The Wandering Inn_Volume 1, page 182
“A half-breed? Here?”
She looked aghast. Erin frowned at her reaction and Ceria scowled.
“Oh great. She must be from one of the Human-only countries. Wonderful. That explains a lot.”
“What’s wrong? This is Ceria. She’s a half-Elf.”
“She’s a freak! An untrustworthy spy and troublemaker! I insist she leave at once!”
Lyonette stared with hostility at Ceria, who didn’t look that welcoming either. Erin opened her mouth, but Ceria put her good hand on Erin’s arm.
“I would watch your mouth, young Human. I’m a friendly half-Elf, but my kind isn’t always nice to people who offend us. I know you’ve heard the stories.”
Lyonette sneered at Ceria, but with a trace of fear.
“Children’s tales to frighten the simpleminded.”
“Oh, really? Well, not all stories are fake.”
Ceria slowly raised her other hand, and Lyon froze. Ceria had learned to manipulate her dead hand quite well, and the girl standing in front of her turned deathly white as Ceria brought it in front of the girl. Ceria raised her skeletal hand in front of Lyon’s face and flexed it slowly. The girl’s eyes fixed on the bleached bones in horror. Ceria leaned forwards, and Lyon shrank back.
“If you don’t want to find out which stories are true, I’d watch your mouth around here. And I’d tread carefully and obey every order as well.”
Lyonette backed away, nearly stepped in the fire, and screamed. Erin watched as she backed towards the corner of the room, turned, saw Toren standing there, and screamed again.
It was almost funny, except that Lyonette had even less fondness for Erin’s skeleton, if that were possible.
“You consort with the dead? What kind of twisted monster are you? I defy your magic, [Necromancer]!”
“I’m not the necromancer. I just own Toren.”
Lyon stared at Erin, and then at Toren. She backed away from everyone, and only accepted some food from Erin at dinner. The rest of the time she spent in a far corner, glaring at everyone as she tore into her meal.
Erin and Ceria were discussing the problem with the Gnolls—and Ceria was adamant that there would be one—when Lyonette stood up. She left her clean plate and nearly arranged silverware on the table and stared at Erin, ignoring Ceria completely.
“I will rest now. I assume you have a bed prepared for me?”
“What? Yeah. Second room on the left. Do you want—?”
Lyon was up the stairs and out of earshot in an instant. Erin sighed exasperatedly, and Ceria shook her head.
“Regretting your choices? I don’t think she’s going to get any better, Erin.”
“She might.”
Ceria stared at Erin. The human girl looked down.
“Well, it’s possible.”
“And I might grow wings and dance naked in a grove, but that’s unlikely too. Look, it’s going to be a lot of work. Are you sure this is the decision you want to make?”
“I think so. I have to give her a shot, at least.”
Erin wasn’t sure. Not at all. But she had to try.
She had to try.
—-
The next day, Erin decided that yesterday had been a bad start. Yes, Lyonette had been rude, uncooperative, sneaky…the point was that tomorrow or rather, today, was a new day. Lyon could be different. She and Erin might really hit it off.
Buoyed up by what even she considered false optimism, Erin ascended the stairs and knocked on the girl’s door. Ceria had already left for the city; she always woke early for some reason. But Lyon had yet to rise, and it was already late morning.
“Lyon? Hello? Are you awake?”
There was no response. Erin frowned and knocked harder. No sound came from inside. Erin put her ear to the door and heard the snoring.
“Lyon.”
The girl didn’t budge when Erin raised her voice, but she did when Erin shook her violently. That was after gentle and insistent shaking; the girl could sleep!
“Whu?”
After a few minutes of irritated blinking at Erin, Lyonette scowled at her boss.
“Go away. I am resting.”
“It’s time for work. You’re working here now, remember?”
Lyon glanced at the window.
“It is far too early. I will get up in a few hours, perhaps.”
Erin stared as the girl lay back in bed and closed her eyes. Lyon quite deliberately rolled over to face the wall, away from Erin.
