My Name Is Talise Knowels, This Is My Story.

Chapter 2: The Tavern

Chapter 2:

The Tavern.

We entered the tavern, and I instantaneously unwinded. I was at home here, the smell of sweaty bodies mixed with the bitter sweet stench of ale. I took a deep breath and inhaled it all in. Classic. Remy was just about to swagger in but I pulled him back as a drunkard spilled his drink just on the spot where Remy was about to walk. The drunkard cursed loudly and staggered away to order another drink. Remy looked at the spilled drink, then back to me, thankfulness in his eyes.

“Thanks Belle”  he smiled.

“Nothing much” I shrugged.

“Yes, it is. I would have been swimming in ale looking like a right Con if it wasn’t for you!” he took me by the elbow gently leading me to the bar. “Come on, let me buy you a drink” A free drink! I wasn’t going to miss up on that opportunity! So I let him seat me at the bar and buy me a drink. We both sat down sipping the bitter ale. Well, I was sipping, Remy might have well have been dying of thirst! He didn’t waste time drinking his weight in ale.

 Half an hour passed and he was already on his fifth! His fifth!  Annoyed by my determined-to-get-drunk companion I decided to leave his company before he did anything stupid and I had to get him out of it.

“I’m just going to stretch my legs ok?” I said to Remy. He stopped glugging the beaker for a second and looked at me. He looked at me like I had two heads and was spinning around in circles. Which I probably was to him.

“’m’yeah, Belle ‘ure” he slurred and began to drink more. I quickly slipped away, dodging many drunkards as I did, and began to look around to see if I knew anybody. I spied in Dodge the distance surrounded by girls a couple of years older than me, he was laughing and flirting, making them giggle and swoon. I stood looking at them in astonishment, the girls were blatantly offering themselves up on a silver platter! I bet in their minds they were already sewing their own wedding dresses! I laughed at this thought, because I could never see Dodge in a wedding suit. He wasn’t the type.

Out of the hubbub of the noisy tavern came a short sharp whistle.

“Oi, Firecracker!” shouted a familiar voice. I turned to my side, it was Zeph. He was with the rest of the lads, each with a pint of ale in their hands. He nodded me over towards him. I looked back to Dodge who was now looking at me, having heard my name shouted across the whole tavern. He looked ashamed for some reason and quickly looked down to examine his boots, like he could not meet my eyes.

Weird.

I walked over to Zeph, who smirked at me suspiciously.

“What you smirking at Zeph? Mary around?” I teased. Mary was his love interest, she liked him and he liked her but they were too shy to show it.

“No, just laughing at the way you were looking at Dodge with all the girls” he laughed.

“And what way was I looking at dodge?” I challenged. I wasn’t about to be backed into a corner and embarrassed by Zeph in front of Charlie and the rest of the boys!

“Like you wish you were the one that he was flirting with” he grinned. That was it.

“Excuse me! I wasn’t looking at Dodge like that! I was merely looking at those girls and how they might as well have marry me Dodge pasted on their foreheads! They should be ashamed of themselves! Begging to be married like that! It’s sick!”  All they boys broke out laughing, spilling ale on the floor. Charlie was laughing so much he had to dry his eyes.

“All give a cheer to Firecracker Talise! Spokesperson for how women should behave everywhere!”  He called and they all laughed even harder at that, literally doubling over. I too started to laugh then, realising that they were drunk, and would not remember this in the morning. Dodge came up to inspect what all the hilarity was about.