It had been long first day. Aiden and Cregor were on their horses for fourteen hours with no end to reach the Iron Inn.
Aiden could finally see the the large wooden structure, it was just a large square standing between a patch of trees in the great planes. Miles of green stretching hills with isolated patches of trees covered the structure. But the patch was bigger, much bigger. The trees seemed longer. Aiden could hear the laughter and see the light from candles and lamps burning brightly. He could smell elk being cooked. Aiden adored elk.
Cregor seemed unbothered by the long ride.
"We should stop for the night, young Lord," Cregor said to Aiden. He could see that Aiden was tired.
"I agree, good Ser. Perhaps the best idea you have had all day," Aiden said with a smile trying, to hide his fatigue.
"The Iron Inn is just up ahead, you can see it from here. You can even hear the laughter," Cregor said to Aiden again.
"Agreed, Ser Cregor," Aiden replied with a sigh of relief.
They entered the inn, walking through the oak doors. There were twenty tables with benches on both sides of the room. Five tables were behind the counter where the owner worked. Knights and Lords sat there. It seemed in much better shape than the rest of the place.
A fire pit was stood largely in the middle of the room, with a large elk on a spit over the fire.
Aiden walked straight to the woman behind the counter. A large old lady with red hair and freckles covering her entire face, wearing a stained white and green dress that hung loosely over her body.
"Can I help you, young Lord?" she asked Aiden in a deep voice, almost the voice of a man.
"Yes, fine lady. I would love some of that elk and a large pitcher of ale please," Aiden said with a stunned look on his face.
"Lady? Do not try to flatter me, boy. I am no lady," she said while slamming the pitcher of ale on the wooden table.
Aiden was stunned, struggling to find his words. He wished the person behind the counter did not take offence. "Thank you. What may I call you?" Aiden asked gently.
"You may call me Ava and nothing more," the red-haired person said, turning around.
"The meat will be sent to you, young Lord," Ava shouted as Aiden walked to his seat.
Aiden sat on a bench next to Cregor.
"Sour old bitch, isn't she?" Cregor said with a smug look on his face as he took a drink from his cup.
"Does it amuse you to torture me?" Aiden asked Cregor, feeling a bit uncomfortable at the situation.
"No, young Lord," Cregor chuckled. "I have known Ava for years. I often drank here while you worked," Cregor took another sip of his drink.
"Very well. Does this Ava have any rooms? I do not plan on drinking the whole night and riding drunk, you know," Aiden said with a large yawn, covering his mouth.
"She has many rooms down stairs. Six I believe," Cregor said, stroking his smoothly shaven chin. Cregor always wore a long black robe, no one knew what was beneath it. He had short black hair, with his hood always covering his head.
"Fantastic. We will take two rooms then. Let her know please," Aiden said with a snap of his finger.
"Aye, young Lord," Cregor said, standing up and leaving for the counter.
He came back to Aiden, "The rooms are ready," he said, tossing a key over to Aiden.
"I will finish my food and be off to bed. You can drink on your own," Aiden said as he took a bite of his food and started stuffing his face. He finished his food quite quickly, knowing that the fourteen-hour ride had him hungry. He took a large swallow from his tankard he had filled up with mead, and off to bed he went.
After opening the door to his room, a bed was the first thing he saw. It was stood in the middle of the small room against the wall and a table with a lamp stood on the right side of it. Nothing more. He was happy to see the comfortable piece of furniture.
He put his satchel on the floor, pulling out a book. The book's name was written across the cover. "The Guide For Blacksmith's" he read. The large book was held between his two tired hands, about 2300 pages thick.
Aiden has started reading it a couple of years ago, and was given to him by Master Bleiz. It had helped him become the brilliant blacksmith that he was known as. He knew he was not going to drink the whole night, as he was tired. But he could not help but lose himself in the words of the pages between his fingers. That was something he could do the whole night. He put his very expensive sword sway under his bed and he started reading as the room and the events of the day were blocked out from his mind.