected, this Percy was the same troublesome bird who had been showing up every time I visited the lowfolk world.  Somehow - EALA! - he must have gotten into Faerie .. and the chronicle of his adventures was far too candid.  He mentioned me in a most unflattering context.  Clearly something would have to be done about this outrage!

I tucked the book into my Elfintory and finished up the last of the picnic lunch.

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