by Rachel Gay
Erin waited, but he didn't seem to be on the verge of leaping at any second. She stared at the wolf and he stared back. Dimly she noticed the ribs that poked out of the wolf’s sides through the mass of gray, tan, and white fur, but her eyes went to the mark over the wolf's left eye. It burned red and orange in comparison and looked for all the world like a sunburst, as if someone had been stupid enough to try and tattoo a wolf.
“What is that?” she asked, pointing at the mark.
The wolf's ears went up and he walked around her again, being careful not to stray within striking distance. Back in the kitchen, the young man straightened up.
“I can't talk when I'm like that,” he explained. He pushed back the hair that covered his left eye and pointed at the identical mark there. “This is the mark of my curse, I guess you'd call it. The sun is the trigger, the light turns me into the wolf and I can't change back until I'm inside or in a decent amount of shade. Any other questions?”
“Why didn't you tell me? How did you get cursed? Does it hurt? Why are clothes still there when you change back? Have you ever...” Erin stopped and made a gesture with her hand.
“Attacked someone? No, I haven't,” he answered. The young man smiled and said, “At least, not yet. And do you really expect me to go around telling people about this? Would you?”
“Well, no, I guess not,” Erin said.
“For all I know, this town would run me out the second anyone found out, at the least. I'm surprised you’re not running for help right now, honestly,” the young man said, and Erin tightened her grip on the broom. “Not that I'm complaining. If you want me to leave, I'll go. Not much reason for me to stay around, anyways.”
“Why did you even come here?”
The young man tilted his head at that and stared at Erin, as if trying to figure out how she meant that question.
“A witch told me that Master Sollis, the keeper of the Last Inn, would show me the way to breaking the curse. Obviously, that’s not going to happen now,” he said. “Unless you know of another Sollis in the area? A relative, maybe?”
Erin shook her head and he deflated with a sigh. Not that there was much of him to deflate, she noticed again. Pitiful, in every sense of the word.
“A witch?” she asked as she walked over to the counter where the young man had left the groceries.
“Yeah, I worked for a witch for a while,” He shrugged his narrow shoulders and said, “Cleaning, mostly. Sweeping, dusting, washing dishes, that sort of thing. Sometimes helped with the cooking, if the cook wanted someone to talk to. In exchange, she told me how to break the curse. Or at least, she was supposed to.”
“Well, there isn't anyone around here who would know about that kind of stuff. I don't think even Sollis did. Want a sandwich?”
The young man looked at her with obvious surprise and said, “Are you serious?”
“What, you have something against sandwiches?” Erin asked defensively.
“No, it's just....” He stopped and said, “Thank you, that sounds good.”
“What's your name, anyways?” Erin asked. “My name's Erin Smith.”
“Kota,” he answered, after a long second.
Erin frowned down at the bread but didn't say anything about that. Instead, she said over her shoulder as she piled the sandwich ingredients onto a tray, “Look, you can stay here for another night if you want, but after that you're on your own.”
“Thank you,” Kota said again. “I don't want to cause any problems for you or the other guests.”
Erin scoffed as she dropped the tray onto the single table in the kitchen. “What other guests? Look at this place! Everyone's right, the inn should just stay closed. There's no way I can do this by myself.”
Kota stood by the door and closed his eyes for nearly a minute, his thoughts and face unreadable. Just as Erin started to worry again he opened his eyes and said, “I can help with that.”
Entry 5: The Smith's Deal
“What do you mean, help?” Erin asked.
Kota shrugged and brushed his hair out of his face. Now that she knew it was there, Erin's eyes kept straying back to the sunburst mark above his eye.
“I passed a caravan of merchants on the way here. They're probably on their way to the capital, but no doubt they're going to want to stop here and do some trading. Are there any other inns in town?”
“Well, no,” Erin answered. “We're so small, and most people don't stay long. Everyone wants to get to the city.”
