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[ORP] The Crossroads Inn

Zanlarrr
Zanlarrr stepped into the darkened tavern, with only a smattering candles lighting the room up. He paused to take in the change in decor, and smiled, thinking that it had a familiar touch.

Making his way over to the bar - it had been a while since he had spent much time in the Crossroads, he took a seat in relief. "Can I get a pint o' cider?" Zan could have a drink before having to head for home to help Revan with the kids.
_________________

Count of Devon | DN Captain | REN Captain | Herald of Arms
John_hawkwood


My dear brother,

I think I found a clue! I don't know if it is the clue, but I know it is a clue.

Remember our trip north? That last trip? She wanted it because she wanted to take me away from my own self-destruction? Remember what she said in that tavern in Holywell? You are like me, and you remember every word, I'm sure. Meditate again on those words.

Well, she left a clue, I think. A clue that gives me hope. But nothing is clear yet. Don't return yet. The world has changed immensely.

Our youngest brother is here. He has grown up. I am so proud of him. But he couldn't recognize me when he passed through town a few weeks ago. He can only see the surface. He stared indifferently right through me, some simple peasant and swineherd. It took an immense effort to refrain from hugging him.

I want to see colors again, brother. And I know she can help me.

Your brother.


John sealed the letter and looked through the window of the tavern where the old mare was waiting for him with his old cart. He had first packed food for three days, then decided to pack for six days. He wasn't going to stay at the inn on the road. The Bridge was close, and it provided enough shelter even in the winter. He was taking the broken shaft as well, although he doubted it would do him any good if he was attacked. But the risk was worth it.

He threw a few coins on the table, and stepped out in the cold. He was ready to deliver his first good news.
Llyres
Hello, John, a good day to you.

Llyres passed the man leaving as she entered the tavern. The warmth of the fireplace and smell of aging oak filled her senses and beckoned her inside. The Crossroads Inn was cozy, which is why it was so favored by the locals. Pulling off the weathered captain's coat that she wore against the creeping chill of December, she hung it on a peg near the door then proceeded toward the bar, ordering a cider from Mal. Finally settled, a satchel of reports and mail for review at her side, she cast keen eyes back toward the closed door. There was an air about that older man, a look in his eyes equal parts present, appraising and distant. He'd settled into town life quickly, yet he seemed to wander old byways in his thoughts. . He'd settled into a simple life, but that was hardly the truth of the man. The once trouper could see all the signs of important stories lurking just beneath the man's surface, and the trouper inside her was roused to discover the tales.

Picking up the mug, she tasted the cider, dry, crisp, good Bridgewater cider. Another glance at the door, a thought held close, a nod to Mal at the bar and Llyres settled deeper into the cushioned chair, pulling out the thick reports to review.
_________________

Devon Navy Admiral|Marchioness of Deheubarth|Earl of Portsmouth|KoTG|Veteran Admiral REN
Mal_
Mal noticed how Llyres glanced towards the door after John left. And as he set the mug of cider in front of her.

"Yes I saw it too. Like so many of us who have found our way here, his past has left its scars on him."
Llyres
Llyres was not surprised by Mal's sudden observation for good barkeeps needed a good ear and ability to read their customers. She answered him with a warm smile and nod.
"Tis true Mal, many who wander through these doors carry far more than a satchel. I often think our town attracts a larger share of such sorts, by intention or chance. It is a good
place to rest and heal and the cider is fine."

She smiled and raised her mug in salute
_________________

Devon Navy Admiral|Marchioness of Deheubarth|Earl of Portsmouth|KoTG|Veteran Admiral REN
Mal_
Mal reached for his mug and raised it in salute also. "Yes Lali and I found Bridgewater a beautiful haven in which to recover among caring new friends, after our escape from the abusive hellhole that Ireland has become." Mal took another drink.
Llyres
I'm glad you two found Bridgewater restorative from the intolerance and mistrust that grip the western island. It is painful to be driven from a home one loves. And driven out by intolerance and ideology, that is crueler yet.
I've wandered through parts of England and other lands where towns are owned by fear, where the first words to greet you in a tavern are not those of welcome but suspicion.
But our town is not such a place. Though wary in such dark times, we remain open and warm. It's a relief.


