Anna Arrives

The Lusty Wench had seen better days. The outdoor sign showed a busty barmaid, breasts bursting from her top, holding two mugs of beer. The paint was faded and chipped. A group of thuggish men hung around outside, and the air was thick with tobacco smoke. Anna's bedraggled appearence prompted wolf whistles and jeers as she approached the door. She shot the group of men a glare but that only encouraged them to yell more.

"Hey miss where are you going at this time of night?"
"Fancy spending the night in my room?"
"Look at those tits."
"I bet you suck cock really good."

"Go fuck yourselves," Anna retorted which she immediately regretted. Better not to let them know they'd got to her. Rolling her eyes she hurried into the tavern. Anna noted that there was no bouncer at the door, maybe that was why the guys were so confident.

Crossing the threshold Anna was surprised to see the tavern wasn't full. All the other watering holes of the Red Light District seemed to have more drunks than they knew what to do with whereas this one could use a few more customers. The tavern was a typical set up; kitchen, ten tables, a long bar, behind which sat beer barrels and bottles of booze; most of which were unlabled. There was an empty stage for live music and a set of stairs that Anna assumed must lead up to the rooms that could be stayed in and her step-brother's room. The floor was sticky with spilt beer. But after three weeks on the road, a shitty tavern with a fireplace and a roof over her head was paradise. Anna breathed a sigh of relief, but it wasn't over yet. She still had to persuade Gideon to let her stay here.