Evenfall

Chapter 10 - The Teacup

Maria managed to find lodging at a tavern in one of the wealthier sectors of the city. It was surprisingly difficult to find lodging that catered for horses and caravans as well, but it wasn't impossible.

The room Maria rented for the two of them was generous – far more so than any other city living quarters they had stayed in, which wasn't many. They only stayed in a tavern when using the caravan inside the city wasn't an option. The accommodations Maria had garnered for the two of them had a room with a massive bed and an adjoining washroom. Isa was amazed at the luxury of it all.

Maria had a bemused smirk on her face as she watched Isa gape at the room. Isa blushed and looked down, making her way over to the bed. She wasn't used to her mother showing any kind of emotional interest in her; the past day had certainly been strange.

"So why are we in Emrys?" She asked, sitting on the bed.

"No reason," Maria said, placing her minimal luggage on the floor and coming to sit beside Isa. She promptly fell back and closed her eyes, heaving out a tired sigh.

Isa frowned. "But this is an expensive trip, you must have reason."

Maria's eyes opened as she smiled. "I wanted to do something special for my beautiful daughter." She lifted a hand to stroke Isa's cheek. "I know I don't show it enough, but I do love you, Isabelle."

Isa covered her mother's hand with her own and smiled down at her. It wasn't often that they shared a traditional mother-daughter moment, and Isa found herself wishing it would last. After a moment Maria spoke up.

"Now go," She said, waving towards the door and letting her other arm fall on her forehead. "I know you want to explore. Now's your chance. Let this old hag catch some sleep, she's had a long day."

Isa chuckled as she stood. "You're not old, Madre."

Maria snorted and shook her head, arm covering her wrinkled eyes. "Sweet words will get you nowhere in life, Isabelle." She lifted her arm and winked. "Although it's not a bad idea to hone the skill for treacherous situations. Y'know, just in case."

Isa snorted as she stepped out the room and closed the door behind her, shaking her head. The hallway of the tavern they were staying in was carpeted by a dull sheet of material that could barely be called a carpet. Its red colour was so faded it almost blended into the pale wood floors, and it did little to muffle any sound.

Isa could practically hear the conversations from the other rooms, and some other sounds she wasn't too keen on identifying. She did believe that the building next door housed a brothel. It wouldn't surprise her, as the entirety of the tavern's bottom floor was a bar.

The few patrons that weren't holed up in their rooms loitered in the passage and on the stairwell. Some gave her dirty looks as she eased past them, but she brushed them off and left the bearers with tight smiles. Something in the building smelled awful, but it didn't originate from a single source. It seemed to hang in the air around her, coming from multiple directions at once. She hurried to find the door even quicker when it became stronger.

Eventually she made her way to the front door. The lobby was bustling with people, the air inside the building almost suffocating. This tavern was one of the larger ones in the sector, sporting four floors including the ground one. Isa and Maria were fortunate enough to be staying on the third floor, more than far enough above the noise of the lower floors – and the bar. And, Isa was glad to note, whatever that smell was. It had become stronger the closer she got to the ground floor, but it was barely noticeable in their room.

Though the sun had set less than an hour ago, the bar was already filled to the brim with rowdy men and scantily clad serving women. Isa wondered if the owners had hired prostitutes from the brothel to work as servers. She made sure to stay well away from that part of the tavern – she didn't fancy being groped by multiple strangers, or worse, mistaken for a serving woman. She picked uncomfortably at her dusty dress, dirty from a day of traveling through the polluted streets. She was covered in material from the neck down, and yet she still felt far too exposed.