Dominae stood with her hand against the door for some moments after she'd left the kitchen. She stared thoughtfully at the werewolf. He met her gaze only briefly before turning away. "What?" he asked, voice rough.
"I was just thinking," Dominae said, "that I never said thank you."
"What for?" Torrin wiped at a spot on the bartop.
"You kept me out of the middle of that fight in the woods," she said. "But I suppose that's only the tip of the iceberg, isn't it?" To the werewolf's puzzled look, she said, "There are a lot of things I ought to thank you for."
"Forget it," Torrin said. "I hardly expected thanks. You humans are an ungrateful lot."
Dominae sighed and moved to the opening in the bar, slipping through. "I suppose we are," she said.
"Dominae?"
She turned to look back at Torrin. "What?"
His eyes still focused on the bar, he said. "You're welcome." He looked up at her for a second, then away again.
Dominae felt a surge of hope. She nodded and walked to the fire, wondering if her friendship with Torrin was finally starting to heal.
###
She was still sitting at the fire over an hour later when Cacia came down. Minion had not returned, and Dominae was beginning to worry about him. She didn't notice her friend until the other girl was making her way through the crowd to the fire. "What's all this?" Cacia asked.
"Interviews for our new party members." Dominae shrugged.
"Odd," Cacia said. "Who's interviewing them?"
"Perry," she said. Seeing the blank look on Cacia's face, she added, "He was the bartender yesterday."
"Oh," Cacia said with a blink. "I see, I guess."
Dominae chuckled and shook her head. "Never mind that. Where's Jason?"
"Asleep," Cacia said. "It takes a lot out of him, keeping me from feeling the-- you know." She looked away shyly.
"Ah," Dominae said. She glanced toward the door. Still no Minion. "Do you trust him, Cacia?"
"Of course! He rescued me, didn't he?" Cacia said.
"Yeah," Dominae agreed. "Funny, I never thought anything was wrong with him or Hope."
"I know," Cacia said with a sigh. "Aside from the fact that they wanted to hang around with us, that is."
Dominae mused. "Now that you mention it, they did show up while we were talking about Agasha."
"Dominae," Cacia said, rolling her eyes. "Before we left home, we didn't talk about anything but Agasha. It would have been more weird if they'd showed up when we were talking about something else."
"You have a point," Dominae said. She looked at the fire, brooding. "Hope wanted to be my friend pretty badly."
"Yeah," Cacia said. "And no one in their right mind wants that." She made a face at Dominae. "Come on, Domi. Admit it. You liked Hope and Jason."
"I did," Dominae agreed. "And I thought they liked us, too."
Cacia sighed. "That's where it gets hard to take," she said. "Knowing that they used us to come here, and that Hope wanted to leave us for dead."
"We only have Jason's word on that," Dominae reminded her.
"That's enough for me," Cacia said. "This place is messed up, Dominae. I need to trust someone."
"You can trust me," Dominae said.
Cacia smiled wanly. "Yeah. There was never any doubt of that."
###
Cacia left Dominae alone. The common room had started to empty, only to fill again. This time, it was a lunchtime crowd, and Dominae noticed that Torrin was doing a double duty as both bartender and secretary to Perry in the party interviews. She could see the bar wenches circulating through the crowd, though they didn't come to where she was.
"Busy place," said a voice beside her. Dominae looked up to see a man she didn't know.
"Ah, I suppose," she said.
He smiled at her. "What's in the kitchen?" he asked.
"Pardon?"
"Well, it seems like most of them go back there and disappear. This inn isn't cooking its' patrons, is it?"
Dominae chuckled. "I can see how you'd think that," she said. "But no."
"Then what's going on?"
Dominae hesitated. "I'm not sure I should say," she said.
The man's brows raised at the comment. "Secret goings on of an inn kitchen. All right, then. May I sit?"
"Suit yourself," she said, secretly glad of the company.
The man settled into the chair across from her with a small groan. "Too many nights on the road," he said, grinning wryly. "I'm Heron."
"Like the bird?" she asked.
"Aye," he said.
"I'm Dominae," she said, extending a hand. He took it and studied her quietly.
"That's a lovely name, though not a common one."
Dominae said, "It does make me stand out." She shrugged, pulling her hand away gently after another moment. "What brings you to the Coiled Serpent, Heron?"
