“We came in here to get Cali some chai,” Iris said. “She wants a clear head for her trip.”
“Aye, that’s good thinking.” Sass swung her thick braid off her shoulder. “I’m not sure about that lady pirate.”
“No?” Iris poured another mug of chai and handed it to the dwarf. “Is it because of what you heard about her in Eldu?”
“Not entirely, although there’s no doubt that she and The Cruel Mistress are notorious.”
“Notorious how?” Cali asked. She’d been called notorious herself before, as had Vaskel and even Lira back in their crewing days. Not that they’d engaged in criminal behavior per se, but some quests were more worthy than others. And there was no denying that her skills as an archer were legendary.
Sass hopped onto the three-legged stool and cupped her mug with two hands. “For starters, her entire crew is female.”
Iris grinned. “Well, that’s just smart staffing. I’ll bet they don’t have any issues finding things on board.”
Sass snorted into her mug. “I’m not saying I disagree with it. And then there’s the ship itself.”
“What’s wrong with the ship?” Cali asked, her pointed ears instinctively tilting back.
“Nothing’s wrong with it,” Sass said. “But you’ve never seen anything like it. Let’s just say that the mermaid painted on the bow of the ship isn’t the only pop of color on The Cruel Mistress.”
“Now I really want to join you,” Iris teased, nudging the pantheri.
“Just promise me one thing,” Sass said, clunking her mug onto the worktable.
The dwarf was so serious that Cali’s own smile faded.
“Promise me you won’t get lured into the pirate life with all those lady pirates. Promise me you’ll come back.”
Cali’s tail twitched behind her. “I have no intention of becoming a pirate.”
Sass made a noise in the back of her throat. “You say that now.”
Cali had only heard smatterings about Sass’s time in Eldu before coming to Wayside, but as she studied the dwarf, she wondered if one of the massive three-masted ships had tempted Sass—or one of the lady pirates. She knew her friend well enough not to press her on it, though.
The pantheri felt both women’s eyes on her, and she managed a tight laugh. “You don’t have to worry about me. I didn’t run off with Marina, and I’m not running off with Bonnie One-Eye.”
“Promise?” Sass pressed, a worry wrinkle burgeoning between her brows.
Cali thought about Lira and Vaskel and Rog, crewmates she considered family. Then she thought about all the villagers in Wayside who’d welcomed her into their town. She’d be a fool to abandon all of that. Then she thought of the dark-haired pirate captain, and a purr rumbled in her chest.
Shaking it off, she placed a paw on Sass’s shoulder. “I promise to return.”
The dwarf let out a breath, and her shoulders sagged. “That’s all I needed to know. Lira’s lost too many members of her crew.I know she couldn’t bear to lose you.” She cleared her throat brusquely. “And I’d miss you too. Now I’d better get back out there before Glen tries to eat the wedding arch.”
“Thanks, Sass.” Cali said as the dwarf backed from the kitchen.
“I’d miss you,” Iris whispered. “And I would never forgive you if you didn’t come back and tell me all about the adventures you had on the pirate ship.”
“I’ll be back before you know it,” Cali promised, although another rumbling sound hummed its way through her chest and tickled her whiskers as she imagined the pirate ship Sass had described and its all-female crew.
For the first time in ages, she couldn’t stop herself from purring.
Four
Cali steppedoutside the tavern and drew in a breath as the door shut behind her and dampened the sounds of lute music and dancing feet. The storm had subsided; the wind no longer hurled flakes of snow at the leaded windows or tore at the thatched roof. The wooden “Tusk & Tail” sign creaked on its hinges as it swung in the weary breeze, and the pantheri glanced overhead, glad that it had withstood the storm.
Despite the cold, she was glad to escape the heat of the great room. Between the crackling fire and the boisterous dancing, the tavern had become stifling. At least, to a pantheri who boasted a thick coat of gray-striped fur.
“Wanna swig?”
