Dornikal is mostly waiting for Randy to wrap it up but would add to the task,

"Can be that stuff, can be other things that come up. We can also have ye doing things that ye can use after ye go yer own ways. With some training to make sure ye do it right, course."

Hank continues talking with Dornikal. "Why would you offer to do that for us, after we... well... Just, I mean. Yeah, if you're willing to give us that chance, think that'd be especially good for Bimmfur.", he glances at the young halfling.

"I like horses.", the lad confides.

Garvey remains silent and paying close attention to the surrounding woods.

Dornikal gives Hank a sad smile,

"Ye didn't hurt us, aye'm willing to give ye all a chance and an opportunity."

Dornikal pats Bimmfur on the shoulder and say,

"Glad to have ye abroad! Just need to get more horses..."

"Thank you sir. We'll be sure to make good use of it. Won't we?"

Hank's question gets a grunt, but also an eventual nod from Garvey.

Bimmfur seems taken with the idea of getting to work with horses. "Can I meet them?"

"Aye, aye'm sure ye will and ye don't need to call meh sir. Just the gnomes, they like that."

Dornikal looks around for some horses to show Bimmfur,

"Uh, Randy? Can ye help Bimmfur here with the horses?"

Coljin watches the entirety of the conversations quietly.  Occasionally nodding.  He likes the idea of giving these kids one more chance.  It was a good thing to do.  

Then at a time when it fits he adds in to the newcomers, "If we all get attacked by some wyverns, or hydras or something when we are on the road, just remember to get yourselves out of the range of the fight and not get yourselves killed within the first few weeks you are with us."

Garvey gives a snort, then looks back at Coljin, then away as it seems the gnome is being earnest in his warning against the possibility of getting eaten by monsters.

"Ah, sure... anything big and nasty shows up, we'll keep the horses safe.", Hank says, looking a bit concerned as well.

Randy looks on with a bit of amusement.  "If you'd rather, Hank, I could start teaching you woodcraft.  Tracking, archery, etc.  I've a feeling I could make you into a decent ranger if you'd rather go that route."

((Sorry about the lack of posts. Got busy for a bit and my notifications doesn't appear to be working right....))

((Yeah, notifications have been busted for a couple weeks now it seems. "Threads" will get you there on PC, just have to remember to check!))

"Used to have a knack for tracking small game and the like... kinda fell off as I got older, but guess it wouldn't hurt to see if my eyes can still see and my muscles still remember how to move."

Randy chuckles. "If it becomes necessary, we'll see what we can do about improving that.  In the meantime, let's go introduce you and Bimmfur to the horses."  He reaches into his pack and tosses them some dried apple.  "And like an introduction to an important noble,  a bribe can go a long ways to smoothing things out."

Dornikal sees them heading off to the horses and asks Garvey,

"Aye ain't a mason, but aye got a handle on more than the basics and aye got an eye for stone."

He pauses and waits a bit then asks,

"So, ye want to look at some rocks and discuss plasters?"

Hank gives a bit of a worried look at Garvey, but takes Bimmfur by the shoulder and follows after Randy, the excited lad taking the apple bits.

Garvey doesn't respond to Dornikal right away, eventually offering up, "Grew up along the canals, used to trace the seams while I walked..."

"Aye. I'm listening."

Eye contact still isn't being made, but his sullen shell seems to be warming.

As Randy walks with Bimmfur and Hank towards the horses, he tries to have a conversation with Hank. "Tell me a little about yourself, Hank. What did you use to do before being a hired hand?"

"Couple of apprenticeships that only lasted a few years, odd jobs where I could find them... seasonal farm work, and the like. Got tired of scraping by in the cities though. Beds are rougher on the road, but the sounds and the smell make up for it most days."

Bimmfur is eager, but approaches the horses cautiously, following any instructions Randy were to provide about staying calm and keeping his hand flat when he offers the dried apple bits. 

Evar has the halfling under a cautious side eye as he works a burr out of one of the other horse's mane.

Hank looks over at Randy. "He's a good kid. Can't say it felt right leading him into the life we were heading, but..." his brow furrows as he watches Bimmfur, clearly conflicted.

"We both want what's best for him. Garvey's a good man. Does his damndest to take care of his family. Can't say either he nor I have made the right choices in our lives, but taking the kid in is one of best."

"Everybody makes mistakes.  Unfortunately, second chances are rare and we usually just have to live with the consequences.  3 of us have religious leanings and view ourselves as guides and teachers, among other things.  Coljin and Dornikal are clerics.  I was trained as an acolyte first and a ranger second, more as an extension of my job. Before that I was raised in a small village on the edge of Elven territory...until the orcs burned us out."  Randy's expression momentarily darkens, then lightens again. "It's best sometimes to leave the past in the past and just look forward.  I've a job to do, a sort of personal holy quest, and if I can help someone along the way I will."

"Sorry about your village."

"Looking forward sounds good to me. To us."

Dornikal waves Garvey after him and starts point at rocks and discussing,

"Out here we'd best start with some rubble masonry, just using the rocks we find. Aye'm a fan of working stones to shape to reach a look, but aye see the beauty in dry set too. Let's try a bit of wall building. Not much for brick mehself, stones are best. More work, hold better."

As they stop and Dornikal crouches down to start picking up some largish stones to demonstrate some dry set placement techniques he'll ask,

"Those seams ye traced, ye remember what they were filled with? Where'd ye grow up?"

He'll gesture for Garvey to start grabbing rocks, just letting him use his own judgement on what to grab. Once he deems they have enough for a short wall he'll demonstrate placement, finding a flattish stretch to use and showing how to find the natural grooves in the stones that let them interlock. Once Garvey indicates he is ready Dornikal will let him try his hand at it.

"The old part of the bridge wasn't filled, just rock resting on rock. The newer bit they used a gray mud that hardened when it dried."

Garvey tries to follow along with Dornikal's example and explanation.

Investigation: 2

Rock fitting: 16 (+5 advantage bonus if he follows along well and tops a 15 on his Investigation check)

It's a decent little stretch of stone, but without unlimited stone to choose from, or tools on hand to dress the stones to fit, he soon runs out of stones that fit nicely together, but all in all, he mostly seemed to be following along with the dwarf's example, and showed some natural sense of how the dimensions of stone fit together. He seems outwardly frustrated that it isn't better, but Dornikal could swear there were a few satisfied grunts along the way.

Dornikal walks around the wall, inspecting it critically and tapping spots to check stability.

"Well, aye got to say it is better than meh first attempt at building a wall. Or even 10th."

He looks over to Garvey,

"Ye either been practicing before this or ye got some skill."

He'll then go about pointing out the stones that weren't as well placed as they could have been and discussing with Garvey ways to improve the wall with the rocks available.

((This is well, well outside anything I know about so I am going to have to leave it to Dornikal!))