Little Jimmy was thrilled that Kell had brought him inside the tavern. How often he had shivered in the cold outside and watched with longing the men inside. Being a full grown man, full of himself and full of power, were dreams that Jimmy carried in the pocket closest to his heart. Here he was inside and no one really seemed to notice his presence or question his right to be here. All because he was with his hero, Kell.<br/><br/>Barely able to keep his eyes off the carpenter, Little Jimmy bumped into a couple of men but they just grunted as if he were no more than a gnat. The lady, a new face as far as he could tell, had put her slender hand on his shoulder and looked deep into his eyes. He felt as if he were falling into a deep dark place, like the time he had fallen into the well. There had been hell to pay for the smith claimed the water was tainted and had beaten him about the ears. This lady's gaze was like that fall but filled with pleasant buzzing like merry bees working in the clover field.<br/><br/>When she broke the gaze it was like waking into a new day. Little Jimmy blinked his eyes and looked around helplessly. Kell was talking to him,<br/>"Yeh 'ad a bit'v excitin, dincha? Want ta tell me what ya was doin' in tha' alley?"<br/><br/>Jimmy grinned and finally found his voice,<br/>"I was in the alley following you, sir, Hoping to see you, sir, maybe even talk to you. You are Kell the Carpenter and there is no man in this city that is quite like you, sir. I'm Little Jimmy, the smith's apprentice, but he don't like me much since me arm was hurt, sir, so I must make shift for myself as much as possible and stay out of his hair, the bit he has, sir. I wanted to ask you, sir, if, sir, I could be your boy, run and fetch for you, carry messages for you. I'm smart, sir and knows the streets. There ain't nothing I wouldn't do for you, sir. If you would have me."<br/><br/>He was horrified at himself and proud of himself at the same time. All the words that he had dreamed, that had been bottled up just came pouring out, right there in the public house, in front of strangers and familiar faces alike. The smith would likely hear about this and fetch him back with a beating for bothering the carpenter. Damn his eyes!, Jimmy thought, he had known to not do this here, this way.<br/><br/>Timidly, he stuck his hand out as if sealing a deal.<br/><br/>~~~~~~~~~<br/>Isolde heard the noise from the coffin on the table and made a snap decision. She didn't know the purpose of the woman and didn't know the man well enough to trust him to protect the secret, so she suggested,<br/><br/>"The wounded need to rest and we do them no good by hovering. Would you care to accompany me to the public house, once again? They have fine wine and good bitters. "<br/><br/>She stood, taking up her cloak, and hoping the man would genially agree.