The days after the soldier’s visit passed by slowly. Every time the door to the tavern opened, Valeryn could not keep herself from glancing over, her heart racing, expecting a group of soldiers to enter and take her away. Whenever she returned to the tavern after running an errand, she paused in front of the door and took a deep breath before entering, hoping that no soldier had come and no one had been hurt.
The king needs her… Let’s keep searching… with any means necessary…
But while the dread that the encounter left behind was weighing on her, it seemed that everyone around her had already forgotten about it. Her mother worked tirelessly in the kitchens or smiled at customers from behind the bar day in and day out. Her sister served dishes, made their customers laugh and played cards with the regulars until deep in the night as usual. And if it seemed like Triss was glancing over to her more often than usual, and her mother took more time to pause and smile at her than usual, Valeryn was not sure if those gestures of concern were just conjured up by her own imagination.
Her mind was always good at tricking her. It was less like a part of her and more like the shadow of a demon that had taken up residence inside her head.
Standing in front of the tavern door, it would envision in great detail the blood on the walls, the shine of the soldier’s swords and the screams that were waiting for her once she stepped inside. Looking in the mirror, the demon would tell her that she should turn herself in, or her family would die because of her. It was a scary place to be in these days, inside her head. So she tried to focus on work instead as much as possible.
It was a cold and windy afternoon when Misandrys the witch came to visit the tavern. Valeryn dried a clean beer glass with a cloth, her hands dry and cracked from cleaning glasses all day. The cold wind coming from the sea seeped through small cracks in the walls of the tavern, making her shiver.
As it was the middle of the day, it was quiet. Just a few regulars, eating soup and bread for lunch, were sitting on small round tables scattered across the large dining room.
The main room of the tavern was practically her family’s living room, as they spent most of their time working here. It was shabby yet cosy. The candles on each table and on rusty chandeliers hanging from the ceiling dripped wax on the worn-out wood of the furniture and floor. The candles failed to fully illuminate the space at night but enveloped the room in a warm glow. The fireplace across from her kept the room warm but made the air feel stuffy. The worn-out clothes of the people did not enhance the glamour of the establishment, but the laughter that filled the room each night made it a nice place to stay, nonetheless.
She nodded to a regular who entered the tavern and sat down at one of the tables closest to the fireplace. She spotted Triss coming from the kitchen, serving him a steaming bowl of potato soup and a thick piece of brown bread.
Valeryn plopped the glass she had been drying on the bar in front of her and stretched her arms above her head. They had become stiff, and she wished for nothing more than to sit in front of the fireplace for a while, maybe playing a round of card games and tricking some foreign merchants out of their hard-earned money. One of her favourite pastime activities. If card playing had been a well-paid profession in Alea, then Valeryn and her family might have lived in a better part of town.
Growing up in a tavern, Valeryn had watched the regulars play card games every evening since she could remember. Every evening when one of her parents put her and Triss to sleep, Valeryn had begged them to teach her. But the locals used those games to gamble away the last of their meagre pay that they didn’t spend on beer, and her parents thought that this was not an activity a small child should be participating in.
But the older she got, and the more Valeryn watched them play, the better she understood the rules. Much later, she often practised with her friends. Unfortunately, she lost a lot of money that way until one day her father (a renowned card player from his time in the army) finally decided to teach Valeryn and Triss his tricks. He hoped that if he couldn’t stop them from playing, they would at least have better chances at winning.
And so Triss and Valeryn, after years of playing with the regulars, quickly became one of the best players of Underberg. Locals knew this, so they were rarely brave enough to bet against them. But every once in a while, a foreign merchant underestimated the skill of the barmaids at the Merry Lantern, and it was the entertainment of the evening to watch them sweat and lose all their money to Triss and Valeryn.
Valeryn smiled and started cleaning the table closest to the bar, scrubbing the wax off as best she could. If she could force the nobles to stay away with a game of cards, she would. She imagined herself stepping up to the soldier from the House of Spades, saying that if he won against her in a game of cards, she would come with him, but if he lost, he would never set foot into Underberg ever again. That would be the best entertainment of the year. People would even pay entry for that match, she thought.
