Chapter 3: Chapter 3

That night, the normally boisterous atmosphere was subdued. The locals were all there, and there were just as many sailors as the night before. Some even appeared to be from different ships. The cause of the mood was most likely the weathered old man sitting by the bar. He was short, only as tall as Elizabeth, with a shaved head and tattoos covering every visible part of his body. 

His skin looked like old leather, and he seemed to have a permanent sneer on his face. “That must be a bosun,” Anna thought. She made the rounds and passed out drinks. The bosun would just stare at the sailors she was serving. They were polite, and none of them tried to touch her, but they didn’t give her tips either.  

She brought a tray to the only table filled with women. It was the women from the weaver’s shop, and they were as loud as ever. “Anna, I think I need one of them. Keeps the men calm,” Loren said, pointing at the bosun who just shook his head at her. “Oh, come on. I’m fun. You wouldn’t even have to pay,” she said to him. 

He made face, maybe it was a smile, but it looked like it hurt for him to do it. “Why does it look like he needs to shit,” another woman at the table said. A sailor chuckled. The bosun glared at him. His face started to pale. “That’s going to hurt,” the same woman said, looking at the sailor. “Shut up, Kim. Let the man spend his last night in peace,” Loren said. “We know Kim wouldn’t do anything to make it a good last night,” one of the other women said. “Hey. He would die with a smile on his face,” Kim replied. 

The women at the table all started to laugh. “Come on and sit with us. It’s as lively as a graveyard in this place tonight,” Loren said. She patted an empty seat next to her. Anna looked at Ted. He just shrugged, so she sat down. Kim whistled at her. “They don’t make them like that often,” she said looking at Anna. “Bet she gets ALL kinds of tips,” she continued, leering now. “Hush, you. She doesn’t even know what men want. She’s only eighteen,” Loren said. Kim looked at Anna again. “Shit. She is young. But still, did she just fall off the produce cart? How can she not know that?” she asked. Anna just shrugged. “What are they talking about?” she thought. 

“Well, we all got a past. Don’t worry about it. You don’t have to tell us anything,” Loren said. Ted waved and Anna got back up. Loren tossed a coin on the tray, and when Anna walked away, she smacked her butt lightly. Anna turned around and looked at the woman. “Now I just feel bad. Okay. Off with your tight butt. I need way more to drink now,” Loren said. The other women chuckled. “That’s the second time I’ve heard that. What does it mean?” Anna thought. The rest of the night went by quickly. She didn’t make much, but it was easy. Everyone started to leave, and she watched Loren and the bosun walk out together. She went to bed that night still wondering what everyone was talking about. She had the same dream she did every night. “At least I understand all of you,” she said to the tentacles in her dreams. 

The next few days were much the same. The sailors seemed to lighten up. The bosun was in a good mood and didn’t mind some of the games they wanted to play with Anna. She dodged all the grabs and pinches and was rewarded with good tips again. A few men got frustrated with their lack of ability to touch her, but the bosun’s presence was enough to keep them calm. Loren left with the bosun each night. The rest of the women at the table whistled and hooted as she walked out the door. She replied with an obscene gesture. 

The last night the ships were in port, it was a bit livelier. The captains of the ships visited and sat at a table together. All three of them were dressed as brightly as the first one. He winked when he saw her. “You weren’t lying when you told us about her,” one of them said. “She’s a beauty that for sure. I can’t quite place where she’s from. I’ve never seen the likes of her,” the other said. “Tell us, where do you hail from?” the first one asked. Anna just smiled and shrugged. “Fair enough,” he replied. “Is that your hair color or did you dye it?” one of them asked. “It’s always been like this,” Anna replied. “Mind if a cut a lock? I’ve never seen hair like that,” he asked. She didn’t really care. It was really long anyway and got in the way. “Sure,” she replied. He pulled out a sharp-looking knife and took a small amount and started to cut. 

It didn’t work. He started sawing on her hair, but all it accomplished was to dull his knife. “I hope you didn’t pay much for that,” the captain from the first night said and handed him his own knife with a chuckle. “Much appreciated. If I’m ever in that port again, I’ll let the craftsman know I’m not pleased,” the man replied. He took the other knife and looped her hair over the blade and pulled. His armed bulged with effort, but still nothing happened. He sawed at it some before giving up and handing the knife back. “I don’t think it’s the knife. That’s dwarven made, am I right?” he asked. “It is, and I’m never going to hear the end of it from the next one I find,” he replied. 

