To town, to find a tavern

You looked at the laid out wreckage of the caravan, the remains of which were all pointed one way.

"This way. The caravan had to have been going somewhere, hopefully that won't be too far away." Glancing up to look at the sun again, you saw that it had moved, dropping a little lower behind the trees. It was mid-afternoon, and getting later. If you didn't find a town or something before it set, you might have been sleeping outside tonight.

"Sounds good," Sarah agreed, throwing her whip around herself with a flick of her wrist and tying it in place like a belt. Together with Miranda, the two of them started walking in the direction you'd pointed. Tom waited for them to pass, then followed behind them, shamelessly leering at their asses again. In the outfits they were wearing, a short one-piece and a tiny loincloth, their buns were admittedly on full display, but that didn't mean you should just stare.

Pushing past Tom, you made your way to the front of the group. Sarah and Miranda were engaged in conversation like the two besties normally would be, with you or Tom only occasionally joining in. Something about that made things feel normal, despite the strange world you found yourselves in, and the new weapons and apparel on your backs. Time passed quickly, and soon you found a road sign, fortunately in English.

<-- Greenford

There was a town ahead, near enough that they put a sign up for it. Glancing up, the sun was lower still. Hopefully you could get there before dark, but you still weren't exactly sure what you'd do once you got there. The four of you trudged on for the rest of the afternoon. The forest gradually thinned around you as you walked, giving way to grassy plains. Waist-high drystone walls rose up around the road, and a wide river meandered along the paths right hand side. Soon the plains became cultivated, fallow fields that had been ploughed, or had crops ready for harvest swaying in the wind.

By the time you could see buildings up ahead, the sun was disappearing below the horizon, and once you actually arrived in Greenford, night had well and truly fallen. You had arrived just in the nick of time, if you hadn't seen the town before dark, you'd have been forced to try and set up camp at the side of the road.

{if game:Class = Ranger}

Even with your survival skills, trying to get set up in an empty field in the dark without camping gear, would have been an impossible task.

{else}

Trying to set up camp in the dark in an empty field would have just ended up with you sleeping in the dirt. Hardly an inspiring start to an adventure.

{endif}

The gravel and worn dirt underfoot abruptly gave way to smooth cobble as you reached the town proper, a difference that you could have felt in the dark. Classic small town houses rose on either side, stone wall and timber beam construction like you'd seen in countless games before. The windows of most of those dwellings were dark, and you were beginning to worry that you were too late to find a room, until you saw a three storey building at the crossroads up ahead. A few windows on it's upper floors were blacked out, but light still shone from the ground floor.

The swinging metal sign hanging off the front near the door confirmed your hopes.

{letter}

The Wriggly Wyrm Tavern

{endletter}

A tavern. Somewhere where you could rent a space to sleep for the night. Glancing behind you, you saw that Miranda and Sarah were too tired to even talk to each other anymore, and Tom was practically dragging his axe over the cobbles. If you couldn't get a room here, you doubted your group would have the energy to go elsewhere.

Shouldering open the solid wooden door, you were met with the sight of a very closed bar. Chairs were stacked on tables, most candles were put out, and almost the entire space was devoid of life. The only living figure was a bushy haired man, who rested one elbow on the counter of the bar.

The sound of your groups entrance wasn't enough to raise his attention from the book that lay before him. He wore blue overalls over a dark green tunic, and his rather chubby face was downturned to whatever it was he read.

"Um, hail sir," you said, completely lacking in confidence, "My err, companions and I were hoping to find somewhere to stay for the night?"

"Bar's closed," the wild haired man sighed without looking up, "room's are five gold apiece for the night."

Grabbing the sack you'd taken from the goblin, you shook the contents out into your hand, already knowing what you would find. Eight gold pieces. More than enough for one room, not enough for two. It seemed that some negotiation was in order, although you weren't sure who should do it. Your class gave you no benefits to bargaining, but you were still willing to at least try. On the other hand, sex sells, and Sarah and Miranda were about the sexiest that you had ever seen them. If the man behind the bar was straight, there was no way he could tell them no, surely?