Sunday, May 15, 2005

An ordinary day

The door bust open and a well dressed young man came in, shook of his cape and smiled innocently when he looked at her. She couldnt help it, she blushed and almost dropped her plate. "Can I get you a table young sir?"

He blushed slightly and looked down, "yes m'am that would be good."

Her heart reached out for some reason to this young man, "please take this seat, I be right there with you."

She went into the back room, the twins was cooking food for all the guests and the baker sat in the corner trying to open a cage of ale. She stopped slightly, hesitated and looked at him, his shoulders was the width of a door, his arms was all sweaty and when he saw her he smiled widely and nodded at her and she dropped her plate, "oh no, what would he think about me, clumsy and foolish I bet and distracted as the barkeeper when he would see a ladys chest"
She hurried out to get this young mans order since she wouldnt want to stay to show her embaressment any longer.

The room was filled with people, there was a cousy room, Rogur had done a great job with it she aknowledge for herself, the tables which was made of oak and the lighter chairs made out of enhanced drop of seawood which made the room seemed to have a seaworthy feel. The candles and the curtain which she sown really made it an inn to be proud of. The young man sat there and seemed a bit off.

"Hello there again" she said and nodded at him.

He smiled nervously at her, "oh ello there, its my first time being here and I dont know what you have on your menu".

The barkeeper looked down at the tables, saw Kyra talking to a young man, humph, she is as usual on to any man who come in here. But she is really good at getting them at ease and feeling as they was at home.

He looked down as she glanzed over to him as she known he was looking at her.
damn, it seemed as she had eyes in the neck, cursing for himself he went back to serve the ranger who looked he had the need of another ale.

"So", she looked at this young man, "todays stew, and ale then. Its an excellent choice I would also recomend the bread since that is what we are famous of" she smiled friendly at him.
"ah yes, I heard so, I be trying that for sure!"

The sound in the room went down and she turned to see what caused this stir and in the backdoor stood the baker, bringing in the bread and it was almost the same as being in the church for a moment to have the awareness of something bigger in life, he gently brought the plate down and the looks from the people at the tables was a sight to see. The dripping of open mouths could almost be heard and she hoped the floor could handle it.

The young man tugged at her sleeve and said, "now I never seen anything like this since my pig run down my aunt when she was leaning over the bridge and fell into the water, I be sure to test that bread if it be anything left that is?" He looked worried.

"Oh, dont worry, it be plenty enough around and it be interesting to hear your opinion on it." she said knowing this would be a treat for him, since it always was for people who never tasted it before. Sometimes she thought it was too good, it had been a lot of work to get the Inn at the size they could accomendate all the people who wanted to get there dinner here.

The ranger at the bar was looking at her with a frown in his face, almost as he would know her from somewhere. She shrugged it of since no one around would know her here.

She turned back at the young man and said, "I be right back with your supper."

The barkeeper was looking at her again, I bet he is thinking that I take to good time with the coustomers again.
Ah well, lets get this order first.

She passed the baker so closely on the way back and the small touch of his arms sent a shiver down her spine, his handsome looks and his arms which could hold her as strongly as any oak would bring roots down and stay strong in any storm just made her weak. It was foolish though to even think as much she he would not have anything to do with her, who would with her heritage.

Oh, the smell of fresh bread still lingered in the backroom blended with the sour ale and the cooking which was almost as famous as the bread. She thought that the baker really had hired those twins of a chance of luck and they togheter was almost as they where reading each others minds, often spoke at the same time, rarely spoke when they where cooking though she thought but that was just childless thinking, that she was imagining sorcery everywhere. It was all those roumours that had made her jumpy.

She looked at them shaking the feelings of her and said, "I need a todays stew for our new guest out there."

"Yes, m'am be right there" they said in a unison and smiled.

She frowned, she thought I bet they just do that on purpose to me.

She got the plate and bowl of stew and the ale and smiled at the barkeeper.
His eyes dropped down and the ranger put his hand in front of his mouth and she stared at him and said "Your not lauging are you?"

Oh no, Kyra I wouldnt do anything like that to you" and he tried hard to keep a straight face. The barkeeper was looking at them with a confuse look, "You two know each others?" They both turned there heads to him and said "No!"

Kyra took off to the table and he looked at the ranger with a cold stare truying to look offended and the ranger dropped down his head even more and he could swear he chuckled under is hood.
No where to get any help, ah another coustomer, good.
He left the ranger to his chuckles.

The young man stared straight out and came back with when she arrived with the food.
"oh thanks m'am, that looks delicious"

Your welcome young man, I am Kyra, the maidkeeper of the Bakers Inn and if you need anything just call for me.
He smiled, "I will, and my name is Aldric Mason."

