Yumi had shoulder-length, brown hair, which she bound tight at the back with an iron clip, adorned with a blue butterfly. She was wearing a tight, blue, short-sleeved tunic, cut at the midriff and a pair of dark-brown, tight-fit leather pants.
No sooner had they taken their seats, with Sven beside Yumi and Rolf and Severin on the other side of the table, when Bella, the barmaid, came up to the table with six tankards of hard ale on a tray expertly balanced on her left hand.
Rolf stared at their table. Besides Yumi’s gear and the plates of sliced cheese and sausages, there were already four tankards on the table not counting the ones Yumi was holding.
He looked up at Bella who was in process of setting the tankards on the table. “Um, I think we’re already good, Bella. No need for those,” he said.
“What are you talking about?” Yumi interjected. “Those are your drinks. These are mine.”
Bella giggled. “She’s quite the drinker, isn’t she? With such a small body, one wonders where she puts it. She’s been drinking non-stop ever since she came in and to think she’d been partying it up at the Green Water Tavern earlier this evening.”
“Oh?” Rolf raised an eyebrow.
“Karen was just here and she told me all about it,” Bella answered. “It seems Yumi here and her companions were celebrating the completion of their first major contract. Yumi was planning to drink the night away but the others weren’t quite up to the task.”
“Hhmmpphh! What a bunch of lightweights!” Yumi pouted as she crammed a handful of cheese chunks into her mouth. “A couple of barrels and they’re down for the count. And I drank most of it! Well, that’s the last time I go out drinking with those party-poopers, that’s for sure.”
She put a tankard down on the table and picked up another one.
“Now, Yumi,” Sven cautioned her, “I really think you’ve had enough. You should slow down at the very least.”
“No way!” Yumi cried. “I’m just starting to enjoy myself. Sven, tell your twin brother here to stop nagging me!”
Bella laughed as she turned to leave. She went over to a nearby table and proceeded to clean it, transferring empty plates, bowls, and tankards onto her tray.
Leaving Sven to handle Yumi, Rolf and Severin settled down to talk business.
“Alright,” Rolf said, taking a sip of ale. “Let’s get this over with.”
“Yes,” Severin agreed with a nod. “Midnight is fast approaching and time is of utmost importance, I fear.”
Rolf took another sip and continued. “You said you’ll pay us the fee for missing that contract. We were set to receive a thousand gold imperials total. That’s five hundred each then. I can give you a reference if you want.”
“Five hundred each it is then,” Severin stated thus without batting an eye. “And no. No reference is needed, my friend. Even if I hadn’t already known how much the amount was before I came to the Custard Fern, I have complete trust in your integrity. I will have the money ready by tomorrow. I trust you are still fine with receiving it in various currencies.”
Rolf paused for a moment then shrugged and sighed. “You already knew? I should have known! Still I’m quite surprised you had decided to cover it and not call in a favor instead. It’s a pretty hefty sum to say the least.”
“Ah, yes, I still have six chits left if memory serves,” Severin commented with a chuckle. “All in good time, my friend. Admittedly, I was somewhat tempted…”
Severin paused and looked as though he was mulling something over but eventually, he shook his head.
“Ah, never mind,” he murmured before continuing. “Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s get down to the business at hand, shall we? I have a job for you and Sven. A ‘little’ errand which I hope you’ll finish by morning, by noon at the latest.”
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