The tavern master approached and placed a bowl of steaming stew and a basket of bread before Morana. Upon breaking eye contact with her, the chill was lifted, and the soldier leaned back in his seat with a sigh of relief, unclenching a body that was poised to fight or flee.

“Huh.” He finished the beer with a slight grimace. “Well, it was weird as hell whatever it was you did, though strangely enough, I feel as if a weight has been lifted.”

“Get you another pint Cormag?” the bartender asked as he gathered up the empty glass.

“Sure, thanks.”

The bartender nodded and turned to Morana. “You know, for such a gloomy song, you really lightened the mood in here. I’m tempted to hire you on.”

“I shall remember your words.” She replied with a mouthful of bread.

Cormag watched Morana shovel stew and bread into her mouth with amusement and perverse curiosity, he had seen farm animals with better table manners. It was as if she were raised in the woods or had not eaten in days. Perhaps both.

“Anyway, you were so wrapped up in self-loathing,” She said with a mouth full of stew, sauce running down her chin, “you cast a curse upon yourself, that that had grown so powerful it began to spread to anyone in your general vicinity.”

“Please,” Cormag shuddered and looked away as flecks of half chewed stew and bread spread across the table. “don’t talk with your mouthful…”

Morana hastily wiped her mouth off on a linen napkin. “Honestly, I’d be impressed if it weren’t the result of such ineptitude.”

Cormag felt words of venom poised upon his tongue but let them ebb away. “…you don’t pull any punches, do you lady?”

Morana shrugged. “And to what end would that service? Since you know the cause you can now correct the behavior, or at least hate yourself alone and isolated from others like a normal person.”

Cormag laughed uneasily. “You certainly are a strange on, but I must ask, to what do I owe the misfortune of your company?”

Morana sopped up the last of the stew with a scrap of bread. “You had the look of a hanged puppy in your eyes.”

Cormag raised an eyebrow at the odd choice of metaphor. “You know what, I’m not even going to ask.”

Morana shrugged. “Your choice.”

Morana pushed her bowl aside and folded her hands in her lap, looking Cormag directly in the eyes. He squirmed under the pressure of her gaze; it was as if she were peering straight through him. He looked away, unsure of what to say to the strange woman, wondering why she stayed. When the bartender arrived with his beer, he gratefully took a long chug, only to notice Morana staring at him with mouth slightly agape.

 “Uh...may I buy the lady a drink?”

Morana hesitated for several moments before aggressively shaking her head.

“If you intend on lavishing me with gifts, I’d rather you buy me a room.” She replied dryly.

Cormag nearly did a spit take and choked on his drink, glancing about the room to be certain he was not the center of a prank.

"Did you forget how to swallow?" Moran asked with what might pass as concern.

Cormag wiped his mouth and pounded on his chest to clear his airway.

"I'm fine, I'm fine, but just so we're clear," Cormag pointed incredulously at himself. “you wanna get a room with me?”

Morana folded her arms across her chest and leaned back into the seat. “If you’re looking as well, then I don’t see why not?”

Cormag scrutinized her further, she was certainly attractive, wide of hip with a full, perky chest. He certainly could have done much worse. However, her personality was more than a little concerning. The idea of him being the butt of some elaborate prank couldn’t be dismissed entirely either.

 “Your answer?” Morana asked impatiently.

Cormag cleared his throat and took a quick drink. “You want to go right now? I’ve got a place nearby.”

“No. My set’s not done yet. After.”

Cormag leaned forward with a suspicious glint in his eyes. “After your set, we’ll go back to my place then?”

Morana gave him a curious, almost annoyed look. “If that is where you have a bed, then yes.”

Cormag glanced around with a puerile grin on his face, simultaneously in disbelief and with a swollen ego.

“Uh…sure. I’ll be right here then.”

Morana stands and takes up her guitar. “Good. If you’ll excuse me.”

Morana turns to return to the stage, but pauses, looking back while biting her lower lip. Quickly she doubles back and picks up Cormag’s mug of beer, downing half of it before bouncing off towards the stage.

 “Holy shit!” Cormag breathed in disbelief. “This is my lucky day!”