(226) Red Feather – 17

“Aye,” Ortho said, laying a gentle hand on Kre’s shoulder, “I know that look well.  If it’s as you say lad, and I have no reason to doubt you, then you did a kindness for your friend.  The hardest and most considerate kindness that any of us could ever hope for or, let’s be honest, dread.”

“On that note,” Talimar cuts in, “perhaps we should get some rest.  Kre, we have some extra blankets you can use.  Snagger will show you.”  He gestured to one of the dwarves, the quietest one so far, who promptly stood and motioned over to the horses.  “Ortho,” Talimar continued, his voice lower now, “a moment?  You as well Dain.”

“And I,” Kersath said with an almost too cool edge to his voice.  “Do not leave me out of this one oh child of dusk.”

As Kre stood, he caught Talimar glowering at Kersath, but the company leader nodded all the same. 

You should hear what they have to say,’ his mental voice hummed in his head.  ‘After all, it could be your Lady Bel they are planning to hunt.

Kre pinched the bridge of his nose to shut out the internal monologue and looked up when he heard Snagger clear his throat.  Taking that as his cue, Kre moved away from the assembling planning party.

As Kre approached the bearded man, Snagger gave a grunt and handed Kre an armful of neatly folded blankets before he turned and walked away.  A tap on his arm brought him around to find Ras waiting for him.

“Over there,” the smaller man said.  “There’s a spot by the fire, on the side opposite where Beleg intends to bunk.”  As Ras led him over to the spot, he explained his reasoning with a shy smile, “The big guy snores something terrible.  Scares the horses even.”

Even Kre had to laugh at that and soon the two were chattering softly while the others were either making camp of their own or holding a strategy meeting in some semblance of secrecy.

“You sleep much outdoors where you’re from?” Ras asked.

“Only a few times growing up, and just for fun.  Lately though,” he sighed, “it seems like I can’t remember what a real bed feels like.”

“How long have you been on the road?”

Kre thought about it for a bit before he responded, “What day is it now?”

Ras laughed, “I don’t have any idea.  I thought I heard someone mention something about it in the last town we visited, but I paid it no mind.  All I know is that it’s late Spring and we’re back together on our first big job since before the first snowfall.”

“What do you mean back to work?  Haven’t you guys always been on the job?”

Ras shook his head, “No.  We generally part ways every once in a while.  Most of the company has families that they go back to or obligations back home that they need to take care of.  Plus, since we’re such a mixed lot, we aren’t exactly all welcome in the same places with the same level of courtesy.”

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