Author's Notes:

Sorry for the delay... Had some rewriting and transitions I wanted to rewrite and ended up writing even more... This is the set up, next chapter is the actual cookout, dealing with the acquisition of live game for consumption and its (edited cleaning), and shenanigans galore...

Also, by the end of this chapter, feel sorry for Galen... Feel very, very sorry...

Galen woke up from his nap with a sharp intake of air and a groaning sigh just over an hour when he felt the change in the library's atmosphere. He squirmed and made odd little noises on the couch Twilight had loaned him before letting out a massive yawn and sat up to look blearily around. He didn't notice anything out of the ordinary although he heard some low murmurs coming from the kitchen. He got up from the couch and made his ponderous way there as he roughly rubbed the back of his head to try to wake up a bit more. When he could see through the doorway, he saw Twilight and Lero standing around and announced his presence with a massive yawn that had both of then chuckling.

“Have a good nap, Romareo?” Twilight asked with a giggle.

“Tha' supposed ta be some odd wordplay?” Galen asked as he popped an eyebrow in question.

“They have some really odd cross cultural connections here,” Lero supplied with an smirk. “In fact, most of their major cities are equine based puns on some American cities. Baltimare, Filly Delphia and Los Pegasus to name a few.”

“Huh...” Galen replied, nonplussed. “Tha's certainly something.”

Lero gave a snort of amusement. “You get used to it after a while. I constantly frustrated Twilight by my breaking out into odd bouts of laughter when she was teaching me about Equestria at large. Well, that is until I finally told her about why some of these things were so funny to me. Now, whenever I find something like that, I just roll with it.”

“Ah'll keep tha' in mind,” he replied with a slow shake of his head.

“So,” Twilight chimed in with a little grin. “Do you want to stay for lunch or head out after you catch up with Lero?”

“If it isn't any trouble...”

“Oh, none at all for a friend,” she said happily. “We don't have too much here, but definitely enough for a good sized salad and a few grilled cheese sandwiches.”

“Tha' sounds good ta me,” Galen replied with a grateful smile. “But if it ain't much trouble, would yew mind if Ah cooked tha sandwiches? Ah'm always bein' treated an' maybe a bit coddled... Ah wouldn't want ta loose mah edge in tha kitchen.”

“Life here in Equestria might do that,” Lero said with a chuckle. “Mares always try to treat their stallions as much as possible. Keep them interested since there's so many for them to choose from.”

“Really?”

“Yeah,” Twilight supplied with a slightly melancholic smile. “Only two to three in every ten foals born are colts as of the last census. Always has been and it looks to always be that way. I'll tell you more about it if you want some other time, but let's just say that any mare who can catch a stallions eye and keep it is either good at catering to the whims of a spoiled colt or found herself somepony who's a cut above the rest. I really lucked out with Lero, much to many a mares disappointment around town, especially since he isn't interested in increasing the size of his herd.”

“Ah don' think Ah'd much care ta associate with them spoiled colts yew talked about,” Galen replied with a disgusted grimace.

“That's why I know you're going to make a few certain mares very happy,” Twilight said with a smile that quickly turned into a gasp as she looked up at Lero whose eyebrows rose halfway up at that statement.

“Is that so?” he asked with a questioning look between a blushing Twilight and a grinning Galen.

“Yep,” Galen supplied. “Ah'm gonna be here fer good, neighbor.”

“Care to tell me the details over lunch?”

“How 'bout at tha cookout?” he suggested. “Makes fer good fireside conversation. Planned on askin' yew a bit about courtin' mares an' such anyway, so Ah'm sure Spike wouldn't mind tha pointers too.”

“That's really thoughtful, Galen,” Lero replied with a warm smile. “But I think I may have a few things to pass on, no page of notes under the table required.” He finished with a mischievous grin.

“Hey!” Twilight exclaimed with an exceptionally cute pout and radiant cheeks.

“Sorry, love,” Lero replied as he knelt down to eye level, sparkle of mirth still in his eye. “Couldn't help myself.”

“I suppose it was pretty silly, bringing notes out on my first date,” Twilight said with a little titter as her pout turned into a half grin. “But don't think you'll be getting out of this completely unscathed.” She finished with a look that said promised a special kind of retribution that not even her sister-wives would be able to talk her out of.

“Alright, yew two,” Galen said with a chortle. “Ah'm sure yew could go at it in a supply closet since Spike's still upstairs, but Ah'm hungry an' don' know where yew keep yer stuff.”

