CHAPTER XVII #4
“Canon, Bryson, Sam,” Keane turns to the men. “We have a meeting the Lord here. Nathaniel’s father. Keep your horses saddled. Lady Alexis, Holis, Mana, Cal… the night is yours. Let’s take an early dinner at the inn before we all part ways.”
The inn we walk into is called the Dancing Tavern, a fitting name for the full bodies that sway around the large hearth in the middle of the room.
The fire roars strong in the middle of the gathering, smoke billowing out of the open ceiling and into the night.
Scores of tables line the walls surrounding, with two halls darting left and right to lead the patrons staying here to their rooms. Smoke also rises from those tables, the full of Warrior Court inhaling their pipes and laughing and drinking while others take to dancing.
A full pub can be seen at the far end, and next to it a set of four musicians that stand on a raised platform.
Their melody is quick and complimented with heavily beating drums, the sound vibrating like a caress against my heart.
Keane is recognized the moment our group makes it through the front door, the full room raising their drinks to him in cheers and drunken grins. His own smile is wide, spread across his face in absolute elation, his brown eyes taking in the people and place he’s called home for so long.
The innkeeper quickly comes bounding from behind the counter, a middle-aged Discerni who has a thick scar trailing over his left cheek to the bridge of his nose.
He looks well-toned for his age and grins when he approaches the King, throwing a towel over his shoulder before reaching an arm out in greeting.
“It’s been a while, Keane,” they clasp hands. “I was glad to see your message. Been what, twenty years?”
“Has to be,” Keane chuckles, releasing the man’s hand to place his on the small of my back. “May I introduce to you my betrothed, Lady Alexis Deveren of Bardot. Alexis, this is Sir Warren Gold. He was a general in the army here before he retired to a life of drinking.”
“Sounds like the perfect retirement to me,” I grin, taking his calloused hand in mine.
“So this is the infamous Lady Alexis,” he lets out a deep breath and smiles wide, eyes darting back to Keane in approval.
Infamous?
Word has traveled, Queen, the Bird of Ash replies.
“Ale and dinner,” the man laughs, hand slapping Keane’s free shoulder. “Let’s get you and yours a table. I’ll send the boys in to take your packs to the rooms.”
We’re ushered through the crowd around the large fire, moving closer to the music and pub as both Cal and I turn giddy.
We instantly take a seat on the bench next to eachother as a busty woman comes by and sets four tankards of ale on the table.
She promises to be back with more as Cal and I both let the Warriors and Canon take the drink first. Their eyes are just as alight as ours are, until they take one sip and come to a new realization, that they’ll have to leave this place soon after dinner.
I shake my head in pity. I wouldn’t want to leave this pub either.
“I’m sad you won’t be around to see my dancing,” I whisper to Keane when he takes a seat next to me.
The King’s brow quirks up in amusement, giving me a playful look.
“Dance all you want, trouble,” he smirks, tilting his lips towards my ear. “I’ll be watching.”
The full flood of his location summoning sinks into my lower stomach, desire rocking me in my seat as I flush and shift next to Cal.
Thankfully, the woman is back with the last of our ales, sliding them our way and giving me reason to still the heat that has taken over my lower body.
Warren is standing behind her, hands full with half glasses of toddy as he places them on the table.
“I hear this is your doing, Lady Alexis,” the older man chuckles, eyes amused and finding mine.
I nod without shame. “A habit formed in Knowledge, I’m afraid.”
“Perhaps we’ll make it our own,” he smiles and takes a toddy for himself, lifting it in the air. “Let’s cheers to you all finally leaving that wretched court and the sugary piss they try to pass off as drink.”
Our laughs are loud in agreement, everyone drinking their toddies straight before we slam the empty glasses on the table.
Keane, Canon and the Warriors stay for another round of ale after dinner before the King stands up in silent command.
All of them are quick to follow, though they don’t bother to hide their looks of dejection.
Keane nearly rolls his eyes at his men, laughing as he tells them he doesn’t plan on staying at the meeting longer than two turns of the moon.
Their faces are quick to find their grins again, even Canon’s, with the men nodding and finishing the last of their drinks.
“I expect you four to be properly drunk by the time we come back,” Keane stands behind me and places his hands on my shoulders, grin pointed down in Cal’s direction.
My big friend laughs, pulling out his pipe and tobacco. “That I can do, Your Grace.”
