Snippet #2558059

It was midday and the weather was warm. Was it summer or fall? Tori could never get it right. The seasons changed far to quickly for her liking. The years passed by and she was 22 before she knew. She felt old. Especially compared to the other customers of the inn she resided at. There were all kinds of elves and dwarves, orcs and other human-like, or unlike, creatures. An average human woman lived to be around 70 in those times, and she has gone through more than a quarter of her life. And half of that time she didn't even remember. Her childhood was a big blur in her memory, filled with odd pictures of her family spending time on a picnic or of her grandfather telling her war stories. And now she was in her twenties, with no steady income or a home, or even a town for a permanent residence.

It's not that she complained. She loved her way of living, doing easy work and scraping by, but now, sitting in a tavern, between an elven woman and a drunk dwarf, she felt lonely. There weren't many of her kind in a town she currently resided in. Actually she remembered seeing only two in the past week. Well, it's not like humans brought anything but trouble. Elven kind was much more peaceful... and beautiful.

Tori gulped down the remainder of her beer. The drink was sour and warm, but nutritious. Just what he needed to sustain her until lunch. She stood from her stool, leaving a silver coin on the bar, and with a wave to the bartender, walked outside. Living in that inn had proved cozy and she planned on staying for at least another week. There was enough work to keep her fed and the people there took a liking to her. Also there was a lot of elven kind, and Tori couldn't keep her eyes off of them. It's not her fault, they were too beautiful not to stare. Humans were too common and dwarves were too short. Orcs? Well, she didn't consider that option.

Walking through the marketplace, Tori hummed a melody she heard last night from a travelling bard. It was a catchy tune. She didn't even notice that her eyes were closed and head bobbing in the rhythm of the melody. Not until she bumped into a stranger. It was an elf. Tall, white-haired, seemingly not very friendly.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Tori apologized, bowing her head briefly. "I wasn't looking."