Demesne Patron EX SS 26 – It Was That Girl's Fault This Happened!

This was all that girl's fault! This was all that girl's fault! This was all that girl's fault! This was all that girl's fault!

This! Was! All! THAT! GIRL'S! FAULT!

The words kept repeating in Naineb's mind, a boiling anger beneath all the tiredness, cold, pain, hunger and frustration, giving her the strength to keep going.

It was that girl's fault that they hadn't gotten the land they'd rightfully been promised! It was that girl's fault that they'd been sent back here beadless, with barely more than the clothes they'd arrived in and her husband's saw. It was that girl's fault they couldn't find work! It was that girl's fault no expedition trying to found a new demesne would accept them! It was that girl's fault Naineb had been separated from her children!

It was that girl's fault they had needed to sell the saw for a pittance that had barely been able to sustain them for a few days!

It was that girl's fault Naineb and Rann and Grem hadn't been able to find honest work, despite their skills!

It was that girl's fault that they were cold and hungry and had to sleep in alleys with the layabouts too lazy do find honest work, instead of proper beds like decent people!

It was that girl's fault she had to walk barefoot through wet mud and waste and rocks hidden in the mud and that her dress was ragged and worn!

It was that girl's fault they had needed to resort to petty theft to feed themselves as the days had begun growing colder!

It was that girl's fault that they had gone to the usual disgusting alley they were forced to sleep in to find themselves hemmed in by street toughs with clubs!

"We don't have any beads," Grem said, taking the lead as always. He had his hands raised, turning his head to look at the toughs blocking off the alley on either end. "You already have better clothes than what we have. Please, we don't want trouble. Just let us go."

It was that girl's fault this was happening to them! All she had to do was give them the land they deserved, but she'd been too arrogant and selfish!

"You think we want anything you've got?" one of the toughs growled. One eye was covered by a leather patch, and his face was twisted into an angry sneer. "You took my glittering eye, old man! Now I'm taking yours!" It was that girl's fault they were hemmed in by seven toughs, three on one side and four on the other with the one-eyed man. It was that girl's fault that no one ws coming to their aid, that no one was turning to look into the alley to call for the city watch, and those that did just turned away and walked faster! It was that girl's fault they no longer looked like respectable people worth helping, even though they were!

It was that girl's fault Naineb didn't know who they were. It was that girl's fault the three of them had gotten into fights with street toughs before, back when they'd looked cleaner and more respectable and looked like that had things worth stealing! It was that girl's fault they had to defend themselves and Grem had probably needed to gouge out this tough's eye to put him down!

"There's no need for this," Grem said as Naineb hid behind him on one side and her husband on the othe. Rann's fists were clenched, and even though he'd lost some weight from the weeks of hardship they faced, he was still a strong man. A good man. It was that girl's fault that the two of them had been reduced to this! "If it's me you want, then you don't need to have my friends involved. Just let them go."

Grem was a good man too. A much better man than that bootlicking coward and liar Rian, who'd made all sort of promises about protecting them and that every was equal, but then he'd been made lord and had forgotten his old friends! It was that girl's fault that Rian had turned his back on them when they'd asked for his help in getting land! It was that girl's fault they'd lost a useful friend!

This was all that girl's fault!

"We're not leaving you, Grem," Rann said.

Naineb nodded fiercely. Just tossing people aside when she didn't have a sue for them was what that girl would have done.

"You think we'd just let them go?" the one-eyed tough sneered. "No, after we finish with you, they're—"

Whatever else he was going to say was interrupted as something was slammed down hard on the back of his head, causing him to stumble forward. As the toughs with him stared, on started screaming in pain and collapsed as someone kicked the side of his knee. It was that girl's fault Naineb knew how that felt like.

Grem didn't waste any time, breaking into a run and kicking the head of the one-eyed tough in passing, raising his arms to protect his head form a blow that didn't come as he charged on of the two remaining men and knocking him to the side. Naineb and Rann followed after him, her husband running ahead of her to slam into the remaining man, keeping her safe as she ran past, following Grem who was following a stranger running ahead of him. It was that girl's fault that the one-eyed tough was behind them yelling at his other toughs to go after them, and Naineb could hear footsteps in the mud even as her own feet sank into mud and filth and this was that girl's fault!

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"Here. My treat."

With those words, Naineb knew she had found one of the few men in the world as good as her husband.

The man who had helped them was young and fairly tall, with light skin and plain hair between yellow and light brown and dull blue eyes, His clothes were simple and respectable, and were as clean as anyone could expect to be after a day's honest work. Long strips of cloth had been wrapped around his exposed forearms, seemingly in an attempt to keep them warm, and he wore a strangely patterned vest that looked strangely padded.

The four of them stood not far from a stand selling chlyp skewers, standing out of the wind as their savior handed out the food. Nained salivated at being handed three of the wooden skewers for herself, each one piercing through the curling body of four lightly orange chlyp covered in sear marks and dripping with their own oily juices.

It was all Naineb could do to not stick the skewer in her mouth and pull off all the meat at once like a ravenous child. She would not lose her dignity! That girl had tried to take everything from her, but Naineb would not be reduced to a filthy wretch without manners. "Thank you," she managed to say, then subtly elbowed her husband to do the same as he raised the skewers to his wide open mouth.

That girl would never have thanked anyone for anything!

"Yes, thank you," Rann said. "We'll find a way to repay you, we promise!"

Naineb hid a wince at the promise they would most definitely not be able to keep, but—

"No need," was the generous reply. "You three look like you need this more than I do… though I do still have to eat too. Though it would be nice to know the names of who I'm feeding."

Naineb flushed, and she lowered the food she'd been bout to bight into, even tough the smell and the way the juices were trting to drip on her fingers. "I'm Naineb and this is my husband Rann, and our friend, Grem," she said.

