Necromancer: Kingdom Building with My Legion of Undead Knights

Chapter 225: The Stable

Garren was very careful so that nothing fell on the ground. The coins glinted in the firelight as he held them out.

He returned the leather to his side and walked forward, handing the coins to the man who was renting this place for them.

"Thank you," the old man said, pocketing the silver. "And have a good and comfortable night."

He walked away, disappearing back into the shadows behind the stable. The wagon men began unloading the animals, leading them into the stalls and securing them for the night. The goats bleated softly. The chickens clucked. The Moatts stood still and calm.

Darion almost laughed at the man’s words of having a good night as he turned back with his bucket.

The old man had said it so casually, so matter-of-factly, as if sleeping in a stable full of animals was a normal and comfortable experience. Darion supposed that for someone who ran a stable, it probably was. For him, it was going to be an adventure.

He walked closer to the stable place. Sure, it was large and would fit all the animals they brought. The building was spacious enough to hold the cows, the goats, the chickens, the Moatts, and their own horses with room to spare.

But he was sure as hell that it wouldn’t be comfortable. What was comfortable about sleeping in a place engulfed by animals?

And not just one species of animal, but so many. Goats that bleated at odd hours. Moatts that shifted their massive weight in the night. Chickens that clucked and pecked at the ground.

Horses that stamped their hooves and snorted. The sounds alone would make it hard to sleep. And the smells. The hay, the manure, the animals themselves, all of it would combine into something that was far from pleasant.

Where would they even sleep? There was no bed, no mattress, no soft surface to lie on. Just hard ground and rough hay. Darion had slept in worse places, but that didn’t mean he was looking forward to it.

Seren came closer to Darion, looked at his face, then back at the stable, and said: "Looks so comfortable. I can almost imagine the comfy bed."

Darion caught the sarcasm and laughed. The sound came out before he could stop it. He didn’t know that Seren was good with sarcastic jokes.

Seren chuckled, her eyes crinkling at the corners, and Garren, who had heard it, smiled. It was a rare sight, Garren smiling at this moment, somewhere like this.

The older knight usually kept his face neutral, but the exchange between Darion and Seren had clearly amused him.

The wagon men were already entering the stable, leading the animals with them. The cows went first, their hooves clomping against the wooden floor.

The goats followed, their hooves clicking. The chickens were carried in their cages, and the Moatts brought up the rear, their massive bodies filling the doorway. The men worked quickly, finding spaces for each animal, making sure they didn’t disturb the two horses that were already there.

They also took Darion, Seren, and Garren’s horses with them, leading them inside and tying them to sturdy posts. The horses seemed content, their ears perked, their eyes calm. They had been on the road all day, and they were glad to be out of the elements.

After they were done, making spaces in different corners of the place and in the middle behind the wall, they called out: "Come on in."

Darion, Seren, and Garren entered the place now.

A light was lighting the space, a large candle actually, one that looked like it could burn for two days.

Its flame flickered in the dim air, casting long shadows across the walls. It was bright enough to see by, but not so bright that it hurt the eyes.

Darion looked around. Some of the wagon men slept in the wagons, not too far from the animals, their bodies curled up on the hard wooden beds. Others slept on the ground, using their clothes as support. They had done this many times before, and they had learned to make themselves comfortable in the most uncomfortable places.

Garren slept on the ground, more like sat and rested his head on something, a rolled-up bundle of cloth, maybe. He was already settling in, his eyes half-closed, his body relaxing.

Darion and Seren looked around for where they would stay, and Darion found a place at the corner of the wall.

It was away from the animals, away from the main flow of traffic, and it had a clear wall to lean against. He went there, did what Garren had done, and sat down, resting his head on the wall.

Seren found a place not too far from him, sat, and rested her head on something too. She let out a long breath, her body sinking into the position.

"I’ve slept in worse conditions," she said to Darion. "When I was Gonnb’s prisoner."

Darion smiled. "Same. Remember sleeping in a forest with wild animals all around me."

Seren laughed at that. "Okay, that’s worse than mine. Haha."

The sound of her laughter was surprisingly not loud in the quiet space. It bounced off the wooden walls and mingled with the soft sounds of the animals.

There was silence for a while, the quiet settling over them like a blanket. The animals shifted in their stalls. The candle flickered. The night pressed in from outside.

Then Garren said: "Good night, m’lord."

Darion nodded. "Good night, Sir Garren."

"Good night, m’lord," Seren said too, with a smile.

Darion looked at her. This was the first time she had used "m’lord" when addressing him, so it sounded funny. It was formal in a way that she never usually was, and the contrast made him chuckle.

"Good night, Lady Seren," Darion said to her.

She smiled, her smile beautiful the candlelight. Then she closed her eyes and settled into her position.

Darion starred at the ceiling for some time then closed his eyes too.