To Love a Celestial

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Thicker Than Brick

After the events of the first night in the city, Azrael wasn't sure where she would go next. She thought about returning to Ifera, but was too afraid of Lorcán finding out what she had done. Her next idea was to continue on to the coast. Maybe disappear at sea and pray she wasn't found. However, that was dead in the water when news was sent that the ports were to be closed. So, she decided the best bet was to travel back to the forest. There she could hide out and be safe.

Azrael planned to leave in the night and never look back. This plan was abruptly halted. She had found a friend in Rosemary and when the time came to enact the plan, it failed. Azrael didn't have it in her heart to pack up and leave. So, she stayed.

~~~*~~~

Azrael had begun to go stir crazy keeping herself cooped up in the room. There was a big fear of venturing into the city alone in the first few weeks and then the snow came. She would go down and help Rosemary here and there with small tasks of the inn. This evolved into helping in the tavern from time to time to just working almost everyday.

Three months had passed since that fateful day. Three blasted winter months and four snowfalls already. It was a record winter and everyone was already sick of it. Especially the tavern.

The tavern was packed to the brim and it was only noon. Rosemary had already thrown three patrons out and threatened at least ten more. The waitresses were drawing straws to who ran the next plate of food and the bar maids were practically drowning in mead. This included Azrael.

"Hey! Why don't you show some extra skin!" A drunk yelled and three others laughed.

The barmaid was humored. "Go fuck yourself." She moved away to the other side of the bar taking order after order.

The drunk leaned forward on the bar. "Oh come back! We just wanted some fun."

Azrael appeared in front of him, shoving his arms back. "Get off my bar!"

His face fell and the joking and laughter died away. "You better find your place bitch. You serve us."

"Yeah I know but you're clogging up my bar with your sorry excuse of humor and there's plenty of others that want drinks. So I'm asking once again to get off my bar or I'll toss you out myself." Adrenaline had kicked in at this point and she wasn't about to back down. "Take your friends with you."

The next thing Azrael knew was she was sitting on the floor with blood pouring from her temple. There was commotion above and yelling. Azrael looked up to see the two others practically on the bar counter yelling and cursing. Rosemary knelt to help Azrael up and held a cloth to her head putting pressure on the wound. Azrael then saw what was happening. The two maids pushed the drunk man away from the bar while some others were pulling him and his friends back.

"THAT'S IT!" Rosemary was already launching herself over the bar with two line cooks not far behind.

~~~*~~~

A small town that sat north of the royal city was completely smothered by the heavy snow that fell only a few days prior. No one dared leave their house unless completely necessary. Well, there was an exception and he was sitting in the pub that refused to close for 'a little snow.'

Raden had found himself in this rundown pub wondering what the hell he was going to do. Three months he was trying to leave, but that turned out harder than initially thought. There was no way he would be able to pass over the mountains again and the ports were out of the question once the decree was put in place. So, he sat at this bar with his watered down drink wondering what the hell.

There were times as he braved the cold where the thought of going back to Azrael lingered heavily. Then again how would he forgive her? He couldn't forgive something so selfish. She had made her bed and now she needed to learn.