The spread was a bit better than it had been earlier. The meat appeared edible since it was fresh, and Ellie and I quickly got ourselves a plate before it could spoil. They also had some mashed potatoes, gravy, and cooked beans. That was typical for a tavern like this.
We sat at the same table we did at lunchtime and watched as more and more citizens came to enjoy the dinner. By the looks of it, this was the most popular spot in town. Then again, if I recalled, there weren’t any other restaurants, so unless they wanted to make their own dinner, they were most likely here.
Not to mention, this was where they could get some ale.
Most of the occupants were male, more than likely coming home from work or from farming and wanting to enjoy an ale before going back home. There were some women who were also here, and it was hard to tell if they were prostitutes or just enjoying a drink or two. I just hoped we didn’t have a room next to any of them. I did not enjoy hearing that all night long.
Don’t get me wrong, what two, or more, consenting adults did on their own time was none of my business, but I didn’t want to hear it. It wasn’t my thing, and I felt awkward just thinking about it. Sexual romance has never been on my mind, nor do I ever expect it to be. I had a few girls ask me out when we were younger, but they always wanted more than I did, so I let them go. Now I just stayed with Ellie, and she and I cared more about each other than I felt I could for anyone else. We didn’t expect anything but companionship with each other, and both of us wanted it that way. I couldn’t imagine my life without her.
We finished our meal, and I watched as Ellie eyed the table near the middle of the room. Currently there were a few people playing poker for some pocket change. I knew Ellie—I knew she couldn’t say no to a poker game, but since she was already going to enter the shooting competition, I doubted it was a good idea for her to beat those men as well.
I gave her a look and shook my head. “No, Ellie. We don’t have the money.”
She whipped her head back around to me. “But then we would have more money, Zach.”
“Not if they are con artists.”
“I usually win against those as well.”
I leaned back and sighed. “Fair. But we don’t even have enough to buy in. And I doubt it would be a good idea to beat those men the night before you’re going to be in the competition. All we need is for them to be mad at us.”
She let out a defeated breath. “Fine. I’ll just watch from afar, dreaming about it.”
I laughed. “Tell you what, with the award money, you can go play poker in the next town over. Does that work?”
Her eyes practically turned into stars. “You mean that? Can we go to Arcadia?”
“Fine, but we have to watch out for that one Silurian. He really wanted to cause trouble.”
“Of course. We try to stay away from all Silurians anyway.”
“Ain’t that a fact.”
Ellie continued to watch the game. I didn’t find it to be that fun to watch, so I went up to the bar to get another ale. I needed something to do to pass the time there. I wanted to be out of there—I wanted to be free of that place, but we had to wait until after the competition.
As always, Ellie was right. Entering the competition would be our best luck of getting some money, and the prize was quite generous. The fact that it was generous, however, made me feel as if there were something else going on. Was it really a show and the winner was supposed to be already chosen? And the only reason they let Ellie apply was because they thought she wasn’t going to win? Well, they definitely had another think coming after she beat them all. I knew she was going to win—she always won. Not only was she skillful, but she also always caught the cocky men by surprise.
I heard a loud noise come from behind me. As I turned, I found Ellie standing and staring at an enormous gentleman.
Ah, crap on a cracker.
Hurrying back to her, I watched as she shoved the man. He stumbled back a bit and stepped back up to her.
“Are you trying to start a fight, you Kausian?”
I made my way to them. “Is there something wrong?”
The man shoved Ellie with his large hand. “Yeah, this little girl is claiming I’m cheating!”
Ellie shoved back. “That’s because you are!”
An elderly man came out from behind the bar. His white hair contrasted with his skin, and the wrinkles on his face showed that he had been through a heck of a life.
“Now, now, Charlie. Be honest, this isn’t the first time you’ve been caught cheating. How about you take your winnings and leave for the night, hmm? I’ll even let you take an ale home on the house.”
Charles glared at Ellie for a moment longer, then grabbed an ale and stormed out of the tavern.
I let out a breath and turned to Ellie. “What were you thinking?”
“He had cards up his sleeves. I was just calling him out on it.”
The old man, whom I didn’t realize was still next to me, chuckled. “It isn’t the first time. Most people are too scared to stand up to him. I’m impressed you were able to.”
Ellie smirked. “Well, I do not abide cheaters.”
“Well, good for you. But I want to warn you—he will also be in the competition tomorrow. I would be careful if I were you.”
“How did you know I was in the competition?”
“This town doesn’t get many new people, and when it does, there’s a lot of gossip. But I wouldn’t worry about the gossip. It’s harmless. Just make sure to watch your back tomorrow and not to piss off any more men.”
I sighed as I took my seat. As if that was ever going to happen.