Winter was coming and there wasn’t enough food to feed the city for the entire season. The Infirmary was filled with screaming children, groaning adults and a whole bunch of people that were crying after a huge archery mishap earlier that day. Aidara was needed everywhere at once and, since there was only one of her, the little woman felt as if she was about to be torn in half or simply crushed beneath the weight of responsibility.
It had been a reoccurring with the young woman, this sense of obligation that weighted her down, crushing her flat beneath its intensity until she was forced to go to extremes to forget and let go. Addy never complained, putting on a smiling face and doing both of her jobs to the greatest extent of her ability, but sometimes it was just too hard to cope with. She couldn’t rid everyone of his or her pains nor could she single handedly bring in enough food for the entire city. Sira did most of the hunting anyway, but Addy helped where she could.
Seeing how the stress had drained Addy’s face of any color, a sweat prickling her brow as dark stains appeared on the vinati beneath her arms. Clearly unable to handle anymore for the evening, Keah had sent her fellow healer home, hustling her from the Infirmary as quickly as she could manage. “We’re going to do just fine without you. As tired and worried as you are, Addy, you know right well you might do more harm than good.” It was true. The wrong medicine to the wrong person… Having given in to the young woman’s request, the little redheaded woman shuffled down the long hallways of the inner warrens and back towards her Aerie.
How long he had been wandering without paying attention to where her feet were taking her, Addy wasn’t really sure. It was the loud thudding of a drum and the loud, happy noises of a large group of people that drew Addy from her stupor. While she had intended to go home, it seemed as if her feet carried her to the Inclement Weather, though it wasn’t until she saw were she was that the little healer realized she was in desperate need of a stiff drink.
Pushing through the crowded doorway, Addy bee lined it straight for the bar, spotting an open stool beneath two beefy looking men. Even as small as she was, it would be a tight squeeze to fit in between them. She managed though, the men on either side glancing down at her, one with a leer and the other with an appreciative grin. Returning them both in kind and paired with a wink, Addy waited for them to move their elbows off the bar top so that she was able to lean forward and flag down either Tom or Tessa. However, there was no one in sight.
“Tom’s out cold and on his way to the Infirmary.” Noticing her dismayed expression, the man on her left leaned in towards Addy to supply this bit of information. “Someone grabbed Tessa and he felt it was his duty to defend her honor.” Chuckling at the apparently amusing though, the big man lifted his glass to toss back the remainder of his drink, which was then set down with a sigh. “Well-pah, I guess that’s it for me.”
Irritation flashed quickly across Addy’s face as she digested the story, slowly realizing that it meant she wouldn’t get the drink she so desperately wanted. Ignoring the fact that she should probably worry more about how badly she seemed to need the alcohol and how unhappy she was without it these days, Addy nudged the man who’d spoken to her aside as she slid back down from her stool. “What were you drinking?”
Lifting a gingery brow and exchanging a glance with the other patrons lingering at the bar, a chuckle rumbled from deep within his chest as he watched Addy stomp behind the bar and start pulling out glasses; she had seen Tom and Tessa do it enough that she knew were almost everything was. “Are you allowed to do that?” He sounded skeptical, earning him a reproachful look from the little healer.
“I can really do whatever I want.” The tumbler was slammed down onto the bar top with a little too much force, the little woman’s green eyes flashing as she met the strangers gaze. “Plus it’s my night off and I want a drink.” The alcohol was next, Addy turning her back on the man as she scanned the rows of liquor that lined the wall.
“Fiery. I like you. Name’s Don.”
“Bartender Aidara to you, Don.” Without turning around to face him, Addy raised a hand, flicking her wrist in a slight wave before continuing. “You never told me what you were drinking.”
“Gin and Tonic, little lady.” Don chuckled again, leaning his arm on the countertop and smirking as he watched Addy stand on her tiptoes and reach for the bottle that was far, far above her head. Though she stretched, there was no way that she was going to be able to get it down on her own. “A little help?” Turning back to Don and motioning for the empty stool next to him, Addy stepped aside as the big man lifted it up and over the bar.
Dragging it closer to the racks of alcohol, Addy climbed up to stand on the barstool and tugged the Gin from its spot. The short, squat glass that Don had set in front of him was grabbed as a bottle of water appeared in her hand. “I think I know how to do this.” Tipping the lip of the tonic water over the glass, Addy watched as the it splashed until it completely covered the bottom before grabbing the bottle of gin and filling the glass the rest of the way with the alcohol.
Sliding it back over to Don, Addy watched as he lifted his drink, toasted her with it and threw it back. She could see the wince he tried to hide, the slight watering of his eyes as he slid the empty glass back towards her. “A little strong.” He managed to choke past the burning of his throat.
“More tonic water next time.” Making a mental note, Addy looked up to find the rest of the bat watching her, leaning expectantly forward as took up a clean cloth and wiped a spot of the counter top that bore a dark smudge; all in all, if was an impressively professional looking gesture. Throwing the towel over her shoulder, Addy wiped her hands on the rag, lifted the bottle of gin for a swig and wiped her mouth dry before crying out and clapping her hands together. “Alright, whose next?”
