"A pirate? Now, that's a first," he said, his grin widening as he shook his head. "But no, miss, I'm no pirate. Though I admit, I do enjoy the sea—who doesn't? As for the sound you hear… well, that, my lady, is a little secret of mine."

Adrian and Lilith exchanged puzzled looks. "A secret?" Adrian asked, his curiosity growing.

Brass nodded, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Let's just say it's a part of me—something I carry with me everywhere I go."

Lilith tilted her head, her curiosity piqued even further. "A part of you? What do you mean?"

"It's quite the story, but if you want to know more… well, that'll cost you a drink," he replied with a playful wink.

Lilith chuckled, intrigued by his response. "Alright, you've got yourself a deal. A drink for a story."

Brass's laughter filled the room again. "I'll hold you to that, miss," he said, tipping an imaginary hat before he walked away, the clinking sound fading with each step.

Adrian watched him go, still puzzled by the man's mysterious demeanour. "What do you think he meant by that?" he asked Lilith, taking a bite of the food Brass had brought them.

Lilith shook her head, though, from her look, you can tell she's still curious. "I have no idea, but now I'm even more intrigued. There's definitely something strange about him."

Adrian nodded in agreement, though he couldn't help but smile at the thought of the mysterious Brass. "We'll find out soon enough. But for now, let's enjoy the meal."

They ate in comfortable silence, and the warmth of the fire and the cosiness of the inn provided a welcome respite from the chaos they had faced earlier.

As they finished their meal, Lilith glanced toward the bar where Brass was serving another customer. "What do you think his story is?" she mused aloud, her eyes following the man's every move.

Adrian leaned back in his chair, considering her question. "Who knows? But something tells me there's more to him than meets the eye."

Lilith nodded, her curiosity not yet satisfied. "We should get that drink and find out," she said with a playful grin.

Adrian chuckled softly. "Alright, let's see what he's willing to share."

They waved Brass over, and he returned with a bottle of wine and two glasses. He poured them each a drink, the clinking sound accompanying his every movement as usual. When he was done, he sat at their table, his grin never fading.

"Alright," Brass said, raising his glass in a toast. "Here's to good food, good company, and a little mystery."

Adrian and Lilith clinked their glasses with his. "So, Brass," Adrian began, "what's the story behind that sound?"

Brass leaned back in his chair, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "Well," he said, "it's not every day someone asks me about that. Most folks don't notice, or if they do, they're too polite to ask."

Lilith raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued. "But we did notice, and we're not too polite to ask. So spill it."

Brass laughed again, clearly enjoying the attention. "Alright, alright. You see, when I was a young man, I had a bit of an accident—a run-in with a rather unforgiving horse. Long story short, I ended up with a pair of… let's just say, unconventional replacements," he explained, his tone casual but with a hint of pride.

Adrian and Lilith exchanged stunned glances, both of them trying to process what he had just said. "Wait," Adrian began, struggling to contain his surprise. You're telling us…?"

Brass nodded, his grin widening. "That's right, my friends. These here," he gestured to his lower half with a wink, "are made of brass. Sturdy, reliable, and with a bit of a jingle."

Lilith's eyes widened, and she laughed, half in disbelief and half in admiration. "You've got brass balls? Literally?"

Brass nodded again, clearly pleased with their reactions. "Literally," he confirmed, the clinking sound punctuating his words. "And let me tell you, they've served me well. Got me out of more than one tight spot, if you catch my meaning."

Adrian shook his head in amazement, a smile spreading across his face. "That's… well, I've got to hand it to you, Brass. That's something I've never heard before."

Brass laughed heartily, raising his glass in a mock toast. "Here's to standing out in a crowd!" he declared, taking a long sip of his drink.

Lilith chuckled, still shaking her head in disbelief. "You really are one of a kind, Brass."

As the laughter from their conversation with Brass began to fade, one of the other patrons in the inn called out, "Hey, Brass! Give us a bit of entertainment, will ya? We could use some cheering up after a long day."

Brass grinned, clearly pleased by the request. "Alright, alright," he said, standing up from the table. "I'll see what I can do." The clinking sound of his brass balls echoed lightly as he made his way to the center of the room, drawing the attention of everyone present.

He took a deep breath, then began to regale the patrons with a lively story from his past—one filled with daring adventures, close calls, and plenty of humour.

The crowd hung on his every word, laughing and gasping at all the right moments.

Brass had a natural talent for storytelling, and his charisma filled the room with warmth and cheer.

Adrian and Lilith watched with amusement, enjoying the show and the lighthearted atmosphere. After a while, they decided it was time to turn in for the night.

"That was entertaining," Lilith said with a grin as they returned to their room. "Brass sure knows how to keep a crowd entertained."

Adrian nodded in agreement, his own smile lingering as they climbed the stairs. "He's definitely one of a kind," he replied.

They settled into bed, the day's events finally catching up to them as they drifted off to sleep.

The inn was quiet; the only sound was the crackling of the fire downstairs and the faint clinking of Brass's movements as he continued to entertain the guests.

The next morning, Adrian and Lilith woke up feeling refreshed. They headed downstairs for breakfast, enjoying a simple but hearty meal provided by the inn.

Brass greeted them with his usual cheerful grin as he passed by, though he seemed more focused on his duties this time around.

As they finished their meal, Adrian suddenly remembered something important. "Lilith," he said, "can you hand me the map? We need to plan our route for today."

Lilith reached for her pouch, then froze, her eyes widening in realization. "The map…" she muttered, her voice trailing off.

Adrian's heart sank. "What's wrong?"

Lilith looked up at him, a mix of frustration and disbelief on her face. "The map… It's in the pouch on the horse. The horse we left behind in the stable... of the town that chased us out."

Adrian stared at her, a sinking feeling in his stomach. "You mean the map is still in the town where an entire mob tried to kill us?"

Lilith nodded, biting her lip as she tried to think of a solution. "I didn't even think about it until now."

Adrian rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. "This is just perfect," he muttered. "We're miles away, and the map we need is back in hostile territory."

Lilith sighed. "I'm sorry, Adrian." she apologized, but Adrian stood up and stormed out of the inn.

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