Completed On the Fence

[Roki]

The sobering response from Syr Vasra tempered the young man's enthusiasm, and his laugh dried some in his throat as he looked about.

Maybe he shouldn't have been so glad to have brushed so close to death, Roki thought, as he rubbed the spot where the knife had bounced off his chest.

His robes would have done nothing to impede the heavy bladed weapon, and, well... best not to think about it.

Shitless, I'd bet...

A proud little croak of a heh came from Roki's throat. Smile wide and eyes squinted. "Yeah..." he thought proudly.

With the tug, the horses slowed, if only a half beat.

Roki looked back at the bed of the cart. At the hole his mage-work had left behind, and the... damaged posts. "Might, we can... get some new posts?" he asked with nervous titter.

Oliver

 

[Oliver]

As much as he hated to admit it, the squire’s easy cheer and unbothered nature was contagious. Tension falling off bit by bit, he rolled his shoulders in a sigh, cursing his inexcusable disinclination towards a firmer tone and talking to. Some pursuant — ripe for demotion, at this rate.

His attention went for their cargo as Roki spoke of the posts, remarking the sorry state upon the bed.

“ Maybe. Not for today, though. “ He responded in a blasé shrug, tearing his look back at the road. “ A number yet remain unshattered, so we’ll be able to put at least some of the fence up. And that will just have to do — these things happen. “ The alternative was that we’d not have made it at all, no?

“ Suppose the rations survived? Might want to have your lunch now, before we arrive — “ He continued belatedly, struck by the thought. “ Will have to get right to work, once we’re there. “

Roki

 

[Roki]

"Oh," he said, as if coming to some clarity. A nod, quick. "Yeah, suppose that's the right of it, isn't it?" better do what they could now. No need to worry of what was lost, if there was more still left to be done. A simple fact. True as a good nail.

"Rations?" he echoed, and turned about. Saw the basket of goods tucked safely away in a cornerr. A grin spread wide across his lips. "Aye, let me just," he stretched over the bench with a little sound, pulled up the wicker basket against the wagon board with a grunt. Opened the lid. Smiled wide. "Packed some Cortosi olives away," he said happily. "And some Cantonelle cheese," the soft gooey stuff that was easy to spread. "Crackers and," he nod, nod, nod. "Dried meats!"

Somehow, he had a little spread upon his lap already, neatly rationed across a canvas cloth. "Feel free to have some, Syr," he nodded, and stuffed a little stack of goodies piled onto a cracker into his mouth. Chewed, with gusto.

It wasn't easy squirreling away all these goodies from the knoll. But damn, did it taste all the better after all the excitement.

Oliver

 

[Oliver]

The contents of the rations were — quite the bounty. Listening on, the impassivity upon him fell away gradually as each item was listed and produced from the basket, expression transmuted to one of consideration. Despite his narrowed stare, a smile still clinged on, flashing wider at the concluding offer and the absolute contentment on the squire's face

A sun, this lad. Equal parts invigorating radiance as destructive force, a burning intensity to every facet. A goddamn joy and a clear hazard to both safety and health, for shouldn't one die by fire, they could certainly do so by stress alone.

“ Stack a cracker for me and I will. “ He promised, releasing the squire from under his stare and allowing it flit away to the surrounding patch of woodland.

“ Am bound to wonder, though — as that is quite the lot you’ve procured for yourself, Roki — “ The remark became belated, his tone without particular judgement.

“ How’d you manage it? “

 

[Roki]

A happy nod, and he set to put together a little confection for Syr Vasra. Cracker first, a slice of spiced salami, a little bit of cheese, and last but not least, a juicy olive, pickled in an oily brine. He nod, satisfied with the miniature tower of delight, and he handed it over to the elder knight.

As they rolled on through, he was quick to make his own little stack, scarfed it down quick, not thinking much of where the words were leading to.

