Another Set

First chapter, Main Character in a bar, then back at her house. She meets her future mentor at the bar, and they fight back at her house.

The roar of laughter and conversation filled the tavern. The dim light of candles was augmented by the vast quantities of cigars quivering in the air. Men slowly drank themselves under while pretty women in short dresses served them. The huge man at the bar sat silently, keeping an eye on the crowd, making sure nothing jeopardized his business. I sat at an old table, round and beaten from years of patronage. Scattered across the surface were cards, coins, empty tankards and emptying coin purses. At my feet slept my dog, Sybenn. Somehow, she had overcome the almost deafening noise filling the room. “That's another set for me” I exclaimed, raking the coins towards my pile with both hands. “No way” complained Simon, the tall man sitting across from me. He was the tallest of my three opponents, with graying brown hair, a scruff of matted fur around his chin, and tattered, filthy clothing hanging from his lanky, almost emaciated frame. “That was two weeks salary in 4 hands flat. You must be cheating” He leaned forward, the malice evident in his eyes. “You shuffled the back two hands, fair and square.” I shot back. Simon rose from his chair, followed by the two men sitting on either side of him. I regretted the attitude I had taken. “No way a kid like you bested me.” He huffed. “ 'specially not a girl.” Sybenn stirred, and began to raise on her haunches, sensing my apprehension. Simon kicked his chair out from under him, and suddenly, the course whisper of winter air filled the room.

I turned to see the front door being thrown open. The din of the crowded tavern was silenced, as a hooded man walked in. Strange, red robes hung from his body. They looked like they had been sewn together from a lizard's skin. On his shoulder was perched a raven, a stunning pitch black, contrasting the endless swathes of red flesh worn by the creature. He removed the hood, and the silence was soon replaced by gasping, and then hurried whispering and haggard glares. Simon sat back down. So did Syb. The creature standing before me was not quite human, but nothing I had seen before. It stood at maybe 6 feet even, and an extra 3 inches of horns adorning its forehead, sweeping back over its head and ending along the nape of its neck. Its skin matched the robes, rust red, but leathery as opposed to reptilian, with black swirls running from his cheek bones down to his throat. Orcs, Elves, Dwarves, even Goblins, I had seen them all, but I had never encountered anything that looked like this. It stepped up to the bar, paying no attention to the commotion taking place behind it, examining the menu hanging from the ceiling. “Something warm.” He said, in a surprisingly kind, but firm, tone. It was deep, but clear, and seemed to ring throughout the entire room. “Warm, and bitter, if you have it.” A small smile played about his lips, but vanished quickly when the barkeeper met his requests. “We don't serve your kind here.” The heavy set man replied. “Leave.” The raven cocked its head, a slight squawk emerging from it's beak. The man, seemingly accustomed to this treatment, tried again. This time producing a leather pouch from beneath his robes. “You don't seem to understand.” He quipped. “I would like to give you money” He gestured to his pouch, “In exchange for food. Preferably, something warm, and bitter.” He cocked his head to match the raven's, and waited patiently.

The bartender pulled a large, leather bound club from underneath the table, placing it heavily on the counter top. “I won't ask again.” The larger man said. “Leave”. The man replaced the leather pouch, nodded his head, and turned, but not towards the door. He turned directly around, and looked me dead in the eyes. For what seemed like an eternity, those eyes slowly deconstructed me. Only the soft sound of the barkeeper's hand on the strange man's shoulder broke my daze. He nodded, turned the rest of the way, and walked out the door, the wind violent when the door opened. Worse than before. I quickly swiped the coins from the table into my hands, stuffing them into my pockets. “Gentleman” I said, nodding curtly. I whistled for Sybenn, and she rose, following me to the door. I quickly slipped through the opening, leaving a fistful of change on the bar counter. The wind, however, was no where to be found. The cold, however, met me all the same.

Sybenn whimpered softly. “Don't worry, girl. We'll be home soon.” We trekked quietly through the street. The sun had long since set, and each person who passed me was nothing but a shadow. A potential threat. I slowly ran my hand along the blade tucked down my waist. The elbow high dog at my side, however, ensured my safety. I scanned the surrounding area, making sure no one was around to witness, and slowly slipped around the corner. I began sprinted down the alleyway, making a beeline for the small alcove I called home. I ran one hand along the brick wall, and carefully hopped up onto a brick jutting from the wall. I reached out to grab on to a low hanging gutter pipe, and swung myself full force over the rampart, landing behind the fake partition. I swiped away a curtain of garbage and refuse metal, revealing the door to my house. House. It was nothing more than a small alcove, a closet to some. But, for now, it's where I resided. I grabbed the handle, pulled down, then back, and finally, pushed forward.

The door creaked open, loud and annoying, the perfect defense mechanism. I entered, and quickly shut it, trying to keep the cold out. Sybenn instantly huddled around the fireplace, awaiting me to start a fire. “We've got no wood, Syb.” She whined, and sauntered over to the mattress on the floor, carefully pulling the blanket over her to trap the warmth. She poked her head out, and locked eyes with me, letting a soft whimper pour out. “No, Syb. Not tonight.” I took the knife out from my waistband, and laid it gently on the floor, dragging my mattress over it. Just in case I thought to myself. I tugged the blanket from Sybenn, sharing half, and slowly closed my eyes. I invited sleep, but I couldn't shake the feeling of apprehension. What had that man, that strange man, seen in me?

Author's Note

Be critical