go and nothing
to do but wait. The temptation to seek out Ella and divine her place
in the proceedings was one that he stifled with less guilt than
before. He spent a long time with those thoughts, watching the sun
start to sink into the evening sky.
7
Jakob
H e finally
decided to make his way back to the inn, trying his best to avoid
both the dogs and his father in the process. The light was fading in
earnest when he made it to the Chipped Flagon. The noise pouring out
of the open door indicated that it was much busier than the morning.
It
was probably as close to the bustle of the city that Jakob had seen
since arriving at Escana, a multitude of sweaty bodies milling about
and an endless buzzing of conversation that stole the air from the
room. He didn't recognise anyone at the bar and stopped in his
tracks, uncertain of where to find Jimmy.
'Jakob
my boy!' Garth called from one of the tables. 'You look like a lost
lamb, what's the matter?'
He
made his way over to the smith and declined the seat that was pushed
over to him by the man's leg. 'I'm looking for Jimmy, have you seen
him?'
Garth
nodded. 'He's upstairs in the Golden Rat, why don't you take a seat
and wait for him?'
Given
that Jakob had no idea what a Golden Rat was or where it was located,
he was hard pressed to excuse himself and begrudgingly sunk into the
chair. He knew he should start making small talk with the man but he
couldn't bring himself to find any words, the big smith didn't seem
too put-off by this.
'Business
is bad,' Garth finally muttered into his drink.
Jakob
didn't know if he was expecting a response or not. 'What's wrong with
your business? Are there no customers?'
He
gave a wheezy chuckle to that, eyes still firmly fixed on his flagon.
'Nothing wrong with the number of folks in Escana, it's elsewhere
that's the problem.'
Jakob
opened his mouth to ask why but found Garth waving his hand at him.
'It
doesn't matter, it's just me complaining to myself.' The smith leaned
forward then, taking a good look at him. 'You look just like your
Dad, you know that?'
Thom. The Warden. Not Dad .
'I've been told that, yes.' Jakob looked over his shoulder. 'He's not
here, is he?'
Garth
shook his head, mistaking Jakob's apprehension. 'Nah, he'll be back
tomorrow, nasty little border dispute he's gone to settle overnight.'
Jakob
sighed in relief, not caring if Garth noticed.
'You
alright kid? You seem a little on edge.'
Jakob
waved it away in what he hoped was a fine imitation of the smith's
own gesture. 'I'm fine, I've just had a long day.'
It
seemed to be enough to stop him asking any more questions, he had
very little to say to the man and even less inclination to do so
given his friendship with the Warden.
He
declined Garth's offer to buy him a drink and they sat in silence for
some time, occasionally he would spot Garth taking a look at him as
if trying to see through him. It was clear the man knew nothing about
the estrangement of his father.
It
was an unexpected relief when he spotted Jimmy coming down the
stairs. Trying to hide any signs of it, he quickly bid farewell to
Garth and walked over to greet the boy.
He
was wearing what must have been considered finery for someone of his
position and earnings, some kind of red jacket that was of a style
unfamiliar to him that matched his freshly cleaned shirt and
trousers.
'Well
we can't have you looking like that, can we?' Jimmy said, staring up
and down at him and making Jakob painfully aware that he was coated
in dust and mud from the days exertions.
'I'm
just back from Harvester's plantation, I didn't have time to change.'
Jakob decided to omit mentioning that he'd only been left with the
shirt on his back.
Jimmy
shrugged. 'You look about my size, I'm sure I could lend you spares
if you take care of them.' He pointed at a bit of hedge that had
stubbornly clung on to Jakob's trousers.
The
memory hit Jakob and with equal speed it receded. He had been running
through hedges and had snagged
to do but wait. The temptation to seek out Ella and divine her place
in the proceedings was one that he stifled with less guilt than
before. He spent a long time with those thoughts, watching the sun
start to sink into the evening sky.
7
Jakob
H e finally
decided to make his way back to the inn, trying his best to avoid
both the dogs and his father in the process. The light was fading in
earnest when he made it to the Chipped Flagon. The noise pouring out
of the open door indicated that it was much busier than the morning.
It
was probably as close to the bustle of the city that Jakob had seen
since arriving at Escana, a multitude of sweaty bodies milling about
and an endless buzzing of conversation that stole the air from the
room. He didn't recognise anyone at the bar and stopped in his
tracks, uncertain of where to find Jimmy.
'Jakob
my boy!' Garth called from one of the tables. 'You look like a lost
lamb, what's the matter?'
He
made his way over to the smith and declined the seat that was pushed
over to him by the man's leg. 'I'm looking for Jimmy, have you seen
him?'
Garth
nodded. 'He's upstairs in the Golden Rat, why don't you take a seat
and wait for him?'
Given
that Jakob had no idea what a Golden Rat was or where it was located,
he was hard pressed to excuse himself and begrudgingly sunk into the
chair. He knew he should start making small talk with the man but he
couldn't bring himself to find any words, the big smith didn't seem
too put-off by this.
'Business
is bad,' Garth finally muttered into his drink.
Jakob
didn't know if he was expecting a response or not. 'What's wrong with
your business? Are there no customers?'
He
gave a wheezy chuckle to that, eyes still firmly fixed on his flagon.
'Nothing wrong with the number of folks in Escana, it's elsewhere
that's the problem.'
Jakob
opened his mouth to ask why but found Garth waving his hand at him.
'It
doesn't matter, it's just me complaining to myself.' The smith leaned
forward then, taking a good look at him. 'You look just like your
Dad, you know that?'
Thom. The Warden. Not Dad .
'I've been told that, yes.' Jakob looked over his shoulder. 'He's not
here, is he?'
Garth
shook his head, mistaking Jakob's apprehension. 'Nah, he'll be back
tomorrow, nasty little border dispute he's gone to settle overnight.'
Jakob
sighed in relief, not caring if Garth noticed.
'You
alright kid? You seem a little on edge.'
Jakob
waved it away in what he hoped was a fine imitation of the smith's
own gesture. 'I'm fine, I've just had a long day.'
It
seemed to be enough to stop him asking any more questions, he had
very little to say to the man and even less inclination to do so
given his friendship with the Warden.
He
declined Garth's offer to buy him a drink and they sat in silence for
some time, occasionally he would spot Garth taking a look at him as
if trying to see through him. It was clear the man knew nothing about
the estrangement of his father.
It
was an unexpected relief when he spotted Jimmy coming down the
stairs. Trying to hide any signs of it, he quickly bid farewell to
Garth and walked over to greet the boy.
He
was wearing what must have been considered finery for someone of his
position and earnings, some kind of red jacket that was of a style
unfamiliar to him that matched his freshly cleaned shirt and
trousers.
'Well
we can't have you looking like that, can we?' Jimmy said, staring up
and down at him and making Jakob painfully aware that he was coated
in dust and mud from the days exertions.
'I'm
just back from Harvester's plantation, I didn't have time to change.'
Jakob decided to omit mentioning that he'd only been left with the
shirt on his back.
Jimmy
shrugged. 'You look about my size, I'm sure I could lend you spares
if you take care of them.' He pointed at a bit of hedge that had
stubbornly clung on to Jakob's trousers.
The
memory hit Jakob and with equal speed it receded. He had been running
through hedges and had snagged
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