2 WEEKS LATER, AFTER GETTING KICKED OFF THE WAGON, STEALING LAUNDRY AND EATING BUGS
As she emerged from the wood onto the Mortal/Faerie border, Sabrina was utterly pissed.
She couldn't remember the last time she bathed, she was wearing a man's dirty clothes, her hair had bits of grass and dried mud in it and her mount was a mangy old dapple gray mare that could barely canter at the speed a regular horse could walk.
She wished to any deity who'd listen that she'd made decent distance between her and Luminton (her queendom, if I forgot to mention the name).
Dapple trudged along the well-beaten track, her old joints creaking. At first, she felt sorry for the horse, but now she was just jealous of her longevity; this animal was 43 years old. She had great-great-great-great-grand fillies who had died from old age. Sabrina doubted she'd live to that age.
After a day or so of trudging, they came across a funny little wooden sign. Sabrina had stop her horse to read it since the print was so fine:
ʙᴇᴡᴀʀᴇ ᴛʜᴏꜱᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴛᴀɪɴᴛᴇᴅ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛꜱ
"Huh," she wondered aloud, "that's ominous."
She asked Dapple to walk, and they continued down the dirt road without another thought on the sign.
The night was falling hastily, but lucky for Sabrina, she had found a tavern not far from the strange sign. She found a stable beside it to tether Dapple at. For a second she was worried someone might try to steal her.
Who am I kidding? No-one wants this old fucker. She realised, endearingly.
Walking up the stairs to the tavern, she took in a deep breath. The air was cold and tasted like smoke.
She opened the door and was hit by a wave of heat. There was a bar, a fireplace, rooms upstairs (she presumed).
Perfect. She sighed, relaxing for the first time in forever.
She strode into the tavern, confidence spilling from her every pore.
She passed an old drunkard and met his gaze. He smiled in recognition, "hey princess!" He hollered.
Is he mocking me?
Sabrina was furious. She pulled a knife on him, pressing it against his saggy neck.
"Don't you say another fucking word to me, okay? I can't deal with your shit right now." She hissed, her had shaking in anger.
The old man gave her a tight-lipped nod.
Sabrina gripped the dagger tighter, "I won't hesitate to spill your guts all over this greasy floor."
The man looked awfully concerned.
"Oi,"
A voice yelled at her.
"If you can't behave, you have to leave." It was the bartender. The tavern was silent for a second. Everyone believed he was addressing them, specifically. They saw he was looking at Sabrina, so they resumed their chatter.
Sabrina put the dagger in her sheath and strutted towards the bartender.
"Is the floor really that greasy?" He questioned her as she approached.
"...It's pretty greasy." Sabrina responded, unfortunately.
The man sighed, drying a mug with a rag "I'll have to clean it tomorrow."
"Can I get a room?"
"Sorry, we're full." He said, his voice laden with apologeticness.
"Aw, c'mon." Sabrina egged.
The young man shrugged.
"There's gotta be someplace free..."
"Sorry, ma'am."
"I have money - look - I - I can pay in labour! I'm a decent cleaner..." She lied.
"It's not that I don't want to give you a room, I just don't have space-"
"-I'll mop your floors! Please... I don't want to sleep outside again."
He gave her another apologetic look, but he wasn't wavering. Sabrina got an idea.
"There has to be some sort of storage room - what about the attic?"
She saw something in his eyes. He suppressed it quickly, but Sabrina wasn't fooled.
"I, uh, don't have an attic."
"-Don't lie to me, I saw it from outside."
The bartender looked defeated. Sabrina took this chance to rush upstairs and check it out.
"Wait, stop-" The bartender called after her. Sabina halted, surprised by the imperativeness in his voice.
"What?" Sabrina turned to face him.
"Are..." He paused, trying to find the right words, "are you a good person?"
"What...?"
What kind of question is that?
"If you're not... please don't go up there." He begged.
"Why?"
He didn't know how to respond.
Sabrina chewed her cheek, "does this have something to do with that weird sign? Did you put that up?"
The bartender looked at his feet subconsciously.
Ah, whatever. Sabrina rushed upstairs.