Chapter 124: A Prince In Disguise: Part One
Ger and Axel opened the double doors to the tavern, instantly quieting the crowds at the newcomers. But they returned to their drinks when the pair walked towards a table in the corner of the room that overlooked everyone. It was the best spot in the inn which made it a little suspicious that nobody would take up such a space, though people glanced in their direction as they sat down and murmured to one another. A barmaid arrived then, placing two tankards of ale onto the table.
"On tha ’ouse," She said before turning on the spot. Ger reached out and stopped her from leaving; his hand gripped her wrist, making her jump and flinch. He’d never scared someone before, but he expected as such, they were, after all, in Kuramji. The barmaid was probably used to bar fights and the like.
"Why are these on the house?" He asked, eying her then glancing at the innkeeper.
"We don’t want no trouble," She replied and slipped her arm out of his reach. Ger let her go and looked at Axel. Maybe it was good sometimes to look notorious, though he suspected that wasn’t the case with the varying eyes on them. Ger put his hood up then and settled back into his seat before searching for his pipe. Axel started to sip on the ale, his guard still up as his gaze flickered around them.
Ger inhaled on his pipe while looking at the table Evanna sat at when they were last in the Snake Pitt Inn. The day she was captured still replayed through his mind, and the day they found the gem missing. Most of his heart was filled with guilt. Even with her meticulous planning and confidence in them, it still went wrong, and they weren’t any closer to helping her mother. In fact, Evanna’s circumstances were much more dire now.
Ger knew within his heart that she was alive because surely he would know if she was no longer among the living?
"Snap out of it," Axel’s disgruntled voice snapped him out of his daze. "We cannot help her by sulking."
Ger exhaled the smoke from his pipe. "It’s not as simple as that. The last time we were here was with her. And even then, things weren’t going our way. She was attacked." Ger scowled at a man who looked at them suspiciously, but the man looked away.
Axel sighed and sipped his drink again, his gaze still roaming the room. "I know it isn’t, but we cannot keep beating ourselves up about it. Now we can only move forwards. You, of all people, know how she is. By now, she’s probably caused problems for.." He looked around and lowered his voice more. "The Flori. We must only focus on the gem for now. That was the task she left for us."