The Sailor

The warmth and noise of the inn continued to buzz around the group as they dug into their meals, laughing between bites and throwing playful jabs at one another. But the moment the heavy wooden doors creaked open, a strange silence swept through the room like a sudden wind.

Boots—heavy and uneven—thudded against the worn-out wooden floor. A rhythmic thump…thud…thump…thud that commanded attention even in the rowdiest of places. Heads turned, conversations died mid-sentence, and the clinking of mugs came to a halt. It was as if the very walls of the inn recognized the presence that had just walked in.