There was a knock on the door. “Rise and shine!” shouted Fraz. Ayla heard him scuffle off.

  There is literally no sun. She rubbed her eyes, then stretched. She threw her legs over the bed, yawning and wiggling her toes on the cold floorboards. She skipped across the room to the toilet with an intense need to pee. She hiked up her slip and sat down. As she relieved herself, she noticed it was bit rowdier than usual outside her bedroom door.

  She remembered the that construction crew had arrived yesterday evening. It could be them, but the commotion seemed louder than what she expected. She flushed and wiped with a small wet rag and then washed her hands. Looking in the mirror, she patted down her bed head as best she could.

  I really need to invest in a brush, she thought. Maybe I can ask Tess for one? Or maybe Fraz can pick one up the next time he’s in town? She rolled off her slip and ducked into her green dress. She noticed little dirt stains around the skirt. It’d been a couple days and was due for a washing.

  “Tonight,” she decided, patting it down. She heard a distant croak. “There’s Mr. Toad!”

  Ayla turned to the window, opening the curtain in time to see the large pink toad hopping down the path. It was coming from the west. It didn’t stop this time, however, it continued hopping on. Catching it leave this time around, she noticed it had a shiny speckled back. Each little bump had a tiny purple circle on it.

  “Wait!” she heard from the left. Looking down the path she saw Mirra floating in, “Wait? Where did you go?” She twisted around, searching all around the ground. She noticed Ayla watching from behind the window. She floated over, peering through the glass.

  “Did you see a pink toad pass by?”

  Ayla pointed to the right. “He went that way.”

  “Thank you, Ayla!” She turned right and quickly hovered off, disappearing into the fog.

  “It gets stranger every day,” she said.

  Exiting the bedroom, she locked the door behind her. She checked it. Yep, locked. She turned and was greeted by a very busy main floor. The construction workers were out and about, occupying a few tables. Fraz walked in front of her and nodded towards the bar counter. There were several plates ready to dish out. Each plate had eggs, sliced ham, diced potatoes, and three cherry sized tomatoes on the side.

  Ayla picked up a few of the dishes and headed for the tables. Thinking back on the night before, she only recalled a few dwarves and the two men. This crew was triple that size! As she set the plates down, a fat dwarf asked, “Any coffee going?”

  “I’m not entirely sure, to be honest. Let me check for you once I get these plates out.”

  She finally cleared the bar counter, handing the last plate to the broody man from last night. Now that she was up close, she got a better look at him. His face was sharp and his eyes were piercing. His hands were large and calloused. Scars decorated his muscles, and one notably ran down the side of his neck into his tunic. Ayla wondered if he was a warrior, maybe a monster hunter?

  “Will this be enough food for you?” she asked.

  “I’ve survived on less,” he said. His voice had a low rumble, his words matter-of-fact. “Thank you, barmaid.”

  “You’re welcome. I’m Ayla.”

  The man nodded, “I am Shemgar. I hail from Golaana.”

  Ayla leaned forward, keeping her voice down. “I’m so sorry, I don’t know where that is.”

  He smiled, bearing white teeth. “Fret not,” he said kindly, almost soothingly, “It’s an island southwest of here. I do have one question.”

  “I’m sure I have the answer.”

  “There was a beautiful wraith dancing with the bard last night. Will she be working today.”

  “Uh…” that beautiful wraith was currently chasing down a pink toad in the creepy woods for unclear reasons, “… yes? She’s out at the moment though.”

  “I see. I’m sure I will see her later then. Thank you for the meal.”

  Ayla nodded as if to say, Of course, and left him to eat.

  She found Fraz and another dwarf behind the bar counter. They were going over the stable’s construction plans. Fraz seemed anxious.

  “What’s up?” she asked.

  “Hoping they get done with this in time for the riders. They’re supposed to be bringing hatchlings too, and they tend to fly off.”

  “I’ve heard that little wyverns can be very devious,” said Ayla.

  “Aye,” said the other dwarf. “Those little bastards inevitably escape. They look for an opening here, a busted part of the fence there. It’s a game to them, but a headache to us.” He saluted Ayla. “Name’s Roz.” Roz was dressed in layers ready to shed upon first sweat. His bushy eyebrows nearly covered his beady eyes, peering through pair of well-worn glasses that rested on his big nose.

  Fraz leaned in, “I meant to say: thanks again for bringing down the guys, Roz. It’s been a while.”

  The dwarf turned left, looking at the crew. “You left on good terms, so just relax.”

