Broken Arrow

Chapter Two: The Forest Kings

The Forest Kings is the only pub in Rosewater, it is also the oldest building. Travellers from far and wide who visit Rosewater enjoy a nice pint of beer whilst sitting by the old oak bar with a roaring fire at the far end. The pub was named after an old folk tale of how 18th Century Kings took refuge within the Forest during battle and conquered when they used the trees to their advantage to win.

The atmosphere is deliciously intensified, various groups of people inside toast to the festive season, women in their colourful glittery dresses and men in their two piece suits whilst wearing silly different coloured hats they pulled from the crackers that the bar staff – that are forced to wear distasteful Christmas jumpers, handed to them with their drink.

The wind turned bitter once the sun went down, Charlie did not think her outfit through until she is halfway towards The Forest Kings. Her sequined top and black leather leggings made the coldness bite at her skin, she wishes she had listened to Clive and took her leather jacket. She wanted to avoid the awkward encounter of Clive asking how she is feeling about her mum, she isn't coming and Charlie has accepted that for the past eighteen years. She powerwalks towards the pub whilst her body is turning numb.

Oliver Knight - a tall and very well built man with natural sun kissed skin and mesmerizing emerald eyes, knew Charlie would be late, he came into the pub early and sat at a two seater table by the fireplace after ordering himself a beer. He watches the people in the pub whilst he waits for the pretty blonde to arrive, every time the door opens he looks up but she is not there. Sighing he checks his phone and chuckles, Charlie is indeed fifteen minutes late, a new record. Oliver constantly teases her about her tardiness and quotes that she would be late for her own funeral which normally gets accompanied by a playful slap on the arm. The door of the pub swings open and Charlie looks until she notices Oliver sitting by the fire, she crosses her arms over her chest as she walks over to her best friend.

"I am so sorry Oliver." Charlie's voice shakes, Oliver looks up from his phone and sees her small frame shaking and her teeth chattering.

"Oh for heaven's sake Charlie!" He gasps before jumping up and pulling her towards the fireplace. "We are in the middle of December and your wearing that!" He points to her top.

Rolling her eyes, she rubs her hands up and down her arms. "Clive wanted to play overprotective parent so I rushed out." She chuckles. "How late am I?" She questions.

Oliver looks at the time on his phone again before looking at her with a smirk. "Eighteen minutes."

Her eyes go wide. "I am so sorry!" She repeats.

"Usually it's half an hour, so you're getting better." He says while getting up. "Now wait here and I'll go get you a drink."

She nods and scoots closer to the fireplace, warmth is spreading throughout her body and she is starting to feel her hands and arms coming back to her. She will regret not having her jacket on the way home afterwards, but she hopes that she will be drunk enough to not mind later.

Oliver stands by the bar waiting for the severely unhappy bartender to give him the drinks he has ordered, he looks over at Charlie and smiles. He hasn't seen her since August just before she moved back to London. He can't afford to slack off and visit her as many times as he wishes, Rosewater needs him and the others here not somewhere else.

"That will be £10.50 please." The 'pleasant' bartender says while placing the drinks on the bar. Oliver pays for the drinks and brings them over to their table, almost spilling a few drops as drunk women stumble back in their heels almost crashing into him.