Eyes were upon them.When I sat down with them during the next break I grabbed Jessie’s hand and squeezed and thanked them for coming. I wasn’t sur... whether to kiss her, not knowing what she may or may not have told her daughter, and her smile told me she understood. Jessie re-introduced me to Jackie. I’d only met her once before because she lived year-round near the university for about an hour and a half away and only came back to visit every few weeks or so.The three of us talked and Jackie. She knealt down next to him and removed his bindings and finally the gag. As she tore off the strip of gaffer tape over his mouth she spoke, “freed you must never mention any of this until I specifically give you permission too, ok?”, “yes” he replied with in a hoarse tone, “Yes what?” “Yes miss”, “good boy now take this water and go home, you are going to need the rest”. With that he drank the water gleefully giving thanks for the coolness of it on his parched throat. He clambered into his. Bob carefully looks my group over while Cal does the introductions. I ask, “Bob, why won’t you let Cal teach your two youngest boys to make weapons?”Bob looks at me for a moment before he says, “I’ve no problem with the training, but if they work for Cal then he gets the bulk of the money for all of the work they do. Right now we can’t afford to split the smith work the way we used to.”I turn to look at Cal, and before he can speak I ask, “Cal, is the smithy where you made weapons able to. When I arrived, he looked at me withannoyance. I think he made some comment about me not being Stoic, andthat he wanted the real hero to show up. I looked at him, and with acrack of a smile forming on my cheek, I told him I was confident enoughthat I could handle him.Clearly, I wasn't as popular as Stoic, and admittedly I generally didn'tget involved in the major disputes amongst the villains and heroes nearlyas much as he did. For those paying attention, I haven't lost yet, noteven close.The.