The Drunken Barmaid

[Evalynn Frostfawn]

Summer 35, 523 AV It was Eva’s first time back out in Sunberth since she had arrived in the Fall of last year. A lot of things happened to Eva over the last few months that made her heart full and soul warm. Moritz and her had come together on a deeper level and the result was them growing their family. A pleasant and warm addition, but a very challenging first time experience for Eva. Even with the studying she tried doing for home birthing, nothing prepared her for the recovery that followed afterwards. However, now that she was fully recovered, she could focus on her job and earning some money. Eva was working at a tavern called The Drunken Fish. Its location was down by the pier, where the riffraff of the sea hang out, Eva remembered thinking she had found herself in the worst possible place for her to hide her identity. And it felt like it was going to be impossible to keep attention off of her because she was going to be a new face. Many thoughts ran through Eva’s head as she got herself ready for her first day of work. But now, after enduring several grueling weeks of looking for work, the waves of nerves were overpowered by anticipation and freedom. She did her usual routine to get ready. She carefully tucked her hair so that the blue wouldn't show through as much. She really needed to invest in some hair pins, as they would probably last longer than her makeshift pins she made from her broken comb. She attempted to do some meditation breathing, taking a deep breath in her nose and slowly releasing it out of her mouth. She hoped that taking up this new step in her daily routine would help her regulate her emotions better, it seemed to work when she watched Moritz do it. After a bit of time preparing herself, she made her way down to the pier, taking a mental note of just how long it took to get there. When she was still new to the area, she always kept a lookout for both the surroundings and timing. She even tried to act naturally as she could seem, keeping her guard high and her eyes glancing around casually to make notes of anything that could lead to a possibly dangerous situation in the future. But now, she knew more about the streets of Sunberth. This also meant she knew the way to get to work and was learning some back ways as well for when she was in a pinch. It is not perfect, but she felt confident and comfortable with it. When she arrived at work, she immediately checked in with Father Manowar to let him know she was there before beginning her shift. The first thing she did was start making her rounds at the tables. She was being taught by a woman named Lisa, who seemed to be popular with the patrons of the Fish. She told Eva to shadow her; to watch, learn, and listen well when given instructions. With a nod, the pair was off into the throng of tables and bodies, and was immediately barked at with demands of drink refills and food orders. Eva did her best to keep up with the quick footed Lisa, but found herself either falling behind or stumbling over a few patrons' boots. Word Count: 569

[Evalynn Frostfawn]

After a couple of bells, Eva was becoming a bit tired and winded, noticing her stamina was not as recovered as she thought. Lisa also noticed her slowdown and shooed her off to the back to take a moment to recover. Once she felt like she was able to start back up, she made her way out into the tavern and up to Lisa. It was here where Lisa decided that Eva was ready to go off on her own, starting on serving the food since it would be easier than lugging around mugs of alcohol. Eva gave a nod and made her way to the bar area, where a bartender stood followed by another barmaid who grabbed mugs and left. When the bartender saw Eva approach, she gave her a once over before speaking. “What’ll it be girly? Ale? Wine?” She spoke with a sense of authority and haste before another barmaid placed an order and She started to fill that. “Or wait, are you that new recruit the owner’s been talkin’ about? Well, yer definitely pretty, I’ll give you that. So, I ask again. What will it be?” “Lisa told me to come help serve food, but that's about it.” Eva walked up to the bar and leaned against it, trying to act casual. “But by the looks of it, there weren't many food orders when I was listening.” She watched as the bartender furrowed her brow and tilted her head. “Lisa? Who?” When Eva pointed out the woman, the tender seemed to nod in acknowledgement. “Oh, blondie. Yer being trained by her? Have you ever been given a tour of the tavern? No? Good lord.” The bartender then went on to introduce herself as Aerin before proceeding to run Eva through what was expected of her. She was required to serve the patrons food and drink whenever they asked while also collecting payment. If a disagreement arose, a guard could be called on but that was only if the patron was being extremely belligerent. Eva bit the inside of her lip as thoughts of overly rowdy seamen drunk off ale would result in some unsavory outcomes. Eva shook her head some to clear away the thoughts and continued to listen. Aerin spoke of bar fights not being uncommon and to always watch your back because you never know what someone will do here. “Alright, now, Ill give you a tour without actually giving you a tour.” After finishing up an order of drinks she begins pointing around the tavern. The first floor was mostly where everyone tended to stay to drink and eat and cause trouble. It was just one large, open room with tables and chairs scattered about and a large bar where Eva stood. On the second floor were the sleeping quarters and also a balcony with more tables. People sat up there to feel superior, but Aerin explained that it was nothing but a cheap thrill. The third floor was where people could live their nighttime fantasies behind closed doors. Obviously, Aerin didn’t stop there as she went into detail about all the other things that could happen behind those doors. “That's about it for the tour, tavern is pretty self explanatory. All you need to do is take orders and deliver drinks and food. Now get on the floor and be active.” Word Count: 559

