They rode most of the day, and when night settled in, they finally exited the forest into the grasslands. In the distance, lights flickered, and that was a sign of a village up ahead.
" We can stop there for the night!" Iris said, pointing at the lights in the distance.
" Maybe we can find lodging for the night. If not, we will have to sleep under the stars and hope the sky won't open." Dakran chimed in, and Iris nodded. It was an excellent opportunity to have some proper rest.
Ian joined their fold, and soon, the others followed since they left the narrow trail in the forest. The cover of the night spread as far as the eye could see, and the only thing that stood against it was the village.
" This will be good. You can finally see the world or some of it, anyway!" Iris broke the silence, and Ian turned his attention to her.
" You might not want to return to the forest once you taste it!" Iris amusedly continued as the flickering lights became clearer.
" If that is your wish, we can build a life among them. As long as you're by my side, it makes no difference." he reached his hand and grabbed hers. It made no difference where they lived as long she was by his side.
Iris smiled and nodded and squeezed his hand and then let go since her horse snorted and shook his head. Ian was willing to give the outside world a chance. He'd spent all of his life in the heart of the forest. The change might help change his mind.
Towering grey stone walls came into their view, with guard posts along the walls. Lamps brightly flickered in the dark of the night. The heavy metal gates were guarded by two men fully armoured, standing there unmoving with their spears. The markings on their armour indicated their rank. They were esquires.
" Who goes there?' One of the guards asked, his voice booming in the silence of the night.
" Travellers!" Dakran answered as they approached the gate.
" Papers!" the same guard curtly asked, and Dakran pulled his papers out of his tunic.
The guard snatched the papers out of his hand and leaned in closer to the torch to have a better look.
" A lord !" the guard snickered " And not any lord, a famous one at that! I never thought that I would get the chance to meet the mighty Vamadar, Light of the North! ", he continued speaking. There was a tinge of mockery in his voice, and he approached them, looking up at Dakran.
" And who are they?" the guard asked, looking at them suspiciously.
" They are my subjects!" Dakran plainly answered and returned, looking ahead.
The other guard took a step forward from his spot " Lovely looking mares you got. Where did you buy them?" he curiously asked, his eyes on the women, not the horses.
' A gift from the King of Hessia!" Dakran answered. He was calm despite the scrutiny and the crass remarks directed at the women.
" Must be nice to be in the King's good graces, especially if this is how he shows his appreciation, " the other guard chimed in; his gaze lingered on Maya longer than he'd cared for, and Dakran narrowed his eyes at the guard.
" Yes!" Dakran curtly answered. He gave the guard a hard stare, a warning.
" If you don't have any more questions, allow us passage!" Dakran requested, his expression hardened. The guards were grating his nerves, and he didn't expect that.
The guard chuckled " No, I don't have any more questions. But my nights are lonely as of late, and I was wondering if you could lend me this one for the night." the guard slapped Maya's thigh and licked his lips and Dakran pulled his sword and pointed at the guard's neck " Touch her again, and she will be the last thing will see before your last breath leaves you." Dakran threatened and pushed the tip of his sword against the guard's skin, just enough to draw blood. The guard's eyes darted left and right, raised his hands in surrender and took a step back.
" Now, open the gate!" Dakran barked, and the other guard waved his hand, and the gates began creaking to open.
The other guard pulled the other one to the side and slapped him on the head, and said something to him.
" You must be crazy. There are many of them. He doesn't need all those women to sate him. He could at least spare one." the other guard squealed loud enough to reach their ears.
This ought to be fun, Maya thought.
They rode through the gate into the village. It was nothing like a village. Houses made out of grey stone with wooden beams. This was a thriving town, with all sorts of stalls along the main alley. The village was on a trade route, hence the security measures. That meant all kinds of people walked in and out of the town, bringing in their coins and a boatload of troubles.
They unmounted the horses and walked along, looking around. After some time, their eyes fell on an inn, and next to it, a slightly smaller house with a red door.
" We should go and see if they have any rooms ?" Edya beamed and ran ahead straight for the red door. Before any of them had a chance to open their mouth, she had already barged through the red door.
Rom ran to catch her, but the little thing was quick on her feet, and before he could grab her hand, she walked through the red door and froze right then and there.
