'The Nest' was the only inn this town had, which meant there was nowhere else for anyone to go at night. Of course they could go home to their families but that was never the preferred option. Alayne Ducard had settled in well already, his room was comfy enough, the drinks were cold and tasted...fine and the food hadn't made him spend the night squatting over a bucket, yet. This made this particular inn better than about half of the ones he'd played and stayed in over the years.
The only thing it had been missing was a stage, but that was easily fixed. He kicked 2 small square tables together against the far wall and it looked as good as any stage he'd played on, if you were half blind and squinted, but it would do.
The sun was setting outside and it would be an hour or 2 before work finished for most folk so Alayne had time to have a few drinks, he never got too drunk before a performance, just nicely drunk, enough so that he didn't get annoyed at all the other inn patrons around him been 1 more sip away from running down the street naked chasing pigeons, just enough to give him that last little bit of confidence, because you can never be overconfident, that was a myth told by the anxious to bring people like him down.
As the inn slowly began to fill and as light slowly dimmed outside Alayne was in the room he shared with AJ checking them both over one more time.
"Hair flowing beautifully?"
Grunt.
"Cloak smooth and coloured perfectly deep purple?"
Grunt.
"Shirt clean and tucked?"
Grunt.
"Face so perfect it may cause problems for every marriage in this town with just a smile?"
Grunt.
Every response by AJ so far had been a no, the little bugger was getting far too full of himself.
"Tambourine and Lute?"
Grunt.
Finally a yes from the little monster, Alayne swore next time he found a lone surviving goblin after accidently taking part in what some would call an attempted genocide, he'd be walking away and pretending he didn't.
They left the room and entered a small wooden hallway with another door opposite and stairs to their left leading back down to the common room.
He took a long deep breath, ensuring his hat was just a little off centre and his posture was straight before playing a single string on his lute as his foot hit the top step of the stairway.
The usual noise from a common room of 10 different conversations happening at once fell to a silence as the candles all died around them in an instant.
"I am Alayne Ducard, your master bard, if you haven't had a chance to empty your bladder I'm afraid you are too late. A lifetime's entertainment in one night cannot be missed, not even one...single...instant."
He descended slowly, the stairs were open on one side, perfect for building tension as they slowly saw more and more of him with AJ a step or two behind. The only light came from behind him, every step he took another candle pinned to the wall above the stairway relit, candle by candle the light grew as he descended. Against the dark room he now stood in front of, he was a blinding beacon of light to look upon. People covered their eyes but looked through slotted fingers.
He made his way through the room, extinguishing the candles on the stairs and using only a single light as he walked. The light on the nearest table flicked on to his left before going out in a puff of smoke to be replaced by the wall mounted brazier on his right. His audience were silent shadows as he moved amongst them, singing the old song 'The butcher that came to tea' a simple and somewhat outdated song about a housewife that runs off with a charming butcher, but it was always a crowd favourite. As he moved towards his home made stage, he brushed cheeks and cupped the chins of his audience as they sat in silence.
The song continued as his fingers danced across his lute strings and he climbed unseen steps to reach his stage for the evening. AJ stayed in front, patting the tambourine gently in time with Alayne as they'd practised.
With a final flourish the two candles he'd placed earlier on either side of his self made stage ignited, casting him in light and sending a shadow against the wall behind him that made him look god-like.
Stunned silence crowded the room, and he smiled.
He had them in the palm of his hand, as he always did.
Hours and hours later he took his final bow as he made a shower of sparks rain down over him for the crowd to gasp at and relit the room at once with a flourish, basking the room in light and making everyone squint as their drunken eyes took slightly longer to adjust than usual.
He flicked his hat off and handed it upside down to AJ to seek donations from his audience as he dropped down off the tables with a dull thud, people had no idea what the little goblin boy was but they were drunk and entertained and that would satisfy their curiosity for now.
People had slowly started to filter off as he wound down and this had become faster when they had seen AJ take the hat, the only thing most people hated more than giving coins away, was been asked to give coins away.
But there were always a few kind folk in each town, and he would bleed them dry.
