It's almost nightfall, Rouen and the kids finally almost arrived at his farmhouse, they all walk the roads from Ravenhold, Rouen hold Midnight by the reins and walk with the kids. At time like this, he blame his simple erors on making decisions, why he goes to Ravenhold by horse? Why not use the carriage? That way these kids didn't need to walk so far like this. Then again he remember how eager he is to ride Midnight, after quite some times, he recon it would be good to strech his stalion's legs. Keeping such a mejestic creature inside the stable for too long is a sin itself!
Can't be help...
"Sorry that i make you guys walk this far...i should have brought the carriage."
"It's fine Mister! We're used to walk anyway." Kora said cheerful.
"That's right! This much wasn't a problem!"
Noel's noted.
What a spirited lads...
"Right, i'll make us all agood diner then when we arrived."
"Yaayy...let us help you too mister!"
"Yeah...i'am a bit good at cooking!"
Thank gods...truth to be told, i'am sucks at cooking!
Rouen and the kids arrived at the entrance road of the farmhouse, the kids quickly run around the farmhouse, excited to meet their new home.
"Hey! Dont run around like that! Mind your manners!" Noel's try to naught them.
"It's fine Noel, let them be...i'am happy if they're happy about it."..."you too...go look around if you want to." Hr said warmly.
"Ah...okay then!" Noel's then run chasing the other kids.
"It's big, it's beautiful, and there's lot of animals! I love it!" Shout Kora's happily.
And the other kids too...they are all looks...happy.
Thank you uncle...i will make good use of what's you left me...to help these poor souls...i promise i'll make them happy...just like what you did to me...it's my turn now!
"Come inside then kids...it's about time for diner."
"Oh right! We'll help you prepare it mister!"
"That's right! Let's go!"
.....
Diner's ready, Kora and the other girls seems to mainly doing the cooking instead just helping, after all it's better that way since Rouen suck's at it.
A moment before...
"Mister...you dont cook much do you?"
Ask Kora's while Rouen choping a carot.
"Ah...you can tell?"
"Uh huh..." Kora's noded. "That's not the way choping things...you'll cut your finger soon enough."
"Eh!? Is that so..."
"Uh huh..." Kora's nod again. "Tell you what...why dont you just sit there, and let me and the other girls doing the cooking."
The other girls noded.
"Alright then...sorry i cant help much about it." Rouen's words contain a bit shame in it.
"No worries! We got this!"
Moment latter...
"It's ready!"
"Wah, smells good!"
"Good job!"
"I cant wait, lets eat!"
They sits on the diner table on the living room, a table that once Rouen thoughts too big for his taste. He's used on using the smaler one in the kitchen for his meals.
Who knows, there will be times when he's glad he had that big table.
"Ah...i'am so full!"
"Me too!"
"I'am sleepy now..."
"Let's do the dishes first before we sleep!" Kora said demanding.
"Okaayy..." the other kids followed.
"Oh, i can do it latter, you kids can go to sleep early since you all must be tired after all that walking."
"Nonsense mister! We wont allow you to do any dishes! In fact...we wont allow you to do any chores anymore!"
Is it because she sees how incapable me doing the cooking? How shameful...
"From this time, every chores in this farmhouse will be handled by us! You just sit tight and enjoy your time mister!"
That...doesn't sounds so bad?
Shame on you!
Wa!? I mean...
Shame on you!
Aahhh...
"No no...the idea is for me to take care of you guys...not the other around."
"But you indeed taking care of us mister." Kora' said. "You give us home, and everything we need, we cant never repay you for that...so at least let us do this!" She said with teary eyes.
How can i refuse now?
"Alright then...but i will still watching over you guys, since there's must be things that you cant handle alone."
"Right then! It's settled!"..."let's go guys, to the kitchen!"
"Alright..."
"Careful with the plates"
Haa...
Shame on you!
Wa? You still there?
After all that, Rouen prepare the rooms for the kids. He put the five boys on the bigest room on the house used to be the guess room and three girls on the room that used to be Rowan's. He cleaned all the rooms before the kids use it. Besides Rowan's room is uncle Mark's room, he left it alone. Mark's item and his 'secret chest' is inside still. Rouen hasn't move anything inside the room...he still need time.
