Disclaimer: Most of the characters are mine. The land, Velgarth, the country Valdemar, and anything else you recognize from one of Mercedes Lackey's books, aren't mine. (Sorry I forgot the disclaimer on Chapter 1. Oh well.)
Chapter 2-Paying the Rent
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Tamara started back to her desolate room at the inn, her thoughts turned towards Zai. She knew not whether it was simply curiosity on her part, or whether it was something more. She doubted she would ever find out, and as is normal for her, when she couldn't figure something out, she forced her self not to care. After all, its not like caring ever helps. So if you don't care, you can't get hurt. And if you can't get hurt, life is just perfect. But unfortunately, as she discovered time and time again, that theory never quite works like its supposed to.
When she finally reached her room, for the streets were becoming crowded for the evening rush, she breathed a sigh of relief to be out of the crowd and changed into her night clothes, another pair of breeches and a long flowy shirt. She sat at the window seat and pulled up her knees, unconsciously mimicking Zai's position earlier. She stared down into the street, looking, for what she knew naught, but looking none the less. She deluded herself into staying too long at the window by thinking that I need to get inspiration. But she knew this wasn't true, she just didn't know what she wanted anymore. She gave a sigh.
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The next morning dawned clear and blustery, as is typical for an autumn day. Tamara stretched lazily, bracing her feet on the foot board and trying to reach the headboard. As always, she failed to manage, but it helped her get moving for the day. She rolled out of the bed and pulled on the day clothes, today she must pretend to be well-off and wear a dress. Rent was due, and she didn't have it. Alas she had to convince the inn keeper it wouldn't be much longer, though she doubted wearing a dress would help, it certainly couldn't hurt. So she struggled into the infernal dress, hating all the flounces and skirts, but it was the only dress she had. I have to remember to alter this thing soon, altering it would have been a good choice, except that she was abdominal with anything to do with domestic chores.
She was, to be quite honest, a rather odd character. She never had found a place where she fit in real well. She usually did okay with individual people, but put her in a group and she floundered. Flounder being a mild word, because she closer resembled a cat dunked in a horse trough. Humiliation and Embarrassment: My constant companions. Finally dressed she gathered her bag and her walking stick and headed down the steps, trying to be unnoticed by the inn keeper. She carefully went into the common room and took a table in an odd out of the way nook. But despite her best attempts, with in moments of sitting the inn keeper approached carrying a stack of dishes. She shrank back slightly and pretended she was invisible, I'm not here! Go away! See me? Nope. Cause I'm not here! Just an empty table, nothing to worry bout. Go away now. The inn keeper, a burly man with a ladle stuck in his apron, set the dishes down on her table. According to Tamara's sources he was the cook as well, even though the inn was more then prosperous enough to hire one. I guess he just likes cooking.
The inn keeper grinned at her and asked "So, what'll it be? Washing dishes, serving, straightening rooms, or rent?" He wasn't an unkind man, just practical. Tamara found herself liking the man, even as he asked her to do chores in exchange for rent.
Somehow she found her voice and looked up and said "None of the above?" She hoped that didn't sound rude. It wouldn't be good to insult the person you depended on for shelter.
Luckily for Tamara the innkeeper just laughed and replyed with an affectionate slap on the back that drove the breath out of her. He laughed as he responded "Oh what do you want to do? Read out loud?!" Tamara tilted her head slightly, and realized that that wasn't such a bad idea. She could do it. Read out loud for those that were illiterate or didn't have time. She nodded slowly to the innkeeper and he grew serious and contemplative. Finally he nodded back gruffly and said "'Aight. You start tonight. I don't care what you read, just make it acceptable for mixed company. I don't offer whores in my place, so I sure as hell don't want anything risqué. Got it?" Tamara nodded again before wondering what she could read. The innkeeper left to return to the kitchen, waving for a serving wench to take the dirty dishes from the table. The wench brought Tamara her meal and departed with a nod.
Tamara contemplated the food for a few minutes, it was of surprising quality and taste, the innkeeper was superb. But it didn't compete with the food of her home, not by a long shot. Oh grandmamma. Why did you have to leave me with those brutes. You knew what would happen! We should have left together! Shaking her head, as if to clear away the cobwebs she blocked the thoughts off and dove into her food.
