Thomas and Trish - 4

“Welcome to the Black Toad.” a voice boomed from the darkness of the main room as they entered. “Sorry about the dark.”

Thomas and Trish stood just inside the door letting their eyes adjust. The room was quiet, and almost completely dark until Thomas draw his sword. As the light erupted from the sword, they saw some movement near the back of the room and heard a crash as someone tripped over something, and hit the floor tangled up with some furniture.

“What the blazes!” bellowed the voice again as the person extracted himself from the wreck.

The room was large and crowded with two rows of small tables down the center and booths along both walls. They extended about tables extended about five deep, and beyond that a large counter that extended the width of the room. There was a wide doorway on the left left just before the counter, and seemed to be one in each corner behind the bar. There were two large front windows and four along each wall, but only the tops of them allowed any light in at all.

The last window on the right wall had collapsed filling the booth with snow and spilling more onto the floor and under two tables. It was in this pile of snow, and chairs, and glass that a man seemed to have gotten himself entangled. As he rose, Thomas and Trish could see that this was a dwarf. He stood only five feet tall, and seemed as broad as he was tall. He had bright red hair and a beard down to his waist. He covered his eyes trying to see past the light.

Thomas turned the blade down so that the glowing diamond was up, and shielded it so the man could see who they were.

“Whoa” said the man in surprise. “Jacquelyn, get out here. The polar bears have come down from the north to spend the night.” he said in disbelief.

“We didn’t mean to startle you.” Thomas apologized.

“Oh its not you. It this blasted snow.” he replied. “Now I have to dig out AND fix a window.”

They all turned as the sound of running feet came pounding down the stairs. Out of the doorway burst a short woman with broad shoulders. She may have been human or dwarf, The two polar bears couldn’t tell. She wore a heavy woolen skirt that did not cover her knees and thick leather boots that did. Cover both was a great white apron that nearly reached the floor. Under the apron she wore a loose short sleeve shirt that was tight around her arms, and loose around her neck. Her arms looked stronger than Thomas’ and her stride was solid and strong. Her hips were wide and her legs were short and stout.

When she saw the light and the two visitors she stopped short with her mouth open and her knuckles on her hips. “Well,” she said in a tone that might have been sarcastic or defiant, “we don’t server polar bears, but if you let me take your coats, I can get you some food.”

She walked straight up to Thomas and Trish and held out both arms. Thomas and Trish began to take their cloaks off when Jacquelyn saw her husband standing in the middle of the snow and overturned table. She let out a squeal that started both of the visitors.

“My beloved, your are hurt!” she said in a tone that sounded like he might die at any moment.

“Oh, poop.” he said looking down at his forearms that were streaming blood. “It was the blasted snow what broke the window and threw this table at me.”

“My dearest Donald, I can’t possibly see you suffer so, please sit down before you pass out from the loss of blood.” she said as she ran to his rescue. She wrapped her apron around both of his arms, getting one of hers tied up in the process.

“Darn blast it woman!” bellowed Donald, “I am fine, and I am not bleeding to death; and blast it, now I can’t even find my hands to clean them up.”

Meanwhile Thomas and Trish had laid their cloaks on a table and were scrambling over to the couple to try to help as well. When they arrived to where they might heal the man, he was so caught up wrestling with his wife’s apron that they couldn’t reach him.

Donald raised his hands into the air to try to free them, but only succeeded in blinding Jacquelyn, and throwing her off balance. She fell forward into his arms, and he fell backward over a chair right back into the snow, with Jacquelyn right on top of him.

Donald landed with a “hooooof” and “baaaaallllaaaaaast it woman!”

She, on the other hand, seemed pleased to be laying on top of her husband. “You see dear. This is what happens when you try to escape me.” she said in a soft flirty tone. She then locked lips with him until he began to thrash around.

“Get off. Get off. GET OOOOOOFF!” he bellowed.

She rolled off him and stood blinking shyly at him while he kicked his way free of the chars and snow. Thomas was laughing freely and the scene, and Trish was smiling broadly as she reached out send a soft blue light coursing through his body.

