3

The town of Leonas is rather small overall but has a large impact on the kingdom. It is located centrally on the way out of the Kingdom so that almost everybody stops in at some point. It is kept small so that the King can more easily keep an eye on the town and not worry as much about things that are happening right under his nose. 

The tavern also serves as the town meeting place in a town this small. It is the perfect place for me to find a job and keep track of the rumors going in and out of the castle. It will be the perfect place for me to bide my time until I can go back to the Thieve's Guild and confront Raoul. I just have to make sure that they want to hire me first.

When I walk in, nobody takes a second look at me at first. Not until I pull down the hood of my cloak and they see my long brown hair flowing down my back. Nobody but nobility normally grows their hair long as it just gets in the way of the commoner's lives. I have always been a thief so as long as I pull my hair back it has never bothered me much. It is not much but it is the only thing of mine that is truly mine and I do not want to see it go. 

They openly stare at me as my hair tumbles down until they see the state of my clothing. My hair might scream nobility but after my run through the tunnels my clothing speaks of homelessness. It might help if they think that I am an outcast from nobility when it comes to getting a job. They will think that I lack in common sense and will open up easier to me. Or, they will not trust me and think that I need to be run off. 

Still, I try to fit a hopeless expression on my face as I walk up to the lady with the big white apron. In my experience this is normally the tavern keeper and the one that I need to talk to about a job. She gives me a once over before smiling apprehensively at me.

"What can I do for you maam?" She asks in a motherly voice.

"I am sorry to bother you but I am desperate. I am looking for a job and I do not know where else to go. Can I work here? Please?" I say adding in a hint of begging.

"If you are willing to do some dishes then I might have a job in the kitchen for you. Is your friend looking for work too?" She asks glancing up at him.

Just as I go to say no he steps up and speaks, "Yes, Maam. I am sorry to ask but I am the reason that we are in this predicament in the first place. If you have anything open then I will gladly take it." 

I wonder what kind of story he is going to try to spin about how we got ourselves into this mess. As I see the tavern keeper look between the two of us I finally see what Hunt is trying to do. He is trying to make it seem as if he managed to get a noble lady, me, to fall in love with him which resulted in me being ousted. Even though I could never see him in such a light I can disagree with the view now. I just have to go with it. 

"I happen to have some work in the stables. I have been i nformed that we are going to be extra busy in the coming weeks and could use the extra hands. I do not have anywhere for the both of you to sleep for now besides in the stables but I can have some cots taken there for you." She says helpfully.

"Thank you, that would be much appreciated." I say honestly.

"I will have one of my children take you out there so that you can put your stuff away and then come back in for some food before you start work. I will not have a couple of hands starving on my watch." She says simply and turns to walk away.

It does not take long for a teenaged guy to show up to walk us outside to the stables. Sleeping outside with horses, hay and any number of other animals is not exactly ideal but at this point I will take whatever I can get. It would be much easier without having Hunt here with me but if he insists on staying with me then I am going to use him. 

The stables are located just behind the tavern. They consist of at least 30 stalls and a large room for tack and feed in the back. The loft is where we are going to be staying and it covers most of the building. Luckily, it is fully stacked with hay at the moment so we should be plenty warm for the night. 

"It is not much but I will help you get to cots upstairs. What made you choose this town anyways?" The young man asks us as he shows us up the stables.

"I simply cannot go any farther. If I could we might have travelled a little longer but I am tired." I say with a noblewoman's air of helplessness.

Hunt sighs dramatically in the background. He must already be tired of my antics. Good, I do not want him to think that he has to stay to protect me. I can do just fine on my own. I need to find a way to convince him to go back to the city and the Thieve's Guild so that he can find out everything that is going on. Somebody set me up and that somebody is going to have to answer for what they did.