Come the question, and Roki near choked on the last munch of stacked cracker down his face. He thumped a fist against his chest. Coughed. Looked for his water skin, grabbed it up and drank deep.

Wiped his lips dry, and he laughed some, the start of tears there about the corners of his eye.

"Just," another cough to clear his throat. "Well, you know," a nervous laugh and a winning smile that did... very little to prove his innocence. "Gathered a bit here, and a bit there from meals left over,"

Oliver

 

[Oliver]

There wasn’t denying that what lay assembled on a cracker did make for quite the treat. Chewing on it, he could’ve named many a worse thing.

He blinked at the squire’s sudden struggle with a bite of his mystery lunch, the lot of him still and blank with alarm for a fragment of a moment. To the great fortune of all present, a draught of drink appeared to sort it out in short order. He tapped a hand over his heart and looked away, blowing out a breath in exaggerated relief.

Lies, lies, lies. His instinct spoke over Roki's overly vague and nonchalant response, one both fantastically plausible and terribly unlikely. There wasn’t a way to prove it, or disprove. At the moment, anyway.

“ Well — “ He shrugged, smile bright and unworried. “ Hopefully I’ll find that the case, once I look into it. “

Roki

 

[Roki]

"L-look into it, Syr?" he asked, all titters and nerves. "I mean, of course Syr, why ever would you not!" he looked away, shrinking under his own weight. "Look... into it," the wagon hit a rough spot, and gave a rough bounce.

Eldyr's nuts. He was probably going to pull dish washing duty for a week.

"Does," he cleared his throat, and tried to sit a little straighter. Look a little more inconspicuous as the wagon rolled on. He prepped another little food stuff, and offered it first to his acting mentor. "Supply investigation come in handy, in the field, Syr?"

A smoke screen. Might be, if he ingratiated himself more towards Syr Vasra...

Oliver

 

[Oliver]

The bluff appeared to sink in nicely. He merely nodded along, giving an affirmative mm-hm whilst his look remained firmly on the road. The transparency of the tangential question therein was nigh painful.

“ In the field — I wouldn’t know, as I’ve never had to do it. “ He responded, smiling a little wider as he accepted the additional offering. “ Need not be broadly applicable, if one is just passionate about housekeeping. “

A bit like art, in that sense. Resisting a wink, he threw the stacked cracker in his mouth.

“ Am told you occupy your time with kitchen shifts a lot. Enjoy cooking? “

Roki

 

[Roki]

Roki's lips wormed some. Half caught between a frown and a smile. "Can't say housekeeping has ever been one of my passions," he admitted with a little laugh. Watched the big knight munch down on the snack and let out a breath as he turned his eyes onto the road. His fingers quick to put together another little fixing of food for himself.

"I do," he said, voice eased with some warmth that grew. "One of my preferred methods to pass the time, truth be told," popped a put together thing into his mouth. Olive and cheese, and a thick slice of dried meats, came together with a crunch that satisfied. He chewed. Math still full he said. "Yu, enjhoy chookhing much, shyr?"

Oliver

 

[Oliver]

No passion for housekeeping? How lamentable. One man’s pastime be another’s tedium, appeared yet again.

The follow-up inspired him into a half-hearted laugh. The shake of a head.

“ Not really. “ He admitted. “ Takes a different kind of patience that has always eluded me, I suppose. “ That and creativity. The latter is why some found it enjoyable, no?

“ Much room for failure, nuanced. ” Pointed, he glanced at the lad with a new kind of scrutiny. Taste for danger? “ Meanwhile, I’ve found there is hardly a way to do laundry so wrong it end a whole stack of sheets irredeemably ruined. Although — “ Like caught by vivid reminiscence, he narrowed his look at the distance.

" I have managed to fumble many an easier task in my day. Before and after squiredom, too. "

Freak accidents.

Roki

 

[Roki]

A little hum came from Roki's throat as he listened on. His expression brightening at the mention of creativity.

