Chapter Text
Floorboards creaked as patrons walked in and out. The usual crowd, a group of local ranch hands, held up in the corner of the room nearest the piano. It was the most contested seat in the whole bar; secluded and quiet, seeing as how no one in town knew how to play the thing. The boys sauntered in from a long day out in the prairie and stuck their fingers up in the air as both a greeting and request for booze. Luckily for them, Yor had served them enough times to not take offense at the gesture. She smiled and went to work fetching their beer.
Such was how things usually played out in Berlint, at least for Yor. The frontier town itself was young, probably no older than she was, and it still had that nice veneer of a place yet unsoiled by the ravages of the west. That wasn't to say it was perfect; no, far from it, but everyone had their place and filled dutifully with few complaints. Yor's was behind the bar, serving local ranchers and travelers making their way through to the open plains. Berlint was the last threshold of civilization. Beyond its boundaries, there wasn't nothing but sun and buzzards.
Some of the rowdier hands snapped their fingers and told Yor to pick up the pace. They were the new ones; the more experienced men quickly smacked them outside the head and told them hush, and not just because they were being rude as hell. Yor overheard their exchange. She paused and shook her head, knowing exactly what they were talking about. With a sigh, she gathered up all the bottles and put them on a serving tray. A moment later and she dropped them off at their table with a pleasant smile before turning to walk away.
It didn't take long for newcomers to figure out she was the sheriff's sister.
People always treated her funny after that. She couldn't hardly blame them, though; Yuri had a bit of a reputation as a...firm hand when it came to dispensing frontier justice. His was a difficult job and Yor understood that, but she couldn't help but feel that he took things a bit too far sometimes. And if she as his sister could come to that conclusion, then she could only imagine what the average person thought of him. It was no wonder everyone treated her with kid gloves. God forbid they upset her and incur her brother's wrath.
Never mind the fact that she was a barmaid. Part of her job was to take things on the chin and keep a firm upper lip, especially with some of the people that strolled through her establishment. Yor had seen her fair share of fights, both armed and unarmed, and not a day didn't go by that one of her patrons didn't try to peek up her skirt for a cheap thrill. Yuri never had to intervene for any of that, because she was more than capable in handling herself and her bar. Only time she ever called him is when the dangerous sort walked in. Outlaws and the bunch. Course, they were few and far between. Even then, Yor usually kept things to herself; so long as everyone behaved, there was no point in ratting someone out to her brother.
Yor dropped the tray off behind the counter and started to wipe things down. It was slow today. Yor wanted to keep busy though, so she went about cleaning musty bottles and rearranging them to make them look more appealing to the discerning customer. Not that anyone around here drank anything other than bottled beer and whisky, but she could keep herself occupied till someone else walked in. Besides, she liked to clean. It was about the only thing she was good at besides pouring drinks (and that last one was still debatable to some).
As she went about her business, a floorboard creak alerted her to another visitor. Yor didn't turn around right away though, and instead politely told whoever it was she'd be with them in a moment. A stubborn smudge just wouldn't wipe out. Yor attacked it as best she could; her eyes twisted as she focused and she stuck her tongue out, leading to a less than flattering face. It was a good thing she was turned around...or at least it would have been, were it not for the fact that mirrors lined the wall. Everyone behind her could see everything.
"Papa, she looks funny!" a little voice giggled out from behind her.
Immediately Yor froze. That...sounded like a child? She quickly turned around and found two strangers standing there in front of the counter. One of them was a little girl who looked sweet as honey. Her face was dirty, as was the rest of her, but she stood tall and proud for such a little thing. Her pink hair was as bright as the beam in her face, and the green of her eyes rivaled any shade Yor had seen outside of pure emerald. The little girl walked out from the shadow of a much taller figure.
Papa, Yor assumed. He stood several heads taller than she (even without the boots) and wore an old, shabby duster coat like so many others. He was in the process of removing his hat as she turned around, and revealed to Yor a head of blonde hair softened by heat and sweat. Stubble textured his face after not having shaved in a few days, and streaks of dirt clung heavier to him than it did his daughter. Even with all that though, Yor still paused under the gaze of his eyes. The prettiest blue she'd ever seen. Sky blue. Just like the open air outside.
"Anya, what did I tell you about making fun of people?" the man growled as he flashed a warning look to the little girl.
"N-no! That's alright, she was just playin'!" Yor piped up, caught off-guard. "Although, um...I can't have children in here, sorry."
The man nodded. "I figured as much. It's just we've been rolling through for a while now and this is the first place we came across."
"Is that right?" Yor smiled pleasantly. "Where ya'll coming in from?"
