The tavern was small. The first-floor hall was less than forty square meters, with three or four heavy, solid wood tables.
At the back of the hall, a wooden staircase led to the second floor. Following Gabry up, they saw two rooms with open doors at the top of the stairs.
The room prepared for Aldric and Kevin had a low ceiling and was furnished very simply, almost crudely. There were only two beds and a wooden rack, upon which sat a wooden basin with a leather strap for carrying on one's hip.
The beds had no mattresses, only pillows carved from wood.
Holy crap, I get to sleep in a bed!
Aldric happily took off his armor, and just as he was about to lie down, the tavern owner and his clumsy brother came in, each carrying a large bundle of hay, which they spread on the beds. "My lord," Gabry said, "this is hay from last year's harvest. It's been drying for months, very dry. You'll surely have a good sleep."
So this is the legendary straw bed!
After they left, Aldric eagerly threw himself onto the bed, inhaling the dusty, sweet scent of the hay. He pulled the old, tattered blanket that was haphazardly thrown over the straw and said to Kevin, "You take the other bed... ah..." A few breaths later, he was snoring.
The long-awaited bed and blanket made Aldric reluctant to wake up. Even as afternoon turned to evening, he lingered in bed, unwilling to get up.
It wasn't until a soft knock came at the door that he reluctantly answered, "What is it?"
The young boy Alvin's voice came from outside. "Lord Knight, Elder William and Uncle Eonet want to see you. They want you to come down."
Aldric frowned, suddenly a little annoyed. Are the people of the North this impolite?
Putting aside the status of a heavy warrior, even for someone who had kindly helped their friends and family, this summons-like attitude wasn't right.
Aldric was about to ignore it and go back to sleep when he heard a sharp smack from outside, followed by Uncle Eonet's slightly aged voice. "I told you to deliver a message, what did you tell him?"
Then, Eonet's own anxious voice sounded outside the door. "Lord Knight, the boy doesn't know how to speak properly, please don't mind him. The elder of our village wishes to request an audience with you. We hope that when you wake up, you can come downstairs for a chat. We'll be waiting downstairs."
The same meaning, but phrased this way, sounded much more pleasant. "Wait a moment, I'll be right down."
Aldric pushed himself up with difficulty. Seeing the basin on the rack was already full of fresh water, he scooped some up to wash his face, then turned and went downstairs.
Arriving in the first-floor hall, Aldric saw Eonet sitting with the man who had led the charge at the village entrance. He walked over and pulled out a chair opposite them. "I thought Elder William would be a white-bearded old man in his seventies or eighties, leaning on a cane. I didn't expect him to be so young." Aldric smiled and asked, "What did you want to see me about?"
"Elder is just a title. I'm actually ten years younger than 'Baldy' Eonet."
The militia leader teased his companion, then shook hands with Aldric. "Let me introduce myself. My name is William. I am the elder of this village and the leader of the militia. On behalf of the village, I thank you for your help. The seaside village was founded by our relatives who branched off from our village a dozen years ago. We are deeply saddened to hear about the pirate attack. Claire told me you helped bury the victims of the seaside village, is that right?"
"Yes, it was just a small effort."
"Digging a pit big enough to bury dozens of people is no small effort." He turned and called to the yellow-haired man wiping a table at the counter. "Gabry, bring us three mugs of foaming ale."
A moment later, Gabry brought three large wooden mugs on a tray. The mugs were filled with a brownish-yellow liquid topped with white foam.
Aldric took a sip. It tasted a bit like kvass, sweet and a little sour. "May I ask what this is brewed from? It has a nice malty flavor, very good."
Gabry gave a shy smile that didn't quite match his appearance. "It's just leftover stale bread from the tavern. But there are a few ancestral tricks involved."
"Thank you for the ale," Aldric said, raising his mug to him.
