"Yes, Miss Grelod," the boy said, stepping into view.
It was a lanky Nord boy slipping through the threshold, his long legs holding him up at Grelod's eyes. He was of a slender build, and his broad shoulders and towering height made him appear older than his twelve winters. He stood eye to eye with Grelod, a woman who was already a bit long legged herself, the both of them certainly capable of towering over the children before them. His fiery locks were tied back in a loose ponytail, and his pale blue eyes contrasted the hair with intensity. His piercing gaze met Kor's, but a warm smile spread across his face, and Kor, despite his trepidation, found himself mirroring the expression, his anxiety momentarily forgotten, as if this boy's smile was enchanted with calm.
Grelod, however, pulled Aphid's attention back to her to load him with further instructions.
"I've got supper already started in the pot," she said to him, "Finish it up and wrangle the kids as usual—oh, and get this boy in a bath… and laundry the muck he's got on, but he's going to have to share clothes with Bark too. Somewhat speaking of, you'll need to patch Jaren's breeches. Scuffed right open on the knee—he said Bark did it, of course. Pushed him. I don't care; just get it patched, because I've got no clue when the funds will afford you careless leeches new clo—Urgh. My head's throbbin' on every word…I've got work to sort. Do not pester me unless there's blood. Or you know what, not even then. Just get a mop—Oh. And deal with Eydis's lying mouth."
"Yes, Miss Grelod," Aphid replied, "I'll handle it. All of it."
The old lady gave a grunt of a huff and stomped off to one of the doors on the far end of the room, what must be her own personal room, and shut herself in with a slam of the door.
Kor watched her go before turning his head back to Aphid, who was already looking at him with that welcoming smile again.
But then that tall boy held up a waiting finger, and his eyes found the little girl.
"Eydis," he said with a sternness, his smile changing into an expression equally stern, "You've been fibbing again?"
The girl was standing near a bed and had been sweeping bits of dust underneath it, but she quickly ducked down beside the bed when her name was firmly called.
"No! I didn't!" she insisted, her voice whining.
"Get out from behind that bed," Aphid ordered, "Come here."
The girl whined again.
"Now," Aphid commanded once more, his voice firm and authoritive, seeming quite practiced in that familiar parental tone of "I won't repeat myself again."
Eydis hopped up with a frustrated squeak, but promptly began dragging herself towards him.
"What did I say," Aphid began scolding her as she shuffled reluctantly to him, "was going to happen if you keep telling these lies?"
Kor found himself stepping back. He was a bit taken off guard by how firm the boy looked and sounded, especially after the others had said he was nice.
At this moment, he didn't look very nice.
With his folded arms and back straight, it added to the height from which his piercing eyes peered sternly down at the girl.
This made the lanky boy somehow appear quite intimidating—at least to Kor and littler kids.
What was he about to do?
Smack the girl?
Kor hoped he wasn't about to smack the girl.
He didn't want to find out "nice" meant something like you get one smack instead of several.
When the girl finally stood before him, Aphid's arms unfolded and his hands indeed went towards her face
Kor braced himself for the worst, but instead of a smack, Aphid's index fingers playfully prodded her cheeks instead.
"One more fib," he teased, his voice mocking a stern tone, "and your tongue's gonna turn into a skeever's tail."
He stuck out his own tongue at her, his eyes squinting with mischief.
Eydis's face flushed with indignation as she pushed his hands away and stamped her foot.
"No, it's not!" she protested. Aphid chuckled, waving his hand in front of his nose as if something smelled foul.
"Oh, it's halfway there, skeever-butt-breath," he joked.
Eydis's face scrunched up in distaste.
"Eew, no! Don't say that!" she stamped her foot again, her voice rising in protest. "Bark's going to keep calling me that now!"
Aphid's expression turned slightly serious, his voice firm but still playful. "Well, you should've thought of that before telling lies."
He stuck out his tongue at her again, and Eydis crossed her arms, her face set in a huffy pout.
Just then, Grelod's voice boomed from her closed room, "Keep it down!"
Aphid called back, "Yes, ma'am!" before turning back to Eydis with a mischievous grin. He gently tapped her nose with his finger, saying, "Furlough the fibbin'."
Eydis looked confused, so Aphid clarified, "No more lies, at least for today, please."
Eydis was beginning to begrudgingly nod when Aphid added, "Your supper's gonna taste like rat butt otherwise…".
She scrunched her face in disgust, gave Aphid a small push, and scuffled away.
"Heard what I said," Aphid reminded her, a hint of seriousness in his voice.
Finally, he turned his attention to Kor once more, who was watching the exchange with a mix of relief and amusement. Aphid smiled, approached, and stopped in front of Kor, stooping forward with his hands on his knees, much like an adult would with a child.
"Kor Bjergsen, is it?" he said, his voice warm and welcoming. "Hi, Kor. I'm Aphid. Aphid Jordsvar."
The tall boy knelt down and gently put a hand on Kor's arm.
"And I am truly… so very sorry," Aphid continued with a gentle tone and sympathy in his eyes, "that we've had to meet under such awful circumstances."
Any other kid, under any other circumstance, may have felt a little patronized by another kid talking to them with such adult mannerisms, but there was something about this Aphid. He felt utterly genuine. And safe.
Kor hardly has met him but a moment, but he felt…safe.
Which was slightly unfortunate…
In the sense that this feeling was, with just this barely acquainted moment, attempting to buckle every leg Kor had been standing above the chaos on…
He felt the warm mist envelope his eyes, threatening to spill tears he thought to be drained of by now.
Aphid saw it and gave that calm, safe smile again.
"How about a bath, hm?" he said and rubbed at Kor's face with his sleeve, doing so to catch a tear that had found its way out, "Your face must be so dry from this grunge."
