Eric crossed the market square and walked toward a larger building. It was a tavern, with a small mountain of barrels piled haphazardly outside. A few women sat on a bench, observing the market's activity and enjoying the faint sunlight.
As Eric approached, they began to preen, clearly trying to display their beauty. The women had peculiar features: hair as black and fine as spider silk, deep-set eyes that tilted slightly upward, round cheeks as full as the moon, short and sturdy limbs, and almond-colored skin.
The building was constructed like a drinking hall, but it had an upper gallery from which people could look down on the activity below from sleeping quarters that resembled cattle stalls. Benches were placed along the walls, surrounding a large, square central hearth, with planks and supports haphazardly thrown together.
