Sweltering bloody hot

Beyond the door was a storefront and workshop, one that was beyond sweltering bloody hot. It was no secret as to why, the dull glow that had permeated through the door turned out to be a pool of molten metal at the very back of the workshop. Its light was enough to just about illuminate the wooden shelves around the room, stocked with a bunch of metal tools, and the collection of weaponry on the back wall.

A smithy. Something I had never expected to see with my own eyes, what with blacksmithing being a dying art and all.

“Good lord, Eleanor, how in the world dost þou work in þese conditions? þis heat ys enough to make me feel faint,” Alice said, echoing my own thoughts.

“I’m a blacksmiþ, milady. Like my faþer and his faþer before him. Heat like þis be where I’m most comfortable.”

“Evidently,” Alice chided, fanning herself with her hands. “By þe by, I see þee still insist on working into þe nyte. Dost þou not tire of it?”

“‘Tis a cruel market, milady. If I’m to compete wiþ my contemporaries, I’ve little option but to pour my very soul into my work,” Eleanor said, taking a seat behind the storefront and beckoning us to do the same. “All þat said, I doubt þe purpose of your visit is to lambast me for my work habits. Or to catch up wiþ an old friend.” Her callout caused Alice to grimace, but her expression softened and she spoke with no anger. “Worry yourself not, lady Alice. Several years ago, I swore to you I would ade you wiþ all myne ability were a situation such as þis to aryse. In fact, I would take great offence if you went anywhere else ferst. I was dreadfully worried wen þat loudmouþed simpleton sayd you hadst fled imprisonment.”

“Myne apologies for scaring þee so. Myne actions were rash and reckless, and I put myself in undue danger.”

“Well, you canst tell me everyþing in due time. But first I must address þe obvious. Who be’þ þe man at your side? A retaner, perhaps?” Eleanor asked, turning her attention to me. I wasn’t sure if I was expected to say anything, but when all that followed was silence and a slight gesture from Alice, I took it as my cue to introduce myself.

“Name's Barry Mckay. The lady ‘ere ‘elped me out of a right ol' tiff on the road, and I’ve decided ‘er fight is one I’m willin' to throw me lot in with. Given ‘ow short the list of allies is, I figured she could use the 'elp.” I omitted the details of my origins, mostly because I doubted she’d believe me off the bat. I felt like Alice’s immediate acceptance was most likely a fluke.

“I see…” Eleanor eyed me with suspicion, and exchanged a quick look with Alice.

“I understand þy apprehensions, but I do believe Master Barry can be trusted. When one of my faþer’s men attacked as I lay, he put his lyfe at risk to protect me. He believed me asleep at þe time, so he cannot have done so wiþ þe mere goal of winning my favour. I believe his intentions good and his heart just.”

Though I knew she and I had come to an understanding and I had won some of her trust already, hearing her say it aloud to someone else made me happy. As my only point of connection to this world, her approval was of great importance to me. Perhaps in that way my goals were selfish, though I did truly believe in and support her cause.

“If you truly trust him, I will question no furþer. But you hast a tendency to see kindness in þe cruel and humanity in þe inhumane, I fear you may be letting your guard down too hastily.”

“Fear þee not, I have kept my knife on my person at all times, even when asleep. I have not lowered my guard yet.”

A light bulb flicked on in my head as certain elements of that night suddenly clicked together. Her seeming lack of caution around me, and the knife she used to stop our assailant. It wasn’t that she actually already trusted me, she just wanted me to think she did so she could catch me by surprise if I attacked her in her sleep.

I was surprised, it was a pretty shrewd move for someone seemingly so trusting.

“Alas, I fear þe oþer þreats to your lyfe be not so easily dispelled. Myte you explane it all from þe beginning? I must know more if I’m to be of assistance.”

Alice answered Eleanor’s by telling her everything between her argument with her dad and the fight with Ulric, to which Eleanor sat in thought for a moment, hand on chin and concern in her eyes.

“þen þey haþ shown þeir hand already. þey’re willing to take even your lyfe if given þe opportunity. þese be dyre strates indeed.”

“þat þey art, but I am as yet undeterred. If my faþer wisheþ me disposed of, he wilt findeþ no waver in my resolve. Absolute victory or absolute defeat art þe only outcomes. I will not cower in fear.”

“A noble sentiment indeed, milady, but not one so easily acted upon. But I þink tonyte be not þe nyte to discuss it. Nyte haþ long since fallen and þere yet be work not done. Allow me to escort you to a place to stay, where we shall speak agane on þe morrow.”

“Aye, a long journey it haþ been for myself and my companion. A long nyte’s rest would alleviate us grately of our fatigue.”

The conversation had pretty much left me behind at some point, but it seemed to be coming to an end for the night. Eleanor got up and lead us out of the workshop and through the quiet streets, until they became less and less quiet. Lantern light became more and more visible as we walked, and the noise became louder and louder, until it became clear just where we were.

“An inn?” I asked, realising the noises were the cheers and grumbles of drunk travellers and tavern goers.

“Aye, an inn and tavern it ys. þe Dragon’s Flagon, largest inn in þe town, and owned by a gentleman who happens to owe me a favour or two. He keeps some rooms spare in case of situations such as þis, so it shan’t be too difficult to convince him to give þe two of you board for a wyle.”

“I þank þee greatly, Eleanor. Years may pass but þou remane an ever wonderful friend.”

“þank me not yet, milady. We’ve much work to do from here. But I appreciate it all þe same.”

It wasn’t long before we were at the front door of the Dragon’s Flagon Inn, which was just as large as Eleanor had made it sound. The large wooden door was flanked on either side by a lantern that illuminated the sign above it, but not enough of the building to see exactly where it ended. Upon entering, it was clear why. The inn was bigger than you’d expect of a pub restaurant in the modern day, with tables lining the entire floor, and a set of stairs presumably leading to the bedrooms. Many of the tables were occupied, primarily by men and a handful of women, who were all either in the throes of drunkenness or completely unconscious. At the front of the inn was a tavern bar, behind which stood a single man with a ruddy great moustache and a big belly to match, serving the last few customers not at a table. At the sight of Eleanor, his tired expression curled into a smile.

“Elly! Always a pleasure to see ye. Ye arrivest wiþ little tyme to spare, I’ll be making last call in but a few.”

“Good to see you too, Alphonse, þough I’m afrade I come not to drink and chat on þis nyte. Myte you lendest me an ear for a short wyle?”

“But of course, I’ve always tyme for an old friend.”

Eleanor took the barkeep aside for a moment, speaking in a tone so hushed even Alice and I couldn’t hear it. They spoke only briefly, but it seemed to be enough for the man called Alphonse to grasp the situation, as the two returned to us shortly after.

“So, seems þe two of ye needest a place to lodge for a little while? Never ye worry, any frend of Elly’s ys a frend of myne. I need not þe details now, þe day hath long since drawn to a close, so if you’ll follow me to þe spare room þat’d be grand. I suppose I’ll be putting þe gentleman and þe young lady in þe same bed?”

“You’ll do no such þing, old coot.” Eleanor gave Alphonse a light tap on the head, to which he chuckled. 

"I jest, I jest. Well þen, separate rooms it ys. Come, a warm bed and a good night’s rest awaiteth ye upstairs.”

Relieved to finally have a chance to sleep off our mounting fatigue, Alice and I sighed in relief and graciously followed the man to our new bedchambers.