The pairs cheeks flushed as they chuckled at Galen's good natured ribbing. “I suppose he does have a point~” Twilight teased with a wink up at Lero.

“You're almost as bad as Dash now,” Lero replied, warm humor lending his voice a rich tone. “I swore off of quickies in supply closets after we almost got caught by your mom that one time.”

“Fine,” she replied with a mock huff. Galen and Lero both chuckled at her as she lit her horn and a sudden swarm of glowing purple cooking utensils, ingredients and plates came from around the room and settled down around the counter top with minimal noise. “Are you sure you want to cook? It wouldn't be any trouble for me.”

“Ah'm sure,” he replied as he turned to turn the stove on, a clicking noise sounding as the starter pulsed and a fwoosh as the gas caught alight. He placed the pan on top after he turned the gas down and went about slicing half inch slices of cheese from the chilly block with quick, precise knife strokes. As he worked, Twilight sidled up beside him so she could put the salad together while Lero sat down at the table to wait patiently as they worked. In a relatively short amount of time, Galen had enough cheese sliced up for ten of those toasty treats and stopped at that while Twilight was studiously ensuring the salad was as visually pleasing as it was nutritious. He wanted enough to make a decent lunch for three plus himself, not clog their veins with cheesy delights.

With a quick swipe of his knife, a cube of butter was put on the skillet with only a faint hiss as it melted. Quickly tossing enough strips of cheese to completely cover a few pieces of bread, he managed to squeeze three on the skillet and topped them with another slice of bread and put the lid on top to trap the heat, ensuring that the cheese would melt without burning the bread. Quickly enough, the scent of wonderfully toasting bread swept through the kitchen and library. After a few minutes, Galen checked the sandwiches and flipped them to reveal the dark brown color of a slightly over toasted sandwich. Part way through this first skillet of sandwiches Spike wandered in with a yawn as Twilight was finishing her portion of the meal and brought it to the table with some vinegar and oil for dressing.

Spike joined Lero at the table after a quick, bleary eyed greeting and a few words of praise about how good lunch smelled as Twilight joined them with the salad. After they settled in, the rest of the cooking went fairly smoothly as Galen passed the first three sandwiches over to the table so that they could dig in while he made their second set of sandwiches. “So, how's everything coming along with the cookout?” Lero replied with a little grin, eager to hear about their outing tomorrow night.

“Not as well as Ah'd like,” Galen replied a touch sullenly as he cut another slice of butter to cook his sandwiches. “Ah'm gonna have ta get a few rabbits through Fluttershy since Ah couldn't lay any snares 'cause o' some lumberyard guard dog reject.”

Twilight's eyes widened as she gasped, a hoof coming up to her mouth. “You were attacked by a timberwolf?!”

“Yeah,” he said simply before a wicked grin split his face. “Fer all tha runnin' we did, tha' termite ridden mongrel didn't even give me a splinter. Next time, Ah'll be sure ta bring a maul an' split some wood fer a bonfire.”

Lero and Spike both had looks of incredulity on their faces while Twilight just looked at him blankly before all four of them broke out in chuckles. “You almost had me worried there,” Twilight replied as Galen set a pair of sandwiches to toasting. “You sounded so serious.”

“If Ah can, Ah'll take one out,” he replied in an even tone without looking around. “They're dangerous an' need ta be dealt with fer tha safety o' everyone.”

“That's not really an option,” Twilight replied in a consoling tone. “They can't be dealt with. They're manifestations of the Everfree Forests spirit and reform if they're broken apart. We just try to steer clear of them for the most part and generally it works. Plus they have a rather glaring weakness. Just toss a decent sized stone down ones throat and it'll 'choke,' giving you an easy ten to twenty minutes to get away before it fully reforms.”

“Really?” he said incredulously, finally turning to look at Twilight. “A stone?”

“Yep,” she replied with a giggle.

“It's true,” Spike replied with look of pride and a laugh of his own. “Even I took one out with a pebble.”

“Huh,” he said with a nonplussed expression. “If anypony would know, Ah'm guessin' yew would.”