  Ayla watched them carefully. Fraz nodded, folding his hands together. He was trying to hide a small, but nervous shake. She wasn’t sure how Fraz knew this crew. Was he a construction worker beforehand? She closely observed them.

  There were nine dwarves and six humans. They all seemed to know each other well, cracking dirty jokes, punching each other in the arm, that sort of thing. What stood out to Ayla was the way they behaved. They didn’t exactly look like construction workers. They looked like fighters dressed as construction workers. They had the hardy pants, the sun worn cotton shirts, and a variety of apron and glove types among them. It was their demeanor that set them apart from the common laborer. She had to ask.

  “Where do you guys know each other?”

  Roz looked up from the stable plans. “You must be new around here. Thought everyone knew about us?”

  Fraz shook his head. “Ayla’s just took over for Scar.”

  “Ah,” said Roz. “I remember her, kinda whiney.”

  “I’ve worked here for two days,” said Ayla. “It’s already been quite the adventure.”

  “No doubt,” said Roz, “Witchwicks has never known a dull day. Fraz is my little brother.

  “I didn’t know Fraz had family,” said Ayla playfully.

  “Fraz keeps most of that shit to himself,” said Roz. “Not me, you want stories? I got ‘em!”

  “Alright,” said Fraz, tapping on the building plans, “focus will ya?”

  Roz waved him off. “These guys chowing down are mostly kin, aside from the dorky looking half-dwarf on the side there. Got goblin in him. And the men, of course. Most of us used to dive dungeons back in the day.”

  “Dive,” mocked Fraz. “Fancy word for grave-robbing.”

  “Well, we all wised up to that,” said Roz, a tinge of regret in his voice. “Now we walk a narrower path. ‘Course Shem is still doing some mercenary work on the side.”

  Ayla perked up, “Shemgar is a mercenary?”

  “Yeah, comes from a warrior tribe in Golaana. His people, at least how he tells it, weren’t too pleased with him moving to the mainland. Way I see it, were they really going to argue with that?” Roz gestured to Shemgar, who was tearing into the ham. “That man has more muscle on him than our crew combined.”

  Ayla agreed. She watched Shemgar eat, his massive jaw chomping, his neck muscles flexing as he swallowed his food. He was a violent eater, almost barbaric. However, when he had finished, he lined set his fork neatly against his plate. It was perfectly perpendicular to the edge of the table.

  “Precise,” she said to herself. She looked at Roz, “Is he expensive?”

  “As far as swords-for-hire are concerned, no. But, if you’re looking for someone to work in these parts, yes. These woods have a nasty, nasty reputation. Why? A little thing like you looking to get some killing done?”

  “I hadn’t planned on it. I should see if Gabby has coffee, lest the dwarves strike!”

  Roz grinned, “That is a good idea, lass.”

  She popped into the kitchen, leaving the dwarf brothers to finish their meeting. “Morning Gabby, I’ve been sent to confirm if coffee is brewing.”

  Gabby’s tail popped up, pointing to the opposite side of the kitchen. She saw three percolators on the stove.

  “Should be a few more minutesss,” she said with a sweet hiss.

  “I’ll let them know. Thanks!”

  Ayla spun around, walking right back into the bar. Fraz and Roz were mid conversation.

  “I suspect you’ll have a day to breathe,” said Roz.

  “I like the sound of that,” said Fraz. Just over Fraz’s shoulder, Alya watched Mirra gracefully enter the tavern.

  “Oh good,” said Fraz. “You’re here. Tess still sleeping I imagine?”

  “Yes,” said Mirra. “She is asleep.”

  “We can get started without her. Got a busy day ahead us, ladies. We’ve to clean the baths. Problem one requires repairing the plumbing.”

  Mirra opened her mouth to ask a question, but was distracted by the sight of floating saucers, cups and pitchers. The saucers and coffee mugs landed on the counter with quiet ceramic clings. Then, coffee poured from each pitcher, one after the other, filling each cup. The pitchers circled around their invisible track and returned to the kitchen through the pass-through.

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  “That was absolutely captivating!” she said. She swished around the counter and began to serve the workers. When she had set Shemgar’s coffee down, he stopped her.

  “Thank you, miss. I wanted to say that you danced beautifully last night. I’m Shemgar. May I have your name?”

  “Oh, I’m Mirra! Thank you for the compliment.” She curtsied, her wispy dress fluttering at the bottom.

