Two and a Half Women

[Kellyn]

Alaïs stared wide-eyed at the tall buildings of Marn. She had never seen anything so big in her life, nor so many people. Twice already she had been swept up by the crowd and ended up further down the long main street. For now though, she stood away from the crowds at a shop window, looking in at the wooden toys on display. They were hand-carved and painted in bright colours, far more beautiful than anything she had ever owned.

A shopper jostled her and Alaïs looked up, startled. The woman muttered an apology and went into the shop, leaving her alone again. It was funny, she thought, how alone you could feel even while you were surrounded by people. She had made her decision though, and she did not regret leaving home one bit. She would much rather find her own way in the big city than live with her mother any longer.

Alaïs shook her head as if the action would remove the memories of her mother. She readjusted her travel sack on her shoulder and started to walk again. She had no idea where she was going, but by the pink tinge in the sky she figured she would need to find somewhere to stay the night soon.

She had a quick look in her little leather purse. After her lunch earlier that day and the few coins she had paid a farmer to sit on his cart on the way into Marn, she had roughly 285 bishani. She guessed she could make this last for a couple weeks, a month at best. She needed to find a way to make money or she would end up begging on the streets, or worse, running home with her tail between her legs. But that was a problem for tomorrow. For now she needed dinner, a bath and bed.

She spent maybe an hour walking up and down Main Street, avoiding the crowds and trying to find somewhere to stay that didn't look either too expensive or so run down that she would end up with bed-bugs after five minutes. Eventually she came to a modest inn named The Three Lions that looked like it might do. She took a deep breath and went inside.

A gust of warm air hit her as she went in. It smelled faintly sweet, like summer flowers, and it reminded her strongly of her mother's perfume. A few unexpected tears welled up in her eyes but she blinked them furiously away and looked around.

There was nobody at the counter, but there was a pair of large armchairs by the fire and Alaïs gratefully sank into one, copper hair tumbling forward to cover her face. The warmth and the comfort of the chair made her start to feel drowsy and she fought to keep her eyes open as she waited for someone to come out. It was a fight she eventually lost.

[Breda Dreaughan]

Another visitor who arrived at the counter was no resident, and did not intend to become one. Breda actually rented a room in The Content Merchant, but sometimes you needed a change of scenery. In The Three Lions she could at least see some new and unfamiliar faces sitting around, even if she had no real desire to start a conversation with any of them.

Beer was regretfully not an option for her at the moment, so she settled for juice. Even so, a human woman on the other side of the counter gave a disapproving glance first towards her glass, and then towards her belly, which was becoming somewhat difficult to hide. She ignored the look, and walked away.

Looking for a seat where she could avoid more undesirable reactions from other patrons, the dwarf was drawn to the shelter of the large armchairs by the fire. She was slightly surprised to find a human girl sound asleep from one of them, but there was certainly room for two. So she sat on the vacant chair, trying not to wake the girl. She lifted the cup of juice to her lips, and, while drinking, scanned the human over the rim. There was a certain kind of air around her, as if she did not really belong to the place, or was somehow lost. Breda couldn’t really put her finger on what had given her the impression, but the feeling was something she was quite familiar with.

It was comfortable by the fire. The Lions’ really had a much nicer fireplace than The Merchant. The gentle breathing of the girl in the other chair, the murmur of the voices of the other guests, and the warmth of the fire gently lulled the dwarf to sleep.

[Aura Thesin]

The smash of dishes suddenly echoed from behind the door to the kitchen, followed by muffled shouting and curses. The door flew open, spilling a young woman into the common area. She was quickly followed by a slightly rotund older woman in a full-length white, mildly stained apron, shooing the younger along. The shouted words, "... cannae belEIVE ya're so clumsy, girl! One day ye'll be out tha door, if t'weren't ..." followed the two out before they were mercifully muffled again by the closing door.

The older woman, the wife of the owner of The Three Lions, let out a sigh, a mixture of exasperation and relief. "Phew, girl, I dunno how ya can be so clumsy carrying a simple dish of food. We've seen ya practicin' yer fighting moves, and ya seem graceful enough then."

Aura shrugged and slumped against the counter. Her slim form was hunched in embarrassment and frustration. "I guess it's different balancing your own body than it is balancing something else on your body." She shrugged again. "You can take it out of my pay this time, Marie."

Marie laughed, an oddly musical sound. "No, girl. He will calm down and see it was only an accident. Ya have only been at it a couple weeks. Ye'll do fine. Now get out there and clean some tables."

Aura nodded, taking the offered rag and stuffing it in the pouch of her waist apron. She turned and surveyed the room, noting the few patrons in the common room who were there before the dinner rush. They all seemed content, and Aura turned towards the large, comfortable chairs facing the fireplace and saw a pair of feet sitting in one. They hadn't been occupied the last time she had been in the room, so she made her way over to them.