“Why do you need a dwarf?” Anna asked. “They sharpen dwarven-steel the best. I can put an edge on it, but it's not the same,” he replied. The man who had been trying to cut her hair was inspecting it. “Not a mark on it,” he said, showing the others. “Sure you don’t want to tell us where you’re from?” he asked. Again, she just smiled and shook her head. They invited her to sit and talk for a while. They told her about the sea and the many places they had been. She chatted with them for a few minutes before getting back to work. The night wound down, and they cleaned up after the last people left. She went to bed soon after thinking of the ocean and the stories she had heard. 

The next few days were slow. She got up, helped make breakfast with Beth, and then the two of them would get whatever fresh ingredients were needed for the day. Then they would help make the meal for the evening. The morning after an incredibly dull night, they sat around the table eating breakfast. Anna had put twice the normal amount of fruit in her bowl that morning. “You really like sweet things, don’t you?” Beth asked. Anna nodded while shoving another spoonful in her mouth. Elizabeth had told her that she would choke if she kept eating so much so fast, but it hadn’t happened yet, so she didn’t bother slowing down. 

“I know a place where you can get something sweeter than fruit. Wanna go with me?” Beth asked. Anna swallowed the big mouthful without chewing. “Yes,” she replied. “Are you going to see William?” Elizabeth asked. Beth flushed red. “Yes,” she replied. “She looooves him,” Mack said. Beth reached over and pinched him hard on the arm. “Ouch! Mom, she pinched me,” Mack whined. “Beth, don’t pinch your brother. Mack, don’t tease your sister,” Elizabeth said. “She says that a lot,” Anna thought. They finished breakfast and Beth ran upstairs. She came back down quickly dressed in her multicolored dress. Elizabeth just smirked at the girl. “Ask them if they need anything,” Elizabeth said, her smirk fading. “I will,” Beth replied sadly. Her usual smile was gone. 

Beth didn’t need to drag Anna. She wanted to taste the thing that was sweeter than the fruit. Beth wouldn’t tell her what it was. They moved quickly. Beth was excited, and Anna could keep up with anyone, so they moved at the girl’s pace. They found themselves in front of a plain looking building. The only feature that stood out was a large chimney on one side of the building. Beth knocked on the door and a round man answered. “He’s fat,” Anna thought. That’s what the memories said anyway. They also said not to say that out loud. His face seemed to light up when he saw her. He had a huge smile. “Beth, it’s good to see you, and you brought a friend. Who is this lovely young lady?” he asked. “This is Anna. Dad hired her to work as a barmaid.” Beth replied, halting at the end. The man got a pained look on his face. His smile returned. “Hello Anna. My name is Ron. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” he said, holding out his hand. She shook it using less pressure than him. She had realized women were weaker than men for the most part, and that everyone here was weaker than her. “Come in. I’ll go get William. He’ll be happy to see you,” Ron said. 

They entered the house, and she smelled fresh bread. A woman was kneading dough on a floured table. She was as round as Ron. She turned around. “Beth, it’s good to see you. What brings you here, other than seeing William that is?” She asked. “I, uh, wanted Anna to try some cupcakes.” Beth said haltingly. The woman smiled at them. “It’s nice to meet you, Anna. I’m Mabel,” Mabel said. Beth turned red. “I’m sorry, Mabel. I forgot to introduce you,” she said. “It’s alright. Just be more mindful. So, Anna, how do you know Beth?” Mabel asked. “I work at the Inn,” Anna replied. Mabel looked pained for a moment just like Ron. She recovered just like him. “I’m glad to hear Ted found someone,” Mabel said. Her voice didn’t match her smile. “Mom wanted to know if you needed anything?” Beth asked. 

“No, no, we are getting along just fine. Gabby had been spending more time working at the Inn. I think she met a boy who worked at the docks. I, I think she would have moved out soon anyway.” Mabel said. She began sobbing softly. Beth rushed over and hugged her. Ron and William rushed back in, and they hugged Mabel and each other “Where did she go? Where did she go? Why did she leave? I want my baby back!” She wailed. Anna knew exactly what happened to Gabby. A memory from the first Anna popped into her head. She was tied up with other women and looking around, she saw a face that looked like a younger version of Mabel. The young woman’s face was red and puffy. She had been crying. She saw a black-robed man walking nearby. The captives shied away from him. 

She was back in the bakery. She looked around not knowing what to do. “I can’t tell them what happened. They will know what I am. They can’t know,” Anna thought. Thinking of Gabby had brought some of the woman’s memories to the front of her mind. She remembered kneading dough with Mabel. Anna walked over to the forgotten dough on the table and began to knead it. She started to hum a tune from the memory. “Gabrielle, is that you?” Mabel asked and rushed over to Anna. 

