32 Tavern

Herger and his men quickly moved in front of the carriages, prepared to unsheathe their weapons and waited. Horses rapidly approached in the distance, coming from Brigantium's direction. Elias was already trying to position himself at the front when Herger stopped his attempt by grabbing his shoulder and shoving him to the back.

"Greenhorns, stay in the back and just follow our lead."

Riou wasn't very interested in the action as Herger was already on guard, so he just kept watching. Viki was still beside him, so Riou could clearly notice that she was way too curious as to who was approaching. Glints of anxiety could be seen in her eyes that followed the riders until their banner colors could be seen.

A group of 5 riders approached the caravan. As they got near enough to allow their armor and banner to be distinguishable, Herger quickly identified them. He immediately raised his right hand with an opened palm and waved it briefly so everyone behind him could see.

"Open a path! Messengers coming through!" Shouted Herger as everyone quickly left the middle of the road. They were riders from Brigantium.

Herger walked to the side of the road as the riders slowed down while passing by the group.

The first soldier bowed his head thanking him for opening the path so quickly. They didn't stop nor exchange words. The messengers seemed to be in a rush and promptly picked up the pace once they had passed by the whole group.

Bronarch appeared from behind a carriage and approached Herger "Why do you think they are in such a hurry?" Asked the merchant.

The mercenary pondered for a moment. "They are probably on their way to spread the news about the victory to the Norse cities," guessed the mercenary.

As the soldiers passed by, the group began to go back to their activities and lunch was once again being prepared.

Riou noticed that Viki relaxed as soon she saw they were soldiers. At first he had thought to question her for the reason behind such concern, but quickly dismissed the thought as he remembered Herger's words to keep his distance.

Lunch resumed and the messengers and news they could be carrying to the Norse became the new topic of conversation among the members of the caravan..

------------------------------- Later on down the road

The caravan continued its journey in a steady and peaceful fashion until the night approached. The view didn't change. Plains surrounded the caravan from all sides. They continued down the road until it ended. Only the dirt amidst the grass showed the way as the constant weight of passing carriage wheels and horses marked a clear path that prevented the grass from being as tall as its surroundings. However, despite the road's poor conditions, it was still a path nonetheless as it could be easily followed.

Riou was already used to sleeping in the open when a well-known scent assaulted his nose. 'Food being cooked!? Here?' He immediately put his head outside the caravan beside the coachman. A short distance away, he was able to see a big two-story house with light in the windows and smoke leaving its chimney.

"A tavern? Here?" asked Riou unconsciously. To his surprise the coachman answered.

"What did you expect? This is the main trading route between Allard and the Norse… there are a few taverns along the way. Merchants and travelers are the main customers." answered the man.

Riou smiled at the thought of a good night in a bed. Approaching the establishment, he could see a big garden and a few fences. The land seemed very good for agriculture and livestock. The tavern owners were smart to grow their own food, but Riou wondered how self-sufficient they could be so far out from the city outskirts.

"What's the tavern's name?" asked the boy

"The Sleepy Horse. It's about a day away from Brigantium by caravan so it's almost a mandatory stop for merchants. See back there? That big house behind the tavern? It's a stable. It's a good idea to let the horses get plenty of food, water and rest before starting a long journey" said the man.

Riou looked and noticed the building right behind the tavern. To him, it looked more like a barn than a stable.

Herger's men quickly stored the horses and carriage in the so-called stable very easily. They seemed to be regulars there and didn't even talk to the owner before going inside the barn. Right after storing everything, they went towards the tavern entrance. The barn provided shelter to the animals and the merchandise inside the carriages.

Inside, the Dracar Hunters, Viki and Bronach were already sitting down and waiting for the food. Riou was behind as he watched the men work in the barn.

The tavern messing hall was huge and could easily hold a couple hundred people inside. It was much larger than the Drinking Bear, but it was almost empty at the moment. Riou couldn't know if the few people inside were staff or travelers as some were sitting down and talking to the men, and others seemed to be just walking around.

The inn walls were composed of big wood logs stacked one on top of the other. With some of the others used as pillars to support the ceiling. It was very rustic. Even more so than the Drinking Bear which, compared to this one, Riou now believed to be a luxury tavern by his standards.

However, to have a place to stay while so far away from the city, it was more than welcome, and the boy was more than happy to be there. It was certainly much more comfortable than sleeping in the open.

