their meal?”
“I’ve kept your secret so far, but I don’t have to if you’re going to disrespect me.”
Eizle reached into his pocket and slammed down two ruffs onto the table. “Get dinner somewhere else, and don’t ever come back here. Brother or not, I don’t want to see you again.”
To Kayren’s surprise, Swenn smirked, then took the money and left.
“I’m sorry,” Eizle told her, looking around the empty tavern.
“I don’t understand. Was this just about money?”
“It’s never only about money with him. He wants to show his power over people. I shouldn’t have talked back to him. He can’t handle it, and he’ll need to punish me before he lets it go.”
Swenn entered the next day with his two men behind him, no woman this time. Kayren nearly dropped a mug of ale at the sight of him glancing about with a grin as if her father’s tavern was his favorite place to be. His eyes found her.
“Kayren!” He sounded cheerful. “Come sit with us.”
Her decorous instincts spoke for her. “I’ll be right there, just a moment.” She hustled into the kitchen. “Your brother’s back.”
Eizle showed a look of annoyance and then marched straight to Swenn’s table. “I’m not serving you food. I’m not serving you drink. The only thing you can do in this building is sit quietly until you’re ready to leave.” Swenn stood, but Eizle continued. “If you harass my guests, I’ll call the guards. If you harass me, I’ll call the guards. And if you harass Kayren, you’ll wish I’d called the guards instead of what I’ll actually do.”
Swenn glanced about the tavern, checking who had heard. Kayren looked down as his glance moved by her.
“You’re going to give us each a dinner to make up for your impolite behavior, and you will apologize to your other guests as well as to us.”
“Get out,” Eizle ordered.
Swenn rubbed his chin, quickly at first. Then his hand slowed as he pinched at his flesh. “I’ll give you one more chance.”
“No.”
“You do anything to me with the unmentionable, you’ll regret it.”
“I will regret it. But not as much as you will.”
Swenn chuckled, looking to his men. “He isn’t worth our time. Come on.”
Kayren felt like she took her first breath the moment they left the tavern.
“It isn’t over,” Eizle warned her.
He was right. Swenn was back the next day, his men behind him as usual.
“Kayren! Ah, it’s good to be here,” Swenn called out.
Eizle ran out of the kitchen. “Get out!” he screamed. Every head in the tavern turned to him.
“You’re going to throw out your own brother?” Swenn asked, pretending to be wounded by Eizle’s words.
“I told you you’re not welcome here.” Eizle gave him a small shove toward the door.
“Please, I’m hungry,” Swenn pleaded. “I have money.”
Someone else in the tavern stood. “You can’t send your own brother away when he’s hungry!”
Others stood, voicing their agreement.
Eizle’s face twisted. “You don’t understand,” he tried to tell them.
“He is your brother isn’t he?” asked a woman.
“Yes, but he’s cruel and this is just a game to him.”
“Serve the man!” another patron yelled.
“Serve him,” others added.
Kayren expected Swenn to show a triumphant smile. Instead he kept the same pitiful look he’d worn since entering. “Thank you all, but please, I don’t want any pressure on my brother.”
They only yelled louder for Eizle to serve him.
Eizle sighed. “Fine, sit down.”
Applause followed Swenn’s production of taking a seat and thanking his supporters in the room. Kayren and Eizle ignored him until his food was ready. She brought out three plates.
Without even taking a bite, Swenn told her the meat wasn’t cooked enough. His two men agreed. She took the plates from them.
Eizle just kept the already cooked meat warm in a pan for a short while, knowing what game he was getting into. Nonetheless, they claimed the meat was now
“I’ve kept your secret so far, but I don’t have to if you’re going to disrespect me.”
Eizle reached into his pocket and slammed down two ruffs onto the table. “Get dinner somewhere else, and don’t ever come back here. Brother or not, I don’t want to see you again.”
To Kayren’s surprise, Swenn smirked, then took the money and left.
“I’m sorry,” Eizle told her, looking around the empty tavern.
“I don’t understand. Was this just about money?”
“It’s never only about money with him. He wants to show his power over people. I shouldn’t have talked back to him. He can’t handle it, and he’ll need to punish me before he lets it go.”
Swenn entered the next day with his two men behind him, no woman this time. Kayren nearly dropped a mug of ale at the sight of him glancing about with a grin as if her father’s tavern was his favorite place to be. His eyes found her.
“Kayren!” He sounded cheerful. “Come sit with us.”
Her decorous instincts spoke for her. “I’ll be right there, just a moment.” She hustled into the kitchen. “Your brother’s back.”
Eizle showed a look of annoyance and then marched straight to Swenn’s table. “I’m not serving you food. I’m not serving you drink. The only thing you can do in this building is sit quietly until you’re ready to leave.” Swenn stood, but Eizle continued. “If you harass my guests, I’ll call the guards. If you harass me, I’ll call the guards. And if you harass Kayren, you’ll wish I’d called the guards instead of what I’ll actually do.”
Swenn glanced about the tavern, checking who had heard. Kayren looked down as his glance moved by her.
“You’re going to give us each a dinner to make up for your impolite behavior, and you will apologize to your other guests as well as to us.”
“Get out,” Eizle ordered.
Swenn rubbed his chin, quickly at first. Then his hand slowed as he pinched at his flesh. “I’ll give you one more chance.”
“No.”
“You do anything to me with the unmentionable, you’ll regret it.”
“I will regret it. But not as much as you will.”
Swenn chuckled, looking to his men. “He isn’t worth our time. Come on.”
Kayren felt like she took her first breath the moment they left the tavern.
“It isn’t over,” Eizle warned her.
He was right. Swenn was back the next day, his men behind him as usual.
“Kayren! Ah, it’s good to be here,” Swenn called out.
Eizle ran out of the kitchen. “Get out!” he screamed. Every head in the tavern turned to him.
“You’re going to throw out your own brother?” Swenn asked, pretending to be wounded by Eizle’s words.
“I told you you’re not welcome here.” Eizle gave him a small shove toward the door.
“Please, I’m hungry,” Swenn pleaded. “I have money.”
Someone else in the tavern stood. “You can’t send your own brother away when he’s hungry!”
Others stood, voicing their agreement.
Eizle’s face twisted. “You don’t understand,” he tried to tell them.
“He is your brother isn’t he?” asked a woman.
“Yes, but he’s cruel and this is just a game to him.”
“Serve the man!” another patron yelled.
“Serve him,” others added.
Kayren expected Swenn to show a triumphant smile. Instead he kept the same pitiful look he’d worn since entering. “Thank you all, but please, I don’t want any pressure on my brother.”
They only yelled louder for Eizle to serve him.
Eizle sighed. “Fine, sit down.”
Applause followed Swenn’s production of taking a seat and thanking his supporters in the room. Kayren and Eizle ignored him until his food was ready. She brought out three plates.
Without even taking a bite, Swenn told her the meat wasn’t cooked enough. His two men agreed. She took the plates from them.
Eizle just kept the already cooked meat warm in a pan for a short while, knowing what game he was getting into. Nonetheless, they claimed the meat was now
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