Jacquelyn squealed and laughed and she watched her husband skin glow. “My husband is glowing!!!” she said in glee.

Donald on the other had was rather taken aback and couldn’t speak. He wiped the remaining blood from his arms to find the cuts completely gone.

Jacquelyn flew into his arms again, nearly sending them back to the floor. This time Donald took her around the waist, and with amazing strength, swept her right off her feet and into his arms. Then for the first time they saw Thomas and Trish. Thomas’ gleaming armor and Trish’s radiant beauty completely overcame both of their tongues.

Slowly Donald whispered, “Blimey, they are not polar bears, they are gods descended from their fluffy clouds right into our family room.”

Thomas and Trish smiled humbly, and Trish quietly introduced them. “I am Trish, and this is my husband Thomas. We are not gods, but are sent by the powers of light and good. We only wish to trouble you for a couple nights.” she paused a couple moments and then added, “We also have horses if you could accommodate them as well, we would greatly appreciate it.”

“Johnny! Jorge!” Yelled Jacquelyn with such suddenness and volume that Thomas and Trish took a step back. She lowered her voice momentarily, “Sorry, it is hard to get their attention sometimes.” She then went right back to full volume, “Boys! Living Room! Now!”

They heard a couple quick steps, and the something heavy slamming into a wall. A few more quick step, and door slammed, followed by another heavy thump. Then a younger version of Donald, minus the beard, strode into the room from behind the counter smiling from ear to ear. “Yes ma?” he said innocently.

There was another slam as a door was opened in the back room, and then some quick footsteps, and another young man, also a spitting image of their father came barreling into the room. It is doubtful that he saw anything except the back of his twin brother because he barreled into him, and they both careened headlong into a table and chairs. They wrestled for a bit while their mother sprinted across the room, and picked them both up by their hair. The boys continued to swing at each other until the pain in their heads got the better of them and they went limp.

Setting the boys on their feet Jacquelyn pointed at the front door and said, “Horses! Now!”

They both dropped their heads and walked heavily out the front door.

Once the front door had closed she spun on her heals and faced Thomas and Trish again. “I am sorry, those two have more energy and fight in them than dragons, and sometime I wonder if didn’t sleep with a dragon when they were conceived.”

Thomas and Trish both blushed at her candor, but quickly smiled, and Trish said, “Its okay.”

“Now,” said Jacquelyn as she retrieved their cloaks, “Are you hungry? …tired? …need a bath?”

“How about some proper lights so we don’t trip over the broken stuff anymore!” ordered Donald.

“Oh honey” said Jacquelyn innocently, “they have their own light. Our will only be a stars twinkle against the daylight sun that they carry.”

“Baaaaa!” bellowed Donald as he stamped his way to the back room muttering, “At least warm fire then.”

“Food then!” said Jacquelyn. “My kitchen helper didn’t make it today, probably because of the snow, poor dear, but have a good fire in the oven, and I can get you something warm at least.”

Trish tried to break in to explain they had eaten, but only got as far as, “Actually we…” before Jacquelyn continued.

“Of course, I’m sorry, you would like to settle into a room and rest while I get something for you. It turns out that we still have master’s suit available, which you will certainly want.”

Jacquelyn grabbed hold of Trish’s hand while she continued to speak. “And don’t you worry, we’ll get this place warmed up and lit up in no time, and then you can tell us all about yourselves.”

Trish gave up trying to get a word in and just allowed herself to be led out the door and up the stairs followed closely by Thomas. At the top of the stairs was a hallway with doors evenly spaced along both walls. At the end of the hall was a door.

Inside the door Jacquelyn pointed out the coat rack, water basin, bed, windows, and privacy room off to one side. She lit several oil lamps, and Thomas put his sword away. As left she closed the door behind her; then stuck her head back in briefly, “Did you want your dinner up here or at the tables?”

Thomas smiled and said, “The tables will be fine.”

“Great, I’ll knock when its ready.” said Jacquelyn, and disappeared.