The main focus for him now was the two tables beside the entrance, small and square like any of the others, they'd been pushed together and crowded round them were 5 individuals clad in black leather armour, gambesons, or just common clothes but all jet black.
There had been 7 but 2 had drifted off not long after he started and if Alayne had to guess he would say that these were the so-called Flock of the famous Raven Stoneoath.
He moved through the common room towards his targets, dodging the serving boy and girl who were hurriedly trying to serve now the show was over.
A drunken middle aged man with hands like boulders and roughed than sand carefully stood up and grabbed Alayne by the hand.
"Bloody good that was."
"Always nice to be appreciated good sir"
Alayne spun him round slowly as he shook hands and as he let go he grabbed the back of the man's chair and loudly dragged it over the floor towards the flocks table, leaving the drunken fan to fall to the floor and look around confused.
He sat himself down in front of the 5 who stared at him with various levels of confusion, anger and curiosity.
"Well hello, by any chance is one of you the great Raven Stoneoath?"
"Do any of us look like the Captain to you?"
A hard faced woman across from Alayne spoke up, blonde hair tied back to highlight a face with sharp features, it seemed she wasn't a fan judging by her sharply furrowed eyebrows.
"Well if I knew what Raven looked like I wouldn't have asked if any of you were Raven would I? I would have said 'Hello Raven' or more likely judging from your response 'Where is Raven?'"
"He's got a point Res'"
The man sitting next to her gave her a smile that she did not return, he was around Alaynes age but hair of some many years older as it receded back to his ears, he had a missing front tooth that was obvious as he smiled over his poorly grown blonde goatee.
To Alaynes right and their left was a man who had broad shoulders and thick stubble covering his chin, he was propping himself up on his elbows as puddles of spilt drink surrounded him and crawled up his arms and chest, he was bobbing slightly as he continually fell asleep and woke himself up.
The final 2 talons sat to Alaynes left: a square jawed man with a dark pulled back ponytail who sat expressionless as the conversation went on and next to him, at the end of the table was a slightly chubby man in his middle years, he looked uncomfortable around Alayne and just stared into his cup as he spoke, he looked out of place amongst the rest who were well muscled.
"What is it you want the Captain for?"
The one identified as 'Res' shot the man a look that he didn't see, she clearly thought she was in control of the conversation.
"What's the little green man all about?"
"How did you make that stuff happen with the lights and whatnot"
Questions came from a few places at once and Res clearly found that frustrating and tried to silence them with a look that did nothing.
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"He seems like a fellow that someone like me would want to know"
He answered the question that would serve him best and he gave nothing away, he wanted them to lead things, they'd been drinking all night whilst he played, they might let something slip that would be of use. You never know what drunken lips would drool out.
"I can assure you that the Captain has better things to do than meet with...entertainers" Alayne could generally read the way a conversation would go, more or less anyway. He knew for instance that the drunken man, the anxious man and the emotionless man were all going get him nowhere tonight for various reasons. His best bet was either the chap with the missing tooth who didn't seem anything beyond friendly or the stone faced woman who clearly didn't like him, he essentially had the easy way or the hard way and since he had nowhere to be in any great rush, he was going to choose the hard way.
"You say it like it's a naughty word, did your mother or father run off with one of my ilk or something?"
As he spoke the gap toothed man held back a laugh, the chubby man choked on his drink and the drunken man fell to the floor laughing, he seemed to have lost control completely.
"You are pathetic people who do nothing but stroke your own egos and vanity."
That wasn't completely untrue Alayne had to admit but he feigned insult over the comment.
"Vain? I'll have you know I never even consider my looks" and he flicked his long hair back over his shoulder as he did so, giving the woman a wink at the same time that she did not appreciate.
They'd all ignored there fallen comrade as Alayne and Res' went back and forth, Alayne however noticed that the drunken man, named Taraveen Alayne would later learn, tried to pull himself up by using one hand on the table, he had a dark bird tattooed on his wrist which was presumably a raven. He looked around as he spoke and noticed other oddities, the emotionless man had a silver ring on his hand with what looked like a birds eye acting as it's stone, the gap toothed person had a necklace hanging over his gambeson that seemed like it was made entirely of bird skulls, the other 2 had nothing he could see.