Kor bit the inside of his lip to compose himself from further tears, nodding with a sniffle.
Aphid's smile widened, his eyes softer, and he patted the boy's arm gently as he stood.
"Okay then," he said, "Let's go wet your face."
If Kor didn't pick up on the coded message there, that other Nord boy, laid lazily atop a dresser nearby, did.
"You mean go cry?" he snickered.
Kor saw that sternness surface on Aphid's face again.
Aphid turned towards that other boy, hands on his hips.
"Bark?" he said firmly, "You want to go put your nose to the wall?"
Bark shot up, his hands raised in protest.
"What! What did I do?! I didn't even call him a crybaby or anything!"
"And you very well better not," Aphid replied, "…Unless you seemed to have forgot your first day here…And get off that! What are you doing? Go wipe down the dinner table, would you?"
Bark sighed, rolling his eyes, but he hopped off and began trudging away, muttering under his breath, "Yes, Muuuum."
"Barakväll…" Aphid's voice held a warning tone, using what must be the boy's full name to grab his attention.
"I'm going! I'm doing it!" Bark insisted, his voice laced with frustration.
Aphid snapped his fingers, silencing Bark's whining and refocusing his attention. "You, Jaren, and I are gonna have words soon," Aphid added, his tone firm and ominous.
Bark's expression turned innocent, but unconvincingly so. "Huh? Why? What did I do now?" he asked, feigning ignorance. "He's lying! We were just having fun—but I didn't do anything!"
Aphid cut him off. "Heard what I said."
Bark's face twisted up in annoyance, and he stamped his foot like a petulant child, spinning away with a frustrated "Urgh!"
The action very reminiscent of what that Eydis girl had done just shortly ago.
Aphid shook his head, but let it go, and put his focus back on Kor again.
"Come on," he said softly, "Hey, I bet those arms are pretty strong. You want to carry the bath basin for me?"
He lead Kor towards an open pantry room connected to the dining room. It was full of pots, pans, brooms and various other equipments.
There was another room beside it, but it was shut off by a door. Kor wasn't interested in it enough to ask, but he figured it was probably the food pantry.
Aphid let him help set up the bathing basin in the foyer and even let him help heat and carry the water for it too.
The older boy then left Kor to undress himself and get in the tub, as Aphid went and collected other things for the bath, soon returning with his hands full with a fresh set of clothes, rags to wash with, what looked like crudely made soaps, rocks…?...and he held a comb in his teeth.
Aphid set the fresh clothes on a bench near the wall, took the dirty clothes and sank them in the bath with the rocks, and then set the soaps next to the tub.
Kor thought the boy would leave him then, but instead, Aphid rolled up his sleeves, knelt down next to the tub, dunked a rag into the water, and actually began washing him.
He gently took Kor's chin in one hand and softly scrubbed Kor's cheek with the rag in the other.
Kor's gaze shifting awkwardly about didn't go unnoticed.
"I'm sorry," Aphid said, dropping the comb from his teeth and pausing the scrub, "If you're uncomfortable, I won't meddle, …but I'd rather not leave you alone, at least, if that's okay with you."
"It's…," Kor paused only because he had been taken slightly off guard, "It's okay…"
Aphid held up the rag and made a nodding gesture towards it to confirm if Kor had meant with that as well.
Kor gave a small nod in return and the older boy resumed.
"I know you're old enough, of course," Aphid spoke again, "to bathe yourself…But I also know you're tired. Very tired. We all here certainly know that. I want you to relax as much as you're able to right now, okay? I got your back…Heh. I meant that part figuratively, but I will scrub your back too, if you're okay with me doing so."
Kor gave another light nod again. He was…so…tired.
And he certainly didn't want to be alone.
He probably wouldn't have particularly minded this anyway.
It was sort of a little awkward, but he wasn't off put having the company here.
In fact, the company he was accustomed to having near his bath, was usually in it with him.
He and his father often shared a bath, especially when Kor was even younger, and Kor and the neighbor boy were often tossed in a tub together when having played too muddy…
Suddenly though, those memories of such things found their claws back in his mind.
He and the neighbor boy, Stieg, had been like brothers. They were the same age and had been growing up houses side by side.
Stieg's mother had even wet nursed Kor, after Kor's own mother passed during childbirth.
But then she also passed when the boys were toddlers, after an accident at the sawmill.
So, like Kor, Stieg had only his father too, but the four of them all were like family.
...Stieg and his father never made it out of the fires.
Kor felt that warm mist in his eyes again.
Aphid noticed again too, of course, either because he was already focused on Kor's face or this kid was simply very good at picking up on these things.
"I bet…," he said, "you're probably thinking of the last time you've had a bath. Or maybe a funny memory of one…Or maybe even a time you gave your parents grief over it and you wish now you never did…"
All those thoughts had flashed Kor's mind, yes.
A tear yet again managed to find enough strength to escape. Aphid gently wiped it away with the rag and continued talking.
"I fought my parents a lot on it…," he said and gave a small laugh, "I don't really know why, besides that I just hated the part when you get out and that cold air hits you and, boy, does that--"
Kor found himself interrupting. He didn't mean to, but it just came out.
"I never get cold…," Kor spoke, his eyes cast down, "…And it was just me and my dad…My Papa…I fought him on it, only sometimes though,…when I…wanted to k-keep playing instead…"
Kor suddenly gave an involuntary sniffle, the recollections finding their way back in as renewed tears, fastly breaking loose from his eyes.
He tried to bite the inside of his lip again to steady, but a whimper utterly destroyed that attempt. It was all over from there.
He began to buckle in grief, just as he had done earlier on the wagon earlier that day, but Aphid reacted fast and caught him.
"I got you…I got you," the older boy said softly, "Come on. Come here."