Approaching the counter he saw Bronach talking to what seemed to be the owner. A man in his forties with the usual short, dark hair so common in this region.

"I'm telling you! The fight is already over, so there's no need to flee from here. You might as well expect more customers coming soon, so don't worry," said the merchant to the overjoyed patron. The man was wearing a white apron on top of commoner clothes. Riou began to notice that all the other people inside, aside from the caravan, resembled him somehow. He concluded that they were probably relatives of the man, and that this was most likely a family business.

"That's wonderful news mister Bronach, and I'll tell you this: if we didn't receive word soon, we'd be gone towards the Norse as well. We were even preparing to leave in the next couple of days," said the owner while thanking the merchant

"So I'm lucky to have come this early! After all, you do us all a favor keeping this tavern here, the journey would be much harsher if it were not for your support." Said Bronach thanking the man who smiled brightly.

"It's our pleasure mister Bronach… so before you tell me everything that happened in Brigantium, let me review your request and bring the meal to everyone. It will be 3 beds in a room for the women, 16 beds in the common room for the men and 1 individual room for Mister Bronach?" said the owner, confirming the request of the merchant.

Hearing that, Riou quickly approached, the words common, and 16 beds in the single room did not sit right in his ears.

The common room was just a bigger room filled with small beds and some straw on the ground, the intention was to have as many people as possible sleeping in there.

Usually the women would sleep there too, but as 2 of them were noble's daughters. Bronach thought it would be wise to divide them in an attempt to save their maidenhood. And as the other one was Viki, it was much safer for the men's belongings that she stayed in another room with the girls. After all, her preferred targets were men.

A golden coin suddenly flew towards the owner of the tavern, whom quickly grabbed it in the air with both hands as it began to slow down in its descending arc. The owner and the merchant heard shortly after, "Make it 2 individual rooms. Mine with a bathtub, please," said a smiling Riou to the owner, who looked at Bronach as if asking for confirmation.

Bronach smiled. "Don't look at me. It's his money."

The owner bowed confirming the request, "Please sit down. I will be bringing the meal shortly."

Bronach nodded, once again thanking the owner. He turned around and walked towards the boy.

"You never struck me as one who'd be spending his money on rooms" smiled the old man. "But it's good to know that you have money to spare, it's reassuring… because if you remember our agreement, you will have to pay me back" said the smiling merchant already counting the money he'd receive later on.

Riou just smiled "You don't have to worry old man. If it comes to that, I will gladly pay. I really like the leather armor"

Bronach smiled brightly and nodded towards the boy. "Well said, well said!"

After exchanging a few words, both of them went for the tables. Bronach sat down with Herger and was, shortly after, joined by the owner of the tavern. They would probably discuss what happened in Brigantium.

Riou sat at one of the empty tables near the mercenaries, as no other spots were free.

The food was average. The meat had a peculiar red color despite its burnt sides. It was served with a vegetable soup and a few slices of cheese. 'This world really loves soup… don't they know any other recipes?' thought the boy looking at the full bowl in front of him, not too eager for it.

"Do you have anything other than soup?" asked the boy to the bartender, a man with a face very similar to the owner and a few years younger.

"Unfortunately not. With the threat of a siege on Brigantium, our suppliers are running late, but I could bring you another slice of meat if you want," said the bartender.

Defeated, Riou shook his head. "It's fine, thank you."

Riou was sitting a table beside the rest of the mercenary men while Viki and Elias group were sitting at a table in front of him. She was right in the opposite position from him at that table, and despite the distance and people in front, the boy could notice her eventual gaze upon him, even while she seemed absorbed in chatting with the group in the other table.

'What is up with that woman?… why does she have so much interest in this necklace? Is it really so valuable? Max did say it was rare, but not to the point of being worth fortunes,' thought the boy as he was eating.

The dinner went by and Riou was the first to move upstairs towards his room after giving his good night wishes to the men at the next table.

Noticing the movement, Viki smiled devilishly. She waited until Riou was upstairs before standing up. "Excuse me for a moment," she said smiling.

------------------------------------------

The three were already near the mine when Therese signaled them to stop. From that point on, they would continue on foot as the mine was close.

It didn't take much for them to find the mine's entrance. What was very strange was that they could clearly see fresh tracks and footprints on the ground near the entrance but no activity from the Orcs.

An unexperienced adventurer could say the mine seemed to be abandoned.

Eileen waited for Therese and Leona to say something.

