Another mug.
Glug. Glug. Glug. Glug. Glug.
Another empty mug and more of his vision blurred, the warm fire that flowed through his veins stoked hotter as the Half-Blood shouted out, an arm wrapping around a mead-maidens waist who squealed playfully, just as drunk as he was and so she poured the fine mead all over her ‘attacker’, soaking his red hair so it clung to his face, his shirt so it felt heavy and his mouth that turned to the widest of smiles.
The two were sitting upon the river side, empty mugs they had borrowed and a near to empty cask just nearby. The mead maid was the innkeeper's daughter, and together with her they managed to sneak a whole cask of the finest mead to the fast flowing shore of the River Snowbourn, where a boat filled with most of their clothes was piled up in. It was getting late now, the moon reflecting her pale light on the moving water.
“I.. told you.. I! Killed.. the orc chief with a single arrow, in snow and rain and wind. A clean shot.”, Langhund boasted out as he swayed back and forth where he sat.
The mead maid once again smiled widely as she heard this, looking up to the sky dreamily at the adventures in the far off land. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, rustling came from the brush behind them.
“Hragh… these trees.. I’ll never find them.”, the voice was familiar… too familiar for the woman’s liking, and her eyes shot open and gasped, whispering to Langhund in a hurry.
“My father! Quick.. Hide!”
Though of course, Hund was drunk, and he crawled slowly over towards the boat filled with their clothes, peering over the edge to see the innkeeper burst through the brush, a torch in one hand and a sword in the other.
“Where is he?! I know that Wildman bastard is here, the thief!” He looked over his daughter, who was just using a cloak to hide her modesty who was now frozen in shock that her father just appeared. The greying innkeep nearly died right there on the spot to see his daughter in such a state, his face going red as he shouted out. “I’ll kill that half-blood!”
Panic set in now, and as quick as a drunk man could do he pushed the boat, what he thought to be subtly into the water, however the splashing of his feet as he hopped in and out, as well as a stumble down didn’t help. A deep shout bellowed from behind him, and just as Hund got into the water with an oar in hand, a stone bounced off the wooden side of the boat and plonked into the water. He was safe! And victorious!
Up he stood in the boat, a foot planted on the edge as his darkened skin was shown in the pale moonlight, his wild red hair flowing in the wind created by the river and he shouted out.
“I shall never forget how you moaned my name, Alfilda!”
The mead maiden paused for a moment, her brow furrowing in deeper anger than her father’s who stood besides her, glaring out at the half-blood. “My name is Edusa, you bastard! You said you’d love me forever yet you can’t even remember by name!?”
The stress of the last few minutes must have gotten to Alfilda, or Edusa, which ever her name was, thought Langhund… and this point was confirmed when another rock flew, but this time hit him, straight in the chest. He already couldn’t stand properly, and this sent him off balance and with a splash, he disappeared into the waters.
The next morning, the world was a blur. Where was he? On a stony river bank that certainly wasn’t comfortable. He looked to the sky… it must’ve been near noon. With a stiff groan he worked his way to his hands and knees, and crawled along for a bit, until he had the strength to stand and walk. First, he needed clothes, luckily the boat wasn’t that far from where he awoke, caught on some rocks. He dressed in his clothes from the night before, and even took the dress for it might do well when it comes to gift giving it to another woman.
Now… he had to find a place to drink, rest and eat, it was a good thing the town of Aldburg was not far.