It had been a reoccurring with the young woman, this sense of obligation that weighted her down, crushing her flat beneath its intensity until she was forced to go to extremes to forget and let go. Addy never complained, putting on a smiling face and doing both of her jobs to the greatest extent of her ability, but sometimes it was just too hard to cope with. She couldn’t rid everyone of his or her pains nor could she single handedly bring in enough food for the entire city. Sira did most of the hunting anyway, but Addy helped where she could.
Seeing how the stress had drained Addy’s face of any color, a sweat prickling her brow as dark stains appeared on the vinati beneath her arms. Clearly unable to handle anymore for the evening, Keah had sent her fellow healer home, hustling her from the Infirmary as quickly as she could manage. “We’re going to do just fine without you. As tired and worried as you are, Addy, you know right well you might do more harm than good.” It was true. The wrong medicine to the wrong person… Having given in to the young woman’s request, the little redheaded woman shuffled down the long hallways of the inner warrens and back towards her Aerie.
How long he had been wandering without paying attention to where her feet were taking her, Addy wasn’t really sure. It was the loud thudding of a drum and the loud, happy noises of a large group of people that drew Addy from her stupor. While she had intended to go home, it seemed as if her feet carried her to the Inclement Weather, though it wasn’t until she saw were she was that the little healer realized she was in desperate need of a stiff drink.
Pushing through the crowded doorway, Addy bee lined it straight for the bar, spotting an open stool beneath two beefy looking men. Even as small as she was, it would be a tight squeeze to fit in between them. She managed though, the men on either side glancing down at her, one with a leer and the other with an appreciative grin. Returning them both in kind and paired with a wink, Addy waited for them to move their elbows off the bar top so that she was able to lean forward and flag down either Tom or Tessa. However, there was no one in sight.
“Tom’s out cold and on his way to the Infirmary.” Noticing her dismayed expression, the man on her left leaned in towards Addy to supply this bit of information. “Someone grabbed Tessa and he felt it was his duty to defend her honor.” Chuckling at the apparently amusing though, the big man lifted his glass to toss back the remainder of his drink, which was then set down with a sigh. “Well-pah, I guess that’s it for me.”
Irritation flashed quickly across Addy’s face as she digested the story, slowly realizing that it meant she wouldn’t get the drink she so desperately wanted. Ignoring the fact that she should probably worry more about how badly she seemed to need the alcohol and how unhappy she was without it these days, Addy nudged the man who’d spoken to her aside as she slid back down from her stool. “What were you drinking?”
Lifting a gingery brow and exchanging a glance with the other patrons lingering at the bar, a chuckle rumbled from deep within his chest as he watched Addy stomp behind the bar and start pulling out glasses; she had seen Tom and Tessa do it enough that she knew were almost everything was. “Are you allowed to do that?” He sounded skeptical, earning him a reproachful look from the little healer.
“I can really do whatever I want.” The tumbler was slammed down onto the bar top with a little too much force, the little woman’s green eyes flashing as she met the strangers gaze. “Plus it’s my night off and I want a drink.” The alcohol was next, Addy turning her back on the man as she scanned the rows of liquor that lined the wall.
“Fiery. I like you. Name’s Don.”
“Bartender Aidara to you, Don.” Without turning around to face him, Addy raised a hand, flicking her wrist in a slight wave before continuing. “You never told me what you were drinking.”
“Gin and Tonic, little lady.” Don chuckled again, leaning his arm on the countertop and smirking as he watched Addy stand on her tiptoes and reach for the bottle that was far, far above her head. Though she stretched, there was no way that she was going to be able to get it down on her own. “A little help?” Turning back to Don and motioning for the empty stool next to him, Addy stepped aside as the big man lifted it up and over the bar.
Dragging it closer to the racks of alcohol, Addy climbed up to stand on the barstool and tugged the Gin from its spot. The short, squat glass that Don had set in front of him was grabbed as a bottle of water appeared in her hand. “I think I know how to do this.” Tipping the lip of the tonic water over the glass, Addy watched as the it splashed until it completely covered the bottom before grabbing the bottle of gin and filling the glass the rest of the way with the alcohol.
Sliding it back over to Don, Addy watched as he lifted his drink, toasted her with it and threw it back. She could see the wince he tried to hide, the slight watering of his eyes as he slid the empty glass back towards her. “A little strong.” He managed to choke past the burning of his throat.
“More tonic water next time.” Making a mental note, Addy looked up to find the rest of the bat watching her, leaning expectantly forward as took up a clean cloth and wiped a spot of the counter top that bore a dark smudge; all in all, if was an impressively professional looking gesture. Throwing the towel over her shoulder, Addy wiped her hands on the rag, lifted the bottle of gin for a swig and wiped her mouth dry before crying out and clapping her hands together. “Alright, whose next?”