The wolf approached the entrance with caution. "There are orcs inside… and many corpses… they're deep inside as the scent here is faint," said Leona, looking at Therese and Eileen.

The Lioness nodded. "Remember what we discussed. If there truly are High Orcs in there, remember that they are naturally very strong, but they lack technique and sword skill, and above all do not underestimate their strength" said Therese approaching the entrance. "From now on you two are on your own, this will be good training for you both."

Eileen began unsheathing her rapier when Therese stopped her "Use this one instead" she said tossing her great sword at the girl who quickly managed to receive it.

"But won't this great sword be in the way inside the mine? Wouldn't the Rapier fare better?" questioned the princess.

Therese smiled faintly. "Precisely, so make sure that every movement you make counts. Now remember the mana training when fighting, and don't let your guard down. Let's get going. You will be on point, Leona."

Leona prepared for her great sword to be unsheathed at the first sign of the enemy and proceeded to descend into the mine.

The princess' eyes were still adjusting to the darkness when she realized that Therese and Leona could already see and move, unhindered by the low light. It was evident that their traits allowed them to have better sight in dark areas.

Leona was in front, slowly walking forward while closely followed by Eileen. Therese kept them in sight, not too far behind, she walked without as much care for stealth as the other two.

"The scent is strong. It seems they are moving deeper into the mine as we approach," Leona whispered to Eileen.

"So they know we're here?" questioned the princess in a low voice.

"It's very likely… there were no corpses or signs of a fight so far, and I can definitely smell death from deep inside the mine."

"So, it's a trap." concluded Eileen. Leona nodded in agreement. "We need to pay attention to not fall into it." said the wolf. The princess nodded and looked behind towards Therese as if trying to get some reassurance, but the Lioness just watched, clearly not intending to help.

"Therese will not help us at all?" whispered the concerned Princess to Leona who smiled to the question.

"She did say this was training." Said the wolf with confidence. Eileen took a deep breath, her hand went towards the rapier's handle, as if to seek some sort of comfort in knowing she still had her weapon ready. Thoughts of what a certain boy would do in that situation couldn't be avoided in that moment.

----------------------------- Back to Viki's Perspective

She went upstairs stealthily, no sound could be heard from her steps or breath. As she reached the top of the stairs, she could not see Riou, but she believed he was certainly going for the men's common room, as no one other than Bronach witnessed the discussion with the tavern owner.

But before she could reach the room's door, steps from behind alerted her that someone was on the stairs and approaching her quickly.

'Damn…' She quickly leaned on the wall casually and turned to see who was coming.

She was not surprised when Elias appeared.

"Are you feeling well? You suddenly left the table" said Elias, approaching her.

"How considerate of you. I'm fine. I just needed a moment for myself, so I thought about checking our room" she said smiling.

"Oh, I see. Please don't mind me then" said Elias, smiling back and gesturing for her to continue to her room, clearly intending to accompany her there.

The women's room was farther down the corridor than the major common room. It was very big and occupied all of the first segment of the corridor, until the first corridor intersection. She walked beside Elias, and when they were finally in front of the men's common room, she stopped.

"So here is the Men's room." she said while her eyes quickly searched around. Many beds and straw mats could be seen, but what she was looking for was not in sight. 'Maybe he is in a corner… I need to look inside,' she thought, quickly stepping in towards the door to have a quick glance inside.

"Yes, I believe the women's room is farther down the corridor." said Elias, trying to find the room for her.

She was not able to find the boy inside. 'Where did he go? If I knew where he'd be sleeping, I could try sneaking in during the middle of the night' she thought as a devilish smile could be seen on the rogue's face.

Noticing Viki's silence Elias looked inside himself, and asked "Is there a problem?"

Not being able to see Riou he also questioned, "Where is the greenhorn?"

"Oh, was he supposed to be here? I thought he was still down there" she said dismissively.

"He may have gone to the washroom." concluded Elias.

"Yes, perhaps he did… well excuse me then. I will go to my room to rest. I'm very tired from all the traveling." she replied while letting out a small yawn.

"I see. Well, have a good rest, and if you need anything you know where to find me" said Elias, pointing to the room.

"Oh, I definitely do know." she said very emphatically, and then turned around and continued down the corridor, leaving Elias to his thoughts.

As soon as she noticed that Elias was not looking anymore, she quickened her steps towards the washing rooms.

