Let's Make A Deal

A warm firm chest pressed against her back as a clawed hand slid along the base of her neck and throat, holding her firmly.

“You wish to make a deal?” The voice that spoke caressed the side of her face in an intangible warmth, its melody dripped with rugged tones and laced with thoughts of sin.

Her voice hardly escaped her lips, it was a soft whisper against his skin.

“Y-yes....”

Growing up poor, Arabella is born with a curse upon her head and illness rotting in her heart. Visiting a market, she hears rumors of a Dealmaker that can grant any wish you desire. Fueled with thoughts of better days ahead, Arabella packs up and makes a journey to find an audience with the Dealmaker. Unknowing that the man that waited for her, was all she ever needed to break her spell.

A glass of dark colored liquid, probably ale, was slid across the rough wooden counter. Small petite pale hands are what is wrapped around the metal cup to keep it from sliding off the bar, though the owner of the hands made no motion to lift the glass to her lips. Instead she lightly tapped her nails across its metallic surface, the small ting ting ting sound being drowned out by the rest of the noises coming from within the tavern around her.

You see, today Arabella had found herself on a mission. A mission no one in this god forsaken village would ever condone. But one that no one would stop her from taking, just as no one gave her any mind in her day to day life.

Arabella was what you would call the village outcast and even that title was a kind one. She was scoffed at, spit upon and even feared at times. A life that no one would wish upon their worst enemy, but surely at some point she had evoked the wrath of a god to be in the spot she was in.

Lifting her hand, she pulled down on the hood of the cloak she was wearing, trying desperately to keep her face and hair hidden under the sage green cover. Thankfully it was winter, so she could slip by under the guise of a traveler seeking refuge in the tavern’s warmth. No one would question her if they couldn’t see her.

“Did you hear?” A man suddenly spoke as he leaned ungracefully against the bar next to her, his drunken slur and posture a tell tale that the gentleman had a few drinks prior to the one he was currently waving around.

“Haar wat?” another man said, slurring his words even more than the first. Leaning just as gracefully onto the bar as he tipped the rest of his drink into his mouth. Some of it spilled out the edges of his lips and dripped down to soak into his shirt. Charming.

“You didn’t hear?” The first one said, the one that seemed just a little less drunk of the two. Arabella was about to turn another direction on her barstool when the next words of the man caught her attention.

“Gregory met the Dealmaker yesterday. Said the thing was as big as a king’s castle and promised him a fine lady if he could pay the price!” Chuckling, the man took a swig from his glass before he continued. “Can you believe it? Gregory? With a fine lady?”

The other man, who was now staring into the bottom of his ale mug wondering likely where all his drink had gone made a grunting sound. “ Ell, he was wif a lady dis mornin. Pretty lass, said she comes from kings-” hic “Town.”

“What?! So he did it then? He found the real Dealmaker? By the gods… I wonder how much a fine lass costs…” Sputtered the first male, seeming to look at his drink as if it wouldn’t be enough to drown whatever penny debts he was currently having that made him unlikely to afford himself a girl.

Arabella spoke before she could stop herself, her curiosity flaming the fires of her speech. “Where can you find the Dealmaker?”

Both men turned their full attention on the hooded figure with the ladylike voice. The one closest to her rose his brows before setting his half full glass down onto the counter. “Well, well well, seems i don’t need a Dealmaker to find me a lass. Isn’t that right mystery woman?”

The second male laughed, slamming his cup down onto the bar and almost falling over as he did so. “Aye! who nes a deal when you hav… hav… wat was i sayin?”

That other man was more drunk than Arabella initially thought. Clearing her throat, she pulled her hands off the counter, away from the glass and to herself. Now holding the edges of her cloak draped over her figure.

“Ah, but what if I wanted to find the Dealmaker? Where did your friend find him?” Arabella pressed, in turn making sure she was as far back on her stool from this man as possible. Drunks were unpredictable.

“Whatcha lookin for a little lady? I’m a fine single man, I work at the market stalls, I do. I could be a fine husband, no need to find a Dealmaker for that one eh?” slurred the man who was now just a little closer to her, him leaning down slightly trying to peer under her hood.

This had Arabella looking further down and more towards the man’s shoes. “I’m not looking for a man right now… just the Dealmaker. Can you tell me where he is? Please.” She added to sound more polite and ladylike.

A chuckle mixed with a snort emitted from the man and it was at that time she noticed the other drunk male who had been chatting with him was now passed out on the bar tabletop, the barkeep trying to shake him awake.

“You’re a sly one, arentcha? Playing hard to get i see. Fine, I’ll tell you where the Dealmaker is… and you gimme a kiss in return!” The man beamed happy with his own sort of deal as he tried to peer under her hood again.

“Yes, fine. Just tell me where it is.” Had she intentions of kissing this man? Hell no and his pressuring behavior was creeping her out. All in all he wasn’t a bad looking fellow, he just gave her the creeps.

“Alright!” Smirking ear to ear, the male gestured to the front of the tavern past a couple who were dancing to the music of the lute player in the corner. “Out to the west is a really dense forest. You walk through the middle till you hear the sound of running water, from there you follow the sound till you see a river, and then follow it east till you see a really big tree! Gregory said that beyond that tree is a nasty thicket, but in it? The Dealmaker.” Smirking, proud of himself he lifted up his dirty sleeve and started to wipe rapidly at his face as if to clean it.

“Now for my kiss!” He prodded, leaning down to her chair height with a face to rival the puckering lips of the fish that swam the rivers.

Great! She knew where it was now. West into the woods, keep straight till you hear water, follow it and travel east till a big tree, then go through the thicket behind it. She could do that! She could do that… but kissing this disgusting man was not something she wanted to do and likely it was something he didn’t want either.

Letting out a deep sigh she lifted her hands, trembling only slightly, as she pulled down her hood. Long blonde sunkissed hair toppled out from under its confines, it a river of waves and curls as it cascaded down her form. Pale skin which looked like it had been kissed by the moon, covered her skin and pale forest green eyes peered out from the few strands of blonde hair that had fallen into her face. An expectant look was given to the man before her as he suddenly jerked back, his body falling backwards and into his sleeping friend which finally roused him from his impromptu nap.

“T-the cursed one! I bout kissed you! You demon wench!” He spat, his face which had moments before been proud and happy now twisted in disgust and repulsion. In fact, now the whole tavern had gone eerily quiet. The only sound being the giant drunk lug slowly waking up from his spontaneous nap against the counter, likely not having any idea what was going on.

“Get out.” the bartender spoke bluntly, reaching for her glass only to toss it into the trash behind the bar without another glance. She hadn’t even drank from it, but because she had touched it, they didn’t dare let someone drink from it ever again.

Standing up, she threw her hood back over her blonde hair and face, then quickly turned towards the door. The entire crowd parted before her, the dead silence of the tavern making every step she took seem that much louder. She could feel the stares upon her as she made her way ever closer to the door. Hear their judgment and distaste in their stilled breathing, not wanting to even breathe in the air around her when she came close.

With a shove, Arabella pushed the tavern door open and exited out into the cold. Chilled winter night air blew aggressively against her form, welcoming her into the landscape that would never shun her away. After all, winter took all the warmth, no matter what or who you were.

But it was okay… she’d see the Dealmaker and ask it to make her beautiful, she’d get the money her parents needed with a marriage and she’d make this terrible curse of hers right. She would finally make her life have a purpose.