Drinks Are On Me

The tavern is rowdy as usual. At least, that is based on the one time I was here before. I must have made quite the impression as the girl behind the counter almost drops her glass when I arrive. There are some whispers amongst the clientele as well, but that is of no concern to me.

"Ah, there you are!"

I wasn't certain that I would find this person here again, but luck appears to be on my side. She hears me coming, not bothering to turn as I tap the table in front of her.

"Quite out of place you are, Milady!"

"Meanwhile, you fit in far too well."

A sweet fragrance of lavender seems to radiate from her pale hair. Her simply coloured dress and violet blouse provide the tavern with more colour than anybody else can manage. From beneath a white hat that exudes luxury, a round face peeks out to greet me with a dainty smile.

"So you lived to tell the tale, Rado."

"It was real close, I'll admit! But here I am, Ailith."

I drop onto the seat across from her, both of us sitting in the exact same places as before. This time, it's my turn to waive down the waitress. With two particularly eccentric visitors, one who looks too young and one who spouts nonsense, it takes a while for the young girl to accept her fate.

With careful steps, she approaches slowly with a tray as her shield.

"W-What can I do for you?"

BANG

"EEP!"

Slammed onto the table is a bag of gold coins. It isn't the rich girl this time, but my very own hand putting a large sum of money on the table.

"Get me your cheapest wine. No, make that your average wine. The lady here likes her drink."

"C-Coming right up!"

She scoops up the gold and runs for her life to the back room.

"I think you traumatised the girl…"

"Well, you certainly aren't making it any better."

"I suppose not!"

It would be a lie to say that I didn't want to mimic Ailith in the way she orders high quality alcohol. Something about slamming money on the table is just too satisfying. On the other side, my small companion is still surprised.

"Drinks are on me today! Just got paid and I'm in a particularly good mood!"

"If you insist, then I simply must oblige."

"Just don't expect too much, I don't have the kind of coin you have!"

When our bottle arrives, we are greeted by a powerful fragrance of red wine. With both glasses filled, we proceed to down an entire serving in a single gulp.

"Haha! That's quite the kick!"

"The flavour is subtle, but it certainly takes the edge off!"

With a cheerful atmosphere and a warm bowl of stew in front of me, I turn my attention to the woman sitting across the table from me.

"So what's on your mind?"

"What do you mean?"

I only noticed it when I had first arrived. Her gaze was downcast and something appeared to place clouds over her heart. Of course, all of that disappeared the moment I reached out to her. Even if you close the curtains, those clouds do not fade away.

"There's surely something! You're putting that face to waste with such a gloomy expression!"

"I-I see…"

Ailith swirls the wine in her glass, cheek leaning against her propped up hand. Here I see that cheerless grimace once more.

"You see, the children I watch over got into a spot of trouble recently. Some are still in pretty bad shape."

"Were they attacked!?"

"Something of that nature. They tried to fight back, but only came out more wounded."

A crack appears in the glass as she grips it tightly. It isn't enough to spill the drink inside, but I would hate to be the ones responsible for her rage.

"That really is unfortunate…"

Taking another sip of wine, I think back to the past couple of days. I'm more than aware of the feeling of having the young ones in danger.

"On our hunt, the kids bit off more than they could chew. Almost lost their heads because of it."

I refill her glass when it empties, watching the stream sink into some of the internal cracks.

"Took my eyes off them for a second and they tried to get themselves killed. Had to bail them out myself."

"So you do have some combat prowess?"

"Far from it! I just ran in there like a madman and made a distraction!"

My neck aches where it was placed under the pressure of an axe. Just a little worse luck and I would have died right on the spot.

"But I decided that I didn't want to let those kids get hurt. I have to protect them as well as a lowly farmer like me can."

"If events played as you said, you are already doing a splendid job."

"I sure hope so…"

The rest of the tavern has completely blurred for us. While others are having merry conversations or heated arguments, Ailith and I ruminate within our own minds for what feels like hours. Of course, we would have run out of wine if that much time actually passed.

"I wish I could do more, but watching over them is all I can manage. If I can teach them even one thing before I kick the bucket, I couldn't ask for much else."

The flames of the hearth continue dancing across the room, and I find myself watching them. There are simply too many flames that I have yet to quench.

"I suppose…"

The small woman stares at her reflection in the red liquid.

"...I should keep a closer eye on the young ones. I try to give them autonomy, but that may be a mistake."

"Leave them on their own and they'll be dead in a week! Sometimes you've gotta put your foot down and steer them right."

I slam my glass onto the table beside an empty bottle and flash my companion a grin.

"That's how I got this far, so must be worth something!"

"And what would I do if those kids ended up a drunk like you?"

"Hahaha! Got me there!"

She puts back what remains in her glass and gets to her feet. Those eyes are no longer clouded with concern. Instead, they are sharp and aimed with a goal in mind. If anything, those normally round eyes are scary at this moment.

"Thank you, Rado. For the drink as well as for the advice."

"Don't worry about it! You helped me out quite a bit last time, so I'm just returning the favour."

I offer Ailith a thumbs up with as proper a smile as my drunkenness can allow.

"Go whip those kids into shape!"

"Perhaps I can throw in an extra hit in your stead!"

A bright smile once more, one that I can't help but find pleasant to look at. Were I younger and more ambitious, I just may have tried to court this woman without a second thought. For right now, seeing a friend doing well is satisfying enough.

"Then I shall be off. There is quite a journey ahead. Also, congratulations on a successful mission."

"Wouldn't call it a success, but it definitely didn't end poorly!"

"Haha! Let's hope that I will fare at least as well!"

I watch the small women disappear behind the tavern doors and into the night. Of course, she turns back with a wave beforehand, filling me with more warmth than any fire could.