Old Friends

Once his father had come in and washed up, Yren and Tybrus headed over to the Belltorn's home. Yren could see his father was uneasy about this, but in Yren's mind, this could only be seen as a good thing for them.

"Welcome! It has been too long since you have come into our house, Tybrus!" Marta said as she hugged the Smith.

"Yes, well, time does have a funny way of flying by! Haha!" Tybrus said with a chuckle and then slapped Yren on the back and said, "Seems just like yesterday Yren was just a small boy, and Sigs as well!"

"Speaking of my son, he is out back with his father! Supper isn't ready yet," Marta told the men, and both nodded and headed around the side to the back of the house.

Siegfried and his father were sitting at a fire, but both stood when Yren and his father came around the corner.

"So, you actually came!" Goranth boomed in his customary loud voice.

"Couldn't say no to Marta's home cooking, ya know!" Tybrus said with a smile and walked over to clasp forearms with the larger man.

"Boys, I want to talk with Yren's father, so the two of you should go for a walk. Just remember that your mother is almost done with supper!" Goranth told the two boys and sat back down in his chair at the fire.

Yren wanted to know what the two men were going to talk about, but it was between men. If it was something he was to know, Yren would be told by his father after.

Tybrus watched his son and friend leave, then took in a deep breath and then let it go. He knew exactly why Goranth had asked him here.

"Come take a seat, old man. We have much to talk about," Goranth said, motioning to the open chair next to him.

"You think so? Almost nineteen years, and now you think we should talk?!" Tybrus growled, still standing.

"Tybrus, don't start things off like this. You were the one that refused to talk with me these years! That time has passed now, and we need to deal with this!" Goranth demanded, and Tybrus groaned, putting a hand to his face.

"Talking about it is not going to change a damn thing, ya know! The boy is who he is, and it's my fault, but I would do it again, ya know!" Tybrus growled, but Goranth shook his head.

"No, I know that, but there is no way to know if the boys will be able to stay friends. What are we gonna do about that?" Goranth asked after pulling out a flask.

The big blonde man with short blonde hair, like his son, took a swig and then offered it to Tybrus. He accepted the flask from Goranth and took a swig before handing it back.

"I don't know what we can do, this is my fault, but I believe what we are doing is wrong! There is more to them than we could ever understand, ya know!" Tybrus complained, getting frustrated.

"I don't know. It has been a long time since I have heard your tale, but I still remember it. What happened in there doesn't make sense, and what you said after made even less. I still listen to see if I can hear their voices," Goranth said and then took another sip of his flask.

The two men sat in silence for a while, the sounds of the town slowly dying down as the sunset. Something unexplainable had happened nineteen years ago, and both men agreed to never talk of it again.

The problem lies in that both their only sons had become best friends over the years, but both men knew that was very likely to change. The secret Tybrus had been hiding from his son would change everything, but not for the better.

"This no longer matters if I believe what you say or not. We must put aside our differences for the boys! I look at Yren as a second son, and I know you think highly of Siegfried, so we need to help them, to the depths of the afterlife, what others think!" Goranth declared, and Tybrus sighed.

"Why now? Why did you not believe me then?" Tybrus asked in a gruff voice, but Goranth shook his head and stabbed a finger at Tybrus's chest.

"Don't you start putting words into my mouth, Smith! I never said if I believed you or not! It wasn't a matter of me believing!" Goranth growled in a low voice and then asked, "What would have happened if I did believe, hmmm? What then? Head to the guild and tell them to stop what everyone has been doing for as long as it's been written?"

Tybrus pushed the finger away and turned to look into the fire. As much as he hated his friend for not telling him he believed him, Gornath was right.

Telling everyone would just make him the laughing stock, but now things might be different. Everything was hinged around tomorrow and what happened when the boys entered the dungeon.

"I am sorry, I have just been getting frustrated, but Mira has no advice for me. She has no more idea what will happen than either of us do. I just hope that my son can accept whatever might happen tomorrow," Tybrus said as he hung his head.

What he had done was weighing hard on him, but after all this time, it was a small comfort to know his friend was still here. Still, after all this time, it was better than nothing.

"Well, whatever happens, we will have to see. I was wondering why you still headed into the dungeon, but I guess that makes sense," Gornath said as he started to get up.

"I hope you don't mind, but I let your son use my shop. I won't say more than that; ruin a good surprise, ya know!" Tybrus said as he rose as well, trying to shake off the worry that clung to him.

"Great! Can't wait to see what he forged! Funny how things go, but let's get inside. The boys should be back soon, and it smells like the food is ready!" Goranth chuckled, slapping Tybrus on the back.