Free yourself

Afternoon was turning into evening as the sun started to dip behind Ishgard’s buildings. The sky burned a bright orange and red streaks danced across it. Erek stopped for a moment to enjoy the view. It was often difficult for him to find the time to stand still and appreciate things like this, but he always tried to do so as much as he could. He’d always had a busy life. First as a soldier in the army, then as its general, later his family had needed him and now his city required a part of him. His trip first to Norwyn and now to Ishgard also hadn’t gone as smooth as he’d expected. Ve, Rán and Nerys needed him more than he’d thought.

But he’d decided to forget about the family drama for the day. And so, he entered a tavern. The inside was lit by candles and a big open fire in the middle of the room. Erek sat at the bar and ordered a drink. It was warm inside and he was glad that he’d left his heavy fur coat at home. The tavern was filled with joyful voices talking and sharing stories, and Erek enjoyed the atmosphere.

Red had been traveling for days. He had started his quest in Norwyn. Unfortunately, it didn't get him very far. But someone had given him an idea that might help him with his search. He himself stopped believing in the Odirian deities years ago. The people of Ravaryn, however, were very religious and, more importantly, had a lot of faith in their high priestess and her divination abilities. So Red came to the conclusion that paying her a visit couldn't do any harm. The journey between Norwyn and Ishgard wasn't too bad, and Red was more than used to traveling. But the cold! Ugh! Horrible. Something he could never get used to. And it wasn't even the peak of frostcrown. It almost made him long for his days in Al-Qahil. But that was a place he was never allowed to return to. And the trail that he followed didn't really lead him back to the country of the sun. Not yet, at least. For now, he had to deal with the cold and the snow.

With a slight feeling of déjà vu, he led his trusted mare through the streets of Ishgard, looking for a place where they could find some warmth and a nice meal. Red found that place in a tavern. By the time his horse was good and well cared for, the sun had set and night was starting to fall. Inside the tavern, it was warm and life was tangible, with all its visitors sharing stories, laughing and drinking. Until Red walked through the door. Multiple conversations faded into quietness as many of them turned to look at the rugged stranger by the door, who stared back at them with a deep frown. Soon, their conversations softly continued in whispers, but by the time Red had hung his coat on a coat hanger, everyone was back to their joyful, lively conversations.

He was happy with the warmth inside, but the livelyness filled his lonely heart with a longing for his wife. He took a seat at the bar, ordered a drink and a meal, and took his hat off. Putting it on the bar between him and another man, seated two stools next to him. As he looked at this man, Red took a hollow ox horn that he had fastened to his leather belt. The ox horn had the same warm glow coming from inside, much like the warm inviting glow of the fireplace. Red started feeding the coals inside the oxhorn with little wood chips, silently wondering why the face of that man seemed familiar. He couldn't place his finger on it, but he surely felt like he had seen the man before. "Have we met before? " he started, without a proper introduction or even a hello.

For a moment the room fell quiet. Erek turned around, wondering what the fuss was about, and saw someone had entered the tavern. The reaction made it clear he wasn’t from around these parts, if he’d been known the chatting would’ve just continued. Erek didn’t pay much attention to the man and went back to his drink, only turning to the stranger when he spoke to him, taking the opportunity to study the other’s face. A rough stubble graced his cheeks and hazel eyes looked questioningly at Erek. The man didn’t seem familiar to him, but maybe it had been so long he didn’t recognise him anymore. The governor had always been in the public eye and so it could also always just be that the other recognised Erek from his role in the Trygg family, as a general or recently as a governor. “I’m not sure,” he spoke. “Have you been in Ravaryn before?” He couldn’t place where the man was from, just that he wasn’t from around here.

Red chuckled dry and smileless, as he took out a half smoked cigar from his vest pocket. ”I have. A life time ago.” lighting the cigar with the help of his ox horn. It was one of the last bunch he had brought with him from overseas. As he puffed smoke his eyes went back to his neighbor, slightly squinted, pondering over the man's familier face. And maybe that was all it was. Just one of those familier faces. But still Red couldn't shake the feeling that he had met him before. Those piercing blue eyes and the way they looked at him.. He fastened the horn back to his leather belt, still looking at the man. ”Red Murdock,” He introduced himself simply as he continued smoking the cigar. Maybe his name would ring a bell. For either one of them. The times that he had been to Ravaryn could be counted on one hand, including his current visit. So there must have been a moment, an encounter, an incident where he met this man before.