‘Don’t be silly. Nobles don’t care about peasant games… unless the peasants themselves are the game,’ the demon in her head remarked in a mocking voice.
‘And here I thought I could use my imagination for something motivating,’ she replied annoyedly. She could swear the demon cackled somewhere deep inside her mind.
A ringing noise snapped her out of her thoughts. Someone had rung the little bell that was standing at the end of the bar. This bell was not usually used to order a drink, but it was a bell that was requesting special services. Only regulars at the tavern knew about it, and most people were not brave enough to ring a bell that said:
“This bell is only for guests under the protection of Hebe. Guests ringing it without her protection will face the wrath of the barmaids.”
The wrath of the barmaids was especially feared at the Merry Lantern, as Valeryn’s mother was known to throw a heavy punch when provoked. Hebe was known to be the goddess of cups and drinks in the kingdom of Alea; the regulars at a tavern were thought to have the protection of Hebe.
The bell was rung by a scrawny-looking elderly woman packed in layers and layers of colourful linen so that she looked like she fell into a laundry bag and never truly escaped. She impatiently tapped the bar with her long, thin fingers and blood-red painted nails while her yellow hawk-like eyes that were barely visible followed every one of Valeryn’s steps as she slowly walked over.
“Misandrys. What do I owe the pleasure of your visit?” Valeryn said with a honeyed voice and pointed to the table in the dark corner right next to the bar. Making sure that no one else was waiting for a drink at the bar, she followed the elderly woman who sat down at a wobbly wooden chair.
“Val, dear!” she said in a croaky voice that emerged from somewhere between the colourful shawls. “It has been a while, hasn’t it?”
“It has been too long.” Valeryn nodded. “Can I get you a drink first? You must have come a long way.”
Misandrys fingered the golden rings around her fingers and leaned back in her chair. The witch came to visit the tavern every few months, ever since Valeryn could remember, selling potions and charms or staying for a meal and talking with Valeryn and her family. As one of the local witches of this city, she lived just outside of the town in the forest. Even though no one knew exactly where the witches lived, it was a long way from here to the forest. Witches must have their own means of travelling that Valeryn knew nothing about. She was, however, curious.
“Do not worry about me, child,” Misandrys said, and Valeryn was certain she could make out the woman’s red lips that formed into a thin smile. “I came here to talk to you about something that was stolen from me. I heard you and your sister have means of returning things that were lost to their rightful owners.”
She fixed her eyes on Valeryn, and a shiver went down her spine. It was as if Misandrys was looking right into her soul, as if she knew even Valeryn’s darkest secrets and could see what she was capable of. For a moment, Misandrys seemed to stop in her search and balled her right hand into a fist.
“I see”, she mumbled. Valeryn moved back on her chair, slightly uncomfortable. Whatever the witch saw in her soul, she hoped it was not her memories of gambling merchants out of money or following a soldier from the House of Spades in the middle of the night.
Valeryn coughed. “Yes, you were well informed. Triss and I have the means to gather information on lost or stolen objects. But it comes at a price. Are you willing to pay?” She was not sure in what way she and Triss could find an object that not even a witch could find, but if Misandrys paid enough, she would not question it.
Misandrys produced a gold coin from under her shawls and dropped it on the table. For a moment, the tavern went silent when it dropped with a clonk. How valuable was this object if she would pay a gold coin to get it? Valeryn had a bad feeling about this.
“Will this be enough?” Misandrys croaked.
Valeryn swallowed hard and nodded once. “Tell me about the object that was lost and where you last saw it.”
– – ♠ – –
The tavern filled up quickly that evening. Valeryn was busy bringing plate after plate to the tables and smiling at all the people getting drunker and drunker as the evening went on. Many guests were still discussing the soldier’s visit a few days before. Apparently, everyone knew what he was looking for. The more beer they drank, the more often someone came to Valeryn asking her if she had a sister with blonde hair that she had never told them about. Two young regulars also boasted that they would protect Valeryn should the soldier come back to take her because of her grey eyes.
