Roland was glad to see the gems, their immediate problem for coins had been solved. If they made routine expeditions to gather more, then they would never again have to worry about money.

“You guys get cleaned up,” he tells them, “you’re pretty ripe.”

“Was planning to,” replies Jiron. “Just wanted to let you know we’re back.”

“Better hurry, the feast is going to start in a couple hours,” he says.

“Will do,” Jiron says as they begin heading away from the celebration and to the room he and Fifer are sharing while they’re in town. Shawna had agreed to put up James and Miko, but told him the other two would need to find an inn in town.

When the music stops, Miko hurries over to him and asks, “Was that Jiron and Fifer?”

Nodding, he answers, “Yeah.”

With a slightly disappointed look, he says, “Then we’ll be returning in the morning?”

“That’s right,” James tells him. “Go dance with her while you can.”

“You know it!” exclaims Miko as he makes a beeline for Darria. Shortly they’re back on the dance floor.

James sees Shawna standing off to one side talking with another of her trader peers and makes his way over to her. When she sees him coming, she says a few more words to her friend before disengaging and moving to meet him.

“Jiron and Fifer showed up so we’ll be leaving first thing in the morning,” he informs her.

“I understand,” she says. “We’re all glad you were able to make it.”

“I wouldn’t have missed it for anything,” he assures her. Unsure if whether or not it would be a breach of protocol, he extends his hand and asks, “Would you care to dance?”