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the horses were watered but Zak was weirdly tired from a day of sitting and bossing them about, walking in the water felt good against his rough freckled feet even as it froze them pink. he hefted the buckets of water easily and scooped out as much of the gravel as he could.

he heard a splash and saw a girl indistinct in the twilight come down to the river bank to his right, she had had to be another of the gypsies so he put down a bucket and waved before picking it back up again and taking it to his horses. he hoped that was the right thing to do he never knew what to say to girls. ears flushing hot in the darkness he tramped back to the horses.

they drank with gusto and Spot (not knowing the names, theses horses will be refereed to as Spot and Binky) knocked over his bucket but as binky was done already this was less of a problem.
what was more of a problem is the draft horse joke of taking the spotty guy trying to brush out days and possibly a lifetime of neglect from your coat and squishing him between you and your buddy. draft horses think this is hilarious especially if said spotted guy then squeaks quietly in pain while certain essential ribs attempt to lead an abdominal revolt.

Zak was squeaking in an attempt not to scare his bemused half ton tormentors, as Zak knew that scared draft horse is always worse.

Binky trod thoughtfully on his foot.

"Oh hi" Zak said looking at the horses, they were behaving with out bribery. this was unusual. "Careful they can be a bit bite-ey" he said the the brown haired girl, but despite his own warning he pulled out a hand brush and started working out the sweat in Binky's coat. this time on the far side from spot.

Binky gave out a whuff noise and seemed to appreciate it, leaning into the brush. with something to occupy both hands and eyes he felt a little more at ease "So, how long have you been with the caravan? probably know I just joined," he pulled up binkys foot and hacked at the rocks and gopher poo caught under the somewhat over grown iron shoe, great one more thing kep has let slide, he thought letting the hoof down and picking up the hind foot, sticking close in case of bad horse decisions.

Zak stood up after tending to the hoof he kept one hand on Binky's side and took the notepad with a confused look. was it a rude question? I'll never get the hang of these people, but maybie she likes me he thought as he flipped through it a little, there were different inks and stains on the pages and lots of words. made of letters and everything.
"oh, umm, this is a nice book but theres no call giving it to me" he said handing it back "its better off with somebody what who can, umm, get some proper use out of it" he smiled awkwardly and gave Binky half a carrot before starting work on Spot.

"ah huh," said Zak nodding with semi-incomprehension and going back to picking hooves. "Sorry for bleeding on you anyway" he mumbled finished grooming Spot and providing the requisite carrot before heading back to start the campfire.

she's following me, ok, she can do that, Zak worried that he had gotten on the wrong foot with every body already. no matter, eyes on the task ahead,
he grabbed an armful of rocks from by the river and cleared a space for a fire a little way from the wagon, laying the rocks in a circle and tramping down flammable grasses. he grabbed a bucket and loaded it with two potatoes some dried meat, an onion, the herb kit, and a carrot, from the wagon, also a smaller black pot a roll of gauze and then some of the tack he slung over his other shoulder. Ooof muttered objections from old bruises and ribs under dirty rags.
that should be everything.
he put this down by the ring of rocks dumbed out the bucket and went down the river to grab some sticks and a bucket of water.
grasslands, well they used to burn out the pastures every other year or two but that would not do here. wooden wagons and all that.

Zak carefully smacked a small flint from home against a curled hunk of steel only occasionally skinning his own fingers in the process. but the fire lit and caught but did not spread too bad. he nestled the potatoes on rocks beside the fire and filled the small pot with water from the bucket to boil.

"Hey" said Zak nodding to the dark haired girl.

Taking of his shirt and revealing a messy sweat stained undershirt of bandages, there was some dried blood but the cuts had been small and were scabbing over properly. he winced with the motion of putting his arms over his head and continued to make faces as he unwrapped the old gauze and some flat slats of wood.

His dirt stained pale freckled skin moved over purple green crescent shaped bruises and the sort of musculature only found in people who have been working outside lifting things for almost as long as they could walk. he breathed shallowly without the support of the bandages his ribs screaming a dull protest.

"Sorry, but it's been three days already and the damn thing itches, beggin' yer pardon" said Zak, dropping the slats and the dirty bandage into the simmering pot of water.

Rojiza nods, thanking whatever deity happened to be listening for the presence of Annjette. She scribbles out a note for her to read:
I don't know his name, and I can't communicate with him. He can't read.
She offers the pad to Annjette and pets the ermine's head. She has a sudden urge to teach the freckled young man to read. He can't be much older than she is. She tucks a lock of chestnut hair behind her ear and watches him. Poor dear.

"Well...Okay then..." She said, her tone seeming dubious and uncertain. Dark child glanced over at Ro as she handed her the note and took it. Q, meanwhile, leaned into the petting happily making small happy chittering sounds before settling again.

Annjette read the note and then nodded, "Ahh, I see. Maybe I can help if you wish to talk with him for a while?" she didn't seem to mind having to act as her friend's interpreter.

She looked at the odd male before speaking to him, "I'm Annjette, and well that is Rojiza, may we know your name?" she indicated Rojiza with a nod of her head. The swan-girl wasn't sure how much the person knew about them for she knew nothing of him.