Chapter 1
The smell of sweat and alcohol mingled in the air with the cheers and chatter of the bar. Patrons of all walks of life sat throughout the sailing ship turned bar. Salty sea air filtered in through the open windows. At this time of night, the bar was bustling. The sun set. Business on the docks slowed for the evening. Dock workers and sailors alike were finding their way inside.
Behind the counter and situated in front of a tall wall of liquor bottles, a short, stout man poured a tray of drinks. His bushy, reddish-gray beard was braided and well-cared for. He slid the tray of whiskey glasses across the counter to his barmaid.
“Edith,” he shouted gruffly over the noisy bar. “Take this to table four.”
The barmaid, a woman of elven decent with freckled skin, took hold of the tray with a light sigh. Glancing at the five patrons currently gathered around table four, she speculated they were sailors almost immediately. They carried themselves with an aura of arrogance and the stench of saltwater mixed with weeks worth of bathless travel from the other side of the bar. Dozens of empty mugs sat on the table.
Edith carried the tray to the table and politely sat it down. A series of cheers erupted from the table at the sight of their new order. A woman at the end of the table handed Edith a couple of coins.
“For your trouble, Miss,” she said, offering the barmaid a wink.
Edith dipped her head, her blonde curls bouncing, and thanked the woman. She pocketed the coins into her apron. Making her way back to the bar, she stopped at a few more tables to check on guests.
Her shift came to an end an hour later. The bar still hopped with activity, but another barmaid came to cover for the rest of the night. Walking through the back doors behind the bar counter, she let out a heavy sigh. She hung her apron on a hook by the door and retrieved her tips from the night. A few others were leaving for the night as well.
The dwarven owner, a stout man with a braided, graying beard and decades worth of sun-kissed skin, entered the kitchen with a large smile on his face through his beard. He handed everyone leaving for the night a pouch of coin.
“Here’s this week’s wages,” he said.
Edith counted her coins with a large grin spreading across her face. She added her tips into the bag and squeezed the pouch excitedly as she thanked the dwarf.
“Didn’t know I’d make ya that happy, kid,” he laughed as he gave her a pat on her arm.
Edith chuckled and pocketed her coin pouch. “It just means I’m one step closer to having the money to pay for my trip. My tips were really good tonight.”
“A cute lass like yourself shouldn’t be surprised by that,” one of the cooks laughed on his way out the door.
The dwarf grabbed a stool from the corner and sat down. He pulled a cigar from his pocket and lit it with the fire from the stove.
“You know, Edie,” he said. “I promised your mum I’d look after ya, but you could find better work elsewhere. I bet those skills she taught ya would make ya a lot more money.”
Edith shrugged her shoulders and put her hands in her pockets. “I tried. No doctor or healer in town wants an apprentice right now.”
“Well, they’re missin’ out on one damn good healer,” he said, slapping his thighs.
“Thank you, Uncle Algir,” she smiled.
He nodded and hopped off the stool, saying he needed to get back out front. He paused at the door and turned back to Edith. He snapped his fingers and pointed at her as if he had been struck with an idea.
“I’d be willing to bet that ya might be able to find a ship looking for a medic. They’re a pretty prized position on a ship. You’d have more money in your pocket and a ticket to the Silver City. I’ll keep my ear open for rumors with the sailors coming into port.”
“Thank you,” she said. “If something that specific comes up, I’ll take it. I promise.”
“Ya better,” he lightly threatened. “Get some rest.” He stepped back into the tap room.
Edith stared at the door for a moment before stepping through a side door in the kitchen that led to the hallway. A set of stairs descended downward to the lower deck of the ship while another went up to the roof. She descended the stairs to the tavern rooms with her keys in hand. Her room was at the end of the hall. Two storage rooms separated her from the rooms her uncle rented out to travelers and patrons. Opening the door, the floral scent of the plants she tended to hit her nose, replacing the sweat and booze from the bar above. Vials and jars of various liquids, potions, and poultices sat around the small table in the far corner. She kicked off her shoes, tossing them carelessly to the side. She collapsed onto the bed too tired to change into her night clothes before sleep took her for the night.
