PAXLAIR - June 4, 1999 - Pfredd Mudd

It was dark in Luigi's Pizzeria, yet I could hear quiet giggling, feet shuffling, and the unmistakable sound of an Orc burping. Then Juseck of Aiur, along with Winfield, Mayor of PaxLair, and the Mayor's brother, Teal, walk in:

Juseck of Aiur: It is a disaster! No one is here....
GerraBaldy: SURPRISE!!!
Teal: Happy Birthday!!!
GerraBaldy: hehe
Fiachra: SURPRISE!!!
Sette: surprise!
Vail the Cook: Surprise!
Kut'tak: boo humie!
Winfield: OH MY!
Juseck of Aiur: birthday?
Pfredd Mudd: Surprise!
Sette: surprise!
Luigi Aiello: SURPRISEE!!!!
Winfield: *nearly faints*

Yes, twas a suprise birthday party for the Mayor. Luigi and Vail the Cook had outdone themselves in preparing a wondrous feast for all the guests. Many gifts were bestowed upon the brothers as well.

After the feast, as things quieted down, I posed a question to the Mayor:

Pfredd Mudd: Mayor, how old are you?
Winfield: Teal and I do not know when we were born.
Winfield: Yet we honor this day as our birthday for we met one year ago.
Winfield: We are both over 70 years old, and neither know our age exactly.
Winfield: We were separated at birth,
Winfield: only rumors I heard that I had a brother.
Winfield: I lived for many years wondering if a brother was in the realm.
Winfield: I was a fisherman, a high mage, a tutor, a fisherman again,...
Winfield: and other things in my life.
Winfield: One night, while I was practicing some magic near the crypts in Yew,
Winfield: Winmere, my pupil, saw a man there.
Winfield: We aided him from ghouls and spectres.
Winmere: *grins in remembrance*
Teal: I was not much a fighter then, either.
Winfield: We then sat and talked into the we hours of the morn.
Winfield: After we had been talking a while,
Winfield: we noticed similarities.
Luigi Aiello: You look very much alike
Teal: That is what we thought, as well!
Winfield: Similarities when we took off our helms.
Teal: Shock of shocks!
Winfield: We glared at each other like in a mirror.
Winmere: *chuckles*
Winfield: We asked each other of each other's births and lives.
Winfield: Neither of us knew our birthday.
Winfield: I knew my mother.
Winfield: He knew his father.
Winfield: At least that is what I recall.
Winfield: I never knew my father.
Winfield: Care to continue Teal?
Teal: I vaguely remembered my family at all...
Teal: Raised my kind elderly folks.
Teal: I spent much time as a young thief, but was not good.
Teal: I spent much time as a young thief, but was not good.
Teal: Then I met some friends who taught me the ways of truth and honesty.
Teal: I turned my life to fishing and magery.
Winfield: *fishing and magery must run in our family*
Teal: I was working on my swordsmanship in the Yew Crypts...
Teal: Not doing well agains the spectres.
Teal: But along came a kind couple and they aided me.
Teal: The rest is as Winfield stated, the helm removal and the total shock!
Teal: We both vowed to stay in contact and rebuild our family.
Winfield: *nods*
Teal: And this is our first anniversary together.
Teal: *smiles*

Mayor Winfield then continues with the story of yet another reason why this day is special to him....

Winfield: Teal, did I tell you of my long lost love?
Teal: Winfield, I don't think so.
Winfield: I had a love once, only once.
Winfield: 50 years ago.
Winmere: love?
Amberyl: What go on!?
Winfield: Her name was Elizabeth.
Winfield: *smiles at the sweet age of 20*
Winfield: We were inseparable.
Winfield: We explored the entire lands together.
Winfield: She lived as I did, carefree.
Winfield: From coast to coast, and ship to ship we explored the vastness of the realm.
Winfield: We were to be married.
Winfield: We swam in the East Britain park pond.
Winfield: Yet, now, I only visit there at a certain spot once a year.
Winfield: I just visited there a few days ago.
Winfield: I placed flowers on the ground.
Winfield: Each year I have done this.
Winfield: We were diving from a cliff on the side near the tavern entrance.
Winfield: Near the Inn where we would stay.
Winfield: *chokes a little bit on remembering the pain*
Teal: *pats his brother's arm*
Winfield: She slipped down the cliff and hit her head.
Teal: Oh no!
Winfield: I dove in to save her, but she would not awaken again.
Winmere: *sighs*
Luigi Aiello: That is terrible Mayor!
Teal: I am so sorry!
Winmere: *nods*
Winfield: But, I remember her as she was, not what happened to her.
Teal: Aye, tis the best way.
Winfield: When I think about her, she gives me more spirit and spunk than I can imagine
Winfield: even for an old man such as we are Teal.
Winmere: *chuckles*
Winfield: yet, to celebrate her death is to celebrate her life.
Winmere: I have seen a few gargoyles do that for the Old Man too.
Winfield: And I am very pleased we celebrate today our lives Teal.
Winfield: *reaches over an places a hand on his old brother's shoulder*
Winfield: You are the best Teal.

With that, Luigi broke out more food, and the croud slowly returned to it's previous festive state.

As I departed for the news office, I saw Winfield and Teal still surrounded by the group of well wishers.