Thanks so much for the Follows/Favorites/Reviews, and a special thanks to Gorgeousangel for answers to the quiz questions. This chapter is slightly longer but I promise they will get longer the further into it I get. I also want to apologize in advance but exams are in 3 weeks and I'm going to be extremely slow with updating and such because of studying.
Anyway, Hope you enjoy the first chapter...
Chapter 1: The Golden Hawk
Gwen stopped outside the large building, at the minute town's edge. The Golden Hawk was carved into a wooden sign hanging over the door and below it on a smaller sign; a hand written footnote declared that the inn had vacancies. She led her pony to the stable attached to the inn and approached a stable hand.
"Excuse me, how much to keep my pony and wagon here?" The young man looked up from his work and scrutinized her and the animal and wagon in question,
"5 copper bires fa the beast, 10 fa the wag'n 'less you're staying at th'inn, then its 10 fa the pair." His accent was a thick, broken growl but his expression was warm, a smile accompanying his words. Smiling in return, Gwen reached into her purse and emptied the contents into her hand. There were two large silver coins known as hoppers, and a dozen of the smaller copper bires. Selecting the correct sum and replacing her remaining wealth in the pouch, she handed the man 10 bires. He took her money over to a desk and placed it in a locked draw before writing in a log book.
"And wha' wood ya be call'd 'en missy?" he looked at her expectantly.
"Guinevereā¦..daughter of Thomas" she added after a pause when he seemed to want more detail.
"Guinevere Thomaslekaid 'tis 'en, why don't ya get ya'self inside and get some food in ya? I can deal with the beastie." At her confused look he sighed and explained, "Lekaid is Hal-speak fa daughter, so ya're Thomaslekaid, savvy?" she nodded and thanked him, entering the inn through the side door he pointed out to her.
Seating herself at the bar of the quiet tavern, which made up the public half of the ground floor, she inspected her surroundings. Its was a large hall with a dormant fire-pit surrounded by comfy looking armchairs at one end. The floor and walls were a dark stone and heavy set wooden tables lined the wall that separated the in from outside. A staircase led upwards in the corner opposite the fireplace and the bar at which she sat took up half the room's length. A barman was serving another customer and the tables had clusters of patrons huddled over their evening meals and talking in hushed voices.
"And what'll you be havin' miss?" the barman's voice startled her and she spun around to face him.
"How much is the wine?"
"First round's on the 'ouse, second's 4 bires and after that, if you're havin' a room, they're 2 bires each." She looked at the menu board for a few minutes before deciding;
"I'll have a room for the night, a glass of red and a plate of whatever Hal cakes are." The barman exchanged money for room key, poured her drink and yelled her food order though a door, which Gwen assumed led to the kitchen, before going to attend to another guest.
"So, where would you be from then?" She had been in the tavern for a half hour and was half way through her meal, which turned out to be a stack of some sort of hotcakes served with fruit, cream and this dark brown slightly bitter sweet sauce, when the barman turned his attention back to her.
"I'm from the east." The barman laughed and shook his head,
"O' course you are, that road only goes east-west, and you're going west along it. Where 'bouts east?" Gwen had worried about this, but before she could return with the name of one of the eastern allies of Glenoria, a man sitting in the shadows to her left, whom she had not noticed before, replied for her.
"The lass's from Camelot." His voice was clear and smooth, making her jump. The barman's eyes widened in surprise.
"What's a lass from that place doing this far west?" His eyes showed a genuine curiosity rather than the anger or spite she had expected, "and 'ow did you know where she bode from?" This second question was aimed at the stranger but he made no move to answer it. Gwen, seeing no other option, told them the truth;
"I was banished for reasons I prefer not to disclose, my father was executed for sorcery so I wanted to learn more about that world, to see how sorcerers live without fear and for good." They seemed to accept her answer, so she turned to the other man, "how did you know where I was from?" he chuckled.
"Word travels, some words travel further than others. That and I saw you when you arrived, that pony belonged to a friend's cousin who I heard had sold it to a young lady traveling west from Camelot." He shrugged and offered a hand, "The name's Calico, it's a pleasure to meet you miss." She took it and returned the firm handshake.
"Gwen, likewise." They smiled at each other, perhaps their journeys didn't have to be lonely after all.
The pair continued talking, ordering the odd drink every now and then, till they were interrupted by the barman, who gestured around the empty room,
"I'm not gonna stop you from yer yapping but maybe you could do this upstairs, I wouldn't mind sleepin' tonight." They were surprised to see how late it had gotten, and after agreeing to continue their conversation at breakfast they retired to their separate rooms. After retrieving a small bag of clothes from her cart, Gwen closed the room's shutters, removed her shoes, put out the light and fell onto the bed, exhausted. That was the first night since her banishment that she didn't dream about Camelot, or anyone in it.
Riddle Time:
Today you have to type the correct ending to the following proverbs.
It is better to light one candle than to ... waste electricity.
It is better to light one candle than to ... light an explosive.
A bird in the hand is ... a real mess.
To err is human ... to eat a muskrat is not.
If you can't stand the heat ... don't start the fireplace.
If you can't stand the heat ... go swimming.
