Rothenburg

A simple town, homes and other buildings of wood and plaster line narrow streets in Rothenburg. The people go about their daily lives, not impressed when travelers come their way. Living on the outskirts of the Rhynland, they are used to those passing through to get to one land or another. They are also accustomed to the stares of those who have never seen their kind before.

Humans and griffins alike move about the streets. Some head to the very busy marketplace while others to respective businesses and homes. Children play freely on the streets near residences. Some are human, some simply appear that way and others are still in griffin form. Shouts and laughter can be heard from them, a human boy occasionally chiming in that they need to play fair since he isn’t as fast or strong as they are.

Service businesses that would suit travelers are situated in most of the first buildings after the residences, including black smiths, armor and weapons dealers, a bank, an inn/tavern, a store carrying dried and preserved food, and any number of shops.

Down the street is the marketplace, where shops must also compete with street venders that line roadway, hocking items of supposed magical nature, selling freshly-made food and ale, fruits, meat and poultry, and items of supposed finery.

“Welcome to Rothenburg.”

When Ludwig announced their arrival, Matthew suddenly realized the absence of the repugnant smell of farms, now replaced by much more pleasant ones. He must have been lost in his thoughts when the village first came into view for now they stood in front of the town. So they were finally there. And Matthew couldn’t have been more grateful.

At a first glance, the village looked like others he had encountered, with the exception of griffins, of course. But even with his addition, Matthew felt the same casual, everyday vibe he felt from other towns and communities. Though Matthew had his eye on some interesting looking shops, he thought it best to let Ludwig lead the way. Although one might think it would be difficult to get lost in a town of this size, Matthew was certain that with his luck, he'd find a way.

“It’s so quaint, I love it,” he said quietly to no one in particular. It definitely felt nice to be in a village after days of travel, that was for sure. If Matthew had to guess what time it was, he would estimate that it was a little after midday. Even though this meant that it would be some time before they could retire to an inn for the day, it also meant that he would get a chance to look around a bit.

They had finally come to Rothenburg, or so it seemed. The town was a modest, nice border-town, small but really lively, where the inhabitants didn't seem to have any problem going around and showing their true nature. Feliciano couldn't help staring curiously at the ones who were in their griffin form, and when he eventually had the thought that he was probably behaving in a rude way, he also noticed that there were some other people - other travelers like them, from their outfit - that were doing exactly the same thing. The griffins didn't seem to mind, though, they just carried on their business ignoring the looks and the occasional, whispered comments (which, Feliciano was still sure, they could hear perfectly).

"It's a really pretty place. These houses are so lovely~"

The buildings were small and strong-built, the dark color of the wood made the white plaster almost shiny in the sunlight; the small streets were full of people running their errands quietly and efficiently, in an atmosphere of serene industriousness.

"Should we get something to eat?"
The sun was high in the sky, and his stomach was warning him that it was time for lunch. Besides, he could smell the scent of food being cooked coming from some of the houses, and he was almost tempted to peep in the next open window they found to see what those people were cooking.

Spoiler:

Ludwig smiled proudly. He hadn't really thought so, but apparently, he'd been hoping to impress the other two with the town. He knew it was small, just a little spot that had popped up on the border where soil was good and grew wonderful crops. All the same, he had wanted them to like it, and once he realized they did, he felt pride for the small town that his family had overseen for generations.

A small boy kicked a ball a bit too hard, sending it out into the street and to Ludwig's feet. He gave it a small kick back to the boy, who quickly scooped it up and grinned. "Thanks, Mister!" Ludwig gave a small nod and smile and continued on. "The inn here is attached to a tavern, but there are others in town, but if you are hungry now, we could just eat here, possibly reserve rooms for later."

He led them to the inn, one of the bigger buildings on the street and opened the door for his two companions. "We could check here for rooms now, even if you don't want to eat at their tavern, since we likely will eat a few meals here later."

Now that Feliciano had mentioned it, Matthew realized that he was a bit hungry. But he didn’t really mind where and wouldn’t object to eating at the tavern or elsewhere. For now, he entered the inn.

Though he half-expected to be ignored at first like he usually was, Matthew was surprised that he could easily get the attention of someone who was either the innkeeper or an employee in order to get a room for the night. Which was certainly an improvement compared to, well, everywhere else.

Even though he really didn’t do anything at all, Matthew smiled triumphantly. “Alright, I’ve changed my mind. I really really love this place.” He wondered if everywhere in the Rhynland would be like this, or if it was just this in, or maybe just good luck.

