Page 21 of Heir of the Autumn Queen

The sun is just starting to set when I find a dirt road that’s just wide enough to accommodate a carriage. I follow it until I come upon a small village, Shadow still trailing close behind me. I shake my head, knowing that I don’t even have a bridle if I wanted to pay to board her for the night.

I enter the town square, which is really just a dirt courtyard that consists of a few buildings; a good-sized tavern, a temple, and a smithy. Beyond the square, there are several narrow cottages surrounding the town center, most of which look worn down and in need of repairs. There are young children running in the street, and honestly, I’m pleasantly surprised that it feels similar to Staghorn, even though it's clearly smaller and less well-maintained.

I head for the tavern to see if they have any rooms and rub Shadow’s neck fondly before simply leaving her by the water trough. She could be gone for all I know when I come back out, but again, she’s not really mine to begin with.

I step through the narrow doorway and into the tap room, instantly bombarded with the familiar, malty smell of ale. My boots stick slightly to the floor as I pass over the worn wooden slats, but I press on through the small, dimly lit building, looking for the owner. A middle-aged woman with ashy blonde hair and a generousbust is filling tin mugs from the sticky cask behind the bar, and I head toward her to inquire about a room.

The bar is crowded enough that no one really seemed to notice me when I walked in, and I would prefer to keep it that way. I don’t really want to draw any attention to myself, at least not until I get a better feel for the people here. As I approach the bar, the woman places a beer in front of me before I can even open my mouth, and I try my best to smile at her in thanks. I haven’t eaten much all day, and my stomach growls impatiently as I take a sip of the yeasty brew.

“Not from around here, are ya?” the woman asks, making me choke on the ale going down my throat.

So much for going unnoticed.

Instead of answering her question, which she obviously already seems to know the answer to, my voice shakes as I ask,“Do you have any rooms available for the evening?”

The woman eyes me warily for a moment but answers my question in her husky voice.“Two silvers.”

I fish into my pocket and pull out the amount she requested, trying not to be too obvious that I’m carrying much more than that in the coin purse my godfather gave me. I slide the coins across the bar to her and she sweeps them off the table and into her apron pocket before motioning for me to follow her. She leads me up the stairs in the back of the tavern, then down a narrow hallway to the last door on the left. She pushes the door open for me to reveal a surprisingly nice room with an actual bed and mattress, a small wooden table and two chairs in the corner, and a fireplace that’s already been lit. There’s a wash basin on the table, but it’s empty.

I walk over to the bed and place my knapsack and my bow down, before turning back to the owner.“Would it be possible to have some food sent up?”

The woman snaps her fingers, and a steaming plate of meat and potatoes appears on the table next to the wash basin, accompanied by my ale that was left downstairs at the bar. I try to contain my shock, but I know my eyes are slightly wide.

Of course, we have witches in Staghorn, but none of them tend to use their magic for such mundane things. In fact, many view such flippancy as disrespectful; an insult to Dafina and the blessings she’s given.

“Neat party trick, huh?” The woman winks at me as I continue to stare dumbly.“I’m Marah, and unfortunately, I own this place.” Her laid-back attitude is strangely comforting, but I still feel out of place, an imposter pretending to be a well-versed traveler. Before I can introduce myself, she adds,“Want me to have your beast brought in for the night?”

It takes me a moment to realize that she means Shadow, and I’m sort of unnerved that she even knew about her. I stumble over my answer.“Oh, well, she’s not really mine… I mean, I found her in the woods and she just sort of followed me here.”

“Oh honey.” Marah chuckles hoarsely.“You don’t find a pegasus, they find you. If she followed you here, she’s yours. At least until she decides otherwise.”

Not having known that about the winged creatures, I cock my head and ask her,“How did you even know about her?”

“This is a small town, sweetheart. A stranger walking through with a pegasus at her heels… word travels fast.”

“Right,” I say, nodding.“I guess if she’ll let you, that would be fine, thank you.”

“Anything else?” the innkeeper asks me, turning to leave.

“Some hot water?” I ask shyly, feeling greedy, even though I paid to stay here. She snaps her fingers again, and the basin instantly fills with steaming water, a small bar of soap, and a raggedy towel appearing beside it. I smile at her in thanks, and it feels less forced than I thought it would.

Without another word, she turns and leaves, closing the door behind her. Finally alone, I sink down on the bed and exhale loudly, relieved that my first encounter with a stranger went well.

I quickly take off my boots and walk over to the table, taking a seat in the chair, before quite literally inhaling the meal that Marah provided. I eat it so fast, I don’t even really taste it, washing it down with the ale and feeling full for the first time in days. I shuck my dirty clothes and hang them over the chair, then wash my body as thoroughly as I can with the hot water and soap, scrubbing under my fingernails to remove as much dirt as possible, even though they won’t stay clean for long. I dry myself off with the rag and put on my clean pair of clothes, realizing I meant to do that this morning before I found Shadow. Or as Marah put it, Shadow found me.

Feeling more responsible for Shadow in light of what Marah told me, I decide to check on her before heading to bed. I walk back down the stairs and slip out into the stables unnoticed to find her in the farthest stall, munching on some fresh hay and seeming perfectly content. She whinnies happily upon seeing me, and I walk over to her and rub her nose, instantlyfeeling more at home. I haven’t even been with her for twenty-four hours and she already feels like a part of me, which is strange, but I’m not complaining.

“Beautiful animal,” a male voice says from behind, startling me. Shadow snorts as I jump, but otherwise seems unbothered. I turn around to find a teenage boy, the stable hand by the looks of him.

“She is,” I answer him sort of breathlessly, still reeling from the scare.

“Where ya from?” the boy asks casually, walking over and leaning against the stall next to Shadow’s.

Although I have a pseudonym picked out, I hadn’t thought about whether or not to lie about where I come from, but for some reason, I don’t feel good about mentioning Staghorn, so I lie.“The Southlands.”

“What brings you this far east?” The boy looks me up and down, passing some sort of silent judgment on my appearance.

“My cousin is getting married,” I lie again, having no idea if that answer makes any sense. Back home, weddings are a grand affair, but I don’t know if it’s the same here, or if it would be ludicrous to travel so far to attend one.

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