Ed looked rather disappointed, and if he could have crossed his legs in discomfort at the thought of spending life permanently altered, he would have.
"Well," he sighed, "I've already spent quite some time as a beast; I suppose a few more days won't be such a burden. Besides," Ed's ears perked up with a new thought, "it may provide me some time to compose a ballad about my plight! I always did love a good ballad, although it will be rather difficult to compose without my lute. You know, I find a bard's musical instrument is like a part of his body; when it's missing, you feel the absence...and in this form, I've lost an extremely...precious part of my body, so I should know! One never truly appreciates what one has until it's..."
"Now that that's decided," Audrey broke in, cutting Ed off, much to Ed's chagrin. "Let's go get our stuff and get the hell outta here. If I ever see this two-bit village again it'll be too soon." So saying, Audrey turned to head for the inn.
"Hang on, Audrey!" Mika interjected. "Maybe we should just get out of here for now; who knows what other traps that innkeeper set up. Not to mention, I'm still kinda worried about that stone. Where do you think he would have gotten something that powerful?"
"Hmph!" Audrey snorted. "You can hide out here and get the mule and horse ready to go, but there's no way I'm leaving all that stuff we risked our necks to collect. Besides, if I don't deliver, I don't get paid as much. It wouldn't do any good for my reputation either, to be scared of a blasted inkeeper with a few tricks up his sleeve."
"Wait!" Mika called, but Audrey was already headed to the door.
"If you see a lute, I'd appreciate it greatly if you'd gather it as well!" Ed whinnied, to which Audrey made an obscene gesture as she exited.
"Dammit," Mika swore vehemently. "Like we don't have enough trouble. She'd better not screw around in there." Irritatedly, MIka hurried about the stable, borrowing whatever tack and bridle he could find. Ed nearly objected to the accoutrements, but Mika reminded him again it was safer if he appeared to be a normal horse. The mule was easier to outfit, and relatively quickly, Mika was set to leave.
"Where the hell is she?" Mika grouched worriedly.