Esmiralda and her companions, the Optimist Monk Broo Fang Tane and Seymuhr Skullsquasher were enjoying a brief respite outside the walls of Veral Ski, the largest city in the land of Korrin. Soon, they must visit with the queen and tell her of the demise of their colleague.
Seymuhr woke with a start and an embarrassed expression on his face. After a moment's confusion, he dove into the scraps of food in front of him, slurping up the remainder of his spiderfat soup, crunching up what was left of his spider flank steak. then he turned his attention to the few spider legs he hadn't ingested before, biting off the ends and sucking the ichor from their crunchy shells.
I found his dining habits to be truly disgusting. When he finally had picked clean every carapace and soaked up every drop of spider goo, popped and chewed all the eyes, he brushed all the plates and bowls and platters to the floor with a single swipe of his thick arm and then, cradling his distended belly with both his hands, let out a belch so mighty, damp and rank that the pure volume of it stopped passersby in the street.
Mallyn, her nose hidden in the crook of her elbow, nevertheless let out a long, braying laugh as she refilled the flagons on a table where two farmers sat. One of them whistled appreciatively.
"If I could belch like that, I never would have left home," Mallyn called with a snorting laugh. She disappeared into the kitchen with a swirl of her skirts.
I didn't know what that meant and I was too busy furiously waving my hand in front of my face to ask her. I scowled at Seymuhr, who patted his belly and then lifted his cheek to tilt to the left.
"If you wanted to attract attention, you've done so," I snapped. "If you wanted to make me ill, you've done that as well! What manner of man makes a noise like that? Or a smell?"
He shrugged. "Not a hungry one." He flashed a smile that he probably thought was charming. "The wench seemed to like it."
"It didn't get her wet."
"You get....used to I..........t," Broo Fang Tane, his head still bowed, added.
"I hope not." I poked at my empty bowl, then set my spoon aside. The tavern was beginning to clear out, and I felt myself relax. Outside, night had fallen and the road was growing quiet. Mallyn dropped off three more flagons of beer, but only managed a quick smile. She blew an errant hair away from her face.
I took a long, slow drink and thought back on all that had happened to me--to us--within the past fortnight. I saw Merrick again gasping and fighting for breath, his face red and his eyes wild as his life left him. I smelled the gore of that horrid cavern in the mountains and I remembered his final words as his soul left him.
Tomorrow, I would see the queen and try to articulate all of that to her. What would she require of me, an old, sad woman? I couldn't even imagine writing the Tale of Merrick's End. And what would I do after that?
"What will you do now?" I asked Seymuhr. He had already finished his beer, somehow, and was holding the empty cup above his open mouth in hopes that another drop would somehow spill out. He jerked it, twice and Mallyn took note.
"Now?"
"Now that our companion has perished," I said. "Will you continue your work for the MOHPs*?"
Seymuhr shrugged. Tane looked up, and nodded.
"Haven't thought much about it," Seymuhr said. His eyes were distant.
"You must have some kind of ambition," I pressed him. My hair fell in front of my eyes and I brushed it aside. "Some land to travel to? A cause to fight for? A...woman?" I hesitated, perplexed at the sudden hitch in my voice. Why would that thought bother me so? I certainly had no designs on this brute...
"Well, I always did want to knock someone's teeth out through their arse," he said, his face brightening and, just like that, the bothersome feeling was gone.
I sat back and crossed my arms over my breasts. "Your mother would be proud."
"Do you really think so?" He leaned in, an eager expression on his face, and I shook my head--but I felt the beginning of a smile all the same. I still had plenty of ale, but I knew I would need even more.
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