"Pleasure to meet you Aldric Mason" she smiled sweetly.

He blushed and tried to hide it by getting down to eat his stew.

Looking at him she remembered the old days when young men could be doing things in peace. He was a soldier or at least in training at least what she could see, but he was so young, so young.
She sighed ah well, what if the roumours are true?

She looked at the stairs where the baker was staring at her sitting there sipping an ale. He lifted it nooded at her and she smiled, this is now and her thoughts lifted high as she felt a rush she hadnt felt since she was a young girl.
All roumours and troubles vanished as she nodded back and did he actually blush?
Nah just wishful thinking and she shoke it off with a shrug.

The rest of the evening went well and she truly felt really happy which she hadnt for a long time.

Morning

He opened his eyes. Where was he? It slowly came back, the haze and fog in his head was still there and created a slow recovery to awakening.
The smell got him back, there was nothing like a good fresh baked bread where the aroma of herbs and the care of a really good baker who knew her thing properly.
Well the bread seemed to be in good hands but what about him?

The fog had started to lift and started to clear his head and now the roof came into view and he suddenly regreted that the fog was gone since now he could see how bad the shape the roof was in. It looked rugged and worn. He really needed to talk to Rogur to fix the roof and to stiff things up before the rain got trough again.
The last time that happen it almost made the inn to close down.

Ah well, lets get up before they burn down the Inn.

Ah, at least Rogur had the decency to get water up for washing. The mirror showed him the scar at his right side where old tissue still hanged dead, "no lady is going to marry me when they see this" he sighed. The other scar that went from the collarbone to the hip was still stiff after so many years and it was a miracle that he even survived that at the time. His image in the mirror faded out and in and he sighed, when is this curse ever gonna go away.

A knock on the door got him out of his mind, "yes?"
'Its, kyra, I was going to inform you that Rogur havent showed up yet.
He problebly is drunk in some corner and sleeping in his own womit as usual.'

I dragged the door open with a wild rush and was out of it passed Kyra which with a suprised look was taken aback and her worn old face for an instant looked 10 years younger. She really had been something then.

I didnt care much for her at the moment even though she looked better than ever since I was gonna teach that handyman how an Inn was run in Tarkanor.
Down the stairs I runned halfnaked with the shirt living its own life when I tried to run and get dressed at the same time, I had just got down the last stair when something in the room got my eye.

There was a table with fresh bread, a hot steaming coffepan and two wild smiling people who grinned so much you would think they would split the face in two.

"What is this" I roamed?

'Breakfurst of course', they both answered smiling.

I turned and there was Rogur, I was about to open my mouth when he lifted his hand, I know, roof, I am on it...He nodded and turned and was gone.

I standed there for an eternity at least it seemed so, the two grinning fools which now was getting butter and some nice ham and cheese on the table and they couldnt stop smiling and smirking at the situation where I was dripping wet, half naked and where I had no pants on me!
With as much pride and dignity I could muster knowing this would be known at the kings halls within the hour and I be hearing this for weeks to come how the baker was naked eating breakfurst, I sighed, it wasnt fair, this was to much for anyone to handle, the uproar of employees. But I get back to them, this will be avanged when they least expected it, the thought of getting back at them was enough for me to start getting the coffe and a big slice of the bread which had a defenitly a new aroma.

I looked at Kyra which now had the decency to come down with my pants so I could be properly dressed.

She smiled widely, looking at my chest she frowned for a second, "here is your hum cloths so you can be considered well dressed as any genteman would be in the morning" I miffed some words behind the bread which was delicious and tasted really great. Kyra was always proper at least until you sip down some ale into her and then you had to stay away since she be all over you, hum maybe that would be taken advantage of in the proper revenge for this morning, that thought put a smile on my face and my beard and she looked supsiciosly at me, "what" she said, "oh, nothing" I said innocently, "great bread, what is it?"

She looked at me, not enterly convinced I was honest with her since she knew me or at least thought so.
"It was Mary who tested some of her ideas and tried a recipe from her cousin in Qualia".
Qualia heh?, that land where the heat could fry a egg on a rock had mustered this kind of bread?
Hum, maybe I would travel there to find out what other things they baked.

Tell those grinning fools and Mary that I appriciate this suprise and the bread taste great!

Now she really looked suspiscioly at me, "You feeling alright?" I smiled innocently, oh yes Kyra, let me get some more coffe and I be taken care of todays preperations. Its a big day today you know.

That morning was one of my best mornings I had in a very long time and I truly enjoyed it.