The man in the tub next to mine looked me up and down, cocked his head to the side and started to get out of the tub.
I averted my eyes. I had never seen a human member and did not plan to if I could help it. "Please, sir, put a towel around yourself!"
"Gods boy dis is da men's sy Ah ken swing round if Ah'm wantin' ta. 'Sides, Ah ain't payin' fy silvah fer a towl no mattah ow sof n luffy dey ahh. Ya know da robe es fy silvah too? Da slippahs is a silvea each. Robbin' us blin dey ahh. Jus 'cause dey da ony bat ouse en da city don't mean dey shou ave da ole damn city smellin' like fish ou en da sun fer a week!" He got closer and leaned is face down to me before I (still averting my eyes) knew what he was doing and said (with breath that could peal a potato) "Ya know Ah heared dat dey muscled da uder bat ouses out a buiness." I only caught some of what he was saying. I was never good with accents. I couldn't help but notice though that the cold water and no soap did not help this man. Unless they did.. I found myself wondering how bad he was before he got in the tub...
He put on his dirty robe still jabbering on about the way that business in the city picked on the little guy and blamed him for their problems. I tuned him out while I put on my freshly cleaned and folded clothes next to the tub on the overturned bucket. He was still talking while I went through the list and found that the "table" was 1 copper piece.
"Righ Boy?! heh heh" he poked me in the shoulder.
"What? Sure, sure whatever..." I stopped going over the list, it was giving me a headache.
I stopped at the desk on the way out and asked the old hag what I had to do to make good on my debit. I am honest and always pay them even though it pained me to owe anyone anything.
"Place the contract on the counter, Boy." She told me, eyes not on me but the man next to me. I frowned and looked at him. He was still droning on about... something I not been listening to him for a while now.
I did what she asked me. She firmly took a hold of my hand and pricked my finger! I struggled against her surprising strength as she squeezed it until a drop of blood fell onto the paper. She let my hand go and instinctively stuck it in my mouth. She then did the same to herself without flinching and dropped her blood onto mine. It turned to a midnight black droplet with flecks of gold in it and then back to the deep red color of blood again drying instantly to the page. I had once a few years ago been out in a thunder and lightning storm and was too close to a lightning strike. It blew me off my feet and I felt tingly all over for a minute or two. That is the only way I have to describe the feeling at the exact moment the blood dried. Not blown off my feet mind you but the rest... The only good thing about the experience is that my bath mate finally stopped jabbering.
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I didn't know where I was going to go or what I was going to do. I decided to just wonder and maybe something would come to me. He followed me out of the bath house, the old hag following us both with her eyes. He continued to follow me and started jabber on again until we were a few blocks from the bath house.
I stopped mid stride and he almost ran me over, I turned to stare at him.
"What?" He stared back at me.
"What happened to your accent?"
YOU ARE READING
In the Shadow of a Halfling
FantasyI was born Guntram Farrich (call me Gunt). I left my parents at a young age they were content to sit back and reap the rewards of my great grandfather's luck and "creativity". Who, I have been told, I take after in more than name. I felt the urge to...
