Colemon nodded at that. "This summer has been long. A longer winter may yet be waiting. We shall want for any bit of grain we can have before long. We'll need to bring as much as can be managed. Were it not for our recent ordeals, we might have begun sending the stores away already."

Gendry wondered what those recent ordeals were, but decided he'd best ask later. Four fruit tarts were provided for each of them. They were baked crisply, with lumps of fruit inside them. Fresh fruit was becoming harder to come by and so these were made with dried fruit that had been soaked to bring back some of their juicy flavor. Not quite so good as what the others were accustomed to. But for Gendry, it would be the best thing he'd ever eaten.