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Tamara hastily glanced through her books, trying to pick one out to read. She knew naught what to read, and she had to be down there in a quarter mark. As she rushed to get ready, still in the god-awful dress, she grabbed the first book that came to her hands with out looking at the title. Ah well, if its one of my stories I know what parts to skip. She hurried down the stairs, almost bowling over a chambermaid and her lover in the back stair case. Finally she reached the common room and the impatient innkeeper led her to a stool placed near the fire, up on a little platform. He stood next to her, with a hand on her shoulder, and coughed politely towards that audience. When that failed to get their attention he clapped his hands, yet again, ineffectively.
She decided that if she was going to do this, she needed to start before she lost her nerve. She stood up and in her best voice, not quite a shout, but more then loud enough to reach all corners of the inn she said "Excuse me ladies and gentleman." She slowly received silence, and the innkeeper moved off. She looked around the room, and started talking, not really knowing what she would say. "I have brought a book to read if you would like to hear it." Several of the patrons laughed, and a few returned to their previous conversations. But regardless, she plowed on. She had to be a success, or she would be thrown into the street, kind innkeeper or no. So she called for silence again and continued. "I have brought the story of" she faltered as she realized she didn't know what book it was. Ay me. She quickly read the title and relayed it to the crowd "The Battle of the Dark Servants. I hope you enjoy the story."
Quickly before she could loose her nerve she started the story. At first most of the patrons ignored her, but as time went on they started to listen. She read, herself caught up in the dark story of Herald Vanyel Demonsbane and Stefen, the serving girls often gave her mugs of ale to appease her parched throat, but she rarely had any. Just enough to keep her throat moist. Soon the inn was dead silent, even the innkeeper was listening, with his eyes closed leaning against the door jam. With the exception of Tamara's rich voice ringing out, it was silence. As silent as if a full bard was playing.
"Vanyel was a dim shape in the darkness beside her; there was no moon, and only the dim light of the stars penetrated the boughs of the hemlock bushes they hid beneath. She only knew he was there by the faint sound of his breathing, though they lay so closely together that had she moved her hand a fraction of an inch, he'd have touched him. Training and discipline held her quiet, though under other circumstances she'd have been shivering so hard her teeth would have rattled. The starlight reflected on the snow beneath them was enough to see by – enough to see the deadly danger to Valdemar that moved below them…" She continued the story, long into the night. And when she finally drew close, and shut the book softly everyone remained spell bound for a long moment.
The moment continued, and she allowed herself a moment of doubt, Uh. This doesn't seem good… As the patrons gradualy rose, as if finally noticing that it was long past midnight, and the inn should have closed an hour ago, they all deliberately passed her. Some to just thank her, most to drop a few coins in the bowl by her feet. She watched as the bowl filled up, and one of the serving girls brought another. Slowly both the bowls filled, copper by copper.
Finally the common room was emptied, with no one but Tamara, the innkeeper and the serving girls. The serving girls started laying out their pallets and cleaning up. The innkeeper approached and tried to joke "Well, I guess you just paid your rent." He gave a half laugh before speaking again. "I'll halve your rent, and move you to the Herald suit if you continue reading nightly. Your choice, any book game, no limits. Same set up as tonight."
Tamara started, she hardly suspected the offer, she was so surprised that she jumped up and hugged the innkeeper before she thought better of it. She then went to one of the bowls and counted out 3 months rent and handed it to the innkeeper. The innkeeper smiled and said he would have her things moved in the morning, but she could sleep in her new room tonight. He looked at her outfit, once again the awful dress, and added "there's a seamstress on Shaven Road by the name of Myrtha. Go see her and get yourself some new clothes. While I'm sure the costumers wont care what you look like after you start reading, they'll be more captivated earlier if you wear nice things all the time." He shrugged. "Lady, you are going to make this inn prosper. And I can only hope you prosper as well. G'nite."
The innkeeper left to the kitchen and Tamara looked around, still slightly stunned, and gathered up her books and the two bowls of money. She slowly mounted the steps towards her new room and once there stripped down to her smalls. She then gave a girlish giggle and dumped the bowls on the head, separating out the copper from the silver and, surprising, the few gold pieces. By the time she was done counting her head was swimming. She had never had that much money at once! Not even when her books had been selling rapidly, for she always got her money out as she needed it, from a new place they called a Bank. She had had more money then this before, but never so that she could touch it all at once. She was amazed. Totally blindsided. She carefully got her purse and put the money in it, it was near bursting. And she placed it under her pillow besides her dagger. She blew out the candles and started to go sleep, for the first time in a long time, not worried about much.
In the few minutes before sleep, when still in the half-awake, half-asleep phase, her thoughts turned to Zai. And she wondered, briefly before sleep came, who he was and the real cause of his sorrows.