The sound of the door slamming behind me held an odd blend of satisfaction and fear.

I’d hated the orphanage, for just about as long as I had been there. But now that the wide grey building was behind me, I suddenly felt like I had nowhere to go. They had been kind enough to give me a few coins, maybe enough for a couple of nights in one of the cheap inns, along with a couple of plain grey dresses and shoes that pinched my toes, but other than that, I had nothing.

My feet carried me down the street while my eyes kept a lookout for places where I could make a few coins. I wasn’t hopeful. I wasn’t strong enough to swing a blacksmith’s hammer, or talented enough to sing. Too proud to beg or whore, too pretty to fight, not pretty enough to perform.

It was no wonder that, in the fourteen years I had spent in the orphanage, nobody had wanted to adopt me. Time and again, my friends had gone off with beaming families, leaving me with nothing. As I got older, I only grew more and more isolated. Was it my fault that I started to lash out?

Lost in my thoughts, I nearly missed the inn I had been looking for. The building itself was in poor condition, with a sagging roof that tended to pool water, wooden walls that hadn’t been painted in at least a decade, and window hinges so rusted they wouldn’t even open.

But the price was right. If I was careful with the money I had, I could survive for a week, maybe two. If I didn’t have a job by then – well, I tried not to worry about that.

I pushed open the door, and winced at the squeaks it made. The last thing I wanted to do was draw attention to myself. I had learned that much from the orphanage. Fortunately, the only one who noticed my entrance was the man behind the counter. The rest of the inn was relatively empty, which wasn’t surprising considering the sun had come up just over an hour ago.

I stepped up to the counter with more confidence than I felt. “Could I get a room, please?” I asked quietly.

The man stared at me for a moment. “You a runaway or somethin’?” he said.

I shrugged in embarrassment and shook my head. “No,” I said, staring at the counter.

“Hey, whatever,” the man said. “Long as you can pay, I don’t care. It’s two cuvers a night.”

I fished the coins out of the small pack that carried the few possessions I had and placed them on the table. The man scooped them up and carefully inspected the smith’s stamp.

“All right,” he said. “They seem genuine.” He turned and grabbed a small key off the wall behind him. It felt surprisingly thin and delicate as he pressed it into my hand. At least some things in this inn were high quality. “Room 26, up the stairs to the left.”

“Thanks,” I said. I quickly scooped my things from the counter and headed up the stairs to the room. It was small, with little more than a bed, a table, and some chairs, but it was surprisingly clean. I dropped my meagre belongings to the floor and collapsed on the bed. It wasn’t that I was tired. No, I just needed a chance to think.

In my head, I mentally prepared a list of the places I knew I had a chance of finding work. Much to my chagrin, most of the places turned out to be ones where I would have to interact with people – not my favourite activity.

Grimacing, I decided to put the search off until the next day. Surely I could get away with enjoying a single day of freedom. I remained in my room for the rest of the day, relaxing.

Later that evening, my stomach was insistent enough to make me leave my self-imposed solitude. I ventured out of my room like a nervous rabbit seeking food. I jumped slightly as I heard a loud crash from the direction of the common room. Still, hunger outweighed my shy nature, and forced me down the stairs.

The common room was packed with people. I honestly had not expected this inn to be popular enough to fill three of the tables during peak hours. From what I could see at the bottom of the stairs, not a single table was unoccupied, and people were even standing,waiting for a place to sit. Young girls in matching green and white outfits weaved among the crowd carrying trays bearing food and drink.

But what drew my attention was the girl kneeling on the ground beside the only floor space in the room clear of people – only clear because it was covered in shards of broken pottery, food, and wine. The girl was cleaning the mess and clearly trying very hard not to cry as the innkeeper towered over her, berating her for her clumsiness.

Abruptly, the man’s eyes swung up and met mine. “You!” he shouted, pointing. “Can you carry a tray without spilling it?”

“I, uh- yes?” I stammered.

“You’re hired.” He directed a look back to the girl on the floor. “Finish cleaning that up, then get out of my inn. You’ve screwed up for the last time.” Now the girl was crying.

Leaving her there, the innkeeper came up to me. I cringed slightly away from him. He noticed, and smiled. “My name’s Taith. I’m not the ogre I appear,” he said. “This is the third time that girl’s been drunk at work. I can’t employ girls who can’t stay sober enough to walk straight.”

I watched the girl walk toward the kitchen. Indeed, she seemed incapable of walking a straight line. I relaxed slightly.

“I meant what I said,” Taith continued. “You can have a job here, if you want it. The pay’s decent, at three dachals a week, plus tips, minus expenses like room and board. One condition, though. You have to start now.”

A war raged in my head. On the one hand, it would save me from having to look for a job. On the other, it meant working with drunken, leering strangers on a daily basis.

I nodded. “Okay,” I said.

“Good. You just saved my ass, girl. What’s your name?”

“Ellise.”

“Okay, Ellise, there are some spare outfits in the back of the kitchen. I’m sure something will fit you. The girls’ll tell you what to do. Get moving!”

I jumped at his sudden shout, and darted into the crowd of people in the common room. I reached the door to the kitchen and pushed it open, not sure what to do next. The kitchen smelled strongly of spice and cooking meat. Four fires raged along one wall, each one heating a large pot. At a counter, a man was chopping a piece of meat that I didn’t care to identify.