Llyres' eyes cast towards the reports she needed to screen; her thoughts tarrying on her own journey to Bridgewater from the midlands. She remembered early morning chats with harbourmaster Zmramos, who was barkeep when she first wandered into town. A wave of nostalgia for simple days washed o'er her.
_________________

Devon Navy Admiral|Marchioness of Deheubarth|Earl of Portsmouth|KoTG|Veteran Admiral REN
John_hawkwood
Lady Llyres, as always, was too swift for him to be able to notice and acknowledge her presence before she was gone. By the time he was ready to return the greeting, she was behind the thick door of the tavern. Oh, well, he thought, not that she expected me to reply.

John had wondered sometimes, watching her and Lord Robin in the tavern, how a couple of such a high stature and social position managed to remain so down to earth and accommodating to everyone, even himself. He had also wondered how Bridgewater hadn't become somewhat of a center of attraction for England, given the fact that it hosted the only man in England who was capable of keeping the Irish thugs in the same room for a time longer than drying up a mug of ale, and that for peace negotiations! England has grown complacent in its prosperity, he thought. And ungrateful for the special men Jah has gifted her.

Lady Llyres's eyes had worried him sometimes. They weren't the green eyes he had in his memories; in fact, in his gray present, he wasn't able to tell if her eyes were blue or green. They were gray to him, like everything else. They didn't shoot flames, and didn't offer glow. They watched and read. And, as crazy as it sounded, they listened. He had wondered if she could read the past. . . .




"I don't want to read the future," he said. "I want someone to read my past."

The men around the campfire laughed. The Gypsy woman didn't laugh, she just stared him in the eyes with a concerned look on her face.

Later that night she came and sat right next to him. "Geeve me some of yew fewd, would'ya?" she asked with her pipe between her teeth. When he did, she leaned closer to him, and whispered without an accent:

"You know you can't read the past. The past reads you."

She looked around again to make sure no one could overhear, and continued, "But your problem is not reading the past." She leaned closer. "You want to turn your past into your future."

She then stood up abruptly. Walking away from him, she added over her shoulder: "You will have to hear stories. Hundreds of stories. One of them will be yours."


He took the blanket off the mare's back, rolled it up and put it in the cart. Then remembered he had something for Lady Llyres. Took the cloth with the thing wrapped in it and walked back to the tavern's door. Lady Llyres was there, working, as usual. Without asking for permission, John placed it on the table in front of her and unwrapped it.

"Here, m'lady. A silver spur. Made in Salzburg, Austria, by the markings on the inside." He suppressed his desire to say, I had a pair of those once. "I found it under the yew tree that we can't cut because of the druids. The ground is frozen, and there is no snow, so there aren't any tracks. But whoever lost it, has been climbing that tree. You and Lord Robin will know what to do, better than I would."

He then turned quickly and exited through the door, before she could ask him any more questions.

A few minutes later his cart was leaving the town.
Mal_
Watching as John came back into the tavern then unwrapped and gave a single spur to Llyres. Mal pondered the fact that he sensed there was a great saddness inside John, and secrets. Mal was no stranger to secrets having aquired so many of his own. As he drank another sip of his cider Mal waited to see how Llyres would react to being given the spur.
Robinoflocksley
Heading into the Crossroads, Robin turned in surprise as John quickly left the tavern, calling out a greeting to him. Shaking his head in confusion, his brow furrowed slightly, he headed inside. His smile widening as he saw his wife sitting by the fire, he pulled his cloak off and settled beside her, kissing her cheek. "Hello, love. What are you working on?"

Looking around the tavern, he spotted another familiar face. "Hello, Mal! How are you today?" he called out to the bartender. "Could I get a cider please? And you wouldn't happen to know if anyone's planning to bring more wood to Bridgewater, would you?"