"It's pretty the same for me. You know the place, you lead the way." Feliciano answered cheerfully.
He was honestly curious to see more of the little town, although there wasn't probably so much to see, it was the first town he saw in the Rhynland and he was ready to welcome any kind of novelty he was going to meet.

The inn the walked inn was a big building, the common room and its wooden tables were crowded with people (it was lunch time, after all), and the overall atmosphere was warm and nice. Feliciano felt almost immediately welcomed there, although he knew he was a stranger and that he was in a rather difficult position. Again, the fact that Ludwig was with them made thinks much easier, and he couldn't help but nod at Matthew's statement: the place was lovely.

"Which one has the best food?" he asked Ludwig.

Ludwig chuckled at the enthusiasm that the two had. "Since we'll likely be getting a few of our meals here--this is the best inn in town so we should stay here--why don't we get something to eat elsewhere? It will also give you a chance to see more of the town, though there isn't a lot to it."

He walked into the little inn. "But we could get our rooms. I can't guarantee what they will have, but we may need to share rooms." Sharing beds was also a possibility, but for now, he would just see what was available at the inn.

He walked to the innkeeper who stood behind the counter. "I was wondering what rooms you had available," he said to the man.

The man smiled. "We have a double room and two single rooms," the man said." Ludwig looked back at his two travel companions to relay that message to them both. He didn't know what they would want to do, in terms of cost and security, but he felt he should leave the option up to them.

Matthew’s elated smile from not being stared through faded a bit as he pondered on their options. They had to get at least two rooms, of course. He knew money wouldn’t be a problem if they got all three, but it would be wasteful and rude of them to take the remaining rooms. Plus, it wouldn’t be the safest arrangement if they were separated. “One single and one double, maybe?” Matthew suggested. Something in the back of his mind told him that he was over thinking this, but he ignored it.

He turned to Ludwig. “One of us can have the single room, but if someone is still…” he paused, thinking it would be unwise to speak of their situation in public. Matthew had faith that Ludwig could fill in the blank. “…Then it would be best for Feliciano to be in a room with someone else.”

“Or would you rather do something else?” he asked both of them. The ideal arrangement would be Ludwig and Feliciano sharing a room, since Ludwig was more likely to be of protection and Matthew was least likely to get attacked on his own. But Matthew didn’t want to sound like he just wanted the single room to himself, and then there was the issue with Ludwig acting funny around Feliciano.

Matthew wished he didn’t think too deep into things all the time; it made things harder than they had to be.

Feliciano had hoped they could share a room all together like they had used to share the tent in the two nights before; he really enjoyed the company of the others, of course, and being three made him feel reassured.
But then again, it was obviously not possible in that situation. And yes, he totally agreed with what Matthew just said; he didn't want to stay in a room alone, he already knew he wouldn't sleep at all. Or better, he would probably end up running in the room of the other two.

If he had to choose between Ludwig and Matthew, then, he would chose Ludwig. The idea of leaving Matthew alone without protection scared him (but, honestly, not as much as the idea of begin alone himself), but the assassin was aiming at him, and Ludwig was the one who proved himself able to fight the enemy - although Matthew seemed good enough to face an enemy on his own.

Feliciano glanced almost shyly at the blonde warrior, hoping that whatever had been going on in the morning was now over.
"Yeah, I don't think it's a good idea if I sleep alone..." he said, implying that the person he wanted to sleep with was the one he was talking to.

Ludwig nodded. "Okay then," he said. He knew his cheeks were a bit pink, but it wasn't terrible. He turned back to the innkeeper. "We'll take the double and a single. Whichever single is closest to the double."

He withdrew his money pouch and put some gold on the table. "That should cover it for one night."

"The rooms are being cleaned out right now," the innkeeper said, "but you can put some of your bags in our safe room so that you can roam the town a bit without being too encumbered." He smiled and Ludwig decided to trust the man with his sack, which held his tent and other camping gear. He held onto the gold.

"Thank you," he told the man before turning to the others. "You two can make up your own minds what you want to do with your own belongings."

Matthew decided he’d leave his bag at the inn. He currently had his money on him, and if something were to happen, there wasn’t anything in his bag that couldn’t be replaced, and there was nothing he had an attachment to. But even if he did, he’d probably still leave his bag as the weight was an annoyance that he’d be glad to get rid of.

