Davie's Den

“Okay,” she said breaking the silence. She could see the large pub in sight with the two smaller buildings beside that just contained rooms. “Here is the plan: eat supper, get a room for the night, and talk to Daniella about renting the eastern group room starting on Monday.”

He said nothing, not even making a noise walking behind her. She sighed, “this is going to be tough. When you are in the Learning Room you need to ask about thought projection. It will be extremely hard to fight next to you if you can’t communicate.” She turned around to see him nod simply, but there was more too it. She shrugged, opening the door to the pub.

A woman that looked a little frantic greeted her and pointed to a table nearby. Londra nodded, heading to her seat. Another woman came over to the table. She looked more than annoyed, and Londra had no idea why. Her green eyes were sizing up the strange duo while her foot tapped in rhythm. Her dirty blond hair was tied up on her head with a bit of perspiration on her round, tan face. “Just made it, didn’t you,” she sneered. “We stop serving in five minutes, so you get what we have left, so deal or leave.”

“Okay,” Londra replied. “What do you have left?”

“So, you are staying, whatever,” she grumbled. “I will be back out with two plates and some water. You want anything else go to the bar!” She turned with a dramatic flair to leave.

“Lovely,” Londra sighed. “I can finally eat, and I will be getting food with spit in it.” She looked around to see the bar was full, with two males behind it laughing and entertaining those before them. They collected their drinks and returned to their tables with laughter and smiles.

She was studying Alden’s movements trying to figure out what he was thinking when the female returned, plopping the two meals on the small table and slamming the water down. Even with the room full, everyone noticed her attitude. Londra decided to ignore it looking down at the food that was thrown on the two plates. She didn’t recognize most of it. Looking over she watched Alden’s uniquely marbled blue-green eyes and switched plates. “The total is eighty bronze, I assume one of you can pay that,” the server stated.

“I can,” Londra responded sweetly. “I see the price has gone up. I was just here last week, and a single meal of this size was thirty bronze.” Now everyone in the pub was watching. It was so quiet they heard every word; most were staring at the kitchen door waiting.

“It is more when you are this late,” she spat.

This caused one of the men from behind the bar to come around towards the woman. He came up to the table with a wide smile on his square, golden face while his dark grey eyes were focused on the server. With a strong yet gently hand he moved her away from the table. “We apologize, it has been a long few days,” he said smoothly, bowing just enough his thick, layered, brown hair swished. “These meals are not up to…”

“Barton?” Londra started. “Oh, it is you… wait, is this your wife?” She watched his eyes searching while he nodded.

Then his eyes grew large, “Londra! What are you doing out here at a table. Usually, you come to the back door. Now I am really sorry. Ester’s usually not like this but… it is a bit personal. I watched the two broadcasts this morning. I am so glad Archduke Dristen found out. Maybe things can start slowly returning to normal. Do you want different meals? I am sure that Carson would love to whip something special for you up.”

This is when Ester finally realized who was feeling her emotional swings. Her green eyes started to tear up. “Oh, I am so sorry. There is nothing wrong with the food, it is just piled on the plate…”

“That is fine, I don’t know what most of it is anyways,” Londra responded taking a bite, enjoying the unique textures. She motioned to Alden it was fine to start eating. “So, any chance of us getting a room for the night. Since the shadows won’t be coming to swoop me back… and I would love to sleep in a bed while having hot water.”

“Oh, now I am the one that is sorry,” Barton sighed. “We just filled the last room an hour ago. There is a trade group going through with Templars to help guard against Green Goblin attacks. Food just isn’t coming because of those… creatures. So many are in need.”

“Well that is nice,” Londra said with a smile and sigh. “Any chance I could rent the east group room?”

“For a night?” Ester asked with so much surprise in her voice she covered her mouth.

“Well, yes,” Londra responded after another bite of wonderful food. “Actually, I wanted to speak with Daniella about renting it for the month. I… we can visit the Adventurers Guild on Monday to finish our registration and enter the Learning Room. I hope to have at least ten people in my party by the end of next week. We refuse to give up or step back…”

Ester nodded, “keep eating. I will go get mom. I am sorry again for the emotional outburst.” With that she turned away and ran to the opposite side of the pub where business was conducted.

When she was behind the door Barton sighed loudly. “You look more horrible than the last time, in my defense.” Londra laughed, while nodding in agreement. “She lost our child at the beginning of this week. I know these meals look extravagant to you but they just don’t contain the kind of nutrients a female needs to keep her and a growing child healthy.”

