With a good silver button of Aemond's jacket, the tavern owner had accepted the offer, and placed a large bowl full of broth and fish on the table. Next to the bowl she placed a large mug, which Lucerys guessed would have cheap ale in it, and the bread was enough to fill a large man for a whole afternoon, and was tender and warm. Luke was only given a large jug full of fresh water and a glass to pour it into. He filled and emptied it in big gulps, while Aemond barely lifted his head from the bowl. They didn't talk, they just went about their business. They did not even sit across from each other, for Lucerys had positioned himself in a corner completely parallel to Aemond's and sat sideways to him, so he could not look at him, and if Aemond looked at Luke, he would only see his profile.
As his uncle was a thin man, the bread had been left barely intact, though the bowl was completely empty, as was his jug. Out of the corner of his eye, Luke could see Aemond wiping his mouth with a napkin, like a nobleman. He had to suppress the smirk that threatened to break out, for he knew those never ended well. He saved the bread for later and Lucerys continued to drink.
"Are you sure you don't want to eat?" The blond asked him.
Luke shook his head. The hunger hadn't kicked in yet, not for a single moment, and though he was starting to lose that sick feeling in his stomach, he didn't see the need to spend any money. He continued to sip his drink.
"If you drink like that you'll never get rid of your thirst." Aemond had moved a little closer to his side of the table and took the glass from his hands.
"Give me my glass, and let me drink it as I please, Aemond." The young man was irritated.
"I remind you that I paid for it, with my own money... I'm not going to ask for another jug just to waste it." He was right, but buying him water would be the least he could do. He should drink the water from his own house, with his clothes clean and well worn. He watched as Aemond poured a scant amount of water into Luke's glass and passed it to him.
Luke drank it with a frown and a grimace, as if it had even been bad for him. Although it had been the opposite, it hadn't been enough, and he held the glass out to Aemond for him to refill it. He filled it again to less than half full.
"We should be able to sneak onto a ship."
"They could transport us if they sympathised with my mother...or your brother." Luke answered between sips, always holding out the glass for Aemond to fill it so sparingly and so slowly.
"It seems dangerous to me, I don't know what kind of people the Tarth people are." Aemond looked around the tavern, it wasn't full, but it wasn't empty either, no one could hear them speak softly, and when someone went out, soon after someone came in.
"I haven't heard much of Bryndemere Tarth...I don't know anything, actually." Luke admitted, who was beginning to lose his thirst and was taking longer to drink what little water he had been poured.
"I'm afraid I don't know anything about him either. I don't even know his age. I don't think it'll be long before we meet him anyway."
"Maybe we're in the Ruins of Morne."
"That's a possibility...and a big fat fuck-up." His uncle was frustrated. The Ruins was a small island next to Evenfall, the large island where Evenfall Hall, Lord Tarth's castle, was located, and where they wanted to go. Unfortunately, the castle was at the other end of the Ruins. Not only would they have to get a boat, but they would have to walk a very long way with little knowledge of the area.
"You should shut up, so we can hear from someone where we are." Luke reminded his uncle, who just a while ago had threatened to hit him if he didn't shut up. But it had been Aemond who had spoken first. He saw him twist his expression to one of surprise and then anger, clenching his jaw as it was true and he didn't speak again.
