C2 Chapter 02

“Pour me one more pint, darling. I don't think I'm drunk enough to head back home to see Dolores yet," the local clerk said, then burped loudly. Red shook her head slightly, then rolled her eyes. Duncan's wife wasn't going to be happy when he stumbled home drunk later on, but she couldn't refuse the poor man another drink. She began pouring another pint of beer and looked around the tavern.

It was pretty late already, but the place was packed. Everyone was drinking there tonight and that made her happy. Ruby was running around making sure that everyone had their orders and talking to locals about the latest news in town.

Red's grandmother was more fit than most women her age in Farrington kingdom, and she was in her seventies. She was full of life and charisma.

After the disastrous few days she’d had, Red had gotten over the lost stock. There was no point worrying about it. Yes, a few customers were asking her about it, but they were happy with drinking beer instead.

The tavern was still busy, and Red figured she could keep everyone happy by providing the best service possible.

Earlier on, two hunters showed up causing a bit of a ruckus amongst the locals. They appeared a bit disturbed, claiming that they’d witnessed a man turning into a wolf. Red pressed her lips together in a hard line, still not believing that the wolf was actually a human. The hunters seemed as though they were only passing through Farrington, and Red suspected that they were attempting to spread rumours. People tended to believe what they wanted, but Red wasn't stupid.

"Here you go, darling, but you know Dolores is going to be angry. You were supposed to be sober for your upcoming anniversary," Red reminded the clerk, who lifted his head. He looked like he was just about to doze off.

"To hell with her. I provide for the family, so I should be allowed to have a drink once in a while," he said and then spilled half a pint of beer all over his waistcoat.

"Or maybe four," Red muttered to herself and then headed across the tavern to see what her grandmother needed from her.

Ruby was a little shorter than Red, and she was still extremely attractive for a woman of her age. Her black curly hair was grey now, but Red thought that her grandmother had aged much slower than most people. She always had a smile on her face. She joked and still dated men from town. When Red's parents were ripped away from her as a child, her grandfather was still alive, so it was only natural that Ruby and Frank would take care of their only granddaughter. Things were tough in the beginning, and Red missed her beloved parents terribly, but over time she’d gotten used to her new life without them.

"What is it, Gran?" she asked Ruby a moment later.

"You see the group of young gentlemen sitting to our right?" Ruby asked, staring at her with her deep hazel eyes. Red sighed loudly, already knowing where this conversation was going. "I think you should take another round to them."

Red glanced discreetly at the table to her right and saw at least four largely built men talking to each other. She didn't remember them walking through the door earlier on, but perhaps she’d been too busy to pay attention. She noticed that the one who was sitting with his back to her was keeping an eye on the door, as though he was expecting someone. From the back, Red thought that indeed he was her type, and she knew that those men weren't from Farrington. Each one of them had skin a little darker than the locals: dark curly hair, and they were all dressed in leather coats and pants.

Yummy, she thought, but then told herself that it was silly. She didn't have time for dates right now, especially after what had happened with Carlos the night before. She was surprised that he didn’t come back to Farrington the next day, and it concerned her a little.

"Gran, remember how this ended up the last time. I really don't want to go through that again. I'm busy tonight, perhaps we can try it another time." Then she felt a jolt of electricity shooting through her core as the man moved slightly, seeing a few more customers come into the tavern. Red watched him as he relaxed after that, and then she took a deep breath.

She didn't know why her body reacted in such a manner. Suddenly she felt a wave of heat rushing down her thighs as her heart sped up a bit. There was something wrong; this had never happened to her before. All evening she had been busy with customers and the stock in the cellar, ensuring that everything was running smoothly.

"I’ve noticed that Mr. Ridley’s been watching me all evening, but do you think I'm going to go to him?” Ruby asked, and patted her hair, winking at Red. “No, of course not. He needs to make a bit more effort and actually show me that he’s worth my time." She nodded towards the group of strangers she’d pointed out. “I think there is something about this gentleman, my dear. Besides, I didn't like that Carlos man. He seemed as though he was after something, I don't know. And you're too uptight, child. Work is work, but sometimes you need to relax, too. You aren't a young bird anymore who can jump from one man to the other."

"Perhaps, but I won't allow anyone to use me for money. I’ve been working too hard for this." Her words came out a little angrier than she had intended. She knew Ruby was only trying to look after her. "Anyway, the tavern is full, and Mr. Ridley keeps looking at you, Gran. So, maybe you should go and speak to him."

Ruby muttered something under her breath about real men, but Red was already walking away. She went behind the bar and started serving other customers who were waiting. She thought that her Gran needed to take it easy. She had always been a free spirit. She had been devastated when her grandfather, Frank, had passed away. He had been ill for quite a while, and, unfortunately, he didn't survive a second heart attack. Red had thought that her gran would never start seeing another gentleman again, but a year after Frank's passing, she had begun to become more social, claiming that she couldn't stay alone for the rest of her life. Most ladies in town, and her friends, didn't approve of it, but Ruby never cared what other people thought about her. She raised Red to be the same—to live her life the way she wanted, regardless of what other people thought. People were going to talk either way, and it didn’t matter.

Several moments later, the group of good-looking strangers started heading towards the door. Red didn't even have a chance to properly look at the guy who made her a little weak earlier. She was curious to know who he was, and if he would be staying in Farrington for a while.

"Here you go, John. Just take it easy this time around, all right," she said, smiling at the young butcher boy who was in the tavern for the second time in his life. Last time he had a drink, he lost his head for an experienced prostitute who took all his money.

Ruby kept away from Mr. Ridley’s table and pretended that she didn't notice him attempting to get her attention. The retired buyer was shy, anyway, and Red knew the he wasn't confident enough to spark a conversation with her first. Ruby was one of a kind, and she enjoyed being the centre of attention.