"In truth, the need to eat." He chuckled. "I'm a bard."
"Really?" Dominae asked. "I've not met any bards before."
"We're like anyone else, I expect." The bard stretched his lanky frame. "It's cold and wet out there."
"You ought to have some tea," Dominae said.
"I suppose." The man sighed. "But there's the matter of paying for it." He shrugged.
Dominae peered thoughtfully at the bard for a moment before saying, "I'll buy you a cup, if you'd like."
"You're too kind, lady," he said. "I'll be all right, so long as I have a little time to warm my bones here. Wouldn't want to get sick, or I won't be eating for awhile."
She gave him a sympathetic look. "I insist," she said. "Consider it a contribution to the arts." She waved one of the wenches down and ordered a couple of cups of tea. The girl half bowed and scurried away.
Heron gave Dominae an odd look. "Am I in the presence of someone I ought to know?" he asked after a moment.
"No," Dominae said. "I'm just a girl." She smiled.
"Hardly that, I think." The bard said.
Dominae started to reply when she saw the minion return. A look at the crowded room, and he turned to leave again. Dominae leapt to her feet and called out, "Minion!" while waving frantically at the demon. The creature straightened and headed toward the fire. Dominae failed to notice the distress of the bard. "Where have you been?" she demanded of the demon.
Minion's eyes roved the room. "Some idiot tried to kill me this morning," he said. "And since Perry has a load of these moronic paladins and warriors of good and light about, I thought I'd be safer out of the way."
"You could have told me," she said. "I've been worried sick."
The demon looked at her. "I figured the werewolf would tell you, though I suppose that was foolish of me." His gaze found the poor bard. Minion smirked. "I'll go to the room. I fear your companion will die of fright if I don't."
Dominae turned to the bard. "Heron!" she cried. "Are you all right?" She didn't notice the minion moving away from them, up the stairs.
"That was a demon!" Heron sputtered.
"A minion," Dominae corrected gently.
"You-- speak to demons."
Dominae sat down, frowning. "Yes," she said. "But only that one, and I can assure you, he's harmless." To the man's look of disbelief, she added, "Relatively." The wench returned with the tea. "Ah, good. Would you please tell Torrin that I'd like a word with him as soon as he's free?"
"That may be awhile, miss Dominae," the wench said.
"Fine," Dominae said. The wench nodded and departed again. Dominae passed Heron his tea. "A little consideration is all I want," she muttered, blowing on the tea. She stared in shock at the bard as he gulped down the hot liquid then stood.
"I'd best get moving," he said, his voice hoarse. The tea had burned his mouth and throat.
"Where are you going?" Dominae asked.
"I only wanted to warm myself," the bard said, "and I'm plenty warm now. Goodbye, miss."
Dominae shrugged. "Goodbye, then." She shook her head and watched as the bard ran for the exit. "Wonder what that was about."
"You're judged by the company you keep," Torrin said, slipping into the vacated chair. "I thought you knew that, Dominae."
Dominae smirked. "There's no hope, then." She leaned forward. "Why didn't you tell me where Minion had gone, Torrin?"
"I'd hoped it would stay away," Torrin said with a shrug. "Wishful thinking, I see now."
Dominae sighed. "You must really hate me."
The werewolf took a deep breath, choosing his words carefully. "I told you before, I can't hate you. I hate what you've done to me. I hate that you're keeping company with that-- that thing. You share a room, for the gods' sake! Do you know what people say about you, Dominae?"
"What?" she asked.
"They say that you and that demon are lovers, that you're bespelled by it. They say that you're going to the hells."
Dominae shrugged. "What does it matter to them?"
"It matters." He pursed his lips. "People are afraid of you, Dominae."
"You say that like it's a bad thing."
"How could it be anything else?" he asked. "They kill what they fear. I'm worried about you."
Dominae said, "I'm sorry, then. But there's no cause to worry. I'm fine."
"You play with fire, you're going to get burned."
"Torrin," she said, "stop it. You have no idea what's going on with me. That was your choice."
He looked hurt. "I have to defend myself," he said.