After their hostess left, Thomas and Trish sat on the bed hand in hand for several minutes. Eventually Thomas spoke, “Trish, I don’t trust the king. Something about him just seems wrong, and when he speaks I know he is not telling the whole truth; not to mention that witch.”

“I cannot bear to be think of that foul creature either, but outside of that, I felt like there is something wrong in the palace as well. I can’t put my finger on it, but something is not right there.” replied Trish.

“So what do we do?” Thomas spoke more to himself than to the Trish. “How can we help those women and children, and not get tangled up in whatever is going on with the king?”

“Well I think we have to continue with the plan for now.” Trish said resignedly.

“Ya, for now…” said Thomas is voice trailing into silence.

Trish laid her head on Thomas’ shoulder, and he laid his cheek on her head. The listened to the sounds of the inn, and let their minds and bodies relax. They hear the boys come in from wherever they had taken the horses. They hear various pots and pans being put to use in the kitchen. There was the occasional creaking of the inn itself, struggling to support the heavy load of snow.

They almost fell asleep sitting there on the bed, when they hear a familiar voice echo through the inn, “Jorge! Go tell the guests that dinner is ready!” There was pause, a couple pans knocking together in the kitchen, then louder than before, “Jorge! Now!”

They immediately heard a pair of heavy feet come up the stairs, and begin moving down the hall. Jorge knocked on two other doors announcing dinner before he did the same at the door of Thomas and Trish. Thomas roused himself enough to call a grateful confirmation, and began to stretch. Trish did the same and they headed down to the family room, as Jacquelyn had called it.

They were the last to descend the stairs and enter the family room. The room was bustling with activity. There were numerous lamps and four roaring fires burning lighting the room. All four mMyrnas of the host family where moving about bringing food, setting tables, stoking fires, and the like. There was a lone man sitting in one of the booths near the door, Jacquelyn was standing in front of him unloading a tray of food and drink onto his table, and a group of four boisterous men laughing and carrying on while they ate. There was another booth on the far wall where the two boys were busy laying out plates, napkins, and utensils.

As Thomas and Trish entered the room, everyone went silent and everyone stared as they made their way through to the empty booth on the far side. They were getting used to this kind of reception so they calmly passed through the room nodding and smiling at its occupants. The two boys gave way allowing them to quietly took their places at the booth.

It was as if none dared to breath. Then Jacquelyn got the world moving again with her characteristic, “Johnny! Jorge! Move it!” The boys jumped sending spoons and forks clattering across the table, and everyone went back to their business. The four men in the center of the room whispered quietly for a few minutes, but were soon back at their laughing and storytelling.

Jacquelyn quickly brought out another tray full of food and asked, “What would you like to drink?”

“Water.” they both replied, and she was off to the counter ordering to water from her husband.

The meal was a thick stew with meat, potatoes, carrots, celery, and several spices or garnishes. It was accompanied by a loaf of bread and a bowl of honey butter.
Thomas and Trish ate quietly, pondering to themselves until Jacquelyn and the boys came back through the room distributing something she called sugar cookies. As she placed each oddly shaped glistening cookie before each of the patrons, the boys explained what shape they had tried to make. One was a dragon, one was a sunset, another a tree, a horse, and a river. When they got to Thomas and Trish they announced proudly that Thomas would be eating Johnny’s girlfriend, and Trish would be eating a turtle. The odd shapes did kind of resemble a human and a turtle, but whatever shape they were intended, the cookies were delightful, and everyone thanked the hostess until she had to retreat to hide her blushing face.

After the evening chores were done and the other guests and the boys were off to bed, Jacquelyn and Donald brought out some warm spiced cider, and pulled up chair to chat with their extraordinary visitors.

“Business first,” began Donald as they all took their first sips of cider. “That room of yours goes for five silver a night. I don’t suppose the messengers of the gods travel with mortal money do they?”

Both Thomas and Trish put their cups down and shook their heads no.

“We thought that might be the case” said Donald putting his arm around his wife. “So we have a proposal for you.”

