Keldean Meets Hector!

[Hector(#26827)] It is late afternoon now and the weather is not pleasant. Hot and sticky, it leaves Breefolk with a miserable choice, stay indoors out of the sun and in the greater heat, or go outdoors into the sun where a hint of a breeze may blow. Uncle Hector Appledore today has chosen indoors, at least for now. The old man enters upon the common room with sweat gathered thick on his brow and about his neck, and makes immediately for the bar. The room is moderately busy today, with several groupings of people gathered to enjoy about the only cold thing in town: beer.

\"\'Scuse me,\" Hector coughs with a little smile, lightly tapping the bar to gain someone\'s attention. \"\'Scuse me, yes, please, could I possibly bother someone for a pint? Hello?\"

Working without pay is bad enough, but getting dirty looks from the rest of the inn staff only makes it worse. Keldean has his auburn curls pulled back into a ponytail, but he\'s still dripping with sweat as he carries loads of clean dishes from the kitchen to the common room. They\'re purposely picking all the worst jobs for him, he\'s sure of it. Unfortunately, the teen has -nowhere- else to go.

He dumps the tray of glasses on the counter and looks over at the man requesting the pint.. then gives a disgusted sigh and collects the drink for Hector. He sets it on the counter with near disdain, then waits for the payment to be passed over.

[Hector(#26827)] Hector starts a little as the tray of glasses clatters to the bartop and he gives Keldean a wide-eyed look, as if concerned he might have offended. He coughs as the lad places, or rather, slams the mug down on the counter. \"Em, yes, right,\" he says, digging in a pocket for a few spare copper pennies. He fingers a few onto the counter and pockets the meagre rest. Taking the mug, he begins to lift it, then pauses, seemingly uncomfortable with Keldean\'s disdain. \"Sorry, but do you, eh...are you new here? Only, well, folks at the Pony are usually so...talkative, see.\"

Another serving girl heads into the room with a plate of potatoes for someone, and Keldean\'s demeanor rather swiftly improves. He pushes up from leaning on the counter, \"No.. I\'ve just been out of town for a while.. \" He answers quietly, reaching for the tray of glasses and beginning to put them away on the shelves.

[Hector(#26827)] \"Ah, I see,\" the old man says, rather precariously. He takes a sip from his beer, looking curiously at Keldean over the rim. But he abruptly lowers the mug as if remembering something. \"Oh yes! You\'re that lad who ran off, aren\'t you? Kel, Kelean, right? Kelean Wood?\" Hector seems excited, as if not fully infirmed of the situation, alas.

\"Keldean.\" The youth corrects, a bit of ire in his tone again. \"And it\'s Pinewick..\" His surname is hardly a secret anymore so there\'s little use for hiding it. The teen sighs, as if realizing how rude he\'s being. \"So.. umm.. do you want anything else?\" He asks as he reaches for the coins to deposit in the box.. or wherever they belong.

[Hector(#26827)] \"Oh, of course. Keldean Pinewick,\" Hector nods, as if that was what he meant all the time. He hauls himself up onto a barstool, pushing a leather bag up onto the counter. It clinks. \"No no, I\'m jus\' fine. Say, but when did you get back? I heard as said that you had run off with poor old Nob\'s little cart. My Holly, she said you\'d prob\'ly had a good reason though. Said it weren\'t right people assuming the worst, see.\"

Hector

Thin and short is Hector Appledore, standing with the quiet, hunched posture of a modest man. Greasy salt and pepper hair is kept short but disorderly and several days\' stubble roughens the browned face, defined by hollow cheeks set beneath prominent cheekbones. His arms are thin also, and his fingers long and knobbly, but there is the suggestion of a strength disguised by this thinness here is a man who has used his hands all his life.

His face is just beginning to soften with age, putting him perhaps in his mid-fifties. Cheery crows feet frame twinkling eyes of blue, above which sit a pair of wiry silver brows. And his mouth, the lips receding with the years, almost always has an amused little smile twisting up one corner.

Simple brown trousers and boots are worn from long use, as is his threadbare black waistcoat, though the faded copper buttons suggest some former glamour. Only his long-sleeved white shirt seems relatively new, but even it bears already an array of grease and other stains.

