A very short time later, Barker reappeared, along with a heavy set woman who looked just slightly younger than the old man, both of them carrying trays with bowls of steaming food. Barker set a deep, wooden bowl in front of Humphrey, and he could see chunks of chicken, potato and turnip floating in the thick broth. The aroma coming from the stew smelled delicious, and Humphrey nodded his appreciation as the woman--no doubt Barker's wife--set a similar bowl down in front of Isabelle. Barker placed a large wooden spoon next to Humphrey's bowl, then set a trencher of steaming bread on the table, alongside a hunk of fresh honeycomb.

The inn keeper placed a third bowl of stew and another spoon on the table. "For yer servant," he said.

"He should be joining us, shortly," Humphrey told him.

The woman set three small finger bowls on the table, each filled with water, and then a shallow bowl of salt.

"Many thanks for your hospitality," Humphrey said, with sincerity. He had not expected to encounter this type of generosity from strangers on their trip, and was more than pleased--he was amazed.

"Not at all, me lord," Barker said with a smile. "Just ye call out if ye would be needing anything else," he added, then he and his wife disappeared into the kitchen.

Humphrey picked up his spoon and dipped it into the stew, catching up a fat piece of chicken meat with the broth. He brought the steaming spoonful up and blew on it, then tasted the broth and nibbled at the chicken. His eyes widened in surprise and pleasure--it tasted even better than it smelled. The broth was well salted, so he decided that the placing of the salt on the table was a symbol, rather than a necessity--Master Barker and his wife were offering them 'bread and salt,' to indicate their hospitality and to let them know that they were well come in their house.

Humphrey nodded to Isabelle, who was already lifting a second spoonful of the hearty stew to her mouth. She smiled in agreement at the quality of their meal and continued eating. After a few more spoonfuls were quickly downed, Isabelle took out her eating dagger and sliced two thick hunks of bread from the loaf before her, and covered one side of each with a generous gob of honeycomb. She handed one slice to Humphrey, and the warm bread quickly melted the honey. When he bit into the bread, Humphrey closed his eyes for a moment, to better savor the delicious flavor of warm, fresh bread and honey--something he had not enjoyed in quite a while.

They ate in silence and both had nearly finished their bowls of stew when the back door of the inn banged open, and Humphrey heard someone coming quickly toward them down the narrow hallway. His hand went to the hilt of his sword as he turned to the doorway, but he relaxed, slightly, when Bruce rushed into the room. Since they were seated near the door, Bruce saw them immediately and went over to whisper to Humphrey.

"Riders approaching from the north, sir," he said with a glance toward Isabelle. Humphrey looked up at him and Bruce added, "At least five of them, sir."