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"I can't imagine how this idea came about," Aquila says, eyes flicking between a grinning Esca and the squirming piglet in his arms.
The market's alive with noise and colour as they make their way through, each returning home from a different errand, having happened upon one another by accident.
"Marcus once said he should like to see me with a suckling pig," Esca says lightly, as though it's not the most ridiculous thing.
Aquila decides then and there he's not going to ask any more questions.
"Don't let it near the kitchen," he says, "Sassticca will have both your hides and his bacon to boot."
Esca laughs, the sun bright on his face. A happy, carefree laugh. "I'll keep him away from the house."
"And you'll have to take him with you when you leave," Aquila says, watching with delight as Esca's grin turns to excitement at the reminder of this new life he and Marcus have been granted, one which will soon take them to the Down Country.
They walk home in companionable silence a while, but the worry he's been feeling for his nephew must be closer to the surface than he realised, for Esca quietly says,
"We shall do well enough, Marcus and I," and Aquila is quite certain that Esca is unaware of Marcus having voiced the exact same sentiment but a few days ago.
"I suppose you will at that," he replies, thinking, Marcus is lucky to have a friend such as you.
He rests his hand on Esca's shoulder and squeezes. "You shall do just fine."
~o~
~o~