Alaric

She remembered well that evening when, chilled to the bone, she stumbled into the Griffin's Nest in unfamiliar Taladin. Old Bernard, the innkeeper, didn't ask any questions—he simply pushed a bowl of stew toward her. This kindness touched her far more than any elven speeches about duty. Five years had passed since then, and she had become the tavern's caretaker, learning a great deal about other races.

She learned that sentimental dwarves could weep to the tune of ballads. She observed her fellow elves, rare visitors. But most of all, she was drawn to humans. They weren't just one thing—they were everything at once, each unpredictable. A knight would argue about honor with a mercenary, and an hour later they would sing a dirty song together. Merchants, mages, whores, priests—all of them were unafraid to change, to make mistakes, to start anew.

It was here that she found her best friend, Leila. She always had half a dozen admirers, whose names changed quickly, but calling her a sellout was out of the question. Leila didn't sell her body—she enjoyed it, and her genuine joy erased all vulgarity. She could laughingly lead a dealer up to the second floor, and an hour later return to work as if nothing had happened.

Late one evening, Leila sat down at the counter while the elf was drying the dishes. "Listen," she whispered, "stop washing the mugs, it's time to think about yourself. If you can't bring yourself to do it, I'll take it upon myself." She pointed to the far corner where several figures were sitting. —See there? Take your pick: an elf, straight from your forests... Or a sullen mercenary, boring but reliable... A knight, it seems, doesn't even drink... Or a mage—the rarest of specimens, he even brought a book with him. Before her friend could object about responsibilities, Leila took her by the shoulders and turned her towards the hall. —Come and meet me. Don't make me drag you by force! -But I can't just come up to you... "Oh, you absolutely can! They're all looking at you today, everyone's waiting..." Leila said, pushing her back toward the hall.