The sound of laughter and music coming from behind a crimson door piqued your curiosity. A tavern? Above the door hung an exquisitely carved sign. From two finely wrought chains hung a small swing upon which a fairy queen sat. Her delicate wings folded inward and she looked at you with a smile. Slender fingers of one hand wrapped around the chain of the swing while the other was extended and held a brightly colored box. You shook your head as it seemed like the fairy queen was offering you this gift.
Musing on what kind of tavern this might be, you dared to push open the door and, stepping a foot inside the tavern you found it alive with activity. You paused, allowing your eyes to adjust to the dim light. It was richly colored, a king’s treasure amidst the thieves. Deceptive from the outside, the inside of the tavern was large even though the small front deemed otherwise. Deep crimson drapes blocked out prying eyes while the hurricane lamps on the cherry wood tables sent forth a warm glow. A busy barmaid ran betwixt the tables and towards the bar for refills. She set her tray upon the counter and turned, offering a quizzical glance.
“Well, don’t just stand there invitin’ thieves. Take a seat.”
A few more steps forward revealed a magnificent bar of polished cherry wood. Large beams crisscrossed the low ceiling and held lanterns of various colored glass that glittered a hypnotic rainbow of light over the patrons. Behind the polished bar was a large mirror, reflecting the fire within the fireplace across the room and seeming to give the wall the illusion of being made of flames. In sheer contrast, brass lined, oval mirrors hung in a line down the opposite wall, allowing the Tender full view of the patrons.
Taking the barmaid up on her offer of a seat, you managed to find a free stool at the bar. The tavern seemed to grow with each step and shifted and changed before your eyes. An elegantly carved staircase sat in a back corner while one wall was filled with small, personal alcoves, blanketed behind heavy crimson drapes. You saw a flash of fine linen and crystal as the barmaid carried a tray of delectable food into one of the alcoves. Shadows danced with rays of light, and narrowing your eyes you peered closer, noting the last alcove. The drapes were pulled to one side, held in place with a thick golden rope. The walls of the alcove were lined with ancient tomes and patrons were seated around a table. Small lamps reflected the animation in the patrons’ faces as they seemed to be discussing the merits of a large volume, which laid open on the table. Hum, you thought, what an odd place to find a reading room.
“Aye, what’ll it be?”
Gruff, but to the point, the Dwarven tender slapped an empty mug down on the counter in front of you. Taken aback, he grumbled at your hesitancy to speak and therefore filled your mug with ale. Not one to wait, Rygiel Thunderbeard stomped off to fill the barmaid’s tray.
Thirstily drinking, you dared examine the tavern further and you mulled over how unusual it was to have a reading room in a tavern. Glancing at the fireplace filling the opposite wall, you at last realized the meaning of the tavern’s sign. Interestingly, the mantle had been carved by a master woodworker and boxes of all sizes and shapes danced across its length. Appropriately centered, large letters spelling “Pandora’s Box” had been carved into the hard wood. Smiling to yourself, you now understood the meaning of the fairy queen who sat so proudly on her swing outside the tavern. As you sipped the frothy ale in your mug, you noted its pleasing taste. Over the fireplace, a pair of delicately forged Eleven swords gleamed in the candlelight.
The soft strains of a bard’s music caught and held your attention as you listened to the words telling about a woman with mixed blood who fought with a flashing blue blade. You smiled, wishing you had the time to listen to the amusing tales of this bard. Hitting a mournful note on his mandolin, the song ended. The tempo of the music changed and the bard’s deep baritone voice filled the room, pouring forth a lusty tale of a beautiful blond knight who gave up her armor and horse for a fast ship and the trappings of a sea captain. Shaking your head in regret, you knew that it was time to move on.
Coins were placed on the bar as you stood to leave. The barmaid shook her head as she sat her tray on the counter next to you. Placing her hand on your shoulder, she offered the following advice. “Wouldn't go wandering the city after dark.” She nodded at Rygiel’s disapproving look. “Too much wanders the dark out there.”
Rygiel grunted his agreement. With a single motion, he swept your coins into his apron and plucked your empty mug off the bar.
T'was late in the evening when a stranger entered Pandora's Box. He glanced about the well-appointed tavern and smiled to himself. "Not bad, but a bit above my usual."
He approached the long bar and nodded to the Dwarven barkeep. "A mug of ale if'n ye please."
Giving the stranger a dour look, the barkeep filled a mug and set it in front of the man. Sweeping up the coins the man had set on the bar, he went about his business, all the time keeping one eye on the stranger, muttering to himself how no one could be trusted these days.
The stranger lifted the mug and took a small sip, swirled it around in his mouth and smiled at the barkeep. "Good brew." His dark eyes missed nothing and he gazed in frank admiration at the woman sitting at the end of the bar. Her blue eyes stared back just as openly. Taking it for an invitation, he moved a bit closer as he continued to study the well-tanned, golden haired woman in sailor's garb. Never being one for a great amount of tack, he decided to jump right in and take his chances. "My name is Rufen and I'm lookin for a woman by the name of Gyndeene who was raised in the province of Aquilar, but most recently of Rhydin. I heard she may have been headed to Stormpoint. A few years back, I was acquainted with a Gyndeene who was a commander of a guild."
"Gyndeene?" Silver arched a brow, licking the foam from her lips as she set the mug of ale down. "Aye, I know of her." The stranger plodded on determined to find out all he could. "Ye dinna happen ta know what she looks like?" The Captain narrowed her eyes slightly. "She's a tall one, thin but don't get me wrong, she'll knock you flat on your back if you're bringing trouble. Pretty woman with turquoise eyes that enchant your gaze and a ruby red smile that will melt ye heart."
The stranger's dark eyes glowed as he listened to the woman's description. He took a long draw from his mug and nodded. "The Gyndeene I knew was of mixed blood. Her mother being Elven and her father human. "
Silver swiveled on the barstool to get a better look at the stranger. "You sure are askin' lots of questions, but I'm more interested in how is it that you know so much about her. Aye, she's is of mixed blood but a better person ye'll never meet." Silver paused, rolling her eyes as she crossed her arms. "Gyn is one of a kind, for sure, a loyal friend but a deadly enemy." She reached for her drink again, taking a long pull before wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.
The Captain rose, eyeing the windows and the dark sky. Her face hardened and her eyes glinted dangerously. "Aye, mate, she's as nice as they come, but like I said before, she's no tulip. She'll hold her own against most…" She shrugged a slender shoulder and a dimpled grin broke across her face. "Best mind yer manners fer she doesn't take kindly to nosey strangers and neither do her friends, but ifn' ye happen ta see a woman on a black warhorse who wears a purple talisman of dragon scales about her neck, ye can be pretty sure it be Gyndeene."
Another smile softened her stern features and chuckling, she winked at the stranger. She stopped a moment before leaving the tavern and turned once more to look at the stranger, imprinting him on her mind. Her lips curved up impishly, "To be absolutely sure just look for unruly tawny curls going in all different directions " She chuckled again. "Perhaps another day we kin discuss Gyn's finer points, but right now I have a ship that's waitin' on its Captain."
You finished another drink in silence then, despite the keep's warning, slipped through a side door. Glancing back only once with regret at having to leave the warmth and safety of the tavern, you boldly ventured forth into the dark night as the soft mists of Stormpoint caressed your cheek and curious strains of music drew you in.
