Tearha: The Number 139

Chapter Eleven: Cold Fusion

The Watcher made it up the gentle slope and was greeted by the town of Ra'Kalen that sat on the flat lands before them. A long lined town made of stone houses and wooden huts in four neat rows, they faced the plains to the north and based the extremely steep mountains behind. In the east was a dancing farmland, thick bushels of yellow wheat swayed in the wind. At the west end, primitive stone steps ran up the side of the mountains, zigzagging all the way to the peak.

From behind, Kathleen asked, "Are we there?"

"We're here," he replied. He turned with an extended hand and helped her up the final climb of the hill. "Sleepy little place, isn't it?" He could hear the sound of children laughing in the distance, but the echo from the mountain side distorted his sense of hearing.

"Peaceful," she replied, scanning the landscape before pointing across him. "There's the inn!"

The road they were on lead straight through the centre of the town, a wooden sign planted into the dirt welcomed weary travellers with a 'Welcome to Ra'Kalen'. She had pointed to the first building on the left after the sign, a modest two storied wood building with copper lining the supports and edges. Like all the other structures of the town, it had a single diagonal roof. A slanted board above the double doors had the word 'Inn' painted haphazardly in black.

"That seems a little shady," he noted the rundown sign on the relatively clean building.

Kathleen had already started walking, stating, "It's naught of concern at this point. I just want a nice hot bath."

He could not help but smile. The girl was obviously not used to the travel, and on the way over, she had more than once claimed both of them of starting to smell like rotting fish. He followed her to the inn and noted how there were no horses that he could see within the stable behind the inn. They stepped out of the light of the day and into the cool dim of the building.

Lighted by lanterns that hung from the ceiling, the floors were plates of wood chequered with slabs of copper. Carved stone tables and chairs were set rather permanently on the metal plates, and the interior walls were of a cool red brick. To their right, a flight of stairs led up, a door installed under it beside the landing. A woman in a flowery dress with the curled white hair of movie grandmothers stood at the bar, cleaning out a mug while a patron slumped asleep at the far stool.

"Welcome to Ra'kalen Inn!" the innkeeper greeted.

The Watcher immediately asked, "What's with the cheap sign outside? This place looks beautiful."

"Why thank ya. Sadly, we 'ave got some vandals 'ere lately. Took a wack to the old board," the innkeeper explained. "So, what can I get ya for?"

Kathleen approached her with a smile, "Hello, we'd like rooms please."

"'Course, we've got a nice couple room for you two."

Together, they replied, "No, we're not a couple."

The innkeeper grinned, "Really? Could 'ave fooled me. Da way ya grinnin' as ya walked in." She laughed as the two felt their cheeks blushed red. Putting down the mug she was cleaning, she reached under the counter and took out two keys. "Rooms are down da corridor 'hind the stairs. Communal baths ta ya left."

Kathleen stammered, "C-communal?"

"That's right hon', boys and girls." The innkeeper's smile was sly, as if she had witnessed the same reaction dozens of times and could never get tired of it.

Kathleen looked to The Watcher pleadingly, her face redder than the brick on the wall. Laughing himself, he told her, "Don't worry, you can go first. I want to check out this Enhancer that I've been told so much of."