disclaimer: same bs as last chapter
Anika passed by many buildings, including a horse stable that she marked in her memory, before stopping at the tavern. It was a small, quaint place with a water trough through the center, overhangs supplying shelter for many tables where patrons sat. The bar was built in the far left corner, and Anika could see a few women bustling about with trays full of cups of ale.
Looking around, Anika's eyes set on a table in the far right corner. Rosala and Dani sat together there. She stepped forward and slowly made her way to her friend's table. Almost all eyes in the tavern had set upon her and she sighed a little. Attention was something she was all too familiar with.
A shudder slipped up her spine and she stopped, turning to see who was staring so darkly at her that they caused such a reaction. Six men, three of which she saw earlier in the courtyard, now watched her closely. She knew what they were seeing.
Anika knew she wasn't the prettiest of women; she never wore dresses and didn't put any time into her appearance. Her black hair was kept short, close to her head, with bangs on the right side, purposefully used to cover her right eye at times and give her a shyer appearance. Also, with it short, there was less issue of setting it on fire when she performed. Eyes, fierce green, showed her true nature: curiosity, mischievousness, and strength. Her outfit was simple enough. A sleeveless tunic of reddish-brown covered her torso, showing her pale arms and the few scars that marred her skin. The slit at the neckline ended just at her cleavage, showing off what bosom she had, even if it wasn't as large as some women. Gauntlets of leather, plated with metal spikes, covered her lower arms. Brown trousers were held up by a leather belt and the lower half of her pants were covered by soft knee-high leather boots. A leather sash across her torso held a heavy 2-handed sword on her back, its handle on the right side while on the front, two daggers were held diagonally across her chest. Upon the belt, a two and a half foot long dagger was set upon her left side, razor sharp. Granted, she wasn't the tallest or the strongest, but with the numerous weapons, she held an air of strength and dangerousness.
Anika met each of their eyes long enough to show she felt no fear of them, but paused on the last, a man with a broad torso and strong arms, hair cropped close to his head, and a cruel scar on the left side of his face, just barely avoiding his eye. Those eyes…stormy silver, held a touch of sorrow that made Anika's heart lurch.
Turning abruptly away, she didn't stop moving till she sat beside Rosala, her back to the men. Both Dani and Rosala looked at Anika, their expressions a mix of worry and the beginnings of drunkenness. "Don't let them get to you," Dani mumbled across the table.
Anika shook her head, eyes set upon the worn wood of the table. Rosala leaned close to her and whispered, "I heard people talking. Those six men are the knights of Artorius…" The caramel-skinned woman smirked a little. "They are quite handsome, though, aren't they?" Anika chuckled and shook her head.
Rosala was 27 years old, a full two years younger than Anika, and had the attitude to prove it. She was beautiful and flirtatious, mischievous and sly. At times, though often reprimanded by Tomes, she picked the pockets of those more fortunate than others. Her skin was the color of leather, a warm brown, and her hair was as black as the night, long and sleek, pulled back into a ponytail high on her head. Her eyes were like liquid pools of honey and twinkled in the candlelight. Her thin, curvy body was clothed in a tunic of dark green, with long sleeves that hid her hands and a slit at the neck, low, to show her cleavage to any curious man. Trousers of black covered her long legs and shin-high leather boots covered her feet, a daggers bone handle sticking out of each. On her dark leather belt, four daggers, bone-handled, were sheathed on her hips. Also, beneath her sleeves, two daggers had special sheathes held upon each lower arm. A silver ring was pierced through her right nostril and left eyebrow, leaving her entire appearance quite exotic.
Dani was looking over Anika's shoulder at the six men, talking amongst themselves. He shook his head. "We should not stay in this place. Hadrian's Wall is protected by these knights, but I do not trust them. We should leave as soon as possible," he muttered and emptied his cup of ale.
Anika dared a small glance over her shoulder. She was no longer being watched but still felt uneasy in their presence. She turned back to Dani. "I agree. We will perform tonight, and leave in the morning, once we have gathered supplies to travel with," she whispered to her companions.
Rosala drained her cup of ale and stood from the bench. Dani and Anika followed her action and started quietly for the door. Rosala slipped silently past tables and only paused at the door, looking back over her shoulder. Eyes of amber watched her closely from the knight's table. They belonged to a man with a dark mane of hair mixed with a few braids, with tattoos upon his high cheekbones. He watched her closely and intently, but not the way a lusting man would. More like a creature would eye its prey. Shuddering lightly, Rosala pulled her gaze from his and slipped through the door into the night.
A/N: okay, heres the next chapter. kinda just a filler of Anika and Rosala's appearances and the fact that Anika found the tavern and stable. added a lil tension but not much. hope it didnt suck too bad. R&R plz!