"You're so busy 'defending yourself,' as you put it, that you don't see--" She stopped, exhaling an exasperated breath. "You know what? We've had this conversation two dozen times if we've had it once. You won't see my way, and I can't see yours. So fine. Let's agree to disagree and be done with it. You're still coming with me?"
"Aye," Torrin said, bowing his head.
"Good," Dominae said. "I'm looking forward to it."
"Are you?" he asked, raising his head to stare at her.
"Yeah. Maybe you'll see that Minion isn't as bad as you think."
Torrin said, "Or maybe you'll finally see the truth about your pet demon."
Dominae stood up. "Don't hold your breath," she said.
###
Perry didn't leave the kitchen until well into the dinner shift. "There are a lot of weird people around here," he observed to Torrin. "Frighteningly weird."
"Are you numbering yourself among them?" Torrin asked.
"Should I?" Perry chuckled. "Don't answer that. Gods, Torrin. I can't believe how many people showed up today."
"Most of 'em ate or drank something," Torrin said. "You made a lot of money."
Perry shrugged. "Not many of them were people I'd trust."
Torrin said, "Find any that you're sending on?"
"Maybe one or two." Perry said. "I'll be meeting with them again tomorrow. Got to have Dominae and Minion on hand for that. You're welcome to come, as well."
Torrin grimaced. "Thanks, but I think I'll be safer manning the bar."
"Suit yourself." Perry sat at the bar. "So you're going, then?"
"Aye," Torrin said, not looking at Perry.
"I won't be there to pull you away from making a fool of yourself."
"I've learned my lesson," Torrin said softly.
"I meant with the minion," Perry said. "That thing could rend you limb from limb."
"Aye. That's why you're hiring people, is it not?" Torrin looked up at Perry. "Just in case something happens and Dominae was wrong about her pet demon."
Perry shrugged. "That's one reason, aye." He smiled tiredly at the werewolf. "But I really do need people I can trust out there. Threats from inside the party aren't the only things, you know. You and Dominae are walking into the unknown."
"Foolish thing to do," Torrin said. "But I don't know what else to do. She'd go with or without me. That girl seems to thrive on doing foolish things."
"They pay off sometimes," Perry said. "But I'm going to miss the two of you being here."
Torrin sighed. "That makes two of us," he said.
###
Dominae, Cacia and Jason had agreed to meet in the common room for dinner Minion had declined the invitation when Dominae asked him to join the three of them. "I don't know if you've noticed," he said, "but I scare people."
Dominae shrugged and went down to dinner alone. She was the first to the table and settled into the seat with a sigh. Torrin was no longer working the bar, she saw. Instead, he and Perry were sitting together and talking about something. She was about to go see what they were up to when her friends came down the stairs together. "I hope you weren't waiting too long," Cacia said.
"Not at all," Dominae said, pulling her attention away from Perry and Torrin and smiling up at Cacia and Jason. "I'd just come down myself."
"I see you didn't bring your-- friend," Jason said.
"Minion didn't want to come," said Dominae with a shrug. "I don't blame him. The inn's been crowded all day, and people don't react well to demons."
"He is pretty frightening," Cacia admitted. "How did you ever meet up with him, anyway?"
Dominae chuckled. "Long story." She waved the other two to their seats. "Any idea what you want for dinner?"
"Whatever's fine," Cacia said. She was watching a cat by the fire as it stalked a mouse. Dominae followed her gaze and saw that the cat was Vega, Perry's Bast girlfriend. She turned back to her friends. "I take it they were busy down here all day," she said, "with interviews. I haven't asked how it went." Perry and Torrin ignored her. Dominae sighed.
Cacia's brow furrowed as she watched the cat and mouse. The black mouse darted away from the fire, toward the table that she shared with her friends. Cacia could have sworn she heard a small voice screaming for help. The cat was under the table after the mouse in a flash. Cacia flung her chair away from the table.
"What the--?"Jason began as Cacia scrambled under the table after the cat. There was yowling a moment later, and Cacia re-emerged, scratched and bitten and clasping a terrified mouse to her breast. She was shaking.
"That-- that cat!" she said. The mouse tried to crawl into her shirt.
"Cacia!" Dominae exclaimed. "What on earth are you doing?"
"Domi," Cacia said. "I know this is going to sound crazy, but the mouse talked to me." She reached into her shirt and extracted the trembling ball of fur. "I couldn't let the cat eat something that can talk!"