Rom closed his eyes, took a step forward inside the house and took her hand in his. He tugged on her hand, but Edýia was glued to her spot and wouldn't budge as soon as she walked through the door. What she saw shocked her. Naked women and men crawled over each other, their bodies loudly slapping, and moans and yelps filled the room. The air was hard to breathe. It smelled awful.
Rom opened his eyes, and instead of trying to drag her out, he covered her eyes and pushed her outside, and closed the door behind him.
" What was that?" she breathed out the words, still very much in shock.
Rom growled " It's a pleasure house!" he reluctantly answered, glancing at the red door from the corner of his eye.
" A pleasure house?" Edýia parrotted, not understanding what that even meant.
" A place where men and women pay to..." he paused for a moment, trying to find his words. He let out a heavy sigh " well,.....they fuck each other!" he mumbled, and Edýia blankly blinked at him, still having trouble understanding what that meant.
Edya pursed her lips " What?" she squeaked and frowned. Edýia opened her mouth and took a deep breath while his words took root in her mind. "As we did?" she flustered, cheeks flushed several shades of red.
"Yes, more or less....it's not that simple!" Rom chuckled, and Edýia frowned. She would have found eventually one way or another.
" But if you want to know, I'll explain later!" he grabbed her hand and looked her in the eyes.
Edýia frowned and nodded with a stiff smile and glanced at the house one more time, turning her attention back to him. She seemed to want to say something, but her gaze lowered, and she brought her hands to her face, covering her cheeks.
" Rom!" she called, in a shy voice, gazing at her feet " I want to do that again!" she mumbled. She seemed out of breath for a moment.
Rom chuckled " Later, Edýia!" he said with a tinge of amusement in his voice and pinched her chin.
" Come!" he tipped his head where the others were waiting and pulled her away from the door, making their back to where the others were.
" Was Haren in there, by any chance?" Dakran amusedly asked Edýia, and Edýia froze and glared.
Dakran shrugged " I thought I should ask. If he is not in there, he is definitely in the tavern!" he guessed and ruffled Edýia's hair.
" Come! Let's talk to the innkeeper!" he encouraged, and everyone followed his lead in the alley, halting their steps in front of the inn and tying the horses to the pole in front of it.
Dakran walked inside and left everyone outside. While Dakran was bargaining with the innkeeper outside, Edýia eyes kept going to the red door.
" Fascinating, isn't it!?" Athan amusedly exclaimed, and Edýia turned his attention onto him.
" Why would you say that?" she curiously asked, and Athan lowered himself and looked her in the eyes.
" I find it interesting how men and women get lost and in pleasure. It is better, though, when it is with someone you love or care for" he took a deep breath, and her unblinking eyes told him to continue " You are a curious kitty, aren't you?" he rhetorically asked, and Edýia's head bobbed up and down.
Athan straightened himself and placed his hand on Rom's shoulder " Why don't you ask this one to satisfy your curiosity!" Athan stressed the word satisfy, grinning mischievously.
Edýia opened her mouth to speak, but she clamped it when the door to the inn opened, and heavy footsteps approached. She knew it was Dakran, and it would be best to keep it shut.
" Let's get settled in, and we will go to the tavern and have a hot meal!" Dakran said as he untied the bags off the horses, with Ian and Rom's help, while the women made their way inside the inn.
The innkeeper bowed " Good eve! Your rooms are upstairs and to the right! " he handed the keys over to Iris" I'm Callan, and if you need bath water, that would be extra!" he bowed again.
" How much?" Iris asked curtly and looked at the innkeeper suspiciously.
" For all of you, 20 gold coins !" he stated his price, and Iris snorted
" 5 gold coins. We are travellers. We don't have that kind of gold !" she bargained, and the innkeeper feigned a polite smile that didn't reach his eyes.
" 5 gold coins and that", the innkeeper pointed at the dagger that once belonged to Ian's mother.
" No!" she pulled a leather pouch out of her vest. "You can have this instead" she placed in the palm of his hand a blue stone.
" It's diorite, tough to find! Very rare!" she tried to sell it to the innkeeper, but in truth, the stone wasn't that valuable unless one knew how to put to good use.
Callan reluctantly nodded, took the stone and the five gold coins and waved to the stairs that led to the rooms. He looked at it with curious eyes and shoved it in his pockets after a few moments.
The men walked in with the bags and climbed the stairs, each nodded to the innkeeper, who sighed and shook his head, and they followed suit.
" Travellers! Horseshit, never seen anything like it !" he mumbled to himself while he stared at the shine of the stone.