  Ayla watched them carry on with more small talk. Looks like Shemgar might have a crush. She turned back to Fraz. “Problem two is that growl I heard the other morning?”

  Fraz nodded, looking down. “Ashamed to say, I don’t know what it’s in there, or what it’s gonna take to get it out.”

  Roz pushed off the counter, “I’ll leave the monster hunting to you. Alright lads, hop to. I’ve got the plans in hand, and we’ve got a deadline. Lopp, you sorry excuse of a dwarf. You spillin’ your coffee all over? Don’t give me that! Grayson, work that midget extra hard. Send him up the ladders, he hates heights…”

  … and on he went. The crew finished their coffee, teasing each other. They started to walk out in single file, breaking into song.

  “Filled to the brim, ready for the day! Grab your walking sticks! There’s loads to do, here we come, swinging our massive…”

  “Alright, alright, alright,” shouted Roz, “Enough with the singing. Can’t we go one day without a dwarf singing a blasted song? Can’t hammer nails to save your lives, but you can sing about it. By the gods.”

  Roz slammed the door shut behind him. Ayla and Mirra snickered as Fraz rubbed the bridge of his nose. “So, those are my brothers, some cousins, whatever. I’ll give ya their names later, but we’ve got a bath house to clean before we open.” Fraz glanced at the clock above the bar, “Tess should be in soon.”

  Ayla filled two buckets with hot water and soap in the kitchen and carried them out to the tavern main. Mirra and Fraz were standing by the bath door. Mirra was holding the mops. Fraz revealed a small ring of keys and found the right one. He unlocked it and waited. Ayla arrived, quietly setting the buckets down. She lifted a soft, squishy item from one of the buckets.

  “Gabby called this a sponge. She said it’s better than a wash rag,” Ayla dropped it. It splashed in the bucket.

  Something in the bathroom snarled. It was deep, throaty and vicious sounding.

  “Should we be armed?” asked Ayla. Mirra handed her a mop. Ayla took it, “Yeah, okay,” she said, not entirely convinced it’d help.

  Fraz focused on the door. He opened it slowly, peaking through the crack. Different moldy smells washed over him. He grumbled, opening the door more. They heard another snarl, then a louder growl. Holding their breath, they waited.

  “Hello!” shouted Tess from the front door.

  Fraz leaped up, shouting. Mirra and Ayla hopped back, mops in defensive positions, ready to strike what was on the other side of the door! The monster roared! It sounded as if it ran around the room, clashing against the pipes. Something smashed against the bath door, slamming it shut, throwing Fraz back on his behind.

  “What was that?” asked Tess. “Has that been in there the whole time?”

  Mirra reached out and helped Fraz to his feet. He gratefully nodded, and then gave Tess a mean lowered brow. “Do you have to shout every time you come in here?”

  “It’s not every time.”

  “Now you’ve pissed off whatever beast that’s hiding in our baths.”

  “I didn’t even know it was in there!” Tess protested. “I’m not a mind reader, Fraz!”

  “Get your apron on, grab a mop and get back here!”

  Tess frowned and turned for the kitchen.

  “Double time, little lady!” Fraz couldn’t help his smile. “She’s gonna give me heart attack someday.” He turned his attention back to the door. He attempted to open it, but something was on the side, blocking their way.

  “It sounded like something fell in there,” said Ayla. “Hey, Mirra. Is this something you can help with?”

  “You want me to take a peak?” asked Mirra. Ayla nodded, shrugging her shoulders. “Well, it did seem pretty scary, but…” she leaned in, pressing her ghost ear against the wall. “I don’t really hear anything. Maybe it’s gone?”

  “If it’s not too much, we could use your eyes in there,” said Ayla.

  Mirra held out her hand, “Maybe you can hold onto me? Yank me out if it gets too scary?”

  Ayla raised an eyebrow, “You’re a three thousand year old Guardian of the Wightshade.”

  “We’re all a little afraid of the unknown.”

  I see, said Ayla. She held out her hand, hesitating to take hold of Mirra. Fraz watched them, a little mystified. Ayla cleared her throat, speaking weakly, “I’m trusting you,” she said.

  She took Mirra’s hand. Mirra smiled warmly. “Hm,” she hummed. “Okay then.”

  Fraz rolled his eyes. “Now that ya figured that shit out can ya see what it’s in there?”

  “Here goes,” said Mirra.

  “Yeah,” Ayla said quickly. “Go on, check it out.”

