The Reyburn Contracts: Orion

Part 5 - A Bit Like a Traveling Merchant

"Why don't you come join us?" said the young woman as she was about to take some drinks to her friends.

The young man glanced over at the two other women sitting at a table conversing with each other. "You know what, why not?" He answered with a friendly smile on his face.

As they approached the table, the young woman interrupted their conversation with, "Hope you girls don't mind if we have a guest at the table. Girls, this is Malcolm." The women surveyed the young man.

"Sure thing, he can take this seat," the darker skinned of the girls said flirtatiously as she pulled up an empty seat next to her at the long table.

The young man began to take the seat. "Josephine, you always get the good-looking ones," the other young woman across the table protested somewhat playfully. This other woman was wearing her long, blonde hair in one large braid. "Melina, aren't you tired of it, too?" she asked the girl who had invited Malcolm in the first place.

"It's not my fault," shrugged Josephine. "He chose to sit next to me. I didn't make him."

"Ladies," Malcolm interrupted. "I didn't mean to cause a stir. I assure you I'd be willing to sit next to any three of you." He said somewhat flirtatiously. "So, tell me, what do you ladies do for a living? You look a bit out of place for this part of town."

"We're from different parts of town," answered Melina. "But we all work as servants for the baron at his manor."

"Oh, so you work for nobility?" Malcolm said with an almost impressed tone. "And what's that like?"

"It's definitely nice spending the day in such a large estate," Rose said.

"Or taking a stroll through the Baron's Glade," Melina added just after finishing a sip from her mug. "Even if I am having to watch the children while I do so.

Josephine grunted and then added, "Let's not talk about the little brat."

"His kid's a little shit, I take it," Malcolm inferred. The girls gasped in unison.

"Young men shouldn't use such language in the presence of three dignified ladies," Rose chastised with a false air of nobility, and the three girls then giggled.

After catching on to the sarcasm, Malcolm chuckled and responded, "My apologies, my lady. This humble wanderer will try his best to summon the proper chivalry due to three such ladies."

They all laughed, then Melina continued, "Just one of his children. He has three, two girls and one boy. One of the daughters, who is the oldest, is getting to be rebellious."

"That's putting it nicely," Josephine interjected. "The other day the little imp placed a pin on my seat. It still hurts to sit."

"It's because you two never bother to talk with her," Rose argued. "The girl's mother died when she was young, and her father barely pays attention to her."

"That's no excuse," Josephine chastised. "My father was killed trying to hunt down a Rotting Mound, but I never abused my mother for it."

"What's a Rotting Mound?" Melina asked.

"It's a monster that's usually found deep in the swamp," Malcolm answered swiftly. He gained all their attention, and Rose quickly followed up with her own question.

"Have you encountered one before?"

He was silent for a moment as he ate another chip from his plate, avoiding eye contact with the women, until finally he answered with a shake of his head, "No, but I've heard tales."

"Did you ever give your parents trouble, Malcolm?" Melina asked.

"I didn't really know my parents," he answered just before taking a drink from his tankard. They seemed to be waiting for him to elaborate, so after he finished, he set it down and sat straighter in his seat and looked at each of the girls as he spoke. "I was raised in an orphanage for most of my youth. They kicked me out when I was fourteen, claiming they felt I was ready to live on my own." The girls seemed somber for a moment, but Josephine interrupted the silence.