Morning's come, Rouen sleeps quite well, he prepared early this morning. He's planing on going to the slums again today, but there's somewhere he need to stop first, Toby's farm.
"Come Midnight! It's been awile we're riding together huh?"..."today we'll go riding all day!"
Rouen put his fifty thousands Karlings inside a sack instead of a chest, so it's easier to carry while riding a horse.
"Here we go! Hyaahh..." Midnight's gallop majestically, strong and beautiful creature he is. Another priceless gift from uncle Mark. Just how many things he's already recieved, he thoughts. There's even still treasure uncle Mark's left for him in his 'secret chest'. Rouen's think about 'that', but somehow he's yet to open the chest...another time perhaps.
Rouen's arrived at Toby's farmhouse, it wasn't so far from his. Almost like a copy of his farmhouse, Toby's farmhouse just a little bit more...loud?
What's that voices?
Chicken's roar?
"Uncle Toby..." Rouen's try calling.
*knock *knock
"It's me Rouen...uncle Toby?" He's knocking the door. There's no answer, but Rouen can seems to listen a bit of human voice coming from the chicken's coop, it was covered with so many chicken's roar.
What in hell's happening there? Why the chickens so loud?
Rouen walks to the chicken's coop, there he found something really strange to watch. The farmer Toby is encouraging his rooster chickens to fight each other. The old man looks so exited about it.
"Hyahahaha...come on! Fight more!"
Uncle Mark's right! This old man needs to retired...soon!
"Uncle Toby..."
"Wa!? Ohh...Rouen?"..."where you come lad? Where you there watching me?"
"I come to pay a visit, sir."
"Really...? That's sounds sweet of you...no ones seem to care for old Toby's these day." He said kinda jokingly. "You know what...let's go to the house, i'll make us a tea!"..."right after i put these ones back first. Haha."
"Sound's good sir."
.....
"So...Mark's said that huh?"
"Yes sir, and that's why i'am here."
In Toby's kitchen they sit on the table, sipings tea. In the table the fifty thousand of Karling full of sack is put on.
"Well...he's not entirely wrong about that." Toby sips his tea. "After all geting old and alone here is not a good thing"..."it makes one do things they shouldn't do."
Yeah...i see enough.
"Perhaps spending my old age in a nursing home is the best choice after all."
"Yes sir, uncle Mark said it's about time you get retired sir. Farming is just geting harder the older you became."
"Ha! How kind of him to think like that." Toby's said sarcastically. "How is it boy...?"
"Sir?"
"You...how you've been holding it?"
"Ah...i'll be fine sir, i'll move on, that's what uncle Mark's want."
"Ofcourse...well boy...here's the thing." Toby's finish his tea. "I do agree about selling my farm house to you...but i dont think fifty thousand is the right price lad."
"Ah...i see"
"Mark's farm and mine is easily worth a hundred thousands of Karlings in the market's price. If Mark's give you a half price discount, obviously because you are his son." He said bluntly.
I see...that's make senses
"So...how much do you want to sell it sir?"
"Well i wont sell it to you at full price either, i too will give you a big discount, just not halve of it." He rubs his chin...why everyone's doing this when they think?
"I think seventy thousand will do it!"
Well...i can afford it.
It's still a good deal!
"I see...well i'll be back when i have the money then sir."
"Right lad!"..."so...who is it?" He ask.
"Pardon sir, who?"
"The one who will work the farm from now on when i get retired. You cant work two farmhouse by yourself cant you now?"
"Ah...i still work on it sir."
"Whaaat...? You've still haven't got the worker?"
"I'am planing to have 'them' today sir, and if i'am doing right, i think i can convince them to stay with me."
Toby's a bit confused about Rouen's explanation. "What are you talking about lad? Are you hiring a farm worker or who? Convince? For what?"
"Well, how do i explain this..."
"You can try...we've got all the time."
.....moment latter...
"So...you are planing on hiring them? Adopting them?"
"I dont know what the words is, but i want to help them sir. They were...starving, freezing...hurting. And no ones care for them."
"The world wasn't always a good place to begin with lad."
"I know! I've been there sir! Before uncle Marks come to save me. And before i even cross the 'river'...the world is truely such a shit hole!"..."But that doesn't mean we musn't try to do good, to help those who need it!"
"Just like what Mark's did to you, eh?."
"I cant enjoyed all this gift he left me alone...i must share it with others who need it, i know i cant help everyone! But at least i must try to help some!"
...silent's there for a moment. "Well said lad...truely, well said." Toby's snatch the Karling's sack. "This is it then lad...the farm is yours."
"Ah, then i'll be sending the rest of the kar-"
"It's enough..."
"Sir?"
