The Black Vine

The tavern is four-stories tall with a black roof and windows. The building itself is white. Outside each window are flower boxes filled with fairy lanterns (a type of flower). In front of the tavern, there is a garden filled with different herbs and spices. In the back, there is a cleared area for those who wish to train, fruit trees, and vegatable patches.

Inside, there is a reception desk, a bar, a stage full of equipement for entertainment, a separate room for the arts, and two stairways, each leading to the above floors. The rest of the floors are rooms.

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Raine watered the fairy lanterns, watching out for customers.

he walks in a man cloaked in all black and purple garbs taking a seat at a table in the far back of the bar sitting with his face hooded from sight only his misty purple eyes that eluminate a purple glow are visible from under the hood.

"this place seems nice."

he says as he glances around looking at all there is in this bar he sits in now.

Raine watched the newcomer, and quietly walked inside. She went over to the table where the hooded man was seated. She smiled and bowed.

"Welcome to The Black Vine. How may I be of service?"

Her voice was soft, and she tilted her head as she waited patiently for an answer.

he looked up keeping the hood from moving so his face would not show as he took in a breath of air he also exhaled it

"i would like a glass of milk and a piece of blueberry pis if you have it here."

he said keeping his voice slightly low and yet still kind.

Raine smiled and bowed again.

"Yes, sir. I'll be back with your order shortly."

She left, going behind the bar. The kitchen came to life as she mixed and put the pie in the oven. When it was almost finished, she took a glass with a crescent moon on the side out of a cabinet, and poured fresh, cold milk into it. Raine then took the pie out, cut out a piece, and set it on a silver plate.

Raine brought the order to the man and smiled, her voice still soft as if she were afraid of disturbing the somewhat calm atmosphere.

"Here you are: one glass of milk, and a piece of blueberry pie."

the man although the women could not see it was smiling as he bowed his head in thanks to her

"thank you so very much kind keep."

he took a sip of the milk and bite from his pie and that out a "mmmmmmmm" from his lips in satisfaction.

Raine smiled.

"You're welcome. Just call if you need anything."

She went over to the windows, and started watering the flowers again, singing softly in nature's language. As she watered and sang, the fairy lanterns began to grow and blossom. She smiled and went over to the next box.

the cloaked man watched the bar keeper do this as he continued to eat his pie and drink his milk

"interesting..."

he thought wondering what may happen to him since he wandered to this bar knowing osmething was going to happened he enjoied the pure silence and welcoming hostest

Raine finished her rounds on the flower boxes, and grabbed a basket from behind the counter. She walked over to the hooded customer.

"I'm going to the garden outside. I'll only be a few minutes."

She smiled and turned to leave, but paused.

"Forgive me. My name is Raine."

She walked off to the garden, and began picking wild ginger.

he looked up as she told him of where it was she was going and her name he paused silent as his nature and nodded only to think to himself more

"hm, so that is her name...raine...interesting indeed..."

remembering something before in his confrotation with the things chasing him one said something about a girl that ones name started with an r....could it had been her the man he thought was talking about or is the cloaked man only thinking odd thoughts once more.

Raine continued picking wild ginger, soon moving on to other spices. When the basket was full, she walked back inside. She nodded to the man before going behind the counter and re-filling her spice cabinet.

After a few minutes she walked over to the customer.

"I'm sorry to bother you, sir, but would you like anything else right now?"

watched as raine came back into the bar with the basket of herbs and spices looking up he could see her nod to him and he nodded back

"no, but some orange juice would be lovely."

kindly hands rine his dish and glass

Raine smiled and took the man's dishes.

"All right. One moment."

She walked over to the kitchen, put the dishes in the sink, and then got another glass out and poured fresh-squeezed orange juice into it. She walked back to the customer and smiled.

"Here's your orange juice."

he took up the glass sipping it slowly and setting it down

"thank you miss raine your a very kind bar keeper more than what i can say for most others.."

rememebring how rude and cruel the other ones were by the whole hooded and cloaked thing.

Raine smiled and bowed.

"Thank you; I do my best. I think that anyone who sells food should try to keep their customers satisfied, which includes being respectful."

She glanced out the window, noticing that it was turning to late evening.

"How have your travels been, sir?"

the man finally removed his hood revealing his long silver hair and soft misty purple eyes and a scar on his right eye

"true, and my trvel have been alright...i suppose thank you for asking."

he then layed against the chairs back and stretched out his arms

Raine's expression grew gentle when the hooded man revealed his face. She saw the scar on his right eye, and instinctively touched the black crescent moon that was on her right cheek. She quickly put her hand down, not wanting to appear rude.

"Sir, would you like to stay the night here? It's getting late."

She now had a worried expression on her face.

he looked up with soft eyes and smiled faintlyas he stood up towering over her

"yes....that sounds nice...thank you very much ma'am."

the man finally took up his sword and pouch and went around the table and stood to wait for the tavern keeper to show him to his room.

Raine smiled, moving out of his way as he stood up.

"You're very welcome. This way."

She led him up a staircase and to the first door on the left, room 4. Raine reached into her pocket, and pulled out a pair of keys. She gave them to her customer.

"Here is your room. If you need anything, I'll be downstairs."

he gently took the keys from her smiled and bowed

"thank you and alright i will keep that in mind."

he then unlocked the door and walked in waving night and closing the door behind him as he went and layed on the bed

Raine waved goodnight and walked back downstairs as her customer closed the door. She washed the dishes, and cleaned off the tables and counters. She kept the windows open, but shut the door, and then seated herself in a chair.

I'll stay here for a few hours, just in case anyone else comes in.

stumbling from his bed he got up and walked aimlessly until he came upon an open windom in his room from there he jumped out and from underneath his cloak he spread his mysterious silver wings and hovered down silently onto the grouns i front of the open widows to the bottom floor he hoped he wasn't seen and started off with a sprint into the night

"i hope she didn't spot me....oh i do hate being rude and running off but i need to think and this is the only way i can do that..."

he kept wondering arouns outside until he came across a lake and a giant oak tree whos branchs twisted arouns eacother and were as smooth as a new borns skin he looked up into the oak to see if anything was up in it then he jumped high off the ground and landed lightly on one of the higher up branchs and lay on it

Raine had actually waited for a few hours for anyone else to come in. She hadn't realized that she had dozed off. She woke with a start and glanced around the room.

Hmm, it's still dark. I guess it's all right to go to bed now.

She stood up and closed all the windows. She thought she heard the rustle of wings, but dismissed it as fatigue, and walked through a side door behind the counter. Upon entering her bedroom, Raine immediately changed into pajamas, and fell on her bed. After a few minutes, she was sound asleep.

the sound of his wings was slightly more louder than he anticipated as he moved around on the branch which to his surprised grew rather un comfortable as he tried moving into a more cofortable position

"this isn't gonna....wait i know.."

he said as he got to his feet up on the branch and drew with his finger in the air the light vision of a cot that with that instant grew forth from the branch he had been laying on to begin with

"another job done well again by my expertise in the acane."

he said with a glowing smile as he laid down once more with renewed comfort.

he finally thought to himself and hoped that the inn keeper hadn't been awoken or had heard his wings ruffling

Raine was still oblivious to the conscious world. Blurred colors twisted and faded within her mind, showing memories and things best left to pixies.

She had managed to get under her covers in her sleep, and a child-like expression of tranquility was on her face.

Music floated throughout her dreams: piano, violin, flute. Each instrument and more took their turn to play for her subconscious.