The Vortex: Book III of the Alban Saga
Below is a short excerpt from Chapter 9. Those of you who have read the other two books in the Alban Saga will recognize the characters mentioned in this section.
Bea and Aran entered the candlelit commons of the Sheep’s Heid Inn and were immediately assailed by the pervasive smells of roasted meats, ale, and crumbly cheese. A haze of smoke from the hearth fire touched the air, along with the scent of bodies, crowded together on old, crudely-made stools and tables. The sound of conversations and wooden tableware permeated the room, as eyes glanced their way, focusing mostly on Aran, then returning to their food and banter.
Aran sensed their gaze and did his best to act normal, even as the overpowering smells and sites of the medieval pub assaulted his senses. Lowering his head and wrinkling his nose, he whispered, “Jesus, I don’t know if I can stay here . . .”
This caused Bea to recall how she, too, had been affected upon her own arrival at the inn. Chuckling to herself, she explained, “Ye get used to it. Come on, follow me.”
She took Aran’s hand and guided him through the commons and up some well-worn stairs to her room. She pushed the door open. They walked inside. To their left was a small wooden table with a candle on it. Below the table was a stool, just like the ones Aran had seen as they entered the inn. On the opposite wall was a bed with a straw-stuffed mattress covered by a disheveled woolen blanket. The bed itself was plenty big for one person, but two . . . it would be a tight fit.
Bea could tell what Aran was thinking by the look on his face. Before he could speak, she walked over, lit the candle, gave him a shy smile, and said, “Aye, Aran, the room’s not much, and I know the bed’s small . . . At least it’s a place to stay, and I don’t think anyone will bother us once I get you some less conspicuous clothes."
“Aye . . .”