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She hugged her tightly. “Oh, you were just like her, standing there at the table humming her favorite song,” Mabel said. “I’m sorry. I was just trying to help,” Anna replied. “You didn’t do anything wrong. I just miss her. I wish I knew where she went,” Mabel said. She turned to Beth. “You know what? That bread looks like it’s ready to rise. Let’s get it in a bowl and start on those cupcakes. I’ll even mix some fruit juice in with the frosting. It turns it pink. That was Gabby’s favorite,” Mabel said. Anna finished the dough and put it in a large bowl. She covered it with a thin cloth. Mabel had sent Will off to fetch some fruit and fruit juice. The boy knew what kind and how much to get. Mabel gathered the ingredients: butter, sugar, eggs, flour, and some spices. There was also a very fine white powder. “What’s that?” Anna asked pointing at the powder. “Rising powder. At least that’s what the man who sells it calls it. He gets it from the capital. It makes bread rise when you cook it. Works perfect for cupcakes too,” Mabel replied. 

Mabel mixed it all together adding water as needed to create what she called a batter. She then poured it into tin molds. The molds were placed on a tray, and that was put into a smaller oven. They only needed to be in the oven for twenty minutes. When they were finished, Mabel took them out and placed them on a cooling rack still in the molds. “You have to let them cool before you take them out of the molds. They will crumble if you try too soon,” Mabel said. “How do you know when they are cool enough?” Anna asked. “Just comes with experience,” Mabel replied. William returned with the rest of the ingredients. The frosting was simple, just butter and finely ground sugar. Mabel added some of the fruit juice. When finished, it was bright pink. Mabel cooked the fruit then peeled and diced it. She poured the remaining juice into a small pan and added sugar, heating it up until it just bubbled, then placed it to the side to cool. 

Once the cupcakes cooled, they carefully removed them from the tins and placed them on a tray. Mabel spread the frosting on the top of each of them, leaving a small divot on the top of each one. She placed a few pieces of cooked fruit in the divots and then spooned some of the syrupy fruit juice over the fruit. “All done,” Mabel said. Anna took one and bit into it. “So sweet. I want more,” she thought, eating one and reaching for another. “She likes it,” Beth said. “Looks like,” Mabel said. Anna had started her third one by the time the two finished talking. They finished the cupcakes. Beth and Anna stayed to talk for a while longer, Beth spending most of the time talking to William. Mabel and Ron told her about Gabby. They waved goodbye to the bakers. “We don’t have to be back till sunset, so let’s go do something fun,” Beth said. 

The days turned to weeks, and she spent her time working and helping with the chores around the Inn. She spent most days exploring the town with Beth and trying to find all the sweets that were available. The two of them became fast friends. Mack apologized for peeping, although he could never quite look at her without turning red. Anna was having a great time until she came home from her daily adventure with Beth. Elizabeth rushed over to take Beth’s hand and she looked at Anna. “Don’t trust that man.” And she pulled Beth into the back. Anna looked around and saw an ostentatiously dressed man with some kind of stringed instrument slung over his shoulder. 

She noticed sparks floating around him. They seemed to be settling on Ted. She was waved over by Ted to be introduced. “He’s got pointy ears,” she thought with wonder as she looked at him. He was thin and a bit shorter than most of the men she had seen around the village. “I wonder what Elizabeth was worried about?” still thinking to herself. “Fair maiden, your beauty is breathtaking,” the man said while grabbing her hand, bringing it to his lips, and kissing it on the back, all the while looking into her eyes and smiling. Not sure what to do, she smiled back. He let go of her hand when Ted cleared his throat. “Soulstram will be here entertaining our guests for the night. Make sure to fill up his mug while you are making the rounds,” he said. Anna nodded and started to fill mugs for the customers filing in. 

She watched Soulstram play from the bar. Everyone seemed to be drinking slower, watching the man play and smiling. It was odd. She also noticed that the sparks seemed to float around the room when he played and settled on people. It was quite pretty, so she didn’t mind the slow night. Several hours had passed, and the Inn was starting to clear out. It was a good crowd, even though they hadn’t been drinking. Soulstram waved her over with his mug. She grabbed a full mug and walked over to him. “I was getting a bit parched. Thank you,” he said as she handed him the full mug. “Tell me, do you like my songs?” he asked. “Yes, very much,” she replied. “I have a special one just for you. Come closer and I’ll play it,” he said. She leaned towards him. He began to hum a tune and slowly pluck at the strings of his lute. “That’s what he called it anyway,” she thought. The sparks seem to intensify, and she noticed an orange glowing coming from a jewel embedded in the head of the lute. The sparks seemed to be swirling all around her, faster and faster. It was beautiful and dazzling. She loved it. She smiled and started to twirl with the sparkles. 