He guided Kor closer towards him and encouraged him towards an embrace.
Kor, at first, only set his forehead to Aphid's chest, but as the shaky sob fought its way up his throat, he wrapped his arms around the older boy and fully buried his face into his shirt.
Aphid rested his hands on Kor's head and the back of his neck, gently rubbing his fingers in a soothing manner on Kor's nape.
"It's alright, Kor," Aphid comforted and assured, "It is…I know thousands of all sorts of thoughts must be running through your head. And believe me, we all wish now that we would have never fought those baths, but I can guarantee your Papa never held a moment of hard feelings about it—no matter how much he may or may not have threatened to hold you under, huh?"
Somehow, someway, that last remark invoked a small chuckle from Kor.
"He…," Kor replied, having turned his head, but not yet ready to let go, "…He never says—said--stuff like that…But when I'd fight it, he'd chase me down with…"
The boy paused and then gave a fond little laugh.
"…with a tankard full of the bath water," he continued, "and he'd always end up catching me in his arm, and he'd dump all over me…It was always funny, every time."
He felt Aphid chuckle too and then speak.
"Ah, maybe I need to try that with Bark," he said, and then mumbled like he just remembered something he forgot, "…wait, did he take his bath last night?...Did I take mine? Oh no, when was the last time I took my—eh, sort it tomorrow."
Aphid patted Kor's back and spoke out from his mumble.
"Sorry if I, uh, smell…"
Kor found himself chuckling a little more. He pulled away and gave a little smile, but he looked a little sorry about getting Aphid's shirt a bit wet.
"I'm sorry," he apologized, but Aphid cocked an eyebrow and looked down at his shirt.
"Oh? That?" he said, "Don't worry about it. Water washes out."
He splashed himself with a little water from the basin and held his hands up like he proved his point.
"See?" he said, smiling more he saw that it had invoked another smile from Kor.
They resumed the bath with Aphid undoing the slightly tangled ponytail in Kor's hair, and he set to work wetting it and lathering it in a soap.
He had Kor lean his head back over the edge of the basin, so he could further comb the lather through his hair.
"Would," Aphid began talking again as he worked, "talking some more about your Papa help you feel a little better right now …or maybe not just yet?"
Kor was quiet for a moment.
"I…I don't know..," he said, the uncertainty evident in his voice.
"That's alright," Aphid replied, "You'll know when you know, and you can talk to me about him, or anything you want, when you want to, alright?"
Kor was quiet again. This Aphid was just another kid, but he acted and talked so grown.
He could see why he was in charge of the other children, and not just because he was the oldest.
"What…," Kor broke his momentary silence, "…was your Papa like?"
"My dad?" Aphid responded and then seemed to ponder what to say.
"…Well, to be honest," he started, "We weren't very close, me and him… Don't get me wrong, though. I loved him. I very much did. And I know he loved me too, but… well…He never could seem to focus on more than one thing at a time, and most of the time, that focus was on his work."
Aphid had a sort of disappointed look on his face as he talked of his dad, but then he shrugged it off and replaced it with a warm smile.
"But my mother…," he said, and the fond smile grew, "My Mama…I was very close to her."
The admiration in both his expression and voice grew as he spoke of her.
"She could do it all…," Aphid proudly explained, "And she did do it all. Without worry. Without complaint and with or without help…If she was doing it, it got done. And no matter what or how much she was doing, she always found a way to do even more. For everyone. She was there for anyone who needed her. She was someone that anyone would wish to be like. That I very much wish to be like, and someone I am trying to be like for those three in there…and for you now, too."
Kor stared up at Aphid. When he had said for him too, he didn't know how to respond. He felt safe and welcomed, of course, but…those feelings of trying to process his father not being here for him now…
"M-me?" Kor found himself saying.
"Mhm, of course, little brother," Aphid nodded and then sat the comb down, "…Ready? Hold your breath."
Aphid dunked him under the water to rinse the soap from his hair and pulled him back up.
The sudden submersion reset Kor from his mess of thoughts and onto what Aphid was doing instead.
"Alright, hold," Aphid said, having Kor keep his hair up, so he could scrub the back of his neck and shoulders.
It seemed like everything Aphid did, and had been doing, was second nature to him.
There was no clunkiness about it.
"I am rather practiced at being a big brother," Aphid said, "and not just because of those three in there. I had a little sister, my baby sister. Her name was Snofrid…My little snowball…I always helped Mama whenever I could with taking care of that little scamp. She was really cute. She had freckles like you, well, not quite like you. Not as prominent and only on her face, but those adorable little dots somehow got her out of trouble all the time. Not that she was much trouble—"
"What happened?" Kor asked, interrupting again without meaning to.
"Hm?" Aphid hummed, not seeming to understand what he meant.
"To them," Kor clarified, "...Your family…"
"Oh!…um...," Aphid hesitated, suddenly looking a little off guard.
"I'm sorry!" Kor quickly apologized, whipping around in the tub to lock his guilty gaze on Aphid, "I shouldn't ask stuff like that! I'm really sorry!"
"Oh no, no, no. It's okay," the older boy assured, the momentary lapse in his guard dissipating as quick as it came, "It's alright, really."
Aphid gave a small shrug accompanied by a half smile.
"I suppose the same thing happened that's happened to all of ours, I guess," he said, "Well! I mean, probably certainly not the exact same thing that's happened to all of ours, but…"
He nudged Kor to turn back around so he could resume scrubbing his back while he talked.
"I'm from Trollheim," Aphid explained, "Mid, Trollheim, or what was. Trollheim comprised of three villages in a secluded territory off in the mountains, each of the three named by their ascending order upwards the mountain: Lower, Mid, Upper. Anyway, all of them together probably barely constituted a village as a whole, really, but it was just one those sturdy sort of places that somehow kept surviving…until it didn't."
