The Squirrel Will Raise the Baby Tiger — Chapter 13

AH. I'M DOOMED.

HE RODE THE HORSE FAST, BUT I NEVER IMAGINED I'D GET THIS MOTION-SICK.

I ACTUALLY THREW UP IN FRONT OF EVERYONE!

WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TO MY DIGNITY AS A TUTOR...?!

AND WHAT IF THEY SAY THEY CAN'T LET SUCH A WEAK BEASTFOLK INTO BLAN CASTLE?

ARE YOU FEELING A LITTLE BETTER NOW?

IT SEEMS YOUR BODY TOOK A TOLL FROM YOUR FIRST HORSEBACK RIDE.

YOU SHOULD GO INSIDE AND REST.

BUTLER, HURRY AND ESCORT HER INSIDE.

YES. PLEASE COME THIS WAY.

I IMAGINE WALKING WILL BE DIFFICULT, SO YOU MAY TAKE SUPPORT ON MY ARM.

IF THAT'S TOO DIFFICULT, I COULD CARRY YOU MYSELF.

WHAT?! NO, I'M FINE!

SURELY... HE'S NOT GOING TO PUNISH ME FOR REFUSING...?

I CAN JUST... HOLD ONTO HIS ARM, RIGHT?

JUST LETTING ME TAKE YOUR ARM IS MORE THAN ENOUGH.

...THANK YOU.

WHAT IS IT? DO YOU FEEL LIKE THROWING UP AGAIN?

THAT'S NOT IT!

MMPH.

YOUNG LADY, COULD YOU MOVE YOUR TAIL? I CAN’T BREATHE...

MMPH.

I DON'T KNOW IF HE WAS BEING CONSIDERATE OR IF HE SIMPLY DIDN'T THINK MUCH OF IT, BUT...

I'M JUST GLAD I MADE IT THROUGH SAFELY...!!

HOW IS YOUR STOMACH FEELING?

I ATE THE SOUP YOU PREPARED AND TOOK A WARM BATH. I FEEL MUCH BETTER THAN BEFORE.

THANK YOU FOR HELPING ME OUT, LINDA.

LINDA A MAID AT BLAN CASTLE.

WHILE YOU'RE STAYING HERE, PLEASE TELL ME IF THERE'S ANYTHING YOU NEED.

YES, THANK YOU. BY THE WAY...

WHERE IS CHIRPIE RIGHT NOW?

I'm Chirpie!

I'm three years old!

OH. YOU MEAN YOUR LITTLE BROTHER?

HE IS...

A LITTLE EARLIER.

NO!!

WHERE'S MY BIG SISTER?!

I WANNA STAY WITH MY BIG SISTER, TOO~!

IT SEEMED LADY DURHAMS NEEDED SOME TIME TO RECOVER, SO WE ASSIGNED HER A SEPARATE ROOM.

WE'LL TAKE CARE OF YOUNG MASTER CHIRPIE, SO PLEASE GO TO ANOTHER ROOM...

I DON'T WANNA SLEEP ALONE! I'M SLEEPING WITH MY BIG SISTER!!

GOOD GRIEF. WHAT A LITTLE BRAT.

YOU'RE GOING TO FUSS THAT MUCH OVER SLEEPING SEPARATELY FOR JUST ONE NIGHT?

I GUESS IT CAN'T BE HELPED.

AS YOUR BIG BROTHER, I'LL MAKE A SPECIAL EXCEPTION AND SLEEP WITH YOU JUST FOR TONIGHT.

THAT’LL DO, RIGHT?

HUH?! YOU’LL SLEEP WITH ME, BIG BROTHER HOKAN?!

JUST FOR TONIGHT.

OKAY! I’M HAPPY!

THANK YOU, BIG BROTHER HOKAN!

AND SO, THE TWO OF THEM WENT INTO YOUNG MASTER HOKAN'S ROOM TOGETHER.

THEY'RE GETTING ALONG AND SUPPORTING EACH OTHER EVEN WHEN I'M NOT THERE...!

WHEN DID MY LITTLE ONES GROW UP TO BE SO THOUGHTFUL?!

SO DON'T WORRY ABOUT YOUR LITTLE BROTHER, AND PLEASE GET SOME REST YOURSELF, MYLADY.

I WILL. THANK YOU, LINDA.

THANK GOODNESS CHIRPIE'S BEING LOOKED AFTER EVEN THOUGH HIS BIG SISTER ISN'T THERE.

THANKS TO HOKAN, I CAN FINALLY BREATHE A LITTLE EASIER.

I DON'T THINK I HAVE THE ENERGY TO LOOK AFTER CHIRPIE RIGHT NOW, ANYWAY...

+A wave of muscle pain!

MAYBE THE MUSCLE PAIN IS KICKING IN NOW THAT I'VE RELAXED.

UGH, IT HURTS EVEN WHEN I MOVE A LITTLE!!

LADY DURHAMS. ARE YOU IN THERE?

COME OUT FOR A MOMENT.

YOUR GRACE?

YOUR GRACE, WHAT BRINGS YOU HERE AT THIS HOUR?

DID SOMETHING HAPPEN TO THE CHILDREN?

I CAME TO CHECK ON YOUR CONDITION, YOUNG LADY.

BUT IT SEEMS...

YOU'RE STILL HAVING TROUBLE MOVING.

AT THIS RATE, TOMORROW'S ACTIVITIES WILL BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU.

N-NO?! I CAN MOVE JUST FINE!

LOOK! SEE HOW CONFIDENTLY I WALK!!

MY LADY?!

I CAN MOVE...

Please, don't look...

It's not like I can ignore it...

IT SEEMS SQUIRRELS CAN BE QUITE STUBBORN, TOO.

I'M GLAD I BROUGHT THESE JUST IN CASE.

HERE.

IT'S AN OINTMENT FOR MUSCLE PAIN.

IT WAS MADE BY THE PRIEST WHO'S CURRENTLY STATIONED AT THE CASTLE AS BOTH A HEALER AND A SPIRIT MAGE. I CAN GUARANTEE ITS EFFECTIVENESS.

THIS IS A RECOVERY DRINK. I HEAR IT'S GOOD FOR HANGOVERS. DRINK IT.

?!

ALL OF IT?! THERE'S SO MUCH!!

DRINK IT.

YES, SIR...!!

HE CAME ALL THIS WAY TO BRING ME MEDICINE HIMSELF.

Drink it all

I'M GRATEFUL, BUT...

HE'S BEEN TAKING CARE OF ME EVER SINCE WE LEFT HOME. I FEEL BAD ABOUT IT.

I DO HAVE A CONSCIENCE. I CAN'T JUST SIT HERE AND DO NOTHING!

Okay, I drank it all!

YOUR GRACE! IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO FOR YOU?!

WHAT?

IF YOU RECEIVE SOMETHING, YOU SHOULD GIVE SOMETHING IN RETURN!

ONLY TAKING THINGS WOULD GO AGAINST THE DURHAMS FAMILY'S ETIQUETTE.

SO, IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO FOR YOU AS A WAY OF REPAYING YOU FOR THE MEDICINE?

HMM, IS THAT WHAT YOU MEAN?

IN THAT CASE...

LADY DURHAMS.

?!

WILL YOU GRANT ME...

ANY FAVOR I ASK?