The Four Point Inn
’Tis five years since my ’usband and I chose to run this ’ere inn.
“We‘re getting older, now, Clara,” says he,
“And we cannot be farming forever. The young 'uns are grown
and gone, what do we need with such an expanse of land in
what‘s no more‘an a step from the
wilderness?”
So we moved to this place, right in the centre of the village. A good
place for an inn, so ‘tis, with the two main roads meeting
just outside our door. And a good-sized building too, with stables
for ‘orses, a small garden where folks as wishes can eat
outside, a good sized kitchen, and plenty of room for guests. And a
good thing too, for business has been good. No, sir, I cannot
complain about that. It‘s the type of people we attract as
worries me.
Take last week, for example. A party of eight men, big men with an
impressive array of weapons; long, shining swords in them fancy
sheaths, and at least half of the weapons with names, I don‘t
doubt; bows and quivers full of arrows; shields, daggers and all
sorts. And they all wore chainmail. Not that t‘were plain to
see under the dark and grubby cloaks as they were wearin‘, but
one sees. I‘d wager a day‘s takings that not one out
of eight gave me 'is real name for the register. They sat in the
corner, sayin‘ nothin‘ to no-one and scarin‘
the locals. Talked all night, so they did, murmuring in their corner
with no more‘n a word to anyone else all night, eatin‘
and drinkin‘ until past midnight! Finally, I chased them back
to their rooms, for a workin‘ woman must sleep, and after
doin‘ a little more so as to keep the place tidy, I made off
to my bed. But no more than four hours had gone by when I was woken
by my ’usband a-gettin‘ out of bed.
“Go back to sleep,” he says, seeing me
watchin‘ ’im, “'Tis still an hour or more till
cock-crow. I‘ve just got to see as our guests leave their
money when they go.”
And when I go down an hour later to start the breakfasts, I see the
kind of money they‘ve left us with! A large coin of a sort
I‘ve never seen the like of, printed with a man‘s 'ead
on the back, and solid gold! Now what use is that in these parts?
Where would a body find someone as is prepared to take that much
currency? I ask you!
You can find the complete version of The Four Point Inn in issue 44 of TBD.