Vega had shifted to her human form. "Give me my mouse," she demanded, hand held out to Cacia. "Now."
Dominae bit her lip and looked from her friend to Vega and back again. She was relieved to see Perry shouldering his way into the conversation. "What's the problem?" he asked.
"That cat was going to kill this mouse," Cacia said, unsure of where the woman demanding the mouse stood in all of this. The mouse curled into her palm, bleeding.
"Cats do that," Perry said.
"Perry," Vega demanded, "make her give me my mouse!"
"Now, love," said Perry soothingly, "let's see why she took it from you."
For the first time, Cacia looked at the Bast. "Took it from her--?" she said. "I didn't. I took it from the cat." Then it dawned on her. "Oh." she blushed. "I beg your pardon, miss. But surely you wouldn't want to kill something that can talk?"
"It's only a mouse," Vega said sulkily.
Perry held out his hand. "May I see it?" he asked Cacia.
"You aren't going to give it to her, are you?" Cacia asked.
Perry said, "She did catch it." He sighed. "But no, I wanted to see it, that's all." Cacia handed over the mouse reluctantly and Perry studied it. It looked tiny and pitiful in his hand. He raised the mouse close to his face and took a delicate sniff. "She's right, dear," he said to Vega, "you don't want to eat this one." Vega turned and stalked off, transforming back into her feline form midway to the fire. Perry handed the mouse back to an astounded Cacia. "It smells like magic," he said. "Can you talk, mouse?"
"Mouse talk," the thing murmured.
"You see?" Cacia said, triumphantly. "It did talk!"
"Aye," Perry said. "In the future, it would be well advised to stay off the floor." He sighed. "Lucky little thing. It could have been killed."
"Lucky?" Cacia said. "She hurt it."
"Aye, but it'll live," Perry said. "Just scratch marks, and I daresay you got worse than the mouse did." He gave Cacia's scratches a critical look. "I'll give you some salve for you and the mouse."
"Thank you," Cacia said.
Perry shrugged. "It's the least I can do," he said.
Perry left the three of them and the mouse alone. Cacia held the trembling creature to her breast, protectively. "I never thought about how cruel cats are before," she said, "but this--"
"Vega was only doing what comes naturally to her," Dominae said.
"That may be," Cacia said, "but it's small consolation to the mouse." She looked down at the small creature. "Do you have a name?" she asked.
"Name?" the mouse squeaked. "What is name?"
Dominae sighed. Nothing was going to get done tonight, she could feel it. Rather than voice her opinion though, she said, "You ought to name it."
"How about Stuart?" Cacia asked. "After Stuart Little, of course."
Dominae made a face. "Just because it's a talking mouse doesn't mean you should name it after one."
Cacia shrugged. "Just a thought," she muttered. "All right, then. How about Squeaks?"
"I'm sure Vega thought it was a lovely squeaky toy." Dominae peered at the mouse in her friend's hands. Its' whiskers twitched. "Is it a boy mouse or a girl mouse?"
"A boy mouse," Perry said, as he set the salve on the table.
"Thanks," Dominae said to Perry's retreating back.
Cacia nudged the salve over to Dominae. "Could you open that?" she asked. "My hands are sort of full at the moment."
Dominae opened the salve, her eyes on the mouse. "Well," she said, "at least we got our first party member."
"What do you mean?" Jason asked.
"Cacia's not going to leave that mouse here," Dominae said, grinning.
"It wouldn't be safe," Cacia agreed. "What about Whiskers?"
"I had a cat named Whiskers once," Jason said.
Cacia sighed. "Figures," she said. She looked at the mouse again. "What do you think? What should we call you?"
The mouse uncurled and sat up in her palm. There were red scratches along its' flank. "Swift Tail," it said promptly.
Cacia blinked. "I thought you said you didn't have a name."
"That was before, kind one." The mouse seemed to smirk. "Can't be too careful."
Dominae fought a grin. "Your mouse is getting more well spoken by the minute," she told a perplexed Cacia.
"You noticed that too?" Cacia asked. "Swift Tail it is," she said. "But I'm going to call you Swift for short." She shook her head. "A talking mouse. What will they think of next?"