She laughed at that and gave each of them a free beer. Even though she was slightly embarrassed by all the comments, she was also well aware that none of them had told the soldier about her. According to the soldier, only one old man had talked after having been bribed with a gold coin, but she honestly couldn’t blame him. Most of them had never even seen a gold coin in their life.
Triss had insisted that Valeryn only work in the kitchen from now on, and Triss would take over her position at the bar. If it were up to Triss, Valeryn would stay in the kitchen at all times. But someone needed to bring the food to the tables. Like this, Valeryn could at least escape through the back door should another soldier arrive.
Today, however, it was essential for both sisters to have a good view of the tavern. It was part of the new job for Misandrys that paid better than any job they had received in months. Triss worked relentlessly at the bar, filling up beer glass after beer glass and stirring up conversations with the increasingly drunk guests. In the meantime, Valeryn listened intently to conversations as she passed along the tables.
Even though she tried her best to concentrate and keep a calm face, her eyes darted to the entrance door ever so often. Before the tavern opened that morning, she experimented in the backyard with lighting up a piece of wood and throwing it precisely into a small puddle of oil to light it on fire. That was the best she could come up with in such a short time. In preparation for another noble visit, she had stored a large bucket of oil behind the bar and was carrying matches in a hidden pocket under her waitress clothes. She was not sure her parents would approve of this plan, as there was a high chance the tavern would be damaged, but she told herself it was better than nothing, and she would only use it if worse came to worst.
Let’s keep searching, with any means necessary… The arrogant noble’s voice rang through her mind.
Absent-mindedly she placed her hand on the matches. Don’t you dare threaten my family, my tavern or my life…
The tavern door opened, and Triss’ voice snapped her out of her thoughts.
“Welcome to the Merry Lantern, sir.”
It was their key phrase to let each other know that a stranger fitting the witch’s description had entered the tavern. The stranger’s leather coat and well-kempt hair made it clear that he was richer than everyone here. He smiled a slimy smile at Triss, which she returned with a practised smile reserved only for the most annoying customers.
“Thank you kindly!” he said in an even slimier voice and raised two fingers. “Two beers for me and my companion, if you would.”
On his hand Valeryn could see a thick golden ring with a black stone. She knew this ring very well. Every merchant who entered the tavern had a ring like that. It was a token of proof that someone was part of the merchant’s guild. Very few merchants found their way into Underberg at this time of year as the harsh autumn winds made it difficult to cross the sea. There was a high chance that this merchant was the man they were looking for.
Triss handed them two large beer glasses, and Valeryn followed the man and his companion with her eyes as they walked to an empty table in a corner of the room. The merchant’s companion had the stature of so many of the sailors at the harbour close by. But the fact that he was of a high enough station to accompany the merchant for dinner must mean that he was the captain of the ship the merchant had come with. His hair was brown and slightly dishevelled, his sleeves were rolled up, showing thick, tanned arms, and his coat and boots looked more worn out than the merchant’s clothes, but must have been expensive long ago. There was no ring on his hand.
During the course of the evening, Valeryn made sure to look both men in the eyes and smile brightly when she brought food to their table. For now, she wanted to seem innocent. Later, when they were drunk, she had more than enough time to question them.
“We have a mulled wine on the menu that I can recommend. It is perfect against the cold at this time of year.” She said in her sweetest voice when she set the food down in front of them, observing that their glasses of beer were already empty.
“Bring us a bottle, miss.” The merchant said without hesitation, not wanting to seem cheap in front of his companion.
“Good choice, sir.” She replied, smirking to herself as she walked away. Step one of the plan seemed to be going well. Pretentious people were so easy to manipulate; this would be child’s play.
By the time they had finished their dinner, the kitchen was closing, and Valeryn could continue to the second phase of their plan. She went to a small room behind the kitchen and slipped out of her waitress clothes.
She only owned one dress. It was made of navy-blue fabric, falling just above the knees. Its sleeves were short, open and draping lightly. It was a simple piece of clothing that revealed just the right amount of skin to highlight her silhouette, and it had just the right effect in this part of town to give the wrong impression to a drunken man during a game of cards. Just the armour she needed tonight.
She ran a piece of coal along her eyes and smeared a paste made of red berries on her lips. She let her long brown hair flow over her back and straightened her posture.
Against a soldier in heavy armor she might feel powerless, but a guest at her tavern challenging her to a game of cards was no match for her. Her dress also had a small hidden pocket, and she hid the package of matches in it just in case.
Back in the dining room, she leisurely walked over to the bar and nodded at Triss, who handed her a beer and whispered:
“Good luck”
“Thanks. Heard any rumours yet?” Valeryn replied under her breath.
“Yes, but nothing concrete. For now, I can just confirm that he is the guy we are looking for. Not many other merchants at the harbour today, and no one else matching his description.” Triss nodded at the table in the corner where the merchant and the captain were still sitting.
“Good job, sis.” Valeryn winked at her sister and turned around. She slowly walked over to a table close to the corner where the merchant and the captain were sitting. Some guests had started to play cards, and already a stack of copper coins was piling up on their table. A woman with black hair and tanned skin was playing against two men with equally tanned skin. Their strong build and worn clothes made them look like sailors.
“You should have saved that.” One of the men was complaining to the other. The woman smirked.
“Risky move, Cai. Not fond of your hard-earned money?” she said, laughing and took the three cards on the table. She seemed like a worthy opponent. The sailor called Cai sighed.
“Mind if I join the next round?” Valeryn asked in a loud enough voice to be heard by the people around her. She took a chair, sat next to the woman and pointed at the one she had called Cai. “He seems like he could use a break.”
“No problem with me,” the female sailor laughed. “But are you a worthy opponent?”
“We shall see,” Valeryn replied with a conspiratory smile.
“Alright, just give me a minute to win this,” the female sailor replied and threw a card on the table. Cai sighed, and the other man complained: “Trump again? I thought you didn’t have any left.”
They were playing the merchant’s game, Valeryn observed. A game that is played by three people with a common card deck, in which a round of bidding at the beginning of a match decides which of the three players will play against the other two. This player will decide which colour is trump and then try to win the cards with the most points from the other two players. It was an analytical game in which good players needed to count cards and understand the strategy of the other players. A common game played by many sailors, merchants and guests in the tavern, but only few people were good enough at thinking along and counting the cards to win. A game with mediocre players often came down to luck.
So either the female sailor was smart or just very lucky. Valeryn would need to see.
Out of the corner of her eye, she observed the merchant and the captain. They seemed to be talking, and the merchant occasionally glanced at their table. Valeryn smiled at the merchant before turning back to the game of cards.
“You boys are too easy.” The female sailor just shouted, laughing and taking the small pile of coins from the table. “Now let’s see what you can do. What’s your name, princess?”
“Val”, Valeryn replied, feeling nothing like a princess in the middle of her family’s shabby tavern, trying her best to get information about an object that was stolen from a witch. “And you?”
“This one is Cai, that one is Lio, and I am Silva. We’re just in town for the night, looking for some fun,” the female sailor replied, pointing at each of them.
“Then you’re at the right place.” Valeryn smiled warmly.
Silva laughed and started shuffling the cards. When she finished, she placed the pile in front of Valeryn for her to cut the deck.
“Worried that I don’t trust you?” she asked and divided the pile into two.
“Couldn’t care less, princess, but the rules of the game are sacred to us sailors.”
Valeryn had heard about that before. There were those sailors in Alea who believed that a game of cards was sacred and that if someone cheated or broke one of the rules, they would lose the trust of Tyche, the goddess of fortune, luck and chance. The more you adhere to the rules and respect your opponent, the more Tyche would favour you, and you would win. Not all the sailors were like that, though.
“May Tyche guide our cards today then.” Valeryn smiled, and the sailors gave her a surprised look for a moment.
“Didn’t take you for the religious type,” Lio said as Silva started dealing the cards.
Valeryn was just about to answer when a hand adorned with a thick ring landed on her shoulder.
“What a shame that the beautiful daughter of the house must play with the sailors. Why don’t you join your most prestigious guests for a game of cards instead?” came the slimy merchant’s voice from closer to her ear than was appropriate.
She took a deep breath and thought of the gold coin that the witch had promised. For a moment, she looked up at the merchant, forcing a smile, then turned back at Silva and her companions.
“I’m sorry to disappoint you, Silva. But our match will have to wait.”
She got up and turned to the merchant’s table where the captain was sitting. The merchant, already slightly swaying after many glasses of beer and mulled wine plopped an arm on her shoulder, guiding her with a possessive grin.
Walking away, she gave Silva and the sailors an apologetic look over her shoulder, which Silva returned with raised eyebrows. It would have been fun to play with them, but her main mission tonight was to get information. Information that only the merchant and the captain could give her. Information for a witch with a gold coin.
“What are you men playing tonight?” Valeryn said. The merchant pointed at a chair between them, and she sat down.
“Whatever you want, sweetheart.” He replied, sitting down himself. “May I introduce you to the captain of my ship, Garrick Storme.” He pointed at the man he had come to the tavern with, who gave a curt nod. “And my name is Elias Greven, a humble merchant from Verdania on his way to Tychalis. What might be your name, lady?“
He leaned over to her, and the smell of alcohol seemed to overwhelm her. Valeryn clenched her jaw, trying her hardest to keep her well-practised smile plastered on her face. For a moment, she wished she could get up and walk back to the tables of the sailors. Instead, she sat up straight and crossed her legs, her dress reaching barely over her knees.
“I am Valeryn, and welcome to my tavern. As I am indeed the daughter of the house.”
“Valeryn.” He seemed to taste her name in his mouth like a sip of wine, his voice a bit slurry from the alcohol. She wished that he would spit it out and never mention her name again. During her many years of working at the tavern, she had seen hundreds of these merchants, all full of themselves and thinking that a fancy leather jacket and a silver coin or two would send the girls in the poor part of town running after them.
Their harbour was in the direct line between the kingdom of Verdania and Tychalis, the capital city of Alea. Most merchants came here for a night before travelling on down the river to the capital. He was not the first nor would he be the last merchant she had won against. Although this time winning was not her main goal, she needed information.
“You look like a welcome challenge, gentlemen. One that I don’t see here very often. Why don’t we play the merchant’s game? You must be well-versed in that.”
The merchant’s game: A game focused on strategy and counting cards. Although it was a common game, it played a special role in the customs of the merchant’s guild. A merchant who didn’t know how to play was considered not trustworthy. A merchant who won against a competitor was considered to make a higher profit. It was played on evenings when making deals or bargaining, and could show how calculating someone was. Many such deals were made in the Merry Flame, so Valeryn was very familiar with it.
The merchant’s eyes sparkled as if a fire was lit behind them. “I didn’t expect you to know how to play. How surprising. But you will have no fun playing against us. Why don’t we play something more… simple?”
Gold coin, gold coin… Valeryn reminded herself.
From the corner of her eyes, she could see the captain grabbing his drink harder. But he took a quick swallow of his mulled wine, and when he sat down the glass, his face was as stony as before.
“It is true that I might not beat you gentlemen, but I have never shied away from a challenge.” She returned the merchant’s gaze, reminding herself that even though she could easily win against them, it was not her main goal tonight.
“Fine. I’ll do the honour of shuffling the cards then.”
Valeryn smiled encouragingly.
The merchant formed two neat piles on the table, lifted the edges of each pile and mixed the two piles of cards together.
“Cut the deck, lady.”
Valeryn smiled and cut the deck in half, leaving one pile next to the other. While the merchant was busy handing out cards, she turned to the captain.
“Not many ships are coming to the harbour this time of year. Your ship must be quite sturdy to make it through the harsh winds, captain.”
The captain seemed to truly look at her for the first time and said in a deep, calm voice: “I’ve been doing this for many years. When you know the waves as I do, a bit of wind doesn’t scare you.”
His arms were crossed in front of his chest, and she could hear a hint of pride in his voice. When he smiled, it seemed to be genuine. Looking at his eyes, she could see the deep blue sea. A feeling of waves crashing against her skin seemed to overcome her. Waves that tried to pull her deeper into the ocean. She needed to blink for a moment, and the feeling was gone.
“You seem to have a lot of experience.”
“Sure do.” The captain said, leaning forward to grab his pile of cards and expertly arranging them in his hand.