He noted the bitterness in her voice, and said, “So you're going to have more than enough guests within a couple of days. Wait until they leave, and then make up your mind about this place.”
Erin sighed but didn't bother to argue. They passed an awkward few minutes making and eating sandwiches with as little conversation as possible, during which Kota did his best to ignore the constant glances and how she jumped every time he moved.
“Thank you for the meal,” he said over the clatter of Erin's chair falling back when he stood up. “I'll get my things ready, but if you don't mind I'll wait until sunset before I leave. People don't try to shoot me as much when I travel at night.”
“Uh, right.”
Kota went to the kitchen door but froze when the walls of the room shook to the pounding at the front door. Erin pushed past him to the door before it could collapse under the thundering blows and opened it on a pair of men. She almost didn't notice Mayor Geld, who was nearly eclipsed by the tall, broad-shouldered man who lowered his fist and glared down at her beneath a bushy set of eyebrows set in a brick red face.
With a voice that came down like that of an irate furnace god, the man said, “Erin Lydia Smith. Explain yourself.”
“Hi, Dad,” Erin said weakly. “So I guess you heard about the inn?”
“Not until Joe Farmer comes by my forge to tell me one of my daughters has taken it into her head to try and reopen an accident waiting to happen. Without a single word to her own father, at that.”
Erin shrugged and said, “I'm an adult now. Besides, I told Mom, she was one of my referrals.”
Eli Smith's jaw worked as he turned his response over in his head and finally said, “Why this place?”
“I...just thought someone should try to do it,” she answered, not quite looking her father in the eye. “Besides, the town needs an inn, right, Mayor Geld?”
The mayor stuttered and said, “W-well, I must admit the business it would bring if travelers had a place to stay...”
The smith turned his gaze on Geld, who immediately stepped back and added, “It's true Eli. Plus, I've been getting some...suggestions from the city about the place, and you know what the capital is like! If we don't do something, they'll send their own people to run the place. Why not let one of the town’s own give it a chance?”
Eli crossed his thick arms, a maneuver that normally deterred even the most determined of hagglers. “Even if I was okay with this, it doesn't matter. How do you expect one person to take care of all of this?”
“Mr. Sollis did,” Erin said.
“That was Daniel. This is you.”
Father and daughter stared at each other in brittle silence. That is, until Geld coughed and said, “I'm afraid he has a point, Erin. If you had a partner, it would be a different story, but as it is now...”
Eli nodded and Erin thought fast.
“So if I could find a partner, I can keep the Last Inn?”
“Well, as long as you pay the rent on time,” Geld said, but he looked to Smith for confirmation.
Eli laughed and said, “No one in town would agree to that. Why do you think this place has stayed empty for so long?”
“Kota's not from around here, so I guess you're right,” Erin answered and enjoyed the satisfaction of seeing the men's reactions.
“Who?” Geld said.
“Kota. He arrived this morning, and after talking with him he said he would help,” Erin said. She shrugged and added, “I thought, maybe there would be a trial run,
but if he doesn't work out I'm sure I can always find someone else.”
Eli's expression grew darker. “Where is this Kota?”
“He's...back in the kitchen,” Erin said and felt her certainty drop. This was such a bad idea, but she needed to stall for time and Kota was there.
“I think I'll meet him,” Smith said.
“As should I,” Geld piped in and Erin nodded, trying not to bite her lip as she led them back through the common room to the kitchen.
Erin knew Kota had been listening to every word when they found him hovering near the back door in the kitchen. He cringed when they came in, probably wishing that he’d run when he had the chance. She clasped her hands and made a pleading gesture where the other men couldn't see and he gave the barest of nods, to her genuine surprise.
“Hello,” he said.
Kota stumbled through a conversation with Geld, accompanied by Erin’s quick answers that often tripped him up even more. All the while, Eli stared at the young man until Kota self-consciously touched his hair to make sure it still covered his mark.
