"...and that is how The Witchslayer trapped the Blood Queen in her icy prison where she rests to this day, waiting to be awoken by a foolish traveler." 

When the Mizbasha finished telling her tale, the fires crackled sharply. "You are so good at that, Sartha," Bella, a human and one of her traveling companions, told the lioness.

"I mean, she is a bard. That's kind of her thing." the gnome piped up. Jespie, as he was called, was the group's ranger and a resident killjoy.

"Oh, shut it," Sartha called back. 

"I have a story" the haughty voice of their party's wizard emerged from the tent, followed by the man himself. Clad in an ostentatious orange nightgown and sleeping cap, Wam, sat on a log next to the fire as his companion groaned. "Since you all didn't have the decency of staying quiet so a man can get his beauty sleep, I might as well participate."

"Seriously, Wam, you're kind of being a di-" Wam put his fingers to Jespie's lips to halt the gnome's insult.

"Hush now. It's storytime." Wam said and begun spinning a yarn. "It was during my first year at the academy-"

"Wait, wait, wait. Is this story about you?" Jespie interrupted, only to be shushed by Wam once more. When Jespie looked to his other companions, Bella seemed to be dozing off, and Sartha just shrugged. Wam took Jespie's eye-roll as a cue to continue on.

"It was during my first year at the academy, and I was going to ask Geoffrey Avarus to be my date to the Scholar's Soiree. Despite my dastardly handsome appearance and irresistible charm that you all are familiar with, I was not the most confident during my youth. I was dreadfully nervous. Horribly nervous. Incredibly nervous -"

"We get it, Wam," Sartha commented, though not harshly.

"Right. So I thought. Naturally, I would need to make up for it by doing something daring. You might be asking yourself, what did Wam do?" Wam paused expectantly.

Sartha and Jespie exchanged glances. Jespie sighed and played along, "What did you do, Wam?"

"Oh. Nothing, really. I just hired some actors to kidnap him, so I could stage a daring rescue. And it truly was daring. Geoffry was impressed, and we had a wonderful time at the soiree. We eventually parted ways, but that evening will always live on in my heart."

Jespie stared at Wam, mouth agape. "That's horrible!"

Bella yawned and sat up, "I think it's romantic. I was listening, Wam, I just needed to rest my eyes."

"Romantic?! He hired kidnappers." Jespie looked to Sartha to be the voice of reason.

The lioness shrugged, "He hired actors. He supported his local artists' community. All good in my book."

"Why do I even bother challenging your antics?" Jespie muttered to himself.

"I do love our banter, Jespie," Wam offered.

"You always need someone you trust to tell you what a gigantic asshole you are, and Jespie, you really are the best at it," Sartha offered.

"Awh. You guys." Bella chimed in with a singsong voice. "I smell a group hug coming on." 

Sartha, Jespie, and Wam all replied in unison with one word.

"No."