The Master of Names

Chapter 11- Prison Crew Boys!!

   "So which cart are we hopping in?" Keldon asked.

  "Not we, you. And yerr hopping with the prison cart."

  "Woah woah woah. Wait, slow down a second", Keldon said, stopping in place. "Prison Cart?! And what do you mean "you"?"

  "I meant what I said. Yerr leaving the Hissings alone buddy boy."

  "But why? Why can't you come with me?" Keldon asked, but then, Keldon suddenly remembered asking the doctor who had paid for his medical bills. "Bertram... were you the one who paid for my hospital bills?"

"Our bills. And yeuh, not like you could pay them on yurr own, 'specially not now. So, I extended my contract. " Bertram said nonchalantly

  As Keldon was about to argue that he could work for the money himself, Bertram was already poised to counter his argument. He sighed inwardly, knowing that arguing with Bertram on the topic would just be wasted breath. Instead, he just smiled in appreciation, and wrapped his arms around Bertram.

  "Thank you. Really."

  "Don't worry about it buddy." Bertram said, patting him on the back. "Now let's go, gotta get you on board."

  "What about Hilda by the way?" Keldon said, looking around. "She told me she was going to come see me off."

  "She's tied up today, tons of paperwork to fill out because of the attack. She'll be comin' to the capital in a few months or so, so she said she'll look for ya then."

  "That's a shame; It'll be nice though to see someone familiar after a few months in the capital." Keldon said. "Although, it would have been nice to see her before I left."

  Moving towards the front of the prison cart, Bertram and Keldon made idle conversation. But while they were discussing when they'd be able to see each other again, they were interrupted by boisterous cheering. Three gentleman were making merry by the tortulgas, surrounded by empty bottles and clanking together glasses full of frothy, pale yellow ale.

  "To life on the road!!"

  "PRISON CREW BOYS, HURRAH!!"

  "To delivering justice to baddies!!"

  "PRISON CREW BOYS, HURRAH!!"

  "To easy money!!"

  "PRISON CREW BOYS, HURRAH!!

  Together, in unison, they laughed a hearty and genuine laugh that was straight from the belly. Keldon rarely heard those while he worked in the Hissings. Infectious as it was joyful, Keldon couldn't help but let his lips curl into a smirk, joining in the merry in his own way. It had been a quite a while since Keldon had heard laughs of true joy.

  "You boys haven't aged a day. You boys get my message?" Bertram said, approaching the lot.

  "You've aged several from the looks of it. And yeah." said the man who led the chant. He was a bit pudgy and leaned towards the shorter side of people Keldon had known. He smeared his arm across his face, still leaving trails of ale foam in his beard.

  "Well, almost all of you" he said, pointing down at Bertram's faux leg. "When was that."

  "Recent." Bertram replied matter of frankly. "Keldon, meet the Prison Crew Boys. Prison Crew boys, Keldon. We were drinking mates way back when."

  "'ello Keldon." Said the man who had led the chant. "I'm Mitch, the tall one's Pudge, and that's his younger brother Ernie."

  Pudge waved a friendly hello. Strangely enough, he wasn't fat at all, he was quite handsome despite his nickname. He had a sharp jawline and sparkling blue eyes, it wasn't the sort of attractiveness that made a person feel intimidated, but rather the opposite. He seemed warm and inviting, the kind of person you feel you'd want to strike up a conversation with.