Chapter 2: A Good Meal Always Helps

“....mnnnghh…”

Corina woke up in bed from a restful sleep. She did not recognize the room nor the bed. “...where am I… oh, right.”

She recalled the events leading up to where she was: escaping from the raid on her convoy, losing the bandits in the forest. Running into Eulenspiegel, the Deity of Chaos and Change. Having her bring her here for the time being. A remarkable turn of chance.

“Hey! You awake?” called Eulenspiegel.

Her voice muffled due to being elsewhere in her cottage. One could try guessing where she was in it, though Corina was not awake enough to do such a task.

“Ngh… yeah, I’m awake. What time is it?” Corina asked.

She didn’t notice it before, but the bedroom didn’t have any windows in it. Furthermore, the inside of the cottage seemed too big for the building it happened to be in.

Footsteps with soft thuds came from outside the bedroom, as Eulenspiegel came to see the awoken Corina.

“About to be sunrise. Don’t trust the view outside my house, it’s always morning. Also: breakfast?”

Having made it to the bedroom, Eulenspiegel stuck her head through the doorframe. She was wearing a plain shirt with only underwear to go with it. “I got some eggs.”

“Hmm… okay. Don’t suppose I’ll turn down the kindness of a deity,” said Corina.

Corina got out of bed, and found Eulenspiegel must have taken the dirty clothes off her when she fell asleep. She gave hurried glances looking for them, not able to figure out where Eulenspiegel put them.

“Oh, sorry,” said Eulenspiegel. “Here you go,” as she tossed a shirt to Corina.

Corina put on the shirt, which fit pretty well. It was plain - simple undecorated fabric - and was more than serviceable for the occasion, plus it was comfortable. She and Eulenspiegel were pretty close in appearance, they could  share any set of clothes well enough. “Do you have pants?” she asked.

“What?” was Eulenspiegel’s confused reply.

“I asked if you had pants to wear, or if you had mine around somewhere,” said Corina.

Having already gone off to other places, Eulenspiegel’s voice echoed with a muffed tone from parts beyond the bedroom.

“Your pants are over here, they’re still dirty though so I don’t know why you’d want to wear them to breakfast,” she answered.

Corina rubbed her forehead, bothered with the lackadaisical tidings of Eulenspiegel. She put on the shirt Eulenspiegel threw to her to have something on.

“What, is there a problem with that?” continued Eulenspiegel.

“No… okay, coming.” answered Corina.

Corina came out to the kitchen through the living room. On the table were two plates of eggs with baked potatoes on the side. Eulenspiegel sat down on one seat, and  Corina sat down with her.

“You must not be used to the lack of formality.” said Eulenspiegel.

“Yeah… anyway. I don’t suppose you’re going to tell me your plans moving forward?” Corina asked.

Eulenspiegel picked up her fork. “Yeah, we have to figure out what to do with the bandit raid. Also, eat breakfast.”

Corina looked down at her breakfast. The eggs, cooked over hard, looked delectable, and the potatoes seemed to be made with a slight seasoning. She took a bite of the eggs.

“Mmmm… these are pretty good, actually. Wow, um,” she said.

Unlike Corina, Eulenspiegel started on the potatoes first. Shefinished the bite she was working on, and said:

“Thanks! I haven’t had the chance often to cook for others. Usually it’s been just me to keep myself in practice,”

Corina paused for a moment. “Why do you do that? Isn’t there no need for you?”

Eulenspiegel gave Corina a mischievous grin. “Let me put it this way: How old do you think I am?”

“At least as old as the God’s Agreement.”

Eulenspiegel chucked. “Heh. Of course you’d say that… now that I’ve had Corina, the merchant, answer the question; can I have Corina, the friend, answer the question?”

Corina looked back at Eulenspiegel, turning the phrase over in her mind.

“...very.”

“Ahahahahahaha!” laughed Eulenspiegel.

She leaned back in her sudden joy, almost dropping her fork. Trying to recompose herself, she leaned back forward and said:

“That’s a great answer Corina. The number doesn’t matter, the feeling does. When you’re as old as I am, you find there’s something to be had in the everyday joys… and there’s just something about a good meal that brings a smile to everyone.”

Eulenspiegel started on her plate again. “Well, with that pivot aside, back to the subject at hand. Future plans.”

“About the Verlassen Kingdom?” asked Corina.

“Well, yes, but first, your convoy.”

Eulenspiegel started eating her breakfast in earnest. After a bite of her potatoes, she added:

“Also, do eat. Don’t want to let my handiwork get cold,”

Corina obliged and started in on her remaining eggs. She was starting to realize Eulenspiegel was a respectable cook. The slight bit of salt made them tasty. After a couple bites, she started:

“Well, the goods in the convoy were stolen. The bandits have it. I don’t know what happened to the other people with us, I had already escap--”

Eulenspiegel, not bothering to finish her current bite of food, interrupted Corina. “I would suspect they would have captured the rest of your people. Unless your convoy was food, that is.”

“It wasn't food in our convoy,” answered Corina. “Also, can you finish your food first?”

Eulenspiegel swallowed the last bit of potatoes she was eating. “Sorry, I didn’t want you going down hypothesizing about the past there,”

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Eulenspiegel finished her potatoes by this point. She took her fork and put it into the eggs on her plate. Putting a piece on her fork, she said:

“Then surely they must have captured who they could. You must have marked your things as being from Günther Trading - they must know that they aren’t going to sell stolen goods,”

Eulenspiegel pointed her fork, egg bit attached, at Corina before eating it. She ignored this lack of formality and continued with the topic of conversation.

