“Come back soon!” My-re called out to the merchant group as they hastily left the Broken Sword Tavern. The Shewish Giant, Gromp, emerged at the door and seemed satisfied at the gait they were leaving. He then turned to her, nodded, and went back inside. Watching the merchants round the corner, she muttered in the Rirorni native language of Rathiri something that roughly translated as “the holes on donkeys’ backsides”.
My-re heard a snicker behind her. A young man walked past pulling a tired-looking navy blue cloak around himself for warmth, as the wind blew his brown hair wild. He shuffled along the dirt road in old, worn shoes towards the back of the tavern. Normally, she wouldn’t have given a common peasant a second glance, but the blue cloak reminded her of a similar one she wore growing up in the Rirorni Empire. Besides, he did seem to understand what she just said in Rathiri.
He rounded the corner and she followed caring the two sacks of trash. The peasant began to rummage through the multiple, large garbage containers housed out back, as if looking for something, maybe something to eat. She felt horrible that a person would need to go through the likes when they threw out perfectly good, uneaten food at the end of the day.
“Hey, are you hungry? My-re asked.
The hungry peasant looked up and nodded.
“Come around closing time and I’ll get you something to eat. I can’t promise what, but it’ll be good,” My-re said and put the two sacks of trash in a receptacle. Proceeding to head back to the tavern she sighed realizing there was still another four to five hours of constant work ahead. She then got an idea.
Testing him, My-re asked in Rathiri, “Do you speak Rathiri and would you like a job?”
Before he could answer a voice behind her called out, “Where is your axe now little lass?”
Great. My-re had heard that voice before.
Turning she saw three soldiers. The leader, older than the others, nudged his companions having gained her attention. They were the same ones from a few weeks back. She remembered the leader clearly, as he had planted his hand on her backside the last time they met.
“How the wrist?” My-re scoffed remembering throwing him out of the bar; roughly.
“Doing just fine. If I recall correctly you were going to take it with your axe, but I don’t see it,” the soldier’s leader said glancing round her. “All I see here is you and a bunch of waste. Oh wait, that’s just a peasant.”
This elicited snorts of amusement from his two companions.
“So, I take this isn’t a social call?”
“Nope.”
“Very heroic of you cornering an unarmed woman.”
“Oh, we aren’t armed either. It’s just you and me little lass. However, considering you are a Blood Games champion and a Lord Protector and I’m just a common soldier, I see the odds are in your favor.” He then began to crack his knuckles loudly, one after the other.
“Just you and me? A stand up fight?” My-re asked.
“Well you see, my mates make it a stand up fight. Time to have some fun gents. Get her!”
My-re pivoted into a defensive stance.
The ringing sound of a blade, slowly being drawn from its sheath drew everyone’s attention. Looking behind her, the hungry peasant had just cleared a great sword from an elaborately decorated leather housing. He went into a solid, fighting stance, which seemed to demonstrate he knew how to use the weapon. He narrowed his eyes at the soldiers and wrung his hands around the weapon’s hilt.
The three soldiers stopped and stared at the gigantic sword. They slowly backed away. “We’ll catch up later lass…when your boyfriend isn’t around.”
As the three retreated, My-re called back. “You know where I am…and he’s not my boyfriend!”
My-re whirled on the man, marched up to him and jabbed her finger into his chest. “Hey, I didn’t need to be rescued and I didn’t say anything about asking for help.”
The hungry peasant sheathed his great sword, strapped it to his back, and replied, “No, you didn’t, but you did say something about a job.”