After Gabry left, William continued, "The attack on the seaside village is not only a tragedy for us, but also a warning. The pirates are back. I remember Old Granny Aeffe used to love telling the children stories about the Skagosi pirates. You must have heard them too, right?"
Eonet took a drink of ale, reminiscing. "Of course. I still remember how on cool evenings, the old lady would sit at the village entrance, working and telling scary stories. She talked most about the pirates from Skagos, saying they were tall and strong, bloodthirsty, and even ate human flesh."
"May her soul rest in peace." William raised his mug in a toast to the deceased. "The old lady's husband and eldest son both died fighting pirates. All her life, she warned the villagers about their terror and cruelty. But after so many years of peace, everyone thought they were just spooky stories to scare children..."
William continued, "Pirates are a nuisance. They come and go like the wind, raid, and leave. We never know when they'll show up. I've already made arrangements. During the day, the militia will be armed and on guard while people work. At night, there will be a watch. But Stoneyard Village has only a little over two hundred households, and the militia has only a dozen men. Even counting all the able-bodied adults who can wield a weapon, it's only about seventy men, and many of them have never seen real combat."
Aldric listened silently, continuing to drink his ale.
Eonet added, "We've already sent word to warn the other nearby villages, and we've also sent a warning to the castellan. Lord Rodney should make arrangements soon. It will probably be a few days before a decision comes down from above. If you have no other plans for these few days, Ser Aldric, we hope you will stay here."
"During these few days, you and your squire can rest upstairs. The village will provide all your food and drink. If the pirates attack our village, we hope you will assist us in our defense. We can discuss payment then."
Aldric gently sipped the ale from his mug, thinking.
He wasn't opposed to staying here for a few days. After all, with pirates running rampant, it wasn't safe to be on the road with a child like Kevin.
As for assisting in the defense, William hadn't set a firm price, which was reasonable. After all, no one knew if the pirates would attack, how many would come, or how strong they would be.
Setting a price now could lead to one side feeling they got a bad deal later.
Since the terms were reasonable, Aldric didn't play coy and readily agreed.
William and Eonet exchanged a surprised look, clearly not expecting it to be so easy. Their goal achieved, they quickly wished him well. "We hope you have a pleasant stay with us, Ser Aldric."
"Thank you."
After William and Eonet left, Aldric ordered dinner. According to the standard agreed upon by the village and Gabry, Aldric's dinner included a piece of whole-wheat dark bread, a slice of cured meat, a bowl of mushroom soup or vegetable soup, and a large mug of ale. Perhaps considering Aldric's size, Gabry provided a generous portion, and it tasted very good.
Halfway through his meal, Kevin came downstairs, rubbing his eyes.
Aldric waved him over to sit across from him and ordered a dinner for him as well.
After dinner, Aldric suggested a walk, and the two of them strolled through the village in the twilight glow.
The people who had been working in the fields were now returning home.
Smoke rose from every chimney, and children ran and played in the streets. Some wanted to follow Aldric out of curiosity, but they were quickly shooed home by their parents with kicks and slaps.
By now, everyone in Stoneyard Village knew that this tall, black-haired man was a powerful warrior who had single-handedly killed a dozen (an exaggeration) pirates. Though everyone was curious, no one dared to get too close to find out if Aldric was good-tempered by risking their own lives.
Aldric didn't feel excluded by this. In fact, he was happy for the peace the distance brought it was a good opportunity to have a private conversation with Kevin.
When they reached a less crowded area, Aldric asked, "Kevin, we've found an inhabited village now. What are your plans for the future?"
Kevin didn't quite understand. "Ser, what kind of plans do you mean?"
"I mean, don't you plan to go back to the Fingers? Although we didn't see your uncle's body, I assume he's already dead. If you still want to go to the Free Cities to be a mercenary, it probably won't be easy. You're only fourteen now, not yet an adult. Shouldn't you go back to the Fingers and stay with your parents?"