Anya's papa shrugged. "Other side of the valley. If it's got a name, I don't know it."
"...Wait, you mean the two of you came from the west?" Yor's eyes widened when the man nodded. "Both of you?"
"Well, she's my daughter so, yes," the man replied, this time with a faint chuckle. He smiled at Yor, and she pinked a little.
Everything out past the valley was no man's land. There was enough to eat and drink of course, assuming you could hunt, but there wasn't anything else out there besides the elements. That's where bandits, natives, and travelers on their way west could be found...certainly not the place for a little girl to be out and about, even if she did have her father with her. Stranger still, why would they be making their way east? Most people would be trying to reach the far shore for a chance at hitting it rich in the gold mines. There wasn't nothing out back east.
"Well, we'll be heading out then," the man spoke up, bringing Yor back to reality. "Sorry to bother you."
He went to put his hat back on, but was immediately stopped when Yor jumped in place. "No, wait! I can, uh...make an exception. Just this once!"
Anya's papa blinked. Genuinely surprised, he eased into a smile. "Much appreciated, ma'am. Thank you."
"I want whiskey!" Anya grinned as she pointed at the bottles behind Yor. The barmaid gasped.
"When I'm dead and buried!" The man grabbed his daughter by the scruff of her dirty dress and walked her to the counter. "Sit!"
Anya's papa collapsed onto a bar chair. He quickly picked her up and dropped her into his lap, and she huffed in disappointment. Yor tilted her head at the strange pair, but couldn't stop a smile from forming at their antics. It was a refreshing sight to see, what with most of her days spent babysitting grown men before sending them off to do god-knows-what.
"Would you like a cold glass of milk, Anya?" Yor asked sweetly, which earned her an incredulous look from the little girl.
"Cold milk!?" Anya slammed her hand on the counter in amazement before looking up at her papa. He seemed just as surprised as her.
"Mhm," Yor nodded. She motioned to a door on the far side of the bar behind her. "We've got the only ice house for thirty miles, and I milked the goat this morning myself!"
"How 'bout that," the man nodded, impressed. Anya continued to stare at him pleadingly, and he smirked. "Sure. What do I owe ya?"
"First round's on the house!" Yor smiled. "And what can I get for you, mister...?"
"Forger, ma'am." Anya's papa bowed his head. "Loid Forger."
Yor's smile grew wider. "What'll it be, Mr. Forger?"
"I'll take a scotch, missus...?"
"Miss Briar," she corrected. "But you can call me Yor!"
Loid scanned her up and down before nodding. Yor grabbed a tray and held it to her chest. She flashed another sweet smile before disappearing behind the ice house door, leaving the pair to sit there and wait for her to return. Loid lingered on the spot, though it didn't last long before he suddenly felt the burn of two green eyes on him. His own pair twisted in annoyance as he glanced down at the little girl in his lap, whom he found to be staring at him with an overly enthusiastic smile on her face. He glowered.
At the same time, Yor found the pitcher she'd filled with milk earlier in the day. There were a couple glasses she always kept in there to stay chilled, and she started to fill one of them while thinking about the strangers sitting at her counter outside. Yor continued to mull over what circumstances would warrant the two of them braving the valley by themselves...at least, she assumed it was just the two of them. They didn't mention anyone else, but then again it was a father and daughter. Anya had to have come from somewhere, or that is to say, someone.
It wasn't none of her business, but...was there a Mrs. Forger?
Her curiosity was piqued. As soon as the glass was filled she returned outside, making sure to close the door nice and tight behind her so as to not let the cold run out. Yor came back around to the pair, but was quickly surprised to find one of them missing. Only Loid remained. His daughter was nowhere in sight, and Yor wondered aloud where on earth she'd run off to.
It didn't take her long to figure it out. The sudden ping of piano keys summoned her attention, and her head shot over to the corner of the room where the ranch hands were gathered. Her heart sank when she saw Anya sitting on the bench there tapping away with two fingers, unable to carry a tune to save her life; she thought for a moment that the noise would disturb the men, though it quickly became apparent that wouldn't be the case. Their smirks and chuckles as they pointed to the little girl made it clear to Yor she had a knack for getting people to like her.
"I'll corral her," Loid drooped his head tiredly. His chair skidded as he pushed it back, but Yor cut him off at the pass.
"No, that's alright," she shook her head while placing the milk in front of him. "She seems to be doing a good job of keeping the boys entertained."
Loid shrugged and settled back down. "Not necessarily something a feller wants to hear about his daughter, but I suppose I'll take it."