Before everyones asleep, Rouen check each room, making sure everyone alright. After that he said them good night.
"Good night then everyone..."
"G'night mister!" Said everyone.
Before Rouen go upstairs to his room, he look at his uncle's room again...
Maybe i should now?
He also thinks it might be good to sleep in the first floor, close to the kids incase they need him somehow. Roudn opens the room's door. It's tidy as always, he thinks. He take his time staring at the room, the fragrance of his uncle's still can be smelled from the room's air. He sits on the bed, it felt kind of unreal, all the things happened lately...the caravan's raid, uncle Mark's death, the kids...everything happen so fast, he's strugle to process his thoughts. On the floor besides the cabinet, a chest can be seen. So much for a 'secret chest' he thoughts. Somehow he still dont want to open it yet. Rouen lie on the bed, his uncle's bed...memories starts to come again...He close his eyes, hoping he can sleep soon.
Cecil...
Morning's come, Rouen's open his eye, he can heard some voices...
Who...!?
Ohh...that's right.
The kids...
I did it, i convince them...
Another list to mark!
Rouen's wake up, in the kitchen he sees the girls preparing breakfast...or lunch?
"Good morning." He said warmly.
"Oh, good morning mister!" The girls welcome him.
"Where's the boys?" He didn't see them around, still sleep?
"Outside...they're doing the chores."
Ahh, right...they said it last night.
"Will they be fine thought, maybe i should help them after all."
"Nonsense! They'll do good! We might be young but we are all hard workings mister! Farm's work is nothing compared what's we've been throught in Ravenhold's street!"
Kora said convincingly. "As for you, why dont you sit on the table and had breakfast, it's soon lunch time you know?"
"Ahh, i see...what about you girls, and the boys?"
"Ha! We aready eat breakfast hours ago!"
She said firmly.
Would you look at that? The one who suppose to 'take care' these children are the one's who's get taken cared of...
Shame on you!
It's bread, sausages and eggs from the chicken coop. The kids manage to gather the ingredients throught the farms and came out with these cookings? It taste good too! How reliable of them!
Shame on you!
"This...taste so good!"
"Really? We glad you like them!"
Finish the breakfast, Rouen go outside. There he can sees the boys, Noel's staring at the field of corns, he held a shovel in his hand. Liam's tend to the cows, feed them and milking them. And the othet boys too, there's one in the chicken's hoop, feeding and colecting eggs, one in the stable cleaning, and one plowing some empty land, planing on planting something?
These kids...they can really runing this farmhouse alone even without me!
Shame on you!
Noel's notice Rouen's presents.
"Good morning sir!" He said.
"Ah, morning Noel."..."you guys...sleep well?"
"We all do sir!"
"I see...i see you and your friends already...acustomed to the farm's work?"
"It wasn't much! But we can manage!" He said confidently.
"Good morning sir!" Liam's came. "I think it's time to deliver the farm's product to the markets Noel. You'll ride the carriage?" Liam's ask his brother.
"Alright, i think i can take care of this alone."
Wait a moment...take care of what? Rouen's thoughts. He plan on delivering the cow's milk, chicken eggs, corns, and lots more vegetations to the Ravenhold's market, taking the carriage with him, alone?
"I think i'll bettet come with you." Rouen said, he cant let the boy go alone.
"I'am fine sir, i can handle this myself."
"I know, but it's better to be safe, and dont you want to see the other farmhouse, we can go there on our way."
"If you put it like that then, i suppose we go together then!"
"Right...wait a moment, i'll prepare."
Rouen doesn't feel like he needs to wear the whole armour, he strips all the metals part, and only wear the black gambeson. And since a swordstaff is too big on a daily basis, Rouen tied a short sword in his belt, not his primary type of weapons, but it's enough for now.
Outside, Noel already preparing the carriage.
"There's two carriages on the stable, this one is nice! The other one though...seems old?"
"Ahh...yeah...dont mind that one."
There's a whole lot of story about that one carriage lad!
"Off we go then, i'll ride!"
"Alright, just be careful."
