The Wright

Tavern

The tavern door was open and already the space was crowded. Though the music had not yet become lively enough to warrant clapping and the shouting of lyrics, it had already stirred a rise in volume. Bodies were bumping into each other as waiters weaved expertly through the throngs, carrying platters and trays high above with others floating along behind them.

My mouth watered as the scents of roast meat, butter-slathered bread, fried cheeses, earthy beers and sweet ciders flooded my senses.

The establishment was L-shaped with the official bar and its wall of colorful bottles and glasses at the front and the arm of the building, was for the majority of the seating. Rows of sturdy tables that could each seat six to eight lined either side of a narrow aisle. Over time I had grown to learn where certain groups sat and which areas to avoid, lest I take the seat of someone who could crush me without a second thought. For example in the very back right was the shifter's table and a handful of burly males sat together after work each day. Shifters were much larger than us and quick to anger, but if one minded their own business, the shifters would mind theirs.

Rafi and I either sat at the bar itself or at one of the smaller tables in the by it near the stairs. It was extra busy this week because of the upcoming Testing Day and all the families had traveled from the three kingdoms to see it. The Inn was already overflowing and even the tavern had opened its space on the second floor for compartmental magic. After all, thousands would attend.

Taking a deep breath, I tried not to think about it.

All the tables and seats were already filled when we entered so I took a spot on one of the large window sills. A waitress recognized me and while she spoke to a family, one of the trays floated over my way. I gratefully took a mug of honey mead from it and muttered thank you, which she would hear even over the din.

Rafael was already leaning side to side, trying to see if he could catch a glimpse of Dalia or someone to chase after. I simply rolled my eyes and buried my nose within the rim of the mug, inhaling the sweet aroma.

"D's with her sisters," a voice shouted, capturing Rafi's attention.

Todara, or Toddy, was a First Stay like Rafi and I, meaning that we had actually finished our official schooling last year and this was our first year waiting for a Testing Day. We would continue to live at the Academy until that time, unable to be out in the world without an official designation. Since the Testing Day was only every 3 years, it would consist of the present year graduates and the two years worth prior. At first I had been glad for the extra year of time to train and study, but as the months ticked by and I never grew any more skilled, it became apparent that I would be as powerful as a low-born or half-blood.

Toddy had a human father and a Breyer mother who was a fairly good seamstress. Since that made Toddy a relatively weak witch, we had teamed up to help each other since we would both end up with assisting jobs.

She pointed around the corner.

"The more the merrier!" He declared with a happy smile and shouldered through the people pestering the bartender for a drink.

I shook my head, meeting Toddy's light brown eyes. Though her magic was not strong, she was quite beautiful with bronze-colored skin and freckles dashed over her tiny, upturned nose. She was able to braid her hair with a waive of her hand and I was often bothering her to do mine as well.

She let out a sigh and sat beside me, pulling the mug from my fingers to take a sip herself. "Let him have his night, right?"

"I just do not want to bear witness," I grumbled.

"He is not the one!" Toddy shouted over the voices. It was her go-to to remind me that our marks did not match. She did not have one so for all she knew, she could be fated to a shifter or fall in love with a human the old-fashioned way.

Rolling my eyes, I snatched my mug back. "I don't need your lectures about my fated being somewhere out there."

She gave me the look which said exactly that.

"Have you filled out any applications yet?" Toddy and I had been looking for jobs in town and had even gone to the neighboring village of Catskill. Unfortunately, most places seemed well-stocked with recent graduates so we would have to travel further to find employment.

"No," I muttered. "I'm holding out hope that I will get some designation. That, at least, will help my cause."

Toddy clucked her tongue. "You have no faith. You will surely get Healer like your mother."

I pressed my lips in a line, pulling another mug off a floating tray for Toddy. I was sure of nothing. "Enough talk of Testing Day. You said you were going to the south side of town for sweetcrest and, of course, Dimmer told Laclin and Holly, who then told me, that there was a fight down that way."

Her eyes went round and she bounced with excitement. "Oh, yes! There was!"

"You saw it?"

"Yes. It was three or four of the human rebels. They tried to burn a coven's meeting house last night, but it failed. They found where the rebels were hiding this morning and while I was walking by, two warlocks were dragging two of the men out magically and, incidentally, a shifter soldier was the one that found the group. The only woman in that group was his mate and he had been on her trail for some time! She was throwing quite the fit when he carried her out, spewing all sorts of insults at him," Toddy giggled fanning herself. Unlike me, she fancied finding a partner in one of those giant males. "The real action was when the last rebel escaped somehow, jumped out a window. I saw him do it. Thought he was going to run into me, too, or attack me!

"One of the warlocks tried to stop him, but he had a weapon. One of those old human guns. It was so loud, Clia, like a crack of lightning. He shot the warlock twice and tried to run around the side of the building. Everyone was running and screaming, mind you, so I was not following him."

"Did they catch him?" I was gripping the edge of the sill, riveted by such action. Sure, shifters were always getting into physical scraps, but that sorted itself out, and it was rare to ever hear of any skirmish involving a fae or vampire. Not that much news trickled out of the Kingdom of Velhara. But word of a gun from the age of humans? That would spread quickly, even more so if he was still running amok.

"That's the best part! It was the witches of the attacked meeting house that blocked him in the nearby alley with fire. Unfortunately, he did shoot himself so they could not take him in for questioning."

"That is quite exhilarating, I suppose. Though, if I were you, I would be holed up in my room, sleeping from so much excitement," I took a big gulp and let the cold liquid soothe my nerves.

Toddy huffed loudly. "I would have, believe me, but I only just returned and made the sweetcrest rolls right away. I will have no time in the morning of course, because of the Tes-" She stopped at the tense look I seemed unable to hide when anyone brought it up and quickly changed the subject.

We talked for an hour of the meaningless things good friends do after everything has been laid out and picked through before. The glimmering wheat-colored mead disappeared into thin air each minute it seemed while a few patrons pulled out their instruments and began to play. The volume rose with it and soon we were either shouting or relying on the reading of lips to toss comments to one another.

"Let us make sure Rafi has not gotten himself in trouble?" I stood, throwing back the last of my mug, before grabbing a second. One round of mead would relax away the day's tension, whereas two would lighten my heavy heart.