[Evalynn Frostfawn]

Aerin shooed off Eva before walking down the bar to tend to other things. Eva turned and faced the floor, a sense of nervousness rising, before she walked back out. She didn’t see Lisa when she came back, so with an air of confidence, she started walking through the tables. “Aye, ye miss! Yes ye, come ‘er, I need a new mug of’ ale!” The half drunken man raised his mug and slammed it down. Eva tensed up at that, but relaxed. “Alright, alright, I need four pieces of copper and I’ll get you your ale.” Eva held out her hand, to which the jolly man smacked the coins in her hand and thrusted the mug at her with a laugh. “Make it snappy, miss! Dun want mah buzzin’ ta go!” He grinned and leaned back, allowing Eva to go to the bar to get more ale. She returned with a full mug and allowed the man to snatch it from her and begin to chug. At that, she just kind of chuckled and went back to her work. About 4 bells into her shift, Eva started to feel her body ache all over. This caused her breathing to become irregular and her work efficiency to drop. She was being yelled at constantly by the patrons to move faster, and for the ones who got tired of waiting, well Eva was going home covered in ale and wine. At this time, she was surprised at how well she was able to hold herself back. Her urge to take the mugs and smash them over the heads of the men who drenched her in alcohol was strong. But she would always remember the breathing exercise she saw Moritz do. Standing in the latrine, she did a few breaths and ran her fingers through her tangled mess of hair. She adjusted the makeshift pins to stay in place then straightened back up and let out a huff. Don't let these people end your life, they are not going to take you away from your family. Eva steeled herself as she continued to think about Moritz and her precious baby waiting for her back at home. With a now calm mood and mind, she left the latrine and headed back out to work. Unfortunately, it only took another bell or so for Eva to become sluggish again. Though she kept encouraging herself that everything was fine and she was doing her best, her body was not agreeing at all. All she was able to do was put on a blank face, grab ale, and serve. Soon enough, Eva was told to go out back for a break. She had a chance to eat freely and relax, or just sit and wait, but the break was mandatory apparently. She took off out the back door and found a crate where everyone seemed to be sitting at. Moving over to it, she silently tried to blend in and listen in on the conversation. She wasn't trying to hide her presence, as others noticed she walked over, she just wanted to listen in. if she was lucky enough, maybe they were sharing information about the job or even the patrons inside. Lo and behold, the current conversation was about a pirate that just came back from a trip. They had apparently got the man drunk off his arse and started listening to his tales of the sea. In one such story, they talked about a group kidnapped of women and children whom they sold off to the slave trade. They got a hefty sum of money and decided to spend it here. Another girl talked harshly about how the table she was serving started grabbing on her clothes and ripped the new uniform she just had tailored. She had given that fellow a slap before storming off quickly. The other barmaids made disapproving sounds before one spoke of backlash from the table later. The girl seemed unfazed, but backed off with a grumble and let someone else continue the ranting circle. Soon enough, Eva was chiming in with the ladies about her experiences as if she had been working there for years. Though she exaggerated her stories a bit, the other ladies didn't seem to call her out and just went along with her rants. They were having a good time until someone came out to holler at them to get to work. Word Count: 739

