9 A lost lamb

When everything was neatly wrapped, they were finally ready to set out into the village.

"You walk slow," Leonel pointed out dryly. This morning was a bit chilled, summer heat not yet finished eating through the remnants of winter's cool.

"I'm a cripple," Julian snapped back shamelessly. He was leaning heavily on his walking stick and out of spite only took even longer to stumble down the uneven dirt road.

He was in no rush, hunger had long faded into a numbed gnaw that made him feel lethargic.

Leonel's visage was one that did not give much away. It was a perfect match to his deadpan words and made him frustratingly annoying to read. "I'll carry you then."

"Ha. Ha," Julian began to laugh sarcastically but began screeching like a wronged wrench when the Inquisitor closed in. "Wait, wait, no stop. Don't come closer!" He even stopped to wave his walking stick uselessly at the tall behemoth of a man.

Leonel glared at the cane, unimpressed and unthreatened. "We'll get there so much faster."

"Yes, yes," Julian agreed with a sneer and tapped his walking cane in front of him, as if indicating a clear boundary that he wished to be respected. Magically it worked, Leonel glared at him at arm's length. "I know, but I will also hang myself much faster and who will be around to take care of a big manchild as yourself?"

"Who is taking care of who?"

Julian clicked his tongue and began walking and at a much faster pace than earlier, feeling unnerved by the man he took as his charge.

Leonel scoffed at this ridiculous person and followed him down into the village.

There was so much white that dotted the scenery. The sheep that found themselves on the narrow dirt path parted as they approached. Julian raised his chin and for a delusional moment imagined the sheep as people that parted from fear of his presence.

Ah, his youth was full of excitement and absurdity.

"If it isn't good ol' Doctor," Hector, the old shepherd waved at their approach. His smile was lined and skin reddened from the sun, "Who's this you're bringing along? A handsome young lad! Aint he a bit young for you, old man?"

Julian's smile had teeth, "Who are you calling an old man, old man?" Hector whose hair was more silver than it was brown was at least a decade older than even Julian. "This guy's just a traveler that needed a bit of patching up and I had the misfortune of being around."

"A lost lamb then," the villager nodded with approval. "So you doing rounds today? Mind coming round to look at Kelly? She's been coughing a mean one lately, dribbling from her nose something ugly. I'm sure Martha would like to see you about her hip as well. And…"

"Yes, yes, making my rounds as I always do." Julian huffed, stopping the shepherd from going off on a tangent. "I'm also here to pick up some groceries."

"Oh, is that what the young man here is for?" The shepherd glanced at the Leonel with a raised brow.

"Yes and he is also the reason I require more food than usual. I'll be back soon and take a look at Kelly for you."

"Ah yes, you're welcome to come around for lunch as well. Don't act like a stranger! It's been years yet, you're basically one of us."

Basically.

Julian kept his expression amiable before finally walking off.

Much to his misfortune, many of the other villagers came to see him with similar greetings. A pleasant smile and a long list of patients waiting for his visit. With an exasperated sigh he disengaged with each of them with the very real excuse of doing groceries.

As word went around about the Doctor in town with a handsome and tall traveler, it wasn't long until the majority of the village surrounded them. Half of them were nagging Julian for diagnoses and remedies for their ails. The other half were assaulting Leonel with question and interrogation.

It was impossible to miss the way the village girls eyed him like he was a choice slab of meat. "Did you say your name was Leonel," one of them hummed with a wide grin, "such a lovely name."

"It's just normal," Leonel deadpanned.

Another girl was too shy to come too close but brazen enough to ask, "Whereabouts do you hail, sir? Your eyes are so lovely! I've never seen such a bright color before."

"Ombrelle."

"Oh my! Then that explains your coloring. I heard that Ombrelle has many beautiful sea-side cities, is that true?"

"Despite being from Ombrelle, your Arcadian accent is so good and proper!"

Blue eyes narrowed, lips held taut, "I left Ombrelle when I was young. I don't remember much of it."

"Is that so," another woman asked, "how about your parents? Are they travelers? Is that why you're here in Arcadia?"

"My parents are dead."

"So sorry to hear…How about a wife then? Do you have a wife?"

Despite the dry and uninterested responses they did not relent, and Julian felt no obligation to save him. Instead he took joy seeing the stiffness in Leonel's shoulders and how he reeled back from their overbearing presence.

Some children came forth as well, eyeing the stranger up and down with curious gazes. One of the older ones dared to step close and ask, "Are you that Inquisitor person that Lina and Freddie found in the woods?"

Leonel frowned, unsure about those unfamiliar names. "Yes."

"Then why are you here? Is it because--"

Okay, Julian should probably step in about now. "Alright, big guy. We've wasted enough time here. I've about fifty patients to work through and a long grocery list that we haven't even gotten started on! Chop, chop, get a move on!"

The moment watched them leave with a combination of forlorn pleading and annoyance that their new toy was being taken away from them.

Leonel let out a sigh of relief which made Julian snicker, amused, "Did a bunch of women shake up the great Inquisitor? Do they scare you? Please don't tell me you're an unmarried virgin because of some Divine Light teaching."

"Say more and I will knock you over," Leonel threatened. "To think I was just about to thank you."

"What? You dare bully a helpless old man in front of the villagers? They love and respect me, you know? I'm their Doctor."

The Inquisitor huffed, unimpressed but his attention was soon stolen by the little market in the village. They first made their way to the baker. It wasn't often that Julian came down to buy groceries but when he did, he always had to get a few loaves of Helen's bread.

Her plump face brightened at the sight of the Doctor but when pale when she saw the Inquisitor. "O-Oh, hello gentlemen. What can I do to help you?"