A sharp nod. Another little snack. And he handed the bit of food to his senior without a thought. Fingers quick to put another bight together for himself.

"Hard to imagine you fumbling, Syr," Roki said without missing a beat. "Least, if your tache and trim have anything to say about it," he grinned. Ate another bite. The foodstuffs were running low. But they had fought off brigands, and ridden a long ways. He motioned with the assortment, spread across the bag. Finished chewing. "What... sort of fumbles have foiled you, Syr?" he asked.

Oliver

 

[Oliver]

Hard to imagine? He stifled a snicker at that, reduced to a mere sharp hiss blown betwixt the teeth. The squire grinned and he would in turn, stroking a hand through his cropped hair like in agreement.

Flattery persists, if from one whom he’d regard as knowing the gravity of fashion and finer things. Thus, he could live with it.

“ Well — “ He started, staring to the distance. “ Once I planted an entire row of hedges on the wrong side of a Lord’s yard. Apparently when they spoke of a left, it was that of the one beholding the house from the road, not the house’s left. “ His palm gestured in the arm, like pointing out the sides of a rectangle.

“ I was dubbed a moron and disgrace to my low birth on the spot, at age fifteen. That I couldn’t tell direction, up from arse backwards and whatnot. “ The hand went about in a toss, concluding back on the reins. “ But how was one to know — the sides were identical and the groundskeeper was nowhere to be seen. The day was wasting. “ Like most assignments over there, he was practically dropped to the yard to fend for himself. To what end.

“ All that matters little now, as even the yard is long gone. And there be no fault for a fumble when instructions are unclear. Or lacking entirely, hmh? “

Roki

 

[Roki]

Roki was left with his brow scrunched, his eyes squinted as if he was searching for answers. A frown pulled down at the corners of his mouth, though his proud tusks still poked over his upper lip.

"That sounds awful," he said, earnest as a stone. His eyelids peeled back, and his gaze found Syr Oliver again with a quick snap of his head. Stammered out quick "I mean, that they would say such horrid things to you Syr, not," he shrank back, looked away, tried to find the words again. "Not that you made a mistake,"

He thought on all the times he had made a mistake. How he had tried to harvest the latest batch of cabbage with his wind magick. Or the time he had accidentally brought a suit of armor to life in the Armory.

Sure. Plenty of folks were upset. He had been lectured. A few of his peers even made fun of him. But, none of the knights had ever said anything so demeaning.

He nod. "To the grubs with them, Syr," he smirked. Glanced over to the mustachioed knight. "For what it's worth, you are a damn fine instructor, and... well... I'm glad I got to take on this quest with you,"

Even if he did blow a hole in the cart. And ruin some of the lumber. And... steal most of their snacks.

Oliver

 

[Oliver]

He was brought to blankness at the squire’s reaction, coloured by genuine lamentation as it was. Unbidden. Had he perhaps overblown the drama there, speaking in a manner that communicated some feeling or regard he no longer had for the described past, but which appeared to inspire condolences all the same. An awkwardness was upon him as he hummed, managing naught else as beyond him was it to tell off an earnest and well-meaning word.

Let alone the compliments therein. Noting the lighter tone, he hazarded a mirroring smirk and tapped Roki on the shoulder with both thanks and encouragement.

“ Likewise. The day has been a bit more eventful than I was expecting, but— “ He drew in breath, deeper, a lightness to it. “ Am convinced it be largely thanks to you we’ve got a day at all to continue on with. “

With that he released the kid from beneath his look, scanning the road anew. It was starting to look a lot like—

“ And hark — Our destination already looms. “ He remarked, gesturing ahead where the road split in two. On the left begun a narrower path in a gentle decline, unkempt and with rocks to mark the sides as it sunk into a patch of woods. The greater road would yet go on, trailing the sides of fields.

“ Might want to finish you lunch and hold onto something. The way down can be bumpy. “

Roki