20 A handshake (1/2)

Sitting in the lukewarm water that reached his chest, Harrison thought about Sheina how she suddenly changed from constantly blushing to even teasing him. He did not expect that from her at all.

'It must be the change of the environment. At home she feels safer, and she is not worrying about what might happen if I were to actually take a bite on her bait. Whatever. It's not like I am not on some weird level enjoying the attention I am getting from her. She could have just returned home from the road but she made sure I come with her so she could talk to me and thank me properly. Both she, her father and the servant seem like honourable people.'Harrison thought while scrubbing himself with some soap he found which smelled like heaven compared to the carbolic soap he had before.

After drying himself off with a towel, he looked at his new body in the mirror. He looked young with wild unruly brown hair and a skinny body, probably a result of malnutrition. He combed his hair with a brush he found near the mirror and he felt somewhat satisfied with the result. He needed a haircut, but that could wait.

Getting dressed into his new clothes, he noticed they didn't fit him. The pants were too long, and shirt was too big. After and in and out from the inventory they fit him as if they were tailormade for him.

Getting out of the bathroom, he saw Englin waiting for him in the hallway.

”I knew these clothes would fit you well.” he said proudly, ”You can drop your clothing in your room before following me to the dinning room for dinner.” Englin explained with a smile.

Harrison just inwardly laughed.

As they went down the stairs, they heard footsteps behind them, and Sheina joined them. She wore a different dress again from the afternoon.

She mumbled something and then turned around in her new pink dress and violet earrings with her hair braided.

As Harrison looked at her with a dumbfounded expression she suddenly remembered and got the sphere back from Englin.

”How do you like it? I forgot you don't understand me without this.” She said while smiling at Harrison.

”You look all right.”Harrison said as he didn't want to encourage her new antics even more.

”Hmmph. Just all right.”

She was obviously unsatisfied with his answer.

Englin just smiled and led the way.

There was dinner ware set up for seven people on the table. At the top of the table and they set three places on each side up for dinner.

”You will sit next to me.”, Sheina said and went to the top left seat which was also the first one on the right looking from the hosts perspective.

Harrison could only comply. As they sat down Shalmoon came into the dinning room with the rest of the guests. Harrison instinctively got up, but Sheina ignored them.

As they got closer Shalmoon gestured to Sheina to do the introductions and told her he explained the situation to them. The recent arrivals were a middle-aged couple with a boy looking the same age as Sheina and a girl of about Harrison's age.

'Just nod at them as I tell you their names.' Sheina told him before she started the introductions.

”This is Captain of the guards Ruk Dali and his wife Iyri with their son Tuk and daughter Lyri.” She told Harrison and gestured towards the arrivals and he nodded as they were mentioned.

Ruk was a tall, bald-headed, brown bearded, muscular man, and Iyri was a petite woman with blonde hair, so they made for an odd couple. They both acknowledged Harrison with a nod back.

The children were like clones of them from their younger days. Tuk was tall and muscular with pimples instead of a beard and with a full set of hair. Lyri was a spitting image of her mother with brown hair, which was a shame because her mother was not much to look at.

Ruk was quite the jovial type, and he came over to Harrison's seat and embraced him. He was happy he did not have to go look for Sheina's corpse after the horse came back, and Shalmoon explained this kid was the reason for that.

He doubted Shalmoon could handle another shock after his wife went missing. The baron would probably have to be replaced as the magistrate if that happened and he would get a new employer who would probably not be anywhere near as pleasant as the current one. So he was truly thankful for Harrison's aid.

As Ruk embraced him Harrison felt awkward and scanned the room. Shalmoon, Iyri and Lyri were smiling at him while Tuk looked like he just ate a pile of dung and was clenching his fist.

'I guess someone does not like me. Whatever.'

Soon they got seated. Lyri was sat down beside him on his right with Sheina on his left side. Across from him sat Iyri with Ruk on her right and Tuk on her left side. At the head of the table was Shalmoon, of course.