'Nothing… all empty' she thought after checking the washing rooms. The small washing rooms were cubicles with buckets filled with water and another tub that a person could step on. Seems like the staff would often come there and refill the buckets as the people used them.

Viki kept looking around until everyone eventually came up to their rooms. She was unable to find the boy… 'He must have gotten a room for himself,' she finally realized. She knew exactly how to discover which room he was in and quickly rushed down the stairway. She was looking for the owner. She found him washing some plates in the kitchen.

"Excuse me, but could you inform me which room the boy took?" asked the smiling, beautiful lady at the kitchen's door, deliberately leaning in showing more skin than a lady should, while holding herself with her arms by the door.

"Sure…" The owner was taken by surprise. "It's the last one on the left side of the second floor." said the smiling man looking attentively at her pose.

She quickly went back up and into her room. 'Now it's just a matter of waiting.'

-----------------------------------

The mine couldn't go on much longer now. Leona and Eileen began to find miners' tools and carts filled with ore, and some bloodstains on the walls could now be seen. The two realized the last excavation point should be nearby.

The only visual cues that the mine was being used recently were the many small torches that seemed to have recently been put on the walls. The group was too deep into the mountain for the sunlight to reach, so the torches were the only light source.

They entered a very long corridor. It was not man-made, but seemed like a cavern tunnel that the miners had found and used to make a passage even deeper, towards the mountain's core.

So far the mine was full of narrow corridors. Leona followed the path that her nose indicated, and was followed closely by Eileen. They'd been wandering for a long time now, but they weren't lost as there weren't that many tunnels branching off from the path.

Therese just kept following them from behind, just observing the decision-making of the two.

After a while on that path they found a divide, the first of it's kind, that clearly split the path into two, and a small breeze could be felt coming from one of them.

"Something is wrong… the scent is coming from all places now…" whispered Leona, concerned while looking around.

"What does that mean?" asked the princess in a low voice to the concerned Leona.

Finally Therese approached them both for the first time since they entered the mine.

"It means you have been surrounded. In fact it has been a while since they have positioned themselves behind us" said Therese breaking the silence. "I must congratulate you for noticing there would be a trap, but still you both failed to realize its nature… and just now noticed they are behind us as well, when they were already positioned behind us since the last turn into this bigger, natural corridor."

"What do we do now?" asked Eileen to them both.

The wolf sighed, the late realization that they were already surrounded caused her anger. She was not used to failure, and she was getting mad at the orcs that made a fool of her in front of her master. "Now we fight." she said taking a fighting stance.

As the group stopped moving and the conversation got louder, the ambushers resolved to act as well, after realizing they had been exposed. The trio could now feel the presence of something approaching from both paths ahead and from behind. They were completely surrounded.

Tall and muscular orcs began to appear from the shadows. Their clothing were the characteristic tribal leather, pieces of beasts, cured leather and fur covering most of their bodies. Their green skin and yellow eyes could be seen coming from the darkness. Their bone and teeth accessories hung jingling as they hit each other on the end of some leather straps. Some had necklaces made of small teeth, others had ears as trophies. They clearly depicted the embodiment of savage barbarians.

They hold clubs and crude swords as weapons.

Some of the Orcs were as big as Syldis at the very least, a few had slim bodies with very toned muscles, while others seemed rather bulky and a bit hunched not maintaining a good posture, these had much greater muscle mass than the others. Their hair was very short or completely shaved on the sides of their heads.

There were 5 high orcs in total, 3 in the front and 2 in the back. Together with them were also 10 of the smaller orcs. Totaling 8 enemies in front and 7 behind, they were near each other, almost in a line as the corridor did not allow much more than 2 people beside the other.

They were all smiling, looking strangely happy.

One of the slimmer orcs in the front stepped forward. "The humans are sending us gifts now?" said the Orc in his native tongue. The other orcs began to laugh loudly to the remark, while none of the trio was able to understand a single word.

Before pointing towards the female group, in what appeared to be the command to start of the attack he continued, "Do not kill the women; I want them alive. I enjoy it when they struggle. Now go get them." he said, kicking one of the small orcs forward.

With that, the smaller orcs were the first to rush in. Leona positioned herself in front of Therese and began to fight. The corridor where they were was a bit tight. It did not allowed full swings of the great sword. It was a close quarter fight, as they had anticipated.

Eileen positioned herself to defend from the enemies behind, she also moved a few steps in front of Therese who stood in the middle between the two with some spare room.

