The Roses Thorns (Said)

[Kitten]

Colton Ellwood rose as he did most mornings, right as the first rays of dawn started peeking up from their small grove of fruit trees. The man groaned as he sat on the side of the bed, one too many mugs of mead the night before had left him with one hell of a headache and a fuzzy mouth. The man stood to his full six-feet and three-inches and scrubbed a hand through his dark hair.

Gray eyes were bloodshot as the man looked at himself in the polished silver mirror and splashed his face with water to freshen up. He snagged his brown leather pants from the chair he'd laid them out on the night before and shrugged into a dark green tunic, stepping into his good black boots before padding back over to the bed.

"Time to wake up sleepy bones." He murmured and leaned over to give Emile a pat on his bottom. There were dozens of things to do to get a tavern ready in the morning and they could rarely afford to sleep in until the sun was fully in the sky.

Having given his lover the call to wake, Colton made his way down the stairs to start getting the Golden Rose ready for their first sleepy eyed patrons. Food needed to be made, the fires stoked, tables and chairs ready, and the floors needed to be swept before anyone made it down to greet the dawn.

[Said]

Emile had grown up in a tavern and was used to rising early in the morning. Nonetheless, last night he had enjoyed one too many drinks with his lover, and he was paying for it now. He was a slight thing, barely 5'4 and with narrow shoulders and a slim waistline, so it didn't take too much to get him tipsy and give him a hangover the next morning. He groaned slightly, sitting up on their bed and stretching his arms out. "Nh..." He would have liked nothing more than to return to sleep for at least another hour, but he knew that was a luxury he couldn't afford.

The slender young man got up out of bed and got dressed into his pale grey pants and dark blue tunic, tying a brown belt around his midsection. He looked at himself in the mirror, sorting his hair into a more presentable fashion rather than the dark blond mop it had been in when he woke up. After washing his face he joined Colton downstairs.

"I'll start making the breakfast for the patrons, and us, and while that's on, I'll sweep the floors." He said while yawning, a small hand over his mouth as he did. He would hopefully feel a bit more lively once the customers started coming in. He hoped that he'd at least get to chat to a few interesting folk this morning, that'd make him forget the hangover more quickly than anything.

With that, Emile walked into the kitchen, washing his hands in the sink. Despite his tiredness, he didn't skimp on breakfast. He started to prepare the vegetables that would need to be boiled and the meat that he could put into the stew for lunch. He'd collect the eggs from the garden in a moment too. He'd always been a natural in the kitchen, and the food was one of the main selling points for their little tavern.

[Kitten]

Colton grunted his approval, continuing to shovel the ash and last bits of wood out of the main fireplace. The mornings were beginning to have a bite of frost to them even though the days were warm enough to go about without a coat. The first crackling of flame began to warm the room and the big man took a moment to enjoy the heat, mornings were among his favorite times of day. It was quiet and Emile was there to brighten the day with his presence.

He walked back into the kitchen to start the fire for their big oven so that the dirty blonde wouldn't have to carry the big logs himself. "Couple of guys left these." He murmured as he passed the other, pausing to give Emile a peck on the cheek. He grabbed the scraps of parchment that their patrons had left. "Some of them are bugging out today. Will you get these supplies ready for them while I go cut some more wood?"

With that the dark haired man headed into the cellar to bring up some wine and mead that had been aging down there for the better part of summer. Now that fall was on its way they would need to bring in some apples and honey to make more and set those away for the next summer.

[Said]

"Sure, no problem." Emile replied, looking over the pieces of parchment paper. He was often like this, completely able to adapt and be on top of many various tasks at once. Growing up in an often bustling tavern had made him quite the multi-tasker and he wasn't afraid of some hard work. It was only when there were distractions that his work ethic started to lag. In the mornings, he tended to be at his most productive- hangover or not- and it was only when their customers started to come in and Emile became distracted by one's fanciful tales or adventurous suggestions that he would begin to let his work fall behind. Colton often scolded him for that, but it seemed that the younger man was simply of a curious nature and couldn't ignore anything he found interesting. Especially not in favour of dull kitchen work or cleaning.

"You think it'll be busy today?" He called to Colton as he saw his lover return with bottles of wine and mead. "I hope it is. It's been a little too quiet for my liking recently. No 'interesting characters', if you get my drift." He smiled a little mischievously.

It was true that a lot of their clientele could classify as 'interesting characters'. People of ill repute who told excellent stories and brought with them excitement, but where far from upstanding citizens. Not that it was Colton and Emile's place to judge. If they paid their tab and didn't cause trouble in the tavern, then they were a customer like anyone else.

