---Inside the bar of the Dozy'Mare.---
Yervel, Rache, Feryn and Amanda adventurers sat motionless at the wide bar, not stirring an inche.
Still muted upon hearing Magio's declaration of the foods origins and who had truly cooked it for them the night before, letting the mystery of the Grover stew come to its end as they wrapped their minds around the truth they all heard—the words of last night made their hearts beat frantically.
*SQUEAKING OF GLASS.*
Behind the wooden island, the blonde-haired woman swayed as she worked, meticulously wiping the glasses she had stacked on a crudely made rack.
*CLINKING OF GLASSES BEING PLACED DOWN.*
Completely oblivious to the weight of the words she had just spoken to the four in front, her eyes meticulously checked over the glasses over and over for marks and smudges, occasionally lifting them to the light, making sure they were clean inside and out.
The light streaking through the glass grew brighter as someone entered the inn.
*A DOOR OPENENED FROM AROUND A CORNER.*
A commotion by the door grew louder, then fell off as the newcomers came into view as the opening and closing of the bar's main door latch called out.
Laughter and merriness came to an abrupt end well before the two men appeared, which immediately made Magio look past the four still sitting by the bar and the glass in her hand.
Small creaks in the wooden, thin beams sung the song of fresh customers approaching as two worn-out guards stumbled into the bar's main room, their weary bodies and minds searching for a place to sit, the telltale signs of customers wanting to take a load off and a load in.
The commotion that flared up outside was no more; the man with grey eyes pushed it to the back of his mind in an instant as he looked towards the bar, immediately catching Magio's attention, who regonized the man as she smiled, still cleaning the glass in her hands.
Gonf inadvertently saw the other four to the Magio's left, not taking much interest in the young adventurers.
*HAND GENTLY TAPPING THE BAR TOP.*
Magio: (Beckoning the two guards.) It's a bit early, isn't it? 'Chuckling.' Or are you trying to make up for not being here last night? 'Friendly smile.' Come on, take a load off! (Signalling to the bar top.)
The bar lady beckoned the two men to come closer with her warm and comforting eyes.
Magio: Take a seat and have a drink or two... 'Gleeful.' Kick off all your woes; it looks like you need it. Just make sure you, you know... (Rubbing her fingers together, gesturing for payment.)
The two men moved closer, no longer locked at their hips or shoulders in merriness, relaxing as they went, departing from their false brotherly bond.
Byrnn muttered to himself.
Byrnn: Oh god... 'Worried.' If she hears of that, she is going to kill me.
As Gonf moved closer, he could now see the lost look of the four next to him as he ignored the prattling right next to him; the four reminded him of the soul in that dark corridor of dying candles.
Gonf wanted to forget the whole thing; not wanting to concern himself any longer on the matter, he pushed the situation to the far recesses of his thoughts, swiftly returning to a fabricated persona of merriness for the woman smiling at him and the people to his left.
Gonf: 'Groaning.' Morning, noon, or night, ale tastes the same; its a wonder in itself and a miracle I will never get sick of. (Rubbing his scalp.)
Magio smiled at the man's words, still attending to the glasses with the dry cloth.
Gonf: 'Polite.' When you've got two honey-dew ales, we'll have them; we've had a long night at the castle, you see. (Reaching for his pockets.) I just want a drink, then I am heading off to the land of sleep.
In affirmation of the guard's words and the plopping of tired cheeks on stools, the beauty behind the bar raised an empty glass while still wiping it inside and out.
*SHUFFLING OF COINS IN A POCKET.*
Hearing the fumbling of coins and the little shuffles they made riled her up, giving meaning to her role in the new day and the days ahead.
Magio: 'Grinning.' Isn't that the truth! (Brow raising up.) That agreed upon; I don't think your friend has the same mindset as you. (Looking at Byrnn.)
Byrnn, no longer talking to himself, had a stark and worried look in his eyes, not like the four at the bar; this held a deep fear within his soul.
