Claudia was collecting the linens from the bedrooms, and also attending to the guests at the tavern. As usual, the men about her would flirt with her. She sighed, but carried on with her usual duties. Gaston had been accompanying John all that afternoon, as they gathered food stocks and wine for the next week. He had been surprised when those around him were gazing at him with wide eyes and lowered voices. "Do you know what they speak of?" Gaston asked. John felt somewhat intimated, and did not wish to be the one to tell him. "That is something that you must discover on your own-when the proper time comes" he replied softly. Gaston sighed. John had been aiming his musket at a deer in the woods. "Damn, I was nearly close enough to shoot it" he complained quietly. John grew frustrated and then handed the gun over to Gaston "you care to try your luck?" He asked with a smile. The other man had looked at the gun with bewilderment in his eyes at first-and then intrigue. He found himself smiling. There was something in the touch of a gun that felt familiar; almost clear. John had realized it too. "Ah, you must have been a hunter" John had heard of Gaston's exploits in the past, but doubted whether he could be the masterful shots man that he was then. Gaston aimed it at the deer, and fired. Amazingly, it had struck the animal on his first attempt. John gave him an impressed smile. I knew you could do it.he thought to himself. "I guess we will be having dinner tonight" John joked. Gaston was grinning with a new sense of pride. He had done something for someone else, and not expected it to feel as wonderful as it had right now. He wondered if he had been selfless in the past.
As the two men returned early in the evening, they had both stopped to silently observe Claudia's serving of the men. They were yelling at her to come to their table and saying other rude things that took her aback. Her friend Susan, the evening barmaid, called her over. "They are acting rowdy tonight, I'd be careful if I were you missy" she said. Claudia nodded, "I'm always careful," she whispered, taking the tray over to the table where the men had been calling. They were apparently drunk, but she did not allow it to disrupt her. Gaston raised an eyebrow when one of the drunken gentlemen had attempted to touch her in a way that was clearly making her uncomfortable. Claudia was not one to make a scene, but she angrily pushed the gentleman aside and warned him not to touch her in that manner again. He only laughed and tried again. She had backslapped him in the face and dumped beer all over him. "Why you little tramp!" He screamed out, trying to chock her, just as Gaston lost his temper. "You will LEAVE her alone!" He cried out, blocking the man's path by standing in front of her. "Make me" the other rowdy troublemaker said hatefully. "I'd rather not have to get myself into a battle of wits with you-for surely you would lose it" Gaston said, as Claudia smiled behind him. "How about a battle of fists you obnoxious fool?!" He cried out, and tried to throw out a punch, but Gaston had ducked out of the way and the man's hand bashed into the tavern wall. He let out a cry of pain as he recoiled his arm. "You'll pay for that you bastard" he said, and tried again with his left hand-the same had occurred. "Maybe next time you will learn how to properly treat a lady!" Gaston commented loudly, much to everyone's surprise. After the group of rebel rousers left, Gaston had given John a pleased look at the bar. "Maybe you ARE handy to have around here after all!" He grinned, "free drink on the house!" He called out. Gaston had then turned his attention to Claudia. "Thank you" she said more tenderly. "It was really no trouble," he said, beaming again. Her smile sent tender shivers down his spine. "Join me please?" Gaston asked. Claudia bowed somewhat. "I would be honored," she said. The two had sat down together at the table, as John brought Gaston's drink over. Claudia then smiled up at him. "Make those two drinks on the house" she replied, with John giving her a playful look. "Are you sure?" John asked, "yes" Claudia answered. Gaston chuckled. "You are full of surprises," he said. "Just one surprise after another" she said.
Gaston had been having trouble sleeping that night. He had been plagued by nightmares and visions that he could not explain. He had visions of a brown haired woman with a similar form that he felt in his heart he had always known.but there was a shadow behind her in the form of a beast that he could not describe. Neither of these visions was clear to him, and he woke up in a mental pool of frustration and confusion. He lit his candle, and sat up in the dark- gazing about himself quietly, taking a deep breath. He had been here for nearly three days, and still had little idea of who he was. He then laid back on the bed, and thought again of the people he had been encountering. Lefou had crossed his mind. He had been so persistent. Gaston then began to wonder if this little man had known him as well as he had said. He then smiled to himself, thinking that Lefou would be able to tell him exactly what he yearned to know.

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