"That's it? The children just disappeared into the night?" Acippa's shoulders slumped in disappointment.
Varania smiled sympathetically. "I don't know what became of them, or why they left the two sovereigns, if the coins were their doing at all. I can't imagine where a slave would steal that much money."
"Sooooo," Acippa smiled slyly, "This Almerric guy. You and him?"
Varania's smile faded a bit around the edges. "Not at first, no."
"You know, there's a guy back at camp named Almerric."
Varania's heart flipflopped. But the delicate tendril of hope was quickly crushed beneath the weight of reality.
"A coincidence, I think. It couldn't be him."
Varania visited the Cellar regularly over the next few days to listen in on gossip. There was no further mention of the two escaped slaves. After a while she gave up, but continued spending her evenings in the cheery tavern. Aunt Tilda was happy to have her company.
"I don't mean to seem ungrateful, but why do you keep giving me free drinks, if you don't mind my asking?" Varania queried one evening.
Aunt Tilda gave a little coughing laugh, covering her mouth with one hand as her eyes flicked towards a table of young elvhen men who suddenly paid closer attention to their on-going card game when Varania looked over at them.
"Never hurts to have a pretty girl lingering by the bar, Rainy," Aunt Tilda said with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. "What lad wouldn't want to be matched up with the new girl who's easy on the eyes, well-mannered, and has a steady bit of employment?"
Who would want a mage and a murderer? My hands are stained so red...
Varania shrugged nonchalantly and slid her foot closer to the stool to hide the brand mark behind her leg.
Aunt Tilda looked at her knowingly and picked a wet mug from the pile of clean dishes and began to dry it.
"Strange how the loudest ones are always the rudest in public opinion," she said, wiping the interior of the cup. "Not everyone shares those opinions, though." She finished and swapped the dry mug for a wet one. "Has Elder Marieur been to see you?"
Varania grimaced slightly, and nodded.
The Elder's persistant, I'll give her that.
Aunt Tilda laughed. "On about finding you a good husband, has she?"
Varania rolled her eyes, "I just got here," she said.
"And you don't know if you want to stay on, eh?"
"Mmm." she hummed noncommittally as she sipped her drink.
Where's there to go for an elvhen mage?
"Can't say that I blame you, hon. O' course Marieur wants to keep you around. It's good for the Alienage to have more employed persons circlin' hereabouts. She means well, though she can go on talking all day. But it takes one to know one," Aunt Tilda laughed, "Want me to have a word with the old busybody?"
Varania fidgeted in her seat. "Yes please," she said, drawing back slightly.
I don't know what to do with all of this.
"Do you want me to represent you?" Aunt Tilda asked kindly.
Represent?
Varania kept her eyes on the floor. "I'm not really sure what that means," she admitted.
"Means the the suitors'll be floodin' this place to get a word in edgewise. Buyin' quite a few drinks, too. " Aunt Tilda inspected the cup she held and put it down with the other dry dishes. "If there's anything you want to know about life here in the Alienage, feel free to ask me, Rainy. If its the tales you want, old Tavler spins a good yarn out by the crooked crossroad, back east a ways."
Does it show that easily? Does my collar still cast a shadow about my neck?
"Thank you," Varania said quietly.
She sat for a while, listening to the jovial chatter in the background.
"Is there another place a tailor might find employ around here?" she asked.
Aunt Tilda looked up and pursed her lips.
"Mmm, might not be enough to support you, hon. Even if you shacked up with a family to cover rent. Few jobs pay as well as the court ones. I'll see if I can't send some freelance work your way."
"Thank you, Aunt Tilda."
Aunt Tilda waved away her thanks and offered her another drink.
A/N: Thanks to Easternviolet for her tireless beta-ing and solid advice!