They shrank back and the girl shrieked as Eile stood up and lowered the baton, but while both were scared, the way the boy held the girl indicated he tried to protect her.
Looking around, Eile saw an overturned table, and she rolled it in front of them.
"Stay outta sight!" she shouted, and turned back into the room. Eye-patch was nearly on top of her. She had no other choice: she sprinted at him straight on, ducking under his grasp, and jammed the baton into an open space just below his cuirass, into the pit of his stomach just above the groin. He shrieked, grabbed his crotch, and stumbled past her as she whirled out of the way. A trader appeared on her right, swinging a cudgel. She parried his blow, and they fenced for a few seconds until she wacked the back of his hand, making him drop his weapon, then danced around him and struck him in the small of his back, dropping him to his knees.
She felt someone touch her back. She whirled around, raising the baton, and confronted a gray-haired girl wearing a short jade surcoat, and little else. She winked at Eile and blew her a kiss, then leapt past her and took down the trader, who had regained his feet, with a flying kick.
As she turned to look for Sunny, Eye-patch appeared, standing over her. Roaring, he backhanded her across the face. She spun around, dazed, and he hit her again, driving her back. He struck her in the chest and she slammed into a pillar between two booths. Rattled, she forced herself to focus, and saw him running right at her, his head down to ram her in the stomach. She threw herself to one side, and he collided with the pillar. The whole building seemed to shake as he collapsed to his knees. Still wobbly, she managed to raise the baton and crack it down on the back of his neck. He dropped to the floor and didn't move.
She shook her head to clear it and looked into the common room. Sunny had Green-hair trapped against the bar, one knee in the small of his back, the jo stick braced under his chin, as she bent him backwards, while Rose-hair continued to guard her back against all comers. Suddenly, fireworks exploded throughout the room, blinding her, as a screaming wail filled the air, deafening her, like that of a soprano banshee trying to break glass. She closed her eyes tight and raised a hand to shield them from the glare getting through the lids, but as meteoric as its appearance had been, the display disappeared just as abruptly. Eile blinked to clear the spots from her eyes as her ears rang, and when she could see again, she saw that everyone had been affected, even Edjertan. Only Sunny seemed to be resistant to it, but she nonetheless had released Green-hair, who had turned to face her again. Then Eile saw her staring into the middle of the common room along with most everyone else, and when she looked she spotted a new figure standing in their midst: a tall, powerfully-built old man dressed in a long, flowing robe and holding a staff, with a long, frost-gray beard that corkscrewed for half its length. Eile realized he must be a wizard, a twin of Gandalf, except his robe was rust-colored and he wore no hat.
"That will be enough of that," he announced in an elderly but calm and sonorous voice. "You young hooligans make it very difficult for an old man to get his rest."
Eile tensed, expecting the fight to break out again. Most of the combatants looked unwilling to make peace, especially Green-hair, who had recovered his knife and stood crouched in front of Sunny, sending her a wicked grin. Then Edjertan stepped forward and chopped the cleaver down on the bar's countertop, with a loud, sharp, bell-like clang.
"The next one of you who breaks anything of mine, will get his or her head cleaved! Get me?"
That broke the tension. All around the room, conversation started up as people relaxed and began to mill about, setting upright and straightening tables and chairs, picking up spilled steins, bowls, plates, and utensils, and helping the more badly injured. As well, those who just moments before had been trying to break each other's heads instead laughed, joked, and slapped each other on the back and arms. Green-hair straightened up, wearing a sly smile, and shrugged as he slipped his knife back into its scabbard. Sunny grinned and tossed the jo stick into the air, where it disappeared, and held out a closed fist. Without hesitation, Green-hair touched it with his own fist, then saluted with a wave of the hand and headed for Eile. She stepped aside; he held up a hand, and she clasped it as they shook for a moment, before he knelt to examine Eye-patch. Smiling, the wizard turned and disappeared into the crowd. Blue-girl and Red-face peeked out from behind the table, and Eile signaled that it was safe to come out. Sunny and Rose-hair hugged, then kissed each other on the cheek. Concerned, Eile made to go over to them, when she felt a tap on her shoulder. Looking back, she found Jade-surcoat looking at her, with an expression more lustful than friendly.