Kor seemed drawn in, turning an ear more towards the story and wondering if Aphid had lost his home and family to bandits too…
"Rightfully named, for sure," Aphid continued, "…Home of the trolls."
Although Kor did hear him say it was named Troll hiem, it didn't click until Aphid had said that.
Kor had only ever seen one troll in his life, and it was absolutely a horrifying beast. Aphid lived surrounded by them? His family…
"The…the trolls got them?" Kor blurted out, looking wide eyed over his shoulder.
Aphid sat still for a moment, swallowed, then nodded.
"Yeah…," he said, "….yeah, they did."
He went on to explain, though, that they did not all die at the same time.
"My dad, actually, was killed a couple years before my…sister and mom…I liked to explore outside our guarded perimeter, you see, it was just…dumb… kid stuff. Dad usually was the one to come snatch me back, so really I think… maybe I did it to get his attention. Still dumb kid stuff though, huh? So well, of course, how wouldn't that lead to a tragedy?"
Aphid chuckled after that remark, but even Kor could pick up the forced nature of it.
"And it did," Aphid continued, "The real kicker was, I wasn't even out that time. I was napping nearby from his forge, waiting for him to not be busy, because I had a gift I made him—a vest I made all by myself. Anyway, I guess he didn't see me where I was. I was near some shrubbery…and…well. I wasn't out there, but it was my fault he was."
Kor found himself cutting in with similar words to what Aphid had comforted him with just a little bit ago.
"I'm sure your Papa wouldn't blame you," he said, and Aphid sweetly smiled at his innocence.
"Maybe not," the older boy nodded and gave another slight chuckle, "…But he would probably still give me quite the earful for it, though."
His smile faded as he spoke the next part, about his sister and mom.
"A couple years later, about 3 years ago," he said, "is when I lost Snofrid and my mom. No one could have prevented it. Except, you know, maybe just not living in Trollheim. But something happened that night that had never, ever happened before. Or anything I've heard of since. They blamed it on the area's resources running particularly scarce that year. Everyone and everything in the area was hungry, especially the…beasts. And well, our village had what little food could be hunted, fished, and foraged all nice and bundled in with us, and we people already make a good and crunchy snack to those monsters. I'm sure we practically added the garnish to ourselves with that…"
Aphid paused and gave a sigh.
"Before that night," he continued, "…never had I ever seen more than two, maybe three, trolls packed together. They tend to like their space, even from each other, but that night…It was a horde. A horde. And it was…horrifying…And they—"
Aphid suddenly made a strange gasp and frantically shook his head.
"Oh, wait no!" he said, " No, no. What am I—I'm not gonna fill your head with scary troll stories now, alright? Uh-uh. Shame on me. Maybe during the Witches Festival, huh, but not right now. Nuh uh. I ain't tryin' to scare ya!"
He blew air through his lips in agitation at himself, but he gave a small chuckle afterwards, and he continued to scrub on Kor's back.
"Oh!" he said, changing the subject, "Did those three in there properly introduce themselves to you?"
"Uhm--," Kor began, but that seemed to answer it.
"Ah, yeah, of course they didn't," Aphid nodded, "I can not seem to get any manners to stick with them."
"They seem okay," Kor replied, though more like someone who was just trying to be polite.
Aphid laughed a little.
"Yeah, they're okay enough," he said, "But listen, Kor. I don't like saying this, but unfortunately for those knuckleheads, it's true. They'll throw you under a wagon in a heartbeat, so be careful not to let them get you in trouble. You seem a sweet kid, so please, be mindful of that. And please don't let them corrupt you either. I'm not quite sure my patience can handle four of ya."
He had said the last sentence jokingly, but Kor could sense the drain in his voice when he said it.
Aphid continued with introducing the kids that had not done that themselves.
"The Nord boy is Barakväll," he explained, "but we all call him Bark. He's a bit excitable, and a lot of back talk—to me, though, but I'm mostly fine with that, as long as it's not to Grelod. But don't get toooo sassy with me. I do have my limits, too, you should know. Anyway, Bark has his good moments, but he can be quite the rowdy one. I'd say he's all bark, but he will try to test his bite on you. And by bite, I mean he likes to play rough. But if he actually bites you, you let me know, okay?"
Kor gave his not-sure-how-to-respond nod.
"The girl is Eydis," Aphid continued, "She and Bark are actually cousins. From what Grelod told me, there was a clan feud gone…bad…and that's why they're here. Eydis can be sweet, but just as I said of them all, if it saves her hide, she will lie on you, blame you, and turn on you like that—"
Aphid snapped his fingers to indicate the hesitancy she'd take on such betrayal, which was none.
"Jaren, that little Redguard boy, is the quietest one," Aphid continued, "He gets into trouble the least of the three of them, but he'll get you in the most."
"Huh?" Kor questioned, tilting his head.
"He's a tattletale," Aphid explained, "I swear tattling takes up most of the talking he does do. Look, I certainly want you all to tell me things you should, but he will tattle on any and every little thing he thinks might get ya in trouble. Gods, he's even gone straight to Grelod and ratted ME out about things. But I honestly can't tell if he wants to get someone in trouble, or if he thinks it's just the right thing to do, but no matter how much I ask, scold, or even discipline him about it, he just keeps doing it. So, if you got any harmless mischief you need to get out, do it out of his sight, alright? Heh."
Kor absorbed what Aphid was telling him about the kids, but every mention of Grelod dug at him to ask…
"…Is…," he finally decided to do just that, "…Is Grelod really mean?"
He felt Aphid pause upon that question, almost as if the boy thought he wasn't eventually going to be asked that.
