It took the better part of an hour in front of the fire for their clothes to dry. Marc suspected he would catch hell from the Countess for smelling like wood smoke, but it was better than the algae-rich water from that stream.
Both remained quiet throughout, Marc did so because he was nursing a bruised ego. The pain from his skinned fists served to remind him that he had a lot to learn about controlling his emotions.
Bertrand on the other hand appeared content to stare into the fire, stoking it expertly to keep the flames burning high. Marc paid attention to every move the man made, as though trying to deduce the reasons for those actions.
When Bertrand noticed his student looking intently at what he was doing, he broke the silence.
Disclaimer: This excerpt from Man of War is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth.
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