Early morning was always such a pain, it certainly did not help to be woke up in the middle of a hot dream! Hani climbed out of bed with a sleepy yawn. “Alright! I will be there as soon as I can get dressed and comb my rat’s nest of curly hair.”<br/><br/>The usual outfit in the morning was a plain blouse and a dark blue skirt, with a white apron. Hani was mostly in the kitchen, helping the cook. Mercy and Sallice were behind a long counter stacked with dishes of food. They collected coins as each customer went by them, according to what they had on their plates. There were stacks of pancakes and rashers of bacon and sliced ham. The morning crowd was in a hurry, no time for fancy orders. All they wanted was something nourishing and some strong kava to get them going for the day. Easiest way to do that efficiently was a buffet.<br/><br/>The morning cook, Henry,  fried eggs, taking orders for over easy or scrambled. He cooked pancakes between the eggs and had them flipping faster than a juggler at a carnival. Hani fried the bacon and toasted bread. There was fresh bread baking for the lunch crowd, and Henry would yell at his harried apprentice, Karl, to watch the bread so it did not brown too much. The poor boy ran all over the kitchen as he was also the dishwasher. He had spent the last two hours chopping vegetables for Si’s famous stew. It was simmering in the far corner of the huge stove, where Henry could keep an eye on it and stir occasionally.<br/><br/>By the time Hani made it down stairs the sleepy diners were already dishing themselves up eggs, bacon and pancakes. It was up to Mercy and Sallice to make sure they paid before finding a table to sit and eat. Karl would be sent out to clear tables when he had time. He worked hard for his gold piece a day, and Si was also training him to be a cook.<br/><br/>Hani stepped right in and had toast and jam ready for the diners to grab on their way down the line and she cheerfully made the kava and filled the huge carafes so they could pour their cups full as often as they needed.<br/><br/>All in all it was a chaotic three hours before they saw any relief. Hani told Mercy and Sallice to take a break, as she cleaned tables and made sure all was ready for the lunch crowd. They had two more servers who came in and worked the lunch, afterwards, when things calmed down, Si came in and sent Henry home so he could start all over in the morning. Dinners were Si’s specialty. He loved to cook, and he took great pride in it.<br/><br/>The clock on the big tower in Merchant Square tolled eleven before Hani had time to go upstairs to change and get the gem from her hiding place. She combed out her unruly mop of curls and put on a dark blue dress she knew would look nice but not too flashy. It was cut to fit her perfectly, and she could wear her black boots.<br/><br/>(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/1a/b0/fc/1ab0fcae61eb2fcc3c0c4bd1002cfd63--victorian-dresses-victorian-era.jpg)<br/><br/>The gem she had in a small box, which she intended on showing it to Ethirdir. It would keep the gem safe and it was fun to watch someone try to figure out the complex puzzle to open it. Once she had it out of her large treasure chest, she wrapped it in a length of silk and put it in a basket. On top of that, she arranged some trinkets she had saved from the guests that left them behind in the Inn. Some of them were quite interesting. There was a slim stilletto with an ebony handle, and an obsidian blade. It was a ceremonial dagger of some sort, it had strange symbols on the handle she had no idea what they meant. Perhaps the Elf could read them?<br/><br/>There were a few rings and an amulet she was positive had been enchanted. She had no clue what kind of enchantment it was. All of these items fit in her basket, wrapped individually in squares of cloth.<br/><br/>(http://www.puzzleboxworld.com/images/limited.jpg)<br/><br/>(https://www.polyvore.com/cgi/img-thing?.out=jpg&size=l&tid=107954794)<br/><br/>As Hani made her way downstairs, she saw the handsome Elf from the night before, come in and sit in Mercedes section. He looked like he had cleaned up to impress her. Hani smiled at Mercy and bid her a good afternoon. The day was pleasant as she made her way down the street to the shop. Ethirdir had told her where to find it, and she had no trouble as she walked casually on the boardwalk. Traffic was light today, and she was not afraid of being accosted. She had a feeling that Doryn would send patrollers to the area to keep an eye on her. She spotted two walking towards her and smiled at them, "Good afternoon, Guardsmen. I trust all is well with you today?"<br/><br/>They both gave her a courteous bow and offered to escort her to the shop. While Hani knew very well she had been set up, she did not mind. The shope was not far and she thanked them for their kindness and went in. The shop was marvelous and she looked around with curiosity. Setting her basket on the counter, and ringing the little bell to let Ethirdir know she was there.<br/><br/>----<br/><br/>The lunch crowd was usually more relaxed, mostly shoppers who stopped to eat before heading home. Some couples and sometimes a family who had spent the day touring the Market District. She smiled as Hani walked by her on her way out. "You have fun now, I am still waiting for an apology from Doryn. He better be damn sorry, or I will 'accidently' spill something very cold on his lap!"<br/><br/>When she noticed Theolin sitting in a booth, she smiled. She had seen him before, but never got a chance to serve him. Taking a menu and a glass of iced water to his table, she smiled. "Hello, I am Mercedes and I am your waitress today. Would you like a cold ale or glass of mead or beer to start? We also have some of the finest wines in the Kingdom by the glass or bottle. Are you alone today?" She set the menu down for him and the glass of water, and prepared her notepad for the order.<br/><br/>