Walking between the tables, Jack and Bren moved toward the entrance. The outside had been filled with chatter and laughter, and now Bren opened the door and let the noise from inside spill out clearly.
Playful songs and cheerful voices. The smell of beer and fried fish in the air. There were many types of people inside.
The bottom floor was the tavern proper. Above it an open upper floor overlooked the room below, lined with doors to rooms — less of a tavern, more of an inn.
There were common workers like Jack, eating and drinking with their friends. There were loners drinking their sorrows away. And there were the more well-off, ship captains and traders, settled at their own tables.
Nearby those clients were women who seemed to work here as attendants, bringing drinks. Their clothes were decent quality but not modest, and they kept close to the drunker, wealthier customers.
While Jack stood taking in the whole space, Bren had already walked toward the long bar counter.
He left me behind!
On his right, a female voice and a gentle hand nudged him slightly forward. "Pardon me."
Immediately after, a drunken man's voice. "Yeah! Excuse her!"
Moving aside, Jack watched one of the attendants and a drunken captain move past him and up the stairs he had been blocking, heading toward one of the rooms above.
Damn it Bren, you brought both Aldric and I to a brothel disguised as a tavern?
Jack made his way to the bar where Bren was waiting.
Bren looked at him. "What took you so long?"
Before Jack could respond, a deeper voice cut in. "Jack, I haven't seen you in a fortnight."
The voice belonged to the barkeeper. A tall old man, broad across the shoulders, with a brilliant gray mustache and a bald head.
"Is Delma keeping well?" he continued. "Tell her to come by here if she gets the time."
"She is," Jack said. "Just this morning she was lecturing me."
The mustache man let out a short laugh. "Heh. Sounds like her alright."
"Anyway, what do you boys want?"
Bren answered. "We'll have a beer, a water and a serving of small fried fish." He looked at Jack.
"I'll also have a beer," Jack told the barkeeper.
"Water?" The barkeeper raised an eyebrow. "Is Little Priest Aldric also here?"
Bren grinned. "Yeah, he's outside keeping a table."
The barkeeper took two leather tankards and walked toward the barrels in the back, talking as he went. "Keeping table and keeping away from the wenches as always."
He returned with the beers, set them down, then took a third tankard through the counter-side door, leaving a few words behind.
"It'll be eight flora. Throw them over the counter, I'll pick them up when I'm back. I'll have one of the wenches bring you the food."
Bren counted his coins. He had twenty flora left. He took eight, leaned over the counter, lowered his fist as close to the wood as he could, and let them drop.
Jack stood drinking, listening to the music, letting his eyes wander across the room.
He was looking at the women working the room. He felt both enamored by their beauty and sad for their situation.
I guess this is also the reason Aldric chose to stay outside. And thanks to the barkeep I now confirmed he is Aldric.
Bren glanced at him. "If you'd like, I can also pay for a wench. If you want."
Jack choked on his beer.
Bren started laughing, uncontrollably.
Still catching his breath, Jack managed to speak between coughs. "Cough! Cough! Damn it.. Let's just go outside. We're keeping Aldric waiting."
Bren picked up his beer. "Alright, let's go!"
. . .
Outside "The Sixth Tavern."
The sound of the instruments was muffled again out here. The air had grown chilly.
Jack and Bren carried their drinks and looked around until they spotted Aldric sitting at one of the tables near the edge, a leather tankard of water in front of him.
I see. So big baldy went to meet with Aldric.
The two of them walked over. Jack set his beer on the table and sat down. Bren sat on the other side next to Aldric.
"Did big man Chel come to chat you up?" Bren asked.
Aldric lifted a hand, palm out. "We only greeted each other. Nothing much."
The two of them kept talking. Jack drank his beer and listened.
I think I made a mistake earlier in the day. I didn't even consider the fact that taverns existed in this town. But this is a golden opportunity. If I ask the right questions I will have no problems regarding my identity..
He set the beer down and finally spoke, cutting into the conversation.
"Say. Did something interesting happen while I was gone?"
Bren took a moment. "Boss is gonna meet with the Count."
Leaning on the table, Jack looked at Bren.
Meet with the Count? I read the notice so I think it's safe to assume this 'boss' is Captain Varen.
Feeling the first edge of the beer, Jack noticed one of Chel's girls come from behind Aldric and set a bowl of fried tiny fish on the table along with some small bread. She kept as close to Aldric as she could manage while he did his best to lean away and look elsewhere.
Jack's mouth twitched.
I think Chel asked her to specifically do this to Aldric.
She left just as she had arrived, finally giving Aldric some peace.
Jack just shoved the little fried fishes in his mouth, They were small enough that he could just chew on them without choking on the bones, the taste was simple but lacking in condiments.
Aldric looking at Jack gulping down on the poor fishes asked. "Jack, when will you come back to work?"
..will saying that I'll come when I find it work?
"I think I'll be able to come tomorrow," Jack said.
Aldric took a sip of water and looked at him. "Are you sure you don't want to stay at the church for a little while? The housing provided by Mardrago Church is much better than the camps the Salvation Church has set up."
Jack wiped his mouth with his fingers. "I'll still need a while before giving you an answer."
". . ."
Bren watched the two of them and decided to enter the discussion. "Hey, since you want to come tomorrow, what do you think about sleeping at my place?" He reached into the bowl and took some of the fish before Jack could devour the rest of them. "It's better than walking to the other side of town in the middle of the night."
Bren.. You just never miss when I need you. And I've only known you for a few hours.
Jack smiled. "I'll take you up on that offer then."