She looked around and raised her eyebrows. “Then why would he live here? It’s bloody cold. You know? Did you bring hand warmers?”
“No. Here.” He blew on her fingers while he was considering why anyone would live there. “I don’t know why anybody would want to be a hermit much less why one would want to live in a cold cave.” He stopped and held up a hand. “Shhhh.”
They heard something like a pebble falling followed by a deep, but pleasant voice that sounded unmistakably amused. “Cause I like it here.” Glen’s head jerked in the direction of the sound and the light found the figure of an attractive elf who appeared fortyish, wearing jeans, a black tee, and biker boots. He was showing a couple days growth of blonde beard and his light curls were pulled back behind his ears. “You wantin’ to see me?”
Glen felt Rosie crowd close against his back. “Ah. We did. Um. Do. If that’s okay. If you’re the, ah, hermit?”
The elf rubbed a hand over his scratchy face and smiled. “Hermit, is it?”
“We must be in the wrong place.”
“Who sent ye?”
“Puddephatt.”
“Bugger.”
“We’ll just be going.”
“So I’m thinkin’ you two are no’ only young, but naive as well.”
“Pardon?”
“Why are you thinkin’ men become hermits?”
Rosie poked her head around Glen’s shoulder. “Because they don’t like people.”
“Aye. So, that bein’ the case, what were you thinkin’ would be in store if you went callin’ uninvited on someone who’s an introvert to the third power? Tea and crumpets?”
“I’d like some,” Rosie said.
“He’s not offering, Rosie. He’s being facetious,” Glen said without taking his eyes off the elf.
“Still sounds good. I could use a hot tea.” She shivered visibly.
The elf’s mouth might have twitched just a little. “Well, had ye thought it through? What was your plan? And, for that matter, why are ye here?”
“Look. We’re not spelunkers and we don’t work for “I Wanna Know”. We’re here on an important errand for information that, apparently, only you have.” Glen could feel Rosie shivering more against his back. The hermit was wearing a short sleeved shirt while appearing as warm as if he was in the tropics. “I guess it’s part of the hermit job description to be rude so as to discourage guests.”
“Guests?” He cocked an eyebrow. “That’s what you’re thinkin’?” He tried to peer around Glen to see Rosie better. “So what have you there behind you, young inquisitor?”
Glen scowled at the question and was just about to tell Rosie to get them out of there. “Seriously, we…”
“Name’s Finrar. Now you’re here, you may as well get what you came for. Follow me.”
He turned and walked away, leaving Glen wondering whether they should stay or go.
“Rosie, what do you think?”
Squeezed against his back, he felt her life her shoulder and drop it. “We can just go, pfffft pffffft if we don’t like the direction of things.”
“Okay. I like the way you think, but stay close because only you can go pfffft pfffft.”
Soon the uneven rocky floor of the cave opened up to a flat sandy tunnel. They entered a light-filled chamber that was warm and comfortable.
The elf motioned for them to sit on a smooth limestone ledge. “Underground hot springs.”
Rosie looked around. “Do you scale the cliffs every time you need food or supplies?”