It was a few hours after dark when Horace and Varian finally arrived at the small town that had a name that Horace didn't think he would ever be able to pronounce. Varian was sitting at the front of Nelovko's saddle, fast asleep. He'd been asleep for about an hour, and Horace had been making sure he wouldn't fall.
If they hadn't been so close to town Horace would have stopped for the night to let Varian sleep. Horace had slipped in a few hours of sleep when they stopped at noon, and he could easily travel all night. Varian had refused to sleep when they stopped. He insisted that he needed to keep watch.
Horace normally wouldn't allow Varian to do such a thing. The kid deprived himself of sleep enough as it was, Horace didn't plan on giving him any more excuses to feed his bad habit. However, unlike Horace, Varian had slept a bit before they had left, so he hadn't needed sleep yet at noon. Once the sun had set though Varian's fatigue had caught up with him and he'd just fallen asleep on the saddle.
When they reached town Horace was extremely excited. He'd never been in town before, and this would be the first time in his life that he had seen strangers more than just in passing when he was trying to get away from the Dark Kingdom. It was still early enough in the evening that there was a handful of people wandering the streets. Most of them were probably extremely shady, but Horace didn't care. He wanted to talk to them.
Maybe he could go to the local tavern for a drink. According to Adira, there was no faster way to get on the good side of the local drunkards than to buy the next round.
First though, Horace had some responsibilities to take care of. Nelovko had earned himself a good, long break, and Horace needed to make sure that Varian had a comfortable and safe room to stay in for the night. Then Horace could get in a few hours of bonding with the locals.
Horace easily found the inn. He found stableboy, a kid who was a few years younger than Varian.d He looked far too young for him to be up this late, and far too skinny for this to be something that he did just for the fun of it. Horace already thought that Varian was too young to be involved in work that really should just belong to adults, and yet here was another boy who was being forced into a similar situation.
Horace wondered if it was normal for people to employ children, because it definitely shouldn't be. When Horace was king of the Dark Kingdom, which was not something that he liked to think a lot about, he would use all the influence he had to change things. Kids like Varian and this stableboy shouldn't have to worry about anything except being a kid.
The stableboy stared in awe at Nelovko. Horace had heard from Quirin that most people in this part of the world only used horses as mounts, which he just didn't understand at all. Domino was the only mount in the Dark Kingdom that was a horse. The others were an antelope, a rhino, and two bearcats. Horace had frequently heard that the Dark Kingdom was different from most of the world, but it was one thing to hear about it and another to see it for himself.
Horace dismounted from Nelovko and grabbed Varian, who let out a soft snore as he was shifted. "Don't worry, Nelovko here doesn't bite. He's really friendly." Horace assured the boy, who looked equal parts excited and terrified about the saiga in front of him. Horace adjusted his grip on Varian to reach for his satchel. He grabbed several gold coins, which he handed to the stableboy. The kid stared at the money with even more awe than he had given to Nelovko.
Horace knew that he was probably giving the kid far too much coin for taking care of Nelovko, but he couldn't really help it. The boy looked like he needed a break, as well as a good meal, and Horace couldn't in good conscience walk away from that.
"I have to get my friend here in bed." Horace said, nodding down at Varian. "You think you can take care of Nelovko and bring our bags to our room later?" The stableboy nodded quickly and eagerly. He pocketed the coins, probably before Horace could change his mind and take them back. The boy took Nelovko's reins and pulled him into one of the stalls.
Horace made his way into the inn. The common room was full of people eating a late dinner and having a drink. Maybe Horace wouldn't have to look for a tavern. He could just join the crowd down here. At least he'd be closer to Varian. First though, he needed to get the kid to bed.
"Can I help you?" A young woman carrying a tray of drinks approached them. She looked tired and cautious about everything. Her eyes looked far too old for somebody who couldn't be much older than Horace was.
"Yeah, I'm wondering if there's a room available." Horace said.
"We have a few." The young woman walked to a table and distributed the drinks before she walked back to Horace. She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Well, can I rent one?" Horace asked. "It's just for the night." He and Varian were planning on getting back on the road tomorrow evening. They would be spending the whole day just looking around the town and relaxing.
The young woman looked at Varian asleep in Horace's arms. There was a strange look in her eyes, one that had a fair amount of anger but was mostly concerned. When she looked back up at Horace though her gaze was closed off and guarded.