Kor turned a bit to look at the boy. Aphid had a look in his eyes, a very serious look, and he shut them with a nod and looked sympathetically upon Kor.
"She's a troll…," he said, "But listen, like I said, I'm not going to fill your head right now with scary troll stories. I don't want you to worry much about that, alright? You just mind her, and mind me, and things will be alright. I've been here quite a while now, so I've gotten good at reading and redirecting her…fits… And she's gotten pretty relaxed with me handling you kids, so you're in my hands, little brother. No worries, okay? But please, mind me."
There was definitely an insistence on Aphid emphasizing that he be minded. Kor could most certainly be a naïve child, but he wasn't exactly a dumb one.
Even he could piece together that Aphid meant, "It's deal with me or her."
Kor's worry must have resurfaced on his face, for Aphid gently put a hand to Kor's shoulder.
"It'll be okay, really," Aphid assured, "I got you. I promise."
Kor wanted that to comfort him, and it did—a little--,but his mind still pulled towards Grelod and just how mean could she be….
He wanted his Papa…
"Are you ticklish?" Kor suddenly heard Aphid ask, and it drew his bewildered attention back towards the lanky boy.
Aphid was re-lathering the soap rag, and then he held his own arms up in the manner he wanted Kor to do.
"Arms up," he said smiling.
A short time later and Kor was left to finish cleaning the rest of himself, while Aphid stepped away to help Bark set the dinner table.
There was apparently dishes that needed cleaning, that hadn't been done while Aphid was outside, and Aphid needed to check the progress of that dinner anyway.
From the sounds of things, it was Aphid doing the bulk of the work with cleaning and setting the table. He sounded like a whirlwind of progress, while Bark sounded mostly like shuffling and reluctance.
Kor also heard him giving Bark, and Jaren who he had called over, that talk he warned Bark of earlier.
Kor couldn't hear all of it, but it was definitely a little bit of a stern lecture of toning down the rough play and to stop with the tattling. By this point, that boy sounded more like an exhausted mother than the big brother he probably wanted to be.
And soon, that motherly brother returned in the doorway of the foyer to check in on Kor.
Aphid was guzzling a quick mug of something to drink when he stepped back in, apparently very thirsty.
"Ah, sorry," Aphid gasped as he finished his drink, "Forgot I hadn't drank a thing since being--eh. You alright, polka dots?"
Kor nodded, a small smile curled his lips at what he was just called, but the thought of Aphid being locked out all day without anything to drink took a moment to hit.
By the time it did hit, Kor couldn't shockingly question it, as Aphid had distractedly tossed his mug back towards the dining table in the other room, and it elicited startled annoyance from Bark.
"Aphiiiid," Bark whined, "We just set it."
"Set it again," Aphid cheekily teased.
"That was loud," Jaren reminded him, "Grelod's gonna come in here."
"Let her come," Aphid replied, "It was you guys."
"No it wasn't!" both the boys suddenly chimed back, rather loudly, even from the quiet Redguard.
"Ay, ay!" Aphid suddenly turned fully into the dining room, "Shh. You guys know I'm joking—Ma'am?!"
Kor barely heard it, but Grelod had angrily shouted Aphid's name from her room.
And even Kor's blood ran cold, when he heard Grelod's doors fling open.
"I told you to keep. it. down!" he heard her furiously state.
"Yes, ma'am! It won't happen again," Aphid responded. He had quickly rushed to the other doorway to be in Grelod's view.
Eydis came running from the main room for shelter behind him.
But suddenly, Jaren piped up.
"He tossed—"
Aphid had a hand behind his back that he snapped the fingers of to silence the boy.
"I dropped a cup, Miss Grelod," he quickly intercepted, "It won't happen again. I'm sorry."
Kor sank in his water a bit. The air of this moment felt incredibly heavy.
There was a horribly tense pause.
But then…
He heard Grelod's doors slam and Aphid visibly relaxed.
He then, though, turned his stern gaze on somebody in that room; Kor assumed Jaren.
His assumption was right.
Aphid's hand flew forward with a stern point of his finger and the tall boy said in a scolding tone, "Jaren. Wall."
"Why?" Jaren's quiet voice asked in return.
"For that tattling, after I just again told you about all that. Go," Aphid ordered.
"But it was the truth—"
"And I also told the truth," Aphid retorted, "Now you heard what I said."
Kor heard Jaren sigh, but the boy apparently obeyed, since Aphid's stern finger fell.
The tall boy gave a sigh himself, and he coaxed Eydis to let him go and get back to doing whatever she was doing before.
He then stepped back into the foyer with Kor, to once again check on him.
"You sure you're alright?" he asked.
"A-are you?" Kor asked in returned, wondering how the boy wasn't absolutely frazzled with everything he was handling and was doing and all that just happened.
Aphid looked genuinely unexpected of that.
"Me?" he said, as if no one has ever asked him before if he was okay, but then he smiled, "Oh, yes, I'm fine. Grelod don't scare me much anymore. But you're sure you're okay?"
Kor nodded.
"Yeah," he said, "Um… I'm done."
"Alright," Aphid nodded, "I'll leave you alone to dress. Unless you need me?"
Kor shook his head.
"Okay," Aphid nodded again, "Fresh clothes are right there. I know the shirt is an ugly--pardon my language, piss yellow, but I promise it's clean."
Kor chuckled a little at that, but Bark barked from the other room in offense, as it was his spare clothes, and Jaren tattled on Aphid… to Aphid.
"You cussed," he said.
"I know," Aphid sighed back.
"You don't allow that," Jaren reminded.
"I know," Aphid replied again, "I'll come sit next to you at the wall…Whenever I get a chance to sit down…"
"You never sit," Jaren replied.
"I know," Aphid cheekily replied, appearing to stick his tongue out at Jaren.
