Another massive thank you to Emma Kendrick for sharing her thoughts on the chapter!
The trio tramped into the inn, bellies growling, legs numb from the ride.
"Hello there!" one of the serving girls greeted them, chipper smile on her face. "Welcome to the Brazen Badger!"
"Three stews," Finley told her.
"And a pitcher of ale!" Roak called over his shoulder on the way to a table.
"Have you any goat milk?" Jonas asked.
She cocked her head.
"Uh, I'm not sure, but I'll ask!"
"What is it with you and goat milk?" Finley asked him, joining Roak at the table.
"It's a new thing. Healthier than cow milk."
"And how do you know that?" Roak cut in, stripping off his gloves and setting them aside.
"You ever seen a cow?"
"Yes."
"You ever seen a goat?"
"Also yes."
"Which one looks healthier to you?"
Roak stared blankly over the table at him. Finley burst out into laughter.
"Hold on," Roak finally spoke up, "you think goat milk is healthier than cow milk because goats look healthier than cows?"
"You ever seen a fat goat?"
"No."
"How about a skinny cow?"
"No, but -"
"There you go," he said, with an air of finality. "It's because of the milk they drink."
Roak stared blankly at him again.
The serving girl came over, holding a tray laden with three bowls of stew, a loaf of bread, a pitcher, and three cups.
"Your goat milk," she told Jonas, passing him one of the cups.
"Question for you, girl," Roak started, while she unloaded the tray. "Which do you think is healthier, cow milk or goat milk?"
Finley shook his head in bemusement, pulling a bowl towards himself, steam wafting invitingly off the contents.
She frowned.
"I suppose I don't know. Which is healthier?"
"Goat," Jonas answered, fresh off a chug of milk, white droplets clinging to his copper-red mustache.
"Really?" she said, resting the now-empty tray on her hip.
"He thinks goat milk is healthier because goats look healthier," Roak told her.
"Cows are fat, and goats are lean," Jonas explained patiently. "It's the milk."
She giggled.
"You know more about cows and goats than me, that much is true."
"He doesn't know anything about cows and goats," Roak told her.
"Still more than me."
She smiled, and then breezed away to check on the other customers.
Finley eyed her. Her enthusiasm was undeniable, everyone treated to a bright smile and coquettish laugh, from the young fellow in a brown-and-green cloak doing his best to lay low in the corner, to the gray-haired old couple hunched over a table on the other side of the room, to the tall, tanned, mustachioed bard humming to himself over a bowl of stew, painted lute resting on the chair next to him. The other serving girl did not look much older, but there was a certain, subtle detachment to her enthusiasm, as if it were simply a well-practiced performance.
"She's a lively one," Roak spoke up, smirking.
"I'd rather the other," Jonas said, breaking a piece off the loaf of bread. "This one's skinny."
"Give her some cow milk," Finley told him. "Fatten her up."
Roak snickered.
The serving girl returned to their table soon.
"Anything else I can get for you?"
"Yeah," Jonas spoke up. "Have you any rooms for tonight? We need three beds."
"Let me check."
Finley watched her go, eyes aimed at her admittedly unimpressive backside.
"Lively and pretty," Roak added.
"Skinny," Jonas commented.
"I've had some skinny things who were a lot of fun."
The serving girl returned after a few minutes.
"There's a room with three beds. You just have to talk to Kerissa."
She gestured towards the other serving girl.
"Aye, I'll do that then," Jonas said, standing and heading over to Kerissa, who was waiting expectantly at the front of the room.
"One more thing," Roak spoke up.
The serving girl tilted her head.
"What's that?"
He held out a hand, and she took it curiously.
A strong tug pulled her into his lap, the chair rocking backwards dangerously. She squawked in undignified surprise.
"Ah, that's much better!"
"You sly wolf," she teased. "You could've just asked!"
"It's more fun this way," he shot back, his hand sneaking to her ass, a squeeze there making her purr.
"Watch it," Finley spoke up. "Remember the last time you got handsy with a serving girl? Your cheek was red from her palm for a week."
"You won't be so violent, will you?" Roak asked her.
She giggled and shook her head.
"What's your name, girl?"
"Aleia."
"I'm Roak. That there is Finley, and the goat milk drinker is Jonas."
"Pleasure to meet you all."
"Did you hear that, Finley?" he joked. "'Pleasure to meet us all'. You're already in my lap, you don't need to butter us up!"
She shook her head again and adopted a stoic expression.
"No butter here, sir, I swear."
"First with the pleasure, now with the sir. Are you angling for my entire coin purse?"
"Do I look like a thief to you?"
"You certainly look like something."