She stopped as she rounded the chairs, seeing not one, but two women asleep, one in each chair. She frowned to herself, then shook her head ruefully as she remembered being woken by Marie a few weeks earlier for sleeping in the same chairs. Aura slipped forward, bending down in front of the younger one. She placed her hand gently on the young woman's wrist, shaking gently. When her eyes opened blearily, Aura smiled and whispered, "I'm sorry, miss, but you can't sleep here. We can arrange a room for you, if you like."

As the other looked on, blinking sleep out of her eyes, Aura stood and crouched next to the other woman, noting the slight protrusion of her stomach. Using the same method and words, Aura woke the other woman as well.

[Kellyn]

Alaïs watched as the woman opposite her was gently woken, stifling a yawn as she did so. The woman doing the waking was, simply put, beautiful and Alaïs felt a pang of inadequecy as she took in the gentle curves and glossy hair. She hid behind her own, dull, copper hair.

"I.. I'm sorry ma'am," she said, her voice almost a whisper, "I didn't mean to fall asleep. I just came in to ask for a room but there was nobody here.."

She gathered her bag onto her lap and fiddled with the strap as she spoke, her eyes downcast and her hair covering the majority of her pale face.

"I only sat down for a moment but it was so warm and comfortable.. I hope I've not caused any trouble."

[Breda Dreaughan]

Breda woke up with a startle. Her right hand flew reflexively to her stomach, and was instantly jerked back with an almost angry movement.

“I apologize”, she mumbled, blushing in embarrassment. Why did she have to come across as a homeless vagabond still, even though she finally had no reason to. “I don’t need a room, thank you very much. I was just resting my feet”.

The other woman seemed to be even more embarrassed. Or maybe it was just due to the fact that she seemed to be generally lost. And she didn’t even have a place to stay? No, do not get involved. It is none of your business. What was she, a nun? Why should she take responsibility of every lost little being in town?

Then again, where would she be, had she not been helped by complete strangers who had had no reason to get involved?

She turned he attention back to the barmaid, with almost a plead in her eyes. Please, tell her it’s okay. Please, get her a room somehow. Don’t force me to do this.

[Aura Thesin]

Aura's eyes flickered down to the stomach of the shorter woman when her hand landed protectively on her own stomach. The light of understanding kindled in her eye, her smile not slipping for a moment, still genuine and friendly. She nodded slightly to the woman, then turned to the younger one, who had spoken.

Before she could speak, the front door swung open, letting the noise from the street into the tavern, along with a group of five workmen. One laughed raucously, clapping another on the shoulder and murmuring something indistinguishable to anyone but the four around them. The comment sent the others into laughter, and the fellow who had been clapped on the shoulder simply shrugged and smiled, looking somewhat embarrassed.

Aura watched where they sat, then tossed a glance over her shoulder to the water clock on the mantle. It was nearing time for the pre-dinner rush. She returned her smile to the two women, standing and beckoning for them both to come with her.

"Please come. I will settle you in one of the private dining rooms. They don't get used much, and Marie won't mind as long as you both order something to eat." Her accent was easily understood, but made it clear that Aura wasn't from the country near these parts. It wasn't enough to be noticeable in a crowd, particularly in Marn, but it did set her apart in a quiet setting. "The dinner rush is about to start, and we can discuss a room for you ..." she indicated Alaïs, "... once the rush has finished."

She stood, turning and weaving her way toward the stairs. She took the hall directly beside the stairs, opening the door and gracefully sidestepping to allow the two guests in before her.

[Kellyn]

Alaïs peered nervously through her hair at the men that had entered. Taking in the size of the group, and of the men, she slung her bag over her shoulder and hurried after the tall woman, eyes downcast. The other woman followed after her, and Alaïs thought she could feel her eyes on the back of her head.

She kept quiet as they were led down the long hallway and into a room on the left. It had plain, wood-panelled walls and a table big enough for six in a mis-matching wood. A glass vase of fresh cut flowers stood proudly in the centre of the table, the only decoration in the small room.

The pretty woman gestured and Alaïs took the seat closest to the door, placing her bag on the floor beside her and whispering her thanks as she did so. She then sat with her hands in her lap, hair once again covering her face. She looked up briefly to examine the shorter woman, but when a pair of steely grey eyes met her own she looked quickly away.

Alaïs worried that she had now committed to dinner and a room, even though she was unsure how much either might cost. She also worried what her mother would say if she could see her now. She had always been taught never to trust strangers and now she found herself in a room with two of them! True, they were both women. True, they had been perfectly nice so far. And true, Alaïs suspected that one of them may be pregnant, but she had also been taught never to underestimate a person. Her own powers were proof of that.