“I can see you two need to work on the details,” Geld said and, after looking at Eli for confirmation, “But I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”
Erin beamed and showed them out while Kota exhaled and leaned against the kitchen counter, trying to still the shaking in his hands. It wasn’t until the men were some distance away from the inn that Eli spoke again, in response to the mayor’s question about his sudden change in mood.
“Please. If he’s still here a month from now, I'll repair that sign over the door myself.”
Entry 6: Find the Floor
Erin turned away from the front door in time to see the kitchen door swing shut and a gray shape race up the stairs.
“Kota?” She walked up the stairs, after pausing to retrieve the broom, and found the door to the young man's room standing open. He paused in the act of gathering his few possessions into his small bag.
“What, are you going to beat me with the broom again?” he asked.
“Huh? Oh, no,” Erin said and shifted her grip on the broom. “I was going to, um, sweep up here.”
“I see,” Kota said, his gaze dropping to the polished floorboards visible beneath the rug. “Strange how different this floor is from down below.”
Erin shrugged. “Thank you for covering for me down there.”
“Your father is...” Kota paused, but could find no other way to say it. “He's terrifying, actually.”
“Yeah, a lot of people say that. Or they would, if, you know, they weren’t so scared.”
“Is that why you didn't tell him about the inn?”
Erin started and said, “No, I'm not scared of him, but you saw how the mayor acted. If my dad had said something before now, there's no way Geld would ever let me take this place. I'm just lucky you were here, to pretend to be my partner.”
Kota closed his bag and said, “And I am lucky you did not tell them what I am, if you want to call it luck. Thank you again.”
He started to walk toward the door and Erin immediately raised the broom in self-defense.
“Really?” he asked.
“Sorry, it's just the whole wolf thing...”
Kota rubbed the back of his head and didn't respond. Erin watched him head down the stairs and followed him down. Now that the sun was no longer shining directly into the common room he didn't seem to worry about turning back into the wolf.
“You're leaving?”
The young man stopped and turned around.
“Do you enjoy stating the obvious?” he asked, without any malice or sarcasm as far as Erin could tell. “Yes, I am leaving. Maybe I can...”
He trailed off and Erin said, “It's just that, if you're gone my dad's just going to say I can't do this by myself again. I mean, I think I can, but you said you used to clean and stuff for the–for the witch, and if you wanted to stay around a little longer and help out around here I could let you keep the room and eat here, then I could have more time to find a real partner or something—”
“Wow, that's a really long sentence,” Kota said, his eyes widening in the face of the torrent.
“Well, yes or no?” Erin said crossly.
“What about the 'wolf thing'?” Kota asked.
“You said you've got it under control, right?” Erin asked and Kota quickly nodded. “And if you don't, well, you've met my dad.”
Kota winced at the barely veiled threat, but he'd heard worse working for the witch.
“Well, I suppose I could always handle the night shift,” he said, cracking a smile that Erin didn't return. “Although if you do expect me to clean, you're going to have to let go of that broom sometime so I can use it.”
“Fine then,” Erin said and tossed him the broom. “Put your bag up and get to work. Oh, and just so we're clear the partner thing is just for my dad and the mayor. You work for me, got that?”
“I think I can understand that,” Kota answered with a straight face. “So I get to go from working for a witch to working for a girl with a broom. At least I don't have to worry about you testing out spells on me.”
“I can learn!” Erin yelled behind him as he ran up the stairs.
By the time Kota came back down she had already returned to the kitchen to clean up in there, so he industriously began sweeping. The thick layer of dust crumbled beneath the broom and after some time gave way to another, more surprising layer.
“Sawdust?” Kota muttered to himself. He looked around the room, taking in the tables and chairs and the mantle above the fireplace, all of which seemed to have the normal amount of dust for a building that had stood empty for so many months. Then there were the halls and rooms upstairs, all suspiciously clean while it looked like someone went out of their way to cover the floor of the common room.
