somewhat subdued with the entrance of the small party of Romans, as would be expected when two men of high rank had come in and imperiously demanded tables be cleared, seats be cleaned and the surrounding area made fit to welcome the presence of the emissaries of Rome Herself. Unfortunately, there was nothing Cadfan could do but do exactly as he was bid.

He quickly deposited the meal a travel stained Tribesman had ordered, together with a generous portion for his hound, upon the table, collecting the coin and sweeping it up in his meaty fist, hurried over to the table.

"Your wine... lords..."

Not one sign of thanks showed on their faces, just the Praefectus pushing the payment across to him was all Cadfan received before the wide eyed look on his face quite clearly told him he was dismissed. Grumbling about Bloody Romans, the blocky bar steward returned to the small room where he stored his coin, deposited this latest with the rest, and closed the door behind him.

The Inn had gone from nothing to one of the most popular places in Verulamium, recently, more than likely because it was frequented by not only the higher ups of the Catuvellauni, but also by the Romans and even foreign merchants, it being placed more or less in the centre of the city. Of course, a lot of the younger would be merchants and Celtic noble's sons only visited to try to emulate their Roman counterparts, a fact which irked Cadfan no end. And then there was the other sort, the warriors, workers and farmers who came in to listen to one of Cadfan's outrageous tales of battle or bravado, or else to just sit in company with their thoughts, wanting nothing but solitude for a while. Oh, and the gambling, never forget the gambling, although he was careful not to let some of the more... seditious... wagers reach the ears of their masters as some thought.

All in all,Cadfan was pleased... so much so that for the first time, he was looking forward to the future without having to worry if he was ever going to manage to live a comfortable life. Why, just the other day, he had even begun to look for help running the place...