The smaller orcs rushed from both ends simultaneously. Leona, being more experienced with the great sword, used its long reach to stab the first one skillfully in the chest. As he fell down, the others quickly moved forward stepping on their fallen comrade in an attempt to get near her.

Leona proceeded positioning the sword above her head, facing the enemies in front. She was able to attack in smaller, diagonal swings that were too much for the orcs to handle, and they were dying one after another with each swift swing as soon as they entered her reach.

The orcs in the back then began their attack as well. The first thing the princess tried was a horizontal swing, but she was not used to a longer and heavier weapon and miscalculated the arc. The sword ended up scraping the stone wall and with that lost most of its momentum. The first orc was able to completely parry the swing and continue his approach to the now unbalanced princess.

Eileen quickly regained her balance with a step back, gaining some little space, and by bringing the sword back, she used the guard to hold the advancing orc's sword that came towards her. She promptly pushed him back to recover some of the space the orc had gained due to her mistake. The orc was small, and Eileen's strength was enough to make him step back.

She took poise once again, as the orc prepared to attack once more. She tried to use the reach advantage to stab the orc's chest, but it was too obvious of a strike, and he easily avoided it.

Without much room to prepare stronger and faster attacks, she began to focus on precision, but the sword was just too big and too heavy for her to be able to perform them fast enough to get an effective hit on the orc.

Nonetheless she tried, and after many attempts, all she could do was to keep the orcs at bay. It didn't take long for her arms to show signs of fatigue.

In the front, Leona waited for the high orcs to move.

The orc leader had tribal paintings with a red shade on his face and chest. He was clearly amused by the fight as his expression showed a big grin. He did not care for the life of the smaller orcs. Rather than caring, he was enjoying seeing them killed. However, as the fun had just ended, he looked to the other high orcs and signaled them with a head movement, clearly stating it was their time to fight. By the uncaring head gesture, he clearly believed that the girl in front of them would be no match for any of his comrades.

The first high Orc that stepped up was a bulky one and walked on top of the corpses that were lying on the ground . He was using a wooden club the size of a short sword, very thick and with metal plating to hold the fiber together in the tip.

Leona waited for him in the same position - sword above the head ready to strike.

When he entered her range, she quickly tried another fast stab, but this time the Orc easily reacted to it, and with a fierce strike from the club on the sword, sent it toward the wall. The impact was so strong that it pushed the sword into the stone for half its width, effectively nailing it into position.

Leona got surprised by the strength and even with her mana enhancement on her arms, was unable to avoid the impact. She quickly tried to remove the sword from the wall, but it was stuck.

Seeing the woman unable to recover her weapon made the orc grin with satisfaction. Realizing that she was being underestimated, her anger raised to new levels towards the orcs. Her eyes flared, making her jade eyes shine in the dark.

Mana coursed throughout her whole body with such fury, that with one hand she was not only able to remove the sword from the wall, but did so in such a vicious manner that the resulting swing went flying towards the approaching orc's neck.

Noticing the abrupt change in the woman before him, he panicked and tried to bring his club to receive the impact, but it was not enough. The sword cut through the wooden club completely and continued its way through the enemy's flesh and bone.

The orcs that were watching the fight made no sound as the beheaded body fell to the ground and the head rolled by their feet. The laughing stopped and the orc leader became serious. Frowning, he pointed towards Leona with his crude sword. All the remaining Orcs suddenly screamed and rushed forward. They would attempt to overrun the enemy at all costs now, the play was clearly over.

Eileen was not able to keep it up much longer, her breathing was erratic and her arms were getting heavier every second.

'This'd better work…' She thought as she began to gather mana in her arms. She had had a bit of training and was able to reinforce her physical abilities for a while, but this would be her first test while using a sword, and not only that, but on an real enemy as well. She would be able to see to what extent the skill would improve her capabilities

Noticing the change in posture in the blond woman, the small Orc became cautious. He waited for her to move.

The princess stepped forward and, once again, went for a straightforward strike. However, this time the speed was too much for the orc. He was stabbed right in the middle of the chest and fell down.

The four remaining orcs, noticing this strange leap in power, rushed towards the princess in an attempt to overwhelm her with their numbers. The corridor didn't allow them to surround her, but if one or two could get close enough to grab her, the ones in the back could help restraining her.

