Galmar let the girl scurry off to gather her pitifully few possessions, and say her (temporary) farewells to the town's other beggars. He strolled back to Hjerim, wondering how he was going to tell Rozenn that he'd skipped several Very Important conversations and just taken the girl in off the streets - without the first clue how to parent.

He rubbed his palm over his eyes, and into his hair, and tugged his beard, but no ideas, no inspiration leapt to mind. Maybe Rozenn wouldn't be home yet. She had said she didn't know how long she'd be in Whiterun for, after all. Maybe he had time to get used to the idea of fatherhood to a waif.

No such luck. Calder greeted Galmar with an eyeroll, and a, "she's upstairs, waiting for you. Naked."

"Of course she is," Galmar smirked. Two steps up the staircase he paused and returned to the Housecarl.

"Calder," he said softly. "A young girl-child by the name of Sofie will be knocking on the door shortly with a cockamamie tale about how I offered to adopt her. Let her in, feed her, and let her choose a bed from the new children's bedroom. And - don't tell Rozenn?"

Calder nodded and tapped his nose. "Secret's safe with me, Galmar."

"Good. There's gold in it for you, boy. You're going a fair way to being as good a Housecarl as myself, one day."

"I'm sure I am," Calder replied with a grin. "Aren't you going to join her?"

"When my knees stop knocking," Galmar grunted.

*-*-*

TBC