[Kitten]

Colton sighed as he considered the others question. "I don't know Em, but I for one hope it's just another quiet day." He gave the other a significant look. The tavern wouldn't be able to run without Emile's expertise, but the young man was easy to distract and had a bad habit of getting too caught up in their patron's tales and ambitions.

"Hullo!" There was a call from in the front room and Colton sighed as he set down the bottles and wiped his hands on his apron. "Look's like we've got a customer. Why don't I finish up with those and you go see what they need?"

As much as Colton wished he could keep Emile away from their rough and tumble customers, the other was simply better at talking to people than he was. They confided in Emile, telling him of their work or their hopes and dreams. All the while they ate and drank and slowly filled the coffers of the Rose.

[Said]

"Aw, you're no fun." Emile replied, a playful pout on his lips. He knew that Colton was far more inclined to keep himself to himself and he supposed that was good for the tavern. If it was run by two people like himself, they might never get anything done. The two Emiles would get distracted endlessly. Likewise, with two men like Colton running the tavern, perhaps the Roses Thorn would loose some of its charm and friendly atmosphere. Colton wasn't unfriendly to their customers, he would listen sympathetically to them and chat politely when it was clear that's what the customer wanted... But he didn't have quite the same spark as Emile did. Emile seemed able to get on with just about anybody.

"Sure thing!" The smaller, blond headed man beamed, hangover already forgotten, and went to greet the customer. "Hello sir, what can I get you?" He asked, a charming smile on his fair face.

[Kitten]

Colton shook his head at the others eagerness to serve a customer so early in the morning. The grey eyed man was happy he didn't have to do it himself. He busied himself with finishing the rest of the packages Emile had started for their guests who would be departing that day, and luckily paying off their debt at the same time.

Jasper was a wizened old man with one good hand and a permanently lopsided smile. "Good morning young man," he croaked. Jasper called anyone he met 'young man' or 'young lady'. "I'll have some breakfast and a tall beer to get me on my way."

The old man looked around briefly before wetting his lips and pulling out a map. "Got to be on the road here soon and that's for sure." Jasper mumbled to himself as he traced a path with his good finger on the map and grinned, peeking up at one point to see if he'd managed to pique Emile's interest.

[Said]

"Coming right up!" Emile said, about to go back to the kitchen and ask Colton if you could put out a breakfast order onto a plate. However, as he was about to do that, he saw the old man pull out a map and look over it intently. If Jasper was trying to get his attention, it was working.

He didn't want to keep the man waiting though, so filled up a tankard of beer and went behind to the kitchen briefly, telling Colton his order. He brought over the tall beer, setting it on the table in front of Jasper, who was still looking over his map. The young man couldn't help himself and since Jasper was the first customer of the day, he felt there was no harm in talking to him for a bit. If the old man wanted to that was. It wasn't as if they had other customers yet.

"Are you going somewhere exciting, sir?" He asked. He theorised that a man like Jasper might be off to visit relatives, perhaps even grandchildren.

[Kitten]

Colton nodded and turned to start cooking up a breakfast order of eggs, sausage, and some biscuits he'd warm for a few seconds in their big wood oven.

Jasper gave the young man a wicked grin, his eyes glowing with secrets. "Well young man," he said and offered the map with his good hand for the other to look over. "Now this is a bit of an undertaking for a man of my... considerable age." He coughed into a handkerchief and tucked it away, making sure he still had Emile's attention.

"But they say not too far from here is a treasure of some significance. Gold, jewels, wealth of another kind. There's no knowing really, it's ancient and the secret is lost to the passages of time." The man offered a yellow toothed smile.

"However," the old man stopped as Colton came out of the kitchen, plate in hand. The dark haired man looked at the map, Emile, and the old man with a bland expression. He simply set down the plate and put his hand on his partners back, hoping that it was enough to remind the other not to get himself into any mischief, especially first thing in the morning. Then Colton headed back into the kitchen.

[Said]

Emile's face lit up as he looked at the map and listened to the old man's tale. Gold, jewels and other treasure. That was infinitely more interesting than simply an old man on his way to visit his grandchildren!

He had lots of questions and he was about to start asking them, when he felt Colton's hand on his back. His head turned, and he watched as his partner walked back into the kitchen. He knew Colton well enough to know what he was implying by that pat on the back. It basically meant, 'Don't get into any trouble.' Emile rolled his eyes at that, Colton needed to learn to have a bit more faith in him!

"Are you a treasure hunter then?" He asked, sounding hopeful. "Do you really think there's going to be all that treasure there?"