by Spoor, Garry
She took the papers and flipped through them. “What are they sir?” She asked.
“Standard consent forms, liability forms, burial request forms, next of kin forms…”
“Yes sir.” She replied cutting him short as she moved away from the window. She looked around for a place to sit and chose one of the chairs that rested up against the wall. Wiping off the layer of dust she took a seat beside the door and started to fill out the forms. They were as depressing as the old man had made them out to be.
Where do you want to be buried when you die? How do you want to be buried when you die? Who’s getting everything when you die? It was as if the Guild didn’t want you to survive. There were also several legal forms so the Guild couldn’t be held responsible if pieces of you were lost on an assignment. Then there was another form that simply stated that a Hunter takes full responsibilities in the event of a failed assignment, in other words, if the person the hunter was supposed to be protecting dies, it’s basically the Hunter’s fault.
She began to fill out the paperwork the best she could, it didn’t really mean much in the long run. Her family could never come after the Guild if something happened to her and if she did snuff it, they wouldn’t be able to afford having her brought back to Riverport for burial anyway. She was pretty much on her own. Under the topic of how she wants to be buried, she did think about putting down a request to be set to sea in a burning boat, something that she had read about in one of the cultural books that Master Adams had lent her. It seemed like a very dignified funeral procedure, but one that that Guild almost certainly wouldn’t honor. They’d probably just stuff her into a wicker basket, set it on fire and drop her into the nearest lake. The thought of it actually made her laugh.
“And what do we have here?”
Kile looked up from her half finished forms to see a tall, lean man with long dark hair and a thin mustache that draped down each side of smiling mouth. He had dark eyes that seemed to stare through her and she felt a little uncomfortable.
“Do you mind, you’re blocking my light.” She replied.
“Ooh, a feisty one. Well little lady, if you're looking for a hunter, there’s no need to fill out those papers, you found me, I am the Hunter of love.” He said as he struck a pose, the whole act was so humorous that she essentially laughed in his face.
“Does that really work?” She asked him.
The smile on his face suddenly disappeared, replaced by a look of confusion, it was clear that this was not the reaction he usually received.
“Well… um…”
“Steele, leave the young lady alone.” The old man said from the window.
“Maybe next time then.” Steele replied, his suave smile returning as he brushed back his long hair.
“Great, I’ll write you in, right after being dropped into the lake.” Kile said as she returned to her forms. He didn’t understand what she meant, but he knew he wasn’t making any headway as he walked over to the Old man at the counter.
“What gives Kane?” He asked as he got closer.
They started to talk about something that Kile couldn’t make out so she returned to her forms, only a few dozen more sheets to read through and fill out.
“A Hunter?” Steele cried as he glanced over at Kile, she didn’t bother to look up as he came walking back over.
“You’re a Hunter?”
“That's what my papers say.” She replied, still filling out more of the forms.
“Well… um… look that whole hunter of love thing, I’m really sorry about that. I thought you were just another civilian, I didn’t know you were one of us.”
This time she did look up.
“One of us?”
“Well yeah, if you’re a hunter, then you’re one of us. Hunters watch out for one another, especially up here in no mans land. The name is Steele, James Ril’em Steele, but most people just call me Steele.”
Steele, of course, not copper, not iron but Steele, well, Alisa was close.
“Veller, Kile Veller.” She said, shaking the man’s hand.
“So, you’ve been assigned to us and the great town of Coopervill.” He said with little enthusiasm. “Who did you manage to tick off?”
“Just about everyone.” She replied.
“Figures. I’d love to show you around the place, but I’m heading out again.” Steele said, and held up a hand full of scrolls to prove it.
“Maybe next time.”
“I’ll hold you to that.” The Hunter grinned. “I’ll see you later old man.” Steele called out as left through the front door, letting it slam shut behind him.
Kile finished the last page of the last form, scribbling her signature on the last line and stacked the papers back up. She brought the entire bundle up to the window were the old man stuffed them into the same box he had stuffed her other papers into without even looking at them.
“You’re going to want to watch yourself around that one.” He said as he gestured toward the door that Steele had just used. “He’s got a reputation around town.”
“Yes sir.”
“First things first, I’m not a sir, I work for a living. The name is Samuel Kane. You may call me Kane.”
“Yes sir… ah… Mr. Kane.”
He mumbled something, probably nothing that she wanted to hear, although she did catch the words “probie”, “rookie” and “cadet”. He disappeared under the reception desk and came up with even more papers, fortunately he didn’t hand them all to her, and instead placed them on his side of the window sill.
“You’re not scheduled to start for another two week, not that it means much to me. You’ll be staying at the Bird and Bay inn.” Kane told her as he took the first sheet from the top of the stack and scribbled what she figured was his name along the bottom. “The guild provides two meals a day as well as a room while you on probation, you’ll eat these at the Bird and Bay, if you don’t eat there, you pay for your own food, understand.”
“Yes sir… Mr. Kane sir.”
Kane shook his head and sighed as he filled out some more lines on the paper before handing it to Kile.
