Free The Stewards of Reed, Volume 1: The Rise of Fallon by RM Wark

have come from such a question.
    “Aye. I miss him. Every day.” The boy then turned to the adjacent room where his mother was sleeping. “Things were different when he was alive.”
    “Is that when the drinking started? When he died?”
    Luca shrugged. “My mother was always fond of the drink. But it became much worse after my father passed into the next life.”
    “I see.” Gentry did not know what else to say about the matter, so he changed the subject. “You are quite good with horses, Luca.”
    The boy gave the briefest of smiles before his face became sad again. “We had a horse once, but we had to sell her. We did not have enough food for ourselves. My mother said we could not keep the horse.”
    “Do you have enough food now?” Gentry asked, clearly concerned. It is a good thing I did not accept his offer for stew. The poor boy has a drunk for a mother and hardly any food to eat.
    “Aye. My mother’s cousin owns the Settler’s Inn. He caught me begging once and decided to give me a job in the stables. He pays me with food and ale, but not gold.” Luca paused and looked at Gentry. “Thank you for the gold pieces, sir. I have been needing new shoes.”
    Gentry smiled. “You are welcome.”
    It was quiet for some time. Gentry thought of his family back in Reed, and how his own life was so much different from Luca’s. It seemed so unfair that he should have so much and this boy should have so little. Both of Gentry’s parents were still living. He had never wanted for anything (except maybe a sibling). His parents doted on him. He had never gone hungry. At Luca’s age he was still in school; he had not been forced to work to provide for himself and his family. Aye, his father was fond of the drink – but nothing like Luca’s mother. And Gentry always had new shoes when his feet outgrew the old ones. Always .
    “Sir?”
    “Aye?”
    “Why were you running from Dennison?”
    Gentry was taken aback by the unexpected question. “How did you know that?”
    Luca hesitated. “He came looking for you at the stables, sir.”
    “You did not say anything, did you?” Gentry could not conceal the growing alarm in his voice.
    “No. No, sir.” Luca shook his head. When Dennison and his gang had come into the stables the boy had been too scared to do anything but shake his head at their questions. After they were satisfied that Gentry was not hiding inside, they left.
    “Good.” Gentry let out a sigh of relief.
    Luca bit his lip. “Dennison is a bad man, sir. You should be careful.”
    “Aye,” Gentry said with a nod. “He tried to rob me, but I fought him off.”
    “So you were the one that gave him the black eye?” The tone of Luca’s voice was that of amazement. Nobody he knew had ever stood up to Dennison. Nobody had the courage.
    “Aye.”
    Luca bit his lip again and was quiet for a time, deep in thought. “They say he killed his own father,” he said finally. “You were lucky Dennison did not find you.”
    As shocking as the revelation was, Gentry was not surprised. “Well, I am lucky I had you to help me escape. Thank you, Luca.”
    “You are welcome,” the boy said, smiling.
    The conversation drew to a close and Gentry retired to Luca’s bed. He protested when he saw the boy lay out some blankets for himself on the floor. Unfortunately Luca would not hear of having Gentry on the floor, so that is the way they spent the night – Gentry in a bed that was much too small, Luca on a floor that was much too hard.
    Gentry arose early and took care not to wake the sleeping boy. He left another two gold pieces on the kitchen table for Luca’s troubles and headed out to the shed to retrieve Casper. As he was leading the horse out of the shed, Gentry caught sight of Luca coming out of the house with a bag in his hand.
    “Please, sir,” pleaded the boy, “take me with you. I shall take good care of your horse and do whatever else you need. I promise I shall not be any trouble.”
    Gentry