"Of course," The woman said stiffly. She brought him to an older woman who resembled her. They were probably related. After a quick conversation and exchanging of coins the older woman, who was the innkeeper, told the barmaid, her niece, to bring them to one of the vacant rooms upstairs.
Horace had paid for a small room, because he wasn't planning on getting some sleep until a few hours before dawn, by which time Varian would probably be awake. Even if Varian was still asleep, it wouldn't be the first time that they had shared a bed. Horace had long since lost count of the number of times when Varian had fallen asleep in his bed as they read one of the Flynn Rider books, or when the kid would crawl into his bed after having a nightmare, or missing his dad when it was his turn to patrol the Great Tree.
Horace was surprised when the barmaid, who introduced herself as Anaris, opened the door to a larger room that had two beds on opposite sides of the room from each other. Horace looked around the room in confusion and slight caution.
"This isn't the room I paid for." Horace said.
Instead of sheepishly apologizing and correcting her mistake, as Horace had expected, Anaris squared her shoulders and gave him a cold look. "I thought you and your friend would like some extra space." Anaris put an odd emphasis on the word 'friend' as she gave Varian that concerned and angry look from earlier.
Horace tightened his grip on Varian and pulled him closer to his chest. The kid groaned in his sleep and nuzzled closer to him. Horace doubted that Anaris was a threat to Varian, but he still didn't like the way that she was looking at him.
"While I appreciate the thought, that's not necessary." Horace said with forced politeness. "I don't want to accept more than what I paid for." Horace had been warned by Quirin that people could be extremely devious when it came to taking advantage of people. The older man had told him that he should avoid owing people any favors, as there was no telling if somebody had ulterior motives. Horace didn't want to end up having to pay a price that he couldn't afford to pay.
"Please, take us to the room that I paid for." Horace said, his demanding tone contrasting strongly against his polite words.
Anaris glared at Horace before she haughtily made her way back into the hallway and to another door. Horace didn't know what her issue with him was, but he wasn't going to let this stranger get to him.
Anaris brought him to a smaller room, exactly what Horace had asked for. "Thank you," He said. Her glare hardened She watched him carefully as he walked to the bed and laid Varian carefully on it.
"I have one more thing to ask," Horace said. "I was going to get myself a few drinks, but I don't want to leave the kid on his own. Do you know if there's someone who would be willing to just wait outside the room and keep an ear out for the kid? I want to be informed as soon as he's awake." Horace knew just how fierce and protective Varian could get when he was worried that Horace was in danger, and the kid seemed to think he was in danger if he wasn't right there with him.
Horace could deal with a slightly paranoid Varian, but he didn't want any civilians to be caught in the middle of the kid's potentially violent desperation to make sure that Horace was safe. Hopefully if he was told when Varian woke up, he would be able to get back up here in time to soothe any worries the kid might have.
Normally Horace would give Ruddiger this job, but he knew that raccoons weren't exactly traditional pets. They were seen as pests, and the people in the inn might panic to see one running around. No, it would probably be best for Ruddiger to stay curled up and hidden under Varian's cloak, where he had been sleeping all night to get away from the cold.
Anaris crossed her arms. "I would be happy to do it myself."
"I thought you had work." Horace said.
"I've been working all day. I can take the night off.." Anaris said.
"Well, if you're sure, I would be happy to pay you for your time." Horace said.
Anaris scowled. "I do not need payment to watch a child."
"I insist." Horace said. He didn't want to owe anybody any favors, especially not a woman who clearly didn't like him.
Anaris looked unhappy, but she held her hand out to accept the coins that Horace practically thrust upon her.
"I'll be just downstairs." Horace said. "Let the kid sleep, and make sure you come and get me as soon as you wake up. And stay out here." Horace was vaguely worried about Varian causing trouble in his concern, but if the kid woke up in a strange room with a stranger who had an obvious dislike for Horace, who was nowhere in sight, he would definitely freak out.
Horace was starting to second guess his decision to have somebody keep an eye on Varian. He didn't want to leave the kid completely alone though, and he was fairly certain that Anaris wouldn't hurt him. He just had to trust that Varian would have enough restraint to not attack the first person he laid eyes on.
Horace and Anaris left the room, closing the door behind them. With one more warning look at Anaris, who returned it with a warning look of her own. Horace went downstairs, pushing down his concern over the kid. He needed to stop being so paranoid about Varian. Considering how annoyed Horace could get with Varian's overprotectiveness, it was more than a little hypocritical of him.
