Chapter XVII

Erika's News

As Dmitri limps down the through the town square, he knew the location of the inn, even if he hadn’t been there, having seen the large building when he and the rest of the group first arrived in this town, that was where he knew he would find Barca. As for Codsworth’s location, he didn’t know, but he would find the commander and ask him why. He was then distracted from his ruminations by a furious shouting match coming from across the square at the town hall. Even from his current position, halfway across the square he could recognise one of the figures, for only Brutus was that tall, towering over the rest of the north-men like they were dwarves. He began to limp over towards the verbal fight, that looked like any moment it would turn physical. When he finally arrives at the scene, he sees the guard, Sjur bellowing at the wear-bear as if he could make the giant leave with just his insults.

“Get back you filthy animal!” Sjur bellowed at the top of his lungs, although seeming strong now, it all came tumbling down when Brutus made his voice known.

“ANIMAL!! I'll rip you're throat out you...” Brutus bellows at the tiny guard in front of him. As Sjur backs up terrified at the rage displayed by the wear-bear, Dmitri limps forward in between the two men and interrupts Brutus, mindful to tread very carefully around the giant. He didn’t want to end up dead just yet after all, if he placed a foot wrong now, he would wish that he had died up on those mountains.

“What's going on here?” Dmitri asked firmly, but also trying to keep his voice as calm as possible, in case the wear-bear turned his obvious anger upon him. But before Brutus could respond to his question, Sjur spoke up, also trying to keep his voice calm, although with a lot less success than Dmitri had had.

“He, he threatened to tear me in half if I didn't let him inside.” Sjur said continuing to back up against until the walls of the town hall were physically behind him.

“Just let him in, he's not going to anything rash unless angered.” Dmitri said, looking at Brutus and hoping to the gods that what he just said was true. The wear-bear nodded his agreement, but only after glaring around at the crowd, who backed up a few paces at his stares. Before either Dmitri or Brutus could continue however, Forrest stepped out from the town hall and looked around at the scene with an innocent look that did not reach his eyes, as if he had been waiting for the perfect time to make his entrance.

“There's no need for that.” Forrest said looking at Brutus with awe, as if this was his first time seeing one of Brutus’ species, which Dmitri thought, in his defence, it probably was. As the governor walks down the town hall steps to a point when he is on an eye level with Brutus, which meant he was still a few steps of the ground he continued. “Wow, you are a fine specimen of a man. What is so important good sir?” Forrest asked continuing to haze in awe of the man.

“I've come here, looking for shelter.” Brutus said, with as much calm as Dmitri had ever heard in the big man’s voice. At this the governor looks at Sjur with disappointment, whether genuine or not, Dmitri didn’t know.

“And why did you not let this man in Sjur. Surely you can see we need a man of such skill.” Forrest continued as he turns back to Brutus. “You may enter, please accept my most sincere apologies for my guard's idiocy.” Forrest finished and gestures for Brutus to enter, which after a moment he does, although he has to bow his head to fit through the low door.

Seeing that the drama had now officially ended, as Sjur returned to his original post, although now with a dark patch on his trousers. Dmitri turs and heads to his original plan, to go and get completely shitfaced at the inn.

When Dmitri enters the inn, he finds it as packed as ever, making finding his group very difficult. It took him a while, but eventually he saw Barca downing a shot of some liquid at the back of the inn. He was about to charge over and demand why he hadn’t been told about the disease that was running rampant inside him. But he chooses not to, at least for now and settled to just limp over to join the lieutenant, who was sitting alongside Jack and Dave, both teens egging the man on.

“Well look at me the walking dead. Finally decided to come outside.” Barca said looking up, sightly tipsy but no worse for wear, as Dmitri walks over and scoffs at the comment. It was very ironic and, in this case, factually correct after all.

“You're not too far wrong there.” Dmitri said, as the full weight set in and his face dropped to echo his mood. He was after all, at death’s door and there was nothing he could do about it.

“We're just seeing how drunk Barca here can get before doing something stupid.” Dave said as he passed another shot to the lieutenant and he proceeded to down this one too, with both Jack and Dave sill cheering on their drinking pal. At this point, seeing that the group had a new arrival, Erika walks over to the group and address' Dmitri.

“Can I get anything, sir?” Erika said looking down at the newcomer, ad Dmitri looked up at her in response, he paused for a moment, before saying to himself, ‘what the hell’. And asked the question.

“Ah, yes, what's the strongest drink you've got?” Dmitri said smiling, although only externally, on the inside he was still mulling the things that Charlie had told him over. This question seemed to take Erika off guard slightly as she thought for a second before responding.

“Er, The Black Walk.” Erika said. whilst the inn didn’t immediately go quiet, like it would in a film, a few of the nearest occupants turned around from their own conversations at the name of the drink just uttered, and with good reason, Dmitri thought. He was after all, the equivalent of a prisoner on his last few meals.

“Then, m'dear I'll have that.” Dmitri said smiling, as he places his newly acquired walking stick up against the table, before turning his attention to Jack and continuing on. “So kid, is that the girl you like?” Dmitri finished

“Yeah.” Jack said, slightly embarrassed, even though he reckoned he had spent more time with Erika than he had with the rest of the group these past few months. Dmitri nodded and smiled at the sixteen-year-old.

“Well lad, you've got fine taste. Don't do anything to lose her now.” Dmitri said, and he meant that, as he suspected the lad had made his mind up as to his position on whether to stay or go.

