She Returns to Peg Leg City

"You're one to talk." Robin joked. "I recall my first impression was that of a second generation rich man trying to prove himself as a merchant after flunking in business studies."

"Hey, at the very least, I did LOOK the part! Besides, that was a DISGUISE." Christian retorted.

"Disguise? Pfft! You'd have had a better disguise as a gardener." Jasmine snorted.

"Hey!" Christian raised his hands, beset on two sides.

"Um...to be fair..." Keith came to back up Christian. "He's already done that so many times that the gardeners are the ones who are most strictly examined at this point."

"Right!" Christian nodded emphatically.

"That's not a good thing." Robin held a moment of silence for the troubles he had caused the poor gardeners. "In any case, the conversation has gone completely off course. What were we talking about earlier?"

"We had actually just finished talking." Jasmine said, looking at the now empty table area where Freddy had been. Aside from Jasmine, no one had noticed when she took her leave.

"Freddy has already gone back to her room to start making runic ink. So, as of now, we are once again waiting."

"That sounds lovely." Robin sat down to finally grab something to eat. It was already time for afternoon tea, and Robin was famished.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Christian asked.

"Hmm?" Forgetting what?" Robin tilted her head, looking up from her food.

"You gave Jasmine such a nice gift..." Christian prodded. Robin saw the shining expectant look on his face and turned away, just barely keeping herself from laughing. He was clearly jealous. Sometimes... Christian was just too funny.

"Well now, I gave that to Jasmine because she would know best how to use it." Robin explained. "While I'm not against giving you a set, do you really want the same gift that I gave Jasmine? From what I hear, it's a rather troublesome gift."

Christian considered it. "Then...it doesn't have to be magic stones, but I want something you decided upon while thinking about me."

It didn't really matter what Robin gave him. It didn't need to cost any money or be anything expensive. What was most important was that Robin gave it to him. Christian would most definitely treasure it and brag about it forever, whatever it would be.

Robin paused in consideration. If nothing else, she could consider it a farewell gift. "Sure! I'll have to think really well about it." Robin smiled.

Keith snorted. "What about your uncle here?" He added, interrupting Robin and Christian's two person world. It couldn't be helped. Who put his niece in a position of authority higher than him? In order to help her keep her secret, he had no choice but to interfere.

"Ah, of course you'll get one as well, uncle!" Robin waved her hands in defeat, showing that she wasn't trying to start a fight.

"That's my nephew! Ha hah!" Keith hugged Robin about her shoulders. In doing so, he cut off eye contact between Robin and Christian.

"Uncle, while i appreciate the sentiment, I'm not too comfortable with close contact." Robin said, feeling slightly awkward.

"What? But you're just fine when Christian is playing around with you!" Keith retorted.

"Christian doesn't usually go for bear hug mode." Robin countered.

"Hmmm....Maybe I should." Christian said, seriously considering it.

"Do it and you'll get shoulder throwed again." Robin threatened.

"Even so, it might be worth it." Christian joked. "It's not every day that you can bear hug the hero."

"Please don't. I refuse to heal injuries incurred due to shenanigans." Chelsea requested. Liam glared at the others, to back up Chelsea's words.

"All right, all right! We understand." Now it was Christian's turn to raise his hands in defeat. "Say no more." The next moment, his mischievous hand ruffled Robin's hair, messing it up.

"I can still do this though!" He smiled smugly before running off laughing.

"Hey!" Robin chased after him, intent upon doing the same thing back to him.

"I'm surrounded by children." Jasmine complained in jest with a sigh. The rest of the day was taken to relax in the inn.

---

Early the next morning, Robin was awoken by a frantic banging upon her bedroom door. She rubbed her eyes sleepily as she pulled the door open. A familiar gnome fell into the room.

"What is it? Whatever it is, can't it wait?" Robin yawned.

"No it can't! look! It's completed!" Freddy exclaimed, holding up the nearly finished magic rubiks cube.

"Ah. I see..." Robin said in a half doze. A few moments later, the words finally got through to her, and she woke up fully. "Wait, what!? That fast?" She asked, incredulously.

"We enchanters always have materials on hand in case we get momentary inspiration." Freddy said smugly.

"I already had most of what I needed on me. The rest was settled using enchanted tools and magic molding."

Robin looked dazedly at the item. "Er, right. thank you very much for all your help." Robin bowed formally.

"T'weren't nothing." Freddy shrugged. "I ought to do the best job I can if there's a magic emerald on the line. Now I can hurry back to the enchanters guild and offload these gems that are burning a hole in my pockets."

"So, you're leaving, then?" Robin asked.

Freddy smiled. "No matter how comfortable a room is, it never is better than home to us." She said. "I can't sleep much otherwise, so I might as well head back quick as I can before I collapse."

Robin nodded. "Take care, Freddy."

"Wait! One more thing!" Freddy exclaimed.

----

Robin was sitting on the edge of her bed as the sun rose over the horizon and shone through the window. She looked down at the jade seal that was now sparkling in the sunlight. This was the ninth one.

'I wasn't sure about you at first, so I decided to test your stuff.' Freddy had said. 'But, I believe that this here is going into good hands. so I can rest assured.'

'...Freddy isn't actually your real name, is it?' Robin realized.

'No. It's Sprocket. Yanno, it's a funny thing, really. The one race we always have to guard against ends up being the ones to show us a brand new path to take.'

Robin's words still seemed to echo in the room. 'Well, life gets more and more surprising the longer you live it, I've found.'

"Robin? Are you awake?" a knock at the door shook Robin from her dazed thoughts. She placed the gnome's seal into her storage and she replied.

"Yes? What is it?"

"Freddy's gone! It seems she suddenly up and vanished late last night." Gerard's voice came through the door.

"Yes. She left because she was finished." Robin replied. "You gather the others. We need to leave soon to head to dragon territory."

"Oka~y!" Gerard's footsteps rushed down the hallway to the others' rooms.

Robin had just finished properly getting dressed when another person rapped on her door. She opened it.

"Is it true? are we leaving?" Christian asked. He blinked. From the looks of the dark circles under Robin's eyes, he probably hadn't slept long enough.

Robin showed the near-completed cube. "We're going to see a dragon to deliver." She yawned. "I could use a nap, but it's best to leave when we can."

"So it really was..." Christian trailed off. "That was...quick."

'Too quick! For goodness sake, leave me some more time to spend with Robin!!!' Christian thought to himself.

"Things may end up snowballing after this, but let's see it through." Robin patted Christian's shoulder, and left the room to go check out. Christian stood there in the doorway, feeling somewhat lost.

When Christian emerged from the inn, everyone was already packed and ready to go. Robin yawned again.

Once the carriage was brought around front, everyone took their seats.

"Let me do you all a favor and drop you off closer to your destination." Quinn suggested, snapping his fingers. Purple slime swirled up around the carriage, and once it dissipated, the carriage was no longer there.

The carriage now stood just outside of Lave Mercantiles in Peg Leg City. "Oh? Why here instead of Rag'nok?" Robin asked Quinn.

"Well, first off, this is closer to dragon territory." Quinn explained. "And secondly, you said you'd drop by once to show its mostly completed state to Bastian Lave. I know how you Heroes like to keep your promises."

"Er...really? Did I promise that?" Robin asked, not quite recalling. She did recall mentioning it to him, but...

"Wait...were you there when I was talking about it?" She looked at Quinn suspiciously.