“Sorry about that. Where were we?” she asked.
“Learning about cop-copper glazes,” I said, though what I really wanted to say was, who’s trying to hurt you? The fear rolling off her was impossible to miss.
We worked for another hour, but the easy feeling from earlier had shifted. Allie kept glancing at her purse, and I caught her checking the barn entrance more than once. Whatever was in that phone call, it had frightened her badly.
At midday, my stomach started rumbling loud enough that Tressa lifted her head to give me a long look.
“Hungry?” Allie asked with the first smile I’d seen since the phone started ringing.
“Starving. I eat lunch at the saloon. Have you tried real orc food yet?”
“Just the sorhox jerky.” Her eyes lit up, and some of the tension eased from her spine. “What’s the difference?”
“Come on. I’ll show you.”
We cleaned up our workspaces and headed toward the saloon, Tressa padding beside us. The afternoon sun warmed my face, and tourists wandered the streets, people enjoying their vacation. A few waved at me, recognizing me from pottery demonstrations and classes.
The saloon was busy but not too much, tourists dining at more than half of the tables. Standing behind the bar on the right, Greel nudged his head toward an empty one near the back, and we sat.
Greel came over and handed Allie a menu, ignoring me, but I already knew what was on it. I ate here every day, after all.
“What do you recommend?” Allie asked, scanning the choices with obvious fascination.
“The roasted velkara is incredible,” I said.
“More than edible,” Greel growled. His chest puffed. “Jessi’s cooking, not that man we hired and fired fast because he had no idea how to crack a chumble egg. Good thing we have an orc chef coming soon.”
“I’ve heard of chumbles.” Allie peered around as if she thought one of the enormous, pink-scaled birds might poke its head through the swinging saloon doors.
Tourists would scatter, but chumbles could be as grumpy as Becken.
“Velkara is a root vegetable from the orc kingdom,” Greel said. “A cross between a potato and a turnip but with more flavor. And if you eat meat, the grilled thaxon steaks are amazing.”
“Thaxon?” Allie looked my way.
“Like beef and venison, but more tender,” I said. “Herds ro-roam free in the kingdom’s caverns.” I watched her face as she read. Greel moved away to help someone else. “Oh, and you have to try the spiced nimmel bread. It’s sweet and sa-sa-savory at the same time. Sel and-and Holly make it at the bakery.”
“It all sounds incredible. Will you order for me? I trust your judgment.”
That statement made me want to grin. But this was Allie. There wasn’t much she could say that didn’t make me want to smile.
I could hear trust in her voice, and that heated up parts of me that felt like they’d been slumbering forever.
Greel returned and gave Allie a polite nod.
She shot me a smile. “Hail’s going to order for me.”
“Wise.” Greel looked toward me. “And?”
“Two velkara plates with grilled thaxon, extra nimmel bread, and so-so-some of that… that fermented kythara juice. The mild ver-version for Allie.”
With a nod, Greel strode toward the kitchen.
Allie leaned across the table. “Fermented fruit juice? Are you trying to get me drunk at lunch?”
“It won’t do that. It’s more like…human juice with personality.” I fidgeted with my napkin. “If you don’t like anything, we ca-ca-can order something… something…else.”
“I’m sure it’ll be wonderful.”
