Page 24 of Heir of the Autumn Queen

I dismount from Shadow, trying not to draw any more attention to myself than I already am; although people are bound to stare given Shadow’s uniqueness. Most people look in our direction a few seconds longer than what’s considered appropriate, but it’s a big enough place, with hundreds of people hustling about their business, that we go unnoticed by many.

I walk the streets in search of an inn to stay the night in. There are several options, and I choose the nicest looking one, hoping they’ll have an actual tub for me to bathe in after our night in the woods. I leave Shadow by the water trough once again and rub her neck a few times before heading inside. She seems more on edge here, most likely from the sheer number of people around.

Upon entering the two story building, the familiar smells offood and ale hit my nostrils, along with something new and foreign that I can’t place. I take in my surroundings, not finding anything out of the ordinary. There aren’t many people in the current space, but it’s only the middle of the day, so I imagine it will be much busier come this evening.

Just as I did in Marah’s inn, I walk up to the barkeep and state my business. “How much for a room?”

The stout, balding man sizes me up, his eyes lingering on my chest for longer than they should, before cracking a crooked smile full of yellow teeth and answering. “For the hour, or the night?”

I realize all at once that the smell that was unfamiliar to me was… sex. Musky and slightly sweet, the smell of human bodies and arousal becomes so much more clear. This is a brothel, definitely something we don’t have back home, at least not officially. I keep my face straight, pretending like I was expecting his question.

“The night,” I say, hoping to convey with my serious expression that I’m not looking for any kind of companion to accompany my room.

“Three silvers for a shared room, five for a private one.” The owner fills a mug with ale for the patron that just sat down next to me, who’s already reeking of stale alcohol.

I think back to Marah’s inn and how nice it was, and she only charged me two silvers for my private room. I try to barter with him, getting the feeling that he’s trying to rip me off. “I’m no fool.” I hold his stare and narrow my eyes. “I’ll give you three for a private room and boarding for my mount.”

There’s a flash of amusement in his eyes as he shrugs innocently. “Four, and we’ve got a deal.” I know he’s probably still overcharging me, but I don’t want to offend him by insisting that his establishment isn’t worth what he’s charging.

I nod, conceding.

“Lucas will show you to your room.” He jerks his head toward the young man behind the bar who sighs heavily, but comes around the front of the counter and motions for me to follow him.

Just like in Ockchester, the rooms are up the stairs in the back, but this place—which Lucas tells me is affectionately called The Twisted Coyote—is much larger. Even in the middle of the day, I can hear grunting and heavy breathing coming from some of the rooms we’re passing, so I imagine business is booming.

Lucas leads me down the hallway to the third door on the right and opens it, stepping back with a small bow. I’m pleased to find a small tub in the corner, along with a larger bed and a high-backed chair with a side table positioned in front of the fireplace. It smells and looks clean, so I place my belongings on the bed, settling in.

“Which beast is yours, miss?” Lucas calls out, still standing in the hallway.

“The pegasus,” I answer, a small smile tugging at my lips as his eyes widen. “You can’t miss her.”

He nods curtly before disappearing back down the hallway to go and fetch Shadow and bring her into the stables.

I take off my boots and rub my feet, then lay down on the bed to rest my eyes. Before I can drift off, a knock sounds at my door. I roll off the bed with a groan, opening the door a few inches to see who it is before I open it all the way. A young girl stands in the doorway, her head covered in a scarf, her eyes cast downward.

“Is there anything I can get you, miss?” she asks, still staring at the floor.

“Some hot water for a bath, if you’re able,” I say gently, curious about her reticent behavior. She curtsies before walking back down the hall without another word. I sit in the high-backed chair and wait for her to return, noting the apparent lack of magic here, unlike at Marah’s. The fireplace hasn’t been lit, and the maid obviously went to heat some water over a fire, given the amount of time she’s taking.

Several minutes later, the girl returns with two other maids, all of them carrying a bucket of steaming water in each hand. They dump the water into the small wooden tub, filling it and then exiting silently. The first maid starts a fire in the hearth before leaving a bar of soap and a towel on the table for me.

“Is there anything else m’lady?” the maid asks me, refusing to make eye contact.

“No, thank you.”

After she leaves, I lock the door behind her and strip hastily before slipping into the hot water, sighing in ecstasy as the water warms and relaxes my sore muscles. The soap the maid left for me smells of citrus and honey, and I take the extra time to wash my hair, scrubbing my scalp and body thoroughly. I stay in the bath until the water is lukewarm at best, and reluctantly step out and dry off, putting on my clean pair of clothes and brushing through my hair with my fingers before plaiting it loosely. I feel genuinely clean for the first time in about a week, and it does wonders for my attitude.

I look out the window to the street below as the bell in the temple chimes five. I hadn’t realized how much time I spent in the bath, but my stomach grumbles impatiently, reminding me that I haven’t really eaten anything today, save the few apricots that I found in the forest this morning. I decide to head downstairs in search of something to eat, and before I’m even halfway down the stairs, I can tell the bar is much busier than when I arrived earlier this afternoon.

Roaring laughter and genial shouting abound as many people, mostly males I notice, arrive for food and drink.Or women, I remind myself. I pass a couple on the stairs on their way up to a room, and I give the young woman a small smile, which she doesn’t return. My heart fills with empathy for her, as I can’t imagine this line of work was her first choice, but maybe I’m wrong. I can admit that I’m not the most well-versed in the ways of the world, so it’s possible she enjoys her work… but I got a quick look at the man she was escorting to her room, and I personally can’t fathom enjoying spending much time in his company, let alone engaging in intimate acts with a drunken, dirty stranger.

From what I know of sex, mostly thanks to Briar and her many casual encounters with some of the males and females in our village, feeling physically attracted to the person you’re with is a large part of the experience. But maybe if it’s just your job to have sex with people, being attracted to them isn’t a priority.

I put the young girl and her eager patron out of my mind, embarrassed that I found myself thinking about what they’re about to do up there at all.

I make my way through the crowd to a small table in the corner, and the same maid who drew my bath earlier stops by with a plate of food and a mug of ale, not even bothering to greet me as she hurries away to serve more customers. I poke around my plate a bit to find some kind of roasted meat accompanied by a whole, baked potato slathered in butter and salt. I eat slowly, observing the people around me. It’s not lost on me that there are no other females here besides the workers, be it maid or whore.

I finish my food before slipping out the back door to check on Shadow in the barn. I’m pleased to find her eating some fresh hay in a clean stall, seeming content. I spend a few minutes with her, using a brush I found on the workbench to groom her, trying to get the dust out of her silky black coat. This town seems big enough to have a leathersmith, so perhaps I’ll ask around tomorrow to see about getting a saddle altered to accommodate her wings.

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