Bloodlines of the Ancient Pantheons 161 CLXI. The Red Rose

It was a small masonry building, with 3 floors.

On each windowsill, wooden vases contained colorful flowers.

A sign was hanging sideways, by the door. On it was engraved the name of the tavern.

"The Red Rose Tavern. That's it" Dag said, as he began tying his horse to a fence on one side of the building.

In addition to their horses, there were many more, more than ten.

"It seems like this place is very busy" said Reidar, who as usual was studying the details.

"Better so. It would mean that the sailor advised us well!" said Dag, who opened the door of the room.

The interior of the inn was even more beautiful and welcoming than their expectations: after a small entrance separating the door from the rest of the hall, there was a large room with a long counter, where a man and a woman served drinks, while two violinists sitting next to them played a catchy melody, creating a warm atmosphere.

Next to the counter, dozens of tables were occupied by people of each gender and all ages, who had fun and got drunk happily.

Two staircases, one on each side of the room, led to the upper floors, certainly occupied by the rooms.

"But this is Valhalla! Hahaha!" chuckled Karl, who immediately got carried away by the music, grabbing Agnes by the hands and beginning to dance with her without warning.

While the two lovebirds enjoyed the music, Dag and Reidar approached the innkeepers behind the counter.

"Good evening, gentlemen. What can I serve you? We have the best mead in the country, made with the most prized Kvete honey!" said the innkeeper, who, seeing new faces, had smelled business.

"Yes, I think four glasses of mead are fine. But first a question... we need a... two rooms. Do you have any?" asked Dag, fearing it was all busy.

"Just a moment" the man said, inviting Dag and Reidar to wait.

"Heidi! We need two rooms!" he yelled, looking at the woman who worked with him behind the counter, and judging by his tone of voice, she must have been his wife or something.

"Yes, there are just two left on the top floor" she replied, confirming the availability of the rooms.

"Did you hear? You're lucky!" the man continued, beginning to serve mead to Dag and Reidar, who called Karl and Agnes with a hand gesture.

Dag grabbed Karl's shoulder and pulled it towards him, so he could whisper in his ear: "you and Agnes will be alone in one room, Reidar and I in another".

Karl looked at Dag and winked at him, grabbing the message.

"Clearly, while Reidar and I will split the expenses, you will pay yours by yourself! Hahah!" continued Dag, laughing.

"Wow, I hadn't thought of that!" exclaimed Karl, who for a moment made a sulky expression.

The four friends began drinking the mead served by the innkeeper, which was actually yummy, perhaps the best they had ever tasted.

"How much do the rooms cost?" asked Dag, addressing the man behind the counter, intent on rinsing the dirty glasses into a barrel full of water.

"Well, for one night only... the price is 2 gold coins per room" he said, smiling.

"It seems a more than reasonable price" Karl exclaimed, boasting in front of Agnes, who looked at him with admiration. 

Dag and Reidar began to laugh relentlessly, teasing their companion and drinking mead, one glass after another, until their eyes became so heavy that sleep took over.

Before falling asleep on the counter, they managed to get up and head upstairs, after taking the keys to their respective rooms.

"Karl! Remember, brother... tomorrow morning at dawn, try to be on time, we have a boat to take!" said Dag, his voice a little shaky due to alcohol.

"Hahahaha! Captain, what do you take us for?!" replied Karl aloud, sobbing as Agnes laughed beside him, her cheeks all red.

Dag and Reidar entered their room and Karl and his woman the other. 

"I think we're going to have to break through Karl's door tomorrow! Hahaha! That lazy man will never wake up in time!" said Reidar, who without even taking off his armor threw himself on the bed.

Dag untied his belt, resting his weapons on the ground, and did the same.

"Yes, I believe that it will be necessary to intervene by force... but let's get him fucked at least..." he said, falling asleep utterly with his mouth open and saliva dripping on the soft pillow of the comfortable beds of the Red Rose Tavern.

...

"He's in here, I'm sure!"

"Come on, break through the door, and slaughter that son of a bitch!" 

...

Dag, while still with his head on the pillow, heard voices coming from the hallway outside the door and immediately got out of bed, making no noise.

He picked up his belt from the ground and wore it.

Meanwhile, Reidar also awoke, and when he saw his Captain with his ear near the door, ready to take his weapons, he jumped out of bed.

"What's going on?!" he said, when Dag nodded his hand, ordering him to be silent. 

After a few seconds, a loud noise of broken wood was heard, and the walls of the room vibrated slightly.

"Aaaaaagh!" a woman's screams resonated through the hallways.

"It's Agnes!" exclaimed Dag, opening the door of his room.

When he was in the corridor, he immediately noticed that someone had entered Karl's room, breaking through the door.

Reidar rushed to the aid of his companions, and when he saw the door, he made a confused expression, unable to figure out who might have done such a thing.

"Perhaps it is the bandits who have come to know what we have done to their allies!" hypothesized Reidar. 

Before entering the other room, Dag stared for a moment at the door: it had been destroyed by the center, on which there were two large irregular holes, from which the cracks that had shattered the wood.

Chapter end