After the lunch rush, the tavern quieted down.  We cleaned it up a bit for the evening crowd, and then we were finally able to sit down for lunch and to talk things over.  

I dipped up a spoonful of meaty soup and restrained a moan of delight as it hit my tongue.  This tasted so much better than the food from the Baradom tavern.  And I actually knew that'd gone into it, because I'd help Sherria make it.  

"So, which one of these lads is your bother?"  Mr. Finnley asked me.  

I leaned over and tapped Derrek, who was busy shoveling the soup into his mouth.  "This one."   

Derrek looked up with a grin.  "Yep, I'm Derrek."  

"So who's this boy?"  Asked Mrs. Finnley, her eyes gazing intently at Daxton.  He glanced up, saw her looking at him, and ducked his head again.

"This is Daxton.   He helped us find Derrek,"  Redwar said as he tore off a hunk of bread.

"What did the doctor say about Simran?"  Valeria changed the subject tactfully. 

"He said that with a few days of rest and good care he should be alright.  So we'll probably leave for Klada in about five days."  

"He'll get the best care we can give him, you can be assured of that," said Mrs. Finnley stoutly.  She was already dipping up some of the soup to take up to Simran.  

"That, my good lady, I have no doubt of," Redwar replied.

"I can't believe we have a King's Messenger under our roof," said Zo with a giggle.  "Or that Ravine was summoned to Klada."  

"Join the group," I said as I reached for the bread.

"I'm going back to my home to check on my fields while Simran recovers."  Redwar's words caused me to yank my head up.  

"I've been away from them for a couple of weeks now, I need to check on them and the house.  I'll be able to make it to and from there in about five or six days."  

I was reluctant to let Redwar leave, but he was right.  "Alright."  

Redwar glanced over at Daxton.  "Daxton, do you want to come with me?"  

Daxton looked up, his brooding face broken by a flash of surprise before closing up again.  "I...  I guess so."  

Redwar nodded and looked to the rest of us.  "You can stay here for a few days and work for the Finnleys, if you're alright with that."  

I nodded.  I would miss Redwar, but to be honest, I was looking forward to sleeping a bed and not being on the run from or fighting against something.  

"It's settled then.  Daxton and I will leave tomorrow." 

Daxton, while he did do some work, was never inside the tavern during the evening rush.  I wondered if all the people made him feel crowded.  

While I cleaned glasses, I spotted Willy Wilson again.  Despite having been away for a few weeks, I still remembered him.  He was still as sophisticated as before, and was always stroking that mustache.  I noticed he stroked it slower when he was about to get a win, and faster when things weren't so certain.  

I also watched Zo, and noted how at home she was here.  She knew she was welcomed and needed.  She always had a half smile on her face as she served up ale and food, then whisked away the dirty dishes left behind.

It took awhile but slowly the tavern's boiling energy died down until it was mostly isolated pockets of men playing card and dice games.  Others had already gone home or up to their rooms. 

I finished drying the last mug and put it on the shelf, ready to be used tomorrow.  I looked down at my pruned fingertips.  There was no telling how many gallons of water I'd used to scrub today.  But it wasn't over yet:  there was still a pile of plates and bowls to take care of.  

But now I had help.  Valeria and Zo joined me in the scrubbing while Sherria was able to take care of the serving by herself, since there was only a few people left.  

With Zo and Valeria's help, the work was finished in short order.  With satisfaction I dumped the last of the dirty water onto the garden, which was nearly ready for harvesting.  I wondered if we would do that during our stay here.  

As I walked back in with the basin, Valeria yawned widely.  "I'm going to grab a quick snack, then it's bed for me.  You coming, Ravine?"  

I set the basin down.  "Yeah sure, just...  Let me go check on the horses."  

Valeria nodded.  "Miss them?  I do too."  

"Yeah, it'll be nice sleeping in a bed tonight but I do start to miss them."  

"Who said you were sleeping in the bed tonight?"  Countered Valeria. 

I smirked and slipped out the back door.  

The sun had set long ago, and I grabbed one of the lanterns hanging by the back door specifically for this purpose.  Its light swayed and bobbed ahead of me.   

Yes, I did miss the horses, and that was part of the reason I was heading out here.  But I was also curious to see if this was where Daxton was hiding out.  From what little I knew of him, I was pretty sure that'd be the case.  

As I entered the stable I glanced around.  I didn't see him anywhere, which was a little unnerving, but brushed it aside.  

"Axe," I called out softly.  Straw rustled as he moved at the sound of my voice to stick his head out of the stable. 

"Hello pretty boy, enjoying your time off?"  I murmured to him as I hung the lantern up beside his stall.  Clover, who was next to Axe, popped her head out as well.  I gave her a quick scratch on the forehead before turning to Axe.  

I let my hand run down his distinct white blaze, enjoying the feeling of his broad face bone.  "I'll take you out tomorrow for a ride."  

"Ravagerians ride all the time."  

Daxton's voice caused me to flinch as I spun.  He was behind me, leaning against a supporting post.  I berated myself for letting him sneak up on me.  

"You obviously have ridden a lot,"  I replied.  

He looked to the side, flexing his jaw with an imperceptible memory.  "Yeah."  

I stroked Axe several more times, wondering about this strange, conflicted Ravagerian boy.  He had saved my brother this afternoon, yet he was still very strongly connected to the Ravagers.  To my surprise, I felt pity for him.  Confliction within oneself was never pleasant.

"Thank you for saving my brother's neck this afternoon," I finally said.  "He told me about all you did."  

Daxton smirked slightly.  "Surprised I did?"  

I cocked my head at him.  "I don't know.  I guess so.  You are, after all, Ravagerian."

He pushed himself off the post with a glare.  "So?  Ravagers have a code to.  We're not moral-less heathens."  

"Maybe you aren't," I countered.  "And Redwar isn't, and maybe others, but the man who betrayed my family was.  The ones who took my family as slaves were.  So forgive me if I'm a little skeptical."  

He flexed his jaw and turned away.  "It wouldn't work.  I can't live with you."  

"Why not?"  

"Because we're so different!"  He threw up his hands.  "I'll always be at odds with your people.  I could never fit in."  

I don't know what made me say it, but it popped out.  "You don't seem to fit in very well with the Ravagers either."  

He whirled, eyes burning like fiery coals in the lantern light.  "I am Ravagerian!"

I narrowed my eyes at him.  "You're descended from both Ravagerian and Thathian lines.  The Ravagers were the ones to whom you were born to and whom you were raised by, but just as easily you could've been Thathian."  

"But I'm not!"  He came the closest to screaming he ever had.  

I raised my hands.  "Fine, you're not.  I didn't say you were Thathian, only that you could be.  And I didn't say you had to be Thathian if you cut ties with the Ravagers."  I cocked my head at him.  "But why do you hate Thathians so much?"  

"Because-"  He was going to make this big proclamation, it seemed, but suddenly he shook his head.  "I hate them because I'm Ravager.  It's what we do."  

"Our society is built on three things.  Loyalty, hate, and pride or honor."  He leaned against the post again.  "Our hate of you is what keeps us together.  Otherwise, we would fight among ourselves for power."  

I raised my eyebrows.  "Doesn't sound like a nice place to live."  

He shrugged.  "If it's all you've known, this,"  he gestured around with his hand, "Isn't a very nice place to live."  

"But it's not all you've known." 

He didn't respond to that.