"Ahh," he sighed, nodding approvingly - for what else was he meant to say? Either sex would have prompted the same response, as it was none of his concern, really. He\'d completely missed the \'he\' reference in his intent on hearing an actual name, but ignorance was blissful and he walked blithely down the market lane and through the large main gates to the Innerkeep. The stables were on their immediate left once inside.
He\'d been conscious of the fact that she\'d started out walking behind him, rather than with him - for he\'d had to turn to hear her answer - so at first he\'d stopped for her to catch up to him. All that had resulted was an awkward two step as she stayed behind - and then stepped back - while he spun around her to get to her side. It was not at all eloquent and he seriously doubted that it had anything to do with how many pints he\'d downed. She obviously wanted to stay back there. He\'d merely reminded himself that she was simple and continued on his way with an internal shrug. He\'d intended to converse with her at greater length as they walked, but gave that notion up as a lost cause. What would be the point if he had to stop every three steps to turn and face her? It would be polite, but impractical, so he held his tongue for the rest of the walk and concentrated instead on going slowly enough for her to keep up, at least... though, the sooner they were out of the elements, the better.
Luckily, it wasn\'t entirely necessary she be at his side the entire way. He didn\'t know if she\'d ever been to the stables before but he doubted she was in a mood for a tour so he just led her straight to the northern end of the huge two-storey building. Although it wasn\'t used frequently by anyone but staff - mainly because it was only wide enough for one person to traverse - a long staircase that led almost directly to his rooms was found there. It had a landing halfway up and that was where he paused to check that his charge was still following. She appeared sure-footed even on wet wood, though, so he hastened up to open the door for her. This also allowed him to speak with the guard posted there - there were always two stationed at the other end, where the stock ramp was.
Apparently the northern guard had taken a dislike to the inclement weather and moved themself inside, for they were meant to be found outside, blocking any unauthorised access. Gallagher didn\'t blame them, but he knew that if their superiors ever found out, they\'d catch merry Hell (the secret was safe with him, however) for making such a decision without authorisation. The Captain especially would rant like a dragon; her fire was undeniable.
With a smile, he greeted the female guard just inside the door at the top of the stairs - at least she hadn\'t strayed all the way down the other end for a chat, as some had been known to do. She assessed him with suspicious brown eyes while he stepped in, but relaxed visibly when she saw who it was. Her smile mirrored his own as she bade, "Evenin\', sir," with a doff of her headwear.
"And what a wet one it is!" he answered enthusiastically, pleased when she gave a short laugh and agreed. He made some polite talk about how long her shift had gone - and would last - while he waited for his two guests to emerge from the outside, but he couldn\'t help overseeing his domain while he spoke. A few lights were evident on the floor, shining out of stalls farther down the wide aisle, indicating that a few stable hands had begun their night shift\'s work. The roster was something he organised and every hand was required to do one night\'s work per week. It was a skeleton crew, as there wasn\'t an enormous amount to be done - and the horses liked to sleep, too - but Gallagher preferred to always have workers up and about the place as an internal security measure. Plus, it ensured that everyone\'s tack got the regular oiling and care it needed. The lanterns exuding subtle light into the noticeably-warmer (than the outside) space gave it a cosy, welcoming glow that he hoped his stray would appreciate.
As Heath hesitated just inside the door to get her bearings, Gallagher urged her gently forward and closed the door behind her. "This," he explained to the guard once he\'d turned again, a light arm across Heath\'s shoulders holding her in place, "is Miss Heath Ashleigh." He may have been wrong entirely about her name and title, but he could only hope she\'d correct him if that were the case. He gave a brief pause, but when she didn\'t look up from the floor, he continued. "Due to an unfortunate mixup with a key, I found her locked out of her home this night, so she and her son will have my bed while I find another. If either of her brothers happen to come calling - which is doubtful - be sure to inform them that their sister is safe and allow them entry, would you? Likewise inform your colleagues that I have a guest, should they feel it necessary to question her presence in the morning."
The guard nodded and gave a very succinct greeting to the small blonde woman before spinning on her heel to do exactly that. Gallagher had been very deliberate in his description of Heath\'s circumstances, so as not to tarnish her reputation in the slightest. He frequently had... guests... that needed introducing to the guards, so that they could leave the stables whenever they chose (though it was frowned upon if they decided to wander too much on the way, for they weren\'t always the most... respectable of persons), but it wouldn\'t do to give that impression of Miss Ashleigh. Satisfied that all was well, Gallagher moved away from the young mother after entreating her to follow him once more, knowing that things were probably progressing too quickly for her to process fully, but determined to get her settled as swiftly as possible. At a glance in meagre lighting, she looked sodden and he was fairly certain that his arm - although wet itself - had come away colder and damper for the touch of her.
He walked along the wall to his right and turned the corner when it came to an end some twenty of his paces down. A sign over the door set squarely in the centre of the face wall read \'Stable Master\' (for he was not technically entitled to the quarters) but he didn\'t hesitate as he flung the (obviously) unlocked door open and walked through. A lantern left alight, suspended from the centre of the ceiling, complemented the glow from the large stone fireplace set in the left wall - a fire he hadn\'t set. Well, that he didn\'t remember setting, anyway. He noticed that a large pot of water was suspended over the flames on the spit, though, and wondered if he\'d told one of the hands to get water for a bath ready before he left... or whether his habits of bathing most nights were just so well known that they didn\'t even have to be asked any longer. With a slight frown and just a little baffled thought, he decided it must be the latter. Probably.
He stopped just inside, watching for his companion\'s entry and reaction. His quarters were compact due to there being divisions in it. He stood in the main room, a handmade rug and a simple two-person chaise before the fire pit on the left. The seat\'s back was towards them, behind it (right in front of him) stood a simple square table with four wooden chairs at it. To the right was a large black stove and a bench against the wall, the small metal tub upon the tall counter confirming that this space was the kitchen. Another bright handmade rug covered that part of the room, co-ordinating subtly with the crooked woollen creation (made by his sister when he left home a decade before) and multi-hued tapestry (made by all the women in his family) on his walls. Small curtains of material hung in front of the two metre long bench, hiding the shelf halfway up that supported all his foodstuffs.
A wooden wall ahead divided the apartment in two. Since there were two doors set into it, there were obviously two rooms beyond it, but both were closed. His bedroom was the one on the left (for it had a small fireplace of its own, in the same wall as the main room\'s), the one on the right was supposedly empty. Though the room bore no official title - it seemed intended to be a child\'s bedroom, considering its more limited dimensions when compared with the main bedroom - it was certainly not well labelled as \'spare\'. Inside, there was a treasure trove of stuff, strewn across its floor or stacked in supposedly-neat piles. There were a great many horse blankets, leather scraps (for him to work on in his spare time), finished bridles, spare cots and quite a few piles of notes and ledgers from the years he\'d been in this role. truthfully, there could have been more but he rarely ventured in there but to dump more things within and hastily exit. One day, he intended to buy or make some shelves or storage robes to hold these things, but... he never seemed to find the time to get round to it.
"This is where I live," he told Heath, curious to get a good look at her face, now that they were in decent light. He removed his calf-length coat while he watched her, revealing a simple outfit of dark brown slacks and a vest over a creamy long-sleeved cotton shirt. It had a rounded collar and five buttons, going from the neck to halfway down his chest; only the bottom one was still done up, the edges of the lapel sagging aside to reveal the inner points of his collarbones and some smooth skin.
