Lee scratched his chin. “I want you to go to the other temples tomorrow and see if you can find out anything else. For now, we should all keep our eyes and ears open.” Everyone nodded in agreement.
“But now, my friends, Millet and I have an errand to run, and we must leave you,” Lee said. “Be washed by sundown, Gewey; I have a surprise for you.”
Gewey looked confused as he watched Millet and Lee leave the inn.
“A surprise? What could he possibly be up to?” he wondered aloud.
“With that one, who knows,” Maybell replied. “But if you don’t mind, I haven’t seen an acrobat in years.”
They all watched until the acrobat had finished, then retired to their rooms to wash and get ready for supper. The smell from the kitchen promised roast lamb and fresh bread. Gewey’s mouth watered at the thought.
Lee entered the room just as Gewey had finished bathing. He was carrying a bundle tied with twine.
“Here,” Lee said, tossing him the bundle. Gewey opened it, and saw that inside was a set of new clothes and a pair of fine leather boots. The long tunic was gold silk with silver embroidery, and the pants were of the same design. A polished black leather belt completed the outfit. Gewey stared, not knowing what to say.
“Well?” Lee asked happily. “Are you going to try it on or not?”
“I don’t get it. Why did you give me this?”
“To wear at your coming of age celebration,” he said matter-of-factly.
“My what?” Gewey cried. “I’m only seventeen.”
“True,” Lee replied, smiling. “But the way I see it, the age of a God should be counted differently. Besides, who knows if you’ll have the chance to have a real coming of age party?”
“True,” Gewey acknowledged, holding up the clothes in front of him. “We might be dead by then.”
Lee laughed heartily. “Not what I had in mind, but a good point,” he admitted. “Now get dressed. I’m going to Millet’s room to get ready. I’ll send him for you when it’s time.”
An hour later Millet showed up at Gewey’s door, dressed in fine blue linens, looking very much a city dweller. His face beamed with delight when he saw Gewey in his new finery.
“Now that’s proper dress,” Millet remarked. “You look very much the young lord.”
Gewey felt awkward. He had never worn anything fancier than festival robes. He couldn’t stop pulling and tugging at the long tunic, and the heeled boots made him feel as if he would tip forward at any moment.
“You’ll get used to it,” Millet laughed. “One day, I suspect you may dress like this all the time.”
That idea didn’t please Gewey. He felt much more comfortable in his own clothes-the clothes of a farmer. He smiled anyway and tried to stop fidgeting.
When Gewey entered the common room, everyone smiled cheerfully and clapped their hands with approval at the sight of him. He saw that the others were dressed in fine attire as well. Lee was decked out in a bright red suit and jacket with gold buttons. Dina and Maybell both wore emerald green dresses with matching scarves wrapped tightly around their heads. Their hair, adorned with tiny white flowers, fell loosely from underneath the scarves. Dina’s eyes were painted, giving them an elfish quality that made Kaylia appear less obvious. Kaylia wore a similar dress, but hers was light blue and tied at the waist with a deep blue sash.
Minstrels were just arriving and tuning their instruments in the corner. The dozen or so patrons looked on, whispering with smiles.
“Now that’s more like it,” said Lee, as he threw his arm around Gewey’s shoulder and led him to the table. “First we feast, then we celebrate.” He jumped up on a chair and addressed the entire room. “You are all welcome to join us, let us all celebrate and be merry.” This was met with enthusiastic cheers and applause.
By the time the meal was being served, the minstrels had begun to play. The crowd in the common room had swelled, as word of the celebration had gotten out. Before long, more than fifty people had gathered in the hall, all laughing and feasting.
“Not bad for last minute,” Lee said as he surveyed the room. “If I do say so myself.”
“It’s wonderful,” Gewey agreed. “Thank you.”
“Not exactly discrete, my lord,” Millet pointed out.
“You’re right about that,” Lee replied. “But sometimes the right thing isn’t necessarily the smart thing.”
Millet smiled. “Quite right, my lord.” Lee smiled at Gewey and hopped up on his chair.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” he shouted above the crowd. He had to repeat it several times before everyone settled down and paid attention. “Tonight we celebrate the coming of age of a young man who I have come know and love. Through adversity and hardship he has shown himself to be a man of honor and respect, and is most deserving of our admiration.”
Voices yelling “Here, here!” and the beating of mugs on tables could be heard throughout the room.
“In the years I’ve known him, I have never seen him falter or turn a blind eye to someone in need. I consider it a privilege to be to here with him today, and to be part of this celebration.” Lee looked down at Gewey, his eyes showing a touch of sadness. “I only wish his father were here today to see him. He would have been so proud of the man I see before me. I look at you and I see him. His bravery and loyalty live on.”
Gewey felt a lump in his throat and choked back his tears.
“So without further ado,” Lee continued, “I present to you Gewey Stedding!”
The crowd erupted in cheers and yells. The stomping of feet and slamming of mugs shook the room. Gewey stood and bowed low.
“Thank you,” he said, once the crowd had calmed down. “I’m not much for making speeches, but I do want to say this to my friends: I love you all. I am honored to have you with me, and I hope that we have more reasons to celebrate in the days ahead.” He bowed again, then turned to embrace Lee. The room erupted once more.
“Thank you for this,” Gewey said, tightening their embrace.
It wasn’t long before the wine began to flow, and the room came alive with music and dance. Gewey danced with Dina, careful not to step on her feet this time. It was during the second song that he felt a tap on his shoulder-it was Kaylia. Dina smiled and politely stepped aside. To his great surprise, he found dancing with Kaylia felt easy and natural. He was able to completely anticipate her movements.
They gracefully spun around the room like a top, and Gewey found himself laughing joyfully.
Lee cut in for the third song, but by then Gewey felt dizzy and was ready to sit anyway. He sat at the table and watched as Lee picked Kaylia up by the waist and spun her around. The elf threw her head back with laughter.
Dina sat down beside Gewey. “You look every bit the man,” she said. “How do you feel?”
“Happy,” he answered. “Very happy.”
“Kaylia’s very beautiful,” she said, looking at the elf. “Don’t you think?”
Gewey felt himself blush, “Yes she is,” he said shyly, trying not to meet her eyes. “But so are you,” he added.
Dina placed her hand lightly over his. “Careful,” she said, giggling playfully. “You wouldn’t want two women competing for your favor, would you?”
Gewey tried to think of something to say, but was only able to manage a nervous grin. Dina squeezed his hand quickly, then asked Millet to dance. Millet was more than happy to oblige; Maybell had been bending his ear for most of the night about etiquette and customs in the western cities.
The night wore on, but the party gave no indication of dying down. Gewey was sitting across from Kaylia when suddenly he saw her back stiffen and eyes narrow.
“What is it?” he whispered.
“An elf,” she said.