Uploaded: 28 July 2013
Ina ran around the inn's common room, cleaning tables, filling drinks, and dodging the hands of groping men. Unlike the other serving women, she liked the inn best when it was busy. She felt best with noise and people and having to run around. She was quite happy with lots of things to do and the storm outside was just a pleasant addition to the evening. And ever since Sewell took care of that ghost in the cellar, the atmosphere of the inn felt much lighter, though only a few people noticed. The thought of Sewell made her stop blush, but as her cheeks were painted pink that night no one noticed. Stopping, however, did give one of the larger men a chance to pull her into his lap, causing her to spill the drink she was carrying. The man laughed and pretended to wipe the wine from her lap, but his hand went a little to low for her liking. Ina escaped him by grinding her heel into his foot.
"There are other places for that sort of behavior." Though, many of the serving women pretended otherwise.
She scooped up the cup as the whole table laughed. Ina winked at the man and ran back to the kitchen for more wine. She ignored the shouts of the cooks, filled a new cup, and ran back out.
The man to whom she delivered the drink nodded his thanks. Ina turned around to head back to the kitchen, but someone had thrown open the door. She was the only one who noticed the man stumbling in from the rain.
He was soaked through. His black hair stuck to his face, his black and silver robes hung heavy, water dripping to the floor.
"Sir!" Ina ran to him. "Sir..."
"Towel!" He demanded, trying to shake the water from him. "Towel! Towel"
She turned and ran down the hall, sliding from a spilled drink. She dung into her apron pocket, fumbling as she ran, and pulled out a keyring. She stopped inches from the door under the stairs. It only took her two flips to find the right key, which she shoved into the hole. There was a click as she turned it, and she pulled open the door. She hesitated for a moment, then taking two white towels; she closed the door and locked it. Ina shoved the keys back into her apron pocket and ran back to the dripping man.
He was desperately trying to separate himself from the water. When he saw Ina coming back he lunged at her, making her jump, and snatched a towel. Ina held out the other one for him as he used the first to violently dry his hair, muttering curses the whole time. He threw the old towel at Ina and grabbed the second, haphazardly drying the rest of himself.
Ina stared up at him. She was certain she had never seen him before, but he felt familiar. The air around him was excited. The same as it was for Ansel. The same as it was for Sewell.
"Gods be damned!" He shouted, shoving the other towel and Ina. "Is there a room, girl?"
Ina ran to the book. "Yes, we have one."
"How much?"
"Five a night."
"Gods be damned." The man growled, pulling a soaked coin purse from his robes.
He handed Ina the money.
"Name?"
"Avi."
She scribbled it down. "And a..."
"Just make one up!"
Ina grabbed his key. "Your room is right this way, Mr. Smith"
She hurried off in the direction of the stairs, Avi right behind her, wringing water from his robes.
"Here." She shoved the towels at a passing server. "The floor needs to be dried."
The other woman scowled at her, but took the towels. Ina and Avi climbed the stairs to his room.
