The Sissy's Barroom Adventure

The tavern was dimly lit. I could smell the rust from the old iron chandelier that hung over our table, and the soot from the fire place in the back of the building. The air was heavy with the smell of smoke, beer, sweat, and piss. The floor was dirt and clay, and as you walked through it you could hear your footsteps echo through the room.

"Not exactly what I pictured when you said we'd be meeting Robin here," I said to Jack as I looked around in disgust.

"For someone who's seen hundreds of taverns like this one," he replied, "you still haven't learned how to deal with them."

I raised an eyebrow at him. He just smirked his lopsided smile and motioned for me to look around. I did so reluctantly. It was disgusting, but there were some things that you just had to learn to ignore when it came to drinking establishments such as these. You could barely see past any of the patrons sitting at their tables or barstools. They were all scruffy looking men, dressed in a variety of clothes ranging from rags to armor. Some wore their hair long like pirates or highwaymen would, others had shaved heads like monks or soldiers might. There were even a few women scattered around in here among them, but they were all dressed like men. All of them seemed to have worn their weapons in some way or another; either on their belts or openly carried on their person. In short, they looked like a bunch of dangerous individuals - which is probably why they all kept staring at us as we entered the room.

Somehow Jack managed to spot Robin sitting at a table over by the fireplace where he couldn't be clearly seen by most of his fellow patrons in here - because if you think about it that's probably why he chose that spot; he didn't want anyone else to notice him in here. Jack motioned for me to follow him over while the rest of these people continued watching us curiously and cautiously as we made our way over towards Robin's table.

Robin turned around in his chair when he heard us approaching him. "So what do you think?" He asked nervously as soon as we sat down across from him at his table.

I glanced around again at all these men eyeing us suspiciously before answering Robin's question, "It's definitely... unique." I told him bluntly before turning back towards Jack who was now grinning from ear to ear and giving me this 'look' like he knew something that I didn't know yet about this whole situation that we've found ourselves in now... Whatever it was though I didn't appreciate it very much given that we're currently surrounded by what appeared to be every criminal within 200 miles of this city right now... It's not exactly my idea of 'unique.'

"Well what can expect from a man who lives at the bottom of a swamp?" Jack finally responded after seemingly being satisfied with my answer, "Now let me introduce you two properly..." He started waving his hands across Robin and myself while saying: "Bernice here is an expert swordswoman who has won countless tournaments throughout her career..."

"Jack..." I interrupted him quickly before he started getting into details about my accomplishments on the battlefield that most people already knew already anyway. "We don't need for everyone else in here to know about my achievements... This is supposed be a private meeting remember?"

"This is part of what makes our mission so difficult Bernice," Jack replied quickly: "No matter how many times people meet us they always seem disappointed with where they find us..." He smirked mischievously at me again before continuing on: "and last but not least our friend here," he pointed directly at Robin without even bothering to glance at him, "...is no one other than Robin Hood himself!" He exclaimed excitedly once he finished introducing us both formally enough for everyone else in here who had been secretly listening into our conversation up until now: "Now we're ready... So tell us why you called us here today."