Chapter 28: Twenty-Eight: Forge and Flowers

Morning found me lying on my side, wrapped around Lira, with Senna pressed against my back.

I’d shifted in my sleep, but at least I’d rolled to my right. Could’ve been awkward.

Like this whole situation wasn’t awkward enough.

My bruises had gone, and when I touched my eye and my cheek, there was no cut, no pain. Either Senna was a miracle worker, or Lira had been awake at some point during the night. I was betting on my High Priestess’ Restoration magic, not some boiled herb concoction.

Lira must’ve sensed I was awake. She pushed her hips back against me and gave a little wiggle. “Good—”

“Shh,” I hissed in her ear. “Senna’s still asleep. Slip out, quiet as a mouse.”

She understood immediately. I grabbed both my shirt and the spare Lira had bought me from the top of the chest of drawers, and we tiptoed downstairs.

“It won’t do her any harm to wake up alone,” I said, as I sat at the table, watching Lira as she made tea. She was wearing my other shirt, and it was just long enough to cover her ass. She knew she looked sexy as hell and wasn’t shy about it either—there’d been a lot of not-strictly-necessary bending over, legs kept straight. Trouble, that one.

“I quite agree,” she said, bringing the kettle over from the fire, a thick cloth wrapped around its handle.

She poured the boiling water into the mugs she’d prepared, and slid one across the table to me.

“Thank you.” I couldn’t help but sigh. “A nice hot cup of lavender tea is lovely in the mornings, but … damn, I miss coffee.”

“What’s coffee?”

“The epitome of civilization,” I lamented, sighing again for effect.

She gave me one of her looks, which was justified, and I shut up and drank my tea.

Senna appeared soon after the smell of fried bacon had wafted through the house. Impossible to sleep through that. She padded down the stairs, as naked as she’d been all night, with bed-hair and still looking sleepy. It was a cute image, and I tried not to stare.

“Good morning,” I said brightly. “Tea?” I made a point of pouring her a cup myself, before she even reached the table.

She looked me over in my shirt and shorts, glanced at Lira wearing my shirt, and only then did she cover her nakedness with both arms. “I’m sorry,” she blurted, blushing crimson. “I didn’t realize … I’m not dressed.”

“No matter,” Lira said quickly, peeling off her shirt. “Here, take this. I was about to wash, anyway.”

She handed Senna the shirt and padded back upstairs, giving me one last mischievous wiggle. There was a lot of feminine nudity floating around this morning.

“Have a seat,” I said to Senna, who looked about ready to bolt.

She hesitated, but then pulled the shirt over her head and sat down, clutching her warm mug.

“Bacon should be ready in a couple of minutes, and the bread is still good from yesterday.”

“I woke up, and you’d gone.”

“Oh, we figured you could use a little more sleep.”

“I’m sorry,” she said quickly. “I should’ve made breakfast.”

“I’ve been making my own breakfast for a decade, Senna. I think I can handle it one more morning.”

She glanced up at me, then quickly looked down, blushing again.

“Did you sleep well?” I asked.

“Yes… yes, I did,” she replied, as if the answer surprised her.

“Great. I think Lira was hoping you'd take her out for wildflowers this morning.”

“Don’t you need me here, my Lord?”

“Not today.” I gave her a warm smile. “Actually, I'd like you to spend time with Lira. She’s been stuck with me for the past week and could use some female company. Is that alright?”

“Oh … of course. Yes, certainly.”

“Perfect. Thank you, Senna.”

*

We said goodbye in the square.

“You girls have fun,” I said, waving them off. I decided against kissing Lira—better not complicate things with Senna. I didn’t want to risk making her feel rejected or pressured.

They headed southeast, toward the meadows Senna had mentioned, and I left them to it. The forge was my next stop, but I couldn’t shake a twinge of unease about leaving them alone after what had happened with Jarek yesterday. He was probably long gone—my threat had been clear, and I’d delivered it both figuratively and literally. Still, there was always another Jarek around the corner in this world.

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At least Lira had the shaman’s staff with her.

Rolf was already hard at work.

“You really should get an apprentice,” I said as I stripped off my jacket and shirt to tend the bellows.

“Don’t need one now you’re here,” he grunted.

“About that. I won’t be hanging around much longer.”

He glanced up at me, but quickly turned his focus back to his work. “Somewhere else to be?”

“Oh, we’ll likely come back from time to time now that we’ve got a house here. But it’s a big world, and I want to see more of it.”

Rolf shrugged. “Never left Fernwick. Born here, live here, likely die here.”

That wasn’t surprising—medieval life often kept people in one place. Still true for some in the modern day, too.

“I’ve got an adventurous spirit,” I said with a grin, then saved my breath for the bellows.

We stopped a couple of hours later, my Endurance up another two points, and headed over to John’s ‘Old Cask’ tavern for a beer and some lunch.

“Bjorn sent men off to the mine early this morning,” Rolf told me. “They’ll be back later today.”