"Um, thanks for the help," Eile said in a hesitant manner.
"You're welcome," she replied, then licked her lips and winked.
Flustered, she made no reply and hurried over beside Sunny. Her partner threw her arms around her and kissed her cheek.
Mortified, she hissed. "Ixnay, ya ditz! Not in front of the whole crowd!"
Sunny only smiled, crinkled her eyes, and giggled.
"Aw, cripes," but she smiled as she said it, and returned the hug.
Edjertan nodded, satisfied, and turned away to head into the back room, as his barmaids mingled with the crowd to take new orders.
"Just a moment, my good man," Sunny called out.
He stopped and stared at her, a suspicious frown on his face.
She unhooked the purse from her belt and tossed it to him. He caught it with one hand, a confused look in his one good eye.
"That should cover any damages to your establishment." She then raised her voice. "And just to show there are no hard feelings, the drinks are on us!"
Eile felt surprised by her generosity, but she didn't object. They had plenty of money back at the inn; the purse only carried what they had planned to spend for the evening. She just wondered if it would be enough.
At first, everyone seemed too stunned to react. Then slowly they began to pound fists, knife pummels, steins, bowls, and plates on the tables, clap their hands, or stamp their feet, as the chanted, "Team Girl; Team Girl; Team Girl!" It didn't last long, however, before they began calling out new orders to Edjertan and the wenches.
Sunny retreated to the wall opposite the bar with Eile in tow. A makeshift stage had been set up there, though barely big enough for four people. She step up onto it and closed her eyes for a few moments as she concentrated and mumbled under her breath. A vihuela appeared in her hands, and she smile when she opened her eyes, beckoning to Eile. Grinning, she joined her partner and took the instrument. She strummed and tuned it for about a minute as the conversation died down.
"How about some music," Sunny announced, "to liven this party up?" She nodded to her, and she nodded back and started playing "When All Is Said and Done" by ABBA. Sunny sang the words after the intro, while she chimed in on the chorus. Despite the song being unfamiliar, the lively tune and beat seemed to pique most of the patrons' interest, and there was some laughter and shouted agreement at the lyrics. Even so, she noted a few looks of recognition, some surprised, so she figured there were some Dreamers from their epoch in the crowd as well.
As soon as they finished, they went immediately into playing Celine Dion's "When the Wrong One Loves You Right", followed right after with "The Entertainer" by Billy Joel. Half-way through the first number, the bouncy blonde barmaid brought them fresh steins filled with ale, which she set on top of a stool in front of the stage. She grinned and curtsied before going back to serving the other patrons. Early in the second number, Rose-hair and Jade-surcoat stepped up on either side of them, with a concertina and a recorder respectively, and joined in. Eile assumed they didn't know the music, though the longer they played the easier they picked it up, but after a short while she realized that they deliberately altered the tunes to harmonize with her and Sunny.
As the beer and hard liquor flowed, the patrons loosened up, eventually trying to sing along or keep time with the beat. The Johnny Cash classic "Ghost Riders in the Sky" got them worked up, and they
chanted and cheered to "Man of La Mancha" from the musical, but the party didn't get into full swing until they played "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder.
The Blue-girl and Red-face began dancing. Eile realized that they were professionals, though the girl appeared more energetic and talented, and he seemed to act more as an accompaniment. Regardless, their example encouraged others to join in, while the rest of the patrons enjoyed themselves clapping, stomping, and pounding as they shouted and laughed. Green-hair sat down on the edge of the stage and played the spoons, while Eye-patch, recovered from his ordeal and with numerous drinks in him, sat beside his companion and swatted the bottoms of a couple of overturned pails like a pair of bongos. About that point Sunny gave her a knowing look, as if realizing singing had become futile. She conjured up a violin, and from then on they all jammed together, playing whatever they felt like.
The party lasted until just after midnight, by which time most of the patrons had either left or were collapsed on top of or under the tables. Blue-girl and Red-face gave Eile and Sunny ticket sticks for the show they would perform the next day, but they didn't have the heart to explain that they couldn't stay. Rose-hair and Jade-surcoat invited them to go find another tavern
The Adventure of a Typical Friday Night Page 5