Horace just needed to relax and let his hair down a little. He went downstairs and found himself an empty seat in the corner of the common room. He ordered himself a hot meal and a drink to go along with it. The soup brought to him smelled and looked extremely unfamiliar, but also absolutely fantastic.
Horace started digging into his meal. He stared at the people around him as he ate. It was strangely fascinating to watch people do something as simple as eat. It was different than things were in the Dark Kingdom, though Horace couldn't really pin down what made things different.
Maybe it was the familiarity between the patrons, though there was a distance there too. Everybody was having fun with each other, but Horace could tell that they didn't really trust each other. Everybody had a certain level of restraint behind everything they said, and more than a bit of caution. It was almost the exact opposite of things in the Dark Kingdom.
Back home they didn't really go out of their way to have fun. Their enjoyment was more quiet and subdued when they were all together. However, the Brotherhood also trusted each other completely. They were all that any of them had, and they all shared the same sacred goal. There wasn't a lot of room for distrust between them.
Horace had come here with the intention of making friends and getting to know people, but he was content to just sit here and watch them. Perhaps it would be smart to take a page out of Varian's book and observe before doing anything and possibly making a fool of himself. He would learn how people interacted with each other tonight, and then make a good impression tomorrow when he and Varian explored the town a little.
Horace quickly found that as much as he liked the meal, he wasn't a big fan of the beer. The taste itself was fine, but it burned his throat so he didn't dare drink it quickly. Horace took his time, nursing his drink as he observed the crowd. Everybody was having a good time, and the rowdiness only increased the later it got.
A bunch of people got into fights with each other, though Horace couldn't say how many of them were just for fun and how many were because people had legitimate issues with each other. The first few times he nearly put down his drink to put an end to things before somebody got worse, but Anaris' aunt stepped in before things got too bad. Soon Horace stopped getting worried. He just sat back and enjoyed the show.
Everybody was acting like a bunch of fools. They made Hector look sane and reasonable. Horace knew it was probably just the alcohol in their systems, though it would be interesting to see how much of this chaotic energy lingered through to the morning. This wasn't exactly what Horace had expected from people, but it was a lot of fun.
Horace watched the crowd for a little over an hour when he heard some commotion outside. He turned to look towards the door. A couple of the more stable people turned as well. A moment later a terrified looking young man stumbled through the doors. He looked like he was going to faint.
"Hey, are you okay?" Horace got up from his chair, abandoning his drink. He steadied the young man as he stumbled and looked around desperately.
"No, no, it's not safe." The man said weakly. "The rocks, the demonic rocks, they're going to get us."
Horace blinked. He'd never heard of rocks being demonic before. He seemed to be the only one that didn't look shocked. Half the people who were paying attention started chuckling, and the other half looked annoyed and tired, like this was something that had happened before and they were tired of it.
"What demonic rocks?" Horace asked. There was more chuckling in the room.
"You must not be from around here," The innkeeper handed the young man a drink and led him to a seat. She turned to look at Horace. "Everybody within two weeks' travel has heard of the blacks rocks."
Horace felt his blood go cold. He was extremely familiar with the black rocks and plagued the Dark Kingdom. He was shocked that people out here knew about it, though he probably shouldn't be. He'd seen plenty of black rocks on the path. Definitely nowhere near as much as there were in the Dark Kingdom, but a fair enough amount. Especially since they were only a day's journey away from the Dark Kingdom.
He understood why the black rocks were a cause for concern, but hearing them called demonic was unnerving. He couldn't help but feel insulted on behalf of the moonstone.
The innkeeper huffed, annoyed. She looked out over her patrons. "Is Mikel here tonight? I don't have the time or patience to teach an outsider about those devil rocks. If he's a traveler, he's going to get himself killed if he doesn't know about them."
"Yeah, I'm here." A tired man who had been drinking at the back of the room approached them. He was a tall and broad man. Not nearly as big as Horace's father or Adira were, but taller than most people in the tavern. The man was just as drunk as anybody else around, but his sad eyes showed that he wasn't just there to have a good time like most people were. He looked like he was grieving or trying to forget something. The innkeeper's question made Horace think that maybe Mikel was a frequent patron.
The man stared tiredly at Horace. His eyes were guarded. "You've never seen the black rocks before?"
"Of course I have." Horace scowled. "They're a little hard to miss. I have just never heard them described as demonic before. They're just rocks."
