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Chapter 45



Derrl lost his grip on the barrel that he was putting away when Yerril startled him in the shed out behind the Pint. He had been confined to his bed for a few days when Leylau had decided that he needed rest to recover. She had released him today and pronounced him fit as an ox. Unfortunately, Mensk overheard her when she said this and immediately put him to work out in the shed. The barrels had kept coming in without being put away properly, and now Derrl had to deal with the backlog of work left undone.

As he lost his grip and the barrel began to fall he was hard pressed to call up the appropriate rune and catch the barrel in time. As it was, he managed not to get himself crushed, or the barrel broken. He set the barrel down and sat on it facing Yerril.

"It would probably be a good idea if you were a bit more careful around me an heavy objects, they have a tendency to do the unexpected around me." He took a pull from a nearby mug of cold water. He generally kept one around when he was working out in the shed, since it was mostly hot and sweaty work.

"Well I was inside having an ale or two when I asked Mensk how you were." Yerril opened his mouth to say more but Derrl stopped him.

"Wait a minute, one demon's hour if you please. You don't have an accent, would you kindly explain?"

Yerril looked somewhat uncomfortable after that question. He shifted uneasily under Derrl's gaze.

"I don't suppose you'd let me explain a little later would you? I really came to tell you that the Pribe is dry-docked right now, just like you asked. I would have told you earlier, but, well… you see… You were rather incapacitated the last time I saw you. Babbling something or other about some boots of yours, didn't understand a word, but then again, I don't suppose you did at that time either, now did you? I guess we both have some questions that we'd probably like to have answered." He put a hand on Derrl's shoulder as he stood beside the barrel.

"Tell you what Yerril, we'll talk while you and I work on the underside of the Pribe. We'll have time enough to talk as we work on her. Just help me put the rest of these barrels away. I'll go talk to Mensk, and we'll go down and put it away up there. You might try using the hoist there if you're having a bit of trouble."

Yerril took his shirt off in preparation for moving barrels.

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