“Good,” he nods in amusement, bending down to my ear with his grip tightening softly. “Don’t get into too much trouble tonight, Alexis.”
“Me?” I ask innocently, head tilting in his direction so I can catch his lips. “Never.”
Keane chuckles before his tongue darts into my mouth, kissing me swiftly. His hands give my shoulders a rough squeeze before he pulls back with a smirk and walks away. Cal quickly places his pipe in my hands, ordering another round of ales and half toddies for the four of us.
Ancients. It feels good to be back with my original Knowledge crew. The four of us are sitting at the table just like old times, and though our dynamic may be different now, we’re still sitting like the friends we are and the friends we’ll always be.
“I’m grateful you all are here,” I lift my toddy to the men, “what an interesting ride it’s been.”
Cal and Holis laugh in agreement while Mana gives a quiet grin, the four of us downing the liquid and clashing the glasses on the table. I take a heavy draw of Cal’s pipe and pass it back to him, eyes darting across the crowd as the music thumps heavy against my bones.
Fuck me, I really am glad be back in Warrior. Can I think that enough?
Everyone here is so alive, so deeply enjoying their night that not a single frown graces the room.
Everything is just perfect. The pub in the inn, the music, the clanking of drinks against neighbors as humans and Discerni sit next to eachother with wide grins.
Even the Bird of Ash is in a good mood, moving between Cal, Holis and Mana and basking under their attention.
We’re just about to finish our ales when Warren bounds quickly to our table with more mugs and another smile on his face.
“The best service I’ve ever received,” Cal chuckles to the man.
Warren grins, the scar across his cheek fitting his friendly nature as his eyes crinkle in mirth.
“You’ll give the men here a good run for their coin with how quick you all drink,” he laughs. “I’m truthfully a bit disappointed in them.”
“It’ll slow after this mug,” Cal laughs, “trust me.”
“Say Warren,” I tilt my head up towards the opening in the roof, remembering the ominous black tower I saw through the smoke. “What is that large tower that rests beyond this inn?”
“That’s the Drinking Bell of Brassard, Lady Alexis.”
“The Drinking Bell?” I glance at him curiously, taking a heavy swig of ale.
Warren sends me a sly grin. “The Drinking Bell. It sits at the top of the tower. Once rung, the full city will have to continue its night of drinking until the first rays from the sun cover the horizon.”
Cal and I quickly turn to each other, our smiles going wide and holding the other’s gaze without any hesitation. We’re game.
“I would actually advise that you don’t attempt it, Lady,” Warren shakes his head with a small laugh, “the tower is guarded by powerful summoning. The bell hasn’t been rung in over twenty years.”
“Twenty years?” I huff with a frown.
That’s a mere four or five years to the Discerni here, but for the humans that’s a generation who have grown up never hearing the ring.
Cal leans forward in his seat, his voice curious. “What do you mean when you say guarded by powerful summoning?”
“I don’t know the exact details. The tower has been standing for nearly eighteen hundred years, and it’s rumored to be summoned with magic from those who have been victorious.
If by chance someone makes it to the top and rings the bell, they have to leave a guard behind them for the others who follow.
Again, this hasn’t been achieved in over twenty years. ”
The Discerni man says the last sentence purposely as if it will deter us. I turn to Cal with a smirk, his own shoulder shrugging in response as he grins, the idea of a summoned guard or guards not scaring him in the slightest.
“People get stuck in there…” Warren eyes the two of us. “The last time the trek was attempted was two and half years ago. It took five men to pull the man out.”
Those words only fuel my desire to see this through. I think Cal sees the fire in my eyes just as much as I see it in his, his shoulder pressing against mine before he turns back to Warren.
“We’ll take that under consideration, good sir.”
Warren sighs and rolls his eyes before he holds out a finger to us. “Wait here.”
“You’re not actually considering it?” Mana leans forward.
“Of course we are,” I reply easily just before Cal nods, “wouldn’t cross my mind not to.”
Mana shakes his head with a small chuckle. Holis grins next to him, never doubting us for one moment.
“What’s this?” I laugh when the Discerni innkeeper places another pair of fresh ales on our table.
“I can see the look in both your eyes,” Warren gives a soft smile, “and know that you won’t heed my warning. I wish you both the best of luck.”
Cal and I look at him in open curiosity.
“The tower will not let you enter its threshold unless you walk through the doors with a full mug of ale in your hands,” the man winks.