Alaïs was suddenly aware that someone had said something. She had drifted off thinking about her mother and her powers and had completely missed what had been said. She silently scolded herself and turned her attention back to the two women.

[Breda Dreaughan]

Breda followed the other two in a sleep-induced confusion. She hadn’t exactly planned to end up in a closed space where she would have to make a contact with a complete stranger, but the barmaid’s suggestion of food was tempting. Breda seldom turned down the change to eat. Besides, unless the younger woman was tricking the others on purpose, she was definitely no threat.

The little dining room was surprisingly pleasant and Breda eased herself to a chair opposite the the other woman. The girl was hiding behind her hair, avoiding Breda’s eyes. Pitiful thing. Breda couldn’t help but wonder where she was coming from. There were a lot of things in this town that could turn a defenseless woman into a scared wreck. Breda had experienced a fair number of those herself, back in the days.

The dwarf’s gaze clearly made the younger woman feel uncomfortable, so Breda turned her attention to the barmaid, giving her a small, friendly smile. The tall, pleasant-looking woman was obviously trying to be as friendly as possible - after all, she could have scolded both guests for sleeping in the armchairs - and she had saved Breda from the obligation to take responsibility of the well-being of the girl, at least for now.

“Order something to eat, you said?” She asked “What do you have tonight?“ She glanced back to the younger woman again. I hope you can afford this. There I can help you, at least. I wish you said something. I’m not good at this.

She shrugged to herself. Why do I even expect you to need my help? For all I know, you could be perfectly fine.

[Aura Thesin]

Aura let the two woman settle themselves into their seats, taking a small notepad from the pocket of her apron and setting her pencil tip against a clean page. She smiled pleasantly at the two women, noting the hesitance from the younger. When the other spoke up, Aura's smile slipped slightly, as she hadn't yet begun to tell them what Marie's specials were. She sometimes forgot all the things she was supposed to do, and this wasn't exactly the lifestyle she was used to. But she needed the Bishan and Marie let her sleep in one of the rooms for a discounted price, so it would do for the time.

Her smile was back in full in an instant, and she began rattling off the specials, including a lamb stew, roasted chicken with potatoes and vegetables, and a beef sandwich. She also mentioned the latest type of ale, something she found bitter despite it's claim to have honey in it.

She smiled expectantly at the two as she finished, saying, "And my name is Aura, in case you need me later. I'll be in to check on the two of you from time to time during our dinner hour."

She leaned forward and winked at the younger one in an attempt to draw her out, then graced the dwarf with a small, secretive smile. "And don't worry too much about sleeping in the chairs. Marie woke me from a comfortable sleep there three times before she decided I needed work and a place to stay."

A haunted look crossed her face as she remembered her first week in Marn, but was quickly replaced by the friendly smile again. "Now, dinner?"

[Kellyn]

Alaïs listened to the specials in silence, risking a glance or two at the other women. She was beginning to warm to the taller's friendly manner and easy smile. The other also seemed to pose no threat, and Alaïs thought she might have seen the beginnings of a friendly smile when they met eyes for a second time, but she had looked away too quickly to know for sure.

She raised her head slightly and tucked a few strands of orange hair beind her ear, uncovering a decent portion of her pale, freckled face for the first time. She looked up as the taller woman winked at her and introduced herself, and found that a smile was starting to pull at her lips. She couldn't remember the last time she had smiled.

Aura was looking at her expectantly. Alaïs opened her mouth to say that she would like the chicken please, if it was not too much trouble, but no words came out. She cleared her throat and was just about to try again when the door swung open. A gust of cold air swept into the room.

One of the men that had entered the inn earlier bumbled in and looked around wide-eyed at the three women. He muttered apologetically about looking for the bathroom and left again. The motion of the door sent more cold air swirling into the room.

Alaïs, without thinking, closed her eyes and concentrated on warming the air around her. It was a trick she had found useful when locked in the cold basement of her mother's house, and was one of only two things she could use her magic for with any kind of consistency.

Alaïs opened her eyes and with a gasp realised what she had done. She instinctively flinched, as if expecting a blow. When none came she scrambled back, knocking over her chair in her haste. She cowered, trembling in the corner, blue eyes flickering back and forth between the other women.

[Breda Dreaughan]

Breda, focused on deciding between lamb and chicken, jumped on her chair when the girl scrambled backwards. The wave of warmer air had almost escaped her notice - after all, in a tavern the door swung constantly and the ovens were always on - but the girl’s reaction made the source more than obvious.