Magio: He looks like someone kicked him in the nuts and stomped on them for good measure. Or is that what you two were doing all night in the castle? 'Cheekily.' I don't judge; we all have our vices.
Byrnn slunk down next to Gonf, his ass hugging the stool while his legs screaming for the coming respite. Then, with cusping of hands enveloping over his weary face, the guard's muffled mumblings slithered through the cracks between his fingers, blissfully ignoring the sexual innuendo from the landlady, lost in his own fears of another woman.
Words trickled past the shuffling of four copper coins in a worn palm that now presented themselves to Magio.
Gonf: Him and me... (Outstretched hand.) He's not my type sadly. 'Joking tone.' As for last night, the same old, same old, the guardly duties of the grunts never come to an end. There is always someone doing something that goes against the guild in one way or another. 'Sighing.'
Magio looked to Byrnn, then back to Gonf at the words of the guild being mentioned; a bad taste lingered in her mouth then passed, swallowing it down.
Gonf: Though I think his wife will be doing that soon enough, once she gets wind of the rumour mill outside. (Throwing a thumb to his right at Byrnn.) As soon as he gets some liquid courage in him, he will be fine. (Raising his arm.) Isn't that right, Byrnn? 'Jovial.'
*A ROUGH SLAPS HIT BYRNN'S BACK.*
A hand came down, crashing into the back of a hunched form; the whip of leather snapped out, almost pushing Byrnn's chest into the bar's edge, nearly winding him.
The action dragged the semi-depressed man back, ending the incoherent mumblings through curled hands; a growing annoyance now began to take its place. Everything that was piling up finally came spewing out.
Byrnn: 'Miffed.' Forget my gonad's when she hears of it... Gonf, my wife is going to kill me! Gonf what the fuck are you playing at... 'Growing annoyed.'
Another realisation took over the worried thoughts of Byrrn—the words of unknown eyes watching them in the market street from before they entered the inn.
Byrnn: (Shooting a wondering look.) What was all that about before? You know about being...
Gonf, turned, meeting Byrnn's wondering look and shot up an open palm, his hollow warmth melting into a cold demeanour, the man from outside had returned once more.
Gonf: (Leaning into Brynn's ear.) Saving your ass, that's what! 'Whispering.' If they caught a whiff of what you said or knew, all you would be drinking now would be your own blood in a back alley, believe me. They are not like the upper tier of the pecking order.
Byrnn slowly understood the severity of his words, not truly thinking on them when he was running his mouth.
Gonf: (Sharp single taps on the bar.) Now, drink, head home, and forget about that lad entirely, and you know who... understand. 'Serious.' You should be concerned about your own family, not a random stranger, right?
Byrnn listened carefully to the words of the man next to him.
Byrnn: I guess you are right... 'Defeated tone.'
Magio observed the two men just for a moment before closing her mind off and shifted a bit closer to the four on her right, giving the two men enough space for a semi-private conversation as she went in search of the ale below the bar.
Instinctively, a soft hand reached to where the bottles of alcoholic nectar resided, knowing full well it wasn't her place to pry but still interested nonetheless. Curiosity always tugging at her morals but being pushed back for her own sake and the bar's sole tenet.
A white blur flew over Magio's right shoulder as she prepared for her duties, the cloth taking its place as part of the woman's attire.
One of the inn's clear rules for all to adhere to was to "See all, but hear nothing. Make sure no one got into a brawl that would end their life, and ignore the words of your fellow patrons; it was a sanctuary for all, good and bad."
For everyone was welcome in the inn, even the lost and forgotten.
Byrnn's now-crumpled aura remained silent as he carefully listened to his fellow guard's whispering wisdom, fully grasping the implications of his loose lips. Byrnn's silence was enough to satisfy Gonf's request, as they didn't discuss the matter any further.
In an unnerving peace, both men waited on the arrival of drinks, ignoring the four to the left, embroiled in their conversation, and adhering to the tenet of the bar.
One of the four sat up.