Lero gave a prideful nod. “That she would be and if she didn't it wouldn't take her long to be an expert on the subject either.” Twilight blushed at the praise and leaned over to give him a quick, if slightly greasy, kiss. Galen chuckled at that and turned back to his cooking. The conversation died down for the next few minutes as Galen made his lunch and they finished their last sandwiches. When he finished with his last sandwich, he turned the stove off and brought his meal with him as he took his seat and took a pair of large bites out of a cooler sandwich.

He ate a few more bites before the memory of a certain eagless popped into his mind. “So we'll be havin' another guest yew jus' so happen ta know joinin' our little cookout tomorrow night.”

“Oh?” Lero said with a raised eyebrow.

“Alexandria's 'er name,” Galen replied with a little grin as he watched Lero and Twilight's expressions brighten up. He finished off his first sandwich and took a bite out of his next one.

“Really?” they asked eagerly and once again, simultaneously. Galen and Spike laughed at their synchronicity for a few moments before Galen nodded in the affirmative. “How'd you manage that?” Lero asked with an eager smile. “We've been trying to get her out of her house more often aside from when Lyra or her job forces her to.”

“Well...” Galen told them the basic gist of the story between bites of his sandwich, all three of his friends looked resolutely grim by the end despite his nonchalance. “But Ah coaxed a promise out o' 'er before she went on 'er way.”

“You need to be careful around Honeydew,” Lero replied guardedly. “She's a very troublesome mare and knows how to make problems for others. If she gives you anymore trouble, be sure to let us know and we'll help out how we can.”

“Ah'll deal with 'er if she becomes a problem,” Galen answered, leaving no doubt that if he had to, she would always give him a wide berth forevermore by the time he was finished.

“Just make sure you resolve it as peacefully as possible,” Twilight preemptively chided. “You really don't need to pay any fines for fighting in Ponyville, especially since they can get a little hefty for excessive violence.”

“Ah'll keep tha' in mind,” he replied with a thankful smile even if his tone didn't lighten.

“So, I think you may enjoy hanging out with Alexandria,” Twilight said after an awkward moment to both lighten the mood and change the topic. “She's an inventor of clock and steamwork devices with a healthy understanding of arcane applications and modifications to said devices.”

“Sounds like she needs ta get out more often,” Galen mused before taking another bite. “But yew seem pretty well adjusted fer such a sharp mare.”

“That's just me though... I have Lero, my herdmates and all my friends to balance me out,” Twilight said with a little sigh. “To be honest, that was the main reason she was sent to Ponyville from Canterlot and given the job she has now in addition to all her other duties. Before she left the castle, she was the head of the Engineering branch of the entire Guard. She's absolutely brilliant, but had to have a keeper, otherwise she would be living in filth as her own genius consumed her. Lyra's made huge breakthroughs with her with some help from Lero, Dash and I, but this is the first time she's really gone out and promised to do something on her own.”

“Ah did promise her meat though,” Galen said with a little chuckle. “Tha's a great motivator fer those who 'ave a taste fer it.”

Twilight only shook her head and gave an amused sigh. “She must be skipping some vital meals in favor of getting more materials then. I'm going to have to talk to Lyra about her.”

“That eagless,” Lero said with a rueful smirk. “She's really something else. I mean, not even Twilight was that bad on her most hectic of study days.”

Galen snorted in amusement at that before the conversation generally died down as they let him polish off the rest of his meal before it went cold on him. When he finally finished his sandwiches, he took the plates and skillet to the sink to let them soak with a little soap to break up the grease while Twilight magicked everything else back to its place from her seat. “Anyway, Ah need ta be on mah way,” Galen said with a content sigh. “Need ta pick up a few other things aside from tha... ahem... live ingredients.”

“Alright,” Lero replied with a grin. “Thanks again for setting this up. Anything I should bring?”

“Jus' bring some more o' tha' brew yew make an' Ah'll be a happy camper,” he replied with a grin.

“Will do,” Lero said with a nod. “See you tomorrow night at seven?”

“Tha's tha plan, so Ah'll see yew two there.” Spike and Lero nodded in agreement. With nothing else to do or talk about, he made his farewell to Twilight and made his way outside to get on with the remainder of his errands for the day. He crossed over into the market, smiling and greeting the ponies who extended the simple courtesy and wandering around for a little bit before picking out the right road that led to Fluttershy's cottage and started down the path. When he finally made it there, Fluttershy was watering the plot of flowers in her front yard and greeted him happily. He returned the pleasantries and closed the gap.

