A plate flew past her ear, missing by a hair’s width, before shattering on the wall behind her. A burly man came flying from across the room, landing heavily onto a nearby table which split in half under his weight spilling mugs of mead and dishes of food all over the floor and the previous occupants of said table, who immediately turned in anger to the source of the flying fellow, a petite woman with a sheepish grin plastered on her face trying her best to look innocent. The group was about to storm over and pick a fight with her, when the innkeep slammed a fist onto the bar, and everyone immediately shut up and went back to minding their own business. Looks like the guard captain has a soft spot for rough and seedy spots, given the ambiance of the healer’s place and this wonderful establishment, Elaria noted to herself. She walked up to the bar, a few curious glances thrown her way from the colourful variety of patrons, and the absolutely gigantic innkeep flashed her a grin, showing off a few missing teeth.
“What can I do you for missy? It’s not every day we get someone as fresh as you wandering into The Dancing Imp,” he asked in a gruff voice.
Compared to his frightening countenance and monstrous stature, the innkeep had a jovial and friendly tone, and Elaria immediately relaxed. That old guard captain wouldn’t have sent her to this place if he didn’t think she would be safe here anyway, she hoped.
“I was looking for a room to stay for the night. This place came highly recommended by Captain Wren, but it does seem a little rough,” she quipped.
“Aye, the lads do get up to a bit of mischief from time to time, but don’t you worry, any friend of the captain’s a friend of mine. You’ll be safer than the Baron himself while you stay here, you have my word,” the burly fellow assured her. “Plus, it’ll only cost you a measly 2 coppers, I guarantee you won’t find a bargain like it in the whole of Felspire.”
To be honest, she still had her doubts, but it wasn’t like she knew anywhere else she could go, and the light of day had long vanished, leaving her with no other options this late. Her father had given her a small leather purse with 2 silver coins inside when she’d left, and so far she hadn’t figured out a way to make more money, so the low price was what finally tempted her. She handed over one of the silver coins, and the barkeep whistled softly, “Wealthy young lass, aren’t ya? Let me just grab some change.”
Elaria didn’t consider herself to be wealthy, but perhaps it wasn’t common to see a silver coin being used for transactions? A silver coin was worth ten copper coins, so it wasn’t breaking the bank to bring one out, but if you lived in the rough streets of Felspire, perhaps you would end up spending your coppers before amassing ten of them in one go. It didn’t make sense to have savings when your local lord was the type to even clean out the pantry when he decided he needed more tax. It didn’t take the innkeep long to get her change, handing the eight coppers directly to her, before walking out from behind the bar and leading her up a set of creaky wooden stairs. The room was well furnished, with a wardrobe and a bed that looked comfy despite having seen better days. After handing her the key, he told her that breakfast was included with the room, and wished her a pleasant sleep.
The first thing she did was lock the heavy door behind him. Even though he had promised this was the safest inn in the city, she would be a fool not to take precautions. Taking one of her copper coins out of the purse, she carefully balanced it on the handle, so it would fall to the ground and alert her if someone did break in. That was a trick she’d learnt from her previous life. As someone with plenty of enemies, she had to have the utmost caution when travelling, especially in hotels. The day had been exhausting and action packed, and within minutes of tucking herself in, Elaria had drifted off to sleep.
Stolen novel; please report.
The main room of the inn was practically empty compared to the previous night, and all the damage from the little brawl had been cleaned up. The innkeeper smiled when he noticed her entry, and waved her over to a table in the corner of the room. He placed a large mug of mead in front of her, a little splashing over the edges at the rough treatment.
“Here, drink up lass, there’s nothing better. I’ll bring your breakfast right out. If you don’t mind me asking, what are you planning to do here in Felspire?”
“Actually, I wasn’t planning to stay here in the city. I’m heading to the capital to join the adventurer’s guild, so I reckon I’ll be leaving straight away for Lockmire,” Elaria answered.
“Hoh, pretty lofty ambition you have there girl, but seeing as you made it here by yourself, I’m sure you’ll be able to make it. Stay right here, I’ll make sure to give you a big helping to set you up for the journey.”
The huge fellow walked through a door behind the bar, presumably into a kitchen of some sorts. At least she hoped it was a kitchen, otherwise she would have to consider skipping whatever breakfast was about to be served. Thankfully, when he returned, he was carrying a huge bowl of stew, with plenty of large chunks of meat and what looked like potatoes, as well as a plate of bread, fruits and cheese. Other than the rare occasion her father made something nice, she hadn’t eaten so well in months. In the midst of devouring the miniature banquet, a hooded stranger took the seat opposite Elaria at her table, smiling at her and waiting patiently for her to finish her mouthful of food.
The man had been sitting in a dark corner of the room when she’d come downstairs, and she hadn’t paid him much attention before. He pulled down his hood, revealing a rather handsome face, marred only by a large burn mark running from his forehead down to his right cheek. Elaria didn’t say anything out of politeness, but it was rather gruesome. The man noticed her expression, but was clearly used to similar reactions from people. It was presumably why he wore the hood.
“I couldn’t help but overhear your earlier conversation with Brent, about your intention to join the adventurer’s guild. Seeing as you seem like a pretty capable woman, I have a little tip for you. The adventurer’s guild in Cloudvale isn’t the only one out there, it’s just the biggest, the headquarters, if you will. There are thousands of hopeful young souls who travel to the capital with hopes of joining the guild, but most end up being rejected or overlooked for the more talented. However, if you were to join one of the branches before travelling to Cloudvale, you would already have your membership, and getting permanent residence there would be a breeze. In fact, there’s an adventurer’s guild branch right here in Felspire. If you don’t mind, I could take you there and help you sign up; the building is just a few streets away.”
The man had a delicate voice, and she might’ve mistaken him for a woman if he hadn’t taken off his hood. His offer was a little suspicious, but from the sounds of things, the guild was in the direction she had to travel anyway, and if worse came to worst, she could always just scream for the guards. If what he said was true, then there didn’t seem to be any downsides to joining the guild a little earlier than she originally planned. She finished her breakfast, not rushing on account of her new friend, before thanking the innkeep for his generosity, to which he simply waved a hand and wished her luck on her journey.
The man put his hood back on as they left The Dancing Imp, and she followed him as he led her through the winding streets and ramshackle pavements of Felspire. Clearly, he had been telling a little white lie when he said it was only a few streets away, or he was leading her into a trap. Perhaps the allure of her two silver coins had gotten the better of this mysterious fellow, or maybe she was just overthinking, the way her paranoid mind tended to do. The man stopped outside a three story building that was in much better condition than its neighbours. The walls were free of any moss or ivy, and the sign outside was sparkling, declaring to the street that this was the adventurer’s guild in bold gold script.