Og-Grim-Dog stayed for a drink with the dwarves but then decided to leave them to pick over their grievances. After all, there were still two members of the group they had yet to speak with.
Back at The Bollocks, they found Raya in the bar.
‘Ah,’ she called over. ‘I’m all by myself here. Come and have a drink with me.’
The ogre’s stomachs rumbled. ‘Do they do food here?’ Dog asked.
‘Food? Even better idea!’ Raya said enthusiastically. ‘I know the perfect place. Come on.’
No sooner had Og-Grim-Dog returned to the inn than they found themselves leaving again, for yet another part of town. Raya the elf took them to a side street, away from the crowds. The street was narrow, the buildings on either side leaning towards each other precariously, blocking almost all the light. Grim only took a couple of paces down the street before he smelt the aroma of sizzling meat and spices.
‘Faster, Grim,’ said Dog, his mouth drooling.
Halfway down the street, Raya led them into an anonymous looking building. Inside it was poorly lit and dingy looking. A dining area in front of them led on to the cooking area at the back of the room, from where the noise and smell of frying food wafted. The tables seemed to be sprawled about the dining area with no thought. There were no chairs, just benches and boxes to sit on. Not the kind of place Grim would have thought an elf would choose to go for lunch. But for an ogre, it was perfect.
‘Welcome to Shiv’s,’ said the elf.
They took a table. Og reached out for a menu, but Raya snatched it away.
‘You have to order the chilli burger and fries,’ she insisted, with an emotional intensity.
‘Alright, Raya,’ Og agreed.
She smiled and went to the bar to give the order.
‘What about the elf?’ Dog asked while she was out of earshot.
‘She hides things,’ said Grim. ‘I bet she wouldn’t want Assata to know she’d come here, for example.’
‘Everybody hides something,’ said Og.
‘I don’t!’ said Dog.
‘We both hide under sacks when Grim goes walking in human lands,’ Og said. For once, he didn’t say it in an argumentative way, and for once Dog didn’t try to dispute the point, simply grunting an acknowledgement.
‘All in all,’ said Grim, ‘I would say she’s the least likely of the lot to be secretly killing humans disguised as an orc.’
His brothers nodded in reluctant agreement.
Raya returned to the table, an excited look on her face.
‘Raya,’ said Grim. ‘We have something odd to show you.’
He knew his brothers would agree. Dog took out the sword.
‘This was in the returns we picked up from the Magical Items box,’ Og said.
The elf frowned. ‘What, you mean identical to the one you found in Urlay?’
In answer, Og withdrew the original from his belt.
‘The clerk was sure it was with the things we handed in.’
‘I told everyone to put their special finds in that bag,’ she said. ‘They knew I was taking them to Magical Items.’
‘Why would they have one of these orc swords in their possession and not tell the rest of us?’ asked Grim.
Raya made a face. ‘There aren’t many explanations. You’re suggesting that someone in our party was involved in the attack on Urlay?’
‘How well do you know the others?’
‘I’ve known Sandon and Gurin a very long time. Assata and Brother Kane started adventuring more recently.’ She paused. ‘I’ve known you for a couple of weeks.’
‘Well, it’s not us!’ said Dog, affronted.
Raya shrugged. ‘Just making a point.’
‘Where has Brother Kane gone?’ Grim asked her.
‘When the Brother is not adventuring, he spends his time tending to the needs of the more unfortunate in the town. You can often find him at the orphanage. Why, you suspect him?’
‘Well, we’ve investigated everyone else already.’
‘Oh, that’s what this is, is it?’ asked the elf, looking hurt. ‘I thought you wanted to go out to lunch with me.’
‘We did!’ said Grim. ‘We knew it wasn’t you.’
‘And why couldn’t it be me?’ Raya demanded, apparently equally offended.
‘You’re…’ Og began, then struggled for the right words.
Oh dear, thought Grim. Diplomacy wasn’t a strength of either of his brothers.
‘…too nice.’
Well. It could have been worse.
‘Huh. Maybe I should work on that.’
‘Og can give you a few lessons on being a mean bastard,’ said Dog, then barked with laughter.
Og shot his brother a dirty look.
‘I never really felt like I belonged in elvish society,’ Raya admitted, suddenly candid. ‘Too haughty. And too much salad. I suppose I make an extra effort to get on with people here. Maybe too much effort sometimes.’
‘Well, we know how that feels,’ said Grim. ‘Ogres are solitary creatures by nature.’
‘But you’re not solitary. I mean, you have each other.’
‘Yes,’ said Grim. ‘But we don’t really have a choice about that, do we?’
Raya chuckled. ‘I suppose not. Anyway, what were we talking about?’
‘About Brother Kane. If he’s at the orphanage, how can we investigate him without making it look obvious? Besides, we’re liable to scare the children.’
Raya pursed her lips, then rustled in her pockets. She produced an amulet, hanging on a silver chain, and handed it over. Og-Grim-Dog looked in awe at the artwork: vivid blue, green and yellow colouring depicted moons and stars.
‘An elven Amulet of Hiding,’ Raya said. ‘If you place it around your neck it will make you invisible and silent. Be careful, though. It’s never a good idea to use magic too frequently, even magic stored in charms such as this.’
The waiter appeared with their meals. Og and Dog tucked into their burgers.
‘Oh Grim,’ Og said in a voice full of wonder, picking up the third burger, ‘you have to try this.’
A taste explosion hit Grim as he took his first bite of meatiness and fiery sauce. ‘This is delicious,’ he got out between chews. ‘What is it made from?’
Raya put a finger to her lips. ‘We don’t ask questions about the chilli burgers, Grim. We just eat them.’
THE CLERIC
Og-Grim-Dog walked through the streets of Mer Khazer, concealed by the Amulet of Hiding. They tested its powers at first, unsure what precisely Raya had meant by invisible and silent. Dog leaned over and screamed at a passer-by, who didn’t flinch or respond at all to the noise. Grim found that being invisible could actually make moving around more difficult. Other pedestrians seemed to see open space where in fact there was ogre. He did his best to avoid people but was too slow to get out of the way of one fast-moving young man, who ended up flattened on the street, a bemused expression on his face.
Eventually, they located the orphanage of Mer Khazer. It was a solid-looking, stone-built house over two floors. A plaque outside thanked the adventurers of Mer Khazer who had paid for its construction. Grim wondered how they were going to negotiate their way in through the rather narrow-looking door. Because while they were silent and invisible, they weren’t any smaller, and the residents might not react well to an invisible monster entering the property.