---
Elara stopped under a sign that showed a bent coin with a hole in it. The letters said The Bent Penny. The door stood open. The air smelled like soup and beer and old wood. A woman behind the counter looked up. She was heavy in the way of people who carry a place on their back and make it look easy.
"Afternoon, Elara," the woman said. "You bring me honest trouble or foolish trouble today."
"Honest," Elara said. She stepped aside so the woman could see John and Fizz. "One room. Two nights. A lock that works. A place for a cart. He will pay."
The woman sized John in one long look. "You look like you pay on time," she said. "You also look like you fix things that creak. I like both. Two nights is four silvers. If you break the bed by fighting, it is eight."
"So expensive…" Fizz raised a paw. "What if we break the bed by dancing?"
