The children stuttered to a halt for only a moment. The two men looked official by what they could see. Sampson and Anasta, both with keen eyes, spied the seal that had become quite familiar. However, their reactions to it were very different. Anasta sped towards the front door of the house, and Sampson went running up to the entrance with a big smile that countered his arms crossed posture.

A few other children gathered about him, including Liam and Esther. The other children played on, but more quietly and a little further from the entrance, full of whispers and wonder. "No management you'll be seein' here. Mr. Ephram's at the office late tonight. Mrs. June's cooking the meal." Sampson started.

"Oh, don't be so puffed up, Sampson," Esther scolded. "You aren't Val." She gave a sweeter smile to the guests, but her information was not much the better except to say, "Mrs. June should be here directly."

Mrs. June was indeed there directly, but so was Lirssa coming up the street and passing by the men stopped at the yard entrance. She looked worn down, even to her clothes that had smudges of dirt on hips, legs and shoulders. What she had been up to was no one's business but her own, so to counter any questions, she found a bright smile. "Evenin', gentlemen. Come on House business have ya?"

The foster mother of the house, Mrs. June, who could have passed for anyone's saintly grandmother, came to the porch with Anasta at her side. Lirssa gave a call back to her. "I'll be takin' care of these lads here, Mrs. June. You see to the supper." Lirssa was sure the woman had enough kettles and pots on to keep her busy, and the relieved smile the lady made confirmed that.

"Come on, now, Benji, stop gawpin' at his sword, and Sampson get on outta the way." She gave him a big sisterly type light swat at him. With a motion of her hand, she urged the men to follow her further through the yard. "Come on, then, we should be havin' a spot to sit in the parlor if ya care to, or is it just a delivery, eh' Won't be wastin' your time if that's what you're about."

She took another good look at the two, and while one seemed a little familiar, surly faces being something of a common lot though, it was the other one she wasn't sure she'd seen before. "You new here abouts, sirs?"

Hearing of Mister Sully's tragic misfortune, there was a collective sigh of sympathy from the children that were listening. It was a few steps towards him of three of the children before his surly look kept them at bay. Lirssa took the papers with a bob of her head. "Thank you, Mister Sully. I'll be sure Mister Ephram receives them."

At Seamus's wink, Lirssa shook her head, a skeptical smile curved her lips, but she bobbed a curtsey, or as best she could in her breeches and tunic. "Oh, yeah, you work for Mister Alain sure enough, but you can just call me Lirssa, Sir Seamus. It suits me." A soft laugh and slow breath that restored her wild smile. "Right then, Benji, since Sir Seamus has now given permission," a strongly toned word and significant look to Benji, "you can take a look at the sword, only if you cut yourself, you've got nobody buy yourself to blame. And not too long now. I 'spect Mrs. June will have dinner ready soon."

Benji was all ready for the sword peering now, and Sampson was close at his side. Esther, seeing the boys were into weaponry, flounced a turn on her heel and went to sit on the porch step.

For all her warnings, Lirssa kept an eye on the boys as she looked over the papers given to her. With her lessons and her work for Miss Aja, she was getting much more familiar with such figures. But she wasn't going to take the time to look closely. Drawing the papers under her arm for safe keeping, she beamed, "Thank you for delivering these. Are you on further errands" I guess being a knight and all you keep pretty busy with orders and requirements of your Saint...umm..Aldwin" Just what does being part of that order mean, anyway?"

"You know, Mister Sully, you could head inside if you like and get yourself something to drink or eat. I'm sure Mrs. June'd be happy to set you up." Lirssa offered to the foot tapping grump.

"I'm Benji," said the sandy headed boy with a grin his hand darting out to pump Sir Seamus's hand like a waterpump handle. His smaller companion with yellow eyes and large pupils spoke up. "I'm Sampson. Not Sam, not Sammy, Sampson." His hand went out to wait his turn for a shake, too, though his grip would be lighter and more of a one time jerk and bounce.