It was a strange sensation. A weapon's power was usually related directly to the swing. The bigger the arc, the stronger the sword would be and a deeper cut could be made. But now, she felt as if the same could be achieved with smaller movements. The orcs approached, but now she was controlling the sword as if it was a light wooden stick that could move as quickly as she pleased.

With each swing it would completely cut through whatever happened to be in its way. She was able to perform strikes in all directions with the force of a full swing. Not only that, she could stop them and begin from the new position without much regard for the weapon's weight or her current stance, giving her blows great speed and fluidity.

The small orcs were no longer her opponents and were swatted like flies, completely unable to parry or even avoid the princess' attacks. The results were surprising, but filled her with a confidence that she had somewhat got the hang of the skill.

There was not much time to indulge in pride because the high orcs approached her quickly even as she struck down the last of the smaller orcs. First one to get close was one of the slimmer orcs, but this one was very tall and appeared much more menacing as it held a crude sword that looked more like a piece of flat iron than a sword in hand.

She prepared herself once again. Mana flowed through her body, and she reinforced everything she could think of, in preparation to face the high orc. The high orc swung his crude sword in a vertical manner, aiming to cut the blond woman in two. The princess promptly prepared to parry the swing, putting the sword horizontally above her. Confident in her newfound power, she had no doubt in her ability to withstand the impact.

To her surprise, the monstrous strength was too much for her arms to bear. As the crude sword hit, her grip weakened and the great sword escaped her grip. It slipped from her hands and buried itself in the stone wall. The power of the blow was so great that Eileen was thrown backwards and to the floor with great force by it.

The impact caused air to escape her lungs. Gasping for air and disoriented, she felt her consciousness fading as darkness began to fill her eyes. She thought she noticed someone quickly step in front of her, right before completely blacking out.

--------------------------- Back to the night at the Sleepy Horse Tavern

A couple of hours had passed, and while everyone was asleep, the rogue stealthily left her bed and went towards the corridor.

The second floor had a main corridor that continued until the wall and 2 perpendicular corridors to give access to more rooms. By the indication of the owner, Riou's room was the very last one in this main corridor.

The corridor was dark, its few windows barely allowing moonlight to illuminate the wooden corridor through.

Viki could listen to many different snoring sounds coming from the men's room as she turned towards the end of the corridor.

The floor was made of an old wood that squeaked every now and then, but the skillful rogue was able to adapt quickly and soon, no sound could be heard as she drew near the last door.

Her hand gently touched the handle and she slowly pushed it down until she heard the metallic click, signalizing that the door could be opened.

She began to push it very gently, but to her surprise the door was not moving.

Trying with a bit more strength now, didn't seem to help..

It seemed as if something on the other side was impeding the door from opening.

The third attempt with even more strength behind it, but the door clearly wouldn't budge from just that. Wondering if she'd expose herself, should she put even more strength to the task, she thought - "Who is this damn boy… who blocks himself in the room in an inn?"

Frustrated after many failed attempts to open the door, she recollected herself 'this is just the first night… there will be better opportunities,' she realized and finally backed away from the door and returned to her room with a defeated sentiment.

--------------------------------- Earlier that night

After the meal in the main hall, Riou quickly directed his footsteps towards his room. It was a hot day. Some peace and quiet would be good for him. Spending most of the day in the not-so-good company of the Dracar Hunters definitely didn't lessen the discomfort caused by the sun.

"Damn, I miss the modern traveling ways… not only were they faster, but everything had air conditioning for hot summer days like this one." said the boy to himself as he removed his shirt.

'At least I can have a small bath in this room, but first, let's just lock the door… I've seen too many stories that lead to incidents or misunderstandings from this situation… It's not like some heroine will barge in and catch me half naked, suddenly falling in love with me. That's just nonsense.' thought Riou considering in the odds of that happening. 'In any case… I'd rather avoid being seen by the tavern's owner or some staff member.' thought the boy as he approached the door only to suddenly realize it had no locks.

'No locks… one can't have any privacy it seems… should I use some magic? Maybe I could come by something like an immovable object spell or even the hold spell should work here.' pondered the boy while looking at the door. Then, in the corner of his eye, he saw a couple of chairs in the corner of the room bya table. Taking one of the chairs, he positioned it, while inclining towards the door's handle.

'They often do this trick in the movies… I must say, seems to work quite well,' Riou thought as he tested the door and decided it would not open as easily or noiselessly now. One would have to really want to open the door to make the chair budge.

