A thought suddenly strikes you.
'Do i have any money?' Checking your pockets and satchels, you find a coin purse that has a decent amount of money in. You guess that you have enough money to get you a meal and a few drinks and possibly past the gate guard if it comes to that, however you do not think you will be able to get a room. From what you can see from the front gate, the village looks rather well off and the Inn you can see exudes comfort. You will have to......
improvise.
You check your equipment and find nothing damaged. You even find that your spare, sturdy clothes and extra cloak (which seems to be bigger on the inside than on the outside) are fine in their bag of holding.
'At least i have something comfortable to change into. My current clothes are covered in blood and other undesirable fluids from the city and the fight with the bandits.'. Happy that you aren't missing anything you approach the gate of the village.
The guard immediately stands to attention and shouts "Halt! Who goes there?".
"Calm, my good man. I am no threat." You pause as you approach. "Would you be so generous as to let this wounded traveler into your town for a good meal and a nights rest? Camping out, whilst necessary on a journey, is woefully uncomfortable....." You draw close to the guard as you talk whilst trying to make yourself look as diminutive as possible, after all, they always underestimate you that way. You tilt your hood back a bit. His breath catches as he sees you.
"A...A..Drow? Here? Uhh...Well...Uh" He stutters. You hide a grin as you see him trying not to look at your various bodily assets.
'Poor youngster. Must not be older than 20' You mentally chuckle to yourself.
"Right this way, ma'am" He says, walking a little too quickly towards the half closed gates. You note he could have just let you pass as there was more than enough space for you to enter without the gates being moved, but the poor dear is trying to be gentlemanly. You walk to the gate and, as you pass, you intentionally press your body into his getting as close as possible, looking him in the eye and smiling seductively. You see him tense. You grin wider and kiss him on the nose. "Why thank you for escorting me to the gate" You purr, a seductive tone in your voice.
You then carry on your way, glancing back briefly, your grin growing as you see him adjusting his uniform, the trouser leggings looking suspiciously damp in a certain area.
'Oh, the poor dear' You let out a brief laugh as you walk towards the Inn.
~~~
You stand outside the Inn whilst you look at the sign hanging from its post outside. The Butchered Werewolf. A memory surfaces and you note that it is a rather common variation of Inn name in this area of the country.
You enter and, as you had expected, the talk inside the Inn died down. You look around and note that it is very busy inside, full of off duty guardsmen, craftsmen, loggers and even a Priest. You note that the wives of many of them seem to be here also. You can see several wenches still moving through the crowd, delivering large mugs of ale, mead and beer.
You lower your hood.
You hear the odd intake of breath and the yes of most in the room go wide.
"A Drow? Here?".... "This is rare. They rarely leave their homes in the mountains" ..... "What do you think she wants?" .... "Who is she?" ..... "Those eyes, like daggers" ..... "Are all Drow that beautiful, dad?" "I wouldnt know son, this is only the second time i've seen one...."
Your ears pick up on all the small conversations around the room. Dozens of them.
Clearing your throat, which stops the talking again, you ask where the innkeep is.
"Excuse my intrusion, but i would like to talk to the innkeep, if he is available."
"Aye, lass, I be 'im" A large, burly bearded man says from a doorway on the far right, far away from the bar.
You approach him, dozens of eyes following you. "Is there a place we can talk privately? I do not like my business to be listened to" You say more frostily than you wanted. Some of the older humans in the room scowl at you. The younger ones are still too perplexed to notice what you are saying.
The innkeep grunts, before motioning for you to follow him into the room beyond.
You enter, and he closes the door behind you.
"Now then, what would a Drow such as yourself want with an Innkeep like me, hmmm?"
"I would like to purchase a room for two nights, as well as any medical supplies you have. A good meal and drink would also be appreciated"
The innkeep eyes you up. "And i suppose you have the gold needed to pay for all that?"
You frown. "That is why i wanted to speak in private." You extract your coin purse and empty the contents on the table next to you.
The innkeep inspects the pile. "Hmmm, you certainly have enough for the food, drink and medical supplies there, but i am afraid you are short of the money needed for a room for a night, let alone two. Unless you have something else to offer, i can only give you what you can afford. I'm sorry."
You steel yourself. "I...I am willing to offer my help, if it is needed and possibly....
more" You say the last word with a quieter voice. The Innkeep still hears you and also understands what you are offering.
"Oh, I wouldn't ask you or force you to do something like that!" He seems a bit shocked. "I'll accept your help, though. It would be welcome, as the inn has been busy of late." He frowns, as if remembering something.
You smile, thinking your current business concluded. "Could you show me to my...." But you are interrupted by the Innkeep.
"I...er...I also have something else i would like to ask of you, but it is by no means mandatory." He pauses. "Its my son, you see.....He is not exactly
successful with the ladies. He isnt a brute, and he is handsome and strong, but he can never seem to catch one of the pretty young ladies which roam this village and i worry for him....." He pauses again, this time running his hand through his hair. "It seems to be taking its toll on his confidence and mood...."
"Now, i know i said i wouldnt ask this of you, but....could you possibly spend the night with my son? Show him the soft embrace of a woman? You dont have to do it, it is just a request from an old man worried about his son" He looks down, with an apologetic look on his face.
You stand there, a bit stunned, but not as shocked as you thought. After all, you did think something like this could happen.
***
What do you do? Do you take the already agreed agreement? or do you fulfill the Innkeeps request for his son? Or do you do something else?
And remember, as always, think carefully. There are always options open to you.