Soulstram stopped playing abruptly. She turned to him, and his face had gone pale. “P-p-pardon me, ma'am. I had no idea. I apologize for my behavior,” he said and got up abruptly. He walked towards the bar. Anna walked up behind him and grabbed his arm, spinning him around roughly. “I was having fun. Why did you stop?” she demanded. His face grew even more pale. “Please, you're hurting me. I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were a mage let alone an enforcer. Please, just let me go,” he begged. She let him go and he hurried out of the pub. Ted rushed over to her. “Are you alright?” he asked. “Yes, but what’s a mage, and what is an enforcer?” she replied. 

Ted got an odd look on his face. “What happened?” he asked. “He wanted to play me a song. It was pretty, so I started dancing, and he just stopped and started to walk away. When I asked him why, he just said sorry and called me a mage or an enforcer,” she said. “That boy is daft if he thinks you are an enforcer. Probably wanted to run out of town before he got accused of siring a brood,” he said. “What’s siring a brood mean?” Anna asked. The memories had something about chickens and broods, but that didn’t seem right. Ted looked at her and shook his head. “Never mind. Let’s clean this place up.” That night when she slept, she danced with the tentacles, the eyes spinning with each other. 

Elizabeth met her at the stairs in the morning. “Are you ok? He didn’t hurt you, did he? I told Ted not to hire that man. You just can’t trust bards. The whole lot of them are no good,” she said, though it seemed like she was more talking to herself than Anna. “He didn’t hurt me. He seemed scared. I don’t know what I did, but he ran away,” Anna replied. “He ran from you,” she paused to look Anna over again. “Maybe he preferred menfolk. Didn’t peg him for the type, but you never can tell. Oh well. I guess I didn’t need to hide Beth away,” she said. Anna had no idea what was happening, but she decided to let it go. Some things just weren’t worth knowing. 

They chatted for a few more minutes before sitting down at the table to eat. After breakfast, Anna decided to ask around town about the bard to see if he was still around. She wanted to find out about the sparks but didn’t think that Ted or his family would know. They didn’t seem to notice them, and she didn’t want them to think she was any odder than they already did. She sighed. “Why is this so hard?” she thought, just wanting to see the sparkles again. It was a bit later in the morning than normal. She wanted to dress special. Maybe the bard would talk to her if she had a shorter dress on. 

That’s what the weavers said to do if you wanted to get a man’s attention. “I’m not sure what they mean by that, but they know men better than me,” she thought. Beth had made her a dress a few days ago, but Elizabeth didn’t want her to wear it to work. Something about not that kind of place again, whatever that means. She shrugged. The dress in question came to just above her knee and was made from a thin cloth that seemed to hug her. When she put it on, she wondered why everyone looked at her. “Must be working. Now, if I can just find Soulstram, I’ll get him to talk to me,” She thought. She asked around town and no one had seen the bard. She was just about to give up when she heard a lute in the distance. She jogged over to find him in front of the weavers’ shop, chatting with Loren. She was so happy. Loren was surrounded by sparkles. 

She decided to sneak up so he wouldn’t run away like last time. She got right behind him before calling his name. “Soulstram!” she shouted. He jumped in the air and nearly fell over, turning around to face her with his hand on a small dagger that was in his belt. He looked at her and then down at his dagger and dropped it immediately. “Anna, there you are. I’ve been looking for you all day,” he said. Loren shook her head and started looking sternly at him. “You were charming me, weren’t you?” she said, more of a statement than a question. “Anna, did he charm you too?” Loren asked, starting to step closer to the bard. 

She picked up a laundry bat in the process. “No, but I do need to ask him something. You can have him back after I’m done,” Anna said. Loren looked at Anna and nodded. “Alright, but if I see any funny business, I’ll thump him for you,” she said, waving the bat around. Soulstram gulped. Anna grabbed him by the arm and pulled him away a few feet. “Ma'am, I’m not sure what you saw, but I can assure you that there was no nonconsensual spell casting going on here,” he said. “Do you mean the sparkles? Is that what spell casting is?” she replied. He simply stared at her with wide eyes. “You don’t know what spell casting is but you can see magic?” he asked. “I guess so. You made the sparks dance around me and I liked the way they looked, but then you stopped. Why?” she asked. 

Just as he was about to respond, she heard a shout in the distance and turned to look. He broke away and ran faster than she had ever seen someone run, ducking into an alley and disappearing from sight. Loren rushed over. “Are you okay?” she asked. “Yes,” Anna answered. “He seems to run away a lot,” she added. “His kind always do,” Loren said with a sigh. The bard had said that she had seen magic and that it had something to do with spells, but nothing in the memories could explain either word. “Maybe someone else will spark like that,” she thought. It cheered her up. She returned to the Inn. She didn’t feel like exploring today. Everyone was staring at her for some reason. 

  

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