Chapter 1 (Sample)

It's a Living

 

 

   We seek your appearance with all haste. Gray Star Tavern, Fallfell, was all the note said. It arrived with three rings, one made of wood, one of iron, and one of stone.

   "Fallfell," Tomo said, "That's way down south, other side of the Great Forest."

   "I know." Shar wondered why someone would send a message a hundred leagues to hire her. I'm good at what I do, yes, but not so famous to be known throughout the lands.

   "Shar, it's time."

   Shar took her place and looked out over the crowd. The inn filled this night. Every man was looking at her, no, glaring at her with a lust, brought on by fantasies so shameful to border on the vulgar.

   "Perfect."

   There is one immutable truth to the world. Shar remembered it each time she went up on stage. When it comes to men in a tavern, for that matter, men everywhere, the smaller her dress, the more coins would be thrown in her collection pail.    Maybe sleazy, even obscene, but Shariana knew the number of crowns she took is based more on how little she wore rather than how well she played.

   The troupe started after dark, so the room was full, and already many of the men drank past their body's ability to stay lucid. That too worked well in Shar's favor, for the more they drank, the less they cared how much they spent.

   The other side to all this was the comments screamed over the din of the bar. Nothing that had not been shouted at Shar before, but still, it grew tiresome.

   Another problem occurred when she left to find a place to sleep. Without exception, she found one or two, sometimes more, of the braver and less savory characters waiting outside. Her scanty clothing and the cheap mead gave them evil ideas and poor judgment.