“Give this to the proprietor of the Bird. He’ll know what to do with it.”
The old man flicked through the papers and pulled out another sheet somewhere in the middle of the stack and began to fill it out.
“Your mount will be stabled at the Bent Shoe…”
“Um sir… Mr. Kane… sir, my horse is already at the… Apple Blossom.”
It was a difficult name to use in casual conversation as she thought it would be.
“The Apple Blossom Livery?”
“Yes sir.”
Kane crumpled the sheet of paper, tossed it in the general direction of a waist paper basket, which it never reached, and pulled out another sheet. He started filling it out.
“Your mount will be stabled at the Apple Blossom Livery. The Guild provides stabling for one horse while you are on probation. Give this to the proprietor; he’ll know what to do with it.” He said as he handed Kile the second sheet of paper after scribbling his name along the bottom.
He flipped through his stack of papers again, and pulled out a third sheet and began to fill that one out as he had done the others.
“Items that you may require will be purchased from Mr. Wollory at the Dry Goods store opposite the Bird and Bay. All items will be reviewed for necessity. If you purchase anything that the Guild House representative, which is me, deems to be unnecessary, you will be responsible for paying the cost yourself. Do you understand?”
“Yes sir.”
He scribbled his name along the bottom of the sheet of paper and handed it to her.
“You will present this to Mr. Wollory. He’ll know what to do. These contracts end upon you achieving your level five certification, after that, you will be responsible for stable fees, room and board, as well as any supplies that you need. Do you understand?”
“Yes sir.”
“As I’ve said, you are not sc
heduled to start for another two weeks, but there are always deliveries to be made. Assignment scripts are on a first come first served basis. If you want to work, report here tomorrow morning, the earlier the better. There are also the open scripts on the board. Those that are deemed unimportant or too trivial to be assigned, but for a probie they may help you become more familiar with the people of Coopervill as well as the surrounding area, you're going to be here for a while. Do you have any questions Probationary level five Hunter Kile Veller?”
“No sir.”
“Then get out here.” The old man said as he walked away from the window and disappeared into the back room.
Kile stepped back out into the street, it was getting late and she was starting to get hungry, tea and pie only went so far. She sorted through the papers that Kane had given her. The one for Alisa could wait until tomorrow, she wouldn’t be expecting her back today and she didn’t need the information on the paper until the end of the month anyway. As for the sheet for Mr. Wollory, that could also wait until she actually had to go to the dry good store for supplies, which meant her next stop would be the Bird and Bay.
She followed the river road back to the bridge, the two boys floating sticks were long gone, probably back home having their own meals. She headed back toward the center of town and back to the large building that she had assumed was the Bird and Bay.
It was a tall two story structure with a wide sloping roof, several chimneys and a lot of windows. The two ends of the building actually wrapped around to the front so that the front door was set back and covered by the second floor, the sign that hung over the entrance didn’t actually say the Bird and Bay, it was closer to the “ird ad By” and there was a large bluish gray splotch below the wording which could have either been a bird or bay, it was impossible to tell.
The two old men were still sitting on the bench outside the door and reeked of rum. One whistled as she passed, the other made a comment that she couldn’t quite make out since she wasn’t fluid in the ‘drunk old man’. She ignored the both of them as she pulled open the door and entered the inn.
This must be the place that everyone comes to at the end of the day to eat or just to have a few drinks before heading home, since there didn’t appear to be an empty seat in the house. Every table, every booth and every bar stool looked occupied. A couple of people did look up from their evening meal when she entered but didn’t seem to take much of an interest in her, which suited her just fine. For a place that seldom had visitors, they didn’t seem all that interested in strangers.
She headed for the bar where an older, heavy set woman with dark brown hair tied up in a bun was serving drinks. When the barmaid saw Kile approach, she wiped her hands on her apron and fixing her hair before coming out from behind the bar to greet her.
“You look lost dear.” She said, almost having to shout to be heard over the noise in the room. “Can I help?”
“I’m supposed to give this to the proprietor.” Kile replied as she held out the sheet of paper with Samuel Kane’s name scribbled on the bottom.
The women looked a little confused as she took the paper and read it.
“Oh, you mean the owner. That would be Gus. You follow me.”
Kile followed the barmaid as she made her way across the crowded floor to the back room of the dining hall. For a heavy set woman she moved with a lot of grace, navigating her way through the constantly shifting chairs and moving people without making contact with any of them. Kile wasn’t so lucky as she managed to get bounced between one person to the next, finally being shoved forward almost running into the back of the heavyset woman who stopped to open the kitchen door.
“Gus, you're needed up front.” She shouted.
She stepped back away from the door, as if expecting it to suddenly open, which is exactly what happened as a large, heavy set man with a stained apron and wild black hair stood in the threshold of the open door, carrying a large club. There was a grim look on his face as he quickly scanned the main room. When he didn’t see what he was looking for, he turned his attention to the barmaid.
“You won’t be needing that.” She said as she took the club from him.
