When she reached the empty table, she thumped herself down in the nearest chair and then looked around for a server. "I've heard that the food is fairly good here at the Silver Swan, though I've not eaten here before", she commented to the boy.
Ann'dra had followed her inside and at the inn to the table. He tried to look unimportant enough, so that no one of the crowd would bother him and ask what a boy in dirty clothes would do at the tavern. He pulled out the chair and sat down at the table, next to the girl.
Kay noticed the boy's discomfort. *Och! I AM a fool*, she thought to herself. It made no difference to HER that she was wearing mismatched clothing with quite a bit of dust on it. *But not EVERYONE thinks the same way*, she reminded herself.
"I can do naught for the dirt on either of us", she commented, brushing at her skirt with her free hand "but ... ". Abruptly tossing her much-diminished-in-size wooly bundle at the boy, she added casually, "do me a favour and take this. Folks will stare less, and I won't feel cold when I look at ye". Kay then turned to greet the young girl who was approached their table.
Ann'dra continued to make big eyes and slowly slipped the tunic over his head. This was so... unexpected.
Not long after the woman and the young boy were settled at their table, Stelli came to their table. Stelli was fifteen years old, with dark brown hair and hazel-green eyes, and she was a maid and waitress at the Silver Swan. She came up to them with a pleasant smile. "Good afternoon ", she said,"My name is Stelli and I'll be your server. For our specials we have a half a roasted rabbithorn with mashed whiteroot and steamed carrots, or a thick chiervine stew. Both specials come with salad and fresh dark wheat bread. We also have several selections from our menu.", she said as she handed each of them a menu.
"Thank ye, mestra Stelli", Kay answered gratefully, taking the menu and beginning to sound out the words. If only her reading was as fluent as her speech, it would have been a much easier task.
Stelli said, "May I get you something to drink while you are deciding?" Ann'dra stared with big eyes to Stelli, then casted them away and looked at the menu. This was new to him - he had never been served before at a tavern. He turned the paper around in his hands and hoped no one would see his embarrassed blushing under the dirt. He grew up at a small village in the Hellers where they had had no school; he never learnt reading. And the only other time that he had been to an inn was when he grabbed some food from the larder...
He put the menu back at the table and glanced at Kay, then to Stelli. "... jaco?" He asked, rather shyly, and cleared his throat because of his cracking voice. Stelli gave the young boy, who looked close to her age, a small smile and nodded and then she turned to Kay.
"That sounds perfect", Kay added, politely pretending not to have noticed the boy's signs of discomfort. "And in a pitcher, if such is available, mestra. 'Twould be rude of me to have ye going back and forth". Stelli smiled and nodded, "I will bring you a pot, mestra."
Kay wondered if the boy was too shy to choose food. Turning back to him, she inquired "Would ye ha' any objections to ordering one of each special ? I dinna ken about ye, but I've nae the patience to sound out each item on the item in order tae see if I'd like it."
"Nah..." He looked from Kay to Stelli and back. "I'll take what you take", he said, glad that he didn't have to prove his non-existant reading skills.
"Right then ... two specials it is, mestra Stelli. And I'd be glad of a small plate of fruit pastries, if there's any available. I'm sure ye know what sorts of appetites young men have ... and some days mine is just as large", said Kay, with a wide grin. Stelli nodded, "We have some fresh apple pastries and fresh berry pastries." She said, "I will be right back with your jaco and bread."
While waiting for the food to arrive, she decided to indulge herself by taking a look around the tavern. Never mind that they were all strangers; people-watching could be a decent amusement to pass time. And as long as she didn't stare at anyone in particular. how could there possibly be any harm in it ?
"This is an interesting sort of place, isn't it ?", she commented, softly enough so that only her companion was likely to hear, "There's so many different types of folks who come here. I've nae idea who any of them might be, but 'tis interesting enough to look upon them and wonder".
"Uhh... yeah." Ann'dra glanced at Kay and nodded. To wonder...
She shrugged. Oh well, either he wasn't as curious as herself -- or he had better manners than to admit it.
Not long had passed when Stelli came to their table with a tray. Stelli set the mugs down and poured the hot jacco into each mug and set them on the table. Then Stelli set down a wood bread board with a hot loaf of dark wheat bread and bread knife, and a small dish with butter and one with a red currant jelly. A small bread plate was set down for each of them. Stelli also set down a mug of cool water for each of them.
"Thanks..." He looked first to Stelli, then to Kay, and started munching, hungrily.
"Goddess bless ye, lass", Kay added, "that was even faster than I'd hoped. It all looks lovely. Do I pay you now ? Or do I leave it here on the table when we leave ?".
Stelli blinked then smiled and shook her head. "This is just the first part of your meal, mestra. This is only the bread and drinks. But your food will be ready shortly. I shall go check on it and I will bring it in a little bit."
Kay blushed bright red. "I see I've made yet another social blunder", she said, with a wry grin, "I've only been on this world for almost two tendays, and this is only the second time that I've eaten in a tavern. Back home, we did things differently (but not always consistently; so I often feel confused as to how to behave properly".
She then reached for her cup of jaco, wishing that she didn't blush so easily ...
In a few minutes Stelli brought a large tray with two plates, each plate consisted of a half roasted rabbithorn, some mashed whiteroot (like mashed potatoes), and steamed greens and carrots. On a smaller plate for each was a fresh salad with a vinaigrette type dressing. The last plate had two apple and two berry pastries.
After setting everything down before them Stelli smiled, "Is there anything else I may bring you?"
Kay turned to her companion. "If there's anything else you want, then NOW would be a good time to mention it", she grinned. But he was so busy wolfing down food that she wasn't sure whether he had heard her or not.
Ann'dra looked shortly up from his meal and to Kay, then to Stelli. "No, thank you..." Then he continued to munch, ignoring his surroundings again.
With a wide grin (and a chuckle), Kay agreed that they had enough food -- for now, at least. She thanked Stelli, and turned to her own meal. Goddess alone knew what sort of things might be served tonight, or whether she'd be too nervous to eat any of it. So it made sense to fill up now.
She looked over at the boy (who'd already manged to inhale a good- sized quantity of food already), and wondered when he'd last eaten. It still seemed wrong that anyone should be homeless. But it would be impolite of her to ask WHY he had run away, or who might be seeking him.
"I'm glad you're here", said Kay abruptly, "I hate eating alone. Though my grandmother always said that it was better to eat simple food alone in peace, than it was to feast in the presence of those who would do you ill". Then, picking up her fork, she dived into her own meal.
For awhile afterwards, the only sounds coming from their table, were chewing, swallowing and the clink of glasses as they were refilled
Finally Kay's stomach could hold no more, and she waved to Stelli. When the young girl arrived back at their table, Kay passed over enough coin for the meal. When she received her change, she returned a few of the small coins as a tip.
Turning back to the boy, she said casually "I've still a few more errands to finish, so I'll bid ye farewell lad. But do feel free to stay and finish eating".
Then her voice dropped so low that none but he could possible hear it. Bright green-brown eyes looked directly into his. "If you should ever find yourself in deep danger with none to help you, there's a card in that pouch. It will summon me to the spaceport gates ONCE, where I will do what I can, for the sake of the time that my mother Ysa spent as a young runaway, like I guess you to be", Kay told him softly. "Perhaps we shall meet again, or perhaps not. Either way, I wish you well", she finished in a more normal volume.
Without waiting to see his reaction, Kay then dropped the remaining small coins from her hand onto the table in front of him, and walked away. Her next stop would be MacDoevid's. Hopefully, she'd find Gwenn there. But if not, then she'd request directions to that weaver's shop he'd mentioned, and seek him there instead.