The tavern bustled with the activity typical of a late-evening crowd. The smoke from the peat fire carried shouts and jeers from men already gulping the dregs of their third or fourth ale. It wafted and mixed with the scent of bodies, the heady musk of a day spent laboring in the sun, to spread a thick blanket over the chattering patrons.
She deftly carved her way through the fog of smoke and song, dodging tables and grasping hands, made bold by the empty tankards they clutched. Her full skirts brushed between stools occupied by men whose eyes lingered on the tightly laced bodice that accentuated the smooth curves of exposed flesh that spilled over the top, gently rippling as she walked. Those eyes followed her confident gait but then turned downcast again as lips that would speak of their desires were instead pressed to the rim of their tankards, a slight shift in the position on their stools the only indication of any residual need. Those who had been more brazen in their ogling stares might find themselves casting furtive glances to the corner where a man sat alone at a table. He was not particularly imposing of stature, but there was something in his confident air and bright, intelligent eyes that made the others in the room leave him to his solitude.
She reached around and placed a fresh ale before him, the frothy head sliding in rivulets to pool on the table. As her hand withdrew, it lightly traced the lines of taught muscle that snaked up his arm, a silent promise of a reward for his patience. His eyes slid briefly to hers as a slight smile quirked the corner of his lips, the curve deepening as he caught the flash of fiery lust he beheld in her eyes. Her hand slid from his shoulder as she swept away, the heavy air and press of bodies doing little to cool the embers smoldering in her core.
At long last, she struck the large bell above the bar and listened to the groaning of men and tables as the patrons pushed themselves onto unsteady feet and staggered toward the door. They spilled into the cool night air, stumbling into each other and breaking away again, winding their ways to homes and beds. The tavern slowly cleared as the patrons muttered their thanks and farewells, carefully keeping their eyes from roaming to the table where the man still sat, silently sipping his ale with casual ease.