Page 25 of Quest of Fools

Rom scoffed."Your friend had a nasty turn, but me wife and sister are tending him proper.If he pulls through the night, he should mend well."

"I owe you greatly."

"Your soldier friend has more than paid up.Come on, big thing like you, traveling like that, hauling a full grown man the whole time, you could probably eat a whole cow on your own."

Warf laughed."I probably could, at that.A couple of chickens at least."

Laughing with him, Rom led him back into the main part of the house, where Viletti was sitting drinking tea with a couple of other men, and a third woman was bustling about the kitchen.Warf took the seat Rom waved him to and thanked the bustling woman for the mug of tea she plopped down.

"Hope we're not causing you good folk too much trouble," Warf said."We're deeply grateful."

The bustling woman smiled as she set a basket of still-steaming bread on the table."Talf, come help me with everything else.Dearie, you're just fine.We ain't never have anything to do 'round these parts.Most exciting thing that's happened all month is that Peltin boy giving birth to a child that looks a lot like Sinta and not his husband."She cackled as she went back to the stove.

"Oh, I learned to stay out of the way of those stories," Warf said with a chuckle."Had a neighbor growing up, she had a thing going on with the laundress, wife came home early one day and let me tell you, never heard so many dishes get broken that quickly in your life."

Viletti snickered."My parents had the sense to just be open and honest about their lovers.Pretty sure they made me stay with my grandmothers a few times so they could have a grand ol' time, all four of them."

That set the table to laughing, and in short order dinner was laid out, as fine a meal as anything he could eat in his fancy new home.If Marian was there, he would probably agree."How is our poor wounded guest?"Warf asked as they began to eat.

"Says his name is Kaltin, that he was traveling and got left behind.Hope he quits on the spot when he sees his employer again, I can tell you that," the woman said, and the other two women nodded with her.Warf would not ever want to be on their bad sides.He'd take ten angry men over one angry woman any day.

The woman who'd tended him said, "His leg is torn up good, but I got it cleaned and bandaged, got some belwurt tea down him, should keep it from getting infected.His arm was broken clean, so there's that.Got it set up for the night, and tomorrow we'll have Bibson come do a plaster.Friend of yours?"

"No, just saw him traveling," Warf said."We're headed for a distant estate where my betrothed has been held up.Hoping we can get the business concluded and back to the city before the really bad weather sets in."

"Depends how far you're going."

"All the way to the mountains," Viletti said."Right into the foothills."

Rom grimaced."You may not be making it back until spring then, but I hope that's not the case."

"Thank you," Warf said."Been that far yourself?"

That launched into a tale of Rom's childhood, which led to many more, until Warf wasn't the only one struggling to stay awake.He helped clean up all the same, and brought in plenty of firewood.Once the house was closed up, and the women who'd come to help had headed off, Warf bedded down in front of the fire right next to Kaltin, who still looked ashen and pale, fast asleep but twitching restlessly.

Was Marian all right?Had he been hurt in the accident?Had Lady Clarkson properly tended him, or was she treating him only moderately better than a man who'd been her loyal servant?He'd known the woman was hardly the most charming, but to just leave a wounded person to die… especially someone loyal enough they'd helped her commit a horrible crime…

Warf wanted to hate the bastard, but all he'd really done that Warf knew for certain was offer him money.When Warf had pushed, he'd backed down.He didn't like, or really even know, Kaltin, but fuck if Warf wasn't angry on his behalf anyway.

Stifling a sigh, he shifted until he was relatively comfortable on the hard floor and closed his eyes.Thankfully, sleep came easily.

It didn't feel like he'd been asleep long, though, when the sound of someone softly crying woke him.Years as a father had honed him to that sound.Warf sat up, started to call out to his daughters, and then stopped.He wasn't home.It wasn't any of the girls.

The sound was close.

"Sorry," Kaltin whispered."Didn't mean to wake you.I'll be more quiet.You can go back to sleep."

"Not really used to sleeping much," Warf said gruffly."Did the pain medicine wear off?"

"Yes, but really—"

Warf gently rested a hand on his forehead."It's no bother, boy.Hang on a moment."Warf rose and added more wood to the fire so he could see a bit better, then after a moment found the cheap, brown glass bottle so much like the ones common in Low City.Homemade stuff, effective but always a bit dangerous because homebrew wasn't as precisely measured as the proper medicines that most of Low City couldn't afford.

He measured out a dose and helped Kaltin drink it."Anything else you need?"

"To piss," Kaltin said."If you can help me up, I can manage the rest from there, I think.My leg hurts, but I can walk on it in small measures."

Warf snorted softly and got him up as quickly and gently as possible, then helped him to the door before finally letting him be.Once he was done, he helped Kaltin back across the room.

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