Page 5 of Steve's Barmaid
“Well, I don’t know if you remember what my job was back on Earth, but I was a bartender,” I said, sounding hesitant.
“I do remember. You said you loved it most of the time. but you wouldn’t miss… what did you call them… lousy tipsters?” She tilted her head.
I struggled to stifle a laugh, “Lousy tippers. Most servers and bar staff depend on tips to earn a living wage where I’m from. If people don’t tip, it makes it hard to pay the bills.”
“Ah, right, right.”
Picking up my train of thought, I continued “Well, Agnarr told me that there used to be a bar here in Fýrifírar, and I wanted to find out more about it.”
To my great surprise, Runa started to look misty-eyed “Já, we did have a bar. It was a very lively and welcoming place. I worked there before it shut down. I was so sad to see it go.”
“Why didn’t you stay on? Run it yourself? You manage this kitchen and feed the entire tribe without breaking a sweat. You could have handled a bar!” Runa seemed completely capable of handling drunken orkin.
“This was árs ago. I was barely of age. I didn’t know anything beyonddon’t spill the drinks on the customers. I wasn’t ready. I would have, had I been, but I was just too young.” She laughed, wiping her eyes.
“And no one wanted to take it over?” I was still confused.
“It was a turbulent time. Ulf had just died. Astrid had only been jarlin for a few árs. She was young to be stepping into the role of jarlin on her own, all while grieving her mate. Some of the elders thought they should rule in her place as a committee until she was older. It wasn’t the time to add me, a brand-new barkeep, into an already tense situation.”
Runa seemed truly sad about the bar’s loss, which I didn’t expect. If there was a good time to discuss reopening it, it was now.
“Do you think the tribe would be ready to reopen the bar?” I asked hesitantly.
Runa looked at me shrewdly. “Do you think you have what it takes to manage a hall full of drunken orkin and humans?”
“I absolutely do. I’ll definitely be hiring bouncers, depending on how seriously orkin take their drinking, but I don’t anticipate that being a problem. I have cut off men twice my size.”
“And you know how to make drinks?” she asked.
“I know how to mix a drink. I would have to learn how to brew liquor. Given that we have had it at our celebrations, is it safe to assume there is an orc that still remembers?”
“And who do you think that might be?” she asked me, grinning, chin resting in her palms.
“Is it you?” I squeaked in excitement. I was trying to keep it cool, but Runa seemed very pleased with this turn of events.
“Já, it’s me. And, considering that it’s drawing close to my time to retire from the kitchens, it is also time to pass this along. I would happily teach you.”
“Really? You wouldn’t feel like I was encroaching on your territory or hurting the kitchen?”
“Really. With Agnarr and Piper settled in and the tribe prospering, I think we are in a good place to reopen the bar. I don’t expect you to run the kitchens; Ottar has been training for that for years, but serving appetizers or handpies at the bar? That seems incredibly reasonable.”
I bit my lip—hard—to stop the tumult of questions I had. What was just a wisp of a dream was becoming very real.
“My one caution,” Runa paused. “One thing I have noticed with young people is that they are always in a rush. And before you go telling me you are well above age, I am seventy-three árs. Listen to a wise old orc. If you want this to be good,take your time. Don’t rush it just because you want it to happen. Let itmarinate if you want to see your vision come to life. Think about what you really want out of this.”
“Of course, of course,” I responded much too quickly, causing Runa to cock a brow at me. I took a deep breath. “Yes, I want to talk to all of the orkin, specifically the elders, who would need to be involved, to make this happen.”
“Well, then, it is settled. Get back to chopping. Let your mind wander and consider your path forward.”
I couldn’t believe Runa was on board, let alone that she wanted to help. “Can I hug you?”
We both stood, and I pulled Runa into a crushing embrace. Her body was a lot smaller than I’d imagined it would be, bonier, like if I squeezed too hard I’d break her. She had worked so long and so hard for the tribe, all those years of pre-dawn porridges and carefully prepared meals. Now it was time for us to take care of her.
CHAPTER FOUR
STEVE
Iwoke up to the sound of Reykr’s snoring. Our tent was tiny, but that hadn’t stopped him from sprawling outlimbs everywhere, leaving me pressed to the far side, with one of his hands hanging over my face. While it was nice that I was warm, I didn’t really appreciate his attempt to smother me in his sleep.