Well, I’ll be damned. No wonder why she was so scared, so lost. She had probably been hunted, perhaps abused. Or maybe she was scared of herself. The dwarf had, in her previous line of work, heard a lot of life stories, also from magic users. Some of those were success stories, quite many were not.

And now the human girl was trembling in the corner, as if expecting to be attacked. Breda gave a helpless glance towards the barmaid, then rose slowly from her chair and took a couple of steps towards the girl.
“It’s okay,” she said, doing her best to sound friendly and non-threatening (also something she had learned in her previous job). “You’re in no danger from us.”

Granted, she wasn’t sure what was the tavern’s attitude towards magic usage in its territory, but she suspected that few inns in town could afford throwing out paying customers for something as innocent as warming the air.

[Aura Thesin]

Aura waited expectantly for an order from one of the two women. Quite suddenly, the door opened behind her, causing her to turn to look over her shoulder. One of the new patrons had bumbled his way into the private room. He gave them a sheepish look and mumbled about the bathroom, to which Aura smiled politely and pointed down the hallway. The door slid closed, causing the cold air to swirl around her, though she hardly noticed. The cold went away quickly, even before she had turned back towards the two women seated at the table.

The gasp from the younger woman caused Aura to start in surprise, and the reaction of the younger woman left Aura's mouth hanging open. She shared a glance with Breda, blinking as she watched the dwarven woman stand and make her way to Alaïs.

It suddenly became clear to Aura what had happened. Magic, she thought to herself. She understood why Alaïs reacted like that, but she didn't think the little bit of magic it had taken to warm the air was anything to be worried about.

She continued to watch the two woman, unsure how to approach, or even if she would be needed. She didn't want to leave, feeling that the two women might think she was off to get the guards. Instead, she leaned forward on the table, hands flat on the top, and smiled towards the two.

"I wouldn't worry too much about something like that. People around here are wound up tight about magic, but not quite that badly."

She continued smiling, hoping she had been able to calm the situation some.

[Kellyn]

Alaïs continued to tremble in the corner. She flinched again as the dwarf moved closer, raising her arms above her head as if her frail limbs offered any protection. She lowered them slightly, however, at Breda's reassurances. The older woman smiled warmly at her and Alaïs felt her nerves ease a little despite herself.

Aura took her cue to move and Alaïs' arms twitched, but she did not raise them again. She looked between the other women who were both looking friendly, if a little shocked and nervous. Neither looked as though they were about to attack her or run off and tell the guards. She had performed magic in Marn and she was still alive! She was still safe! Nobody had even beaten her!

"You're.. You're not going to hurt me?" she asked, a tremor in her voice.

People are wound up tight, but not that badly. You're in no danger. I wouldn't worry.

Perhaps her mother had been exaggerating. Perhaps when she had said that magic was the worst crime imaginable, punishable by immediate death, she had been stretching the truth some. And if she was able to perform magic, maybe she could do what she had always dreamed and learn to use her powers properly, could use them and not be afraid of them any more.

Alaïs clung to this ray of hope as she looked between the other women, waiting for the answer that would make or break her.

[Breda Dreaughan]

Breda grimaced at the girl's defensive gesture. Obviously, this one had been abused at some point of her life. Well, it was an old story and one that had been told in this land more times than anyone cared to count.

She let out a little, well hidden-sigh of relief when the barmaid backed her up. After all, she could have been some kind of anti-magic fanatic. Those were common enough after all, but the child cowering in the corner didn't need to know about it just now.

"Nobody is going to hurt you. People here are not too happy about big displays of magic, but little things like that, nobody really cares. It's not like we could even prove that you did something." She smiled in a way she hoped was encouraging. "Just don't start lifting people up in the air or setting things on fire, okay?" Moving slowly and carefully, as if approaching a wild animal, the dwarf extended a hand towards the girl. "Now, let's enjoy our supper, shall we?"

[Aura Thesin]

Aura's brows pulled down into the slightest of frowns, noting the look of relief and expectation on Alaïs' face. This girl was obviously new to Marn if she expected immediate reaction to a minor use such as this.

Look at yourself! Aura chided herself. Been in Marn not even two months, and now you're an expert on all things magical! Shame!

"Now, let's enjoy our supper, shall we?"

Aura smiled and nodded encouragingly again, waving her hand towards the now empty seats at the table. She needed to get back out in the common room soon, before Marie came in search for her. It wasn't quite time for the dinner rush, but it soon would be. The two girls who worked the evening shift would also be here soon, and Aura would be free to do what she wanted with the rest of her evening after that point.

"Now that that is out of the way..." Aura smiled gently, to indicate to Alaïs that no harm was intended, "... what sounds like a good choice for dinner?"