Keldean looks back at the man with a hesitant glance, chewing on his lip. \"Well.. the cart and pony are back. I guess it\'s good to think the best of people.\" He answers evasively, reaching for more mugs from the tray. The teen, other than sweaty from the heat, seems in reasonably good health. He has a clean shirt tucked into freshly washed trousers, obviously making efforts to avoid any more of Nob\'s anger.

[Hector(#26827)] \"Mmhmm,\" Hector nods, sipping from his mug again. There is a question in his expression, as if waiting for the lad to continue. When he doesn\'t, the old man takes another sip and blinks. \"So...you\'re back then,\" he states obviously. \"He\'s a good fellow, that Mister Nob. And he\'s hired you back, mm?\"

\"Not.. exactly. Nob is making me work off the time I was gone.\" Keldean explains carefully, glancing around again. He leans forward, lowering his voice. \"He says I have to work for a -month- with no pay. They threw me in a jail cell for a whole day!\"

[Hector(#26827)] \"Oh yes!\" Hector says, leaning forward and nodding. \"I\'d heard they had some lad down in the jail. That were you, were it? Well, there\'s a thing. Still, you don\'t look too bad for it, not like that mad fellow they had this winter, eh?\" A a breath and a sip from the beer. \"Gracious, a month without pay? I hope he\'s feeding you!\"

There\'s a small creasing of his forhead when Hector brings up Barlok. He quickly pulls his thoughts away from the crazy assassin. \"One meal a day..\" Keldean mutters, shaking his head with a scowl. \"It\'s not fair. They even have the Breeguard watching for me at the gate, and say I can\'t leave town.\"

[Hector(#26827)] \"Oh bother,\" Hector snorts, shaking his head and waving his hand as if the idea were obsurd. \"Can\'t leave town? How\'s a lad to live then, I say. Why, if they wanted to treat you like a convict, they ought to out and say it. Besides, you\'re making up for it, aren\'t you then?\" He leans back, still shaking his head lightly. \"Well, you ought to get more than one meal a day, that\'s what I say. My Holly would feed you well and no mistake.\"

Keldean nods in complete agreement with Hector\'s assessment. \"Not only that.. they wanted me to -pay- for the time I spent in jail. They locked me up and then wanted to charge me for the food and \'guard wages\'.. \" The teen perks up rather suddenly when Hector mentions food. \"Do.. you live in town?\"

[Hector(#26827)] \"Well!\" Hector snorts. \"That\'s outrageous, right terrible. A lad like you paying for his time in jail? And for running off with a cart that you\'ve brought back. Now that\'s something terrible, aye.\" But the old man gives a frown and shakes his head sadly. \"Oh dear, I\'m afraid not. Combe, I\'m just in town collecting a few things. There\'s a thing. But do you know, my Holly, she\'s always sending me with things for the Pony. How about next time she does, I\'ll be sure to keep a few for you, eh? How do you like that, eh what?\"

Keldean is fully appreciative of his sympathetic audience. \"It -was- outrageous.\" He mutters. He\'s trying not to overdo it even as his ego is getting a much-needed boost. \"Would you mind? I mean.. I couldn\'t pay you, obviously.\" The teen pushes back some damp curls from his face. \"Oh.. umm, what\'s your name?\"

[Hector(#26827)] Hector snorts, lightly thumping the countertop and nodding. \"Of course not, my Holly is always cooking. And baking, she likes baking, aye. Don\'t you worry about paying. Goodness knows we have enough young \'uns always dropping in that one more mouth shouldn\'t be much trouble at\'all. Not at\'all. Hector, Hector Appledore is me. And you? Oh! Of course, Keldean Pinewick, shan\'t forget that again, shall I!\"

Keldean actually seems to be losing some of that heavy attitude, and smiles as the man goes on. He nods quietly, \"Thank you. I should probably be getting back to work. If Nob comes in and sees me talking he\'ll be angry.\"

[Hector(#26827)] Hector gives a light-hearted chuckle that sounds something like tiny rolling pebbles and nods at Keldean. \"Of course, of course, yes do, go right ahead. Please!\" He nodding after the lad and takes his mug of beer in both hands as he twists around in his seat, looking quite small as he glances about the room. He will sit there another few minutes as he finishes off the cool drink before nodding several farewells and shuffling contentedly from the common room back to his Holly and Combe.