The Trip

Chapter 9 Snowy Settlement

After about an hour's ride, a wall appeared in the distance. Dunkel came to a light trot as he brought us closer to the wall, which was made of stone. Bright green moss covered some of the stone, and the wall looked like it went on for miles to the left and right.

Looking around me, it seemed like I was in a desert of pure white snow. If the wall hadn't been visible or I weren't riding Dunkel, I would have gotten lost in this snowy wasteland.

I patted Dunkel's neck, and we continued along the trail leading to the stone archway that was the entrance to the town. Entering the town, I noticed everything, from the roads to the buildings, was made from stone. The buildings within the city walls looked like cottages, and everything about the town had an old, rustic charm. It's like I was in a different time. As soon as we entered the town, Dunkel took a hard right.

"Aye!" I exclaimed, expressing my surprise. "Where are we going, Dunkel?"

Here and there, we passed by people, mostly traveling to and from within the city in pairs. Some were dressed weirdly. When I looked at their faces, I noticed some had gold eyes, just like Gabriel. Eventually, Dunkel stopped at a stable filled with other horses. The stable was next to what looked like a tavern, which appeared to be the only structure built next to the stone wall. I left Dunkel and led him to the water next to the stable.

"I guess we're supposed to be here?" I said as I petted his head.

"Well, hello there."

I turned around to see a tall man with a round belly and a friendly smile standing before me. He had a blonde, handlebar mustache and a bald head. His skin was a pale white, but not like the skin of the strange man from the forest. The smiling man looked to be dressed in what a bartender would wear.

"Hello," I said nervously.

"I knew I heard a familiar trot!" the blacksmith said, looking to Dunkel. Dunkel lifted his head from the water trough, neighed in response, and then went back to drinking.

"Do you know Gabriel then?" I asked in a panic. "He is in trouble, out in the forest. Some man tried to attack us, and he is still back there—"

"Ah, calm down now," the man said with his hands up. "Gabriel can handle himself better than anyone in this town." The man rubbed his shiny head.

"But—" I was cut off this time by Dunkel nudging me towards the man. I guess Dunkel agreed with him.

"You look tired; come on into the tavern," he said with a big smile.

I walked towards him, and he put his arm around my shoulders like we were old-time friends.

"I'll whip you up a nice juicy steak," he said with a hearty laugh.

"Steak, you say?" I said with excitement.

"Only the best steak in town. And that's saying something!" he said happily, leading me towards the tavern's entrance.

The tavern was filled with all types of people. Music played, and people were laughing and talking to one another. The bar was to the tavern's right and was long with ample room for customers. The rest of the room was filled with wooden tables and chairs. I could see towards the back of the tavern, where a wooden stairway led up to a second floor. The whole place gave off a vibe that was homey and pleasant.

"Why don't you mingle with some folk while I get your food ready?" the tavern owner said with another big smile.

"Yeah, okay," I said nervously.

"Don't be afraid; no one in here will bite you...at least, I don't think they will," he said as he walked back towards the bar.

Taking a deep, steadying breath, I walked towards a crowd of people near the left wall of the tavern. Some people stood and talked, others sat around tables, while some stuck to the shadowy corners. As I continued walking around, looking lost, I'm sure a girl waved at me. She was sitting with another girl at a round table next to the open center of the tavern.

"Hi," I said as I grabbed a chair and sat at the table.

"Hey, girl," the girl waved at me, flashing a warm smile. She had dark skin with short black hair full of finger waves. She had a white smile and big, beautiful brown eyes. She had a black outfit similar to mine, with her coat draped over the back of her chair.

"What's up?" asked another girl at the table. The second girl smirked at me as she leaned back in her chair. She had a brown complexion with long, straight black hair. She wore a beanie and had a piercing in her nose, and her eyes were a soothing hazel color. The way she sat and dressed told me this girl was a tomboy. She, too, was dressed in all black.

"You looked lost, so I thought I would invite you over," the brown-eyed girl said. "I'm Kara, and this is Trina," she said sweetly, introducing herself and her tomboy friend.

"I'm Amara; nice to meet you both," I said with a big smile.

Just then, an enormous roar of excitement erupted to our left. A bald-headed man was standing and yelling loudly, waving his hands in the air. He had gold eyes like Gabriel, and his ears were pierced with golden studs. There was a crowd of people cheering him on as he stood on the table proudly.

Kara folded her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow. "I guess he won the arm wrestling contest," she said, agitated.