Hope ignited in the eyes of the guests, and he continued. “Thomas, you look you have a strong back, and could probably help me dig out from the snow?” Thomas eager shook his head in the affirmative. “…and Trish you could probably lend Jacquelyn a hand for day couldn’t you?” Trish enthusiastically agreed. “Then we have a deal.” Donald concluded holding out his hand, and shaking Thomas’ firmly.

“Now,” started Jacquelyn, “tells us what it means to the called by the gods.”

Thomas and Trish took turns telling of the events of the last year. The rescue, the honeymoon, the vision, the trip south, the visit to Fen’s valley, and their meeting with the king.

“Holy smokes!” said Donald when their story arrived at the front door of the inn. “If that don’t beat all. I wouldn’t believe it if you were sitting right in my family room with shining armor, and eyes of gold and all.”

Jacquelyn, on the other hand, couldn’t find anything to say, but just sat there blinking at looking from Thomas to Trish.

Donald then leaned in and spoke in a softer voice, “I have my suspicions about the king, and especially now that I know he’s got a witch up there in the castle. But I have heard some disturbing rumors about the royal family, intrigue and infighting and all. There have been too many royal funerals not suspect something is going on up there.”
“…and that Alethra” he continued, “She gives everyone the heebeegeebeez. She is just not natural, with that get skin and milky eyes. I’d wager she is some kind of demon, or magical creature summoned by the witch.“

Trish responded in hushed tones, “We felt the same way, but we’re not sure what to do. We’re committed now to go with her up to clean out the camp, but I don’t see us and a couple of men taking on the fifty or sixty men Fen has up there in that camp.”

“…and it not just that” interjected Jacquelyn. “The honest truth is, the few women that live here in the city aren’t treated much better. The women that aren’t spoken for early are pressed into service at one of the brothels, or” her voice took on a severe sarcasm ‘volunteer’ to join the royal brothel on the hill… errr… I mean… ‘marry the king’.”

Trish was absolutely appalled and Thomas turned a bit green at the thought of rescuing the women and throwing them into another situation just as bad.
Exasperated and desperate Trish asked, “So what can we do.” Tears appeared in her eyes, and hand sank down into her hands. Thomas reached across the table and put his hand on her shoulder, but she didn’t look up.

Donald began to ponder aloud: “We could try to take them down to Kith, but that is a long ride, and with that many women and children…” his voice trailed off. “Perhaps we could…” again his voice trailed off.

Suddenly Jacquelyn jumped to her feet, which didn’t make her any taller, “We just teach those women how to defend themselves, and let them stay right were they are.”

All three of the others looked at her in disbelief, but she continued. “We women can be tough as nails when it comes right down to it, and I bet there is a lot of fire in those women. We just march right in there, boot those lecherous men out, and let the women rule the camp.”

Trish spoke hesitantly, “We?”

“That’s right.” said Jacquelyn. “We have been looking for a good reason to get out of the accused city, and there ain’t nothing more noble than rescuing women and children. Besides, you need someone at your back that you can trust.”

Jacquelyn jumped back into her seat, with a determined fire in her eyes, and let the others consider what she was proposing. Donald raised his eyebrows and blinked a couple times before his eyes fell to his hands, and he pondered what had just happened. The silence went on few several minutes, and each played out various scenarios in the heads.

Finally, they all just sat back, and said, “Okay.”

It wasn’t that any of them liked the idea, but they couldn’t come up with anything better.

“Let’s sleep on it, and see what tomorrow brings.” suggested Thomas.

Donald climbed to his feet and beat his fist on the table once. “Done. See you tomorrow.” He then began blowing out the lamps in the family room.

Thomas and Trish wandered their way up to their room, and Donald and Jacquelyn finished putting the inn to bed. They all slept as they could, and were up at the crack of dawn.

Thomas and Donald spent the morning digging out the inn and boarding up the broken window. After lunch Donald left to run some errands, and Thomas helped the boys dig out the barn, and the neighbor’s front doors.

Trish, on the other hand, had quite the adventure in the kitchen. When she reported to Jacquelyn, the hostess looked at her fine white and gold clothing, and insisted they would not do. She could not be doing kitchen work in her church clothes. She contorted her face up trying to figure out what to do, when in popped a young woman not much younger than Trish.