He looked to Kor once more with that I'll-leave-you-to-it nod, but he added in before he stepping back in the dining room, "You can leave those dirty clothes in the tub. I'll get to them after dinner."
Kor got out, dried off, and dressed. Bark's clothes fit him pretty well, with just a bit looseness, but Kor figured that'd make them more comfortable.
He joined the other boys in the dining room, and he saw Aphid actually had gone and sat down next to Jaren.
Aphid was on his knees and looked to be having a quiet talk with him, and seeing this, it brought about memories to Kor, of Kor's father having done things similar when Kor had been placed in a timeout.
Aphid looked around Jaren towards Kor, and he could see the sadness resurfacing in the boy's downcast expression.
"Kor," Aphid called his attention, "would you like to help me chop some leeks for the stew?"
Kor gave a small nod and Aphid nodded in return. He stood up, dismissed Jaren, and Bark, and motioned Kor to follow him towards that closed door he had earlier assumed to be a pantry. His assumption was right.
However, Aphid also called Eydis over, pulling one of the pins that held her braid, before playfully shooing her away. With that pin, he began lock picking the door.
"Grelod keeps it locked," Aphid explained as he worked, "She thinks the kids would eat every crumb if left for the taking."
He succeeded rather quickly in getting the tumblers where they needed to be and he pushed the door open.
"You stay out here," he said as he stepped in, "I'm not even suppose to be in here, but the kids like them some crunchy leeks in their stew. Aaand…"
Aphid scanned the shelves and found a couple of bread loaves, as well as a wedge of cheese.
"You want anything? A snack for after supper or--?" he had begun to ask Kor, but Kor quickly said no thank you.
"Wouldn't, " Kor asked, "Wouldn't Miss Grelod notice it missing?"
"Nah..," Aphid responded, "Well actually, I know she does; how could she not? But she very surprisingly lets me get away with this, so long as I don't get caught in the act or touch the ice box."
He then whispered to himself.
"Ah, reminds me, need to ask Miss Marise if she has any spare ice wraith teeth…"
"Have you been caught?" Kor asked.
"Hm?" Aphid replied, "Oh. Yep. Just twice, though. But I still got the bel—uh…got in big trouble. But, growing kids get hungry, so big trouble or not, I'm getting you guys snacks. Really, though, she kinda plays along, as long as I just snag the little stuff, so are you sure you don't want anything? It's no trouble, really."
"No thank you," Kor politely declined again.
"Alright then," Aphid replied, though he took another cheese wedge, as he scanned about for the leeks.
He glanced and saw Kor seemed to be nervously watching out for Grelod.
"This used to be an assistant's room," Aphid attempted a distraction. He was thankful for the eyes, but he didn't want Kor to be nervous. Kor's eyes moved back upon him, his ears listening as Aphid continued what he was saying.
"They quit my first couple months here," the older boy said, "for personal reasons… Grelod took the opportunity to turn this into a lockable pantry, since she was convinced the assistant, and us kids, were stealing food. There were different kids here then. An older girl, who aged out that year—she's a city guard now! And there was a boy and a girl my age, well my age then, who both got adopted around the same time. It was just me and Grelod for a whole year after that, until Bark and Eydis arrived. Then little Jaren came about a month after that—Found 'em!"
Aphid finally found the leeks he was searching for and tossed them to Kor.
When Aphid stepped out of the pantry, Kor suddenly realized Jaren was next to them, startling Kor upon the realization.
Aphid held out a cheese wedge to Jaren and the Redguard boy promptly snatched it and scurried away.
"Eat it slow," Aphid pointed after him, "Don't ruin your supper."
He looked back upon Kor.
"The toll I pay so he doesn't tattle about this at least," Aphid explained and gave an exasperated chuckle.
He sent Kor to the table with the leeks and the other things, as he went back in the pantry, emphasizing he didn't want Kor, or any of the other kids, to see where the knives were stashed—not play things, he said, and then returned with the said tools for slicing and dicing.
Aphid made mention that leaving the forks out around Bark was bad enough. Kor's inquisitive look prompted him to explain further that he was mostly joking. It was just one incident and Bark would surely never do it again.
The two set to work chopping up the leeks, but poor Aphid hardly got started when he was called away by Eydis.
She had gotten a splinter in her foot and whined like she'd bleed out.
"Eydis, button nose," Aphid sighed as he stepped away to deal with it, "I've told you time and again not to scuff your feet around on these old floors without shoes on."
Kor began thinking Jaren was right. Aphid seemed like he never sat down.
When the tall boy returned, he seemed genuinely surprised that Kor had finished chopping all the leeks himself.
"Well, you're a good helper!" Aphid smiled, "Thank you, Kor. That was very nice of you."
Aphid must not get much help….
Aphid took the plate of chopped leeks to the stew pot, along with an empty bowl, dumped the leeks in the pot, and then returned with a full bowl to Kor.
"Here, you certainly get first serve," he said and set it down in front of the boy. He next set to slicing the bread.
He tossed a slice on each plate, put the knives away—relocking the pantry, gathered the other bowls, and went back to the stew pot to serve the other children, and sent them to the table.
Aphid finally came back with his bowl, only it wasn't his, as he went to the equipment room instead to fetch a serving tray.
He loaded It with the stew bowl, some bread and a tankard, and headed off to Grelod's door.
When he returned after serving Grelod her dinner, he didn't serve himself any of the stew.
Instead, he sat down across from Kor and only ate on the bread.
Aphid's eyes met Kor's, who was looking at him questioningly, but Aphid ignored the obvious question.
"I know your stomach," Aphid began, "probably has more than a few knots from…everything…, but try a few bites at least. Even just a few will help those knots a bit."
"You're not eating," Kor replied. He meant it as a question, but it come out more a statement.
