Free The Guided Journey (Book 6) by Jeffrey Quyle Page B

of the swampy morass and the lord of the manor of Oaktown?”
    “I’m sure we can work something out,” Kestrel said mildly.
    Dewberry surprised him be kissing him soundly on the lips, and the crowd that had gathered around them cheered.
    “We will be in touch with you soon.  I will show this to Jonson, and his minister will draft a treaty with you,” Dewberry promised, and then she was gone.
    “Did you see that?  Did you hear?  Our lord is the friend of the imps!” someone exclaimed in the crowd.
    “My goodness my lord!” Jacquie exclaimed.  “What will our mushrooms do?”
    “They’ll give you new friends and a lot of money, I would venture!” Kestrel said dryly.
    “Let’s finish healing the folks we have here, and then we need to move on to the next village,” Kestrel told the nurses.
    “Line up my friends; line up to be treated by the nurses, so they can give everyone some better health,” he told the crowd of villagers who had gathered.
    “Are you the lord of the imps and elves?” someone shouted.
    “I’m just the lord of the manor,” Kestrel tried to dampen the excitement.  “I’m a friend of the imps, that’s all.”
    “There’s never been an elf like that before,” someone said.  “And he gets along with humans too, I hear.  He’s here taking care of us – he’s the best lord Oaktown’s ever had!”
    There was a rousing cheer, then folks grew orderly and began to line up as Amjay stepped over towards him.  “I’m sorry I doubted you last night.  I didn’t realize how great you are.”
    “I’m not great really,” Kestrel protested.  “I’m lucky.  And I’m glad I’m able to help.  Just remember to keep putting a little of the water on the boys every day,” he urged her.
    The nurses worked with the crowds until noon, when the clouds finally released a downpour.  Everything was hurriedly moved back into the tavern room of the inn, but there were few left to treat after all the nurses had already done, so the small group stayed inside until the rain passed over, then they departed from Little Wheel, a successful first visit under their belts.
    “My lord,” Jacquie spoke up.  “We can find lots of the gray cap mushrooms.  They’re a common thing in our woods, and we use them all the time.”
    “Well, then, you’re going to make the imps very happy,” Kestrel grinned.
    “What shall we get from the imps in return for the mushrooms?” Parisse asked.
    Kestrel paused.  “I don’t know.  We’ll just let people trade them to the imps.
    “We can set up a marketplace where elves and imps can trade with each other.  Does that make sense?” he asked.
    “You’re the lord of the manor.  Shouldn’t they have to pay you?” Jacquie asked.
    “I can charge the vendors to set up at the market, I guess,” Kestrel said dubiously.  The topic of making revenue was something he hadn’t considered.  “I’ll ask my steward for advice,” he concluded.
    They walked on through the damp forest, and reached the next village, Big Bend, two hours later.  It was a smaller village, a settlement along a small river, but the tavern and inn did have two rooms available for the visitors to use.
    The arrival of the lord of Oaktown was received with the same looks of confusion as Little Wheel had shown, but the next morning the visitors happily treated the pleasantly surprised inhabitants, then walked through the light rain to the third village of Kestrel’s itinerary, and treated the people there that afternoon.
    Two days later they all returned to Oaktown after visiting the five villages on the course of their journey.
    “Thank you, ladies,” Kestrel told Parisse and Jacquie.  They had proven to not be as quarrelsome as he had feared, and they had been good nurses besides.  “Would you take me out and show me where I can pick a basket of mushrooms for the imps?  I’d like to offer them a gift,” he asked.
    Remy and Pont were thanked and dismissed, then Kestrel