The young woman was shorter than Trish by a couple inches, and had a plain face. Her hair was a mix of brown and blond tied up in a bun on the back of her head. Her hips and chest were generously endowed, and Trish immediately recognized her from Thomas’ cookie the night before. She had a cheerful smile, and gave Jacquelyn a big hug.

“Hey Jaques”, said the girl. “How many we got today?”

“Anna” retuned Jacquelyn, “I am so glad to see you.”

“I am so sorry for yesterday” said the girl, “but our front door was buried, and I had to crawl out a window and help my dad dig it out, and then…”

“Never mind sweetheart.” interrupted Jacquelyn not hearing a word of what she said. “We have a bigger problem. Trish here thinks that is appropriate attire for kitchen work.”

Seeing Trish for the first time, Anna was dumbstruck.

Jacquelyn stepped between them, took Anna’s face in her hands, dragging it down to her level, and started straight into her eyes. “Focus!” she said, “Clothes. You are about the same size. Do you have anything she can wear?”

Anna blinked back into reality, and stammered, “No, I… well perhaps…”

Jacquelyn brought her had between their faces and snapped her fingers several times.

Anna stopped stammering, and said, “I bet one of my mothers summer dresses would fit her.”

“Great!” said Jacquelyn kissing her on the forehead. “Go fetch it. There’s a good girl.”

Anna retreated back the way she came, and Jacquelyn said like al moving mother, “She’s a good girl, but a bit thick. She just needs a strong hand to keep her focused. Until she gets back, you just stand over there.” she said pointing to a corner out of the way.

When Anna returned she was out of breath, but carrying a dress over her arm. Trish disappeared, dressed, and popped back into the kitchen where the other two women could get a look at her. The dress was simple, but nice. It extended just below Trish’s knees, and seemed to fit her perfectly. It had yellow and blue flowers set on a white background. It had a few stains down the front, and Anna began to apologize, but Jacquelyn quickly set her peeling potatoes.

As Jacquelyn turned back to Trish, her eyes just about popped out of her head. Trish was passing her hand down across the dress, and as she did so it was returned to absolutely brilliantly colored new. Jacquelyn looked at the dress, up at Trish, and then back at the dress without saying a word.

The silence caught Anna’s attention. She turned and innocently said the first thing that popped into her head, “Are you a witch?”

Jacquelyn turned to face her so fast that Anna flinched. Jacquelyn face was instantly red as a beat, and she stomped over to a terrified Anna, took her by the hand and dragged her back to the peeling table. “Peel.” is all she said.

Trish quickly recovered from her horror, realizing that the girl meant no harm. She quickly stepped over behind Anna pet her arms around her in a big hug. She could see that tears were beginning to run down her cheeks, and Trish quickly gave her a kiss on the top of the head and whispered. “It okay. You don’t need to cry.”
Anna spun and buried her head in Trish shoulder returning the hug. With her face firmly pressed into Trish’s should she mumbled some kind of apology, and Trish stroked her head, while Jacquelyn came over and rubbed her back.

Soon Jacquelyn had a bandana around Trish’s head and a long apron over the dress. They all chatted, and peeled, and chopped their way through the morning. Then there was serving and running out to the cold house, and fetching more eggs, and cleaning the dishes.

When Thomas and Donald came in for lunch, they both approved of Trish’s work dress, and Thomas stood long enough to pick her up and kiss passionately. She blushed, curtseyed, and rushed off to more work.

One of the boys wandered into the kitchen once. He shyly said hi to Anna and retreated with a small loaf of bread tucked under his arm while she blushed to shy to speak.

Lunch work faded into dinner works, and then dinner cleanup drew their attention, until all of a sudden there was nothing left to do. Jacquelyn ushered Trish off to put on her nice clothes, but before she went she transformed their clothes to sparkling clean and new. They both gaped in awe until Trish returned. They then all wandered out into the family room to chat with the guests.

