New-sisters
1148 Words
Chapter Three
At the counter stood a young woman, wiping her hands on a cloth. She looked up when she heard the door and smiled immediately, like she had been waiting for me.
“Hi,” she said brightly. “I’m Yeri. Nice to meet you. Welcome to the Turned Around Inn.”
Her voice was warm and steady. She had straight black hair that fell past her shoulders and striking blue eyes that seemed too kind for someone running an inn alone.
“My name is Minal,” I replied. “I’m looking for a room. Just for a while.”
“That’s easy enough,” she said, reaching for a ledger. “Traveling through or staying?”
I hesitated before answering. “Staying. At least for now.”
She nodded, not pushing. “We’ve got space. You look like you’ve had a long walk.”
“I have,” I said.
She studied my face for a moment, then softened. “Do you mind me asking where you are from.”
I exhaled despite myself. “I was raised by a witch,” I said suddenly. “ She was in the witch territory. She died recently, and I needed somewhere new to stay, somewhere a bit quieter.”
Yeri’s expression shifted immediately. “I’m sorry,” she said gently. “That can’t have been easy.”
“It wasn’t,” I replied. “I just want to start over.”
“Well,” she said, closing the ledger, “you’re safe here, let me show you your room.”
She led me up the stairs, the wood creaking softly beneath our feet. The hallway was narrow but it was clean with the doors spaced evenly apart. She opened one near the end and stepped aside.
“It’s not fancy,” she said, “but it’s warm enough”
It was more than warm. The bed was neatly made, there was a small desk sat near the window, and a basin of clean water rested on a stand nearby.
“It’s perfect,” I said.
“Good,” she replied, smiling. “Get settled. Dinner’s in an hour. You’re welcome to come down whenever.”
After washing and changing, I went back downstairs. Yeri was already moving between tables, balancing plates with practiced ease. When she saw me, she waved me over.
“Want to help?” she asked. “I could use an extra pair of hands.”
“I’d like that,” I said honestly.
She handed me a tray and showed me where to take it. As we worked, she talked freely, filling the space without forcing it.
“My father built this place,” she said as we wiped down a table together. “It took him years. Loans and asking for a lot of favors, we had a lot of nights sleeping on the floor.”
“That sounds rough,” I said.
“He believed in this place” she continued. “ he said people needed a place that didn’t charge too much for an inn”
I glanced around the room, understanding. “He was right.”
She smiled. “ Some days are harder than others, but it’s ours.”
“You run this alone?” I asked.
“My dad does all the accounts now he's too weak” she said. “I’m studying magic too. Or trying to.”
“Magic?” I echoed.
“Yeah,” she said, lowering her voice slightly. “I want to get into the University of Extra Witches. It’s competitive, but I’ve been practicing whenever I can.”
She demonstrated by flicking her fingers subtly. A candle on a nearby table flared brighter for a moment before settling.
“That’s impressive,” I said.
She laughed softly. “It’s nothing compared to what they expect, but I’m getting there.”
“You will,” I replied without thinking.
She looked at me, surprised. “You really think so?”
“I do,” I said firmly.
A few days passed, and I began to settle into a rhythm.
The mornings were usually quiet then the afternoons were busy. Evenings were loud in the comfortable way that came from full tables and tired bodies. I helped where I could, learned which guests liked their food spiced and which preferred it plain, and memorized the way the inn smelled at different hours.
That evening, Yeri and I were standing behind the counter, going over dinner plans. She had a list spread out in front of her, tapping it with her finger as she spoke.
“If we run out of stew again, my father is going to complain like it’s a personal attack,” she said. “So we make extra, but not so much that it goes to waste.”
“I can help chop,” I offered. “Or serve or both.”
She smiled. “You’re too useful. I might keep you forever.”
Before I could reply, the front door burst open hard enough to rattle the sign above it.
“I’VE FOUND HIM.”
The shout echoed through the common room.
A girl rushed in, breathless and glowing, her black hair cut shorter than Yeri’s and bouncing wildly as she moved. Her skin was visibly tanned, like she’d spent hours under open sky without caring what time it was. She looked alive in a way that demanded attention. She carried a back pack.
“I’ve found the man of my dreams,” she repeated, spinning once in place. “The man of my actual dreams.”
“Slow down, baby girl,” Yeri said, already smiling despite herself. “You’re going to knock something over.”
“I don’t care,” the girl said, grinning. “I don’t care at all.”
She finally noticed me standing there and stopped abruptly. “Oh…. who’s that?”
Yeri gestured between us. “Dami, this is Minal. She’s staying with us for a while. Minal, this is my sister, Dami. She's been on adventures”
Dami’s face lit up immediately. She crossed the space between us in two steps and grabbed my hands like we were already friends.
“Hi,” she said brightly. “I like you already.”
“Hi,” I replied, surprised but smiling. “I think I like you too.”
She laughed. “Good, because you’re coming to a party with us tonight.”
“A party?” I repeated.
“Yes,” she said firmly. “A proper one you know with Music, drinks, people. You cannot stay cooped up in an inn forever, I know my sister has been making you work, when did you arrive here”
I searched my memory “um about five days”
“See oh my Goodness” Dami exclaimed “we have to go party”
- Writer
