Baine and the Outlaw of Corwick (A Wolf of Corwick Castle Story) (The Wolf of Corwick Castle Book 7) by Terry Cloutier

Author:Terry Cloutier [Cloutier, Terry]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ganderland Publishing
Published: 2023-04-29T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 17: Bent And The Ugly Merchant

Baine found The Weary Jester without much trouble. The building was situated at the crossroads where the town’s two main streets met—Woodcutter’s Road and Highhill Lane—and it took up most of the block. He’d spent the last half an hour watching from the shadows of a warehouse across the square from the inn, alert for any signs of wardens or House Agents while a steady stream of patrons came and went. There were no threats that Baine could see, and he was becoming more and more confident that the ongoing search for him he’d been warned about must have already occurred here. It made a certain kind of sense, actually, since his pursuers had undoubtedly checked all the inns, taverns, and alehouses first before moving on to less likely places where he might have holed up.

The Weary Jester was two-stories high and long, with a steep roof of weathered orange clay tiles and thick wattle and daub walls built over a stout timber frame. The inn was shaped like an L, with an attached stable at the shorter end leading to a small yard where guests’ horses were watered and fed before being bedded down for the night inside. The main building had a series of narrow, roof-covered balconies on the second floor that extended well out over the first, with lanterns burning along every third support beam above and below. Baine watched as a man and woman appeared on one of the balconies, leaning against the railing together. The man wrapped his arm around the woman’s shoulders possessively as the faint sounds of her musical laughter floated over to where he stood. The two remained that way for long minutes before finally heading back inside.

A behemoth of a man with massive shoulders and arms that were offset by an equally enormous bulging stomach stood guard outside the inn's front door, demanding a fee from anyone who wished to enter. Baine had seen more than one potential patron become indignant at the request and refuse to pay before walking stiffly away. He’d never heard of an inn demanding payment for entry before. Finally satisfied that there were no threats to be seen, Baine cut off a section of a Jorq with his knife, then crossed the square and approached The Weary Jester. The guard’s dark beard and mustache were heavily oiled, Baine saw as he drew closer, finding it gave him a rather effeminate look somehow despite his intimidating size.

The guard stood with his beefy arms crossed over his chest, watching Baine as he approached with obvious distaste. “What do you want?” the man finally barked in a gruff tone when Baine paused in front of him.

Baine was forced to arch his neck back to peer up at the man’s face from beneath his cowl. That face was round and fleshy, with a wide, flat nose that showed evidence of having been broken many times. The guard’s eyes were small, suspicious, and mean, like a cornered pig’s—not a good sign.

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