The Innkeeper

Chapter 2

Samuel frowned at the chit in his hands. With it, he could claim the amount this man owed for room and board from the Ranger Corps. It was undeniable proof that this man was a Ranger, or at least worked closely with them.

This was helpful, but also another thing to remember to do. He had no time to call on Castle Araluen to request his due pay and the nearest place that sent and received mail was the castle a day's ride to the west. He couldn't afford to leave the inn unattended for that long, and even if he could, he didn't particularly want to go home like a dog, tail between his legs. He would have to find a way when he wasn't so tired, but he felt tired all the time now with his long nights and early mornings.

"He even made the assumption I could read," the innkeeper muttered to himself as he slipped the chit into his apron pocket. He might as well throw the damn thing into the fire for all it was worth.

It was time to lock up. He prided himself on the cleanliness of his establishment, a force of habit from his apprenticeship days. He had already mostly put out the cooking fire in the kitchen and now he washed the dishes in a tub of warm water kept that way by the hot coals. Then he swept the floors, although it wasn't much better than sweeping dirt.

Previously this had been his wife's job. He did it all these days, including making sure the front and kitchen door had their latches secured. He had no valuables except a few pieces of Isabella's jewellery; it was the food that was valuable now. There was little to spare as it was.

He opened the front door to push the dirt out into the empty street with wide sweeps. The night was quiet and the stars blinked down at him from the heavens. Maybe one of them was his dearest Bella watching over him. Then he shook the thought away because if she was watching over him she'd have given him a better life than this. Perhaps she couldn't help him, trapped looking instead. 

The village was dark, everyone rightfully gone to sleep. Even the drunk man had found his way away from the building. Samuel leaned on the broom for a moment to soak in the peaceful sounds of nocturnal animals. It was time for himself to be resting, and yet he wanted to stay with his wife for a moment.

He dreaded getting in the empty bed. It was a nasty reminder every night that she was no longer with him. They had been almost inseparable since marriage and going to bed alone had only happened when he was drafted as an archer of the Kingdom. Right now he could pretend she was inside, getting an early night because she would have their first child any week. She would be complaining that she wasn't useless quite yet, like she did before he went off to fight, running her hands over the crib, already in love with their child. He would kiss her and convince her she needed some sleep and they could talk about it in the morning. He wanted to hold her in his arms like the precious woman she was.

The door to the inn cracked open just wide enough for a man to slip through, though only a shadow came out. The shadow apparently had a physical presence because it bumped into him while he slowly came out of his thoughts.

"Oof," said the shadow as it took a step back, falling into a fighting stance. Samuel gave a disapproving look and crossed his arms.

"Oh," it then breathed as it relaxed and brushed itself off. "Er, hallo."

"A bit late to be out sneaking, don't you think?" Samuel asked. To be frank he was irritated about the useless chit and life in general. "What are you up to?"

It was a useless question to ask with all the secrecy associated with the Ranger Corps, but he asked it anyway. The shadow fidgeted and took another step back.

"Would you believe I came out here to check on my horse?"

"Not a chance," Samuel replied. Rangers could be trustworthy at times but that didn't mean they weren't prone to having secrets. "I hope you like porridge."