Chapter Four: The Boar Hat Tavern

Escanor looks up at the brightly lit and, from the sounds coming from the inside, very lively tavern, his hands on his hips. "You have got to be kidding me."

"Come on then," Merlin chuckles, leading the way towards the front steps.

He snorts when he spies the sign on the side: Boar Hat Tavern. "What is it with you and boars?" he mutters under his breath.

The inside is just as he had feared: packed to the brim with patrons who seem inebriated, possibly underage, in the midst of wild celebrations, or any combination of the three. The tables are filled, as is the bar, and with gritted teeth Escanor follows Merlin through the crowd, inching his way around the raucousness. "Is it always like this?" he shouts, trying to lean in to her ear.

"What?" she answers back, and he just shakes his head.

They reach the counter and Merlin leans over the side. Escanor clears his throat as her coat rides up, giving him a clear view of her backside. His eyes dart around and notice a few other men have also spotted the lovely sight, elbowing one another and pointing to each others' delight. At once he scowls, turning to have a word with the group, when Merlin's hand on his arm stops him. "Come meet my friend," she smiles.

Behind the bar is a boy of fifteen or so, a mop of blonde hair on top and large green eyes over a goofy smile. "Yo!" he says happily. "Welcome to the Boar Hat!"

"Why hello there!" Escanor chuckles. He leans forward around Merlin and props an elbow onto the wood surface. "How nice to see a young man working at his father's tavern. Making any good tips tonight?"

The boy frowns and glances at Merlin. "What's with him?"

She laughs and shakes her head. "Escanor, this is Meliodas. He owns the bar."

"Owner?" he asks in confusion.

"Yes. We've been friends nearly my entire life." She smirks at his drawn brows but does not comment, instead leaning forward to speak to the blonde.

Escanor waits a few more moments, but once it's clear he will continue to be ignored he decides to go find a seat. Keeping one eye on Merlin, he moves back through the crowd and, as luck would have it, a table opens just as he happens by. He slides into the wooden booth and wrinkles his nose at the mess the previous patrons had left, beginning to clean up a bit and stack glasses at the end of the table.

A waitress appears, a skinny thing with a bright pink bob, wearing a pink blouse and navy skirt. She pushes up her glasses as she gathers the mugs and plates onto a tray. "Greetings Sir! What can I get you?"

Escanor starts at the voice; it is not female. "Uh… ale, please? And whatever you are serving for dinner?"

"We have barley soup, cheese and mutton potatoes, or onion porridge."

"I'll have the soup." Escanor replies. The waiter flashes two fingers in a letter V then heads off, leaving him even more confused. Is there anything normal in this tavern?

The better question is if there anything normal when Merlin is involved? It is nearly two weeks since they had set off from Leir together, and since then their trip had been anything but. Their days had been spent walking, navigating sometimes rough terrain as they left the mountainous north and headed towards central Britannia. Evenings were spent sharing a cordial meal and little more than a good night. In fact, Merlin had barely spoken to him, giving no information about why they were heading to Vaizel or what she planned to do there, even when he tried to gently prod for information. None of his gentle prodding—or even outright questions—had gained him anything more than a roundabout response that answered nothing and left him more confused than before.

Like why they are here, for example. Merlin had said the tavern was run by old friends that she could count on for information. And Dalmary wasn't too out of the way, but still, after the last tavern they visited with Captain Mustache, Escanor had no idea why they were even bothering with the risk.

The strange waiter returns with a mug of ale, placing it on the table just as Merlin joins him. "Gowther!" she says pleasantly as she slides into the booth. "You're looking well."

"Thank you," he replies in a dead-panned manner. "Wine as usual?"

"Of course."

Gowther salutes them again. "Food will be out shortly. Thank you for patronizing the Boar Hat Tavern!"

Escanor chuckles as Gowther heads back into the crowd. "Another friend of yours?"

Merlin does not answer, but simply takes a look around. Deciding to make the best of things, he grabs up his mug. The atmosphere is lifting his mood, plenty of happy chatter and laughter surrounding them, and he gives a bit of a moan with the first taste of the cool, rich ale. Escanor relaxes with a sigh, but when he lifts his mug again eagerly, Merlin murmurs, "Be careful. That mead is stronger than what is served in Solgales."

"I think I can handle it." He smirks at her as he takes another long drink.

"Here we are!" Another waitress places a glass of wine on the table, and Escanor blinks up at the young beauty. Silver hair hangs in layers over her shoulders, her long bangs partially hiding one eye. She smiles brilliantly and he finds it infectious, returning one of his own. "Thank you for coming tonight! It's so lovely to meet you!"

