109 CIX. The Hospitality

Karl looked at Dag, smiling.

Reidar continued to move with circumspection.

After all three sat in front of the fireplace, the man returned to the house, his clothes completely wet.

"You were right, it's raining. Your horses will stay dry, I've fitted a protective tarp that will keep them safe" he said, taking off his hood.

"We thank you again!" said Dag, who stood up and walked toward him.

"If you pay, you can stay here as long as you want. From that door you enter the barn, you will sleep there" the old man replied.

"Yes... yes, of course. We will pay you, as promised" Dag replied.

He looked around: it looked like a normal farm, stacked on a wall there were many utensils to work the land. The two old ones were definitely peasants.

Dag sat down again next to his companions, forward to the chimney, when Reidar approached him and whispered in his ear: "Captain, I don't like the situation. Why do two old folks live so isolated? The nearest village is miles away and I'm sure I haven't seen any horse or donkey nearby".

"You're right, Reidar. I noticed that, too. We're only going to spend one night here, better not ask too many questions. The old lady seems to be nice" Dag replied.

Meanwhile, the old woman touched Karl's shoulder to deliver him a bowl of hot soup.

Karl thanked her and took the bowl.

Dag looked towards the kitchen: next to a large pot, there were 5 bowls.

"If they eat it too, it means it's not poisoned" he thought, casting a glance at Reidar, who understood without needing explanation.

The man walked toward them and sat by the chimney.

"Fast, woman! Before the soup cools down!" he yelled.

Within minutes, everyone had a portion of soup and sat by the fireplace, on a mat made from straw.

That was the reason why the man had decided to help them as soon as Dag talked about money: they looked like poor people, a silver coin had immense value for them.

Dag tried to relax and approached his nose to the soup, which had a great smell of meat and vegetables.

"I'm sorry, but that's all we can offer you guys" the lady said, looking up at him with a smile.

"No, don't get me wrong! It looks delicious!" replied Dag, trying to hide the embarrassment.

Karl began to eat greedily, while Dag and Reidar waited for the two elders to eat as well.

The old man dipped the spoon into the bowl and carried it to his mouth, swallowing the morsel.

Reidar looked at Dag, who nodded him with his head.

They too began to eat.

After finishing dinner, the three adventurers suffered fatigue on their arms and legs.

"Follow me, I'll show you where you're going to sleep tonight" said the old man, struggling to get up from the ground and lighting a torch, which he carried with him.

Dag and Reidar followed him, while Karl finished eating the second bowl of soup.

"Why is the barn locked?" asked Reidar, as the old man pulled a rusty key out of his pocket.

"Many years ago I was a wild boar farmer. They are mighty beasts, in fact, several times they broke free from the barn, causing me considerable economic damage. Now my bones are too fragile, I no longer have the strength..." answered the man.

His story seemed convincing and Dag and Reidar believed his version.

Karl got up from the ground and followed them.

"Here. I think it's big enough for all three of us" the old man continued, showing them the inside of the barn.

It was a small dilapidated room, which gave off a bad smell of cattle feces.

The light of the torch barely illuminated the straw on the floor.

"Ohw… it stinks in here!" exclaimed Karl, clasping his nose.

"All right, there's more than enough space, thank you" Dag said, pulling a silver coin from a purse he had in his pocket.

The old man snatched it from his hands greedily, handing him the torch.

"I wish you a good night, adventurers!" he said, staring at the coin he had in his hands to check if it was real silver.

Without even looking Dag in the face, he walked away, returning to his wife.

Dag and the others entered the barn and he hung the torch on the wall, tucking it into an iron ring.

Karl closed the door, for some privacy.

"What's going on, guys? I noticed you were looking suspicious before" he asked, looking at Dag and Reidar.

"There's something wrong here. I don't want to be pessimistic, but I think these old people are hiding something" Reidar said, resting his hands on one of the barn walls, trying to figure out if he could trust the situation.

"Before the old man came to open the door, I heard the woman say something to him in a low voice. She asked her husband if he had hidden I don't know what" Dag said, thoughtfully.

"What?! And why did we come in anyway? We should stay up tonight, in shifts. I don't trust them" Reidar continued.

"Hey, relax brother! They're two poor grandparents, they're hosting us just because we paid for it!" said Karl, touching Reidar's shoulder, which moved her abruptly.

"Alright, let's do this. I will start, I'm going to stay awake first. Now rest, try to regain your strength" Dag said to his comrades.

In about ten minutes, all three piled straw on the ground, preparing bedding for sleep.

Reidar and Karl lay down, while Dag sat, looking at the torch-lit door.

In no time, Karl began snoring and Reidar fell asleep, too.

Dag continued to stare at the door. Then he looked around.

The barn had no windows: near the ceiling, there was a hole in the wall, which was the only connection with the outside.

About two hours passed when Dag's eyes began to close.