"Compared to your good selves of course, who stroke only your captain's ego and vanity? These...accessories you wear, I assume they are ravens beaks and eyes in honour of your captain? Do you think killing a bird for which he is its namesake and then decorating yourself in their corpse sends the right message? Seems more like a threat"
Sheepishly the necklace was tucked under the clothes of the gap toothed and the hand with the ring of the other man was moved under the table to his lap and for the second time the tattooed wrist of the drunken man grabbed and slipped off the table as he tried to right himself. As he fell AJ appeared between him and Alayne and doffed the almost empty hat towards the table before Alayne waved him away.
"That...boy...is...green?!"
A voice came from the floor.
It was strange, as AJ walked through a town or village or city, Alayne had to be on his toes as people reacted differently, shouting swears or curses at him for been a monster or at Alayne for harbouring such a thing but once he got in an Inn and performed with the boy no-one cared anymore, they were drunk, they were entertained and they were happy, AJ just became a novelty.
"B-"
Res was cut off as apparently the other talons weren't as quick to un-notice AJ.
"Erm, why is he green?"
The portly man on Alaynes other side spoke up and the expressionless man leaned forward out of curiosity.
"He's a goblin."
Alayne spat the words out quickly to try and move the conversation along, he knew where this was going, first they'd say that goblins aren't real.
"Goblins aren't real."
The predictable comment came from the gap-toothed man and he seemed very confident in this statement.
Alayne sighed.
"And yet there he is, you saw me do magic earlier as well and that also doesn't seem to be known on this island"
It didn't matter what he said really, the next statement was always some variation of:
"Nah but what is he really? And that stuff you did is just illusions, any rubbish street performer could do that"
They were nodding as the chubby fellow spoke and the gap-toothed man carried on.
"yeah I once saw a man pull a dead rabbit out of a hat just like yours!"
This wasn't what he'd expected Alayne was a little hurt over being likened to someone far beneath his talents.
"I'm pretty sure the rabbit should be...never mind that. I am not some second rate street magician playing find the ball under the right cup. I have actual gifts that defy the commons man's knowledge of the world."
Alayne held out his hand behind him and felt, after a moment of silence, the well familiar weight of his lute that AJ had brought from the makeshift stage he'd left it on.
"What's your name?"
He pointed at the gap-toothed man who was having far to good a time making fun of Alayne.
"Gaspar"
"Don't panic Gaspar"
Alayne played a simple tune and then pulled his eyelids down with a thumb and finger, as he did the table was loudly kicked as Gaspar leapt back in his seat. The others around the table gasped as Gaspar sat struggling. His eyes had disappeared, replaced with 2 slightly shallow pits of flesh, like his eyes had never been there to begin with.
"Can a street performer do that?"
Alayne grinned as he flicked his thumb and finger back up over his eyes and Gaspar returned to normal, well not quite normal, his face was flushed and had some scratches around his eyes where he'd tried to pull the skin that had been covering them. He sat back and placed a hand on Res to his right and the emotionless man to his left to steady himself and neither looked too pleased about it.
He stood up after a moment, knocking the table back again.
"Nope nope nope, not having that, no no no"
He stepped up onto the table and jumped over poor Taraveen who was still trying to right himself as the raven haired innkeeper shouted something their way which Gaspar completely ignored as he left the inn.
"You...are...a...bard"
All eyes turned to the drunken man as he finally lifted himself back up, still using one hand on the edge of the table to do so and pointed his free one at Alayne to make his bold accusation before, for the 3rd time in as many minutes, slipping and ending back on the ground where he'd started.
"I really hope the rest of you are as perceptive as he is, would really raise my confidence in your ability to protect this town."
"Fal-"
"I know, I'll sort him."
The chubby man shuffled off his chair and pointed to a table on the other side of the room where a lone girl sat, clad in black like the rest but as far away as possible.
"Crow!"
Alayne stifled a laugh, surely that wasn't her name.
She hopped up and came over to help lift the drunken man as they each shared half the burden.