Yor giggled. She turned around to fetch his scotch and continued to talk over her shoulder. "I assume your wife wouldn't take kindly to that statement, neither?"
"Ain't married. Never have been," the man revealed. Yor paused. It must have been obvious, too, since he quickly followed up with "Anya isn't mine. Least not by blood, anyway."
Yor stayed quiet. She had the bottle of liquor in her hand and a glass to pour it into, but the ability to do so was suddenly lost to her. She was too busy thinking about Loid and Anya, and just what exactly their story was; visitors from the valley were few and far between. Families were unheard of, and broken families even more so. Yor looked up at the mirrored wall and saw two blue eyes looking back at her, and she suddenly found herself red in the face. Right. Scotch. She shook her head and turned back around. Best not to make it obvious she was being nosy.
Loid seemed to know regardless. As she poured in front of him, he continued. "Happened upon her when I was out in the plains a few months back. Took her in after that."
Yor's eyes widened. She scooted Loid's drink over to him without looking; she was too busy staring at him. "She was out there all by herself?"
Loid nodded. "Held up in a cabin. I assume it belonged to her parents, but there was no else around when I got there."
"What happened to them?" Yor asked with a frown.
"No idea. She refuses to say," Loid shook his head. He glanced at his scotch before taking a sip. "Could've been bandits, but there we no signs of a struggle."
"That poor darling!" Yor looked over to find Anya right where they'd left her; the little girl grinned with delight as the ranch hands demanded an encore.
"Make no mistake though, she's tougher than she looks," Loid mused. Yor looked back and found him smirking. "I've seen the valley take grown men three times her size, but she's kept up with me the whole time we've been out there."
"Even so, that's no place for a girl her age," Yor commented absently. A somberness swept over Loid's face, and immediately her heart sank. "I mean-! It's not my place to judge-!"
"-No, you're right," Loid agreed. He breathed into his firewater. "Can't hardly do much better for her, though. I tried taking her to an orphanage but...she wasn't having none of it. I'm stuck playing papa."
The tired man closed his eyes and let the scotch roll down his throat. Yor lingered on the sight of him; he seemed different from the usual sort that walked in, and not just because of his and Anya's unique circumstances. Loid had an air about him that those traveling through the valley didn't typically have. He was a bit haggard and dirty, but even then there was something...sophisticated in how he carried himself. In all honesty it vaguely reminded Yor of her brother. Yuri was always sharp as a tack, and this man, Loid, could've given him a run for his money.
He wasn't one to savor a drink though, as Yor soon found out. His eyes opened as quickly as they'd closed, and he caught her staring at him. Immediately violet gripped her cheeks, and she pulled out a rag from her front pocket to clean with. Loid watched her try in vain to hide her embarrassment from him by wiping down the counter top. A smirk carved into his face.
"I'm gonna fetch my daughter," he said suddenly. "Don't let no one take my seat."
Yor looked up to find Loid already leaving. She nodded weakly, even though he couldn't see it. The two glasses on the counter served to remind her where he was sitting, even as a couple more patrons walked in the door and sauntered over for a beer. Yor quickly got her head back into her work and went about fulfilling everyone's orders. She soon lost track of Loid and Anya, and ended up falling into a rhythm as the music in the background started to pick up. Suddenly she was busy. A few more ranch hands came up looking for another round of beers. The music got faster...
...Wait a minute...where was that music coming from...?
Yor blinked. She looked up from her work and cast her eyes in the direction of the piano. Sitting on the bench was Anya, same as before, but she had scooted over to accommodate someone else. Yor's eyes widened at the sight of Loid on the keys; his fingers danced across ivory and the tune he played was fast paced enough to get the place a bit more excited. Anya wore her papa's hat as she kicked her feet in place, and a few boisterous calls from the table nearby made it very clear Loid's playing was much appreciated.
She caught herself staring. The annoyed calls of customers waiting on their order eventually snapped her out of it, and she dutifully went back to work (albeit a bit more flustered than before). She knocked it out quick enough, and once the small crowd dispersed she let out a sigh of relief. Yor absently threw her rag on the counter. It happened to land next to the untouched glass of milk, and she was again reminded of Loid and Anya. As if on queue, the two appeared before her a moment later. One wore her papa's hat. The other, a smile.
"Been a while since I've seen a piano," Loid revealed as he pulled out his chair. "Bit out of tune, but still plays just fine."
Yor tilted her head as the Forgers resumed their seats across from her. "That thing hasn't been touched in months. I'm surprised it still works!"
"Where'd you learn how to play, papa?" Anya smiled as she finally started to drink from her milk, still cold despite having not been touched for a while.
