017

Sirah poked her head out of the kitchen and watched her husband walk towards the door. She shook her head, another guest? At this time of the year.

"Let me know if we'll be needing another supper Nial."

Nial nodded and waved absently behind him as he opened the front door. Perun was the only one from the table to glance towards Sirah. He gave her a warm smile, and an almost imperceptible nod of the head.

Taking a deep breath Nial opened the front door. He was about to welcome this next guest and then paused mouth hanging open. He looked at the table where the three guests sat and then back at the woman standing outside his Inn. The woman standing in front of him looked identical to Cytheria who was sitting at the table. Only her attire seemed different, her hair, he eyes, her mouth, the supple curve of her body, all seemed to mirror that of the woman sitting inside Nial's Inn.

After a moment Nail roused himself from his explorations and looked the woman back in the eyes. She smiled back at him with a slight tilt to her head.

"From your look I can only assume that my friends have preceded me."

"Yes, yes." Nial cleared his throat. "Yes they have. Please come in they are sitting right over here by the fire. Do you have any horses or bags that you would like brought in? I have a boy who can carry that for you."

"I have a wagon parked outside. In it are two packs, please have your boy bring the wagon into your stable and the packs into my room. I will need oats and water for the horses, plus a rubdown. We have traveled far to be here tonight, and we will travel far tomorrow."

Nial looked at the woman and nodded his head slowly.

"I will pay the cost,of that there is no worry. But please let us not speak of it tonight, food and a bed is what I need, tomorrow we will discuss the costs."

Without waiting for a reply or Nial acknowledgment the woman walk towards her three companions seated at the table. Even still Nial could not work up and anger over what had happened, something about the way that she spoke, made him feel as if she was doing him a favour. He remembered the Harvest ale that Perun had asked saved for him and quickly made his way behind the bar to fetch it.