It began as a necessary action, shoveling the snow away from the front of the Inn so he could make his daily mini-pilgrimage to the church. But, of course, he first needed a shovel, and to borrow one, he had to exchange for it a favor. That favor was to shovel the owner's path, and then out of some noble good intention, Beane felt compelled to shovel the owner's neighbor's path. A frail old woman, by his estimation, and it seemed only right to put himself to good use.

The front of the Inn did eventually get de-snowed, but only after several other houses and storefronts got the same treatment. He did not make it to the church for his morning prayers. However, he did speak to the owner of a vacant storefront about renting the space, and the living quarters above it, since it looks like Beane will need to stay even longer than previously thought.

Surely the Gods and Saints will forgive him for not praying this day, as he spent the bulk of it doing good deeds? He can't count on that. So when he stops for a rest, he takes a seat where his rear won't get soaked through with snowmelt and hopes that he'll be forgiven for this aberration.

The festivities, warmth, and laughter in the Hammer and Spoke is a much welcome distraction from...well, everything outside. Beane does not partake in drunk mischief or seem to drink alcohol at all, but he's content to sit out of the way and clap along with the music and generally have a good--if boring--time. He will try his best to steer clear of Elena, and at some point give Lance a friendly pat on the shoulder and congratulations or general well-wishes in the wake of the specter problem. Lance is the last man he spoke to about the spooky goings-on, it seems only right to follow-up with good cheer.

After a few days or more of taking up space at the Inn, each sunrise bringing with it a fresh dose of guilt, Beane begins the process of moving into the living space above that storefront he inquired about. His belongings are few, so it's not a prolonged process. The biggest hurdle for him is finding a source of beeswax for his candles, as he does not have bees stashed away in his pack. That would be ridiculous!

Once he's freed up the room in the Inn for someone more in need to take, he spends most of his time getting the shop ready and asking around about supplies.

[ Lay on, Macduff ]