He began to sweep much more slowly and carefully, as if expecting to uncover something hidden beneath the trash and sawdust, but after going over the whole room he only ended up with a pile of dirt and bare floorboards. He noticed a stain here and there, but nothing out of the ordinary for a place that had seen more than a few less than careful guests.
He left the pile of dirt by the door to take care of after the sun went down and went back over the floor again with the broom. Erin returned and whistled at the sight.
“So that's what the floor looks like,” she said.
“I'm just about to mop in here, should make the place look much better,” Kota said. “Um, Erin, when you said that Sollis passed away recently...How did that happen?”
“Oh,” Erin said, and then, “Oh. He didn't... No, I mean, I heard he was working outside when it happened. They said it might have been a heart attack, or just old age. Why?”
“I'm sorry, it just crossed my mind and I thought I would ask,” Kota said quickly. “I'll get the water ready and finish this, then wipe down the tables.”
Erin nodded and took the broom to take care of the sweepings. Kota waited until she walked outside before taking another look at the nearly faded stains. It was just a thought, but one too hard to shake.
Entry 7: Haggling
Erin and Kota settled into a rhythm over the next couple of days, albeit a strange one. Because of Kota's “condition” he declared that he would take over the night shift whenever the guests began to arrive, a prospect that seemed dimmer every day to Erin. Until then, they spent what felt like every minute cleaning and making what repairs they could to the Last Inn, with Erin taking over the outside details such as the yard and cleaning the windows.
More than once she turned around to find one of the regulars around town passing by, even those who rarely strayed beyond their homes. Every one of them craned their necks to look at the building, only to look away as soon as they caught her stare. Kota also noticed and questioned Erin about it one afternoon.
She shrugged and said, “They're curious. Not much happens around here, in case you haven't noticed, and word spreads fast around town.”
Sh
e didn't mention that part of that word was more than likely about the stranger known to be staying at the inn. Kota always seemed jumpy whenever he found someone looking in, and she wondered more than once how he would handle it when real guests arrived.
That answer came sooner than she expected, that evening in fact. With a noise that heralded their arrival before they even cleared the forest, a line of wagons came rumbling over the dirt road, kicking up a steady cloud of dust that hung around even as they pulled to a stop in the field next to the inn.
Inside the inn, Erin raced to the door while Kota barely glanced out the window.
“That would be the merchants,” he said calmly. “They arrived sooner than I thought they would.”
After some shouting, a group of five approached the building while the others attended to the horses. Erin hovered near the door, not wanting to appear too desperate as the men and women sized up the building and muttered to one another.
One, dressed in rich, bright colors, looked up at Erin and said, “Where is the innkeeper?”
“That would be me,” Erin replied, and received some blank stares in return. “Mr. Sollis passed away, and I am the new innkeeper.”
Another man, dressed in more practical clothes that together with the sword at his side screamed “mercenary,” bowed and said, “We are sorry to hear of your loss. Sollis was a good man.”
Behind him the merchants gathered again and spoke in more urgent whispers.
“You knew him?” Erin asked, but her eyes were on the merchants. She had seen this kind before working for her father.
“Yes. I travel with the caravans often,” he said. For a moment that seemed to be all until, with a glance over his shoulder at the merchants, “Do you know what he used to charge?”
“Twelve full pieces per room, per night,” Erin answered, and the mercenary nodded. It was five more than what Sollis charged.
“That much?” The merchant who served as speaker for the others spun around and said, “That's nigh-on robbery! We spoke, and we will only pay five.”
“We've been doing some much-needed repairs, and that money has to come from somewhere,” Erin said. “Twenty-three for two rooms.”
“I am afraid that we can only go to five full and one partial,” the merchant responded.
Erin planted her feet like she'd seen her father do many times before, a stance that told the haggler she could go all night. The mercenary stood by and waited while the process went on for what seemed like forever to Erin before they finally settled on the price of ten full pieces for each room, along with food and the use of the stable. The merchants shook their heads as they paid for the first night and went back to the wagons for their belongings, while the mercenary hovered behind.