Hearing Aldric's words, Kevin panicked. "I, Ser, I don't know... Did I do something wrong to make you angry? Please tell me, I learn quickly, I'll make you satisfied, please don't send me away..."
Aldric waved his hand, chose his words carefully, and said, "I'm not trying to send you away... With you here to help, my life is easier too."
"To be honest, you're a good kid. Smart, steady, and eager to learn. But you're too young. In my homeland, kids your age are still asking their parents for pocket money to buy candy. I'm far from home, with nowhere to go. If you continue to follow me, who knows how long we'll have to wander before we can settle down. I think that might not be fair to you."
Hearing it wasn't his fault, Kevin breathed a sigh of relief and replied earnestly, "Ser, from the day my father told me I had to follow my uncle to White Harbor, I no longer had a home. That house in Splitwater is my father's and my brother's home, not mine. My uncle once told me that a man's true glory cannot be found by staying in a small village. I'm not afraid of wandering. I'm only afraid of dying without having achieved anything."
Aldric laughed at his words. "Haha, the grand declarations of youth. It's always a pleasure to hear them."
Thinking Aldric was mocking him, Kevin's face flushed, and he tried to explain, "Ser, I..."
Aldric cut him off casually. "It's fine. I was the same when I was young. It's not a bad thing."
He paused, then continued, "When you take on an apprentice here, is there a ceremony? Do you know what the process is like?"
"An apprentice? You want to take me as your squire?" Kevin stopped in his tracks, his eyes wide with shock.
On the continent of Westeros, the relationship between a knight and a squire was equivalent to that of a master and an apprentice in a craftsman's guild.
To become a squire, one had to serve a knight for several years without pay, handling various chores and following the knight into battle. All rewards for their labor went to the knight, who would then distribute a small portion to the squire as a reward, depending on his mood.
In return, during this period, the knight was responsible for the squire's food, clothing, lodging, and training in martial arts. The knight was also responsible for the squire's actions and their consequences. In fact, the knight's responsibility in the matter was greater.
Therefore, proper knights were very serious about taking on squires. Usually, a knight would only take on two or three squires at a time, and when the squire was ready in his early twenties, the knight would grant him the title of knight.
If a knight didn't have a suitable candidate, he would only take on servants. Although they did similar work, a servant would never have the qualification to become a true knight.
From Kevin's observations over this period, Aldric was likely not just an ordinary knight, but possibly the son of a great noble family. As for how great, he had considered all the ranks except for the king himself and felt they all fell a little short.
Therefore, Kevin had never dared to hope for the opportunity to become Aldric's true squire. He had only hoped to follow him as a servant for a while, learn some skills, and then find his own way.
Now that Aldric was offering to take him as an apprentice, in Kevin's mind, that meant making him his squire.
Faced with this sudden, immense surprise, he didn't know what to say.
Seeing Kevin's misunderstanding, Aldric explained apologetically, "Kevin, I must tell you, although you've been calling me 'Ser,' I've never actually been a knight."
"I don't believe in the Seven, nor have I sworn fealty to any lord. I have my own beliefs, my own code of conduct, which may be very different from others on this land. I don't intend to force my ideals on you, so if you're not willing, I won't force you. I'll ask you one more time: are you willing to become my apprentice, to accept my teachings and my protection?"
Kevin didn't hesitate. "Ser, although we haven't known each other for long, you are more like a true knight than any nobleman I have ever met. If the code of conduct you follow has made you such a brave, strong, and upright person, then I am willing to follow in your footsteps and do the same."
"So when you ask if I am willing, my answer is yes. I am willing to swear fealty to you and become your squire... no, your apprentice!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Kevin was about to drop to one knee.
Seeing this, Aldric grabbed his arm and pulled him up, then patted him on the shoulder. "But a ceremony is still important. Since I'm taking you as my apprentice, we'll do it according to the customs of my homeland. But we'll have to wait a couple of days. I need to prepare some things."