"You must be Elizabeth," Merlin says. The girl's mouth snaps open wide in surprise, but Merlin smiles warmly. "I'm a friend of Meliodas. He told me all about you."

"Oh! I see!" She smiles again, but Escanor can see something strange pass between them. "I suppose that's all right then. Any friend of Sir is a friend of mine!"

Escanor snorts. "You call that little one behind the bar 'Sir'?"

Elizabeth blushes slightly. "Why, of course! He saved me, you see, as I—well, that's a story for another time." She waves her hand with a nervous laugh. "Don't mind me. Your food will be out soon though. Ban is cooking tonight, and his food is the best!"

"Thank you," Merlin replies. "We'll be staying in the tavern tonight. When the patrons leave, I want to hear all about you."

Another beat passes between them, and Escanor frowns. There is obviously something more to this conversation, but there is no doubt Merlin won't be so forthcoming. So he turns to Elizabeth and says, "Have you worked here long?"

"A couple of months," she answers, fingering the little scarf around her neck.

"You are quite young I see," Escanor continues. "Do your parents approve of you working in a tavern?"

Elizabeth goes a bright shade of red before stammering out an excuse and fleeing. He watches her go as Merlin snaps, "Escanor! Don't be rude."

Escanor scowls across the table. "How am I rude? She's a young girl here among—well, it's a pretty rowdy crowd. Meanwhile you have a twig and a toddler working here, so who is going to step in if something happens?"

Merlin looks unimpressed as she answers, "I'm sure Meliodas has things quite in hand."

"Does he," Escanor scoffs. "He's barely up to my elbows! Probably not even old enough to be drinking, let alone managing a bar."

"Don't judge on appearances," Merlin retorts, taking a sip of red wine.

Escanor purses his lips, his mustache twitching with annoyance. "You of all people should be worried at least. What about all your talk about how Liones has changed? The king is dead and the Grand Master—"

"Shhh!" Merlin set down her wine glass with a loud thunk. "Are you a fool? Don't talk about that in the open!"

He swallows thickly as she looks around. "There could be spies anywhere," she whispers. "People waiting to take news of traitors back to the capitol. Things have changed, and if you don't keep your mouth closed you'll learn that sooner rather than later."

A tense silence passes between them, and Escanor's eyes dart away from her scowling expression. "I'm worried for the girl is all," he finally protests with a huff. "It doesn't seem safe."

Merlin's chuckle catches his attention. "I thought you weren't a knight?" she teases. "And now you're fearful of a young girl's virtue?"

"It's not that!" he protests. "And no, I'm not a knight, but that doesn't mean I don't want to do right by others."

With that he lifts his mug and drains it, ignoring the way Merlin watches him out of the corner of her eye. Escanor can feel his neck getting hot—damn her for pestering. He realizes it could be the ale as well, but that only aggravates him further. "Where's that food?" he mutters, banging his mug down on the table. "Service is slow as a beaver in winter!"

"A what?!" Merlin bursts out laughing, throwing her head back as her shoulders shake. Some of the patrons around them look over, and he grumbles at her to quiet. But her laugh rings out, drawing a few cheers from their neighbors, and Escanor finds his own lips twisting in an attempt to remain stoic as she finally begins to catch her breath.

"You certainly have a way with words, Sir Escanor." Her grin is wide and genuine now, and Escanor smiles back despite himself. "I would fancy you a poet."

He clears his throat a bit uncomfortably. "I… I wouldn't call myself that."

She smirks and rolls her glass a bit on the table. "Oh? So you do write?"

"I'm not a poet," he insists hotly. "And even if I were—which I'm not—I wouldn't use it on such silliness."

"Really." She tilts her head, examining him, and Escanor feels pinned by her amber eyes, glowing warm in the light of the tavern. "So you write only serious poetry, then? A bit of romance, perhaps?"

"I wouldn't call it serious either," he mumbles, and Merlin laughs again. "So you are a poet!" she exclaims. "Would you read me one?"

"No," he says firmly. "And I'm not a poet, I told you. Maybe a bit of writing in my youth, but those days are quite behind me."

Merlin nods slightly in concession. "Very well then. But I have to say, I'm glad to know this about you."

Escanor puffs a bit of a laugh. "I'm afraid to ask why."

She gets one of her devilish smiles, the kind that slowly creeps over her lips like a serpent. His heart seizes just a bit at the sight. This isn't the first bit of teasing she has done, and he is steadily learning her facial expressions. Yet there is something about this one that makes him go a bit hot under the collar and makes his fingers twitch, anticipating with a reluctant eagerness over what is about to happen.