Red kept working, trying not to think about the strangers. Around midnight, the tavern gradually became emptier. Red knew that tonight would be another late night for her. She didn't mind working all night. It wasn't as if she had anyone waiting for her at home. Charles hated when she couldn't spend time with him, and now she was glad that he wasn’t her man anymore. In a way, her grandmother was right. Red needed to sort herself out, but she wasn't certain if she was prepared to settle down just yet.

The evening had gone smoothly, and the tavern was almost empty, when three scruffy-looking men barged through the doors. They pushed a drunk peasant away and stormed straight towards the bar. Ruby stopped what she was doing and frowned, sensing the upcoming trouble.

The three individuals were definitely highwaymen, and she had a feeling that they were Carlos’s buddies. The truth was that she hadn’t seen him with them, but her gut told her so. The leader was standing in front, dressed in a fleece jacket with a high-standing collar and dark trousers, along with heavy boots. He had a patch over his left eye and his skin was pale, riddled with scars, his hair cut short.

As they approached, Red could smell whiskey on them, and she instantly felt sick. She had no idea why, because she was supposed to be used to the odour of alcohol, but this smell was extremely unpleasant. Two of them were grinning like they’d just won a prize, and the one on the right with blond messy hair was staring straight at Red's cleavage. Luckily for Red, the tavern wasn't filled with that many customers. It was late, but those who were inside gaped at the strangers in fear. Yep, Red could sense it in the air, and she didn't like it one bit.

"Hey, love, how’s it going tonight?” the leader asked, displaying a few gold teeth. “Anyone giving you any trouble?"

Ruby slowly approached the bar, but the men disregarded her completely, probably thinking that the old granny couldn’t cause them any harm. Red frowned and folded her arms over her chest.

"No, all good here, gentlemen. Would you like a drink?" she asked. She wasn't planning to serve it to them, but she wanted to at least attempt to be polite.

The two men nodded enthusiastically, but the leader shook his head and leaned over the bar.

"We ain't here for the rum, love," he replied, and his voice changed, growing serious. "My name is Robin One Eye, and one of the little birds around here told me that some wolf men from the forest took over your stock in the early hours of the morning."

Anger rushed through Red, but she told herself to remain calm. One Eye looked like the sort of guy who wanted to see how far he could push her. Ruby was moving even closer, holding a broom in her hand. Red shot her a sharp look that was supposed to say, “keep away.”

"Maybe, but that's none of your business. This is a friendly tavern, and you’re scaring off my customers," Red barked, thinking that she needed to be firm. Showing him any kind of weakness or fear wasn't an option.

One Eye lost his smile and scratched his jaw with his dirty fingers. Red saw blood under his nails and shuddered with revulsion.

"There are werewolves in this area that have been stealing from farmers, killing innocent men, and kidnapping kids. We’re highwaymen and we’re here to protect the innocent," One Eye said, and fixed his eye on Red's cleavage, then licked his lips.

She was wearing a low-cut blue dress today that exposed her legs, and her black hair cascaded down her back. Red was confident about her appearance, and she knew that men enjoyed looking at her, but she thought that One Eye was more than a little creepy. There was something about him that instantly put her off, aside from the strong smell of whiskey and his lack of personal hygiene.

She would bet that Carlos was one of his men. How could she not have seen what kind of guy he was? Now she regretted that she ever went out with him.

"And I don't think anyone here is scared, love. Right?" He shouted the last word, glancing around the tavern as if he knew that no one would dare to disagree with him.

Red truly wanted to avoid violence. She already knew that One Eye wanted gold. She also knew what he was going to say next.

"We’re fine, thank you. So far, we’ve had no issues with werewolves, and besides, I don't believe that they even exist, to be frank," she replied, attempting to mock him. Unfortunately, no one laughed. People were scared and she could sense it.

"You lost your stock, Red, and you're running the tavern on your own. This—”

"She isn't running this business on her own, young man. I'm helping her,” Ruby stated loudly, “and if my granddaughter said that we don't need any protection, then I suggest you be on your way. Well, unless you want something to drink." She approached the three men from behind the bar, and each of them looked at her with confusion in their eyes, as if they couldn't believe that an old lady was telling them off. Red tensed her shoulders and switched her weight to the side. Her gran was short like Red, and she barely reached One Eye's chest.

He glanced at her and burst out laughing. “You must be joking old lady, right?" he asked. "You think the two of you will be able to protect yourselves from wolf-like men? They could barge in here at any moment and have their way with your granddaughter while you watch, old lady."

"King Caspian protects his people, and the stories about werewolves are just rumours. Magic is just a myth." Ruby laughed and then came out from behind the bar, approaching the men.

One Eye’s companions backed away a little, but their boss slammed his fist against the bar, glaring at both of them. "The deal is done, my sweet ladies.” One Eye raised his voice. “We will be around, and we are going to protect the tavern, like we do with most of the businesses in Farrington, for a small fee, of course. After all, we’re risking our own lives to help you, and I believe it’s only fair that we be compensated."

Red was glad that the tavern was almost empty, but she knew people were going to talk about this in town tomorrow.

Ruby clenched her fists.

"No, Gran, let me deal with it. We aren't giving them a penny." Red quickly stepped in front of her. "We don't need your protection, One Eye, and as far as I’m concerned, you can go to hell," Red snarled, losing control, ready to show the highwaymen that she wasn't some fragile girl afraid of men like them. She was prepared for a fight if it came down to it. She wasn’t about to be intimidated by bullies or scam artists looking to swindle her out of her hard-earned money.