“Unless they’re stupid enough to try anyway,” she said.

Eulenspiegel started eating the remaining egg on her plate. Corina went and started on the potatoes, having finished her eggs. She went to take a bite of the first baked potato and got surprised by its spicy seasoning hints.

“These bandits, they’ve been around for a bit. I don’t think they’re that dumb,” Eulenspiegel said.

“Mm- what makes you say that?” asked Corina.

Eulenspiegel, part way through her eggs, waited on answering. Putting her fork down for a moment, she got up from the table and went to grab some cups from the cupboard.

“I said I’ve been tracking them. They’ve been a bother in the region for a little while now, and I thought I would try to do something about it. Bounty hunting isn’t exactly my forte for a few reasons, but I suppose I can make an exception here.” she said. “Also, sorry for forgetting to get drinks. Give me a moment.”

Eulenspiegel grabbed a pair of cups from the cupboard and started looking for something to put into it. Corina looked at her, wondering where she kept half of the things she had here. It became apparent drinks were something she didn’t have in stock when she materialized water out of nothing.

“Oh, I’m so annoyed..” said Eulenspiegel.

She came back to the table, drinks in hand, placing them by each of the plates. Corina gave a short stare into her glass, then took a drink anyway.

“That’s a neat trick.” she said.

Eulenspiegel scratched her head. “Eh, it only works here in my domain. But still, it’s a bit of personal pride for me. Since I’m one of the few who didn’t sign that agreement, I’ve tried to make a habit of actually participating in human dealings,”

“Well, regardless. I don’t think now’s the time for the philosopher’s quandary with a deity in human dealings. We have your friends to rescue.”

Corina nodded. “I don’t suppose you have my things somewhere?”

Eulenspiegel got up and walked over to the storage closet. She reached in and pulled out her clothes and gear. She handed it to Corina, adding:

“I didn’t wash or mend it. It would look strange for that to happen while being lost in the forest, after all.”

Corina looked at Eulenspiegel, confused, only to then realize what she meant. “Right, right.”

She took off the shirt she got earlier, and put on her clothes from the day before. While she was changing, Eulenspiegel grabbed her bow and arrows, and put on the gear she had the day before. She grabbed a knife, and handed it to Corina.

“Here’s your knife. I did take a moment to sharpen it, though. It’s the least I could do.” Eulenspiegel said.

Corina, having gotten her clothes back on, took her knife from Eulenspiegel. She looked it over. She washed it as well - it was clean and in very good condition.

“Thank you. Do you have a plan?” said Corina.

Eulenspiegel clapped her hands, and all of a sudden they were in the forest again. The trees lit by the sun having crossed the horizon gave a fresh scent. Corina almost lost her footing in the change, however she managed to keep standing.

“Please warn me when you’re going to do that,” she said.

“Sorry,” Eulenspiegel apologized.

Eulenspiegel pointed to her left. Corina looked, and wasn’t sure right away what she was pointing at. There were only the trees of the forest.

“Over there, a few minutes away, is the camp of bandits. It’s been their camp for some time. They should still be there,” said Eulenspiegel.

It clicked in her head. Eulenspiegel must have taken her near the bandits’ camp. It was early enough where she figured they were still waking up. With luck, they might still be asleep.

“Well then, let’s get going. Don’t want them to run from us.” Corina said.

The pair made their way through the forest. Careful to avoid fallen branches and leaves, they spot the bandit camp after two or three minutes. The pair stop when close and take count of the situation.

“There’s only two bandits, and the tent only holds up to two… you did well enough, your crew.” whispered Eulenspiegel. “So, what’s the plan?”

Corina looked at Eulenspiegel. “You’re asking me?”

“Yeah. I’m trying to rope you into overthrowing a kingdom, but I want to give you some self-agency. Besides,”

She pointed at the captured people of Corina’s convoy.

“These are your people.”

Corina nodded. She looked at the camp. None of the people in it were awake. There were three captured people, the entire group of her convoy (other than Corina). Two bandits were in the tent in a worst case scenario. Corina had concerns about such a situation, not she could do anything about it while planning. There was a bandit outside it, under a blanket for warmth.

The other one seemed to have drank a bit too much the prior night, and fell backwards in their seat sometime overnight. “What a lousy lot…” muttered Corina.

“We don’t know if they have anyone in that tent. Getting in from behind should be easy enough. I’m going to cut into the tent, and take out anyone who may be inside. If anyone outside moves, take them out. Once that’s clear, I’ll free my crew, and we can take the weapons if someone comes and attacks.”

Eulenspiegel nodded. “Sounds good. Oh, also, before we begin,”

Eulenspiegel pulled the right corner of Corina’s shirt down, and poked under her right shoulder for a moment. Where her finger landed, a pair of concentric rings appeared, with a line from their center to the bottom right cutting across. “There,”

Corina looked at it. “What is that?”

“It’s a divine mark. It’s just a hunch, but I think we’re going to be partners for a while yet. Can’t have my partner dying yet,” Eulenspiegel said.

Corina looked at Eulenspiegel, then turned to the camp. She felt sorry for her crew, having been stuck with the bandits. She also felt sorry for the bandits for quite different reasons.

She faced back to Eulenspiegel, and said:

“I suppose I am getting roped in with your plans. Nothing has made me object yet, after all. Let’s save my crew.”

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