The MythBreakers Saga

The Falconer - 2

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

Tiara was suddenly awakened by the startling sound of knocking at her front door.

"Yo, wake up!" a familiar voice called out. Tiara grimaced. She knew this time would come eventually, but so soon? Taking a deep breath and mustering a bit of courage, she got up and looked through the peephole on her door.

Glaring back at her was a fairly short and incredibly peeved black-haired woman who was tapping her foot impatiently. Yes, this was indeed Tiara's landlady, and the rent she was owed was very late. Tiara unlocked the door but kept the chain lock on it, just in case.

The moment she did, however, the landlady lost her temper.

"You know rent was due two weeks ago? I've been so very patient with you, giving you this place, letting you stay for so long, both you and your birds who keep me up ALL night with their endless squawking," the landlady ranted on, "And you think it's okay to just not pay your rent? Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

Tiara began to panic, and two choices flashed through her mind. One, she could be completely honest and hope for the best. Two, she could play the foreigner card and feign ignorance, generally being a complete liar.

The latter was definitely more attractive in her eyes.

"Err... sorry, I am new here, ara, and, umm..." Tiara put on a false accent and began to oversimplify her words, "And I, uh, don't know how to speak your language..."

The landlady grumbled. "Another foreigner..." she said in a miffed tone.

"Um... sorry, ara..." Tiara apologized, still keeping up her act, "I have money, err... will bring money... soon, ara!"

"Soon? How soon?" the landlady crossed her arms and said in a monotone voice, "Give me an estimate. I need numbers, madam, whether it be money or time. Please, tell me."

"Uh... haha... well... numbers...?" Tiara began to sweat, "I... haven't practiced numbers yet, ara, so..."

The landlady pinched the bridge of her nose. "Look. I would love to let you stay here out of the kindness of my old heart. However, I also have bills to pay."

Tiara couldn't remember the last time she felt so nervous.

"Uh..." her voice became more frantic, "Sorry, do not understand, ara..."

Before the landlady could interrupt, the falconer shut the door in her face. She was able to hear the landlady's drawn out sighs, but was incapable of hearing the murmurs that followed, likely a series of swears of some sort.

"You can't run away from me!" she began banging on the door again, "I own this building!"

She seemed to be a very... persistent woman. But she did seem to believe that Tiara simply was just that bad at the language. The woman knocked once again.

"Listen," she shouted out to the falconer, although this time a bit dejectedly, "You got a job?"

Tiara was intrigued by the words. She had indeed been looking for a job for quite some time, but it wasn't easy to find a place to work with talents like hers. She cracked open the door again.

"Er... uh... job?" she asked unsurely, "I... uh... look for job, ara."

"Do you want a job?" the landlady sighed.

"Y-yes, please, job, give me, ara," Tiara began nodding repeatedly, "Will work hard, ara..."

"I..." the landlady rubbed her eyebrows distraughtly, "I do know some people..."