Riou then proceeded to remove the rest of his clothes. The relaxing cold water on a summer night with a slight breeze from the open window quickly made him sleepy.

After the bath, Riou quickly went to the small bed, completely forgetting about the chair in front of the door.

--------------------------- The next morning

Riou came out of his room and went downstairs.

"Outrageous!" shouted Elias angrily.

"How come the greenhorn gets his own room, while I have to share one with everyone else?" Elias questioned with indignation in his voice.

Bronach was finding it more amusing than annoying. In a good mood, he smilingly replied to the young noble, "It's simple young man: it's because he paid for it himself." His tone clearly betrayed the amusement he was feeling, while beside him Herger was laughing to himself.

"Do you have any money to pay for your room?" continued the merchant before Elias could reply.

The red haired man flared up. He was not amused by the remarks.

"You know I don't! However, since my father gave you the money for our expenses, I'm sure it included a private room and first class treatment!" said Elias, still trying to win the argument.

"You are right..." Bronach said with a mocking face. "...that the money was given to me as payment for expenses… and in no moment was it included in the negotiation, or even mentioned by your father, that you would get a private room, I'm afraid." The merchant nodded "As a matter of fact, your father was very specific regarding this. He said you should be treated as a mercenary, as an adventurer, since that is what you wish to become. So welcome to the harsh life, young man." said a smiling Merchant

Elias shook his head "Then give me my father's money and let me decide how the expenses will be spent on."

The smile quickly left Bronach face "Oy, boy, you are in no position to negotiate here, the deal was made with your father, if you have any complaint go talk to him. You are free to leave at any time… but if you don't want to leave, then go outside and help prepare the horses for the travel."

Elias thought for a moment, he was pissed enough to just turn around and go back home but he was too stubborn to change his mind now and give his father the satisfaction of being right. Clearly he and his father had different views on the matter.

Elias and his group wanted to become well known adventurers, to achieve that they needed the experience and possible fame that the long trip would provide.

The red haired noble nodded in defeat towards the merchant who once again smiled. He knew that what really bothered the young man was the fact the boy slept more comfortably than the noble himself. Bronach knew how envious these young nobles could be, pampered their whole lives. It's no wonder they acted like that at this age.

Elias went outside where he encountered the rest of his group, leaving the merchant and the mercenary leader at their table.

Both were drinking water and eating bread with some of the meat from yesterday's meal.

Herger sighed, "A noble's son wanting an adventurer's life... maybe after this trip he gets some sense into his thick skull… and wakes up to see that this is not the life he dreams about."

Bronach nodded. "I can't imagine how he got four more fools to follow him around… I hope those kids drop this idea before we reach Thanes." He once again took a sip from the mug. "Talking about kids, what do you think of the other one?" Asked the merchant pointing to Riou that was coming down the stairs.

"I see, the one that haggled the coat." said Herger, confirming to the nodding Merchant.

"Well, you saw his dagger… and beside that those two short swords, I'd dare say that they are made from similar grade," said Herger in a low tone.

Bronach nodded. "I bet those weapons are worth a fortune… But do you think he can hold his side of the deal? Do you really think he can fight?" asked the curious Merchant.

Herger pondered for a moment. "Given the fact he is still alive and in possession of those weapons… I think he can handle himself well enough at least. Well, one thing is certain; he's definitely more experienced than Red and his group." Herger smiled and laughed briefly. "Poor bastard. Even the rogue put her eyes on him, he will probably end up losing his weapons even before we reach Thanes."

Bronach frowned once again. "That is another thing… what could she have done now to be on the run like this?"

Herger shook his head and grabbed his mug. "I don't know, but it won't be anything good that's for sure… I just hope that your good will doesn't end up biting us in the ass this time. You know I don't like bringing her along. No matter how you look at it, trouble tends to follow her, and we might get caught in the middle."

The Merchant sighed. "She just had a rough start… some bad choices and really bad company… but deep down I know she's still a good kid"

"I know you two have some kind of past… but one of these days your good intentions will get us killed." said the mercenary taking a big gulp.

Bronach smiled to the Mercenary leader. "That's why I pay you, to keep us both alive… now let's get going, we have a long way ahead of us."

Herger laughed. "You will have to increase my pay then, because you are making my job very difficult with all these kids around."

Bronach laughed as well as they both went outside towards the caravan that was being prepared.