As always, Merlin surprises him. "Well, when you said 'a beaver in winter', at first I thought you were referring to something rather improper."

It takes him a half second to catch her meaning, and his mouth drops open as she chuckles. "Merlin!" he says in shock, but his flustered response is interrupted when the food arrives.

Escanor looks up to see a tall man with spiky hair and a Boar Hat apron leaning over the table, laying down a bowl of soup in front of him and a plate of various meat and cheeses in front of Merlin. "Bit of a ruckus going on over here," he says. "I should have known it would be you, Merlin."

"Ban," she says sweetly. "I have no idea what you could mean."

"Uh huh." He jerks his chin at Escanor. "Who is this guy?"

"My bodyguard," she answers smoothly, and Escanor looks at her with a frown.

Ban shakes his head with a laugh. "You! A bodyguard!" At first Escanor thinks he is speaking to him, but Ban's sharp eyes are fixed on Merlin. "Poor guy doesn't know what he's in for. And since when do you need a bodyguard anyway?"

All that earns is a smirk, and his brows draw in distrustfully. Why would Ban think she didn't need a bodyguard, especially with the insistence on how dangerous it can be in Liones? Is Merlin exaggerating the risk? Or does she have some alternate plan? Before Escanor can ask, she says, "This is Ban. He is the cook. A rather good one, if I remember correctly."

Escanor decides to hold his tongue until they are alone, and gives the man a nod in greeting. "I'm looking forward to enjoying. This smells delicious." He holds up his mug and asks, "Can I get another while you're here?"

Ban looks down at him with a sideways smile. "That's Bernia ale, so be careful. It's not for the weak."

His joke seems good-natured, but Escanor still narrows his eyes. "I'm strong enough," he insists.

Ban's brow arches as Merlin snorts. "Some pride you have there. But I must insist."

"And I must insist on another," Escanor insists.

He holds his mug out at the man, who grins in response. "Well, bodyguard," Ban says. "Care to put your money where your mouth is?"

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Merlin asks.

"Of course it's a good idea!" Meliodas insists. Escanor swallows nervously as the bartender pulls himself up on the bar, stomping his foot to get the attention of the crowd. "Listen up everyone!" he calls. "We have a challenger to the Boar Hat's drinking champion, our very own Ban!"

A cheer goes up among the people in the bar, and Meliodas waves for quiet. "Sir Escanor, the very prideful wandering knight and slayer of beasts, has challenged Ban for the title. They will do a series of ten shots—of the bartender's choosing of course—each one followed by a full stein of Bernia's finest ale!" Meliodas grins as another cheer goes up around them. "The contest begins in five minutes, so please place your bets now!"

Voices start shouting as bets begin, and Meliodas and Gowther go to work taking money and haggling odds with the patrons. Escanor sits heavily on a barstool, feeling a bit queasy as the din presses in around him. Merlin stands next to him, but talking to someone on the other side; he gulps as his eyes travel back to the center of the tavern, where Ban and a few patrons are clearing a table and laying out two rows of glasses.

He feels a tap on his arm and turns to see Elizabeth standing at his elbow. "Here," she says, and hands him a bowl of bread. "Have a bit before you start."

"Thanks," he grumbles. But his stomach is already turning, so he only nibbles on a corner of the barley.

"You don't have to do this," she says. She peers at him closely as if examining him, and Escanor frowns. "I know Sir Meliodas teases, but really he—"

"Have we met before today?" Escanor shakes his head as her mouth snaps shut. "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt. You just seem so familiar. But I don't see how."

Elizabeth gives a chuckle. "I have one of those faces, I suppose." Escanor nods, and she pats his arm. "Well good luck. Make sure you have some water afterwards. And we do have some remedy in storage, although sometimes the cure is worse."

He snorts a laugh. "I'll keep that in mind."

Before he knows it, Escanor is seated across from Ban, wiping his sweaty palms on his thighs. Ten small glasses filled with liquids of various colors stand in a row before him, a mug of frothy ale just behind in an equally perfect line. The smell of alcohol is almost overwhelming, and he is glad to not know the contents that sit before him. He glances up to see Ban grinning, his tongue hanging out just a bit as he licks his lips. "Ready to concede?" he taunts.

Escanor sets his jaw. "Never."

"Round one!" Meliodas calls. The room hushes into quiet as he steps up next to their table. "This isn't a race boys, but you can't stop drinking once you start until you are finished. Whoever fails to finish a round or leaves the table will be eliminated. You'll also be disqualified if you vomit, pass out, or die."

