In Which Evaleith Opens an Oft-Trodden Path

February 4, 1164

The inn was not as busy as Evaleith might have hoped, but at least it was not empty. An unoccupied place did have its advantages, especially when one knew that one would have to sleep there that night, but she could not pay for a bed on her own. She would have to get a different way--the same way she had fed herself for years, the same way she had always bounced between buildings from night to night, the same way she had put herself on that ship and made it all the way to Naroni.

The innkeeper met her gaze and frowned. "A little cold to be out without a cloak, wouldn't you say?"

Evaleith shrugged. She had traded her cloak for some bread about half an hour prior, but he didn't need to know that. "I'm fine."

He appeared unconvinced; hastily, she looked away. "Can I help you with something?"

"Seoth!" scolded a mildly drunken man from the table by the stairs. "Your wife's just in the next room, you bastard!"

The man's friends began to laugh; the innkeeper's blue eyes narrowed. "I can throw you out of here, you know!"

"Can you throw me into your wife?"

"Shut up, Florian!" he spat, before turning back to Evaleith. "Now, do you need something, or...?"

She silenced him by pressing her finger to her lips. "One second."

Ignoring his marked confusion, she took a moment to study the inn's patrons. From what she could see, the men at the loudmouth's table were rather better-looking than the ones at the other table, but to her dismay, the two dark-haired men and the blond all wore wedding bands around their fingers. The auburn-haired one did not; she started to approach him, but it wasn't long before one of his friends inquired about his daughter. Anything that could be asked about a child--name, favorite color, general health--provided ample opportunity for conflicting accounts, and that was one thing she did not want to risk. Resigned, she looked to the other table.

Two of them wore rings. Of the other half of the party, one was rather old and did not look the type to go along with such things. The other, however, met her eyes and sent her a wink; he would have to do.

"Well, aren't you a pretty little thing!" the man chuckled as she strode toward him.

Evaleith sniffed. "So I've been told."

"I'm sure. Now, what can I do you for?"

She peered down at him, arching her brows and widening her eyes; she figured she might as well be direct with him. "I need money for a bed tonight."

The man frowned. "What's in it for me?"

"You can share it."

Sending a parting gesture the way of his fellows, he pulled himself to his feet and brushed past her, pressing some cold metal coins into the palm of her hand. "Meet me upstairs," he whispered. She felt his fingers spider their way up her side until they reached her thigh, then he removed his hand and proceeded to the staircase. Somehow, she doubted he had much experience; she may have just earned herself a long, painful night.

Ah, but she could not dwell on such thoughts, she realized as she approached the innkeeper and shoved the coins into his fist. "One bed, please. Forgive me for making you wait, I just needed to talk to my husband."

"Husband?" the innkeeper repeated. "I didn't know Roveln had a wife."

Damn--the man was a regular. Hmmm... "I don't leave the house very often, and he's quite private about his personal life, you know."

"That also explains why you want a bed here when you have a house a minute's walk away."

Did he? "Oh, well... we just want a change of scenery. You know how it is, right?"

The innkeeper rolled his eyes. "Well, you certainly chose the right place for scenery."

"My husband likes this place," Evaleith insisted.

"I'm sure," he sneered. "Look, I'm sorry if you're down on your luck, but you have to understand that I'm trying run a clean establishment here, all right? I don't want the beds in this inn being used for any funny business."

He'd hit the nail right on the head; it was imperative that she didn't let him know that. "I don't like what you seem to be implying, sir."

The innkeeper sighed. "If I'm much mistaken, then I'm sorry, but you really can't blame me for finding this scenario rather odd. Now, run along, before I change my mind and give you back your money."

Nodding, she scurried up the stairs and made her way into the bedroom. She would have to warn the man to keep it down.

"What took you so long, girlie?" he teased as she stepped inside. "Old Seoth giving you grief?"

Evaleith closed her eyes. "If he asks, you're my husband."

"And what would my wife's name be?"

"I'll leave that up to you," she muttered as she released her curls from her braid. "Can you untie my dress for me?"

He smirked. "Don't think I won't."

She turned around and allowed him to lay his eager hands upon her. His clumsy fingers fumbled with the strings--even more reason to suspect he didn't have much of an idea as to what he was doing. If the bed wasn't warm and comfortable, she would know she had been cheated.

Finally, the dress fell to the floor; the man's hand, however, hovered over her back. "So beautiful," he breathed into her ear. "So magnificent..."

She didn't know how much more of this she could take.

Eager to get it over with, she turned on her heel and put on her most charming smile. "Let's just... proceed to the fun stuff, shall we?"

The man emitted a wicked laugh--this was really getting to be too easy. "Can't say 'no' to that now, can I?"

"Can't imagine why you would."

With all the giddiness of a boy half his age, he dipped her in his arms, planting kisses on the front of her neck, drumming his fingers against the small of her back. The glide of his tongue across her breasts sent a familiar tremor throughout her skeleton; that path had been trodden many more times than she herself had years.

Finally, a distinct hardness pressed itself against her thigh; she giggled throatily, then pushed him to the bed and slid herself between his open knees.

"All right, Tiger--time to take off those clothes and get your money's worth!"

NEXT CHAPTER: