I see Ginna weave out of the way to avoid a greedy pickpocketer, only to stumble when a group of street urchins come barreling through, carrying sticks they’re brandishing as swords. After a quick sweep of our surroundings, I see most people are carrying some sort of weapon on themselves, so Ginna and I don’t stand out as much in that regard. We’re not wearing our full uniform with the Ashven colors, opting instead for our more discreet outfits that we typically wear on a Hunt.
“Well, where shall we start?” Elia asks, eyes darting between myself and Ginna, surprisingly steady in the midst of the chaos.
“The only place where we’ll find some answers, of course.” Ginna swings an arm around Elia’s shoulders. “The local tavern.”
“The local tavern,” I agree.
???
The closest tavern is further from the docks then I would have thought. Mind you, I saw enough barrels of rum propped in the streets, corks open, mugs or sometimes mouths collecting the dark liquid. I guess citizens in apirate haven don’t necessarily need a formal establishment to have their fill.
It was easy to figure out when we found the tavern; the reek of booze and the stench of sweat was a dead giveaway.
“This is where Rafe decided to live?” Ginna’s disgust is obvious in her question as we pass a man retching in the nearby alley. “Are we sure the ring was right?”
“Positive,” Elia responds, sidestepping a puddle of questionable content. Out of nowhere a thought hits me that I’m glad Elia decided to wear pants today instead of one of her dresses.
“We’ll ask around. Hopefully someone here knows him.”
This place is very out of sorts for me and Ginna. Ginna, raised to be the future queen of Ashven, earned her place as a strong soldier turned Hunter, but had the same manners and upbringing that were conditioned into me. I was always too afraid to do anything other than what was proper and expected. Other than Rafe, I mean.
Rafe was always a different story. He was raised the same as us, but he was always more daring, willing to push the boundaries that Ginna and I firmly obeyed. In fact, I thought, pushing open the tavern’s door, this was the very type of place Rafe would enjoy.
The tavern isn’t as loud as I was expecting, but I still have to shout to talk to Ginna and Elia.
“I’ll go ask the bartender. Do you want to try and find a seat and talk to some of the patrons?”
Ginna nods and mumbles something that’s swept away into the noise. She pulls Elia with her and disappears into the crowd.
I push myself through the throngs of people to reach the bar, squeezing myself between two men, one of which, I can’t help but notice, is missing all but two fingers on his left hand.
The barmaid is on the opposite side of the long counter and doesn’t notice me approaching, so I relentlessly wait until she returns to tend to this side of the bar.
The man with the missing fingers side-eyes me, takes a long swig from his mug, and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand.
“You lost, pretty boy?” He grins, showing me a mouth missing multiple teeth. I try not to gag from the stench of his breath.
“Not particularly, no.” And, because the adrenaline from my most recent fight still hasn’t completely worn off, I ask him, “Are you?”
He chuckles deeply, clapping me on the shoulder with his fingerlesshand. He lifts his mug to me in salute, beer sloshing over the side as his hand shakes in his drunken state. “Well said, pretty boy.”
I glance down the counter, hoping that the barmaid is almost done serving that side, but she’s busy leaning over, deep in conversation with another patron.
“What brings you in?” The slur in his voice is so pronounced I’m impressed he’s still remaining upright.
I keep my eyes on the barmaid. “I’m looking for someone.”
“Aren’t we all?” He pounds himself on his chest, releasing a loud burp.
When I don’t respond, he prods me some more. “Who is it you’re looking for? I –” He stumbles slightly, knocking into me. “I know everyone here in this place.”
That doesn’t surprise me based on the amount of drink he’s consumed. The barmaid has now started making out with one of the men in the corner. Service here is atrocious. This two-fingered man may be my only option. At least he’s willing to talk to me.
I exhale in defeat and turn to the stranger. “I’m looking for a man,” I start, but he immediately interrupts me.
“Let me guess.” He gives me a onceover. “Someone tall, dark, and handsome?” He throws me a cheeky wink, like we’re both in on some kind of secret.
“Nevermind,” I snap, irritated at this whole situation. This was a longshot anyways. I push away from the bar, eager to return to wherever Ginna and Elia had gone.
