Ada nodded. "Lots of people started getting sick," she whispered. "That's why Ma's gone, too and why the town is so quiet. En-en says it's plague."
"All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost."
Bo looked solemnly down at Kratzer with compassion and kept his hand on Kratzer's shoulder for some time before he responded.
"Well, I'll do whatever I can to look out for you, even if we can't change the memory, and we can't change the past," he promised sincerely. "Do you uh, want help with the chicken?"
He gave him a weak smile. "Ja, sure," he agreed, going to the kitchen and grabbing a couple thin knives before passing one to Bo. A few moments later each of them had half of the chicken.
"All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost."
Some of the books he had read had spoken of a terrible sickness that swept across the kingdoms long ago, but he could remember nothing of what that involved. He looked worriedly over at the little girl; he didn't know exactly what the plague was, but it sounded like it was contagious. His immune system was supposedly great according to Tieth, but Ada's wouldn't be.
And then her words registered.
His face fell, and he sat down on the ground beside her. "I'm sorry that you lost your mom," he said. "I lost my mom, too."
"Gunther says she's in a better place now," Ada said, glancing at her brother. "En says that maybe we'll get to see her soon, too! And Gunther also said that there's a great place called Heaven where we'll go and there's all the food and space and family we could ever want! He says there's no sickness and there's no skinny chickens!" she grinned. "I want to see that place."
The tension in Kratzer's demeanor as he sliced the chicken apart was unmistakable. His movements were sharp and, though practiced, they were sudden and quick as he struggled to keep his hands steady. He didn't speak but he still couldn't keep the emotions off his face and his actions. He could see his childhood running through his mind again. What had happened, with the blood and the struggle and the constant fear of his father. Worse, what was still to come.
The loneliness hit him for the first time in a long time. The feeling of loss and aloneness that it left one empty inside. A husk of their former self. He could still see the look in his little sister's eyes as the sickness took her, too...
"All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost."
He looked up. "Oh, uh, maybe," he said, clambering onto one of the counters and digging through one of the cupboards. His mother never would've allowed such behaviour - instead making Engel go fetch his brother or use a chair as a step stool - but with her gone, he chose efficiency over manners. He was pretty sure his future would have made her roll in her grave anyways. Standing on a countertop was a minor offense compared to the sin he knew he was soon to commit.
He pulled out a very small container of salt that only had a few pinches left in the bottom, then hopped back off the counter. "This is it."
"All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost."
Bo took the container with a small smile. "Perfect! I've worked with less," he said, not entirely sure why he was smiling, but choosing not to fight it. With the grim mood that flooded the room, he was pretty sure it was more than just an inner calmness.
It was a coping mechanism. But he hoped it helped Kratzer at least a little bit.
He returned it weakly, grateful somehow for Bo's presence. He'd always tried to avoid this part of his life, though it still haunted him. He'd hated how vulnerable he was. How much of a victim he'd been.
Somehow, the presence of an ally gave him a sense of security that he'd lacked in this locked-down corner of his mind for so long.
It was that precise moment when Engel's father came trudging in, frowning as he saw Bo again. "Look, I don't know what you think I said, b-"
"It's a custom to help us, Papa, after we helped him," Engel interjected, his voice quiet but firm. "You know we could use it, with M-"
"I didn't ask your opinion, boy," he snapped, turning back to Bo. "Look, sir, I really think it'd be better if you just left."
"All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost."
"Maybe," Bo said with a shrug. "But I'm a professional cook, and I was just getting started on the chicken, and was hoping to make it a nice meal for you guys. I don't need to eat either. I'm just a guy tryin' to help out a family."
He turned his attention away from Ada and Gunther when he heard someone enter the house, and his blood ran cold when he realized it was the man from before--the man who had to be Kratzer's dad, and the man who reminded him far too much of him. Nendros took a deep breath in a poor attempt to calm himself. Glancing back at Kratzer's apparent siblings, he hesitantly began to approach the door.
He opened it just a crack and peeked into the room.
At least, that was what he had hoped to do. But he often forgot just how different this form was, so he went tumbling to the ground with a loud crash instead, sprawling out across both rooms.
"He's with Bo!" Engel hurriedly interjected, taking a step towards his father. "He's taking care of Ada and maybe he can help Gunther!"
"Boy, what did I say about strangers in this house?"
"Yes, but-" he started, but silenced instantly as his father took a step towards him, posture speaking volumes. His father looked between Bo and Nen, making up his mind, then looked back down at Nen. "You might be able to help?"
"All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost."
He hurried up to his feet. He could sense the tenseness in the man's voice and in Kratzer's response to him, but he felt some of his fear ebb away as he looked the man down. There was barely a height difference between them; it was only a few inches at most. But it was just enough to make Nendros feel like he was towering over him, and that was all he needed to give a confident reply.
"I can," he said. He brushed the dust off of his pants and shirt. "I'm a doctor."
He didn't mention the part about him being self-taught, but something told him the man really wasn't going to question that part of what he said.
He hesitated, looking at Engel, then back to the newcomers. "Alright, fine. Engel, you're responsible for making sure they've got what they need. We haven't got much but we can afford to share what little we can in exchange for your assistance," he continued, extending his hand to Nen. "I'm Steyn Jäger. You seem to have already met my son, Engel, and his younger sister is Ada, though I'm not sure where she is."
"All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost."
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