Aphid playfully looked upon the bread in his hand, as if he thought Kor couldn't see it.
Bark, who was sat next to Kor, elbowed Kor a bit.
"Aphid never eats anything but bread and potatoes," he said, "Just bread and potatoes. And sometimes gross peas."
Aphid suddenly sopped his piece of bread into Bark's stew and then cheekily took a bite of the sloppy bread.
"Lies...," Aphid smirked through the bread in his mouth.
"Is not, you do!" Bark replied and then whispered towards Kor, "And sometimes he puts cornbread in a mug of milk…and eats it like soup…He's so damned weird…"
Aphid suddenly swallowed his bread, leaned in and whispered back, "It sure taste better than that soap still by the tub in there, that's gonna end up on your tongue, if I hear you say that again."
"Say what, 'weird'?" Bark questioned.
"You know what," Aphid replied sternly.
"He's?"
"Barakväll…"
"Was it 'so'?"
"I'm not saying it, Bark," Aphid replied and then explained to Kor, "He got me with that before. Ended up having to lick soap myself on principle. Urgh."
Bark snickered and Aphid mocked it.
"Hahaha," Aphid feigned the laugh, "Yeah, yeah. Funny. I ain't falling for it again."
He waited for a silent moment before suddenly muttering, "Ya damned kids…"
They all gave gasping giggles, with Bark imitating that scolding tone of Aphid's, sternly saying Aphid's whole name.
Jaren, of course, tattled on Aphid…to Aphid.
"You cussed!"
Aphid was stifling his laugh under his hand, but revealed a big smile when he saw Kor chuckling along, which was probably Aphid's intention with all of that to begin with.
"Alright, alright," he simmered the kids down, "Eat, you guys. Eat."
He eyed Kor again and nodded towards his bowl, still smiling.
"Eat, eat. Few bites, please," he insisted, and Kor finally nodded back in return.
Kor ended up eating his whole bowl, his stomach's reluctance averted by the distraction of the kids telling jokes and funny stories as they ate.
He didn't touch his bread, but Aphid seemed well happy enough to see the bowl cleared.
He gave Kor's shoulder a proud pat as he collected the dishes.
The other kids scattered off as he did so, but Kor stayed put.
"You can go play if you want, but you guys keep it down, alright?" Aphid said, but Kor shook his head.
"Can…Can I help you?" Kor asked instead.
Aphid looked at him and gave a smile.
"Of course, if you want to," he replied.
He could tell the encroaching night was starting to set the tips of its claws on Kor's mind…
Kor helped him with the dishes, and with even with his laundry that had been soaking in the tub.
Aphid told him they'd dump the water off the boardwalk in the morning, as even though Aphid would skirt the rule a bit with the pantry, stepping out the front door without permission was absolutely forbidden.
Aphid rung the wet clothes out in the yard, though, before coming back in to hang them on the hearth mantle to dry.
With all that done, it was time to start winding down for bed.
Aphid did his best to try and keep Kor's mind off things, as he gathered the kids for a quiet, but engaging, story time. He could tell Kor was trying so hard to be brave and calm, but Aphid knew it was coming….
When the kids were settled in their beds, Aphid sat down on the edge of Kor's, where the boy laid with his back to him.
He was trembling…sniffling…
Aphid put his hand to the boy's back.
"I know, Kor, I know," Aphid said softly.
Kor had thought he was too tired to shed another tear today…
He hadn't properly slept since…
He thought he'd be too exhausted to even think…
But even one thought…
This is his bed now…
It all hit him. It all had set on him with the sun.
Kor broke into a terrible sob.
A sob he hadn't since seeing his father's lifeless hand slip from the tarp they carried him in…since watching the dirt entomb him…
Aphid quickly scooted closer, and he leaned over the boy in a comforting hug.
"I know…I know, shh," he comforted and held close to him, but he gave Grelod's door a glance.
Aphid gently urged Kor to get up and follow him.
"Hey, c'mere," he said softly and carefully lifted the boy up a bit, "Come on now, sweetheart. Come with me."
He managed to get Kor up and on his feet to follow, and Kor's sobs steadied a little. Aphid held the boy close and guided him to the foyer, where Kor broke down again.
Aphid sat them on the bench and simply held Kor close, letting him cry on him all he needed.
Kor spoke brokenly through his sobs and clung even closer to Aphid.
"I…I j-just want to go home!" Kor cried.
"I know," Aphid said understandingly.
"I want my Papa."
"I know."
"I just want my Papa!"
"I know you do, honey, I know," Aphid soothed, "…but hey…hey…"
He managed to stifle Kor's crying enough to for the boy to listen.
"I want you to know," Aphid said, "that I'm here for you. I know you're scared. You're scared to get in that bed, I know. And you feel so alone right now. I know that too. But you're not alone, okay?"
Aphid rested the boy's head under his chin and felt Kor press, but relax, against him.
"Nothing will ever," Aphid continued his words, "ever replace your Papa, but you've got a big brother now, alright? You're not alone, little brother. I'm here…I'm here."
Aphid hoped his comfort and his words were helping the boy, and with Kor's quieting cries, it seemed to be.
The older boy just held him, and he was going to hold him until Kor was ready to let go….but….
"Aphid!" that gravelly voice of the agitated old woman snapped from the foyer doorway.
"Miss Grelod!" Aphid startled, as did Kor.
"Get that boy back in bed, right now!"
"Miss Grelod…," Aphid said again, more calmly, "I'm sorry if we disturbed you, but you know how first nights are—"
"I don't care," Grelod bluntly cut him off, "I'm tired of it."
"Ma'am—"
"To bed. The both of you. Now," she ordered firmly.