"Fifty thousand...is enough, use the rest of it to take care of those poor souls will you?"
"...Thank you sir!" Rouen said bowing his head.
"Ha! Fifty thousand was actualy more than enough to spend the rest of my left years in retirement nurse house, haha!"
"Well then sir it's better for me to meet those 'poor souls' now."
"Right boy! I'll be taking care of the due paper of this farmhouse then, when you come next time, it'll all be done!"
"Thank you sir, good bye!"
"Save journey lad!"
Rouen's mind is light, another list he can mark. Now, he gallop his horse to Ravenhold.
"He did said he'll be back today right?"
"Yeah, he did..."
"But if he really did back, what then? He'll want something from us?"
"He said he didn't want anything from us right? He said he just want to help."
"I dont know...that's just sounds too good to be true!"..."i wont deny what he gave us last day is truely helpful, and with the money he gave us, we can survive for some weeks, eating real food too!" Noel state. "But as far as i know, there just no way there's a man who want to help us without wanting nothing in return!"
"That's because you don't know Mister! But i know him! Because when he hug me and he's crying, i can somehow...understand his feeling." Kora's said loudly. "I can tell that he was sincerely want to help us!"
The other kids that used to doubt her doesn't seems want to protest her anymore, even Liam, the one who's always questioning her, doesn't have anything to say. Now...it's all up to their 'leader' to decided what outcome will they take.
Rouen's arrived at Ravenhold, he goes to the market first, buying foods for the kids. All that done, he go straight to the slums.
At the abandoned house, Rouen saw a boy stand at it's entrance, Noel's wait for him.
"Greetings..." Rouen starts the conversation. "How are you?"
The boy look at him for sometime. "Come on in" he step aside the entrance, gesture to leting Rouen's enter the place.
"Thank you."
Inside there's all the kids he meet last day. They sit on dirty floor, they seems to been waiting for him. But it warms Rouen's heart when he see that the kids wearing the clothes he bought.
"Hello mister! Thank you for coming again!" Kora's said nicely. She wear a new onepiece that seems a bit biger for her, but never the less, suits her.
"Hello little girl...here, i've brought you something." Rouen give some bags of food and more clothes to Kora.
"Woa...more clothes! Thank you mister! You the best!" And the kids start to gather around. They eat and chating about how good it taste to one another. It warms Rouen hearts to see this.
"Why are you doing this mister?"
While the kids eats and choosing the clothes that newly bought, Noel quitely talk to Rouen.
"Why you helping us? No body want to help us before, not without wanting something in return thought." Noel said bitterly. Liam is eating and chating with the other kids, but it seems he payed attention of Rouen's and his brother's conversation.
"Because i know how hard it's been for you kids to bear this cruel world in it's unfair sides."
"You...know?"
"I've been there boy...i was once a refuge too...and my family also butchered by those 'horseman' assholes."
"You...you? A refuge? Like us...how so? I mean...look at you, you look so refined!" Noel said while complimenting Rouen's attires. "Your armour's look crazy expensive! And i saw your horse too, outside, that's one of the best horse i've ever seen, even the silver ranks doesn't ride horse like that!" He continue excitedly. "And you gave us so much things and money...you cant be a refuge just like us!?"
"I...was" Rouen said calmly. "I just got lucky...that's all."
"Damn...must be good for you!"
"What's your name boy?" It's kinda late.
"Ah...i'am Noel! I'am the eldest here...and that's Liam my brother." He said pointing at Liam. "I'am ten, his eight. We're kinda...leading this group."
"I'am Rouen...i'am turning eighteen soon."
"Ah, Rouen huh?"
"Listen Noel...i have a...proposal for you and your friends."
"Eh? What's that?"
"I want you to...come with me, you and all your friends."
"Come where?" He ask weirdly.
Please dont be suspicious, i have no bad intentions...
"My home...i have a farmhouse."
"You...own a farmhouse? You mean you own a property, a plot of land with your own name listed to it?"
"Yes, i have two of it." And soon it'll be more!
"I dont know what to said, you sure are a surprising fellow mister."..."and you want us to come with you there?"
"Yes, it'll be more safe for you and your friends there with me...and you wont ever be worry about food anymore, and shelter and...everything, you wont need to worry about anything."
"And how we'll repay you for all that mister? We cant just take it all for granted, no matter how kind you are."
"Well...you guys can help me runing those farmhouses."
"That's it?"
"That's all of it" Rouen smile.
Noel's look at Rouen, he still cant believed that he and all his friend is about to escape their harsh life. To worry not about having no food, to worry not about the freezing wind of nights, about medicine, about clothes...and obviously, about the bad guys that can endanger their group.
"Everyone! Gather around! I got something i want to announce!" Noel shout to the group.