CHAPTER 8

Andrea

The morning sun kissed my face warmly and my weary eyes fluttered open. I stirred on the old bed, stretching my arms above my head.

Footsteps shuffled outside briskly, like everyone was hurrying somewhere. Children wailed, mothers whined and nagged.

I sat up on the bed, my fingers digging into my ruffled hair as I waited patiently for my brain to fully wake up.

A soft knock on the door disrupted my solitude and I reluctantly dragged my sore legs to see who the caller was.

“Good morning miss Andrea..” the owner of the tavern greeted, his creased eyes smiling warmly at me like a father would smile at his little ones.

“Good morning sir…” I greeted back.

“Please call me Don… it’s short for Donovan.” His voice dropped weakly as his frail fingers held on to the hinges of the door.

“I just wanted to let you know that your sister mentioned that your journey to this place was a long and tedious one. So you can take the day off to rest fully, then you can resume tomorrow..” he offered.

My heart warmed at the gesture and the little fear I had at the back of my mind suddenly disappeared.

“Thank you so much Don, but I’m sure I can handle it.. it’ll be my little way of showing my gratitude for letting me stay here..” I responded firmly.

He opened his mouth to protest, but I already make up my mind to work. The more time I stay alone, the more I’ll drown in my thoughts and I promised Clover that I wouldn’t.

After I shut my door, I gulped down some water from the jar beside my bed and went into the washroom for a bath.

The morning air in this part of the world was a lot colder than the morning air in our pack. The atmosphere was chilly and even after I tucked myself into a fur coat, my lips still quivered.

I strolled into the tavern through the back and met Don barking orders at everyone. The moment his eyes fell on me, his tone shifted into something warmer and more welcoming… like he was trying to make me feel comfortable.

“You really are as stubborn as Clover. But I’m glad you’re here nonetheless..” he muttered, patting my back as he walked me to the counter.

“This is your duty post. You’ll be in charge of preparing orders for the servers to carry, is that okay?”

I nodded, sliding into the counter and awaited my first order.

My first day at the tavern wasn’t as strenuous as I imagined it to be. All I did was mix and pour, not very much people wanted complicated rum.

Don walked by a couple of times, checking to see if things were going well and with the smile on his face, I could tell I surpassed my own expectations.

Night drew near faster while my hands worked and before I could even blink, a few days had swept past.

Clover visited like she promised, but he stay wasn’t a long one.

“Are you sure you can’t just stay over? Just for the night? I really have so much I want to say to you..” I whined as I walked her to the door like a woman seeing her husband off to war.

“Andrea you know I wish I could…” she responded softly, tilting her head to the side. “But there’s a plague outbreak in a lower ranked pack. I have to be there for them because there’s no other healer that’s willing to cure them without heavy payments..”

My lips curved up in frustration, a soft sigh parting through my lips.

“I understand…” I managed and she wrapped her arms around my neck.

“You be safe okay? I’ll come visit you again… I too have a lot that I wish to say to you..”

I nodded and waved at her horse until it was far out of sight.

Days passed and I kept myself busy with the tavern duties, paying no attention to the loneliness gnawing at me.

I already became familiar with quite a good number of the men and women who frequented the tavern.

From the market trips I took, I learned a few things about the pack, mingled with their women and even tuned in to most of the juiciest gossip around.

My life hadn’t taken a dark turn as I thought it to… a part of me missed my home.. my roots. But a bigger part of me wanted nothing to do with the people who looked me in the face, despite my loyalty and my trust, and betrayed me.

Now in this strange land, I had reason to live again, I wasn’t revered or feared, but I had people who made me feel alive again and forget my worries. I was no longer just surviving.. I was living.

The pack’s annual color festival had drawn closer. I already picked out a beautiful dress from the market and I knew what specials to include on the order board.

The tavern was packed with folks from every corner of the village. The larks played, tunes rose into the air and I mixed rum like I had never mixed before.

But through all that noise, there was a stillness that I longed to be filled up. My eyes lingered on the door every now and then.

I waited patiently for Clover’s arrival because in the letter she wrote me recently, she indicated that she’d attend the festival. I saved her a drink, one of her favorites.

The night stretched on, and still there was no sign of her. Music played far into the night and the folks were still asking for seconds and thirds.

Finally, the bell jingled and my heart leapt. A smile plastered on my face as I spotted the cloaked woman step into the tavern.

“Hold this for me will you?” I urged the woman beside me as I darted out of the counter and headed towards the door.

A familiar scent pricked my nose and I halted in my tracks, the smile on my face fading slowly.

The hood over her head dropped and that red hair glistened under the flickering tavern lights. Her beady eyes pierced through my soul as I stood there, motionless.

“Hello again, sister..”