Loid hesitated. He looked at the scotch in his hand before glancing up at Yor; she also looked like she wanted to know. "Came across one during my time at university."
Yor stopped dead in her tracks. Her eyes widened. "University? You're an educated man, Mr. Forger...?"
"Call me Loid," he corrected her. She pinked and nodded. "And no, not really. Just some nobody who got caught up in the corps of cadets."
Corps of cadets? Yor thought for a moment. She knew what that meant. Yuri had mentioned it a few times to her; he'd also went to a university, but dropped out in order to help support her after their parents passed away. That's where people went to become officers in the army. The west was still wild and there was far too much to police for local law enforcement, so the army kept a firm hand on things outside the walls of Berlint. There was a fort up north where they held up at and kept an eye out for bandits and other outlaws.
Mr. Forger...Loid...was in the army?
He didn't look like it. If anything he just looked like every other person that came through town, albeit with a little girl at his side. She wanted to ask him more. She wanted to know more about him. His face, though, told her he wanted nothing but the opposite. It quickly became obvious to Yor that he didn't even want to share that much. He swirled the liquor in his glass and absently nodded as Anya asked him questions; he'd checked out of the conversation for the most part. Yor frowned.
"Well, regardless of where you learned, I thought you were wonderful!" she commended. He looked up at her. "It was the nicest playing I've ever heard!"
Loid stared at her for a moment. She painted on a bright smile for him, and she was relieved to see one eventually come to his lips as well. "Thank you, Yor."
Yor kept up her expression. Half of bartending was putting on a face for customers to make them feel more comfortable, though in this situation it wasn't difficult at all to do so. Anya and Loid were pleasant company to keep, and the three of them continued to talk. The other patrons kept to themselves for the most part, and Yor only had to break away once or twice to tend to things elsewhere. She always came back quickly though, much to the Forgers' delight. The pair seemed starved for conversation that wasn't just the two of them, and Yor felt the same about customers who weren't drunk, perverted, or both. They started sharing more about themselves.
Anya loved peanuts, excessively so in fact. A bit odd for a little girl her age, but when it came up in conversation Yor didn't hesitate to reach down underneath the counter to pull out a bowl with some bar nuts in it. Anya's eyes lit up brighter than the sun outside and stuck her hand in without even asking her papa if it was alright to do so. He shook his head in disapproval and Yor thought for a moment he might reprimand them both, but ended up just shrugging and sighing in slight amusement.
Yor's parents were from another country, and they'd immigrated here when she was just a baby. Her brother, Yuri, was born seven years later, and she ended up taking over the family's saloon after they died of cholera a few years back. Loid and Anya both grew somber at the news, but Yor assured them it was okay. Such was life and, besides, she still had her brother. The two of them were known pretty well through out town and never wanted for much, so tragedy aside they were in better positions than most out in the west.
Loid...had shared enough, apparently. He stayed quiet for the most part and elected to sit and listen to Yor and Anya instead of telling more about himself. The ladies got better acquainted with one another, and Loid smiled as the two of them giggled at a story Yor had about a horse that wandered into the bar one time; the beast of burden had snuck up behind her when she wasn't looking and guzzled down several unattended beers on the counter before making a mad dash to escape. Yuri had to corral it, and she had clean up the big ol' surprise it left for her on the floor. The patrons weren't too happy, and neither was she. Took her days to get the smell out.
"Ornery creatures," Loid shook his head as Yor finished her story. "Never had much patience for 'em. Wise is the only one that's ever been worth his weight in salt."
"Wise? Is that your horse's name?" Yor asked politely. Loid nodded.
"He's tabled right now!" Anya added. Yor tilted her head in confusion, while Loid just shook his head.
"Stabled, Anya," he corrected plainly. Barmaid and cowboy looked at each other before the latter sighed at the former's amused beam.
Unprompted, Yor swung around and fetched more scotch. Loid meanwhile found his voice. He started to talk a little more about him and Anya; this was the first town they'd came across in close to a month. Wise was about the only other creature they'd been in contact with, save for the occasional felled rabbit or, if Loid was a particularly good shot, duck. Anya practically shuddered at the thought of all the cute little critters papa had slain for the sake of survival, but even she knew people had to eat. Even so, the little girl made it very clear to both Yor and papa that she didn't like it one bit. Yor smiled sympathetically, while Loid simply drank his scotch in muted acknowledgement.
