The next morning, Aaron tried to think little of the incident in the
fields, and he looked forward to meeting with his friends that afternoon,
in the walled village of Sarod. They met in an old tavern by the gate of
the town every other day, where they drank and amused themselves.
When the sun stood highest, Aaron finished his work and bid his father farewell. He walked down the banks of the Tulsa River, and he crossed when he came to the fork of the rivers, Batten and Tulsa. He continued south by horse and wagon, following the river to Sarod. Upon reaching the gate of the village, he paid the driver with two silver pieces. The driver acknowledged him with a smile, and then set the horse back into a trot in search of more customers. Aaron walked up to the village gate, which was large and black, and forged out of iron. It was only closed at night, however, and he passed through without any questioning by the gatekeeper.
Sarod was a ruddy, old town, made up of mostly taverns and inns. The drunks wandered the roads, stumbling, and everyone else moved in random directions, slowly, as if they had nowhere to be. It was not the friendliest environment, but goods were inexpensive, and that is what drew Aaron and his friends there so often.
The tavern was only half full, because it was still early, and it didn't take long for Aaron to locate his friends. His two dearest friends, Darren Banks and Ryan Carmel of Anchorage, were waiting for him at a table in the back corner of the tavern.
When Aaron approached, Darren inquired, "Where have you been, Aaron? We've been waiting here quite a while."
"Sorry, I was delayed at the river crossing. An old ferryman had to take me, because the bridge collapsed."
"Again?" Ryan spoke. "That's the third time this month!"
"Well, what do you expect from something built by Sarod peasants?!" A man at the counter, mug in hand, turned and glared at Darren. Darren nervously stuttered, "N-no! Genius engineers of Sarod, who simply made an unfortunate error." Then he chuckled, and the man decided to ignore Darren, and simply went on drinking his ale. "Right!"
Aaron, staring down at the table, suddenly said, "Do you ever wonder what's inside the caverns of Mount Sirus?" His question was alarming to his friends, who had never heard him speak so seriously, and yet so softly as if he were trying to hide any trace of tension in his voice.
"I'll tell you what's in there," said Darren. "Fire!" He hissed the word slowly and intensely, trying to spook but humor his friend. Aaron was not humored, though.
Ryan spoke uneasily. "That mountain has not been approached in hundreds of years. I hear that anyone who came close became suddenly terrified when they reached the base of the mountain and turned back." Then he paused and his eyes narrowed. "And I heard the place is infested with dragons!" He uttered fearfully.
Darren laughed. "None-sense! There hasn't been a dragon around in over a thousand years. There is only fire in the mountain, and I'll put that to a bet!"
"I'll bet against you, but can you prove any of what you say?"
"Yes I can, Ryan. Let's go there, now!" Darren smiled in excitement.
"It's a quarter day by horse!" Protested Ryan. "And it's far too dangerous."
"Dangerous? What's an adventure without danger!" He retorted. "Aside from boring!"
"That's not what you said about our trip in the Batten River!" Ryan exclaimed.
"There was great danger there! We were caught in the rapids!" Answered Darren.
"Spare me!" Ryan pushed. "You were as happy as child even when the river was calm."
There was a brief silence, and Ryan could sense that Darren was annoyed. Then Darren spoke slowly and clearly, making obvious his irritation. "There is no danger in Mount Sirus, because there are no dragons. It's ridiculous to think so!"
"And what if you're wrong?"
"Should we find peril, we'll flee! And you will have won the bet!"
"Fine, but it is a quarter day by horse."
"Tomorrow then! We'll leave early, and I'll bring a horse. We'll ride by- "
"-I don't think that's a wise idea. There's a reason no one's approached the mountain in hundreds of years; something else lurks there." There was trouble in Aaron's eyes that his friends did not see.
"Come to your senses, Aaron, you're speaking foolishly. It's only a mountain."
There was a long pause and not a word was spoken. Darren looked anxiously into the eyes of Aaron. Realizing that the dark threat he feared so greatly was not a valuable argument against his friends, Aaron summoned a more reasonable response.
"And what if Ryan is right?"
"Oh, don't force me to say it again, Aaron!"
Aaron paused again, as he realized that he would not be successful. Finally, he sighed and surrendered. "Fine. We'll meet here?"
"At the village gate." Aaron looked down at the table and slowly nodded.
-----
Aaron slept little that night, for he was frightened and apprehensive. He woke suddenly the next morning covered in sweat. He bathed, but it didn't calm his mind. It was still dark when he went out to the fields, and when he finished his work, his father was just getting up.
"I've finished my chores, and I'll be traveling with my friends today." He told him.
"You woke up early for that? It must be important!"
