Calytrix's Journey

Part VII: Tavern

"Welcome to Bertha's tavern!" the barkeep greeted me as soon as I opened the door.

A pleasant cooking smell spread all around the tavern. My choice of stopping to rest here seemed like a good one. I was convinced I'd get a warm, tasty meal here. A nice, early dinner after all the walking seemed like a fair reward. The merchant's road I was on was a very long one and required lots of walking. I started to really appreciate the small things like tasty meals and a quiet warm place to sleep. Taking them for granted felt like something I did in a faraway past, although it hasn't been a long time since I started my journey.

"Hello!"I greeted the middle-aged woman.

I looked around but there were no other guests beside me. There were no other employees either. I didn't know whether that was strange or ordinary. Maybe the frequency of visits depended on the time of the day. I came here in the early evening and maybe the guests came in later.

The tavern was completely rustic. Old wood was the dominant material. It looked natural, rough and aged. The style was exactly as I imagined taverns would look like. It was a big space and the bar was in a distant shadow from the entrance.

"What will it be?" she said when I came close.

The woman had her brown hair in a perfect bun and was dressed in clean white clothes. She looked like a professional. Her face was full of freckles and she had wrinkles made by smiling.

"I'm looking for a meal and a place to rest for the night."I got straight to the point.

"You can use one of the rooms upstairs. They are all vacant," she said.

"Great," I said.

I loved when things went smoothly like this.

"I can serve you dinner right now. How about today's special menu? On Tuesday's it's Rad's Special Pot." she offered.

"Is the smell I feel from the pot?"I asked.

"Yes. It is my specialty and I'll make it cheaper just for you." She winked.

She didn't have to persuade me much. Nice smell and my inner hunger would make me buy the food without thinking twice.

"I'll take it, " I said.

"Wait a moment and in the meanwhile sit wherever you like."

I sat down on a nearby small table and made myself comfortable. The barkeep gave me a glass of water before she went into the kitchen to finish my requested meal.

The menu was written on a note on top of the table. My order, Rad's Special Pot consisted of small ham pieces with lots of different vegetables in a cheesy dip. I took a sip of water as I looked at the rest of the menu. All the meals had a nice mix of ingredients but then I looked at the prices and I chocked on the water I was drinking. I coughed violently to get the wrong turn watery feel out of me and it took me a good minute to calm down.

"Are you all right girl!" the barkeep shouted worriedly from the kitchen.

"I'm fine. I just drank the water too quickly," I answered.

The prices were insane. It's like she got the ingredients from the other side of the world. Prices in Art town were expensive but she topped it. Even with a special discount on the meal of the day it seemed too much. I had enough money to pay for it but it would eat more than half of my current budget. Spending most of my money on food was something that I wanted to avoid at all costs but I didn't have much of a choice. It would be difficult to find a new place now. Nothing was nearby. By the time I'd arrive at the next village or town I'd be famished and it would already be nightfall making it extra difficult to find a good place.