The Blade Witch: Songs of Eldrin, Book 0.5

Chapter Two - Sweet as Holden Wine

"Such a paltry bunch Helena's put together for herself," the ashah said, turning back towards the serving girl. "But what kind of loyalty can someone expect from people like you?"

The girl raised her hands in surrender, backing away from the counter with measured steps. "I'm not with the broken pillars miss. Least not by choice. I serve them drinks is all, I let them use the place for their meetings, and I let them..." The girl trailed off, looking away with a mixture of disgust and shame. She didn't say the words, but the ashah knew what the girl meant.

"You let them use you when the need strikes them," the older woman finished, stating what the girl was trying so hard to omit. She clenched her fist, suffocating the hungry flames in her hand. The broad-shouldered woman bore an innumerable amount of ways of getting the truth from someone, but she didn't need any of those to tell what this girl was thinking. The ashah could see the suffering displayed plainly on her tensed face. It came from a dark place that she was all too familiar with, having been there herself in times past.

"So that's the way of it then?" the ashah asked. She knew it wasn't her place to pry, but as a servant of the Faith, it was her duty to help the less fortunate, even when she clearly wasn't wanted. "A man named Banor owns this place correct? Your father I'm guessing? I suppose he was forced into an agreement where if he didn't meet their demands they'd beat him to death, assault you in front of him before he died, and burn down the tavern for good measure?" Her words were blunt, but they were honest. That was the only way she knew how to deal with people anymore.

The girl didn't look her in the eyes, instead only giving an almost imperceptible nod. "Something like that miss."

"Of course, it's something like that," The ashah said with a frown. "How else would Helena do her business?" She didn't want to chastise the girl, but if she didn't get a solid understanding in this poor child's head now, then who would? "Listen, I don't know what kind of man your father is, but I do know that he's a fool if he thought he stood anything to gain by bargaining with devils. What he should have done is called in the services of the Faith immediately, or maybe even the damned United if he had any sense."

"We didn't have a choice!" The girl cried out, slamming a tiny fist on the countertop.

A crow who'd taken roost in the darkness of the rafters squawked at the outburst. The black bird took a short flight across the room to reposition itself in the windowsill near the tavern's entrance. Both the ashah and the server watched it for a moment before the girl went on at a whisper.

"No one cares about the smallfolk like us," the girl said. "Pa went to the Faith and all they did was promise to send help that never came, and the United didn't even respond to his letters, even for all their talk of a peacefully unified Eldrin. We didn't have many options. Helena's taken over the city's government and the only people left standing against her are the guardsmen and the resistance. Pa tried to stand up to Helena, but..."

The girl choked on her words as she dredged up painful memories. The ashah could see the trembling in her shoulders and for the first time, she caught sight of the bruises lining the girl's thin wrists. She cursed herself for her lack of compassion, inhaling a long breath of humid air as she tried to come up with a solution that would benefit both the girl and her own mission.

"I apologize for the Faith's absence in the matter, but you should know that they did send someone," the ashah explained. "Goffried happens to be a very busy man though, so I've decided to come as a sort of temporary stand-in."

"And how can you help us?" the girl hissed, her stormy eyes flickering up accusingly. "People like you are only good for gallivanting around causing more trouble for the smallfolk you leave behind to clean up your mess."