It turned out that their visitors had also been out during the day, and though they had all checked out already, the returned for dinner. It soon became clear that they had been telling people about the luminous guests at the Black Pig, because, as darkness fell people began wandering in to get a look at the two spectacles. Thomas obliged the guests and put on his armor. He showed off the shining gem, and before long inn was full to overflowing.

Donald and the boys were scrambling to keep up with drink orders, and Jacquelyn and Anna were hard pressed baking cookies and serving up everything they could quickly whip up.

At one point a man pulled out a flute, and another man began tapping mugs and chairs to the beat. Everyone called for the ‘newlyweds’, as the called them, to dance, and pulled all the tables to the side. Before long, The couple was separated, and were both danced until feet began to stumble. Finally Donald stood up on the bar and called for one more for the happy couple. The crowd drove them together, and as they met in the tight ring of people, Donald dragged them up onto the bar for their final dance.

As the dance began, Thomas winked at Trish and his hands began to turn blue. She did the same, and as they came together the blue glow flowed through their bodies, and the crowd let out a gasp, and then began to cheer drowning out the flute, but Trish and Thomas danced anyway. They pulled Donald and Jacquelyn up beside them. they pulled the aprons off them, and Trish ran her hand over Thomas’ well work and stained work clothes mending and cleaning them as she went. The crowd cheered again, and the four danced for several minutes before Donald announced the bar was closing.

The crowd booed, and just kept cheering the dance on. Thomas whispered something in Donald’s ear, and the all danced their way off the bar and over to the front door. They began dancing the patron out the front door one at a time, and soon the four were able to close the door, and collapsed into a booth near the door laughing as they panted. The women both laid against the men as they relived the wonderful and funny moments of the evening.

They rose to turn off the lights and found the boys sitting with Anna in a both across the room. Anna was sitting next to Johnny holding his hand. As the adult approached she quickly buried both her hands between her knees, and blushed.

“Anna” spoke Jacquelyn, “Why don’t you stay in one of the rooms upstairs? It is too late for you to out alone.”

Anna nodded and excused herself, followed by Thomas and Trish.

After Thomas and Trish had gone up their room Donald and Jacquelyn sat down with the boys, and told them of their plans to help Thomas and Trish. The boys, actually Johnny, had only one hesitation, Anna. He informed his family that he would not be leaving without her.

“You know.” he began “what her father is like. I think he is already looking for a good brothel to broker her off to. Apparently that would make a lot more money than working here.”

Jacquelyn and Donald looked at each other for a minute, and then Donald spoke. “She can’t come with us unless you are engaged to her.” he said flatly.

Johnny began to sweat visibly, and Jorge elbowed him in the ribs. He looked desperately to his mother, and only got, “We leave in the morning.”

Johnny’s breath began to come short and quick, and his face went completely pale. After a minute Donald stood, took Jacquelyn by the hand and said, “Bedtime then.”

Johnny took a deep breath and held it while the other three left the room.

A few minutes later Anna heard a hesitant knock at her door, and whisper, “Anna, are you awake?”

She tiptoed over to the door, and asked, “Who is it?”

“Johnny.” came the reply.

“You can’t come into a girls bedroom after dark. Go to bed.” she said a little disappointed.

“No, its not like that.” he returned quickly. “I just need to talk for a minute.”

She climbed into her bed and covered her night dress with her blanket and whispered: “Okay. Just for a minute.”

The door creaked open, and Johnny came to sit on the foot of the bed. He explained that his family was leaving in the morning, and that they might not be coming back. He could not see her face in the dark, but her breathing was labored and unsteady.

“Anna?” he said after a pause.

“Yes?” she replied.

“Will you marry me, and come with us?”

Her stuttered breathing broke into outright crying as she buried her eyes in her blanket.

Johnny stood to leave with his head bowed, when Anna dashed out of bed planted a kiss right on his lips. “Yes.” she cried. “Yes I will.”

Suddenly the door flew open and in burst with tears, and hushed cheers, and lots of hugs and congratulations.

Thomas and Trish heard the scuffle, and were about to go investigate when they heard Jacquelyn whisper through their door, “Sorry for the noise. See you in the morning.”