BERTHA’S BARGAIN

**3 Days later**

In the setting sun, I finally reached the small town on the outskirts of the forest. As I approached the entrance, I noticed a series of guards patrolling the area. My eyes widened in shock as I saw the familiar silver and black emblem of the Kingdom of Lendorr emblazoned on their armour.

“What are Lendorr guards doing here?!” I breathed, more to myself than anyone else, as my heart pounded in my chest.

No one seemed to notice me, and I kept my head low as I walked through the streets. The sound of children's laughter echoed off the stone walls, and clothes hung drying from clotheslines that stretched from window to window. Suddenly, a ray of hope snagged my eye – a brown pair of men's pants, a white shirt, and a brown flat cap were hung from one of the lines.

Without hesitation, I ducked into a dark alley and draped myself with the clothes I had taken from the line. Making sure I had taken and tied my long hair into a bun, tucking it away under the cap.

Taking a deep breath, I walked back out into the main street, keeping my head low and doing my best to go unnoticed. The bustling street was full of people, and I had been aimlessly wandering around for what felt like hours. Suddenly, however, I bumped into an elderly middle-aged man as he passed by me. A shout of surprise escaped my lips.

“Watch where you are going, lad!” My heart raced as I looked up to meet the eyes of a burly man with thick dark eyebrows and a scowl on his face.

“S-sorry sir, but can you help me? I am looking for someone named Bertha,” I stuttered, trying to avoid his gaze.

The man's face softened a bit and he gestured towards the nearest building. “Well then, if you're looking for Bertha, you must be new around here. She works at the bar over there.”

I thanked him before rushing towards the building. After a brief walk, I found myself standing before a sign that read “Welcome to Bertha’s Bar.” A wave of embarrassment washed over me as I realized I should have seen it sooner. I pushed through the door and immediately every eye in the room fixated on me, except for a mysterious figure shrouded in a black hooded cloak that was seated at the bar.

As I walked towards the bar, a large broody man that had a wet fur and woodsy scent lifted his nose to the air, inhaling deeply, and I shuddered “He is a wolf, He seems to be new here.”

I took a seat next to the mysterious figure in the black cloak and silently thanked the moon goddess that no one noticed I was actually a woman. As I sat down next to the mysterious figure in the black cloak, I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. His presence seemed to be looming over me, and I couldn't shake the feeling that he was watching my every move. I tried to focus on the bustling atmosphere of the bar, but my attention kept drifting back to the figure beside me.

The bartender, a short middle-aged woman with long wavy brown hair, pale skin, and dark brown eyes, approached me with a smile.

"This is a place where the wolves here gather to solve their problems," the woman says.

"What can I get you?" She sways closer. I watched her suspiciously.

"I'm not here to drink," I said, my tone firm.

"If you're not here to drink, what are you here for?" she asks, raising her eyebrows.

“Oh, I’m looking for Bertha” I said, my eyes flitting around the crowded room to the woman Lucian had said could help me.

"Well, you are looking at her" she says with a raised eyebrow and a smirk tugging at her lips.

"Oh apologize, actually Lucian sent me. He said that you will be able to help me get to these co-ordinates", I said, offering her the paper with the coordinates scribbled onto it. She rolled her eyes and snatched it out of my hand with a huff.

"Oh, Lucian, that old cow! Always causing problems for me" she scowled, her face creasing as she scanned the paper.

"Sure, I can get you there. But it is going to cost you" Her eyes darted up to mine, a mischievous glint in them.

"Sure, how much?" I asked, feeling my stomach plunge in anticipation.

"Mmm, fifty gold pieces" she said casually, a smirk playing on her lips. My eyes widened in shock and

my stomach sank as I shook my head. "I-I don't have that much, I have twenty at most," I stammered, feeling the heat rise to my cheeks.

"OK, then I guess you have to play for it" she says as she winks at me.

"What? Play for it? What do you mean?" I asked sceptically.

"It's simple. We play a drinking game, and the winner gets one hundred gold pieces", Bertha explains, her eyes twinkling with anticipation.

I eyed Bertha warily, my heart racing in my chest. I had never drunk alcohol before and didn't know if I could out-drink a room full of werewolves. But then again, I was desperate for the money and I decided to take the risk and nodded in agreement.

Bertha clapped her hands together excitedly as she shouted for everyone's attention.

"Tonight, we are playing a drinking game and the winner will get 100 gold pieces." The room erupted in cheers as everyone began to gather around us with drinks ready in their hands.