“I understand,” Londra responded with so much emotion Alden thought Barton was going to cry. “You didn’t need to explain things to me, but thanks. Ester is coming back.”

Barton nodded, taking a deep breath to push back the emotions. A bit out of breath Ester started, “mom wants you to come to the office to talk about it. Not that everyone here doesn’t know you from my… outburst but she wants to talk in private. You are both are to go to the office when you are done eating. Believe me, she will be opening the door so no need to knock. She is good at that type of thing…” with that she bowed to them before taking Barton’s hand, pulling him back towards the kitchen.

“That is nice,” Londra smiled working on finishing her plate. She looked over to see that Alden was almost done eating too. He had not picked through the plate or had any problems eating the pile of food which surprised her. From what Martine had told her; Alden came from a very privileged Elven Town. “Ready?” she asked. He simply stood motioning her to lead the way. The quiet was going to drive her crazy.

As predicted, Daniella opened the door just as Londra was before it. Daniella was short, but that was because she was half Dwarf. She had long, curly, black hair and a kind, heart shaped, copper face. Her brown eyes showed so much emotion Londra just hugged her before she pulled them inside the small room. “Oh, I wish I had the food to fatten you up. I needed that hug, but you are all bones girl. Come, sit before you fall in a pile. You must be her guard and slave. I heard about you too. See the girl is already helping. Can’t believe you got your master crest on your hand just to help him.”

Londra chuckled at Alden’s confusion while sitting in the chair before the simple desk. He stood behind, noticing that Londra’s wrist was on the crest. No wonder seeing another female hadn’t enraged him. Maybe he misjudged this… human.

“Here is the deal,” Daniella started. “You saved my son and soon to be daughter-in-law. We don’t have much, but I can do this. The Eastern Group room is yours. Your Lacrama and his are the only two that have been programed into the locks at this point. You can take the stairs on the outside or the ones behind the hidden door when you enter the pub. I don’t care how many you have until Monday. Friday is when the depositors come and we will finalize our deal then. That is when you will give me the money for the month.”

“That sounds fabulous,” Londra exuded happiness. “Oh, I understand it will be more, but then you can hire more. Which I know you want to do. I have ears too. I would like the three meals for the month… all twenty. One of us will let you know how many we truly need but what we don’t use is money for you. So, you will charge me for sixty meals a day.”

Daniella smiled while sitting back in her old chair. “That is three silvers a day for meals. Okay, I can do that and appreciate it. But I will not charge you if nobody is here. I assume by the end of the month you will be traveling as far as you can. Which is only to the nearby villages but you might be staying overnight at one of them.”

“Very well, I agree with that. So how much for a day, just for the room. The real price, not a discounted one,” Londra asked seriously. She knew that it was sixty bronze for a single and a hundred for a double.

“Wow, it has been so long since I rented it out… let me think. With the price of water going up… and taxes… two silver a day,” she answered sadly.

“That is fine,” Londra nodded. “Now add daily laundry services and linen changes twice a week. I assume that is still an option?”

“It is,” Daniella smiled. “Many are taking it but if you do then the girls can stay on for longer and I can give them more. Okay, clothing can’t be dripping blood or covered in gore. We can get the stains out but prefer not to have the water bloody. So, rinse those out in the sink before putting them down the chute. The clothing will be returned to you by five o’clock. Don’t care if you toss your towels in with that but they won’t be returned until evening. Linen changes include taking the old sheets off the beds, putting clean on, and restocking the bathrooms. If you want extra towels, that would be the time to let us know.”

“Sounds great,” Londra nodded. “I haven’t had clothing in so long… to have it cleaned and cared for by your team… no wonder the Archduke gave me so much extra. We don’t have anything. Sorry, what will that run us?”

“A silver a day,” Daniella decided to raise it because she knew that Londra wouldn’t care.

“Done, you can draw up the contract and we can finalize it on Friday. Six silvers a day for thirty days. One hundred eighty silvers, quite the deal for twenty beds.”

“And two large bathrooms that have three showers, three toilets, a bath, and double sink with hot water,” Daniella added with a laugh. “So, make it out to you or?”

“The Adventuring Party Twilight Star, Captain Londra,” she said with a smile.

