<div class="floatleft">(https://cdnb.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/021/776/701/large/anna-elizabeth-astrid2.jpg?1572906977)</div>Slipping through the back door undetected was child's play, that is, until she ran into the busty, middle-aged cook. By the looks of the kitchen, she was an exceptional multi-tasker. Multiple pans steaming, pots boiling, slabs of tenderized meat laid bare on stained blocks of wood, dirty dishes filling the bubbly sink; all filled the kitchen in an uproarious blend of appetizing aromas and cacophonous noise. There were no helpers that Pharli could see, meaning that this robust woman was doing all the food preparation on her own.<br/><br/>"<strong>I apologize for barging into your kitchen, ma'am</strong>", she started, attempting to explain herself. "<strong>I only meant to avoid trouble at the front doors</strong>." Sliding her hood down, the cook's demeanor changed when she glimpsed the staff and realization dawned on her. She cleverly made the guess that she was a druid and upon confirmation, offered her room and board in exchange for a helping hand in the kitchen.<br/><br/>It was more than a fair arrangement. Pharli was no stranger to odd jobs, taking plenty during her earlier travels for extra pay or information, and doing work around the tavern could allow her access to local gossip. The cook put her to work immediately, summoning water as needed, chopping vegetables, seasoning meat and using her knowledge in herbs to enhance recipes. Then she sent her out to wait and serve tables, bringing mead to the patrons and taking orders in the form of boisterous laughter and disrespectful remarks.<br/><br/>Shouting interrupted her conversation with a particularly pesky hobgoblin and she looked up in time to see a woman rush out of establishment followed by a few curious frequenters. Dropping what she was doing in an instant, she burst through the door just in time to see orcs and hobgoblins facing off and a trial going on involving slavers.