Trouble at the Scholar's Inn

Part 1

It was unseasonably cold for early summer in the city of Avonshire. Janelle Argos and her best friend, Holle MacLeod, walked through the cobblestone streets as the sun went down over the city wall, casting a red glow across the cloudy sky.

It had been a long day. Janelle had received two more requests for weapons training. Her days were really starting to fill up. All of her students were women who wanted to learn how to defend themselves, and nothing pleased her more than when one of them told her of how her lessons had saved their lives.

Janelle had been raised by her father and brother. Her father was a general in the Free Company, a mercenary army of some renown. Knowing that one day, after he left, Janelle would be on her own, Felix had trained her how to fight since she was nine. Five years ago, Felix followed in their father's footsteps.

She glanced over at her friend, Holle, a Caledonian by birth. She was a bit shorter than Janelle, her full figure and pronounced breasts struck quite a contrast to Janelle's lean and muscular build, as did the rest of her looks. Holle had flaming red wavy hair, unlike Janelle's straight black locks. She also had piercing green eyes, whereas Janelle had brown. The most striking contrast was her clothing. Holle wore a black shirt and the traditional yellow and black tartan kilt of clan MacLeod, while Janelle wore black doeskin pants, boots, and a dark blue shirt. Even their choice in weapons couldn't be more different. Janelle favored the quarterstaff, but also kept a sturdy dagger at her waist. Holle had her bow strapped to her back, along with a quiver of barbed arrows. The only thing they really had in common was their disdain for the traditional roles of women in society, but that fact alone was enough to make them the best of friends.

"Your father closed up his cart late today," Janelle said.

"Aye, and if ye hadn't helped us close up, we'd still be workin'. Thank ye."

Janelle waved in dismissal. "Think nothing of it. Always happy to help a friend. Any idea why he was so busy?"

"Aye, tomorrow is Sunday, an' the Church insists that all 'merchants o' vice' close their carts down on a day of worship," Holle answered. "Everyone buys twice as much ta get them through. Da won't be openin' t'morrah. Not worth it only bein' able ta sell pipes n' sulfursticks."

Janelle shook her head in disgust. "That is such a stupid rule! If people are going to buy twice as much the day before, what is the point?"

"Ah don't know! Maybe it gives 'em some kind of holy thrill down in their jumblies."

Janelle laughed deeply. While she believed in God, she had no love for the Church, or rather the higher-ups who insisted on keeping up appearances. If there was one thing she hated, it was hypocrisy. They insisted that poverty was a virtue while they lived like kings at the holy trough.

"Why is Iberian Nightshade considered a vice?" Janelle asked.

"Ah asked Eleenia before she left. She said that when the Iberians brought it back from th' western world, them there savages over there used it in their pagan worshipin'. An' when ye smokes it a lot fer a while, ye get all ornery when ye try ta stop."

Janelle's thoughts turned to their mutual friend, Eleenia, a healer in training. She was by far the most brilliant woman they had ever met, and probably the most brilliant person for that matter. She had met El at the Scholar's Inn five years before when she came to the University. She was the only daughter of Lord Alexander Ki Kalendeen, a famous general from the south. Eleenia was playing in a King's Table tournament. The odds were so stacked against her that Holle and Janelle wagered heavily on her. When she won the tournament, her opponent took the loss personally and tried to get violent. Janelle and Holle stepped in and gave the man and his friend a good thrashing. Afterwards, over the objection of her brother Gabriel, El asked Janelle to train her, since the weapons school denied her request to study martial arts because she was a woman. She was Janelle's first and best student, and was now a very close friend.