It had been a long day.
Tal didn't usually stop in at this inn after work; it was too crowded for his tastes, and too noisy. He'd spent too many years traveling the Tundra with only his sled dogs for regular company to enjoy the rowdy good cheer of most public houses, but after the day he'd had he was ready to fall asleep on his feet. He needed food and drink, and the inn had been right next door to his last delivery of the day.
Boreal was waiting outside, draped across the roof while her human went inside. It was too busy for a companion of her size to follow, so it was just the dark-haired courier who wove through the crowd, seeking an empty chair.
The bar was full, of course, but one of the servers pointed him towards a table in the corner that still had a seat open. Tal didn't recognize the woman playing cards at it, but he shrugged and gave his order to the kindly older barmaid before making his way across the room, dodging moving bodies and waving mugs with his scowl in full force.
"Sorry," he said gruffly to the stranger as he pulled the chair back and dropped into it. "Couldn't find another seat. Don't mind me." He stole a glance at the cards laid out in front of her, nose wrinkling in confusion. That didn't look like any solitaire he was familiar with, but maybe it was some weird Outlander thing.
Tal didn't usually stop in at this inn after work; it was too crowded for his tastes, and too noisy. He'd spent too many years traveling the Tundra with only his sled dogs for regular company to enjoy the rowdy good cheer of most public houses, but after the day he'd had he was ready to fall asleep on his feet. He needed food and drink, and the inn had been right next door to his last delivery of the day.
Boreal was waiting outside, draped across the roof while her human went inside. It was too busy for a companion of her size to follow, so it was just the dark-haired courier who wove through the crowd, seeking an empty chair.
The bar was full, of course, but one of the servers pointed him towards a table in the corner that still had a seat open. Tal didn't recognize the woman playing cards at it, but he shrugged and gave his order to the kindly older barmaid before making his way across the room, dodging moving bodies and waving mugs with his scowl in full force.
"Sorry," he said gruffly to the stranger as he pulled the chair back and dropped into it. "Couldn't find another seat. Don't mind me." He stole a glance at the cards laid out in front of her, nose wrinkling in confusion. That didn't look like any solitaire he was familiar with, but maybe it was some weird Outlander thing.