“So Ah had a bit of a mishap tha other day an' Ah couldn't lay any snares,” he said with a slightly chagrined expression. “Think Ah'd be able ta take yew up on yer offer an' buy a few wild rabbits off o' ya?”

“Of course,” she replied with a sad little smile. “How many do you need?”

“Ah think six should be enough,” he replied.

“Six? Why so many?”

“Well, Ah'm havin' a cookout with Alexandria, Big Mac, Leera an' Spike,” he explained. “Wanted ta have enough fer us meat eaters ta have our fill. Plus, Ah want one jus' fer Riley.”

“That's... nice,” she replied with obvious wariness about the subject since the majority of the guests would be eating rabbit.

“Yeah, but Ah still wish Ah didn't have ta bother yew with some o' tha preparations,” he said with a scratch on the back of his neck.

“It's no problem,” she said with an understanding smile. “Some times things just don't work out, but that's why I'm here. Alexandria's usually so busy that she only comes to me for fish and rabbits only a couple times a month, but she must be swamped with work right now because she hasn't been by for weeks.”

“Twilight said she may be skipping on her meat based meals so she can use 'er bits elsewhere,” he said with a chuckle.

Fluttershy immediately took on an irked expression. “She really can't be doing that! She needs to eat right or her health's going to suffer!”

“Twilight said Lyra'll have some words with 'er, so no need to get yer feathers too flustered,” he replied with a little grin at his turn of phrase. “At tha very least, she'll eat plenty tomorrow nigh'.”

“Okay...” she said, her expression softening only a little. “But you be sure to let her to know that I want to see her here before Wednesday next week or I'll be having words with her as well.”

“Ah'll make sure she knows,” he replied with a chortle.

“Good,” she said with a firm nod. “Now, would you like to take your rabbits with you now or come back tomorrow sometime?”

“Ah'll pay fer 'em now an' come back tomorrow,” he replied. “How much do Ah owe yew?”

“Twelve bits, two per rabbit,” she answered. “Fish are two for one bit in case you were wondering.”

Galen hummed in thought for a moment and nodded when he came to a decision. “Go ahead an' make it five rabbits an' four fish in tha' case. Would yew mind if Ah came by 'round six 'r six thirty ta pick them up?”

“That shouldn't be a problem,” she replied with a smile.

“Thank yew so much, Fluttershy,” Galen said with a relieved sigh as he dug around in his coin pouch for a ten bit coin and a pair of singles. After he passed her the bits, his expression changed to one of chagrin and apology. “Ah can only imagine how uncomfortable this whole business makes yew, bein' a warden an' all yet havin' ta bring in yer charges ta give in exchange fer a few paltry bits. Jus' fer us ta simply eat right.”

“It never really gets any easier, even after all these years,” she replied with a sad little smile. “But, all the bits spent goes to provide supplemental supplies for all the creatures under my care. They all know this and even though it's sad, they know that they leave a little something that helps all their friends and family this way.”

“Ah'll let you be, then,” he said as he took a step back. “Ah'll see yew tomorrow afternoon?”

“Of course,” she replied, sad smile still on her face. “We'll be waiting for you.”

Galen just nodded with a thankful smile before turning around with a wave and walking off across the hills instead of going back through town. As he walked, he pondered his visit to the gentle mare and felt a strong pang of remorse. He really did feel a bit guilty for asking Fluttershy to provide the creatures he would be slaughtering for their enjoyment tomorrow evening. If he could help it, he'd never ask her to perform that particular responsibility again if only because he thought of providing meat for himself and Riley as his own prerogative. His thoughts were derailed as he spotted the familiar red coat of Big Mac wandering through the orchard and hurried along to catch up with the stallion before he got wherever he was going.

“'Ey! Big Mac!” he called out when he was withing hearing range. “Yew got a moment?” Big Mac looked around and stopped when he saw who it was that called out to him and gave a little grin in greeting. “Hey big fella, jus' thought o' somethin' when Ah spotted yew. Yer gonna be tha only pony at tha cookout an' we're gonna have some meat there. Ah was jus' wonderin' if yew'd prefer it we cook it at a diff'rent fire an' eat as a group, unless yew jus' don' care one way or tha other?”

“Ah don't think Ah'll mind ya cookin' at the same fire,” he replied after a moment of thought. “No need ta go out of your way just on my account.”

“Thanks, Mac,” he replied with a wide smile. “Jus' didn't want ta make yew feel like tha odd one out tomorrow.”

