town.”
“ What about the deer?” Ryan
asked as he set his down and unclasped the cloak.
Boelik set his own deer down and took his
cloak from Ryan’s outstretched hand, putting it on and adjusting it
to hide his left arm. “Well, I can’t carry more than one at a time.
The whole point of this,” he said, gesturing to his covered arm,
“is to make them think I only have one arm. You think you can put
the other two over in the ditch with you?”
“ All right,” Ryan said,
picking his deer back up. Boelik dropped the other buck in the
ditch with him, and Ryan pressed himself to the ground.
“ Now don’t come out until I
come and get you.”
“ I won’t.”
Boelik picked up his carcass and hefted it
over his shoulder, walking to the town. In the streets, he quickly
got directions to the skinner and the butcher. “Hello,” the skinner
greeted as he entered. “What can I do for ya?” he asked, leaning on
the counter towards Boelik.
“ I have three deer. How
much would it cost to skin them?”
“ Oh, about five coin
each.”
“ If I gave you a
skin?”
“ Hm,” the man said, looking
Boelik up and down. “Four coin total. One free, one mine, discount
on the last.”
“ Would you charge me
yours?”
“ Nah.”
“ Deal,” Boelik agreed.
“Here, I’ll leave you to this one. You can decide when you’re
finished which one you’d prefer.”
Boelik brought in the two deer and went to
bargain with the butcher. The butcher gave him a better deal on the
meat; he’d take one, buy one and a half, and leave Boelik with the
rest. When Boelik was done and waited for the skinner to do his
job, he went to talk with Ryan.
“ How are you faring?” he
asked, taking a seat in the ditch next to the boy.
Ryan shrugged, staring off at the sky as the
sun painted the clouds bright, burning colors. “I’m not dying.”
Boelik winced a little at the phrase. “Right.
I’ll buy you some clothes, something with a hood, and then we’ll
both go back to the cottage. All right?”
“ All right.”
The sun gradually went down, turning the sky
from a burning canvas to a cool one. Stars soon began winking into
existence, watching the two in silence. At last, Boelik went back
and got his skinned deer, transferring them to the butcher’s. He
took his money and only waited for his half a deer before dropping
the food off with Ryan. “Watch that,” he ordered. And back in he
went.
At the clothing store, Boelik bought some
trousers, one pair for Ryan and the other for him, a couple of
shirts, a pair of shoes, and a hooded cloak. He was about to head
out when he noticed a gray farmer’s hat with a string to reach
under the chin. He bought that, too, and then bought salt for the
meat. And a jar of honey, which he put in a pouch with the
salt.
Back with Ryan, Boelik tossed him the
clothes. “That pair of trousers on top is yours. The shirts, cloak,
and hat are yours too.”
“ Thank you,” Ryan said,
holding the bundle. He stared blankly at it, as if he wasn’t sure
it was really in his hands.
“ Well, put it on ,” Boelik said. Ryan started.
“ Right, sorry.” He set the
bundle down and then pulled the shirt over his head and got it
stuck, arms askew and his head only halfway through the
hole.
Boelik sighed. “Never put on a shirt before,
have you?”
“ No, not really,” Ryan
replied, his voice muffled by the fabric. Boelik sighed again,
helped him out of it, and then demonstrated how to properly put it
on. Soon the shirt and cloak were on, but the trousers…
“ Boelik?” Ryan asked,
holding the pants in front of him and looking lost.
“ Yes?”
“ I don’t know how
to…”
“ Well, that makes sense.
Just put your feet through the holes, there. There. Now lift one
leg and… Oh, never mind. Jumping works too.” Eventually Ryan was
clothed like a decent human being in a light, simple shirt, shoes,
a brown cloak and some brown trousers. “And there we are. Here,”
Boelik said, handing
“ What about the deer?” Ryan
asked as he set his down and unclasped the cloak.
Boelik set his own deer down and took his
cloak from Ryan’s outstretched hand, putting it on and adjusting it
to hide his left arm. “Well, I can’t carry more than one at a time.
The whole point of this,” he said, gesturing to his covered arm,
“is to make them think I only have one arm. You think you can put
the other two over in the ditch with you?”
“ All right,” Ryan said,
picking his deer back up. Boelik dropped the other buck in the
ditch with him, and Ryan pressed himself to the ground.
“ Now don’t come out until I
come and get you.”
“ I won’t.”
Boelik picked up his carcass and hefted it
over his shoulder, walking to the town. In the streets, he quickly
got directions to the skinner and the butcher. “Hello,” the skinner
greeted as he entered. “What can I do for ya?” he asked, leaning on
the counter towards Boelik.
“ I have three deer. How
much would it cost to skin them?”
“ Oh, about five coin
each.”
“ If I gave you a
skin?”
“ Hm,” the man said, looking
Boelik up and down. “Four coin total. One free, one mine, discount
on the last.”
“ Would you charge me
yours?”
“ Nah.”
“ Deal,” Boelik agreed.
“Here, I’ll leave you to this one. You can decide when you’re
finished which one you’d prefer.”
Boelik brought in the two deer and went to
bargain with the butcher. The butcher gave him a better deal on the
meat; he’d take one, buy one and a half, and leave Boelik with the
rest. When Boelik was done and waited for the skinner to do his
job, he went to talk with Ryan.
“ How are you faring?” he
asked, taking a seat in the ditch next to the boy.
Ryan shrugged, staring off at the sky as the
sun painted the clouds bright, burning colors. “I’m not dying.”
Boelik winced a little at the phrase. “Right.
I’ll buy you some clothes, something with a hood, and then we’ll
both go back to the cottage. All right?”
“ All right.”
The sun gradually went down, turning the sky
from a burning canvas to a cool one. Stars soon began winking into
existence, watching the two in silence. At last, Boelik went back
and got his skinned deer, transferring them to the butcher’s. He
took his money and only waited for his half a deer before dropping
the food off with Ryan. “Watch that,” he ordered. And back in he
went.
At the clothing store, Boelik bought some
trousers, one pair for Ryan and the other for him, a couple of
shirts, a pair of shoes, and a hooded cloak. He was about to head
out when he noticed a gray farmer’s hat with a string to reach
under the chin. He bought that, too, and then bought salt for the
meat. And a jar of honey, which he put in a pouch with the
salt.
Back with Ryan, Boelik tossed him the
clothes. “That pair of trousers on top is yours. The shirts, cloak,
and hat are yours too.”
“ Thank you,” Ryan said,
holding the bundle. He stared blankly at it, as if he wasn’t sure
it was really in his hands.
“ Well, put it on ,” Boelik said. Ryan started.
“ Right, sorry.” He set the
bundle down and then pulled the shirt over his head and got it
stuck, arms askew and his head only halfway through the
hole.
Boelik sighed. “Never put on a shirt before,
have you?”
“ No, not really,” Ryan
replied, his voice muffled by the fabric. Boelik sighed again,
helped him out of it, and then demonstrated how to properly put it
on. Soon the shirt and cloak were on, but the trousers…
“ Boelik?” Ryan asked,
holding the pants in front of him and looking lost.
“ Yes?”
“ I don’t know how
to…”
“ Well, that makes sense.
Just put your feet through the holes, there. There. Now lift one
leg and… Oh, never mind. Jumping works too.” Eventually Ryan was
clothed like a decent human being in a light, simple shirt, shoes,
a brown cloak and some brown trousers. “And there we are. Here,”
Boelik said, handing
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