It suddenly occurred to him that he’d let Ludwig pay for both rooms. Although Ludwig was far from the class of people who would have financial problems, it still made Matthew feel like a cheapskate.Or would it be rude if he did offer to pay? He really didn’t know. Despite all the lessons on etiquette he’d received, not one advised him on what to do if a prince paid for your room at an inn.

“Here, take it, please,” Matthew finally said, looking away and holding out the equivalent cost of a single room in coins. When there was no immediate response, he turned his head, puzzled. And found he was holding out the coins to Feliciano instead. Of course, nothing he learned would help him in this situation, either.

Feliciano decided to follow the others' example and to leave there his things in the inn. His money rested in a small leather bag hanging from his belt, and a part from his mandolin, he didn't have anything really precious in his backpack. Before leaving it, though, he took out the instrument. He wasn't really afraid that someone could steal it, it was more like he was used to carry it with him.

Then he noticed that Matthew was handing something to him, money, he saw.

"Uhm, I don't really need them... oh." he only then noticed that the innkeeper was putting away some coins, and the only one who could have given them to him was Ludwig.

"We have to share the price of the rooms!" he said to the blond warrior, not really caring about the fact that Matthew was trying to give his money to him instead of Ludwig. "But we can do it at the place we're going to eat in." he added, making some steps towards the door.

"Oh..." Ludwig paused, glancing at Feliciano's slight outburst about the rooms. He was going to be going to the bank to get more money on his account. He hadn't thought it would be a faux pas, given he was the only one right now who could actually replenish his money. Apparently, he'd been wrong and done something he shouldn't have. Not that this was entirely new.

"If you insist, but it is really not a problem," he said, walking from the inn, feeling awkward that he had managed to mess this up. "The rooms weren't that expensive and I can retrieve more from the bank in town. After all, Matthew, you are being dragged into this political issue. It seemed like the least I could do." He rubbed the back of his neck. "But if you feel you need to pay for the rooms, we can do it at the other tavern, divvying it up equally."

He headed into the street and to the marketplace. People called out to the three travelers, hocking their goods. "Would you like some fresh fruit today, sirs?" "What about some mince pies?" "Best clothing in town!"

One particularly bold woman approached Ludwig. "Sir! You must need a ring or trinket for your lady at home." When Ludwig shook his head and tried to move on, she changed tactics. "We also have some fine men's rings, if that is your pleasure instead." She looked back at Feliciano and Matthew and Ludwig only turned a few shades from matching a tomato on a nearby stand. "I make no judgements. Just sales."

Matthew would have mentioned that he was only letting himself be dragged into their mess by his own free will, but refrained. The situation was awkward enough as it is, and Ludwig had done him a favor. He thanked him for paying; the other blond looked a bit uncomfortable, so Matthew wanted to assure him that he did nothing wrong. He’d just settle for paying for a room at the next opportunity.

As they walked through the marketplace, Matthew felt the need to apologize to every single vendor they overlooked at first. Quickly, he realized he was being ridiculous; there were just too many of them and if he didn’t stop his force of habit, it would slow him down.

So he moved on, following the others until one of the vendors approached them, her insistence and audacity certainly taking him by surprise. He could only imagine how the other man she was addressing felt at the moment; his face was probably redder than it had been all day, which was saying something.

“That won’t be necessary, thanks,” he told the vendor, eventually managing to evade her.

They went out from the crowded common room of the inn and immediately went in the even more crowded and noisy market place, where they were suddenly surrounded by all kind of dealers loudly advertising their goods.
Feliciano loved markets and the warm atmosphere you could feel in them, and even if this market itself wasn't as loud and chaotic as the ones he was used to at home, he enjoyed the familiar sensation, turning at almost every stand to look to the fruits or jewels or textures that were displayed there.

He didn't have that much money with him, to say the truth, since he had been almost forced to leave home in a hurry, so he already knew he couldn't afford wasting money on useless stuff, but looking was always permitted. He also needed to pay Ludwig back for the room, but that could wait until the next occasion, he thought.

Distracted as he was staring at some strange items displayed in one of the stands, he didn't really pay attention to what the woman was saying to Ludwig, but he noticed that Matthew was answering instead of him, so he looked up at Ludwig and noticed that he was blushing again, a strange expression on his face.
Maybe Ludwig didn't like markets, he didn't really look like the kind of guy who enjoyed shopping in the middle of that kind of messy place, so... could it be that he was angry with the dealer?

