Sounds of a Tavern and Those Within
Commission for @nirearu! Have I ever mentioned that I love impaired/disabled characters? I do! It’s a good way to practice using different senses in my writing and also representation matters a lot. Thank you so much for the opportunity to write about your fantastic Níon!
408 words
The Fade was trembling in Níon’s dreams and in waking and he couldn't just ignore it. Hard travel but he arrived and Skyhold was even bigger than he'd thought it would be. So much to explore and learn about the places within the walls and the walls themselves. It would take weeks to learn it, dragging his fingers over every wall and every table and every tapestry to learn what was where, not helped by how decorations kept changing and more than once he'd put his hand in wet mortar. “Wet mortar” signs cannot be noticed by someone who cannot see. People would often warn him, but sometimes there was no one around to say anything and he was left to figure it out the hard way.
A tavern. It had to be a tavern, music and laughter and the scent of stale alcohol. But also coffee, a scent sweeter than ambrosia. How long since he'd had good coffee? Days or weeks or years, it had been far too long regardless. Still, he hesitated. So many people, so much noise! How would he know where he was?
He slipped in the door at last and simply stood off the side. Listening, waiting for some sense of the room and where the bar might be. There! Calls for drinks, an answer from there and the clank of bottles. He found the bar and found an empty stool and sat, asked for coffee when he was addressed.
Coffee, eh? The ale is better for your nerves, recruit! The voice was pleasing and the man was beside him and his attention was caught by the cinnamon in the oils he wore on his person. But I like coffee. Well, that was good enough.
Talk and chatter and laughter and look at these new tapestries! So much nicer than the ratty things that were here when we arrived! Ah, has he noticed and is being rude, or didn't he realize? Can't look at tapestries if you can't see. Apologies, he hadn't noticed.
Can I describe them for you? They're really quite nice. Smile spreading on his face and I'd like that. A new friend and good company and the tapestries really did sound lovely. It was nice to know what pattern lay under his fingers as he was guided to Krem’s favorite, the colors described in detail. It was a good place to be and a good tavern with a good person.