“Boy!”
Mike scrambled up from the pile of old straw where he had been sleeping and stumbled out into the main stable. “Uh, yes sir?” It was no surprise to find the Innkeeper scowling at him, as the man never seemed to be happy with anyone or anything. At least he had not ever beaten Mike, though the big man had raised a fist a few times.
The Innkeeper peered at Mike’s face and his scowl deepened. “Have you been crying, boy?”
Wiping hastily at his grimy face, Mike flushed and hung his head. It had been less than a day since Tye had abandoned him here, and some of last night had been spent sobbing over his fate. Ironically, the knowledge that this was now permanent had somehow made things easier to accept. It occurred to Mike that he didn’t really mind any of this. Well, he would like more to eat, and maybe something better than the filthy tatter of a loincloth to wear. Still, he actually felt good, and after a week, the stink of the stable, animals, and his own unwashed body were normal and barely noticed. “Um, sorry, sir.”
“You are doing a good job.” The compliment sounded reluctant, but it shocked him to hear it.
“Uh, thank you? Sir”
“We have been watching you the past week, since you took over.” The man smiled slightly at Mike’s look of surprise. “We are not as stupid as the Wizard might think. He worked for my father, and even if the magic tends to make people forget, enough clues are around for us to put things together.”
“Uh, yes, Sir.”
“Like I said, you are doing a good job out here. Better than the Wizard. Maybe it’s the spell working better on you than him, but you haven’t complained or shirked your duties.”
“I…” Mike struggled to come up with an explanation. From the moment he had become this stableboy, he had known what to do and when to do it. “It just feels right.” That sounded stupid to his ears. Living in filth, a slave to animals, a prisoner in the stables? But it was true.
The Innkeeper nodded. “You haven’t been fighting the magic. By now it is hardly worth resisting anyway. The more you let it affect you, the happier you will be. In a few weeks, maybe less, you won’t even think about it. It’s really a better life than most folks around here get. You never get sick, never get old, and any injuries will heal overnight. You have a place to sleep and food.”
That last caused Mike to make a face that the Innkeeper noticed. “I’ll see about getting more scraps from the kitchen for you. As long as you keep up the good work.” He sniffed and wrinkled his nose. “Maybe even a bath every few weeks.”
Mike bowed his head. “Thank you, sir. That is very kind.” He was surprised to find that the gratitude was real. That bothered him, but the prospect of not being hungry was very nice.
“Go back to sleep. I expect you to be mucking stalls before sunup.” The Innkeeper turned and strode out, leaving Mike feeling confused and concerned about his new life.
Would trying to resist help him in any way? Tye had said he was here forever, a kid until the end of time. Wouldn’t it be better to let the magic finish him up so that he was content? He sighed and trudged back to his pile of straw to lay down. This life was already not so bad as it was. How much longer before he was just a stableboy?