In His Name

Chapter 55 - Not giving up

Kenneth is quite good at giving orders. Before Rosco even really knows what is happening, they've found a good spot to set up camp, pulled the wagon off the road and tethered the horse, Mable, to a tree.

Gabby and Rosco are sent to the stream to fill a pot with water while Kenneth gets started on a fire. Back with the pot, Rosco is immediately assigned a new task and is seated with a cutting board in his hands and a stack of veggies to cut. Tansy nods, clearly satisfied with the information Kenneth is a good leader, settling on Rosco's shoulder to watch him work.

Rosco is quite pleased to find that Gabby is steadily warming up to him, offering shy smiles and a few more words. It had become clear quite quickly that Kenneth didn't want Gabby to do much of anything. He'd only given her only the simplest of tasks that required no real labor. Even when they'd gone down to the water, Rosco had been expected to carry the pot both there and back. Gabby only going along as some sort of supervision. She is also quickly given the job of supervising Rosco in cutting the vegetables. Rosco had a moment of irritation at a nine-year-old being deemed more responsible than him, but after a moment of self-reflection he'd accepted it as necessary. He had kept getting distracted, trying to tell her stories or something, to the point no work was being done. She's a very good supervisor however, listening intently to Rosco talk and tapping the board whenever he stops cutting. The boy marvels at her ability to listen and still keep him on task, asking appropriate questions and offering insightful commentary for a girl her age.

Rosco's just about done telling her the one about the girl who got lost in the woods and ended up finding the tree folk, when he looks down at his hands, discovering he'd run out of work to do. Her soft sweet little giggle at his pout warms his heart beyond words.

"You're awfully comfortable around kids," Kenneth comments when Rosco gets up to pass off his completed work, "Do you have younger siblings at home?"

"No. Well, yes. I mean kinda?" Rosco fumbles over his words, "I don't have any siblings, but I lived in a sort of group home? I'm an orphan. I was really lucky though; I was taken in while I was still really young by a woman who opened her home to us. She gave me and quite a few others a place to stay while she looked for more permanent families. She gave us hope," chuckling awkwardly, "So, anyway, I've grown up surrounded by kids," rubbing at the back on his neck, "And when you get stuck there as long as I am, you get pretty good at caring for the younger ones." The boy braves a glance at Kenneth. He's not ashamed of being an orphan, but others tend to look down on him for his lack of a proper guardian.

"So then, what brings you south?" Kenneth asks next, not really giving Rosco a clear indication of his feelings on the subject of the boy's missing parents.

"Oh, I'm traveling for a job," Rosco answers after letting the silence stretch on too long, "I never did find a family, so I have to take care of myself."

"Everyone has to take care of themselves at some point," Kenneth nods, "Regardless of your family situation."

Rosco wrinkles his nose, finding the man's words oddly comforting, "What brings you south?"

Kenneth's gaze flicks over to his daughter, heavy thoughts weighing down his shoulders, "Gabby is not always a well as she looks." He says softly, "Her throat will close at random, making it nearly impossible for her to breathe. If she avoids strenuous activities and stays away from specific triggers, the attacks come less frequently but sometimes, they come with no warning at all." His gaze hardening, eyes looking beyond the present, "Last fall, before the onset of winter, I almost lost her."

Tansy shifts on Rosco's shoulder, squirming in their in activity. Rosco knows how they feel, wanting to help, but not knowing how.

"She stopped breathing all together," Kenneth continues, "It was the longest few minutes of my life." shaking his head to ward off the memory, "My wife and I tried for many years before we finally had her. But Cate never got to see her, the birth was hard, and she didn't make it." sighing heavily. "I always wanted a big family, like I had growing up. But the gods only saw fit to grant me a small one, and I will not give Gabby up without a fight." Fixing his gaze back on Rosco, "I've heard tale there's a witch outside Sonfold's capital that can perform miracles." Rolling his eyes away, "Now before you start, I already know what they say about witches and that I maybe dragging my sick daughter around the world on a wild goose chase when she might get a little more time laying in a bed, but if we find this man and he can help us, she'll have a life. And if not, she'll have spent her time on a trip seeing our world instead of her bedroom walls."