"We don't need anything, no no!" he added, pushing Ludwig forward on the crowded path among the stands in a hurry.

Ludwig was about to answer something in kind to the woman. Surely he wasn't obvious. She was just making guesses. She had to be. Matthew managed far better than he had to elude the woman, and Ludwig wanted to do the same.

Then Ludwig felt the sensation of small hands at his back pushing him away from the woman.

"So sweet he's protective of a big guy like you," the woman said. "You should get him something as a thank you!" She called after them as they were almost out of range.

"Annoying as she was," Ludwig said once they were out of the worst of the marketplace and he could turn to look at Feliciano, "I do owe you a thank you for getting me out of there so quickly." He glanced over at Matthew as well. "I don't really do well in social situations. It's why I do what I do instead of playing royalty." He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "So... thank you, and I really wish I had your ability to get away from people like that, Matthew."

He crossed his arms at his chest and looked at where they were. "There's the tavern I heard about. It's owned by a family that has a grainery and mill. Since they dam up the water, they decided to be funny with the name." He gestured to a sign reading DAM TAVERN.

“It comes with its own problems too, trust me,” Matthew said. He was sure that the only reason he was capable of avoiding others if he needed to because even if he was noticed, people tended to pay him no mind. Even though this had come in handy several times, for every time he did it intentionally, there were dozens of times when he couldn’t even manage to buy something because he couldn’t get a shopkeeper’s attention.

“But I’m sorry if I abandoned you two for a second back there, eh,” Matthew said as he realized that that most likely wasn’t the best thing for him to have done, as much as it had seemed so at the time. Thankfully, Feliciano had been of help to Ludwig, even if it meant literally nudging him in the other direction.

Matthew was glad they finally arrived at the tavern after wading through a sea of vendors and shopkeepers. He read the sign Ludwig pointed to. “Dam Tav- oh,” he smiled a bit at the play on words. Matthew walked toward the entrance, hoping that this place was worth the hassle it took to get there.

He wondered what the woman meant with what she shouted as they left; he had possibly just saved her, hadn't he?

"Oh, it's alright. Are you okay now?" he asked, glancing at him a bit worried. Well, maybe he wasn't that angry, after all, he was just shy. Maybe those "social situations" scared him a bit? Although Feliciano couldn't imagine someone facing an enemy with a sword without any fear and then become so red and awkward just crossing a market.
He rubbed his back to comfort him, wondering slightly if also the strange behavior of the morning could have been caused by something that had made him feel embarrassed.

But then, he saw the entrance of the tavern and remembered how hungry he was, instead.
"Ve~ seems a nice place!" he said, following quickly Matthew inside and already smelling the scent of food that was coming out through the door.

"Well, perhaps we can work on you being a little more assertive and me being a little less awkward," Ludwig told Matthew. Yet he again felt the small hand at his back, rubbing it soothingly this time. He didn't want to begin to admit just how good that felt. The more animalistic side of him was wanting to make some noise of appreciation for the contact from the other man. He had a feeling that if it had been Matthew doing the same, it wouldn't have felt half as good.

He opened the heavy wooden door for Matthew and Feliciano once the other man's attention was elsewhere. "Their bread and baked goods are supposed to be very good, though I'm looking forward to their bratwurst. It is supposed to be fantastic."

The tavern was bustling with people, and the smell of sauerkraut, potatoes, wurst and pork filled the air and it made Ludwig smile as though he were finally home. He had been eating trail provisions for so long, he was almost salivating at the chance to eat his food again. "The food here might be different from what you are used to, but the pork chops and mashed potatoes are a safe bet if you are worried about the menu."

Well, he could benefit from being a bit more assertive. “Sounds like a plan,” Matthew said, turning towards the other two. And wondering what in the world Feliciano was doing. And noticing Ludwig didn’t seem to mind. And if Matthew’s assumption was correct, the answer was really obvious. The two just seemed so natural together and…Matthew really needed to stop. What on earth was he thinking?

Feliciano was right; the place was nice and looked welcoming. Yet the delicious smell of food only emphasized just how hungry he was feeling at that moment. He didn’t think he’d have much problems as far as the taste of food was concerned.

“’Different than what I’m used to’ isn’t necessarily a bad thing, in my case,” Matthew said, laughing dryly at the memory. He had never actually tried things like bratwurst and he figured he should try it; the Rhynland was practically known for it, after all. Well, after the griffin thing.