For two seconds Erin thought, and then she smiled apologetically.
“You know what? I’m so sorry. I had no idea it was so early, and—let me just apologize. I’ll let you sleep.”
“Mm. Good.”
Erin leaned forwards, speaking softly.
“But before that, can I just say one thing?”
“‘f you must.”
The innkeeper brought her lips next to Lyon’s ears and took a deep breath.
“WAKE UP!”
Erin screamed the words in Lyonette’s ear and the girl scrambled out of bed and away from her in an instant. It wasn’t quite as loud as when Erin had performed her one-woman one-iPod concert—she didn’t want to wake someone in the city—but it was still loud enough to deafen.
It was certainly an alarm clock to wake the dead or perhaps kill the living, because Lyon looked like she was about to have a heart attack.
“You twisted, evil—!”
“Lyon, when I ask you to get up, I mean it. You can’t sit around and do what you want, not if you want to actually stay here.”
Erin spoke over the girl’s insults, glad for her [Loud Voice] skill. Lyon stared at Erin and her face went red.
“What did you just call me? Lyon? That is not my name!”
She didn’t even seem to have registered the rest of what Erin had said. Lyon pointed a trembling finger at Erin in outrage.
“I am Lyonette. You will address me by my full name or not at all!”
Erin thought as she folded her arms and glared at Lyon. That was fair, or at least it would be if a friend had asked it—or a stranger—or anyone, really. It was just the tone of voice and the outrage that made Erin not want to grant Lyon’s request.
“I’m sorry you don’t like it, but it’s a nickname. I’ll try to call you Lyonette if you want, but you can’t overreact, and you will listen to me. Got it?”
Lyonette glared at Erin. It was a good glare; full of hauteur and unrighteous anger and some genuine imperious force behind it. But Erin had been stared at by dead Goblins, Antinium Queens, and angry Drakes capable of ripping her head off. She was the better starer.
The two locked gazes for three full minutes before Lyon flounced out of bed and down the stairs without a word.
“Where is breakfast?”
“We’ll have some after I teach you how to cook. In fact, you will be cooking your breakfast.”
“No.”
“It’s quite easy. We’ll make eggs. It’s hard to ruin eggs.”
“I will eat now. You may teach me later.”
Erin propped her hands on her hips. This new day approach was fading fast.
“You know what? It’s your choice. Either you learn to make food, or you can skip breakfast.”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
It was amazing Lyon could deliver the line with a straight face. Erin had to fight not to giggle, but Lyon’s personality helped.
“It’s what I’d do to a spoiled child, and it’s what I’ll do to you.”
“You can’t treat me this way!”
Lyon snarled at Erin, actually snarled. Erin wasn’t impressed. Gnolls could snarl.
“I’ll treat you any way I want. I’m paying you. Well, I’m going to pay you. If you work.”
“You dare. I am—”
Again, the girl hesitated, but recovered quickly.
“—Distant relative to Magnolia Reinhart, and I will not be addressed in that way! You will treat me with respect, or—”
Erin gave up. She pushed Lyon into the kitchen, or at least, tried to. She wasn’t expecting the whirlwind of claws and teeth the girl became when Erin laid hands on her. That was the start of Erin’s no good, very bad, very annoying day.
—-
Lyon. Or rather, as she insisted on being called, Lyonette. She was a nightmare. Erin thought she was good with people—at least, she didn’t have many problems in school even if she wasn’t the popular girl, and she’d always been good with kids. Even the really annoying young boys.
But Lyon. Lyon was a class of brat unto herself. Erin had only begun to realize that yesterday, but today cemented that fact in stone. Lyon was a disaster.
She couldn’t cook, wouldn’t clean, and treated everything and everyone with disdain. She hated and feared Ceria, she refused to stay anywhere near Toren, and she disliked Pisces—which was fair—but not for any of his many flaws, but just the way he dressed.
After an hour Erin had had enough. She’d had enough questions of ‘why should I?’ or ‘what’s the point if it’s going to be dirty tomorrow?’, or worse, ‘do you know who I am?’