"It is not. It is just a silly trip, but it will take some time. I shall return before supper."
"Very well! Take care, my son."
"Farewell, father."
-----
When the sun stood highest, Aaron finished his work and bid his father farewell. He walked down the banks of the Tulsa River, and he crossed when he came to the fork of the rivers, Batten and Tulsa. He continued south by horse and wagon, following the river to Sarod. Upon reaching the gate of the village, he paid the driver with two silver pieces. The driver acknowledged him with a smile, and then set the horse back into a trot in search of more customers. Aaron walked up to the village gate, which was large and black, and forged out of iron. It was only closed at night, however, and he passed through without any questioning by the gatekeeper.
Sarod was a ruddy, old town, made up of mostly taverns and inns. The drunks wandered the roads, stumbling, and everyone else moved in random directions, slowly, as if they had nowhere to be. It was not the friendliest environment, but goods were inexpensive, and that is what drew Aaron and his friends there so often.
The tavern was only half full, because it was still early, and it didn't take long for Aaron to locate his friends. His two dearest friends, Darren Banks and Ryan Carmel of Anchorage, were waiting for him at a table in the back corner of the tavern.
When Aaron approached, Darren inquired, "Where have you been, Aaron? We've been waiting here quite a while."
"Sorry, I was delayed at the river crossing. An old ferryman had to take me, because the bridge collapsed."
"Again?" Ryan spoke. "That's the third time this month!"
"Well, what do you expect from something built by Sarod peasants?!" A man at the counter, mug in hand, turned and glared at Darren. Darren nervously stuttered, "N-no! Genius engineers of Sarod, who simply made an unfortunate error." Then he chuckled, and the man decided to ignore Darren, and simply went on drinking his ale. "Right!"
Aaron, staring down at the table, suddenly said, "Do you ever wonder what's inside the caverns of Mount Sirus?" His question was alarming to his friends, who had never heard him speak so seriously, and yet so softly as if he were trying to hide any trace of tension in his voice.
"I'll tell you what's in there," said Darren. "Fire!" He hissed the word slowly and intensely, trying to spook but humor his friend. Aaron was not humored, though.
Ryan spoke uneasily. "That mountain has not been approached in hundreds of years. I hear that anyone who came close became suddenly terrified when they reached the base of the mountain and turned back." Then he paused and his eyes narrowed. "And I heard the place is infested with dragons!" He uttered fearfully.
Darren laughed. "None-sense! There hasn't been a dragon around in over a thousand years. There is only fire in the mountain, and I'll put that to a bet!"
"I'll bet against you, but can you prove any of what you say?"
"Yes I can, Ryan. Let's go there, now!" Darren smiled in excitement.
"It's a quarter day by horse!" Protested Ryan. "And it's far too dangerous."
"Dangerous? What's an adventure without danger!" He retorted. "Aside from boring!"
"That's not what you said about our trip in the Batten River!" Ryan exclaimed.
"There was great danger there! We were caught in the rapids!" Answered Darren.
"Spare me!" Ryan pushed. "You were as happy as child even when the river was calm."
There was a brief silence, and Ryan could sense that Darren was annoyed. Then Darren spoke slowly and clearly, making obvious his irritation. "There is no danger in Mount Sirus, because there are no dragons. It's ridiculous to think so!"
"And what if you're wrong?"
"Should we find peril, we'll flee! And you will have won the bet!"
"Fine, but it is a quarter day by horse."
"Tomorrow then! We'll leave early, and I'll bring a horse. We'll ride by- "
"-I don't think that's a wise idea. There's a reason no one's approached the mountain in hundreds of years; something else lurks there." There was trouble in Aaron's eyes that his friends did not see.
"Come to your senses, Aaron, you're speaking foolishly. It's only a mountain."
There was a long pause and not a word was spoken. Darren looked anxiously into the eyes of Aaron. Realizing that the dark threat he feared so greatly was not a valuable argument against his friends, Aaron summoned a more reasonable response.
"And what if Ryan is right?"
"Oh, don't force me to say it again, Aaron!"
Aaron paused again, as he realized that he would not be successful. Finally, he sighed and surrendered. "Fine. We'll meet here?"
"At the village gate." Aaron looked down at the table and slowly nodded.
-----
Aaron slept little that night, for he was frightened and apprehensive. He woke suddenly the next morning covered in sweat. He bathed, but it didn't calm his mind. It was still dark when he went out to the fields, and when he finished his work, his father was just getting up.
"I've finished my chores, and I'll be traveling with my friends today." He told him.
"You woke up early for that? It must be important!"
"It is not. It is just a silly trip, but it will take some time. I shall return before supper."
"Very well! Take care, my son."
"Farewell, father."
-----