"Mykwohker, but you can just call me Myk," he said. "Why don't we save the rest for after we've all eaten? You all look like you're starving." He raised a skewer to his mouth and pulled one of the chlyp off with his teeth.

They weren't starving, but it was close. And it was that girl's fault she was so hungry.

The skewers were eaten quickly, and with an almost lustful ravenousness. Despite the generosity, there was the fear it would be taken away, and all hadn't been able to find work or steal anything today. It was that girl's fault they couldn't find work! It was that girl's fault they needed to steal to eat!

But not tonight! For the first time in a long while, Naineb ate like a respectable person, of food that had been paid for.

When the food ran out, Naineb stared at the skewers forlornly, but the newly named Myk siply handed her one of the skewers he hadn't eaten yet. "I'll just go buy some more for everyone," he said, one side of his face curling in a smile. He headed back towards the food stand, eating from his remaining skewer as he went.

"We should go," Grem said quietly as Myk moved away. "Now, while he's distracted."

Naineb turned towards him, scandalized. "Grem! We can't just eat the man's food and disappear while he's buying us more!"

"And if he asks you to pay with your body?" he asked. Next to Naineb, Rann stood straighter.

"He won't," Naineb said confidently. "He's clearly a good man. Perhaps the first one we've met since this began."

Grem huffed. The man was such a pessimist. It was all because of how that girl had betrayed him, she was sure. "And you, Rann?"

"I don't know why he's doing this," Rann said, his deep, quiet voice always so strong and reassuring to her ears. "But he did step in to help us. Even if we had somehow managed to win earlier, we would have been hurt. The night and the cold would do the rest we should at least thank him for the food."

They all fell silent as Myk came back with eight more skewers. "Here you go," he said, handing them two chlyp skewers each.

"Thank you, Myk," Naineb said, deciding to show Grem an example of respectable behavior. The man had obviously forgotten.

"So… what did you do to get on those thugs bad side?" he asked.

"They attacked us before," Rann said. "We beat them then, but they came back."

Myk shook his head. "What kind of people just take from those who barely have anything?" he said disdainfully. "At the very least, they should at least have the sense to go after people who can afforded to be robbed a little and not be too hurt by it, not those who look like they're barely keeping body and soul together."

Naineb winced at the reminder of their shoddy appearance. It was that girl's fault they looked like this instead of the proper, respectable people they were!

"I hope you don't mind my asking…" Myk said, "but do you folks have any place to stay the night? I hear we're due for snow any day now, and…" He looked down at their clothes, and Naineb barely held back the shame and mortification of her dirty, stained, and smelly dress. The ones in the pack on her back were far worse, since she hadn't been able to spare what water they'd found or stolen for washing. It was that girl's fault her dress was a dirty rag! "You all might find yourselves a little cold."

"We will manage," Grem said, finishing a skewer and letting the sliver of wood fall down to join the rest like it on the ground.

"You shouldn't have to," Myk said. "Look, if you need a place to stay, I have a little room at my place. It's not much, but it's warm."

"We can't possibly impose on you any further!" Naineb said, even as she imagined sleeping somewhere warm. It was that girl's fault that why'd been sleeping outside in the mud and cold!

"Well, I'm not just going to leave you all out here to die," Myk said. "That sort of defeats the point of feeding you. Look, why don't you stay over for a few nights while you look for your own place? If you want, you can repay me by helping me with a few jobs."

Next to her, Rann leaned forward. "Jobs? You can help us find work?"

"I can certainly find something for you," Myk said. "What do you say?"

"Why?" Grem asked. He sounded suspicious. Suspicious! He grunted as Naineb jabbed an elbow into his side to scold him.

"Grem! Don't be rude! I'm sorry, Myk," Naineb said hastily, lest they lose their chance for respectable work and a place to stay! "He doesn't mean anything by it!" There was such a thing as being too pessimistic!

"No, no, I understand," Myk said. "This probably sounds too good to be true, right? Look, if you don't trust me, then I'll leave you alone. I don't want you to think I'm trying to force you into any—"

No, no, NO! This was all that girl's fault! "We'd be delighted to accept your invitation!" she said hastily. Not one more night! she was not sleeping out in the cold one more knight because of that girl! It was that girl's fault! "And do not think we are ungrateful. I don't know how, but we will repay you, I swear it!"

"Well…" Myk said slowly. "About that… if you're offering, there' something you can do for me, Naineb."

For a moment, a treacherous moment, Naineb imagined the worst. Next to her, Rann stiffened. Grem let out a sigh that managed to sound like 'I told you so', the last wooden skewer he had vanishing into one fist.

Myk seemed completely oblivious to all this. "Uh, if you're going to be staying, then I have to ask… how good are you at cooking?"

Treachery was followed by shame, and Naineb knew it was the same for her husband. It was that girl's fault that their honest, respectable hearts had been ruined and they had suspected this good man of vile things! "It depends on what I have to cook with."

"Then I'll see what I can get you," Myk said. "But tomorrow. Why don't we go home…" He paused. "…after we visit the baths—my treat—and get some sleep. I'm sure you're all tired."

Naineb found that she was. With her belly finally, finally full after weeks of barely having anything to eat—it was all that girl's fault—only the tiredness remained.

"Come on," Myk said. "Let's go. I think I can talk old Daveru into letting us borrow his side room to wash off your clothes. He owes me a favor."

He started walking, glancing back at them. Naineb hurried to follow, her husband coming up behind her.

Grem sighed, but his footsteps through the mud soon trailed after them.

When Myk looked back again, he smiled. "So…" he said. "While we're walking… what's your backstory? How did you all end up back in that alley?"

The reminder soured Naineb's mood, but only a little. "It's all that girl's fault! She cheated us of our rightful land…"