  Mirra pressed against the wall, phasing through. She passed through wood, then stone, and then tile. She emerged on the other side. The bath space was large. She counted five baths, two benches in the middle, and on the northside were shelves for people’s belongings. Behind the baths were stained glass windows that reached to the ceiling, each depicting a heroic figure of the past. They were covered in black and green mold. Everything in the bathroom was blanketed in slime. She looked up, following the plumbing from the baths to ceiling. It was a complex system. Pipes were weaving around each other, finding odd angles to bend and twist. They eventually transitioned into a six-inch pipe that stretched across the ceiling towards the doorway, bent and turned towards the shelving unit, running down the wall to the boiler room. The pipe above the door had crashed down, blocking the way. Other debris from the ceiling had piled in front of the door.

  Then it growled.

  On the other side of the wall, Mirra squeezed Ayla’s fingers. It was gentle though. She wasn’t panicking, but something was in there with her. Ayla took a deep breath, waiting. Fraz watched her carefully.

  “You look nervous,” he whispered.

  You have no idea, she thought. She felt a tiny tremor arching across her shoulder blades and down her back. She hid her free hand, just outside of Fraz’s view. She made a fist, digging her nails into her palm.

  Mirra waited patiently. That growl didn’t seem as fierce as before. She crouched down, waiting. She wondered if Ayla would mimic her actions on the other side of the wall. Her arm relaxed and lowered. She imagined Ayla had crouched as well.

  Two odd peas in a pod, she smiled to herself.

  She listened to her surroundings. She heard tiny drips splash against the bottom of bricked tubs, the slime ooze down the legendary windows, and the pipes on the ground in front of her wiggled around. Whatever was inside the six-inch pipes growled. She froze, eyes focused on the pipe. Another snarl, and from the darkness within the pipe emerged –

  “A puppy?”

  Mirra watched a little ghost puppy shimmy through. It hunched down, baring its teeth. Mirra’s heart swelled at the tiny dog.

  “Hey there! Hey, you lost too? You must have belonged to one of the ghosts in the boiler room. I’ve sent them all off.”

  The puppy looked down, its ears dropping and tail curling around its legs. It pouted.

  “I’m so sorry,” she said. “You must be looking for your master, huh?”

  The puppy perked up, wagging its tail.

  Ayla and Fraz heard her talking on the other side, but her voice was quiet, suppressed by the stone and wood. She popped through the wall, “It’s a little ghost puppy!”

  “Like a spirit?” asked Fraz. “I’ve never seen a spirit dog before.”

  Mirra phased through the wall, returning to the crew’s side. Ayla released her hand with a nod. She looked down at her palm. All of her nerves tickled under the skin. Holding Mirra’s hand felt odd. It was as if she could feel her form, but through a softly vibrating aura. The tremor in her body ceased. She looked at her palm. No blood, just little fingernail marks lined across the center.

  “The little guy wants to return to his master. I think one of the wraiths owned him, but didn’t take him to the Wightshade.”

  “How could they leave their pup like that?” asked Fraz. Tess had finally joined the group, holding a mop and in a sore mood.

  “The Wightshade draws you in. It can be really overwhelming for spirits, probably more so for those who are lost and hiding. I don’t think it’s master even realized they had left their puppy behind.”

  “Oh no!” said Tess, “There’s a cute little dog abandoned in the baths? Guys! That’s so sad.”

  Mirra pointed to the foot of the door. “There’s a giant pipe that’s collapsed there, as well as some broken marble and wood. I can pull on the pipe if you guys give the door a solid push. I don’t see why we couldn’t get it open.”

  “Sounds like a plan to me,” said Fraz.

  Mirra nodded and passed through the wall. They heard movement on the other side of the door. Fraz gave the ladies a nod and together they pushed through. After a small struggle, they swung the door open and were greeted by a little green, transparent puppy. It looked confused, cocking its head with a little ruff.

  “These are my friends,” said Mirra. Everyone waved at the puppy. Tess crouched, reaching out for it.

  “You are the cutest!” she squeaked. The puppy cautiously walked towards her. She scratched behind its ears. Her fingers felt tingly as they phased through its ghostly fur, yet she could feel the puppy’s head too.

  “That is so weird,” she giggled, “it’s like pins and needles! Like my fingers are falling asleep.”

  Ayla watched Mirra crouch next to the puppy. She pulled from her wispy dress, like stretching spiders webs, and she twirled her hand making a small portal to the Wightshade. The puppy danced around, wagging its tail, joyfully barking at the crew.

  “His master is there. He can sense him,” said Mirra. She turned to Fraz, “Did you want to pet him before he left?”