"Do not disrespect the moon, boy." Mikel said angrily.
"I would never." Horace said angrily. The Dark Kingdom didn't exactly worship the moon, but they honored it. Horace respected the moonstone, and he had a healthy amount of caution for the rocks that it created, but they were still just rocks. Horace knew what lengths the moonstone would go to to protect itself. If it was threatened, it retaliated. If just the rocks were attacked or threatened nothing happened. The rocks weren't an extension of the moonstone, they were its tools.
In Horace's frustration at the implication that he would disrespect the moon it took him a long minute to register exactly what Mikel had said. "Wait a second," Horace stared at the man in shock. "You know about the rock's connection to the moon?"
"My people know more about the black rocks than anybody." Mikel said. He didn't sound proud, he seemed sad and distressed, like that knowledge had come from a lot of hard experience, and Horace felt for him. "I've tried to share my knowledge with the people of this town, but clearly there are still more lessons to learn."
Mikel scowled at the people who had laughed at the young man's terror from earlier. "There are far too many people who try to invoke the moon's wrath. Children dare each other to try to deface the black rocks. Farmers take sick pleasure in hiring new shepherds and neglecting to tell them about the rocks, which was probably what happened to our young friend over there." Mikel nodded towards where Anaris' aunt was trying to calm the young man.
Horace found himself getting caught on the very beginning of what Mikel had said. "Your people?" Horace was confused, cautious, and just a little bit excited. "The people of the Dark Kingdom?"
Mikel gave Horace a confused look. "How do you know about the Dark Kingdom?"
Horace opened his mouth to answer but he was interrupted by the terrified and slightly pained scream from upstairs. Horace was immediately on alert. He turned and looked towards the stairs. He moved towards them before he even realized what he was doing.
Eventually Horace's thoughts caught up with his actions. He realized that the scream hadn't been Varian's. Horace hadn't recognized the voice, but he knew that it belonged to a young woman, and that realization spurred him on even more.
Horace hoped to the moon that the person who had screamed wasn't who he was afraid it was. When he ran upstairs though and noticed the door to his and Varian's room open he knew that his fears were likely a reality.
"One night," Horace muttered to himself as he ran towards the room. "I just wanted one night to relax." It shouldn't be too much to ask for, and yet somehow here they were. Horace ran into the room. His insides froze when he saw Varian pushing Anaris against the wall. One of his hands was holding her arm painfully behind her back, and the other was pulling tightly on her hair. Varian's eyes were wide and his stance stiff. He was in full defensive mode.
Horace didn't pause to try to figure out what was going on. He could get the details later when nobody was being threatened. Horace stormed to Varian's side. He gripped his wrists gently but firmly.
"Kid, let her go." Horace said. Varian didn't even glance his way. He harshly shook his head. Horace scowled and tightened his grip on the boy.
"Listen to me." Horace hissed. "We both know that I can make you let her go. I don't want to, but I will if that's what it takes to get you to stop, so I'm going to ask you one more time to let her go."
Varian stiffened, but he very slowly loosened his grip on Anaris. He released her hair first, and then her wrist. As soon as she was free Horace wrapped his arms around Varian's chest. He pulled the kid down to the ground, pinning him down, but being careful to not be so harsh as to hurt him.
Varian didn't struggle or resist the restraint. He just scowled and leaned his head back. Ruddiger crawled out from under the bed and nuzzled against Varian. The raccoon looked concerned, and just a little bit overwhelmed. He didn't like violence, and often hid from it, especially when Varian was involved in one way or another.
Horace took Ruddiger's presence as a good indication that Varian had calmed down, or at least that he wasn't going to try to hurt anybody else right now. The raccoon could tell better than anybody when Varian was about to lash out.
Still, Horace didn't feel comfortable getting off of Varian quite yet, not until they were alone and he could talk to Varian about just what had happened.
"What in the world happened here?" An angry woman's voice said from the doorway. Horace looked up to see the innkeeper. She moved towards her niece and put a protective grip around her. Anaris was staring at them in fear, rubbing her arm. Horace couldn't tell if it was him or the kid that she was scared of.
"How dare you lay a hand on this girl." The innkeeper had a fire in her eyes. Horace adjusted himself in an attempt to hide Varian from her view. She was understandably furious, but Horace didn't want to find out what this town did to people who threatened one of their own.
It looked like sitting down and having a private, calm discussion about what had happened would have to wait until later.