[Evalynn Frostfawn]

Eva scurried herself back inside with the rest of the workers and got back to work. This time, instead of just serving, she also practiced her eavesdropping as well. As she cleaned off tables, she would silently try to listen to not so hushed conversations. Most of the time, she would be caught, getting yelled at by the patrons to scram or get glared at. “Did you hear about that treasure? Lost in the Suvan Sea?” One hushed whisper spoke as Eva slowly scraped the food off one plate and onto another. “Aye, I did. Apparently a coworker of mine said they know where the ship sank.” The other responded as Eva dumped the liquids of the cups all on one mug. She didn't know what they were talking about, but she liked listening. After a bit, the pair seemed to change the subject and Eva now had to carry the plats and mugs back. When she returned with a bucket and rag, they were gone. She pouted a bit as she wiped down the table, but she changed her tune when someone asked her a question. “Hey there, you think you can sing us a song? Barmaids do that right?” A patron asked inquisitively, to which eva politely declined. “I am more of a storyteller. I have tales of my travels in the wilderness or to Sunberth. I also have a few hand-me-down tales of Vantha hunts.” She tossed her rag back into the bucket and began to speak a quick story about one of her wilderness travels. Some people enjoyed getting a laugh out of her wild stories. They would tip her with a few silver and let her be on the way. Sometimes, she was given a story in return for her to pass along to the next person or even weave into her own tales. Either way, she was enjoying herself and quite liked the stories she was telling. That was until someone at this table started challenging her story. “I don’t believe that. It would be near impossible for a scrawny gal like you to survive in the wilderness, even with a teacher!” A man at the table she was at huffed in irritation as she stared down Eva. “I think your lyin’ to get more money outta us.” “I assure you sir, that the story I tell is true. I went into the jungles of Syka and discovered many new things.” Eva remained calm and smiled warmly as she folded her hands in front of her waist. “Such as being able to decipher between fungi that you can eat and fungi that could cause a man to drop dead.” She tilted her head and tapped her chin as if thinking. “There are also several flora that I never knew existed, and how some of them can also be dangerous.” The man didn’t seem satisfied as he continued to glare at her angrily. She pursed her lips at his sour face and leaned over the table to look him in the eye. “Okay, sir. You don’t seem very convinced, not that convincing is my goal here. But what about my tale is so unbelievable besides my looks?” She raised a brow and the man huffed, gaining a smug look. “How about your recount of finding ruins or even hacking away at the vegetation with an ax? This all seems so unbelievable!” He crossed his arms. “How about when you claimed you got chased by a wild Ixam and had to climb a tree to get away? You're spouting so much nonsense that I can see it a mile away.” Eva gave a sigh and just backed away from the man. She held up her hands and gave a shrug, as if giving up. “Alright, you caught me trying to add a little spice to my story. Its true I didn't run from an Ixam or find any actual ruins, but i did cut through the underbrush of the jungle with an ax. I thought it was absurd as well, but the only person who had knowledge of the wilderness worked at the sawmill. He insisted I use an ax and nothing else.” Eva sighed as if exhausted. “He was a very grueling teacher, made me work for my experience.” She glanced at the table to see their reactions. Everyone was enthralled at her story and when her eyes slid to the man, he looked like he was thinking. “Well, with that explanation, I can see how your tale makes sense. And I guess there is nothing wrong with adding spice to a story.” He gave a huff and relaxed a bit, the dubious gleam not leaving his eye. “But you aint gettin no extra coin from me, ya here? You need to work on that storytelling ability.” Eva gave a bright smile that made the man flinch a bit before grumbling, making the table he sat at burst into laughter. She thanked the men for listening to her and asked if they wanted any refills. After some polite refusals, she went about the rest of her day. It wasn’t until it was time for her to go home when the man from before approached her and offered her a couple of silvers. He thanked her for the story and stated that it wasn’t half bad for a young womans first step into storytelling. With a nod of acknowledgement, the two went their separate ways, allowing Eva to head home feeling like she accomplished quite a bit. Word Count: 921