LogFAQs > #911683893

Maybe Kidd was projecting his feelings onto the others but he was at least glad to still be alive. Zephyr was in relatively healthy condition and vowed to patrol the area and protect the wagon as they made their way back to Hendrake.

Leone, who had never been given proper medical treatment, was growing more feverish by the day. It was a miracle he had forced himself to keep going in the condition that he was in. To suddenly lose a hand like that... and be forced to continue the mission... that young man definitely had a much hardier set of nerves than you might guess by looking at him.

The way up through the hills was calm and quiet.

The way back down was crooked and wet. It rained the entire way on the twisted roads and they felt their progress slow. Apparently they had done their best to transfer as many materials as possible over to the remaining wagon in good repair. Some items had been left behind but there was potential to go back and recover those later. The only concern for the time being was leading the extra horses along with the wagon.

They had lost one of them already, apparently, while Kidd was asleep. Another got away during one of the particularly bad storms. Kidd supposed there was no harm in letting the horses go free, though, if they wanted to escape.

Some creatures just yearned to be free.

It wasn't liked they had a need for those horses anymore. Maybe they'd be happier out on the plains...?

Kidd remembered entering the outer gates of Hendrake. Although there wasn't a true high wall protecting the city, and the gates didn't exactly close, they were still often referred to as the outer gates. Even if it was just an archway over the main road leading into the south-east quarter of the city.

There were some things that were a blur. He was sure he had talked with the others over the course of their journey back. But his mind was so distant and foggy that he could barely remember the contents of that conversation. He thought that Jamison was going to go back and report their findings and, for him, it was enough to say a warm goodbye to his companions as they parted ways.

They could meet again and discuss further matters in the future, even in the near future.

All he could think about at that time was... how much he wanted to go home.

And how much his damn head was still hurting.

In his haste to explore the city and find his way home he accidentally forgot just how tired and how wounded he was. Kidd ended up needing to stop and put his back against a warm stone building. The sun was shining down on him and it honestly made him a little bit sick.

His coat felt unusually heavy. He stripped it off and thought about hanging it over his shoulder. But he couldn't think of a way to carry such a bulky item that wasn't unwieldy and awkward. What about it? Should he just toss the damn thing? He could always buy another coat later.

At that time he felt like the coat wasn't really all that important anymore.

Some kids seemed to be giving him strange looks. They were maybe teenagers but it was possible they were a bit younger, still. Kidd could tell they wanted the coat. He tilted his head and looked at the item, then to the kids. "Do you want it?" He asked in a gentle voice.

It seemed like all of the ferocity had been battered out of him by that last ordeal.

Kidd felt like some kind of philanthropist.

Then again, it was just a damn coat. Giving away a coat for free didn't exactly make him the god of charity.
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~* and now I only see your dull imposter ~*
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