Erin dropped the dustrag she’d been trying to get Lyon to accept and looked around. She saw Toren in a corner, right where she’d ordered him to stay. Another fun feature of Lyonette was that she wouldn’t go anywhere if Toren wasn’t in a corner, and Erin had had to argue her into living with that.
The skeleton looked impatient, which was odd. Erin thought she was imagining it, but Toren was developing several human-like qualities. He kept shifting from foot to foot and glancing around, very unlike his normal, stoic, terrifying silence. She hoped he wasn’t about to start asking questions.
“Toren. You teach her…everything.”
The skeleton turned his head and stared at Erin. So did Lyon. It was hard to say who had more horror in their expressions.
Lyonette was the first—and only—one to speak. She glared at Erin as she pointed with a trembling finger to Toren.
“Unacceptable. I will not—”
“You will. I’m going to the city. Toren, don’t kill her or do anything stupid. Just teach her how to clean the inn, okay?”
Toren nodded. Reluctantly, Erin thought. Well, she couldn’t blame him, but at least she could trust him to do his job.
The skeleton didn’t look happy, but at least he was smiling. Erin ignored the fact that this was because he was a skeleton and always grinning, and left the inn. She knew she could leave Lyon to Toren; he never had anything to do.
—-
Toren was busy. He knew this, and he only wished Erin knew this. Moreover, he did not want to teach Lyonette anything, unless it was how to bleed.
But orders were orders, and if he finished this, Erin might give him a nice order that would allow him to kill things. So he picked up the dustrag, and offered it to Lyon. Cleaning was easy, anyways.
The girl refused to take the dustrag. She backed up, screaming, and tryied to flee. Eventually, Toren corned her and the girl huddled in a corner, shrieking and cursing at him until she calmed down.
Once fear had been replaced with contempt and hatred, Lyon tried to push past Toren. She didn’t have much luck because she was afraid to make contact with him, and he kept shoving the dustrag in her face. He was getting impatient, which was new for him, but Lyon wasn’t like a wall.
You could clean a wall, or climb it, or bash it down with time. But the point was a wall was something you could work on. Effort put in was effort gained. But Lyon refused to do what Toren wanted no matter how much time he put in, and that was…
Annoying.
“Move aside.”
Lyon ordered Toren with commanding tones, pointing. The skeleton made no move. He thrust the dustrag in her face and she recoiled.
“Get that away from me. I will not be treated like this. I am r—I am nobility! You will obey me!”
Toren wasn’t completing his task. But it wasn’t his fault! It was Lyon’s. The flames in the skeleton’s eyes burned hotter as she tried to give him more orders. Only Erin gave him orders.
“Thing, I order you to—”
Toren dropped the dustrag and punched the girl in the stomach. Lyonette doubled over and retched. Toren watched with interest as her breakfast came up and wondered if he should hit her again.
“You—”
Lyonette stumbled away from Toren and her voice rose to a shriek. She started screaming at the skeleton.
“How dare you. I will—”
Toren walked over and punched her in the same spot. Lyon choked again and fell down. She curled into a ball and started whimpering.
Well, she was moving, but she hadn’t picked up the dustrag. Toren pointed to it. Lyon just moaned. So he kicked her.
She screamed, and he kicked her again and pointed. She saw the dustrag, and looked up at the skeleton. He raised his fist again and she scrambled to pick up the dust rag.
—-
“Erin Solstice.”
It was a bad sign when someone used her full name. True, people in this world liked different kinds of formality, but it was also about the tone of voice. Erin heard the warning signs in the voice, but since she knew and liked Krshia, she turned anyways.
“Krshia. Um, hi.”
“You have taken the thief into your home.”
Gnolls didn’t beat about the bush. Erin paused, and then nodded slowly.
“I did.”
“That is unwise. She will steal from you.”
“I know, but she was dying in the cold.”
“Yes. That was her punishment.”
