Beyond the Shore and Shadows by Chantal Gadoury

Author:Chantal Gadoury [Gadoury, Chantal]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: The Parliament House

10

“I must warn you about this place,” Soren murmured as they came to pause beside the door of a lively tavern. Dribbling candles lingered in the windows, seemingly beckoning passersby inside. With the setting of the sun came the chilling fog and mist of the sea. Together, they had finally arrived at Port Hals just as the moon was beginning to gleam brightly in the night sky. The moonlight casted an eerie glow over everything around them. Hollowed-out barrels tied around with rope outside the tavern looked even more worn and mangled with the cold haze that crept closer to them. Mirth and cheers from inside the pub felt immensely out of place; the new environment left Lena feeling unsettled.

“This place is very unlike the Lundby-Wyatt Inn.”

The echoes of music rang in Lena’s ears as she tried to keep her focus on Soren. The village had been mostly quiet, except for a few lone men who were walking toward the docks. Many ships had been there, waiting for the weather to clear for their next voyage. As they approached the brick building with wooden paneling and a small wooden door, merely yards away from the sea, the sounds of boisterous laughter spilled out onto the road.

“Your friend will be here?” Lena asked, trying to speak over the music.

Soren nodded, moving his gaze to the men walking by them. “Yes.”

“Will he be expecting you?”

“No.” Shaking his head, Soren jerked his chin toward the door. “It is my hope that he is here tonight.”

“But—”

“Trust me,” Soren said, glancing back at her. Biting her bottom lip, Lena silently nodded.

“I do.”

Lena was surprised by Soren’s sudden movement then; his arm wrapped around her waist, and he pulled her into his chest with his free hand. Her eyes were wide as she stared up into his eyes, but his gaze remained ahead. She heard laughter just behind her, and she turned to glance over her shoulder. A pair of drunk men had fallen over just by the door; a pool of brown liquid surrounded them.

“Seventy Krones for the strumpet, mate!” a large, ginger-bearded man said from the floor. Soren tightened his hold on her before pushing open the door. She watched the two men twist on the ground, chuckling at the spilled liquor.

Lena was met with a burst of warmth, and a strange, stale aroma lingered in the air of the tavern. Lena slid her hands to Soren’s shirt nervously and held onto the fabric tightly as he pulled them further inside. Soren had been right—the tavern was very different from the Lundby-Wyatt Inn. It was far noisier, and the men were a far cry from the sailors she’d seen before.

Her nose tingled at the peculiar stench of sweat, ocean, and ale drifting through the large room. In the far corner closest to the bar were several men dressed in tan trousers and white shirts, busily playing instruments, very much like the ones she had seen at the inn.

The entire tavern was filled with an enthusiastic melody and bawdy conversations.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.