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on his left forearm and grimaces. The tattoo of the warthog's head stares back at him fiercely. "Damn army," he mutters to himself. He stops himself from saying anymore. He knows his years in the army gave him the necessary fighting and survival skills that have kept him alive this long. He remembers the reasons for leaving his squadron that belonged to the Purple Dragon army, shakes his head, and reaches for the flask of mead beside the washbasin. He tilts back his head to empty
the flask but it is already empty. "Damn," he mutters to no one in
particular. He rolls his eyes and makes the sign of the God of his
family over his heart. He had promised to his baby sister that he
would stop swearing so much. Damn baby sister he thinks to himself.
He thinks of his family and how much he misses them. He thinks of
his three older brothers who died in the army. He remembers the
training that his father, who used to be a King's guard, gave to his
brothers and to him. That training wasn't enough for his big, warrior
brothers to survive. That's why Elwood became a mage. Use my
head, cast spells, throw the daggers, and use the magical quarter staff
for hand-to-hand combat he thinks. Kept me alive so far. Poor dad,
that leg injury sidelined his glorious career with the King's guard.
He sure wanted success for me and my older brothers. Now Dad is a weapons-smith for the army; no more fighting for him, and Mom is a nanny for one of the princess' children.
Elwood's six foot, wiry frame moves quickly and easily through the
morning crowd of Shadowdale. His thoughts are a mess. His habit of
speaking the truth had angered the owner of the tavern. It truly was
the worst eggs, bacon, and bread he had ever eaten, but he could
have kept his big mouth shut. It reminds him how he should have
kept his big mouth shut five years ago in the army, but that is now
in the past. The breakfast was horrible, but greasy enough to remove
his hangover, which puts him in a good mood. With the sun shining
on his gray hair, his quarterstaff in his hand, his hangover gone,
Elwood does not know what he is in for today, but feels like today
might just be his lucky day.
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