"That's encouraging," he mutters under his breath. Just to the side, Merlin watches him with an amused look, and when he raises his eyebrows at her she laughs behind her hand.

Escanor clears his throat and turns back to the task. "Ready, begin!" Meliodas shouts.

The crowd begins cheering again as they lift the first drink. "To Liones!" Ban says, making the crowd go even wilder; he winks at Escanor and puts back the shot easily. Not to be outdone, Escanor does the same, swallowing confidently as the drink does not burn too badly; in fact, it's rather pleasant. Both pick up their mugs and drain the ale easily, Ban placing his back down on the wood just seconds before Escanor.

"Round two!"

This one is just as easy, as is the third. Then, as the fourth is called, Escanor realizes that the crowd has stopped shouting. Or rather, they are still shouting, but everyone has pressed a pillow to their faces while doing so. He blinks as he turns his head to see when Meliodas' face swims into sight. "You okay there, Sir Escanor?" he asks.

"I'm not a knight," he answers. Someone has put cotton in his mouth, and he tries to spit it out. "I'm a bodyguard!"

He takes the next shot, but this one goes down badly. His nose and throat fill with heat, and Escanor frantically reaches for the next mug of ale. It is cool and soothing on his mouth and tongue, his shoulders drooping a bit as he drinks deeply.

Pausing to take a breath, he sees Ban sweating as he works on his own mug. Escanor laughs to himself and gulps down the rest, this time beating Ban to finish first. "A ha!" he shouts, pointing at the cook as Ban wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. "You have lost!"

"You stupid," Ban slurs, leaning over the table. "We have seventh more to go!"

That doesn't sound right at all, so Escanor tries to count the remaining rounds. The glasses dance on the table, and he growls, trying to focus on the ones in the center. "Are you sure?"

"Round five!" Meliodas calls.

Escanor blinks in confusion. Round five of what? He looks around, wondering where he is—this isn't a tavern he knows, or the barracks of the knights, or even his room in the palace. No, no, that's not right, and he shakes his head to clear it.

Looking up, he spots Merlin, and he remembers. She is frowning, however, her brows drawn tightly in and her mouth a thin line. It's not the kind of frown she gives when he disagrees with their camping spot or the frown when she looks in her orb for hours at night or the frown of when he teases her and she lacks a comeback. This is a new frown, and it makes him frown, because it almost looks like concern. If he could get a thought to form he could figure out why she would be concerned, but that is impossible with everyone screaming into pillows.

"Escanor!" Ban roars. "Drink!"

"Right!" He turns back to the game, and does the next shot. This one thankfully does not burn, but it takes a much longer time to finish off the next ale.

"Are you okay?" A hand presses on his shoulder, and he turns expecting to see Elizabeth. Elizabeth of the silver hair that reminds him of something but what he can't remember. But it isn't: it's the bartender, the little boy.

"Hello, young man," Escanor says, placing his own hand on his shoulder. It's large enough to cover the entire thing. "Do your parents know you are here?"

Meliodas grins. "Of course not. Ready for round six?"

"Six?" His eyes lift, and when his vision focuses he sees Ban laughing hysterically while also punching one of the patrons. "Yes, I would like six more stuffed pork rolls, please."

"No problem! Just do this first." Meliodas lifts the shot glass up, and Escanor nods. The contest continues, and he completes rounds six and seven, Ban following suit.

Being sick is something Escanor had not experienced in a very long time; not only had it been years since he had enough money to get so blisteringly drunk, his healing abilities and strength made it easy to overcome any nausea. "But she took my magic," he roars, standing and pointing an accusing finger at Merlin. The mage looks nearly furious now as the crowd laughs. "Give it back! It's mine!"

"You've had quite enough," she snaps. Stepping forward with her hands on her hips, she orders, "Stop this at once. Meliodas, this contest is over."

"Don't be such a bitch, Merlinnnggg," Ban garbles.

Something inside of Escanor seems to pulse and he looks down at the cook and his wolfish grin in fury. "You dare use that language in front of her!" he shouts. "I will not stand for this!"

Merlin is next to him then, tugging on his arm. "Escanor, that's enough!" she hisses.

"Yeah, bootyguard," laughs Ban. Shakily he stands, pressing his palms on the table and tipping forward. "Listen to your girl. Now shut it and get back to drinking."

"Who says you get to decide?" he shouts back. "I only listen to Merlin!"

With that, he swings his fist, and Ban does the same; but both men miss entirely and crash to the floor. Escanor rolls onto his back, staring at the ceiling as dark hair and light eyes come into view; he finds it very beautiful, and as his eyes close, his last thought is to write a poem about a girl with raven hair and yellow eyes.