“Oh, I like it! I have met some of them, I believe,” Daniella said reaching over to shake the bony hand of Londra. There was a single knock on the door. “Room is clean and ready. The staff worked together to get it done. You look like you are going to drop soon!” This caused them both to laugh. “Come, I will show you the secret door. I am sure you will find everything you need in the room. Fully stocked bathroom.”

“Music to my ears,” Londra sang standing slowly to follow Daniella.

The hidden door was exactly that. Nobody could see it but the three of them. It was the strangest thing, Londra didn’t even see a door until Daniella touched the handle. The stairway was only slightly lit with a bright glow at the top where it opened to the room. Londra didn’t realize the pub was this big. The staircase had brought them just a bit before the balcony door that could be seen from the street. There was a railing on the three side of stairway opening with a path in between the stairway and wall of windows. The room was open with three large windows equally spaced on the northern and southern wall. The eastern wall had a glass balcony door a bit north of center with two large windows on both sides then a few feet down there was one more large window on both sides. “I am sure you have seen the outside door, stairs, and the little balcony.” Londra nodded, noticing ten beds on each side of the room with curtains attached to the headboards. “Ah, I see where your eyes are. Look up, there are tracks so the curtains enclose the bed for privacy. By the way, there is a sound spell in the floor and walls, so you are free to have as much fun up here as possible.”

“That is nice to know,” Londra admitted, slowly looking around but not moving yet. There was plenty of room around the beds and by looking up at the tracks, the curtain would be nowhere near the beds so nobody should be claustrophobic. Daniella gave her a little shove to move her away from the stairs so Alden could come through. The beds were spaced as if this was a walkway; two rows of six beds to her left and two rows of four beds to her right leading to… two doors? Oh, bathrooms! But there was something on a pedestal in between the doors… a Fairy House?

Daniella smiled, “That is a Fairy House. It is there to be connected to the water. There are two baths in there with four bedrooms. Neat right? Anyways, the bathrooms are long and narrow. The same on both sides, so it is up to you which is for the males,” Daniella stated. “Let’s go into the left one.”

Londra nodded, what else would she do. Once inside the pale green walls and white ceiling looked so inviting to her. Directly before her was the double basin sink with a cupboard underneath that was a light wood… pine? While the counter was white with different splatters of green, blue, pink, and violet. To the left were three stalls, which she assumed were toilets. To the left of the sink was another stall but this one was wide and open. Inside was a large bathtub. At the back there were three more stalls which appeared to be the showers, she could tell since the green shower curtains were open. They were tiled in almost the same pale green as the walls. Directly in front of the bathroom door was a large square about knee level.

Daniella opened it, revealing a laundry chute. “It is angled in a strange way but don’t worry, we can use magic to get any that don’t respond to gravity. We wash until eleven, so after you will get it back then following day,” she paused with a smile.

She motioned that they were leaving the bathroom. “One more thing to show you. We will stay on this side now.” Londra nodded following her towards the end of the room. After the last of the beds there was a large dining room table on the left and a square of furniture near on the right side. Daniella touched her, causing her to jump. “This is how your meals will be delivered to your room. Don’t care if you all want to eat downstairs, just need to know. I can send up six at a time on this dumbwaiter. A bell dings when it is up and full. When you touch this circle on the right side, it will send it down to us. It will hold all the empty dishes; we send up six at a time because of the warming spell within. It isn’t active going down. Also, above the circle is an octagon. That is to speak to us. It might take a few minutes, but we will answer. That sums it up. Any questions?” Londra shook her head. Daniella smiled, “I will leave you to explore.” With that she headed back to the stairway down to the pub.

Once Londra heard the door lock, she headed into the bathroom and turned on the sink. A moment later hot water was flowing over her bony hands. With a strange smile she came back out into the open room. Giggling like a little girl while slowly dancing in the spacious room. Alden just stood near the balcony doorway watching her and the road below. She slowly tested one of the beds. When she was sure, she jumped onto it. Her face lit up and once again she giggled. Sitting up on the bed she looked around. There were ten beds on each side of the room, with plenty of space between. She took a moment to look at the table near the dumbwaiter. It was a dark wood with eighteen matching chairs. “Why would there be twenty beds but only eighteen chairs around the table?” she asked out loud. There was also a square of furniture on the right side that contained two large couches, two double chairs, and four chairs with strange, triangle shaped, high backs. The walls were just white, like the bedding, while the furniture was all pale green.