The Tales Of Esmeralda

Chapter 7: The Small Village And The Bad Guys That Attacked Them

Esmeralda and Yolanda (and Triana who slept in the back of the cart) journeyed to a small village, where they were planning on getting some food.

"Oh, Yolanda?" Esmeralda said as Yolanda started taking the cart to the stables for the brown and white horses to rest. "Could we also get some armor for me while we're here? If I'm saving all of Greece I don't want to die in the process."

Yolanda smiled. "Yes. The best armor."

Esmeralda laughed a little as she blushed. "I don't know about the best. I just want functioning."

"Yeah, of course. Whatever works."

~~~~

Yolanda held a sleeping, purring Triana as she walked over to the inn. Esmeralda started walking to the armory, hoping to find some armor.

Yolanda walked into the inn, smiling at the bartender.

"Hello!" Yolanda said. "Could I have a glass of your finest? And possibly some water for the little kitty?"

"Sure thing," the woman said with a smile, her gray eyes sparkling.

"Thank you ma'am," Yolanda said as she sat at the bar.

Suddenly the woman's face changed. She looked shocked, her eyes wide and mouth slightly parted. She stopped what she was doing, almost as if she needed to stop moving to comprehend what had just happened.

"Did...?" the woman asked, her curly red hair going into her face. "Did you just thank me?"

"Yes, of course. It is the polite thing to do."

The woman smiled meekly, almost as if she didn't believe her but still wanted to be polite. "It seems to me that the only polite people in this town are the people who serve the drinks and the children. Well...my siblings are nice to me to, but that's almost for guilt reasons... I'm sorry. It's supposed to be the other way around. You're supposed to drink and tell me what's wrong with your life as I listen."

Yolanda smiled. "Hey, don't worry about it. But, uh, along with my alcohol and this cat's water could I please have some extra water for myself?"

"Oh yes, of course!" The woman got Yolanda some alcohol, some water, and some water in a bowl for Triana. Triana jumped up on the bar to drink the water.

"Now, tell me your problems," Yolanda said as she took a sip of her water. "I won't mind."

The woman smiled shyly. "Well...okay..." Her cheeks got almost as red as her hair. "My parents died a few years back. We're not exactly sure how. But my brother and sister, Sebastian and Demetria, feel guilty. The last time they spoke to my parents it was an argument. So since I'm basically their parental figure they try to be as nice to me as they can... I'm also the only one that really makes money... Doing...this... Sebastian fights in our army occasionally, but he doesn't necessarily get rich from it. And Demetria...she's too young to work. Hasn't even...you know...she can't reproduce yet..."

Yolanda nodded. "Right, yeah. That's a bit young."

"Yeah, exactly. So she plants food for us at home and goes over how to read and write and all of the basic educational things and then I check them when I get home. She's a smart girl...I want her to do something, but...but she's a girl. I doubt that she'll get anywhere... The most she could probably do was be a paid dancer or something..."

"That is not true. She can achieve greatness. My friend that's here with me, she's planning on saving Greece. The god of wisdoms and battle strategies is a woman. Okay? Women aren't just known for their beauty. Demetria can do more that you think."

The woman smiled. "Thanks. I really needed that. I'm Larissa by the way. Larissa Alexiou."

Yolanda smiled, happy that she could use her full name since nobody knew it. "Yolanda. Yolanda Ioannidis."

"Nice to meet you, Yolanda."

"Likewise, Larissa."

~~~~

After Esmeralda got some armor she put it in the cart, then walked to the inn that Yolanda went to.

"Hey, Yolanda!" Esmeralda said as she entered the inn.

Yolanda smiled at Esmeralda. "Hello child!"

"Child?" Esmeralda raised her eyebrow.

"Well, you are younger than me!"

"I'm only sixteen."

"Yeah? Well I'm nineteen!"

"You were three when I was born."

"Still makes you a child!"

Esmeralda sat down next to Yolanda, her cat in front of her on the bar. "Are you drunk?" She looked at the bartender. "Is she drunk?"

Larissa giggled. "Only a little. Enough to confess some things."

"Oh really? Like what?"

Larissa smiled, winking at Yolanda. "Oh, nothing. Just that she liked, and I mean Aphrodite liked, somebody and wanted to get to know them."

Esmeralda's eyes widened. She thought that Yolanda was getting a crush on the bartender or something. Wanted to...do something that Aphrodite would approve of.

"Oh! Oh, okay! Well, uh, I'm gonna take Triana then go then. You ladies have fun."

~~~~

Esmeralda walked out of the inn with her cat laying on her shoulders. She heard some people from behind her scream. She turned around and saw people running towards the inn from the opposite side of the village. A young man ran over to Esmeralda.

"Run!" he yelled. "Run as fast as you can! They're back!"

"Who are?" Esmeralda asked sternly, but also kindly.

Esmeralda heard a terrifying shriek. She turned her head up to where the noise was coming from. Her eyes widened as she realized what they were. The young man answered right when she herself had realized.

"Harpies!"