Volume 4 Chapter 27 Let's Build A Bridge VII
Cain tried to change Barvish and Gardy's thinking before they reached Bridge Village. He talked, explained, even begged a little. But both of them only smiled in vague ways and said nothing clear. It didn't work. They reached the village with no real understanding between them.
At the inn where they were staying, Lala stood at the door. She greeted them with a light smile. Cain jumped down from the carriage. Behind him, Barvish and Gardy led the horses around the side of the building to the stable.
Cain walked up to his room with Lala. She helped brush the dust from his shoulders and chest. He changed clothes in silence.
After a while, he sat on the bed and said,
"Hey, Lala. Today, Uncle Will and the others called me a dragon. Do you think... do you think I'm really that strange? Is it so different, how I think and what normal people do?"
He didn't look at her. His eyes were on the floor.
Lala stood by the window. She was folding the clothes he had taken off earlier. Her fingers moved fast, neat, practiced.
"I don't know all the details," she said. "But yes, Sir Cain, you are a little different from other children. Still, you are you. That's what matters most. You don't have to worry. You are not strange in a bad way."
Cain gave a small nod.
"Compared to your older brothers, you're not so different either."
Cain's lips twitched at that.
"Yeah. Brother Arthur and Brother Ben were always... a little weird too. I guess I'm not too far off."
He smiled at last. "That makes me feel better. And now that I feel better... I'm hungry. Do you think I could get something light to eat?"
"Understood."
Lala said at once. She set the last shirt down and turned toward the door.
"Wait," Cain said quickly. "I'll come with you. It's lonely walking around by myself."
"Thank you very much."
Lala said, bowing slightly. Then they left the room together.
* * *
The dining hall was quiet. It was not yet time for dinner. Only a few rich-looking merchants sat near the back, drinking tea. Their laughter was soft. Cain stepped inside with Lala. A waitress came over quickly.
"Welcome," she said.
Lala asked for a small snack. As she spoke, a loud voice came from the kitchen.
"Is there anything?!"
Cain blinked. What was going on?
He walked to the open kitchen door and peeked inside. A few cooks and the innkeeper stood around a table. On the table sat a large white fish—probably trout. They all looked stressed.
"Dinner's coming fast, but we don't have a main dish!" the innkeeper shouted. His big belly shook as he moved his hands in the air.
"We already used every recipe we know," one cook said, sighing.
The innkeeper frowned. "But Sir Will has only stayed here one day!"
"Yes, but he came here before. He stayed for three days that time. We served everything then. And yesterday."
"We can't just repeat dishes?" asked another.
"We served white trout with butter already. Before that, we served trout in butter again—meunière style."
The cook looked sick with worry. "And now we have no more butter."
The innkeeper raised one eyebrow. "What do you mean, no butter? You can buy it!"
"It's been hard to find. The price went up. Maybe a new recipe is popular in the capital."
All of them looked down. Their shoulders sagged.
Cain felt someone behind him. He turned. The waitress from before stood there, biting her lip. She looked at him, unsure. He realized he was in the way and stepped aside.
"Sorry."
She bowed quickly and rushed into the kitchen. She tried to speak to the cooks. They didn't answer. One finally shouted, "We're busy! Come back later!"
But she didn't leave.
She tried again. "It's an order... from Sir Cain."
At once, the room froze.
The innkeeper turned. The cooks turned. The waitress looked down.
Then all eyes landed on Cain.
Cain stood there, caught between the noise and the silence, feeling like a fish stuck on a plate. The pressure made his head hurt.
"Umm..." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Should I... think of something?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, the faces in the kitchen lit up.
The innkeeper grinned. The cooks smiled like they had just heard the best joke of the day. The waitress sighed in relief.
Cain regretted everything.
Notes:
• Barvish - A slave dwarf with a muscular, compact physique, intended as Cain's retainer/bodyguard, brought via magical contract.
• Lala - Cain's companion, likely a servant or minder, cautious and protective.
• Will - Margrave Shield's son, Aisha's brother, and Cain's uncle. He is playful and enjoys teasing his father. He is a fan of Cain's 'hamburg' recipe.
• Arthur - The first son from the first wife, boisterous and teasing, affectionate.
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