The merchant, not distracted by dealing the cards anymore, explained: “At this time of year, you have to choose the best of the best if you want to make it safely to Alea. Good that I have the right connections to people like my friend Garrick here. We have been sailing together for years. Isn’t that right, my friend?”
The captain just returned a low “Mh” and left it at that.
The merchant didn’t seem to mind in the slightest that the captain was not very talkative and continued, “Usually, I only come here in the summer. Much better weather if you ask me. The weather in the north can be so unpredictable sometimes. But this time I had no choice but to make the crossing in autumn. Business is business, you know?” He winked at Valeryn and took a big gulp from his glass of mulled wine.
He seemed to notice that Valeryn was not drinking from her beer, which was still almost full and lifted his jug. With his slurred voice, he exclaimed: “To the goddess of Tyche… or whatever the sailors say, may she bring us luck in this game… and to the beautiful daughter of the house.” He winked at Valeryn again, and she needed to dig her nails into the palm of her hand under the table to stay seated and smile.
“To the goddess of Tyche.” She replied and raised her glass as well. The glass hit the table a bit too hard and made a loud clonking sound.
“Aye”, the captain replied, following suit.
“Hearing how difficult it is to get here, I can’t help but wonder what kind of business brought you here, Mr Greven.” Valeryn reached for her cards, her finger lightly touching the merchant’s hand as if by accident and giving him her warmest smile.
“This is not for the ears of young women. I would not dare to trouble you, lady.”
“I apologise. It is just natural for a daughter of the house to be wary of their customers’ intentions. If there was, let’s say… anything illegal going on. You might benefit if we suddenly forgot you were here. If anyone came looking for you. It is suspicious for a merchant from overseas to be here in the winter. People might ask… questions.” Valeryn said knowingly, keeping her sweet smile plastered on her face. To emphasise her point, she looked at a nearby table where regulars were looking over, whispering.
The merchant paused, looking at the table of whispering guests and then at his cards. After a moment, he said in a playfully offended tone: “My dear Valeryn. Are you suspecting me of being a criminal?”
“I would never dare to.” She replied laughingly. “But I speak from experience when I say that some customers like to keep their comings and goings private.”
The merchant looked at the nearby tables where the regulars were playing cards, and looked over ever so often.
“Naturally,” he said in a slow, absent voice and nervously drummed his fingers on the table. For a moment, he seemed lost in thought again.
“Greven, are you sure you want to play tonight? Tomorrow’s not the day to be hungover.” The captain’s voice pulled the merchant out of his thoughts.
“I am fine.” The merchant who seemed to have suddenly sobered up threw an angry glance at the captain.
Then he suddenly smiled at Valeryn and got up. “However, my captain is right. It has gotten quite late. I am sorry to disappoint you, dear Valeryn. Let’s continue our match at a different time.” He took Valeryn’s hand and planted a kiss on it.
“I would love to,” she replied sweetly. ‘…throw you into the sea,’ she added in her thoughts.
The captain got up as well and said, “Thank you for your hospitality.”
On their way to the door, the captain called out to the table where Silva was sitting, and the sailors followed him through the door, not even glancing back at Valeryn.
She gathered the glasses and plates on the table and made her way to the kitchen. When she passed by the tables of regulars, she said in a low voice: “Thanks, guys. You really helped me out there.”
“No problem, Val.”
“Anytime.”
“But seriously. Must you play cards with the slimiest of people every time? Do you need the money that badly?”
“Pretending to be the scandalmonger of the town is getting old.”
“Sorry, guys,” Valeryn replied. “How can I ever repay you?”
“No idea. But you can start with a round of beer?”
“Coming right along,” Valeryn replied with a smile and vanished into the kitchen.
As the door shut, she let out a deep breath. Even though this evening did not go perfectly as planned, she did get the information that something would be happening tomorrow. Although she could not be sure about it. The captain served this information too readily.
Remembering the dark sea-colored eyes and the sensation of being pulled under the waves, she shuddered. Did he expect a trap?
‘Better to drown in the sea than in your mind. The waves may release, but your thoughts stay behind.’ The dark mocking voice in Valeryn’s head remarked.
0 Comments