Knight Elayne - Ch 3 - Secret of the Tavern
After wandering through densely forested terrain, Elayne finally found a tavern in a small clearing. Earlier she had traveled past an empty village, which looked like there hadn't been anyone living there for many years and there weren't any suitable buildings in which to spend the night. Near the village was a small graveyard, which looked like it had been long abandoned. There was a big tombstone in the middle of some bushes but the names had worn off a long time ago and the forest had started to take the land back. There were some tracks in the village and also in the graveyard, but nothing that could be demonic. The footprints looked to be human, maybe hunters who had passed by.
Elayne was happy to find this old, quite remote tavern because she really wanted a bath. She didn't have too much money to spend, but a bath was something she really wanted right now. She couldn't even remember when she had a good long bath last and by the gods, she would have one now. Elayne walked towards the tavern building and noticed a few horses in the stable. They looked too expensive for peasants to own and Elayne was curious. There was an old man in the stable who was taking care of the animals. She said hello to him, but the old man just muttered something back. This place was so remote, that maybe these old folk weren't used to visitors anymore. Elayne had only one thing on her mind, a bath, so she didn't waste any more time with the man or the horses and walked towards the door.
She entered a small tavern room, it was quiet. The fireplace had a fire lit in it, giving the place a cozy feel. It was a taf bit on the shabby side like remote taverns usually are. An older woman sat behind the counter, smoking her pipe while watching Elayne as she walked in. She got up slowly and asked Elayne what she wanted.
Elayne asked to have a room and a bath. The old lady nodded and said that she could give her a room, but this isn't one of those fancy taverns like the central regions have, so no baths in the rooms. If she wants to have a bath, she has to use a room downstairs that has a bathtub in it. Elayne didn't want to start to argue and if she could just get her bath, everything would be ok. So she agreed to the old woman's offer. She got the key and paid the price. Her purse got really light, it didn't happen often, but at least tonight she would treat herself well.
The old woman said that her room was up on the second floor on the left. She would inform her when the bath is ready. Elayne nodded and went towards the stairs, while the old lady went to the door and yelled to her son to start warming the bathwater. Elayne walked slowly up the stairs as she wanted to see the "son". The same old muttering man from the barn walked in with clumsy steps. There must have been something wrong on his legs, or in his head, she didn't want to ask. The old woman yelled at him and tried to get him to move faster by hitting him with a broom. The old man didn't even notice and went on about his job. The whole time he was muttering something under his breath.
Elayne went upstairs and found her room. It was small, the window was nailed shut, the bed was creaking and floorboards were worn out. Elayne smiled to herself, but at least she could sleep indoors for a change. She heard someone talking in the room next door. She couldn't hear well enough to understand anything, but then someone left that room. Elayne peeked into the corridor and saw a cloaked person disappearing down the stairs. Soon she heard voices outside as this person took a horse and climbed on it. Moments after, there wasn't any sign that this person had even been here. Elayne didn't care about it, she was just so tired from all that walking. But Elayne couldny help thinking, a horse would be nice to have.
Elayne checked her backpack and made sure that her sword stayed with her. Even here in a tavern room on the second floor, one needed to keep one's head on a swivel. It was a bit odd that someone would leave the Tavern as the sun was setting and night was coming. Elayne put her backpack under her bed and went down stairs as the old lady was calling her guests to come down. As she stepped into the corridor, she saw a young brunette haired female leaving from the next room, where she had heard talking moments ago. She wore a cloak that looked like one that mage's guilds used and Elayne started to wonder what kind of business a young novice mage could have here. Both of them went down and the old lady had made stew with bread for her guests. It wasn't anything fancy, basic stew from ordinary ingredients but that's the best that they could offer there. The old lady said that the rabbit in the stew was caught yesterday by her son and it was tender.
Elayne watched as this novice mage took her meal, thanked the old woman and went to find a place to sit for herself. She seemed to be cautious about the food and the other people around her. Elayne took her plate and thanked the old lady too but she just muttered something and that made Elayne smile a bit. I guess that's the local way to talk, just mutter something. The novice mage was more interested to know what the stew contained, as she mainly poked it with her wooden spoon. For Elayne it was the best meal that she had gotten in the whole time that she had spent in that remote location. The sky was getting darker as finally the old boy came to his mother and again, muttered something odd and went back out. The old woman nodded to Elayne and told her that her bath was ready. Towels should be there waiting for her. It's more than perfect timing for her, as she had just finished her food and got up from her table. The novice wasn't so hungry after all and casually studied the stew like trying to figure out what's in it, while checking the window from time to time. Was she waiting for something or someone.
Elayne didn't bother to ask and she walked towards the room where the tub was readied. She found the bathtub, full of warm water and she just couldn't stop smiling. She undressed herself quickly and slid into the water. It was heavenly for her and Elayne could finally rest for a short while, while washing all that dirt from her skin that she got while roaming around the countryside. A Horse would be a good help for her, but she didn't have one yet and that novice mage might not want to sell her horse to Elayne. Also there was one little tiny thing, Elayne didn't have that much money left anyway.
Elayne lay in the bath tub and felt how the warm water took away all that tiredness, making her legs feel better again. She could wash her hair at last and sometimes she really missed the time when she had plans to be married to some noble man. That was just a dream now to her and there aren't any noble men who would marry her at the moment. If anyone knew that she had been seduced by demons and allowed them to abuse her, she would be in deep trouble. It wouldn't matter if she had been under the spell of demons or not, she was touched by fiends and the Church had only one judgement for that and, it is Death.
Warm water caressed her body nicely and Elayne could put all her worries aside for the moment to relax and take that moment just for herself. The whole room started to be more or less full of steam that had risen from the warm water. The water didn't feel like it was getting cold at all and the bottom of the quite large tub was still hot. Elayne thought that the water was being heated under that tub, one level down from that room. That just felt even better for Elayne as usually the bath water went cold after a while and she had to get up eventually. Now the water stayed nice and warm, so she could enjoy her stay as long as she wanted or someone told her to get out. At least she paid for the bath and bath is what she is going to get.
The novice mage had eaten as much as she wanted to eat of that stew and it tasted good, while it looked so odd to her eyes. She was getting bored, as here in the middle of nowhere nothing really happened and her friend hadn't returned yet. Maybe he wasn't coming back at all so she could return to her room. He should be back here for the morning and should carry more information about the lantern that they had dug up in the old graveyard.
The novice got up and returned to her upstairs room, while wondering why anyone would like to have that old lantern. It had some old runes on it, but that's it. No other markings about what it does and what its purpose is. It's just an old crude lantern with rune markings. She stared at it long enough, like it would just pop up and tell its secrets to her willingly. The novice mage took it in her hands, tossed and turned it, while searching for clues, but found nothing.