Chapter 24: The Towel Incident [Bonus]

Chapter 24: Chapter 24: The Towel Incident [Bonus]

Daniel walked toward the door, the towel wrapped loosely around his waist. His feet were bare, his hair was still damp, and his chest was completely exposed. He looked ridiculous. He knew he looked ridiculous. But he didn’t care.

Lyra followed behind him, her new dress swishing softly as she walked. She watched him with a mixture of amusement and disbelief.

"You’re really going out like that?" she asked.

"Yep."

"Just a towel? No underwear? Nothing?"

"Yep."

"People are going to stare."

"Let them."

Lyra shook her head. "You’re insane."

Daniel paused at the door and looked back at her. "I can’t go around in dirty clothes. They’re covered in blood and sand and sweat. And I’m not wearing your girly clothes. So until we buy me something decent, this is what I’ve got."

Lyra opened her mouth to argue, then closed it. She couldn’t think of a single thing to say.

"Fine," she said. "But I’m walking behind you."

Daniel shrugged. "Suit yourself."

He pulled open the door and stepped out into the hallway. Lyra followed, staying a few steps behind him. They walked down the creaking wooden stairs and into the main room of the inn.

The inn was busy. It was morning, and the tables were filled with people eating breakfast. Farmers. Travelers. Merchants. They all had one thing in common. They all stopped what they were doing when Daniel walked in.

A man in a towel.

A man in a towel with no underwear.

The room went silent. Forks froze halfway to mouths. Conversations died mid-sentence. Every eye in the place turned to Daniel.

Daniel ignored them. He walked straight to the front desk where the innkeeper was standing. The innkeeper, who had been counting coins, looked up. His face went through several stages in rapid succession. Confusion. Recognition. Then pure, unadulterated rage.

"You," the innkeeper hissed.

Daniel smiled. A bright, friendly smile. "Good morning. Two loaves of bread, please."

The innkeeper’s eye twitched. "What?"

"Two loaves of bread. For me and my companion. We’re hungry."

The innkeeper looked at Daniel. At the towel. At the way he was standing there like he owned the place. His hands curled into fists on the counter.

"You come into my inn," he said slowly, "wearing nothing but a towel. And you ask me for bread?"

"Two loaves," Daniel confirmed. "Please."

The innkeeper reached under the counter and pulled out two small loaves. They were tiny. Barely enough for one person. He slammed them onto the counter.

"Here," he spat. "Now get out."

Daniel looked at the loaves. Then back at the innkeeper. His smile didn’t waver.

"Actually," he said, "I’ll take six."

The innkeeper’s face went red. "Six? You’re only allowed one each a day. That’s the rule for free bread."

Daniel tilted his head. "Free bread? I thought we were VIP guests. The elder himself vouched for us. Is this how you treat your VIP customers?"

The innkeeper opened his mouth.

"Because," Daniel continued, raising his voice slightly, "I’m sure the elder would love to hear about how the owner of The Rusty Tankard treats the guests he personally recommended. I might have to file a report."

The innkeeper’s mouth snapped shut. His face went from red to pale. He reached under the counter and pulled out four more loaves. He slammed them onto the counter one by one.

"Here," he growled. "Six loaves. I hope you choke on it."

Daniel gathered up the loaves, cradling them in one arm. "Thank you. You’ve been most helpful."

He turned and walked toward an empty table. Lyra followed, her eyes wide. She had watched the whole exchange. The way Daniel had stood there, in nothing but a towel, and completely dominated the innkeeper. The way he had turned a bad situation into a victory.

They sat down at the table. Daniel placed the loaves between them and gestured for her to eat.

"That," Lyra said quietly, "was amazing."

"That," Daniel corrected, "was bargaining."

"He was so angry."

"He was. But he gave me what I wanted."

Lyra picked up a loaf and bit into it. She chewed slowly, thinking. Then she looked at him.

"Teach me."

Daniel took a bite of his own loaf. "Okay. First lesson. Never let them see you sweat. No matter what happens, stay calm. Stay confident. If you believe you deserve what you’re asking for, they’ll believe it too."

Lyra nodded. "Stay calm. Got it."

"Second lesson. Find leverage. Something you can use against them. In this case, it was the elder. He didn’t want the elder to hear about his behavior. So he gave in."

"Leverage," Lyra repeated.

"Third lesson. Know when to push and when to stop. I could have asked for more. But if I pushed too hard, he might have called my bluff. You have to know where the line is."

Lyra nodded again. Her brow was furrowed. She was taking this seriously.

People at other tables were still staring at Daniel. A few of them were whispering. A man in the corner was pointing at his towel and laughing. A woman was covering her children’s eyes. Daniel ignored them all. He just kept eating his bread, completely unbothered.

"You know," Lyra said, "you did all of that so I wouldn’t get the attention."

Daniel paused. "What?"

"The innkeeper. The bread. The whole thing." She looked at him. "You could have just asked nicely. You could have paid. But you made a scene. A big, ridiculous scene with your towel and your threats."

Daniel didn’t say anything.

"You did it so everyone would look at you instead of me," Lyra continued. "So they would talk about the crazy man in the towel instead of the blind girl from the Prick family."

Daniel took another bite of bread. "I don’t know what you’re talking about."

Lyra smiled. "Thank you."

"For what? I was just hungry."

"Sure you were."

Daniel finished his bread and stood up. "Come on. Let’s go find a clothing store."

Lyra stood up and followed him. They walked out of the inn, leaving the staring crowd behind. The morning sun was bright, and the streets of Fallbrook were already busy. Merchants were setting up their stalls. Children were running through the dirt. A woman was selling flowers from a basket.

Daniel walked through it all, towel and all, completely at ease. Lyra walked beside him, her eyes taking in everything. She still couldn’t believe she could see. Every color. Every face. Every detail.

They walked for a few minutes until they reached a small shop with a sign hanging above the door. The sign showed a shirt and a pair of pants. Lyra stopped in front of it.

"This is it," she said.

Daniel looked at the shop. Then at her. "Remember the deal. Fifty percent or less. If you can do it, I’ll read you any novel you want."

Lyra nodded, a determined look on her face. "I remember."

"Then go in there and show me what you’ve learned."

She took a breath. Then she pushed open the door.