The gil clinked in the palm of her hand as she eyed the entrance to the tavern from under her hood. The Hyur was short, even by Midlander standards. Her youthfulness, diminutive stature, and the obvious naiveté in her eyes lent an air of vulnerability to the woman.Â
She was pretty, if plain. Her one distinguishing feature was her eyes. She peered out at the world through one gold eye and one green one. Her manner of dress left much to be desired. Garbed in an uncomfortable-looking robe that looked more like a feed sack than clothing, she either had no concept of fashion or no gil to afford luxuries. Her lone piece of jewelry, if one could call it jewelry, was a small copper coin with the letter "C" stamped on it. The coin dangled at the end of a worn leather necklace.
It was that keepsake necklace that she clutched with her free hand as she looked through tavern's doors when another patron entered. The place was busy and the patrons all seemed to know each other. The foreign girl felt even more out of place as her stomach let her know that there wasn't anything to do but join the crowd if she wanted to eat that day.
It was that thought, coupled with the therapeutic grasping of her necklace, that spurned her to action. She hiked up the hem of her potatosack robes and wandered inside the tavern. She stood near to the entrance while her eyes adjusted to the change in lighting. Once accustomed to the dimness, she peered around the establishment, looking for a private place to eat. Seeing none, she nervously made her way to an open seat at the bar.Â
A bartender slid a menu in front of the young woman and tended to the other customers for a time before returning to the quiet patron. "What are ya havin'?"
The woman fidgeted and licked her lips before pointing at an item on the menu and answering. "May I have a water and...and that?"
"Ah. The Catch of the Day. Good choice. It'll be right up."
While she waited for her food, the woman glanced around the bar. If she happened to make eye contact with anyone else, she quickly averted her eyes and looked down at her lap. She was obviously nervous.
