Snow, Gingerbread and Fate Part VI
Smell was always the first sensation she perceived. It was strange as it was also the sense which was most tightly bound to her memories. She smelled beer and tobacco smoke. Unwashed bodies and hearty dishes. Before the other senses hit her, she knew that she had to be in some kind of pub. After a moment, the darkness parted and made room for vision and sound and as more and more colors and light replaced the blackness, she could see where fate had taken her this time.
And she had guessed right, it was a pub. Cigarette smoke hung in the air, lit by scattered candles. Laughter and loud voices echoed in her ears. Half a dozen tables stood around, full with eating and drinking people. Many had way too much to drink already and entertained the people, who were not drunk yet, with their doubtful singing talent. On a few tables, the men were playing King’s Fate, a card game of the common folk.
She sat on one of the tables. In front of her were three other men. She let her eyes slowly wander from one to the other; scanning everyone a few heartbeats long. Only then, the person’s facial features became so clear that she could recognize them. Too fast and everything got blurry and foggy. And that was the main reason why she always got sick.
She had never met these men personally but now she knew them because he knew them. It was very confusing and contributed to her nausea.