They shared more stories with the barmaid. Things they had seen, places they'd went. Yor had heard similar tales from other travelers going in and out of Berlint, but the way Loid told told his adventures made them seem brand new in her eyes. Part of it had to do with what a smooth talker he was, while the rest was all Anya. A little girl like her getting caught up in all sorts of situations was enthralling enough by itself, not even taking into account her own two cents she added whenever Loid got to the good part. She'd jump up and interrupt him, and he would turn his head and glower at her until she sat back down to let him finish. The first couple of times it went on like that, until Loid got tired of fighting and just sat back and let his daughter tell the story. Yor giggled. She loved it.
Such was how the rest of her slow day was spent. As the sun started to wane a bit and more people started walking in and out the bar, Loid kept glancing more and more towards the door. Yor noticed but said nothing. At a certain point, Loid squeezed his daughter's shoulder and instructed her to get off him. She complied with a frown and quickly hopped off, allowing her papa to rise to his feet. It was then Yor knew that their time together was at an end, and she couldn't help but to look at the pair in disappointment. Loid dug into his pocket to fish out some money.
"It's been a pleasure, Yor, but it's about time we head on out," Loid revealed. "How much for the drinks?"
Yor hesitated. She looked at Loid, then Anya, before shaking her head. "If you promise to come see me again, it's free."
Loid smiled, but surprised Yor by dropping some coins on the bar top regardless. "Wish I could, but we probably won't be coming back."
Yor became crestfallen. Her mouth hung open a little, and Anya spoke up. "Papa's trying to find work. And also he says we can't stay in one place for long-"
"-Anya," Loid cut her off tersely. The little girl's eyes widened and she looked up at her papa. She knew right away she'd said too much. Any more and she'd be in trouble.
"...Does that mean you're leaving town now?" Yor asked dejectedly. Loid nodded, and her face became strained. "But you only just got here! You couldn't even stay just one night?"
The man from the valley gave a knowing smirk. "Even if I didn't pay you for the drinks, I barely have enough to gather Wise from the stables. They kept my guns as collateral. We're broke."
Yor stared at Loid's money. He was right; that meager sum wouldn't pay for nothing...though looking at it did give her an idea. She glanced behind her at a glass jar filled with military script, coins, and even a dollar bill. Her wage for the day. Nothing fancy or substantial, but she knew it'd be enough to buy them at least one night. She'd gift them the money and afford them a good night's sleep, or at least that was the plan, anyway. The moment she looked back to Loid, though, she saw him shaking his head firmly. He already knew what she was thinking.
"I don't take charity," he informed her.
Yor pointed to Anya's glass. "You took the milk!"
"Hospitality's one thing," he countered. "I won't take your money."
"You can't tell me you're planning on having Anya sleep out on the dirt again!"
Loid flinched a little. He looked down at his daughter. "Wouldn't be the first time, nor the last."
Yor bit her lower lip. At that point, Anya peeked out from her papa's shadow. "We'll be okay, Ms. Yor! Promise!"
"No," Yor shook her head. She looked at Loid and Anya. She saw the grime in their faces. Her heart sank. "...You'll stay with me tonight!"
Loid stopped dead in his tracks. He opened his mouth to protest, but was immediately cut off by Yor. She seemed a gentle woman; he gathered as much during their time together, but the look on her face was one he knew not to mess with. He'd spent a lot of time out in the wilderness and had seen his fair share of dangerous animals, and yet none of them ever really compared to a pissed off lady. Loid's face twisted uncomfortably. He looked to his daughter expecting to find the same, but instead she looked back up at him elatedly.
How could she not be happy? They were going to sleep on an actual bed!
Or cot. Heck, even the bare floor would be better than braving another night outside. The little girl made her happiness known by running around the bar to give Ms. Yor a hug. The gesture caught her completely off guard, and Yor's cheeks grew red as Anya squeezed her tightly around the hips. Loid just stood there and sighed. He didn't like any of this, but at the same time he couldn't bring himself to refuse Yor's offer. If it was just him it wouldn't have been a problem, but with Anya...well, he'd learned by now that being a father meant doing things you didn't agree with sometimes.
Eventually Yor composed herself and hugged Anya back. She knelt down eye-level with the girl and explained she still had work to do before showing them back to her place, so she and her papa could stay at the bar for now. Yor looked up at Loid, and he hesitantly nodded in understanding. Anya did the same (with much more vigor) and ran back around to demand her papa sit back down so she could do the same. With a sigh, Loid complied. He resumed his spot and lifted his daughter back into place. Yor smiled at them both before going to fetch them more drinks.
Loid could only shake his head and lament to himself what a bad idea all this was.
But even then, he couldn't hide a tiny smile from Anya's ever watchful gaze.