The snow crunched beneath their feet as the starved beasts began to close in on their prey. Struggling to catch their breath, they spotted a faint light in the distance, and hurrying to change the sealed faith, they begin to believe as a reality.
"Think we're gonna make it?" the small lad looked up at the blanketed white armored knight.
"What choice do we have, boy." the knight grunted back at the boy, trying to catch his breathing. Rushing and pushing their bodies the blistering cutting chills of the winter night, the enormous beast leaps from the edge, "AETHER! Help me!"
The significant alpha pins the lad down, running to the boy's side. "GET YER ARSE OUT EY WAY!"
A yell from a distance stunned the knight; the gunshot echoed throughout the winds. The beast stumbled back, growing and retreating within the dark surrounding forestry.
"What was that?" the boy looked up at Aether, "I don't know. I think it was a gunshot from the north just ahead," he replied.
"ARE EY JUST GONNA STAND THERE, GET IN WARM YER ARSES BY THE FIRE." the man shuffled into the inn that lay just ahead of them.
"Come on, let's go! NOW-! " Aether grabbed the lad from the snow, threw him onto his back as they continued down the path to the inn.
The brash beating on the oak door, "What in ey devil, those blasted humans."
Rolling his eyes, the dwarf stubbled to the door, opening it to be greeted by the gentlemen he saved and hugged with the icy chills. The lads wrapped around the legs of the dwarf being forced in by the push of the winds on the snow.
"Ey lads are ye getting up?" he glared down at them both.
The young lad coughs to catch his breath, "We're here to see An-'' grabbing his face, "Hush- boy!" Aether looked around, stood up, and began brushing himself off.
"We're here for the willow." he cleared his throat.
"I fetch her. Stay here- Do not TOUCH ANYTHING!" He glared at them both.
"What do you think his issue is?" The boy looked up at Aether, "Isn't it obvious? His height." He laughed and ruffled the boy's hair.
"HEY- You filth. You wear the king's crest into this building?!" The shady silhouette spits at Aether's feet. The man stood, oily chestnut hair, ruggish shadow wrapped around his face with glossy stone coal colored eye peering up at Aether.
As the man began to walk, the intoxicating aroma followed, Aether felt his stomach turn and began to knot. He pushed the boy behind him and leveled up with the staggering drunken man.
"And you are?" Aether spoke, "Even so, are defiling the order of his majesty by spitting at the Knight Commander, you swine?"
"Enough you from the both of you!" A roaring cry from the pale maiden behind the bar, her eyes locked onward to both gentlemen. "Either you both stop with barbaric behavior or leave Lady Willow's establishment."
The drunken man fell over, and Aether stepped over the man then motioned the boy to follow him to the bar. "So this place is hers?" Aether cleared his throat.
"Yes, she has been the owner for as long as I can remember." The maiden nodded at him. "But, here come closer." She motioned them both to the end of the bar, away from the patrons. "If you want to know more, let me get these gentlemen their mead, I will return."
She grabbed the steins, filled them to the brim, "Here you go," she softly smiled.
Aether heard the whispers of rumors from the foam-covered beards at the end of the bar, "That boy, something is really off about him."
"Ah, yes, he is a weird one. He looks like the late king, wouldn't you say?"
Both of the men caught Aether's eyes, cutting them down; they both quickly gulped with silence.
"Ah, yes. Thank you for waiting," she bowed towards Aether and the boy.
"So, where was I? Ah yes, about Lady Willow."
Aether and the boy sat up with such focus was painted on Aether's face, and the boy just wide-eyed and curious as he could be.
"So, Lady Willow is not her real name. It was a code name given to her during the War of the Tides many years ago. I find it kind of odd how no one remembers that war so vividly. Other than reading the torn parchment that was bound and put into the Black Library in Bethel. You see, Knight Commander, it was almost 200 years ago that had happened. I doubt Lady Willow was not a part of the Magi, and she isn't of elven blood either. She took me in when I was a child and raised me here. I swore not to tell, but she hasn't aged a bit, and I am of the age of twenty."
Aether puzzled in such confusion, "So the rumor is true, I see. Many moons, we always heard of this Tavern in the hills. But, it was strange; only certain people could find it. We often believed only elves would have been able to track the location of this place. But, I can see some human, dwarves, and elven people have been able to enter here."
"Ah, yes. Lady Willow always spoke of those who truly needed aid would be able to always find shelter here. To what I believed, I thought it was to always be an open shelter to the travelers lost on the path to the city of Tel'dona. But, I see that isn't the case, isn't it?"
She looked over to check on the gentleman at the end of the bar, "I find that odd how our stories mesh here, wouldn't you agree? What other types of tales of folk do the townspeople tell in the city?" glancing back at Aether.
"Ah, just that main tale if I am honest, Miss, I am sorry I didn't get your name?" He softly smiled at her exchange.
"My name is Alyce, and yours?" She blushed.
"My name is Aeth-Aether," as the boy dug his elbow into him, "Oh, this is Kel," Aether placed his hand on Kel's shoulder.
"Please to meet you both," she nodded to them both.
"ALRIGHT THERE, LADS. SHE IS READY TO SEE YOU BOTH!" the dwarf yelled and beckoned them to follow.
"Be safe," Alyce smiled as Aether and Kel both exited from the bar was motioned to follow the dwarf through the halls of the inn.
"Alyce, a lovely lass, aren't she?" Dwarf smiled up at Aether.
"Oh-oh lovely, very lovely," Aether choked.
Kel looking them both over, slowly lowering his head, muttered, "I hope I don't grow up to be like this swine."
"What was that kid?" The dwarf came to an abrupt stop and looked over his shoulder with a glare.
"Oh, nothing. Carry on." Kel gulped.
Aether chuckled under his breath, and the men continued to follow the dwarf. "We're here," the dwarf stopped at the round oaked door. "Now before we go in, few things to be aware of ey here lads. Don't ask the miss' about her age or looks. Do ye understand here, lads?"
They both nodded at the dwarf.
"Also, my name is Barwin." He smiled at them both, opening the door.
Aether quickly looked back, "Like Barwin, the Swordsmen?!"
Barwin smiled and quickly pushed both Aether and Kel into the room and slammed the door behind them.
"Yes, lad. Like Barwin, the Swordsmen." He chuckled and continued up the hallway towards the front of the inn.