“Ah'll be fine,” Mac said with a chortle. “Thanks for bein' considerate, though.”

“Hey, it's what friends do, righ'? Wouldn't want ta make yew uncomfortable.”

“Like Ah said, don't worry 'bout it,” he replied with a wave of his fore hoof.

“Alrigh',” Galen said with a grin as he held out his fist to which Big Mac bumped with his raised foreleg. “Ah'm gonna go get started on tha preparations fer tha fire pit, so Ah'm gonna go off an' find a nice spot.”

Big Mac just nodded in reply and waved as Galen turned and walked off toward the farm house. It didn't take him too long to come up on the farm house, but nopony was out and about, so he just made his way over to the barn and pulled a spade from the tool room. With that taken care of, he made his way out into the north orchard at large and began wandering around in search of a clearing to use. He meandered around the property for a few good hours, scouring hills and gullies for a section of land just large enough that he wouldn't have to worry about damaging any trees. Eventually, he found the perfect spot almost three quarters of a mile away from the farm. It was situated on the northwest side of a stepped hill and had most of the work already done for him as it had once been the resting place for an old tree that had been felled due to either age or disease.

There was a large swatch of still uncovered soil and the land was just flat enough that if he were to bring out a few logs for seating, they shouldn't be too precarious to sit on. With a glance around, he spotted the roof top of the farm house and set the location in his mind before he turned back to the cleared ground and got to work digging the pit, six inches down and three feet in diameter. The dirt he dug up in neat chunks and set a few paces away so it could be easily replaced the next day. He finished the digging after only ten minutes of quick work and neatened up the edges to his liking and called it good at that. When finished, he made the trek back to the farm and found Granny Smith rocking on the front porch with a content smile on her face.

“Afternoon, sonny!” she called out when she saw him walking across the yard. “What're you gettin' up to?”

“Afternoon yerself, Granny,” he called back with a grin and a wave. “Jus' gettin' things 'round fer tomorrow night. Found a nice spot an' dug tha fire pit, jus' need ta bring a couple logs out fer seats an' a bit o' firewood.”

“Ah see,” she replied with a smile. “If ya don't mind takin' a cart, you can use the hauling one in the barn we use fer when we drop an old tree. As fer logs, Ah'm sure there's a few lyin' 'round here.”

“Thanks, Granny,” he said with a smile. “Definitely easier than draggin' a pair of logs with a piece of rope slung over mah shoulders.”

“Glad to help,” Granny said with a chuckle.

With that, Galen went into the barn, replaced the spade and pulled the single axle cart out. The traces came just up to mid-stomach on him, so he went back in for a thick piece of rope to tie on the hitch so he could pull it without doubling over. With that taken care of, he pulled it around to the side of the barn where the small wood lot was and loaded up a pair of six foot long logs that had been split length ways as well as a good portion of seasoned firewood. When all was said and done, the load was over one hundred fifty pounds, but nothing excessive compared to what he'd been forced to deal with before.

Draping the rope over the back of his neck, he hooked his arms around the rope on either side, pulling them forward to pull out any slack before leaning forward and pressing forward with only minor resistance until he found some purchase on the ground. After he got the cart moving, he looked over to Granny and gave an awkward wave with a bright grin. Granny laughed and waved back as she watched him leading the heavy load with him into the orchard. Applejack and Pinkie sure found an ambitious stallion, she thought to herself with a grin. He certainly doesn't do things by any half measure, that's for sure. Maybe Ah'll have a few great grandfoals sooner rather than later if they turn serious. With that last thought, Granny leaned back in her chair and gave a sigh before nodding off for another nap in the warm afternoon.

Galen, on the other hand had soon broke out into a light sweat as he made his meandering way between the hills and trees since there wasn't a cart path in the direction he was going and the grass was just tall enough that it threatened to drag the cart to a stop if he slacked off in his efforts. The only thing the grass didn't count on was his desire for a good time with his friends and the energy that thought provided him. If anything, he only picked up his pace with a fierce grin and forged on ahead. The second trip took him almost half again as long just to reach the foot of the hill, but that was to be expected with a heavy cart in tow.