Lirssa rolled eyes, "Sampson, don't go tearin' the man's arm off." The little boy rolled his eyes but there was a little flush of embarrassment.

Both the boys found a great deal of joy in the idea of secret places. "I had a secret place until she found it." Benji threw an accusatory point at Lirssa. His hand dropped again, "But I like it here, I guess. Warmer and drier."

"Hmpf," Lirssa shifted, one hand on a hip, abrasions of knuckles more clear upon the whiteness of them. She turned her bright eyes on Sir Seamus. "You talk about that training place as if girls aren't allowed" Just a bunch of high and mighty old men, eh?"

There was instant guilt in being sassy, but sometimes she just hated being a girl. Sampson was all over the idea. "I want to train, too. I could be a Sir Sampson when I grow up. How many horses do you have" I'm good with horses. Mister Jake says I have good natural balance."

"I do, too," piped up Benji. "When did you start being a 'sir'" Have you been one a long time, like..." thinking up any number that sounds like a great many, "fifteen years?"

Lirssa let the boys rattle on at Sir Seamus, see if the man really had a knightly disposition. She was distracted by Annabelle, a youngster no more than four who came up the round about way giving Mister Sully a wide berth and tugged on Lirssa's arm. Lirssa winced slightly, but turned it into a smile. "I see you, Annabelle. I brought it, I promise. After dinner, okay?"

The little girl smiled and nodded, but didn't leave, only looked up at Sir Seamus with a soft, shy smile while she tried to find Lirssa's coin purse that was tucked up beneath the hem of her tunic. Evidently after dinner was not exactly okay, no matter the nod she had given.

Lirssa gave a half smile to the men. "Well, if the Order needs any help about their quarters, or wherever it is you all stay, I bet you could find some of the lads about here more than willing to lend a hand. They're not as many as when it was opened, but I'll be remedying that soon, you can tell Mister Alain that. His generosity isn't going to go wanting, I promise." Quite a solemn sort of vow that she entrusted the men to carry back to their master, her back straight and head up with pride.

Sampson and Benji had puffed up with pride at stories about their names, but Sampson was honest. "Lirssa gave us those names. My old man called me Dustbucket. Lirssa said Dustbucket wasn't a proper name for a proper young man, so she named me Sampson."

Benji however rather liked the story of his name and pretended he had been granted it based on that story, though he had never heard it before. "We have chores about here, and Mrs. June says I'm the best helper. I can help about the order, too."

But his enthusiasm was diverted by Mrs. June's arrival on the porch to gather the children in for dinner. Just a smile and a simple call dinner was ready to serve and they clustered close like chicks to a hen. Benji, Sampson, and even quieter Liam were sharing their ideas of being knights full of galloping motion and swinging of arms like swords.

Annabelle, however, was still rooting around for her treasure that was somewhere on Lirssa's person. "Mister, these kids only know the word sacrifice." Lirssa smirked and fished in her coin pouch, its roundness oddly shaped, and drew out the little glass bottle and uncorked it. Attached to the cork was a metal ring and she blew gently across it. Bubbles floated out and Annabelle clapped and sprang to catch the bubbles.

As the little girl revealed in the pure joy of bubble chasing, Lirssa blew another batch of bubbles and asked, "So, this order of yours keep you from your kin, or is it you don't have any?" A smile and then more bubbles that she tried to direct towards the door. The wind had a different idea and carried them back away.

"Alright Annabelle, enough bubbles before dinner. Go along now." She recorked the bubble bottle, placed it in the little hands, curling hers around the smaller ones and then sent the girl on her way.

Lirssa smiled up at Sir Seamus. "Going to join them for dinner, Sir Seamus" Wouldn't want Mister Sully to feel outnumbered, would we" You'd be puttin' him in danger, and you've sworn to protect any man, woman, or child in danger. Or is he not innocent' Maybe the cause of his hex?" That wild laughter was restrained just dancing in the eyes and playing upon the smile.