River's flooded

Theron walked for several hours down the winding dirt-road that led east towards Faeria, making good progress, as he was used to marching from his days with the borderers.
Ten years.
Ten years he had spent in the woods and the outback, fighting raiders; both human and non-human, losing good friends, at times being wounded and hunted.
Aye, there had been good times too, of course. Like when he and his friends had gone on leave and caused havoc in whatever border-town they had been stationed in, and when they had showed up in time to save the would-be victims of marauders and rapists.
Then again, there were the times when they had been too late…

He was ripped from his musings on days past as he noticed a carriage up ahead, going in the opposite direction that he was headed.
“Hello!” The jovial man sitting on the coach box shouted to Theron when they came to about a ten feet’s distance from one another.
Theron simply nodded in recognition of the greeting.
“Are you heading east, young man?” The man asked.
“Aye.”
“Then I must tell you that the Uhlan river flooded just a few days ago, and it washed away the bridge in Trevaile. And I’m afraid that its going to take a couple of days before it has been repaired.” The man said, looking honestly saddened over the inconvenience that this caused Theron.
“Sheit. Tell me, do ye know of any good taverns around here? I feel a sudden urge to down a pint or two.”
“Well, there’s a rather good tavern just a mile or so up this road called the Fiddler’s Elbow. I stopped by there to sell the tavern-owner a thing or two. I’m a merchant by trade you see.”
“An honest profession at times. I thank ye for yer help.” Theron nodded his head to the merchant and then resumed his marching, feeling somewhat downhearted.

When he reached a crossroad, he saw a collection of sturdy wooden houses placed by the side of the road. In front of the largest one of these building stood a sign on which it read “The Fiddler’s Elbow.”
Theron made his way to the door, and stepped inside.
He was obviously not the only one headed for Faeria, for the tavern was packed full with different sorts of travellers, merchants and adventurers.
Making his way through the crowd, Theron bumped into someone.
That someone happened to be a mean-looking giant of a man, who looked at Theron with bloodshot, angered eyes.
“Watch where you’re going, you scrawny sod!” The man nearly shouted at Theron, his voice a mixture of drunkenness and dim-witted aggressiveness.
“Fine, now get out of me way, you dumb fuck-faced bastard.” Theron replied, definitely not in the mood for being bullied around.
“Oi! Who the fuck do you think you are!?” The man said, and then gave Theron a push.
People cleared away from the two, not wishing to get involved in the quarrel.
Theron replied to the push by suddenly slamming his knee straight into the big man’s crotch, which he followed up with a right jab straight in his face.
The man staggered backwards, grasping his hurting testicles, but Theron gave him no respite, instead kicking the man’s right knee, next sending his right fist into his fleshy gut, and finishing the man off with his left hand; hitting him with an uppercut in the face.
The man collapsed onto the floor like a ton of bricks, knocked-out and bleeding from his nose and mouth.
Hearing footsteps behind him, Theron span round and drew in his axe as he did so, holding it firmly in his right hand.
The three men who had tried to sneak up on him stopped as they saw him brandishing an axe, and then began to move back.
Satisfied, Theron placed his axe back in his belt and headed to the bar.

“Nice footwork.” The large man behind the counter soon thereafter said to Theron as he poured him a tankard of ale.
“Thanks, I’m sorry if I made a mess.” Theron replied as he handed the tavern-keep money for the ale.
“Don’t worry ‘bout that, old Jork needed someone to teach him a lesson, he’s always bullying people around. I guess this one’s on the house.” The tavern-keep said and slipped the coins back over the counter.
“My thanks.” Theron said and left to find a spot to sit down at.
He soon was able to find an empty table in the back of the room, partly due to the fact that people were now moving out of his way as he walked towards them.
He sat down and sipped his ale, enjoying the taste of it, a taste that he had gone without for days now.
“Excuse me.” A voice then suddenly said.