[EQNL] Emberglow Tavern

[Silverwulfe]

The setting sun tinged the hills across the valley a dusky pink.  The torches flickered in the dancing breeze.  Sweat ran down his long brown hair and dripped off the end of his nose.  The open necked white shirt was drenched with sweat and probably made little difference when he wiped his brow with the sleeve. None of it seemed to matter as he frowned in concentration, the tip of his tongue sticking out slightly from the left side of his mouth.

"A little more to the left... that's it... and nail it!" he thought.  His concentration didn't falter, just shifted focus briefly from picking up a new board and putting it into place.  Board after board.  Nail after nail.

"Last one!" he breathed out as he put down his tools and stretched.  Looking around he was surprised to realize darkness had fallen.  "Well... this is going better than I expected! A couple more days and this place will be ready for business!"  He often talked to the trees and the boulder.  Sometimes he whistled to the birds.

Taking his time down the sandstone stairs, he looked up at the simple structure tucked into the hillside.  Smoke from his forge rose above the red tiled roof drifting into the large treelimbs that shaded the back porch in the heat of the day.  The "Emberglow" sign gleamed back at him in the torchlight.  He pulled up a chair and sat at one of the wooden tables along the boardwalk and let his straining muscles relax into the cool night air, the sound of the crickets and the stars twinkling above.

"Yep..." he paused slowly, "it's been a good day... a good day..."

[Mixxi]

Domnic crested the hill and immediately ducked back down behind a bush. He could have sworn that this little valley had been empty when he'd come through here mere days ago. Alban had been right. The wilderness had gotten to be a very busy place lately. He didn't like being surprised. And his employer certainly didn't like the free and easy way people were claiming little pockets of sovereignty all over the place.

He peered at the rather sweaty fellow as he lowered his mallet. Didn't seem like he was the insurrection type. All those tables, though. A tavern? Domnic unconsciously licked his lips. Probably would bear closer examination. Yes. He'd definitely need to keep an eye on this place. Purely as a precaution, of course.

Making a mark on his map, the rather scruffy traveler paused for one last look before silently slipping down the backside of the hill and fading into the evening shadows.