Chapter Eight

Late Night

When the three of us got the DD, we had a very good lunch. George told us an old rouge story. (Strangely, your born into the rouge, like in a tribe, or adopted. And from what I've figured, once your part of the rouge, you can never really go back. The fear that one might rat out the rouge. Hence why a Rogue (the king guy) doesn't just leave his position; he has to be concord. Makes sense thought, right? So, how will George ever get out?) But the story was an interesting one. It's too long to tell you though, right now. Maybe another day.
Anyway, it was bliss even if the story wasn't interesting because I didn't have to put up with Anastasia's stories any longer. And, surprisingly, she wasn't glaring at me. In fact, she never even glanced at me, I don't think. She was looking at George the whole time. (She's got it for him, bad.)
When we finished, it was time for me to get to work. George said they would stay a little bit longer and he asked me to put on the apron. I did it and thought it would be funny if I started to twirl around like I was modeling it off. It was then that Anastasia announced that she had to use the rest room. (Did I mention that the toilets are just a bowl and it get changed every hour or two. I have to do it only once a day if I'm lucky.)
When she left I decided I would ask George a question I had on my mind since we were at the apron shop.
"George, when we were in shop earlier," he looked at me and made a little uh-huh noise. I continued, "Out of all the things you could have called me, you called me 'sis'. Why?" I would have been fine with it and just dismissed it if he hadn't asked me personal questions afterwards.

He sat up a little straighter in his chair. "Well, I figure, since your staying here, and with my mother, and I see you most often, aside from mother, why not adopt ya as one. I figured if you were any good at helping me, I might give a little time to ya, and teach you a few things. Make you the little sister I never had." He punched me softly in the arm.
I thought about it for a minute. The rouge's sister. I'd almost be higher up on the latter then Rispha if I was better at rouging then her. And I don't think that will ever happen. Rouge's sister or not.
"So how about it? If you be my little sister, I'll be your big brother."
"Sounds great!" I was happy. I was adopted by the rouge to be part of them. Yea!
"But it's not all fun n' games if your gunna be my sis. Your now a criminal; a thief. Not only that, but if someone wants to get to me, your going to be the main target." He warned me. But I wasn't going to let a little thing like that get in my way. Besides, nothing bad is going to happen to George in the near future any way. What trouble would I be in?
"George, I would be honored to be your sister." I extended my hand to shake his, but got a powerful hug instead. I would have pulled away, seeing as I had two chair armrests jabbing into my ribs, but this was a ' family' moment and I wasn't going to ruin it.
Well, I wasn't going to, but other people had better plans.
"Ahem." It was two voices in unison.

Anastasia was the first to talk. "Well, sorry to break up this little embrace, but it seems that Gweniver has some work to do." The tone in her voice was harsh, but I could kind of see why. If you saw someone you liked hugging another woman, wouldn't you try to stop it? Thought so.

The next voice was Mistress Tyler's. "Go on girl, there is a bowl in the bathroom that needs to be cleaned." She pointed the way to the bathrooms. I said my faire well's, and marched to the bathroom.
Let me just say now, if I don't suck it up when I go to clean the toilet bowls, I might as well not even eat lunch anymore. It will just come right back up again, if I don't. Eww.

It wasn't until about seven that the business started to get thick. The first half of the day I spent with Lili washing dishes. (You know, the gray- eyed chick.) She really is a sweet person. (She's one of those people who are nice and sweet and shy when sober, but when you get her drunk, she could probably be the life of the party. Ideas. Ideas. Ideas.) She told me of the usual drunks who come on what days and who to look out for. She said there are a few men who are pretty young and married.

"Beware of them. They like to flirt with any girl they can because they have never grown up. Always look at their left hand and see if there is a ring tan. Most men have them." She warned. (Surprising to say, here they also wear their rings on the left wedding finger.)

The other half of the time, I was cleaning tables or serving hungry late travelers. A few of the old men who had come in were eying me. I was extremely happy when M.Tyler saw that. She came over and told me to go wash dishes again. (Kudos for her)

When the crowd started coming, it was me and a 'team' of four other girls who were servicing the people. Most of them wanted ale, go figure.

George had told me before he left with Anastasia, that they would be back for dinner that night, but he never told me when. It wasn't until nine, which obviously isn't later around here because the crowd was still coming. But, this time, it was not only George and Anastasia. Oh no. It was them and about five other men (part of the rouge) who followed them. No, not them, her. They all wanted to be next to her. And she was willing to give each one a little attention. I even got to slip in a few words with George.

