A stream of smoke curled into the night sky from the tavern's chimney. It was a homey, two story building of wood and stone that sat situation at a crossroads just far enough from the prying eyes of civilization.
A lone figure wrapped in a black cloak road towards it from the west, hood raised against the cutting rain. A flash of lightning revealed a sharp jaw with black stubble.
A balding, heavyset man waved the rider into a barn and lead him to an empty stall.
"My thanks," the rider said in a low voice as he slid off his horse. "I assume there's lodging available tonight?"
"Yes," replied the heavy man, now tending to the rider's horse. "Just go on inside out of the rain. They'll take care of ya."
With a nod, the rider strode towards the tavern. The cold rain continued to slice through the air, the wind nearly ripping his hood from his head.
He stepped in to find it mostly empty save for a group of men sitting in front of the roaring fireplace, dressed in cloaks, their weapons set aside, and a young girl sitting alone in a corner, her hood covering most of her face.
A chandelier made from antlers hung in the center of the ceiling, and each table had its own candle, two for the bigger tables. A wooden stairway led up, then turned out of sight just past the bar on his right.
Behind the bar stood an older man, more physically fit than the man in the barn. He wore a smile but his eyes betrayed his suspicion.
He sat at the nearest empty table, unslinging his sword and leaning it against the chair next to him.
"What can I help ya with?" A fiery red haired woman with green eyes asked as she approached. Her green matched her eyes and showed plenty of cleavage.
Gotta get those tips, the rider thought to himself.
"I'll take an ale and some sort of soup or stew. Something warm"
"Ah, there's plenty here to keep you warm," she shot him a wink and a smile.
He chuckled, pulling back his hood. Long dark hair fell around his shoulders, the firelight casting flickering shadows across his face.
"Plenty indeed," she eyed him before walking off to retrieve his order.
He took the moment to pull a tube from his belt, popping the cap off and unrolling a parchment across his table. He studied the map, making mental notes, before he noticed he was being watched.
He didn't turn his head, he kept her in his peripheral, but the line girl in the corner had her eye on him.
He casually laid his arm across the table as if he was resting on it, obscuring her view of the map.
She didn't react.
Maybe he was being paranoid. Maybe she was just curious.
The server came back with his ale, and upon seeing his map, she asked, "where ya headed?"
"I'm still deciding," he replied, taking a swig of the ale.
"At more than one kind of crossroads are ya?" She smiled.
He smirked. "I guess so..."
She walked off again, checking on the group of men.
He rolled up his map, maybe it's best to study this in my room later.
The girl in the corner shifted in her seat.
A coincidence?
It wasn't long before his food was brought to him.
The stew put in front filled his nose with the earthy aroma of carrots, potatoes and beef. It was far from the best he'd tasted, but satisfied his hunger and took the edge off the chill of his rain soaked clothes.
The girl in the corner stood, gathered her things and walked up the set of stairs out of sight.
He took his time finishing his stew. He was exhausted, but he didn't trust that girl. If she was waiting to ambush him, he wanted to make her wait. Unless she was a professional, her guard should slack as time passed, especially if she road in through the same weather he did.
He glanced at the group of men. They were clearly in for a long night before they retired for the night.
He waited as long as he could, but his body ached, his eyelids grew heavier and his soaked clothes clung to him, only slightly more dry than when he arrived.
With a sigh he stood and approached the bartender. "A room, please."
"You got the coin right?" The bartender asked suspiciously.
"Oh, yes, if course." He fished coins out of a pouch on his belt, paying for both his room and his meal.
The bartender eyes him, then grabbed a key and tossed it to him. "Upstairs, last room on the right. Will you be needing a bath drawn?" He gestured toward the server.
The rider eyed her, thinking for a moment. "Nah, I'm too exhausted to bother. I'm just going to sleep."
"Fair enough," the bartender said.
The server almost looked disappointed.
He climbed the stairs, at the top was a hallway with three doors on either side and one at the far end. He went to the last on the right and tried the key.
With a click, he was inside.
He locked the door behind him, and positioned his sword, belt and bag next to his bed in easy reach, and slid a dagger under his pillow. With a sigh, he struggled out of his wet clothes and laid them out, hoping they would dry during the night.
He stood, naked, looking out his room's window at the crossroad outside. It was dark enough where no one outside would be able to see him.
Crossroads indeed.
He lit a candle and unfurled his map across a small writer's desk. Then, he reached in his back and pulled out a small, lense cut from some sort of blue gem with a gold frame around it's edge.
He placed it over where the tavern would be on the map and began sliding the lense in different directions, always starting back at the tavern. The details changed under the lense,revealing hidden pathways and symbols.
He slid the lense north and rested it on a strange interlaced symbol. He stared at it a moment, gave it a few quick taps, then packed it all back up.
North it is.
He laid down in bed, pulling the blanket over his still naked body. He scowled at his wet clothes before rolling over towards the wall and closing his eyes.