Reaching into his bag, he pulled a few pieces of parchment and a stick of charcoal out, setting them on the table, a few notes and rough sketches of furniture on them. "I've gotten a rather large order. I'm going to be busy for a while."
_________________

Royal Embassy Vice-Chancellor | Royal Museum Curator | Earl of Locksley | Lord Warden of Sherwood Forest
Llyres
A slight chill swept through the tavern when the door opened to rapid footfall. Silver blue eyes widened at John's abrupt appearance, or reappearance, inside the cozy inn.
"Hello, John. A present? " Her smile was genuine at seeing him, though lit with surprise at the gesture. She had no clue why he'd carry a present for her, and was delighted and struck by the gesture. Unbidden, an odd wariness crept between her shoulders while she watched John unwrap the gift. She liked the man but did not know him. And she'd learned enough about herself to recognize she trusted too willingly. Here, among the comforts of home and hearth, she still remained a marked woman for all she had done and all she was yet capable of. Trust was a luxury. If she was hunted, she would hunt first. The sensation passed. She pushed away the ice feeling and instead gazed at worn silver.

Curiosity replaced her surprise as John explained the gift and how he had come by it. "A rare find for these parts. Someone will be dismayed to lose such a treasure," her soft tones near murmured as she considered his words and their implications. A softer "thank you, John" was on her lips even as he turned and left the tavern again. He's dressed for the road, followed in thought, her eyes on the now shut door.

Feeling the burn of Mal's artful unobtrusive gaze, she admired the barkeep's skills even more and turned to meet his eyes before palming the spur to study it.

A chill and creak of hinge yielded a soft foot strike, one that could be silent but chose not to be. She'd know him even without hearing his voice. An intimate smile brightened her features. At Robin's voice, her shoulders began to relax though her fingers tightened around the spur.

Following Robin's eyes to her own papers then over to the ones he pulled out, she leaned to his kiss. "Ports, docking reports, ship traffic, navy matters, but those drawings look far more interesting..." The spur remained in her hand, slightly out of view as she leaned over the furniture sketches. "Who is ordering furniture?" It felt so nice to just be...
_________________

Devon Navy Admiral|Marchioness of Deheubarth|Earl of Portsmouth|KoTG|Veteran Admiral REN
Robinoflocksley
Smiling at his wife, Robin chuckled as she focused on his rough blueprint sketches for furniture. "Ra asked how much it would be, so I put together some basic prices, contacted Shanxx and John Howard for the items needed for them I can't make, and I priced some. He's put the order in, but isn't in much rush for them, which is good as I need to work on things for the town too -- the basics of ladders, and buckets, and maybe a cart or two. We may need to head out to get more wood soon, at this rate." Pushing the papers aside, he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him, noting that she was holding something as he did, but ignoring it to look into her blue eyes with that special smile he reserved just for her. "And this is more interesting than reports, I think. I'm planning to make some new things for us too."

He grinned and pressed another kiss to her temple. "But for now it's time to relax." Turning to look at her, one eyebrow raised as a curious light appeared in his green eyes. "So has anything interesting happened today?" he asked, glancing at her reports, but knowing she would understand that he meant more than just thing from the ports.
_________________

Royal Embassy Vice-Chancellor | Royal Museum Curator | Earl of Locksley | Lord Warden of Sherwood Forest
Mal_
After he watched John unwrap the single spur Mal made a mental note to tell a few trusted townspeople to keep an eye open for someone wearing a single spur. Or trying to buy a set of spurs. Then he greeted Robin with a "Hello, I'm well and you." Then filled his order by setting a mug of cider in front of his friend.
--Crossroads_barmaid
It was morning at the Crossroads a few days later. Sally was busy waiting on tables as a few hungry locals started trickling in from out of the very cold snowy weather outside.

She glanced over and smiled at the scene over in front of the fireplace.
Mal_
Mal was taking a few minutes to relax and warm up. He was sitting on the bench in front of the roaring fire in the taverns fireplace. Snuggling close for a few minutes with his wife Lali, who had riden into town with him. He had come to do his shift as bartender here at the crossroads. Lali and their daughter Elenor had some business to do at the market. He felt very content with his wife in his arms. And grinned big as he looked at his daughter Elenor who was sitting on the floor nearby happily eating a cookie amidst their three dogs.

He signaled for Sally, and when he got her attention said. "Sally bring us three mugs of cider please
."
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