Bertha gave me an encouraging smile before starting off the game. With each round, I felt increasingly daring, taking bigger sips of alcohol than before just to keep up with everyone else.

As I took another sip from my drink, I could feel the effects of the alcohol creeping in. My head began to spin, and my vision became blurry. Across the room, the man in the black cloak seemed to be watching the game with an intense focus, while I struggled to keep up with the other drinkers around me.

Suddenly, everything around me became a blur, and I felt my body sway uncontrollably. Desperately, I tried to steady myself, but it was no use. The dizziness had taken over, and I collapsed to the ground with a thud.

As I lay there groaning, the victorious crowd's cheers drowned out my pleas for help. That is when I noticed the man in the black cloak making his way towards me. His face was a blurry mess, but his intentions were clear. He leaned down and scooped me up like a ragdoll, carrying me away from the chaos and into a room into the back of the bar.

As he held me in his arms, his scent filled my nostrils, and I don’t know why, but I leaned in closer. His green eyes stared into mine, sending a chill down my spine. Suddenly, a memory flashed through my mind, the man with piercing green eyes, just like the ones I had seen on the mysterious figure's mask. The memory sent a chill down my spine.

Lost in my daze, I reached out to touch his face, hoping to get a better look at him. But as my fingers made contact with his skin, a jolt of electricity shot through my hand, making him pull away with a frown on his face. Although his features were blurred, I could sense his confusion and discomfort. The memory vanished as quickly as it had appeared, leaving me with a sense of unease and confusion.

As he put me down gently on the bed, I couldn't help but feel a strange connection to him, as if we had met before. But the feeling was fleeting, and he was gone before I could even ask his name

I sat up, feeling a mix of curiosity and fear. Who was he, and why did he rescue me? And why did his green eyes feel so familiar? The questions swirled in my mind, and I couldn't shake off the feeling that there was more to this encounter than what met the eye. Confused and woozy from all the alcohol, I rolled over onto my back and noticed a sack of gold coins on the table next to me.

Then, as if it had been sent from the moon goddess above, I spotted his black cloak lying discarded on the floor beside me. With no one around to stop me, I grabbed both items without hesitation, throwing on the cloak for added protection before quickly clutching the bag of gold close to my chest before stumbling out of the room with haste.

As I wobbled out of the room and into the bar, I heard an uproar from the entrance. Without warning, the guards of Lendorr marched in like an unstoppable force, their armour gleaming and reflecting the light in all directions. The clamour of the guards' clinking armour and clapping boots drowns out the hum of conversation in the bar. The once peaceful atmosphere is replaced with an urgent sense of panic as the guards' voices bellow orders throughout the room. Everyone shifts in their seats, fear rippling through the crowd as the guards move around quickly and with purpose and authority, their eyes darting around the bar as if searching for something. Fear of being caught gripped me as I stood there and watched their every move, realizing they must have caught my scent.

The room seemed to move in slow motion as I watched the guards move around the bar. They were like a force of nature, their presence dominating the room and casting a pall of terror over everyone. My eyes darted from one guard to another, worried that at any moment they would see through my disguise and take me back to the castle. Their eyes seemed to be everywhere at once: they lingered on me briefly before moving on, making me feel exposed and helpless. I could feel my breath quicken as I inched closer to Bertha. My breathing came in shallow gasps as I heard the clanking of armour and the stomping of boots against the floor.

I held my breath as I pleaded with Bertha, my voice trembling with fear, "Please you need to get me out of here now."

Her gaze is intense and focused, darting between me and the guards with hawk-like precision. Her face is set in concentration, brows furrowed, lips pressed tightly together. The terror on my face was evident. "Ahh that idiot Lucian, of course he will send trouble my way but guards!!" she angrily whispered to herself before looking into my eyes. Her expression quickly changed to one of determination. "This I didn't sign up for - your price just doubled."

I dropped the sack of gold in my hands that I had stolen from the mysterious man onto the wooden table. Its contents clanked together, and she raised an eyebrow in approval before she reached out and grabbed my hand, and I quickly snatched up the sack of gold. She opened the back door with a soft click, and we slipped out unnoticed. We leaped into a horse and carriage that had been waiting for us in the shadows.

The driver spurred on the horses as we flew away from the bar, heading for my destination at full speed. The wind rushed against my face as we galloped across the countryside, leaving everything behind us in a dust cloud. As the scenery blurred past us, I clutched onto that bag of gold with newfound determination, knowing that it would be more than enough to get me to where I needed to go.