Seth’s eyes remained trained on the bandits until they had skittered away, offering only a small nod in response to the boy’s thanks. He had always taken a rather dim view on thievery and any who chose to break the law, though his experiences during the War of Stones and ensuing restoration had shown him that some stole not out of disregard for authority, but an abject poverty from which they could find no escape. Seth let out a soft sigh, that did not mean that he would tolerate lawlessness, but he might offer an alternative, should it seem appropriate.
The best solution, therefore, was an increase in programs to aid those affected by war, famine, or disease, so that none but the greedy or selfish felt the need to steal from others. The situation had ended satisfactorily, though, the attackers had retreated, Lord Eliwood had not been visibly harmed, and he hadn’t needed to use his blade, merely draw it to emphasize his point.
Seth nodded in acknowledgement of the nobleman’s smile, sheathing his sword one more at his hip. “It is my honour to have been of service, my lord. Though as you have astutely pointed out, the hour grows quite late, so perhaps it would be best if you retired for the night.” Though he would not agree aloud with Lord Eliwood’s assessment that his reaction to the danger had been akin to that of a child, he was concerned that such behaviour would only exacerbate the strain caused by his own lagging reaction time. “Would the walk back to your inn be enough to clear your head, Lord Eliwood?”
“I suppose for both of our sake, it must be.” Eliwood replied softly, not a hint of malice or disappointment in his tone. He recognized the menace of the late hour and hoped that perhaps exhaustion would allow him to slip into a dreamless sleep once he returned to the safety of the inn. Anyone would prefer not to dream than to suffer through the nightmares that riddled him like clockwork. He gently wrapped his arms around himself, rubbing his arms to encourage the warmth he had lost as a result of fright to return. With that, he took a step forward and began to walk once again, headed in the direction his destination.
For a few moments he was silent, feeling too tired to formulate words and stringing them into sentences. It was difficult for Eliwood to speak too senselessly, as he always considered his spoken admissions carefully, even if it was to his detriment. It was a skill that he had developed in his youth, which continued to flourish as an adult. Though some might believe it was a result of the stress of being a noble, it came rather naturally to the ginger-haired man, even as a child.
As they approached the stone face of the building, Eliwood turned to Seth, blinking a few times to focus his vision once more.
“Do you have accommodations for yourself, Seth?”