  “No, no, no. Let the little guy get back to his family.”

  The puppy yipped and ran around the portal and then leaped through! Just like that, he was gone. The portal faded, clinging back to Mirra’s dress. The crew was silent.

  “I think we need a real dog,” said Tess, standing straight up. “Something to add a little joy to this place.”

  Fraz frowned, “There’s already plenty to take care of around here, Tess. Who’s going to look at the dog?”

  “I don’t know, I’m still plotting, Fraz!”

  “While you’re at it, grab yer mop. We’ve got a bath house to clean and a crew out there who’s gonna need to use them once we’re done. Hop to it!”

  For the next few hours, the crew worked together. They brought in the buckets and splashed soapy water against the marble floors. Fraz went to work on the plumbing, dragging in ladders and lumber to create precarious scaffolding. Tess and Ayla mopped up the floors, dancing around each other. Mirra focused her time on the stained-glass windows, carefully cleaning each pane. Once she got the bulk of the mold off, she could see the crew working outside. She saw Shemgar lifting massive beams that’d take four dwarves. She was surprised to see how much they had framed. They were virtually done with the first floor, singing away. For both the crew and builders, it was a productive and playful time.

  At one point Fraz beckoned Tess to climb up one of the ladders. She helped him lift the collapsed pipe in place. Armed with a hammer and wrench, and a bag of nails, nuts and bolts, he reinforced the hangers and installed new clamps wherever needed. During that time, Ayla and Mirra wiped down the pipe system that hung over the tubs. They reached over, under and around the interlacing metal web, making certain no dust, slime or mold remained. When Fraz and Tess finished repairing the main pipe, he requested the plugs be removed from the tubs. After the ladies retrieved the drain plugs, he yanked on a massive lever. The pipes groaned and shook as water started to flood through. The faucets spewed out aged water, fermented debris and ugly soils. It wasn’t too long, however, before the cold water turned clear.

  They emptied their buckets on the tiled floor and mopped towards the center drain. Then they used the buckets to carry out the larger debris they captured from the pipes. Once they filtered out the bigger chunks, they drained the tubs. Tess had left for the kitchen and returned with buckets filled with hot, soapy water. The crew rolled up their sleeves and labored away on the tubs. Fraz hopped into the center tub and exclaimed that a dozen dwarves could fit in it!

  After the tubs were thoroughly scrubbed, they filled them with cold water and drained again. Then, Fraz turned on the hot water at the main. The pipes moaned and rumbled as hot water poured through. As they filled to the brim, the steam filled the space, hazing the stained-glass windows.

  The crew looked around. The titled walls had been washed, the pipes wiped down and repaired, the marble floors mopped a few times more than needed and the tubs were mostly pristine. The bath on the far left had a few chipped bricks, but for the most part everything looked brand new. Fraz swung open the bathroom door and eyed the clock above the bar.

  “We have a little more than an hour to get ready for tonight,” he said. “I’d like to grab a few crates - probably use a few of the extra egg boxes I’ve got stored in the kitchen - and place them on the floor near the tubs. Fill them with soap bars and rags. That’ll do until I get a second shelf installed. That way they can use that rickety thing to put their stuff on.”

  They had a plan, and the crew executed. Ayla retrieved the boxes from the kitchen. Mirra and Tess pulled a collection of soap bars and rags from the cabinets by the front door. Tess noted the different colors of each bar of soap, speculating on whether the bubbles in the bath would change color too. Mirra suggested the ladies have a bath night to find out. Tess laughed out loud, imagining one of the construction workers standing in the tub with pink bubbles scattered around his body.

  Once Ayla had stationed the crates at the foot of each tub, Tess was determined to sort out the pink bars and to make sure that was all they had to use. While she did that, Mirra rolled up each rag carefully. She placed them in the crates. Everything was neatly organized.

  “This place cleaned up well,” said Mirra contently.

  “It really did,” said Ayla. “It still smells a little off though.”

  “Oh! I think Fraz has some scented candles in storage,” said Tess. “I’ll be right back!” She bolted out of the bathhouse and dashed across the tavern main.

  “I think Tess wants to see workers wearing bath bubble togas,” grinned Mirra.

  Tess returned with the candles and box of matches. They lit each candle and placed the on the perimeters of the tubs. The baths started to smell like springtime roses, a nice change considering Witchwicks grim surroundings.

  “You know,” said Ayla, “I think this will bring in some more business too. Good work, ladies!