Toris heaved a sigh, so far his search had turned up fruitless and he'd been at since early morning. Early yesterday morning. He was tired, hungry and a pinch frustrated. It didn't help that he only had the vaguest idea of what he was searching for, there were so many different legends about it. There wasn't even a general concenus on what the thing looked like, still, he had to find to find it. Had to.

He carried on, careful measured steps. He'd taken Rothenberg a section at a time in an effort to be methotical and now he was near an imposing tavern. Dam Tavern. Ah, he'd heard that name dropped a few times, so this was it? He felt a spark of hope, he could go in, grab some food and then start asking some of the patrons if they had seen or heard of an orb, chalice, pendant or staff with an etching of a snowflake.

The brunette pushed the door open, managed one solid step inside and then promptly walked into someone. A blonde someone. He paled.

"I am terribly sorry, I should have... I wasn't paying enough attention," He blurted, and he's sure he wouldn't have sounded quite as idiotic if he'd had a decent night's sleep but all he can do is babble at the young man he just bumped into. Excellent start.

[I was thinking Matt, but if it's easier I don't care if it's Ludwig. I'll leave it up to him I guess.]

"Everything sounds good to me!" Feliciano said. True, the flavors he could smell were different from the ones he was used to at home, but they were enticing nevertheless. He had already heard of the bratwursts, even if he hadn't had the chance to taste one yet.

"If you say that these bratwursts are so good then we should try them!" he decided, looking around to see if there was a free table were they could sit. The ones next to the door were almost all full, but he saw that there were some places left next to one of the windows in the corner of the room. Right now, a young and pretty maid was taking away the dishes left by the people who had just eaten there.
"We could sit there if you don't mind." he said, pointing at it.

Then he heard a new voice muttering an excuse, and he turned to see a young and dark haired man with shy eyes, being all sorry because he apparently had just bumped into one of his companions.
"Oh, don't worry! It happens to me all the time!" he hurried up saying, trying to reassure him.


[[Since Lud and Matt are both blonde, I'm assuming it is Ludwig that Toris bumped into just because if it was Matthew maybe he wouldn't care so much XD''' but if I'm wrong correct me]]

Ludwig saw the table feliciano was pointing to and nodded. "I think that will be fine." He was eager to have some good, warm food, though Feliciano's last night had more than qualified for that. But he wanted food like he always got at home. He didn't know much about Matthew's native cuisine, but he did know that the Kingdom of the Sun was practically known for theirs.

And the flavors didn't get much more different. But he trusted Feliciano would have common sense about what he ordered.

When he heard someone muttering an apology, he glanced back at Matthew to see a smaller, dark-haired man apologizing profusely to the other man. He smirked, knowing that Matthew had such problems with how easily he blended in. The other man might not have noticed him before, which could add to the blond's discomfort on that subject, but he certainly noticed him now.

Matthew looked around at plenty of full tables until he saw the one Feliciano was referring to. He opened up his mouth to say something, but all that came out was a slightly startled noise as he felt someone bump into him. It wouldn’t have been the first time, and he turned around in confusion rather than anger, only to find that the brunet had started to blurt out a frantic apology.

Matthew probably would too, if put in the same thing in that situation. Plus, the man looked tired, so having someone mad at him was probably the last thing he wanted at the moment. The man actually noticed that he’d bumped into him, too, which put him above the fifty percent of people who hadn’t even noticed afterward. And that one cart driver. Then again, everyone was better than that one cart driver (who was to this day the only person he had ever angrily yelled a string of curses at).

“No, no, it’s fine,” Matthew assured him, “It’s not your fault, I shouldn’t have been standing right in front of the door, anyway. I’m sorry.” Well, apologizing to someone’s apology didn’t exactly fit under the category of ‘working on one’s assertiveness’, but old habits die hard.

Toris still felt horrible, but at least the other wasn't hurt or angry. He offered a tiny smile at the male, "Is there some way I can make it up to you?"

Bumping into someone was no crime against humanity, but he figured it wouldn't do any harm to offer his assistance in some way. Perhaps he could pay for a drink or something of that ilk. Maybe if he did that he could ask if they had heard anything about the artifact he was currently searching for. It was then that he actually registered the other's compainions, a much taller blond, who was rather intimidating, and a shorter male with redish-brown who looked and sounded friendly. He widened his smile in hopes of mirroring that friendliness.

"Are you all travelers too?" He asked, but he had a pretty good idea. One should never assume things though.