Aaron had been to many bars and taverns in his life. There was uncertainty and too much change to be found in the world, and Aaron learned early that a firm wooden stool to sit on and a cold glass of something was something that could always be depended on.
This was one of the worst taverns Aaron had ever been to.
It was not the worst, as Aaron could recount losing gold to a swindler in a bar, or being drugged to waking up to lying naked in an alleyway. Those times were certainly worse, but this tavern was close.
Even though it was mid day, curtains and nailed wooden boards kept the sun's light out, and what light did exist came from the candles. Each candle looked to be seconds from spilling hot wax or falling to the ground, as they lay on a mountain of melted down wax.
The building was old and not maintained well. It was the type of place that you could see the smell wafting above its clientele.
Iccos and Aaron sat next to each other at the bar, with a hooded patron at the other far end of the row of stools. Iccos had whispered to Aaron that a person with their hood up is a person who should not be disturbed. Aaron did his best not to even look in the hooded figure's direction.
The rest of the tavern was mostly deserted, a handful of patrons were sitting at the tables. The barkeep, who doubled as the food server, was struggling to keep his eyes open. Some flies were buzzing about, every now and then landing on the bar keep, but he seemed to not notice or mind.
Aaron had done his best not to say anything, only responding to Iccos and the bar keep in head movements and grunts. He knew that the next time he spoke, Iccos would tell him how they would now have to part ways.
"Aaron?" Iccos asked.
Aaron damned the timing of it all.
"Yeah?" Though Aaron was a fully grown man, he was sure that his response sounded like that of a child's.
"When we're done here, do you have an idea of where we should go next?"
As Aaron's heart and nerves were shot to hell, he took longer to respond than a person should.
"What?" Was all Aaron could muster at the moment.
"I know that I was the one who initially suggested us coming here, but what should we do now?"
"I thought you didn't want to travel with me anymore." Aaron said instead of thinking, his eyes widening and the life flushing from his face as the words left him.
Iccos took a small sip of his drink. He had been nursing it the whole time they'd been there, and it looked practically full next to Aaron's which had but a splash left.
"Where'd you get that idea from?"
"From the campfire. I got the impression that I wasn't the kind of person you'd want to be around." Aaron was continually surprised by his honesty and openness, as he was normally to type to let his paranoid thoughts simmer within his mind.
"Ah." Iccos leaned as far back in his stool as he could, similar to before he told something to Aaron at the campfire.
"Aaron, I'm sorry. Even though I did not intend for my words to hurt, it seems they did nonetheless."
Aaron was not even sure as to how to act in this moment. He already felt bad bringing up the subject, and now he felt guilt for Iccos being the one to apologize to him.
"You're right, you're definitely not who I would normally be traveling with."
Iccos sighed and paused a moment before continuing.
"Because normally I'm not with anyone. Haven't been for some time. At least for now, I feel like I can trust you. Until you give me a reason not to, I don't think I'll mind sticking around with you."
Aaron was shocked by this response. Not because he thought that Iccos was an unkind person, but because these were the kindest words Aaron had ever heard spoken to him in earnest.
"Thank you Iccos."
Iccos nodded, as this was also a situation he did not find himself in often.
The two of them kept attending to their drinks, rarely lifting their eyes from the bar's countertop.
"So..." Aaron said, in an attempt to break the silence.
"What do we do from here?"
Iccos took in a deep breath, clearly giving much thought as how to answer Aaron's question.
"We can't keep going town to town, selling your teeth for drinks." Aaron hoped his attempt at a joke wasn't crossing some sort of line.
Iccos chuckled in response.
"I've most likely done it too much already."
Iccos pulled his gums up and down, showing that he had already lost a few of his teeth prior to today.
"Why would you do a thing like that?" Aaron cried out, catching that he was probably too loud for their setting.
"This is far from the first time that I've had no coin."
Aaron grimaced at the thought of ever having to pull his own teeth out for any purpose, much less to sell for some coin.
A moment of somewhat awkward silence once again befell them. This was a new friendship, and growing pains were to be expected.
"Aaron, have you thought much about what you saw in that tree?"
Aaron's initial response of dread and panic was difficult to quell, but he wanted to be able to converse with Iccos.
"Not really, no. It was the source of many sleepless night and problems in my life for sometime."
"I've been thinking about it, and I think it means a few things."
Iccos took a small sip of his drink, his glass still well over halfway full.
"The first part, I think, means a war is coming. Then I think after the war, someone new will take the throne."
Iccos took extra caution to say the later part quietly, as even in dingy businesses like this, you never knew who saw the crown as god.
Aaron nodded as Iccos explained his interpretation.
"That makes sense, but what about the room flooding with blood and the scream I heard at the end?"
"That I'm still unsure of. Maybe if we-"
The door to the tavern burst open, calling all of the patrons at attention.
A man, leading three others into the tavern, walked in like a swaggering peacock.
"Barkeep! Four of whatever's good."
The barkeep stood at attention, and began pouring drinks.
The four strangers sat at the bar, the one who had spoke sat right next to Aaron.
Aaron kept his eyes straight forward, only moving his head to feign looking at the status of his drink.
He only moved when the man next to him was clearly smiling while looking directly at him.
Aaron slowly but surely turned his head to face him.
The man's smile somehow grew.
"Hello there."