I guess, from what he said, he had found some of his buddies along the way and invited them along. Probably for a little variety in the conversation. I think it worked a little better then he had thought, because Anastasia had told them all that she would walk around with them tomorrow. Good for George.

But not good for George was that he must have been so happy for himself that he tiered himself out with drinks and the last few days that I and Solom had to drag him up stairs to his room. It was well past mid-night and I, too was tired so Solom gave me a few thick blankets to lie down on the ground to sleep on and one of his wife's nightgown. It was a rather plain white cotton gown, but I didn't much care. I just wanted to sleep.

And I did...for an hour. Shezz can George snore. I finally just got up and took the lamp that was burning dimly in the corner and walked out of the room. I saw a bookcase and decided to read and see if that would put me to sleep.

I looked at the books. Some of them were in other languages and other had titles like, ' How to Manage' and ' Be Wise with Your tavern'. I was just waiting for the next book to say, ' How to Run a Pub... For Dummies'. Instead, I saw a book that said, 'All the Gods'. Why not, I thought and took it downstairs.

I sat down in George's chair and started flipping through the pages. After I had read up on the gods and goddesses that I knew about, I started to flip to random pages and read on the other gods.

It wasn't long before I heard a creak in the stairs and looked up. I felt I would be helpless if it was the boogieman. All I had was a thick book and a lamp with me.

"Who's there?" I asked. No answer. I repeated myself a little louder, trying not to disturb everyone else sleeping.

"You tell me who you are, and I'll tell you who I am." The male voice said.

What was I supposed to do? So I just told him. "I'm Gwen. I work here." I said. "Now, who are you?" I sounded more demanding now. I turned to turn up my light a little more to revile his face, but his hand was already there, keeping me from the lamp.

"Let go of me!" I demanded. My voice was low but harsh.

"And let you hit me with the lamp, I think not." His voice was a cool whisper and I remembered his voice. It was the same man who came to Elenni's house the first day I was there looking for George.

"I know you. You came looking for George last Saturday. And you called Elenni ' Mother Copper'." He let go of my hand.

"Your George's sister?" He sounded suprised.

I turned up the lamp wick to revile a tall, strong man. He had light brown shaggy hair that reached down his neck and sort of in his eyes. His eyes were green, I think. I didn't get a good look at them in the dark but I could tell he was very handsome.

"So, you know who I am. Who are you?" I was getting impatient. "And how do you know who I am." I added.

"Forgive me. I shouldn't have been so harsh. I just saw a light and wasn't sure who you were. I am Atreyu, friend and companion to George. You must understand I have been traveling since Saturday, and just got back this afternoon to a whole wood full of trouble and I'm cranky. I heard you walk down the stairs and wanted to see what was going on."

"Oh. Well, now you see I'm reading and nothing more. I won't disturb you any longer." That was very odd. But I said it anyway.

"So what were you doing down here anyway? I could hardly see what it was that you had in your hand."

"I was reading. George's snores woke me and I couldn't get back to sleep."

"Well it's good to know that I'm not the only one." He looked at the book in my hand. "So what were you reading?"

"A book about the gods. There was nothing else of interest."

"Do you mind if I sit with you? I won't be able to sleep at all for a while either."

What was I going to say, 'no'? If that's what you think, then you need to stop reading now and start from the beginning again. "No, I don't mind at all." He pulled a chair up.

"So I thought your name was Gweniver."

"It is, but calling me Gwen is a lot easier."

"I see." He changed the conversation a little. "So, do you have a patron god?"

"No. You?"

"I would think that most everyone in the rouge would fell a little more inclined to the trickster god."

"I guess they would. It makes since. Right?" I paused for a moment, then asked, " So, how did you know I was George's sister-ish- type thingie?"

He looked confused at what I said. "What do you mean?" He thought about it. "Oh. I know what you mean." He paused shortly to separate his thoughts then continued, "Well, I saw him today before he came in to the pub. He told me to look for you and to treat you nicely. However things didn't go so well were I was and I wasn't able to get here until just a while ago."

"Oh" I said dumbfounded.

" When I spoke to him, he said you did good today and that I should congratulate you on what you did, but he didn't tell me what you did." He smiled misgeviously. He knew that I was doing rogue things. He was just saying this for conversation.

I told him of our adventure of the day before. He seemed to enjoy the part of the bickering ladies. He said he played them once before and they did the same thing.

Most of the talk went on like that for an hour before we both decided to go to sleep.

Strangely, like George, he, too, boards at the Dancing Dove. Huh. And he is kind like George too. He seems like the always happy person.