Steeling himself, Galen leaned forward and started sprinting as much as he could to build up momentum so that he wouldn't stall out. When he hit the incline, he scrambled momentarily and strained as his line gave him slack only to pull on him with twice as much force suddenly when he was about a quarter of the way up. He leaned more forward until he was almost parallel with the ground and brought his hands to play as much as he could, digging his fingers into the soil as if he were climbing a cliff. The pace was slow but he never came to a full stop and crested the hill with heavy pants and dirt encrusted hands of a man who just overcame some self imposed challenge and overcame it. He pulled the cart over to the side of the fire pit and dropped the rope from his shoulders with a slight groan as blood suddenly flowed freely once again through the dense ridges of muscle.

He worked his shoulders back to life with a few arm rotations and moved to the side of the cart before he had a chance to cool down, hefting a log to the side and pulling it up and over the side so that one end tipped over and landed with a thud on the ground. Moving the log around, he lined it up with where he wanted it to land and let it fall with a satisfyingly loud whump. He repeated the process with the the next log and hopped up into the cart when that was done so he could quickly toss half of the firewood into the pit while the other half landed beside it in a messy pile. When it was empty, he hopped back out and went about neatening the pile in the pit into a nice, tightly packed cone while moving the other pile to one end of a log so that whoever that sat there could toss in more as needed. Happy with his arrangement, he draped the rope back across his shoulders and made his way carefully back down the hillside on his way back to the farm. When he finally returned to the farm and emerged from the barn after returning the cart, he found Apple Bloom waiting for him just outside.

“So, you're takin' sis out on a date this Sunday an' havin' a cookout with Big Mac tomorrow night,” she stated with a curious expression that turned to one of slight embarrassment and want as only a young mare could have. “Am Ah gonna have a day with ya too?”

Galen couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt as he looked at the growing filly. Here he was, building relationships and friendships with her siblings and she felt left out. If he had had the flexibility, he would have kicked himself in the back of his head for his thoughtlessness. “O' course yew'll get your own day, Bloom,” he said as he knelt down so that they were closer in height, his voice taking on an apologetic tone. “Ah'm sorry fer not sayin' anythin' sooner, but Ah've jus' been so busy. Yew've been jus' as patient an' acceptin' o' me as everypony else an' Ah'm more than 'appy ta make a day jus' fer yew. Ah'll let ya pick yer day any day o' tha week an' we'll do whatever yew want.”

“You mean it?” she asked with a brilliant smile. Galen just gave her as wide and endearing a smile as he could. She giggled and launched herself into him with a hug that latched onto his neck with the strength only an ecstatic filly could have. “In that case, would it be alright if all my friends came along as well so they can get ta know you too? They're the next closest thing ta family Ah have and Ah want ta share everythin Ah can with them...”

“Are yew sure?” he asked as he returned the warm hug. “It's yer day, after all...”

“Ah don't mind,” she said with a giggle. “They're mah best friends in the world, so it's only right Ah let them come along. You don't really mind, do ya?”

“They're lucky ta have such a great friend as yew, Bloom,” he replied with a laugh. “Ah don' mind since it's what yew wanna do.”

“The more the merrier, right?” she said as she loosed her hold and dropped back to the ground. Galen nodded with a little grin. “In that case, Ah'm sure we'll have a blast!” At that, she turned and galloped off with a bright laugh across the yard and into the south orchard, likely to relate the news to her friends and make plans for their day.

Galen shook his head ruefully, knowing that he could have handled one energetic filly on his own. If her friends matched her for energy, he may end up ran into the ground by the end of the day. Oh well, he thought with a smirk. Bloom deserves ta 'ave a piece o' me, jus' like 'er siblings. He stood back up and walked back inside the house with a sigh, patting Riley's head when he rushed up happily upon seeing his return. Checking the clock, he saw that it was almost five by now and decided that he'd only take a light snack, hop in the tub for a relaxing bath and turn in early for bed after the day and night he'd had. He let Granny know what he planned as well as the outcome involving his little conversation with Apple Bloom when he spotted her on the couch in the living room and she just nodded.

He gathered up and ate a few crisp apples, half a roll of moist brown bread slathered in chill butter, a hunk of bright orange cheese and a couple hard ciders. When he finished his cold meal, he retired to the bathroom for a steamy soak and unwound with the pleasant rumbling of his stomach digesting its meal before changing into a light tunic and a pair of shorts. He dropped by the kitchen to say his goodnights to the family, them saying theirs in turn and made his way to lay down for sleep with the door open just enough for Riley to come in when he was ready. Sleep wasn't long in coming after his head met the pillow.