Wrong. All Wrong.

Writers: Vix
Date Posted: 28th February 2007

Characters: Samria, Cheona, Tadra
Description: Tadra reflects on the opening of the Tavern
Location: Amber Hills Hold
Date: month 2, day 23 of Turn 4

"I can hardly wait. Just think of all the people that will be there!"

Tadra snorted softly as she turned away from the younger women. She picked up a bean pod and angrily snapped off the ends of it, breaking the thicker center in half before dropping it back into the bowl resting in her lap. **Foolishness. Sheer foolishness.**

Though the day was overcast, the air was warm enough to allow them to work outside, preparing vegetables for the evening meal as they watched the comings and goings on the road between the Hold and the Vintner Hall – and the new Tavern.

"Music – I was told that there were five harpers there last night, and all of them Masters!" Cheona's cheeks were reddened with excitement as she recounted the rumor.

"More likely one washed-up oldster with an un-tuned gitar and off-key voice," put in Tadra, sneering at the other kitchen workers.

"There were at least a couple of them." Cheona pouted, looking to her companion for support.

"That's what I heard," agreed Samria, then quickly lowered her eyes to escape the older woman's gaze.

"What you heard." The words dripped of sarcasm as Tadra uttered them. "And all of your sources are so reliable and always tell you the truth."

Both Samria and Cheona blushed at the reminder of the previous week's gossip – a pregnancy rumor that had turned out to be false and had created a nasty scene in the kitchen, a scene that had resulted in extra shifts of dish-washing for both women.

The three continued with their food preparation silently, the eyes of the two younger women intent on the preparations for opening of the Tavern, while the older woman just as purposefully ignored what was happening in that direction.

However, Cheona could not contain herself for long. "It's all so exciting! We'll have a place to gather, even when there's no Gather. And the visitors – they'll come from dragonlengths away to spend an evening here."

"They'll come to spend their marks and to drink themselves stupid," sputtered Tadra.

"Everyone needs a place to relax," protested Samria. Her eyes widened as Tadra turned to glare at her. She spoke quickly, uncomfortable with this scrutiny. "I mean, it's stressful to stay at the Hold all the time, night after night. Why shouldn't there be a place to relax?"

"If you've put in a decent day's work, a bath and your bed should be sufficient relaxation for you." Tadra stared off in the direction of The Tavern. "That place – it's wrong. It will attract all of the wrong types and for all of the wrong reasons."

"What do you mean," Cheona asked indignantly. "What can be so wrong about going for a drink and companionship?"

"The drink itself is wrong." The other woman answered without pause. "I admit that I like a glass of wine now and then, but the other brews served at that place bring out the worst in those who drink it. They'll become rowdy and loud and invade the peace of the rest of us."

"As to the companionship," she enumerated on her fingers, flicking a second one open for this point, "as the patrons imbibe more, they'll loosen up and the type of 'companionship' they engage in is not fit for decent folk to discuss." Here she paused, uttering the next words as if they were particularly distasteful to her. "Especially when the dragonriders decide to visit the place. I hate to even think of the behaviors that they will bring with them."

"But some of them are so good-looking." Samria practically sighed the words. "I look forward to meeting them."

"And undoubtedly wish to be swept away by them as well," grumbled Tadra. "Just remember that what they promise while they drink with you will only last until they get what they want. If you go to that place looking for a dragonrider, you'll end up waving good-bye when he climbs onto his dragon and dealing with the consequences yourself."

"She has more sense than that and so do I," put in Cheona. "We can talk and flirt and still keep our sense of decorum. We've been brought up better than that."

Tadra gave her a knowing look. "Perhaps you have, but what about others? That younger brother of yours has a pretty look to him. I wonder how such closeness to those blue and green riders might affect him? He hasn't always shown the soundest judgment and has his thoughts in the sky half the time anyhow. I'll bet they could talk him into doings that would shock most decent folk."

Cheona opened her mouth to reply, but closed it helplessly as she reflected on some of her brother's earlier exploits.

"It'll lead to nothing but trouble." The older woman stared at The Tavern, nodding as her fingers continued to snap beans into her bowl. "It's wrong. All wrong."

Last updated on the March 10th 2007

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Wrong. All Wrong.