Dragon Hunter

I'll miss you in the rainy nights

Three days.

Three days Roman got to spend with his boyfriends and he made sure to enjoy every second of it.

On the fourth day he was back on the road to Cijan.
The sky was dark and gray and the wind tasted of storm.
It was going to rain soon - most likely an entire thunder storm.

Roman hoped that the weather would hold until he reached Cijan and it did - for about five hours.

Then the first ice cold rain drops fell and he dug his calves into the horses stomach.
He wanted to find shelter before it really came down.
There should be an inn somewhere close by.

The rain got stronger and within minutes Roman was completely soaked.
Wet hair hung into his eyes and he had to squint and slow down to avoid landing in the ditch.

In the distance he spotted a dim light and headed towards it.

The light slowly got closer and he could make out the shape of a building.

"Almost there," he tried to tell his horse but the wind stole the words from his lips and carried them far, far away until they were drowned out by it's howling and a deep firey breath.

Roman tightened his grip on the reins slightly.

"Please be the inn," he whispered to himself as he began to shiver.

He couldn't make out the sign until he stood right infront of it. It was one of those inns with a really obscure name, those you forget but remember as soon as you hear the name again or see it anywhere.

'To the broken horse neck'

Roman decided not to question it. All that mattered at the moment was that it was warm and dry and that he could wait out the rain here.

He brought Maximus into the stables and went back to the main building.

As he stepped inside, he was greeted by warmth, the smell of beer and cooked meat.
The tavern was full of people, already drinking despite the fact that it was barely noon.

Roman made his way past the tables towards the bar.

"What can I do for you?" the barkeeper, a round woman with an impressive beard, asked him, her eyes lingering over the royal emblems on his chest.

"I'm just here to wait out the rain, don't worry," he responded. "I brought my horse into your stables, I hope that's alright?"

She nodded. "We welcome anyone, at anytime, for any reason. But do keep in mind; no fights. You pick a fight, you get kicked out. Don't care who with."

Roman chuckled. "Even if a dragon rider were to walk in here?"

He had meant it as a joke but the barkeepers eyes narrowed dangerously.

"No fights. We welcome anyone."

"Anyone!" a young boy sitting on the counter echoed.

"Alright, I get it," Roman brought up his hands in surrender. He didn't understand why they thought this way but he doubted a rider would even show up and didn't feel like going out again. "Do you have something warm to eat, by chance?"

Roman took a seat at an empty table by the window and tried a spoon of the stew the barkeeper had given him.
It wasn't anything special but a least warm enough that he almost burned his tounge.

He stared out into the rain.

Strong winds pushed and pulled at the trees and he could hardly see the light from the stables. It didn't look like it would get better anytime soon.