[stoichornet]

"Oh, I see..." Simon knew from fantasy novels that drow (possibly spider-worshipping backstabbers like the novels, possibly not, who knew how different they were here) and other elves were on bad terms, but that just raised the question of how the locals would react to a man in a blanket, with a firebird sitting on his head. "Well, again, thanks, I'd probably still be pretty lost if you weren't around."

He headed up the road towards the town, leaving Sparks where he was.