.....
Three hundred sixty five Karlings, that's the total money they got selling all the items. Well it wasn't a one day profit to be fair, some pass days Rouen doesn't really taking care of the farms, he doesn't make any deliveries. He recon a day profits from the farm's usualy is about one hundred and fifty to two hundred of Karlings. In the way, Rouen's tell Noel some of his stories...Stories about his pass, stories about how lucky he is to be pick up by uncle Mark. And about his intentions to help the others refuge. Noel can only be astounded, more and more. To Noel, Rouen's is someone he found so fascinating. His life is full of adventures and chalanges yet he's manage to overcome it all.
"So...you're planing on helping more refuge like me and my friends?" He ask.
"Yes, little by little at the time."..."I know i cant help everyone, but if i try hard, i think i can at least help some of them. And i think i should prioritize the young ones like you and your friends."
"My...i dondt know what to say mister."
"I need your help to do this, Noel."
"My help!?"..." ofcourse! But...what do you need for?"
"You've been there, in the streets of Ravenhold. You know people there more than i do, especialy...the refuge."
"Wait a second, you want me to...choose!?"
"That's right, i need you to be the judge of characters. The view souls that i can save, Noel...i want it to be the one who truely deserve it! Like you and your friends."
Rouen put it seriously.
Noel feels the weight of what Rouen's just said. To have the power to choose those one he want to save and those he want to refuse.
"That's a heavy responsible sir! Who am i to decided which one is good and which one is not!"
"I know, but that exactly what i'am asking from you Noel. You've been there longer than i did, and you come to create your own group dont you? you protect them because somehow you know they were worth protecting. I want you to find those kind of kids, who are worth saving, who are worth ptotecting. I trust your judgement on that matter Noel."
"If you said so...sir."
"Dont worry about it, i know you'll make good choices.
They arrived at Toby's farmhouse.
"This...almost look like the first one."..."it's just..."
"Louder right? I know...come!"
Rouen walks straight to the chicken's coop instead of the house. Noel followed him nerveously, he's wondering why the chickens so loud.
"Hyahaha...that's it! Good hit!"
Toby's shout like a maniac. Noel's shocked at what he sees.
"Errhhmm...!" Rouen's pretend to clear his throat.
"Huh? Ohh! Rouen my boy!...you here?"
Yeah...it's time for you to retired old man, before you lost even more!
"Yes uncle Toby, and this here are Noel."
"Pleased to meet you sir!" He bowed.
"My...oh my...look at you! You so young!"
"Yes sir, but i'am a hard working never the less! I can do anything!"
"Ohh really...that's good, that's good.".."let's go to the house now."
"Right sir." Rouen said.
.....
In the kitchen's table they sits, Toby's makes them some tea, then he take a piece of paper.
"Here's the dud lad, the farmhouse is yours now!"
"Thank you sir."
"I'll be staying for two or three days before my carriage come take me to Leonire." He sips his tea. "Pitty that i wont see any rooster fight anymore after this."
"It's probably for your own goods uncle." Rouen said bluntly.
"Hahaha! Yeah...you probably right!"..."so...this is one of those 'poor souls' that you manage to saved?"
"Yes sir, there's seven more back in the house, and i plan to having more."
"My oh my...you doing God's work here lad, i'am telling you!"
"Thank you sir!"
"Righy then...is there anything you want me to teach you or these kids about the farm's work?"
"I dont think so sir, these kids, they seems to know already everything about farm's work."
"Really...? That's terrific!"
"We're a fast leaner and hard working sir, we'll handle just fine!"
"Good then! Good!"
.....
Sun's set, Rouen and Noel's late for lunch, they arrive at dusk. All the chores is done, it seems the children gather in front of the house...playing some games Rouen doesn't know.
It's good that these children could still laugh and play around like this.
Rouen remember, even when he's their age he doesn't seems to have times to play like these kids. Live in the anarchy land, is tough as it can gets, dusk time like this he usualy used to gather fire woods.
The kids noticed the carriage coming, they run towards it.
"Welcome back!"
"What take you guys so long!?"
"You guys miss lunch! It's almost diner's time!"