A soft voice almost broken in its delivery called for Magio's attention for a brief moment. It was coming from the scout of the group, attentive, crimson eyes with a slightly worriedness in their gaze, trying to hide it from the tall woman behind the bar looked up.
Rache: Magio, have you seen Ayrell at all this morning? 'Worried.' We haven't seen him since... 'Stopping.'
Not wanting to reveal anything further to Magio, Rache caught herself at the end of her request.
*CLINKING OF TWO GLASSES ON WOOD.*
Two freshly cleaned glasses were placed on the bar ever so gently, the chipped edges along the rim of the partial ornate patterns—showing the condition of being seconds of a glass-mans trade. The partially transparent material, akin to an incomplete artwork, exuding a subtle green hue, signifying the premature failure of someone's vision, was completed just enough to be admired and used. For a glass was a glass in Magio's eyes.
The tall woman thought on Rache's words, sensing something hidden from the rest of the sentence that never came. A large, clear bottle moved into the hands of the bar lady, the ale's dark yellow contents slushed around, wanting to be freed from its confines, stopped only by the cork.
*SHARP LOUD POP FROM THE GLASS BOTTLE'S TOP.*
Magio pushed the rounded cork with her thumb, releasing the aroma from its prison. As she done so many times before, the small cork shot up.
With perfect precision, she caught the falling top in her left hand in a show of theatrics with no admiration from anyone, an act she did so many times it became the norm for all the see, other than newcomers.
A scent of honey poured out of the bottle and down into the glass, filling just below the rim, then moving to the other. The inn's stale and moody atmosphere danced around the people sitting at the bar as the sweet smell drifted up, leaving not a single drop wasted.
As the honey ale slithered and fell back down the neck of the upright bottle, Magio spoke out, wanting to deal with the two men's drinks before answering or acknowledging the young scout.
Magio: (Thumbing to the top of the glass ale bottle.) I've already told you this. 'Perplexed.'
A worried look washed Rache and the other three.
Magio: He finished cooking his and your meals and went upstairs with them, which is why I said, "I hope you at least enjoyed it together before he left last night." (Recollecting on the morning routine.)
Magio played with the cork in her hand before speaking any further.
Magio: He's usually helping me in the mornings, but he might just be off doing some herb gathering at the edge of the village. (Shuffling the damp cork in her left hand.) You know how he is; that's why I gave him his own key.
Rache's eyes looked down.
Magio: Why do you ask? 'Unsure.'
Magio wanted to slide the ale-filled glasses across the bar in a splendid fashion to lighten the mood of the two men, but the depressed aura of the guards emitted would surely make the glasses slide to their demise. Instead she opted to pick them up and place them in front of the now-quiet men, holding the two glasses in each hand, protecting them in a bar-lady's embrace, while mulling over a recent question in the back of her mind from Rache.
Falling copper coins from Gonf's cold hands replaced the common trade of ale-filled glasses that made her feel warm inside; "drinks for coins" represented a fragment of a landlady's life.
The two guards were now pleased to see their reward for a long night of standing in the dark; both men started to drink. The honey soothing their throats before the ale singed into their mouths and gums.
Both men exhaled in pleasure of the delicacy; honey lingered on their breath, feeling like flameless wyverns as they enjoyed it.
*STOOLS BEING MOVED AND THE PATTER OF FEET MOVING FROM THE BAR.*
Four people to Gonf's left began to move.
Magio could see Amanda, Feryn, Rache, and Yervel moving away from the bar in a huddle that broke apart, quietly discussing something in their group; they were far enough from the bar, away from Magio's ears, and away from the now-drinking guards for their words to be lost to distance.
Magio realised that no answer came to her question about Ayrell.
Magio: Just where are you, Ayrell? (Rubbing the coins between her fingers and the cork dancing in the middle.)
*RUBBING OF COINS AND THE GULPS OF ALE.*
Concerned eyes watched the four in front, bending her tenet. While the man with grey hair thought on the name Magio had spoken of.