"But Miss Grel—"
"Aphid, do not. Do not back talk me right now," she warned, "These kids need to toughen up. Crying ain't bringing nothin' back. Boy, your father will be just as dead tomo—"
"Miss Grelod!" Aphid suddenly snapped sternly to her, "Don't say things like that!"
There was a dead silence as Aphid's snap had Grelod shift a frightening glare on him.
Kor, as unaccustomed to such eyes as he was, still knew that glare meant something awful.
He grabbed ahold of Aphid's hand, and he started to try to get them back to bed for Aphid's sake, but Grelod suddenly started stomping towards them.
"You mouthy brat!" she growled, "You dare, you dare to try—Come here!"
Kor had tried to pull them quickly around Grelod, but the woman snatched Aphid by his hair.
"Miss Grelod! Wai—" Aphid stumbled back, and he was trying to slip his hand from Kor, but Aphid was suddenly cut off from his words by a harsh smack on his mouth.
Kor jumped back in shock, but he didn't run off.
Grelod still held that tight grip on Aphid's hair, and she further yanked his head back, and smacked him on the face again.
"You think you can boss me now, huh?!" she scolded furiously.
"No, ma'am! I'm sorry," Aphid replied.
He hadn't attempted to shield his face, as his hands were busy trying to shoo Kor away, though obstructing Grelod may not have been wise anyway.
Kor, however, was frozen where he was.
Aphid didn't want to draw attention to the boy, but Kor wasn't moving.
"Kor, go on. Go on to bed," Aphid tried to get him to leave, but unfortunately, Grelod's attention surely turned on the younger boy instead.
"Yes, you," she growled and released her grip on Aphid. She shoved Aphid back a bit and reached for Kor.
Aphid scrambled to grab her before she could grab Kor.
"Miss Grelod! Don't!"
But it was too quick and too late.
Grelod took Kor roughly by his arm, spun and slung him towards their bedroom, and smacked him hard on the rump as she did.
"Get to bed!" she ordered.
Kor yelped, a shocked squeak, but he still seemed leg locked.
Another harsh smack met his rear. "Ow!"
"I said go!"
Yet Kor still couldn't get his legs moving.
His Papa had never handled him like this.
Kor's father was exceptionally gentle, even among their soft-hearted townsfolk, but no one back home so easily laid a hand their children.
The one time, the one and only time Kor's father ever attempted to administer such a punishment, the both of them broke down in tears--and it took nearly smelting Stieg to have even provoke the few pops.
They were all definitely a different breed of Nord…
Kor's overwhelmed mind couldn't even register what she had struck him for at this point, and by Gods, the way she handled Aphid…
Kor was scared. He wanted to go home. He wanted to find his Papa. He wanted to run…but his legs were still locked.
...until Aphid rushed in and began ushering him along.
Grelod made sure she got a good smack on Aphid again too, as he passed her to get to Kor.
"You try telling me something again!" she snipped at him furiously.
"I won't! I'm sorry!" Aphid insisted, though he had not a tear in sight, and only looked concerned for Kor.
He quickly took ahold of him and began tugging him along, "I'm sorry, Miss Grelod, we're going to bed now. We are."
He guided Kor, Grelod just behind them, and stopped in front of his own bed which was before Kor's.
"Go on, Kor," Aphid gently nudged him and then whispered, "I'll come to you when she's gone."
Kor, though, stood recoiled against Aphid. He didn't want to step away from him, but Aphid looked worriedly towards Grelod.
Surprisingly, she waved a hand—not to strike, but to release the iron grip she had started on this situation.
"Keep him quiet," she said to Aphid, allowing the situation to him, and she headed back to her room, "But if I hear a ruckus again…"
"No, ma'am, you won't," Aphid quickly replied, "Goodnight, Miss Grelod."
She slammed her door with a huff, and Aphid quickly set about checking on Kor.
He knelt down to the boy and took his face in hand.
"I'm so sorry, little brother," Aphid apologized, "I am so very sorry."
"I-I'm sorry," Kor sniffled, "I got you hit."
"What?" Aphid said, "No. No, no, Kor. I'm afraid I got you hit. Me and mouth. I'm usually much better at reading her moods, but since I was outside, I guess I didn't realize how frustrated she's been today."
"She's, she's so meeaan," Kor whined and whimpered, on the verge of sobbing.
Aphid quickly pulled him into hug, of course to comfort him, but also to try and quieten him.
"Yes, yes, she can be," Aphid said, "But I promise you, it doesn't usually get past me. I'm so sorry, Kor. I failed tonight. Oh, I am so sorry. This is a terrible first impression. I'm so, so sorry, little one."
Bark's voice suddenly chimed in an elevated whisper from his bed.
"Wow, you got smacked on your first day, twice!" he said, "Setting a record, new kid?"
"Barakväll, hush," Aphid whispered back, "Keep barkin' and you'll end up getting smacked on his first day too. Come on, Kor. Come on."
Aphid led him to Kor's bed, but he could feel Kor's resistance.
"Would you like me to sit with you?" Aphid asked, which Kor gave a little nod.
"Alright then," the older boy replied.
He sat them both against the headboard of the bed, but Kor quickly shimmied under Aphid's arm and curled up on his side.
The poor kid did not want to be even an inch away, by himself, right now.
Aphid completely understood and gladly welcomed it.
He certainly mucked it up earlier, but if Kor was still comforted by him, he hoped this burrowing into his boney ribcage somehow helped the poor, utterly exhausted boy get to sleep.
In this bed that wasn't, but was now, his.
In this home that wasn't home.
After being sent to bed with what had to be the furthest thing from his Papa's goodnight kiss.
Aphid kept his arm held around him, and he hoped this comfort of somebody being there would help.
Perhaps Grelod would sleep off her mood, too.
"I'm here, Kor. I'm here, baby brother…"