"I swear Taraveen if you wet yourself this time we are leaving you outside."
"And then there were 3."
Alayne smiled at the 3 remaining around the table.
"We train outside the walls first thing every morning, I look forward to seeing more of you and your strange magics." He leaned forward and peered into Alaynes eyes "You intrigue me"
"DADARO!"
Res shouted at the plain faced man, the few remaining in the common room turned their heads for a second before thinking better of looking too invested and going back to what remained in their cups.
"Resamin, this is clearly all he came over for and then he started having fun with us, let us be done with the banter and get things moving forward. I don't like this bantering nonsense." he pushed himself away from the table and left without a backwards glance, just a barely heard "Goodnight"
What a strange character, Alayne thought excitedly. Strange characters made good stories and this Flock seemed full of them, there was a chance this would write itself for him.
He was most certainly one to watch, especially as Alayne had brushed him off so easily, he liked to be surprised by people.
How did someone like that become this mimicking follower?
"You are most certainly an interesting bunch. I hope your Captain is just as interesting."
"Just leave"
Res had started off looking mad at his interruption to their evening, now she was looking like she might explode.
Alayne took the advice, he would meet them all again in the morning, he got up and gave a deep bow and made his way to the stairs at the back of the inn and up to his room, he didn't trust the woman when she was alone. There was an obvious temper there that the others likely kept in some kind of check and he had no wish to push it without them as a barrier.
He closed the door and kicked his boots off before sitting down on the edge of the hard bed of the inn. AJ joined him and offered him the half full hat he'd collected a small number of donations in. A couple of silver halves and a handful of coppers, not great but it was enough for food and drink when needed.
In truth you never needed too much as a travelling bard, rooms and drinks were free for performers so it was just rations when travelling, his purse was usually half full at all times at least.
AJ grunted and barked in his harsh tongue.
"It's not a bad takings for an opening night, and you did well. Trust me AJ, the money does not reflect the performance"
If it did, Alayne would own half the known land.
More grunts from his right as Alayne stroked the top of AJ's lightly haired head.
"Them? They were nobody and apparently they have no interest in buying a goblin..."
A single grunt in shock was his response and AJ stopped dead still.
Alayne laughed as he used his hand effortlessly tickle AJ's belly causing him to fall back on the bed laughing gleefully.
"I was joking I can't sell you silly, our currency doesn't go lower than half a copper, no they were the people we came here for. We'll go see them early tomorrow to get work started, they weren't at all how I pictured them AJ."
He grunted further as he caught his breath from laughing.
"I'm not sure, I assumed they just be typical solider's and followers, and maybe one or two are but the others I'm not sure. There are definitely a couple of characters in there."
AJ sat up and grunted some more.
"It means that it makes the story easier to write, I don't have to create fake personalities to keep the crowd interested. Saves us a job really and makes gathering their tales a bit less mundane, hopefully anyway... Right where we are; bed or floor?"
He grunted gleefully as he dived behind Alayne and wriggled under the covers.
"Always the bloody bed, luckily my back is well rested from not having just performed all night and not having carried you all the way here."
Before settling down on the floor in his cloak and using his boots as a pillow Alayne checked the window of the room and ensured the latch was tight, double checking the same for the door. There were two candles, one by the wash basin at the foot of the bed and one by the bedside table that he replaced with fresh ones from downstairs. AJ thought they were for him and was confused why he thought someone who grew up in a cave would be scared of the dark, Alayne had hand waved some excuse that the boy never bothered arguing which he was grateful for.
When he finally found his place on the floor, and AJ's loud guttural snores echoed around the room like a hibernating bear in its cave, Alayne found himself smiling, he couldn't remember what it was like living this life alone. It was a hard life to share, he'd wanted to before but things always got in the way.
Now he had AJ and things were different, harder in some ways, but also easier in others.
It was worth the trade off.
You're never really alone
His eyes flashed open, staring at the ceiling as the thought of whatever was chasing him came back.
Think of your story
Think of tomorrow
Think of the boy
It never comes in the towns
He tried his best to comfort himself, force his mind onto better things and sleep eventually came, restless and infrequent, but it came and that would do for now.