A Blaze in the Dark (A New Dawn #1)

Chapter 17 - Fox (Part 2)

A cheery tinkle clinked as Katla pushed the twisted wooden handle and entered the tavern. Fox followed him, raising his head to see where the noise was coming from. The clapper of the tin bell above the doorway was swaying back and forth, its song muffled by an ear-piercing shriek. "Katla! Don't tell me you've been outside in this awful weather. Come right on in, or you'll surely catch a cold."

Behind the enormous bar that stretched along the entire eastern wall stood a plump old lady with hair like straw, drying a beer mug with two ears. She bit her lip and cooed, "Aww, what happened to that poor little wretch you got there, darling? He's all soaking wet."

"I'm not a wretch." Fox looked down at his hands, all covered in mud. He was wet and dirty though.

"Doe meet Fox, my new apprentice. Fox meet Doe, self-proclaimed mother of all Moondalers." Katla patted Fox's back, edging him closer to the tavern lady. "He tripped and fell right into that pool before Corbin's. I think he's gonna need at least one warm apple juice, and one of your famous blueberry pies too—just to be sure."

"Of course. But let me first have a look at his pretty face," Doe said.

Fox flicked a piece of dirt from under his fingernail. He couldn't eat pie like this. "I don't have a pre—"

A wet cloth landed on his cheeks. Too startled to move he stared at the woman while she rubbed his forehead, then wiped his hands clean. "Isn't this much better? Now go sit by the fire, sweetheart. I'll take care of you now."

"O-Okay." Fox trailed Katla towards the other end of the tavern, where a thick log smouldered lazily on the hearth of the fireplace.

The Antler was easily three times the size of Laneby's tavern, yet nearly all of the tables were empty. Apart from him and Katla, there was only one other small group of men, who were drinking a dark brown foamy liquid out of those two-eared mugs. They were chatting quietly while Doe droned on, "... so worried, especially when that terrible thunderstorm moved south a few nights ago. I said to myself, 'Doe, they're grown men. They know what they're doing.' Yet still I feared that a rock would land on your poor heads, crushing you to death." She clutched her chest. "I knew you were back because Phoe popped by for a few drinks last night, but it's so good to see you made it out of The Greenlands in one piece."

"Yeah, the mountain pass wasn't easy." Katla settled in the ash-stained velvet chair near the fireplace and snapped his fingers. Flames in red and orange spiked high, almost kissing the mantel. Fox turned around, his back against the glowing warmth. "Because of the storm, we missed our initial route completely, which meant I had to use Earth Magic again on our way back as well. Next time Badger should come along. Not that I think there will be a next time—not for me anyway."

"Katla, darling, please. I'm glad you're home again, but you know that I don't wanna hear any details about those trips of yours." She approached them with two steaming mugs in her hands and placed them on the glass-top table. "If Ariel thinks it's needed, then I trust his decision with all my heart."

Fox folded his hands around the warm mug. If only this cheery grandmother knew what her friend had really done in Laneby. How many people were dead because of him and that evil Silvermark King? He took a slow sip. It was sweet and tasted of apples freshly picked from the tree.

He puffed out his trembling lip into a pout. The roasted apple had been the last meal he and his friends had shared. He took a bigger sip to drown the sadness before it could spread any further. Something was wrong. He remembered all that, but not Seb being... alive... his friend... the one who was always telling him that he could never be a real warrior.

No, that wasn't it, but it was important too.

"Fly down from your sour cloud, little dreamer, and make yourself at home." Doe placed a plate on the table, containing a huge piece of blueberry pie, and put a fork next to it. "If you want another piece, there's more in the oven. It will be ready soon."