“I won't.” Jack replied, knowing what it would mean, despite what everyone thought he hadn’t fully made up his mind just yet on that topic. A few minutes later Erika returns with a shot glass and a bottle of jet-black liquid, she puts it down on the table and looks at Dmitri with amazement, as only the brave, or the foolish would ask for this on their first round.

“Here you are, one Black Walk.” Erika said backing up slightly as Dmitri examines the bottle of the drink. He had heard of this drink, but in the imperial city, it was only sold in the most seedy and downtrodden bars, everywhere else it was illegal to sell, but not up here apparently.

“Thank you. Come sit down and join us.” Dmitri said as he gestures at the empty seat, but Erika shakes her head at this.

“I'm sorry sir, I can't.” Erika said, before turning to Jack, who was also looking at Dmitri, only with a look of shock in his eyes, but came to his senses when Erika addressed him. “As a matter of fact, could I have a word Jack. In private.” Erika asked, she was twisting her hands around, looking slightly nervous.

“Er, sure.” Jack replies confused but gets up and walks towards the back room with Erika just ahead of him. As he does so, Dmitri takes the drink in his hand stares at it for a moment before, tipping a good amount into the shot glass and downing it tasting it. He could see why it was banned down in the south, it burned the back of his throat as it went down and made him want to retch. He coughed for a few moments, bringing up a clean cloth in case the blood started once again. Fortunately, it didn’t, and he looked up to see Dave with a grin on his face across his face.

“So, what’s it like?” Dave asked mockingly, he had had a taste of the stuff a few weeks prior and had damn near thrown it back up, whilst at this point, he had grown used to drinking, the black walk was beyond anything that he had ever had.

“Well, the girl is right, it's strong.” Dmitri said, wiping his eyes, before looking at the shot glass again and taking another gulp.

As Erika walks through the door holding Jack's hand until they are both inside the small room, she then turns around and closing the door, before returning to Jack. Erika was shaking slightly as she looked at him, something that Jack notices.

“Is there a problem. You're shaking.” Jack said, putting his arms around her. In response she takes of the bandage from around his eye and looks into his face.

“Er, no. But I do have news.” Erika replies, stuttering slightly over her words. She takes her hands and place them over her stomach and looks into Jack’s face. “Jack... I'm pregnant.” Erika finishes smiling at him.

It takes Jack a few moments for his brain to click into gear over the news he had just been given, as he too stutters in his attempt to get his response out.

“Th-That... That's great. That's great news.” Jack stutters, trying to make up for his delayed reaction to this monumental news.

“What are we going to do when your group leave this town?” Erika asked, this was her biggest concern, as whilst she had tried to talk about it with Jack, he had been reluctant to discuss the topic of his groups, but more importantly his family’s certain departure from this town on their continued journey north. Jack only rests his arm on her at this however and smiles at her, he couldn’t say if he loved her more now than ever before.

“We're not going to worry about that right now.” Jack said, as they smile at each other as he continues. “This is the great news. And the happiest news of my life.” Jack said as he and Erika embrace and kiss, no longer caring if anyone happens to walk in on them.

By the time that Jack walks back over to the table, fixing his bandage back into place, whilst he was comfortable with it off whilst he was with Erika, that confidence hadn’t extended to when he was out in public like this. He saw that both Dave and Barca were watching Dmitri who was lying in back in his chair, his eyes closed. Seeing this Jack looks in horror, first at Dmitri then at Barca and Dave as he sits down at the table.

“Is he dead?” Jack asked, he took out the axe that he wore on his belt and held the blade underneath his nose. He was relieved to see the blade missing up as Dmitri continued to breath. He turned to his two drinking pals. “What happened to him?” Jack asked gesturing at Dmitri.

“Downed four Black Walk's in one go.” Dave said. He had been honestly impressed after the third, and then slightly scared after the fourth had seemed to do the trick in knocking the former captain out cold.

“Gods, is he mad?” Jack asked, even one of those drinks was bad enough, they had made him retch with just a breath of the substance. After that he had promised himself not to order that drink again. But to down four in one go, he wondered to himself why Dmitri was seemingly trying to kill himself, as that could be the only explanation for what had just happened.

“Seems like it, the bad news is we have to haul him back.” Dave said looking at the former captain, the odds of that had been very high from the moment Dmitri had stepped into the inn, but had now become almost a certainty, unless they choose to wait here for the next few days whilst he sobered up to the point that he could walk with his stick.

“Let's hope we've not killed him.” Barca said getting up before looking up and remembering the secret meeting that Jack and Erika had just had. “By the way. What did the girl want Jack?” Barca asked looking at the lad.

“Nothing.” Jack said quickly and smiled slightly, that news he wanted to keep to himself, at least for now. As he didn’t want to influence anyone to remain behind for his own sake when the time came for the group to leave. At this quick answer Barca raises an eyebrow at the slight grin on Jack's face, before deciding that whatever it was, he would find out in the fullness of time.

“Right let's get Dmitri back.” Barca said as the two brothers hauls Dmitri up out of the chair and out towards the exit of the inn, with Barca following close behind with the former captains walking stick clutched in his hands. As he was about to leave, he turned around for what would ultimately be, the last time that the lieutenant would see this inn. He didn’t know why he knew that he just did. He sighed and headed back into the frost covered spring ground of the now busy town square.