This Red Sky

Chapter Seven

The tavern sat at the crossroads, light spilling out through the windows and through the cracks in the door. In the middle of the darkened forest, it was like a lantern, and Sonia almost recoiled from the light as they moved up the road towards it, hearing the laughter and carousing inside grow louder.

She stopped short.

"I don't know about this," she said apologetically to Falscha when the seer turned around to look at her.

Falscha raised one eyebrow at her.

"You don't know about eating cooked food and sleeping in a bed instead of on the ground for a change?"

Sonia fidgeted nervously. No young maiden in Blackhost would have dared go near such an establishment. And after the incident in Helvetzen, Sonia wasn't sure about interacting with strangers again.

"Maybe you should get the food and I'll—I'll wait here," she suggested.

Falscha turned to face her, grabbing her hands and smiling.

"Listen. I know the people who run this place. It'll be fine." She turned, towing Sonia towards the low, square brick building. "Who knows, you might even enjoy yourself."

It was not until they had reached the door that she realized Falscha did not let go of her hand.

The inside of the tavern was packed, and a haze of pipe smoke hovered over the heads of the customers. It was a hot night, but a fire roared at the other side of the room. Copper tankards were slammed down on the bartop, filled with ale that splashed over the sides, and were picked up by laughing mercenaries clad in leather armour as Falscha pulled Sonia up to the bar.

She searched the faces of every man they passed. Her heart jolted at the sight of a group of shepherds, their crooks leaning against their table in the corner, but sank as she recognized none of them.

The barmaid, the only other female in the room, turned around, a heavy bottle in her hands, red-cheeked and laughing. A crimson family sash was wrapped around her waist, and she wore her shawl low, revealing shoulders of a perfect deep brown and necklaces of copper. Her shining black eyes fell on the seer, and her smile changed.

"Falscha!" she exclaimed, putting down the bottle and leaning across the counter. Sonia watched them embrace, the barmaid kissing the seer on each cheek before they broke apart. "I couldn't believe it when Szandra told me you were coming."

Falscha's smile suddenly grew fixed.

"Well, I'm glad I sent word ahead," she said politely. "I don't suppose you have room for the night...?"

"For you?" the barmaid shrugged coyly. "I'm sure I'll find something—"

"For both of us, Hilda," Falscha said pointedly, gesturing to Sonia.

Hilda turned to look at Sonia, noticing her for the apparent first time. She did not appear impressed, turning back to Falscha with a sympathetic expression. Sonia felt herself flush red again, but she did not know why.

"Well, it's a shame we won't be able to talk like last time," Hilda said a little disappointedly. From the pouch at her hip she withdrew a key, flipping it across the counter into the seer's hands. "This is still empty, if you insist."

"Thank you," Falscha said smoothly, pulling a handful of copper coins from her pocket. "And... food? Drink? Does this cover it?"

She put the coins on the countertop. Hilda waved them off.

"For you, it's free." She turned and disappeared through two swinging doors behind the bar, glancing back at Falscha with the same smile as before.