“Then wacha calling me out here for woman?” He asked in an irate tone.
It was clear from the way that he had come charging out of the kitchen he was expecting trouble, to be prepared so fast would indicate the trouble was not foreign to this place.
“For her.” The barmaid said as she placed a hand on Kile’s back and pushed her forward.
“This?” Gus replied with a touch of confusion as he started to look Kile over. He walked around her, checking on her from both sides and Kile felt as if she was on display. “She’s not very big is she, she’s got no meat on her. She’d break in a summer breeze.” He said a he stood in front of her, crossing his thick arms over his chest. “Why would you want to work here?” He asked her.
“I don’t sir.” Kile replied.
“You don’t, then why are ya bothering me, I have mouths to feed.”
“She’s a Hunter Gus.” The woman said handing the man the sheet of paper that Kile had given her.
“A hunter, she ain’t no hunter.” Gus replied and grabbed the paper from the woman. It took him a few minutes to read it before he started to shake his head.
“Very well, follow me.” Gus said with a heavy sigh, shoving the paper into his pocket. He pulled off his apron and tossed it into the kitchen then led Kile to the far side of the dinning hall. He didn’t have any problems navigating the main room since the main room navigated around him. When he reached the set of double doors, he pulled them open and waved her through, once they closed behind them, the sound level dropped drastically.
“A hunter huh? You’ve been through the academy and everything?” He asked as he directed her to a flight of stairs.
“Yes sir.” She replied.
“So, you got yourself assigned here huh?”
“I guess so sir.”
“Yeah, you guess so. Well, just so you know, I don’t want any problems you understand, no loud noises, no fights in the dining hall, no freaky creatures in your room no sword marks on the walls or the bedding, no burn marks on the floor or the ceiling, keep your mysticism to a minimum, I don’t want my customers scared off. Just because the Guild pays your stay here, doesn’t mean they own the place, you remember that.”
“Yes sir.”
“Nobody stays over, do you understand, I don’t want to see any late night guess or anything like that, no pets, no animals, no men, nothing, you want to do that, you find yourself some other place to stay keep your jobs away from my establishment.”
“Yes sir.”
“Yeah, we’ll see.” Gus said as he pushed open the door at the top of the stairs and stepped out into another hallway. This one had rows of doors, probably all rooms, how many of those were actually occupied she had no way of knowing, but again, since Coopervill didn’t get many visitors, there couldn’t be that many occupants. It would appear that the Bird and Bay made its wealth from its food and drink and not the beds it provided.
Gus led her to the very end hall, as far away from the noise and his patrons as he could place her. She wasn’t sure if he was being generous or cautious. Stopping at one of the doors he fished out a large key ring and began to sort thought the variety of keys that he had hanging on it.
“Cleaning is done once a week. Leave your door unlocked for the cleaner, especially if you’re not going to be around, If the door is locked, your room don’t get cleaned. Don’t leave anything valuable or potentially hazardous lying around, I will not be held responsible for missing items, and I do not take injuries to my staff or the Bird lightly, so if you have any of those magical do dads, keep them locked away. ”
“Yes sir.”
After trying about a dozen or so keys on the lock and searching through two dozen more, he finally found the right one as he unlocked the door and stepped into the room, Kile followed.
S
he was expecting something like her cell back at the academy but this was completely different. It was about three times the size with a real bed and a real mattress and large windows on two of the walls and a bookshelf on the a third. Beside the bed there was a chest of drawers, a table, two chairs and a large trunk at the foot of the bed.
“The bathroom is across the hall.” He said as he walked through the room, giving it a last look over. She couldn’t be sure if it was for her benefit or for his, as if he was mentally taking inventory in the event of damage. “It’s a public bathroom, but as I don’t rent out this wing too often, you’ll have sole use of it for now. If you want to take a bath you’ll have to either stoke the fire for the hot water yourself or you can pay Chip, but don’t abuse the privilege.”
Gus opened the windows to let in some fresh air and took a small key off the top of the chest of draws.
“A hunter huh, Well, I guess they know what they’re doing?” He said shaking his head. “What does your father think of you being a hunter?”
“Not a whole lot sir.” She replied.
“I bet he was dead set against it.”
“You can say that.”
“No daughter of mine would ever become a hunter, I can tell you that.” Gus commented as he headed for the door trying to get the key off the key ring.
“I suppose you’ll be wanting something to eat.”
“If it’s not too much trouble sir.”
“Well, it is, but I can’t let you go hungry your first night here, bad for business. Take your suppers earlier from now on, before the paying customers arrive, I don’t want to loose a table to the Guild. The kitchen is closing in two hours, so you better be downstairs in one. This is the key to the door. This is the key to the trunk. Lose the key to the door you pay extra, loose the key to the truck, you’re out of luck. Do you have any questions?”
“No sir.”
“Then let me get back to work.” Gus said as he stepped back out into the hall. “Oh yeah… Welcome to the Bird and Bay.” He shouted over his shoulder without looking back as he descended the stairs.