Ray laughed and clapped along to the music from his seat. He was too full and too tired to dance; only the energy of the crowd and his wine seemed to be keeping him going. He was rather thankful he left his viola on the ship; he was too full to sing and too inebriated to play with any skill. Over time the party began to wind itself down as people began to leave. Ray was feeling almost ready to settle in for the night on his bench when he spotted Lisset Hester leaving the feast. He struggled to gather his blades and belongings from across the room, and a bottle of wine, and hurried after her.
He managed to catch up to her in the Royal gardens. He was caught off guard when she hugged him on sight. Tearfully, she thanked him. He was about to ask what for when he remembered, and so kept quiet, finding no words appropriate, allowing Lisset her catharsis. After about a minute, though it seemed much longer, Lisset looked up, chuckling, and said, “In all the excitement, I never got your name.” Ray flashed a debonaire smile and cleared his throat before taking an overly dramatic tone.
“Milady, I am Raymond Skalter, once a gentleman of Lendria, now but a lowly vagabond of the seas and a victim of cruel fate.” He took an exaggerated bow, causing Lisset to giggle. She fully burst out laughing when Ray's bow took him off balance and he tumbled onto the ground. Ray laughed too, and the two of them began walking together once Ray picked himself up and dusted off his clothes.
“So Raymond, why do you carry two swords?”
“Ah, well, the saber is a replacement for my rapier, which was broken before I came here. I had been hoping to get it fixed while I was here.”
“Well then, you're in luck, oh victim of cruel fate. My father happens to be the finest swordsmith in Waterdeep, and I think he'll be more than glad to help you after all that you've done for us. I left Starla with him when I came to the feast, so I was headed there anyway.”
Ray thanked her and they talked as they walked together. Ray talked about his adventure that day and before, mentioned how Arthur and the grenade she gave him saved his life, and how he was embarrassed by his filthy attire and sincerely wished for a clean outfit. Lisset talked about her children, her husband who had passed away a few years earlier, and her family's struggles under the rule of Captain Fenn. Her father was one of the men imprisoned by Captain Fenn for refusing to make blades for the Captain's pirates. Ray wanted to tell her his whole story, but felt it was a private story, and held back.