Just an Old House
Tony found it difficult to keep up with his his new found companion. The man was making good use of his long legs and walked much faster than Tony was used to. At times, it seemed that Tony was following him to the tavern and not the other way around.
When they arrived at The Green Glade in considerably less than an hour, Tony was out of breath and panting. He was also out of temper. 'Now look,' Tony started, but the stranger interrupted him.
'What a picturesque place,' he exclaimed.
'No, it's not,' Tony replied, feeling justifiedly exasperated. 'It's just an old house that's being held together by dust, spite, and spilled ale.'
The stranger laughed. 'Come, my friend, we're so close to our destination, there's no need to quarrel now. Just think on how a visit to the bathhouse will restore your good cheer.'
'There is no bathhouse. If you feel the rain wasn't good enough, you can go and clean yourself at the well.'
The stranger looked a little surprised, but kept smiling anyway.
Tony sighed; he saw the landlord standing at the window and could feel the man's intense, distrusting stare on him. 'Please just follow me and let me do all the business, right? I mean, no offence, but I know my way around here while you...'
It was too late though. Tony's companion was already approaching the building with long strides and again, he had to hurry to keep up. He managed to enter the inn in front of the stranger only by a second. 'Good grief!' Tony exclaimed, still panting and still out of temper. 'Why can't you listen?' He had an idea of going into a somewhat longish tirade about the man's shortcomings but the familiar stench of smoke, stale ale, and unwashed bodies began to fill his nostrils as soon as he tried to catch a breath and stopped him.
'Tony,' the landlord, who had indeed been loitering near the frontdoor, greeted him. 'Long time no see.'
'Yeah. You know what it's like.'
'So, who's your friend?' the landlord asked suspiciously as the huge blond stranger closed the door behind himself and stood next to Tony. 'Never seen him before.'
'Just met him on the road,' Tony muttered. 'Said he needs a room for the night. And not my friend at all, we never met before.'
'What's his name?'
'Don't know,' Tony admitted. He wasn't exactly proud of the way he behaved and he also realised that his manners were so deeply within the range of terrible right now, they could make his beloved mother scream at him from her grave. Still, Tony couldn't help it. There was something unnerving about the stranger and Tony had no idea how to deal with it. The only thing he was wishing for at the moment was to get out of this thing with his skin still intact. 'Look, I really have no idea who this fellow is. He just kinda followed me around,' he added quickly.
'Óli! You may call me Óli, good man,' the man boomed and stretched out his hands towards the landlord. If there was something wrong with Tony's manners, Óli didn't seem to mind.
Oh no, Tony thought, this is not how we are doing things here.
But again, it was too late to stop Óli now: he was enthusiastically shaking the inn keeps's hand while nodding and smiling as if there was no tomorrow.
For the fracture of a second Tony's eyes and the eyes of the landlord met and Tony understood immediately that this might have been a huge mistake after all; people around here were not fond of strangers, and if Óli didn't start pulling his shit together anywhere soon, this might mean a shallow grave for Tony somewhere in the woods. Or worse, if the rumours were to be believed.
Dead or alive, Tony didn't want to be fed to the porkers.
But Óli, blissfully unaware of what kind of place this was, just strutted towards the counter where the landlord's wife was busy polishing the steins, and loudly demanded two rooms for the night,. 'One for me and one for my friend.' he added and placed a heavy arm on Tony's shoulder while drawing him closer.
'Can't afford a single room,' Tony muttered. 'A bed in the dorm for me.'
'It's on me,' Óli replied happily and threw his threadbare bundle onto the counter. 'Nothing's too good for my friend.'
The landlady eyed him like a predator calculating their chances. 'We have only one single room left,' she said with something like regret in her voice. She surely felt sorry for not being ably to milk this unexpected cow any further. 'There's still a bed in the dorm though.'
'I'll take both,' Óli replied.
'Cash first,' the landlord, who had been listening in on the conversation, said sharply after a moment or two. Óli nodded and opened his bundle.
No, buddy, you don't, Tony thought, alarmed, but it was already too late: Óli had reached into the bundle and when his hand came out again, there were coins in his palm, real coins, fresh and shiny gold and silver coins from the Royal Mint in Glaðsheim. They were nothing at all like the tiny copper pieces or the hacksilver that counted as currency in these remote parts of Asgard.
Fuck.
The taproom went silent and all eyes were on Óli now and, heck, yes, as far as Tony could tell, they were not friendly at all.
Because the dude was obviously full of prunes and also, judging by the way he dressed, behaved and talked, a wealthy scion of the despised upper class. In other words, he was a born and bred warrior who shouldn't even be near a place like The Green Glade except as a member of a large group of his peers who were about to carry out clear orders from the king to burn down the inn and arrest it's staff and guests.
But then, here he was with no one but Tony in his company, this huge smile on his lips and his bundle full of cash. And, just like he couldn't care less, he threw a handful of coins on the counter. 'Bed and board for my friend and me,' Óli said casually. 'Just tell me if you need more.'
'More of what?' the landlord asked bedazzled; he obviously couldn't believe what he was looking at.
Óli frowned. 'Coin, of course. What are you thinking, man? Are you stupid?'
Ah, yes. The arrogance. Tony remembered the attitude only too well and he also remembered those days when he used to speak in that kind of voice. Gone, gone, gone. But he's alive and, as his mother used to say, where there's life, there is hope. Or whatever. So Tony started counting his blessings. Item: big mystery dude just bought him a bed for the night, supper, and maybe breakfast, too. Or maybe not; the keeps of the The Green Glade were not known for generosity.
But still, there was gold on the counter.
It made Tony wonder if they were going to survive the night.