Part 20 In which Marlot loses a friend

Sitting at one of the tables in the large dining room were the men that had abused them that afternoon.

Marlot leaned close to her golem, “We can probably avoid them Jack, if they don’t see us then they can’t hurt us.”

“Marlot, Jack! Is that you? I thought you would be home by now.”

The witch groaned, standing up at the table that they were trying to avoid was Lilly. The young woman ran over to them and gave Jack a tight hug. “You two look amazing, did you get those clothes here?”

Jack nodded, “The girl from the tailor shop brought them over.”

Marlot could feel the men at the table staring at them and she tried as hard as she could to avoid their gazes.

“Oh Marlot, what happened to your nose?” Lilly reached out and touched the red and swollen part of Marlot’s face, the witch winced.

“It was supposed to be a lesson she obviously didn’t learn.” Marlot slowly looked up into the eyes of her tormentor. On his arm was a very pretty woman.

“Oh Eric, be nice.” Marlot noticed that the woman had a smudge of flower on her face and more on her skirts. Marlot stared at her, then at the man Eric before she turned a look of disbelief on Lilly who was still hanging on Jack.

“Are you serious Lilly, this is the man you wanted, the one who choose the bakers daughter over you.”

“Marlot, stop.” Lilly was a deep shade of red, tears of embarrassment shinning in her eyes.

The witch was about to say something else when Jack pushed his friend away, “How can you love someone who would hurt Marlot?” His arms found their way around his witch and Marlot didn’t realize her kind sweet creation was capable of a look so full of disgust that it made Lilly seem like the lowliest of nasty bugs.

“Isn’t that charming” the pretty woman on Eric’s arm tittered, “even a golem doesn’t’ want you Lilly, now what are you going to do?” Eric laughed a big loud, head back kind of laugh. The woman gave Lilly a vicious smile. Jack still refused to touch their friend, but Marlot pitied her and she was on the verge of apologizing when Lilly, tears pouring from her eyes now, stomped up to Marlot and slapped her across the face. She had to hold Jack back when he tried to follow Lilly out of the inn. Marlot had never seen him so angry to the point that he was actually growling.

Even though her check was stinging she still wanted to comfort her young friend, she wished someone had comforted her nearly two hundred years ago when her heart had been broken, things would be so much different if they had. “Jack calm down, I would have done the same thing if I were her.”

“That would be because worthless trash like you deserves it.” The large man pushed Marlot into the stairs behind her and she stumbled up a couple before she fell with a thud.

“What is going on in here!” The stern inn keeper stood in the doorway to the kitchens, one hand on her hip, the other brandishing a frying pan like a sword.

“Master Jack, I ask that you stand down and look after your mistress, if you cause more damage I will charge you for all that I see.”

The golem was muttering angrily under his breath as he came to Marlot’s aid. “What were you going to do?” Marlot asked him as he helped her up. The inn keeper passed them without a second glance and started yelling at the man who was easily twice her size. Jack wouldn’t answer Marlot but she was able to make out four words from his mutterings, ‘Jack the giant killer.’ She grabbed her golem’s face and forced him to look at her. “Jack the giant killer used cunning and cleverness to defeat his foes, not brute strength, or did you not actually listen to the story.”

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. When he opened them again he seemed much calmer, “I’m sorry Marlot.”

“Good, I won’t see my sweet little Jack become as bad as those men, your better than that.” Jack nodded.

“As for you two.” The inn keeper turned on the witch and golem, “your dinner will be served in your room and then you will leave first thing in the morning. You are not welcome back, understand?”

The pair nodded and then made their way back up the stair case in silence.