Two Crows Watch from the Gallows Tree (part 6)

Ky was grateful for Aleth beating neutrality into her, so she stayed impassive even though she wanted to laugh. She focused on her wine instead.

“Far be it from me to suggest what you can or cannot do,” Pratik said. He was smirking, but otherwise sounded genuine. “If you make friends with the Marrow Man, could you put in a good word for me?”

"Are you a good guy?" Marcella asked suspiciously.

“Depends on who you ask.”

Zander snorted.

"If you're a good guy then I'll tell him," she said. "If you're a bad guy then I'll ask him to eat you up!"
"Nom nom!" Mattathias added, then looked guilty. "I wouldn't want you to be eated," he told Pratik regretfully.

Pratik laughed at that and nodded to him. “I appreciate the sentiment.”

"Do you think he'd eat Mr. Pratik?" Mattathias asked, turning to Gaius. Gaius raised an eyebrow, pretending to consider it.
"Perhaps he'd find him too good of heart to eat," he said finally. "Pratik has a solid morality, Mattathias, and I bet the Marrow Man does too."

Ah, yes, because you judge your assassin to be of good moral character. That made sense. Pratik took another bite, considering how to respond. At least this was better than the very first night when Sara and Sera were calling him a deplorable at dinner. “Well, here’s hoping he stays in legend and our paths never cross.”

Gaius's gaze flickered to Ky involuntarily, and his lips caught his smile before he let it escape. "Here's hoping," he agreed, turning his eyes back to Pratik. "I'm frankly surprised you've heard of him."

Ky looked up in time to meet his gaze, but didn’t want it to linger, and also glanced away as Gaius turned towards Pratik.

“I’ve heard a lot about a lot.” Pratik shrugged. “Have always found folklore fascinating.”

"As have I. There are a lot of lessons to be learned, and there are aspects of our culture that I think draws from folklore."

"Anything in particular?" Pratik asked.

"The lichen our bread is made from," Gaius replied. "It isn't harvested until seven days into harvest because there are legends that say trolls have their feasting days at the same time. They tromp about the countryside and crush any human in their path. So you've got to wait to harvest until the feasting time is over."

(Not me looking for an arctic-friendly wheat/yeast alternative)

(oh gosh, that's a mental image I do not enjoy hahah)

"I see..." Pratik nodded thoughtfully. "Is there a biologic reason for that as well?"

(Brownish-greenish-gray bitter bread, yum yum)

"I don't believe so, no. It's just some folk tale. Not to say trolls aren't real, of course." He had yet to see one, but if the Marrow Man existed then so could a troll.

Pratik nodded. "Of course."

He had yet to see anything to convince him they were real. But he'd seen plenty else. So at this point, anything could be real. He certainly was going to keep his eyes open for anything and everything that could hurt him.