Beyond the Darkness

Chapter 12

Please, vote, comment, and enjoy!

Chapter 12

               Amaya arrived at the Red Lady with a decent amount of time to spare before the actual meeting. She handed in her horse to the tavern boy standing outside and gave him enough money for some grain for Ghost. Then she walked through the doors and into the tavern. She was dressed like a man with a cap that covered her hair and eyes. She walked over to a table in the far corner, smoothly passing by the people milling around. At her seat she had a view of almost all the people and most importantly, the door. The place was already starting to get packed although it was still early in the evening. It was a well-known, large tavern, a perfect place to go unnoticed. Her eyes scanned the crowd looking for anyone that might be working for King Roland. She was well aware that all of this could be a trap, but the bait was too irresistible for her to stay away.

A young girl came to her table asking her what she wanted. Amaya ordered a drink and sat back patiently waiting for it to come. Moments later her drink was brought to her. She curled her fingers around the mug handle and brought the cup to her lips and took a sip. Then she set it aside and started to the study the people. The girl and her two other sisters waited on the crowd. Two of her brothers ran the bar and the other was out in the stables. Her parents were in the back cooking. The place was said to have gotten its name after the owner married a beautiful women with bright red hair. Their kids all had matching red hair except for two of them who got their father's raven black locks.

The Red Lady was a place Amaya would frequently visit when she could back when she was under King Roland's rule. She always came here to take a break, have some good food, and people watch. She had enjoyed gazing at the people in the tavern. She would study the gamblers, the drinkers, the soldiers, the couples, and imagine what it would be like to be one of those people. What was it like to have comrades in arm to share a drink with, to have friends to laugh with, to have a man not be afraid to kiss her? She saw them and was able to imagine her life as a normal one. To them she was just some person sitting in the corner. She wasn't a monster here. She wasn't known for her kills. She was nobody and being nobody made it easier for her to imagine being somebody else.

Amaya sat there for a little bit longer until he finally came in. He was a little late. He wore a cap like her that covered his eyes. His black haired peaked out from under the hat, curling slightly at the bottom where his hair met his collar. He wore muddy leather riding clothes and had a sword at his hip. Seeing it made her miss hers that she left attached to her horse. She wasn't able to bring it because she knew that her fancy sword would not have matched with her roughly used men clothes. If it came to a fight she would make do with her knives. They had never failed her before.

His gaze swept the room searching for her. Once he saw her he smiled and walked over. He made his way through the crowd to her table and stared down at her.

In one quick movement he grabbed her hand in his and placed a quick kiss upon the back of her palm. Amaya was so shocked at the action she didn't even think to pull away.

"Milady," he murmured, "It's good to see that you showed up."

His voice grounded her and she yanked her hand angrily from his grasp. "Did you not notice that I'm dressed as a man," Amaya growled at him, glancing around the room to see if anyone saw the kiss. The dolt could've just blown her cover. Satisfied that no one seemed to notice she turned back to him, tilting her head up to meet his eyes as he stood over her.