“Death? She’s just a kid, Krshia. It’s not right. Look, I know she caused a lot of trouble, but—”
“You know nothing¸ Erin Solstice. She has done more harm to my tribe than any other. She is my enemy, Erin. Harbor her and you will break the bonds between us.”
Erin stared at Krshia. The Gnoll’s voice was hard and loud, and she’d chosen the middle of the street to confront Erin. That would normally have attracted a crowd, but the Drakes and Gnolls around her had taken one look at Krshia and decided to skip the show.
Her ears were as flat as her voice. Erin hesitated. She knew dogs. She liked dogs. She’d even had a dog that ate too many chess pieces and had to go through surgery as a kid. She liked dogs so much she knew it was a bad idea to pet one when their ears were flat. And Krshia—
“I’m giving her a chance. I’m sorry, Krshia, but I have to.”
“You have made your choice. Goodbye, Erin. We shall see what comes of it.”
Krshia turned abruptly and began to stride away. Erin paused, and then ran after her.
“Krshia, wait! Let me explain. I don’t want to hurt your feelings, but—”
She reached out and grabbed at Krshia, but someone caught her hand.
“Aunt. Is this Human bothering you?”
Someone imposed himself between Krshia and Erin. A giant paw firmly grabbed Erin’s hand and she looked up, up into the face of a very tall Gnoll. He was tall, muscular, and, Erin couldn’t help noticing this bit: armed. A longsword hung at one side, and a large shield was strapped to his back. The Gnoll stared down at Erin, without a trace of friendliness in his smile.
“You are Erin Solstice, yes? I would not touch my aunt so lightly, yes?”
“Brunkr. Let her go. She is not an enemy.”
Krshia turned and stared at the Gnoll who had called her aunt. He let go, and Erin stepped back and felt at her wrist. It didn’t feel broken.
“Who—are you? I’ve never seen you before.”
“I am a warrior of the Silverfang Tribe. I have come here with my brethered, yes? We have come to guard, and assist our honored sister of the clan leader, yes? But instead of terrible enemies, all I see are thieves and backstabbing Humans.”
Brunkr gave Erin a wide grin, and stared hard at her. She did her best not to be intimidated, and held her ground.
“I’m not a backstabbing Human. I just wanted to help, that’s all.”
“Help? Help would be bashing in the thief’s head with a rock. I have heard of her deeds; if you harbor her, you are an enemy.”
“Brunkr. Leave her. Erin has made her choice. I will not stop her, but I will not deal with her either.”
Krshia spoke flatly to her nephew and walked away. He hesitated, but turned to follow her. But he gave Erin one last smile.
“I am here to fulfill my aunt’s wishes, and safeguard my people here. And that included protecting our honor. Walk softly, Erin Solstice.”
Then he was gone. He strode through the crowd, generating a personal bubble of ‘do not touch me’ almost as large as Krshia’s. Erin watched him go.
“That. Is not good.”
She turned. She had been intending to shop at Krshia’s and ask for a bit of forgiveness and explain, but it looked like she was without her Gnoll friend. And without any Gnoll shops either, because she saw several Gnolls on the street giving her the stink-eye.
Erin sighed. She’d have to go to each shop to buy her goods, and only Drake ones at that. And carry all of it back herself. Wonderful. A short shopping spree had suddenly got longer, and probably more costly.
She just hoped this was the only bad thing that would happen today. After all, it wasn’t as if her day could get any worse, could it?
Erin knew full well it could, and that was even before she got back to the inn and Lyon started shrieking at her.
—-
“He hit me!”
Erin paused and stared at Toren as the skeleton stood behind Lyonette. The girl was red in the face as she alternatively raged at Erin and demonstrated with her filthy hands.
“And he made me clean up filth!”
“Well, that is your job. But he hit you? Hard?”
“He tried to kill me! I demand you destroy him at once!”
Erin stared at Lyon. She didn’t see any bruises on her face, but…
“If Toren hit you, that’s bad. But I don’t see any injures. Where did he hit you?”