“Good,” I said. “I don’t like it when you pay for the drinks every time.”

He shrugged. “Your help on the bellows halved the time it would’ve taken me to finish that breastplate.”

I perked up. “Breastplate?”

“Yeah.” He grinned. “Didn’t you see?”

I hadn’t. I’d been too busy working the bellows. My low strength really was a hindrance in this world, and I didn’t want to embarrass myself in front of Rolf.

It wasn’t like I was scrawny. I never had been, and after a few weeks here I was leaner and showing more muscle than I had in years. I’d come to accept my low strength score was just one of those things; there was always a limit to how many attribute points one could roll for a new character.

“Is it a commission? Have you sold it yet?”

“It’s a gift,” he said. “For a friend.”

“Cool. How much would it cost for you to make me something like that?”

He chuckled. “I’ve had that breastplate lying around for a few months. But after you solved my little Jarek problem, I figured it was time to finish it off.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Your Jarek problem?”

“Yeah.” He grimaced. “Jarek had been petitioning Bjorn to buy my forge.”

My other eyebrow came up to join the first. “Could he do that?”

Rolf shrugged. “Bjorn likes money, and Jarek’s family has too much of it.”

“Is Jarek a blacksmith then?” It would explain his brawn.

“Fuck, no. But try telling that to his tiny little brain.”

I laughed. “Well, glad to help. As far as I’m concerned, he deserved everything he got.”

“No argument there.” Rolf gave me a curious look. “Where did you learn to fight like that?”

I’d been anticipating such a question. “I told you I like to travel. And I’m lucky – I pick things up quickly.” I took a swig of beer. It wasn’t as good as Senna’s mead. “It was one of the reasons I came looking for you this morning. I want to branch out. Pick up some new skills. Know of anywhere I might find a master of their craft?”

It was an idea I’d had late last night. There had to be trainers around somewhere.

“Sorry, no,” Rolf said, shaking his head.

Damn.

“But you could always ask in Taralith,” he added. “It’s a big town a few days’ north of here.”

That was an idea. “Thanks.” I had another question. “Did you know Drakos’ army has taken over in Norathil?”

“Yeah. News came through a few weeks ago.” Rolf shrugged. “Doesn’t mean much here. We’re too small for them to bother with, and there’s nothing around but forest.”

I nodded, hoping he was right.

“Yep. Should be quieter now Jarek is gone.” He lifted his mug to me in salute.

“That guy yesterday … the one near Jarek before the fight started.”

“Kenwick.” Rolf grimaced. “Nasty piece of work. His wife, Elara, has bruises far too often for my taste.”

I took a slow drink, forcing myself to remember I couldn’t change the world in a single day.

“Saw him head out this morning though,” Rolf added, “shortly after you arrived at the forge.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. Walked past us like he had somewhere to be, heading out of town.”

I was on my feet. “Which direction?” I already knew the answer.

Rolf looked up at me. “Southeast,” he said. “Why?”

But I was already running for the door.

How could I have been so fucking stupid? That asshole Kenwick had been watching the girls yesterday. I knew anyone who could call Jarek a friend was a snake, and yet I’d sent them off alone.

My rapier was back at the house. I didn’t even have a dagger. Another fucking oversight. Would Kenwick likely be armed? Of course he would. A weapon was all he needed to threaten the girls.

I ran down the road out of town, the sun high on my right. How far were the meadows? Kenwick had at least a two-hour head start. Fuck, fuck and fuck.

I’d kill that bastard if he’d touched the girls. If he’d even crossed their paths with anything beyond a cheery ‘Hello and good morning,’ I was going to rip his fucking balls off.

This was my fault. I’d sent them off alone, even after I’d seen the way he’d looked at them yesterday. At me, too, like he couldn’t wait for a dark night and an exposed back.

If he’d gone after the girls, it would hurt me a damn sight more than being stabbed by him. I was immortal. They were not. It was no great leap to imagine Jarek’s final words before he left town being instructions for Kenwick to get revenge.

Sick in my stomach, I ran faster, racing past fields. I didn’t even know where the meadows were. Probably beyond the farmland. I’d cut across country as soon as the fields stopped.

Then I skidded to a halt.

Lira and Senna were walking toward me, down the road, their arms full of wildflowers. Lira was talking, and Senna … Senna was smiling as she listened.

She was so beautiful when she smiled.

They looked up and saw me. “Hello, Kaelan,” Lira said as they approached. “Out for a run?”

I was breathing too hard to answer. “Are … you …”

“I think he’s been running, Senna. Don’t you?”

Senna looked between us, wide-eyed.

“We picked some wildflowers,” Lira said, lifting her bouquet for emphasis. “Quite hungry now. I was taking Senna for some lunch. Come on, Senna.” She walked past me. Senna glanced anxiously at me, then hurried to catch her up.

“Did … anything …?”

“Oh, a man came by to help me try out my new staff, which was very kind of him,” Lira said over her shoulder. “I gathered from his intentions that he was a friend of Jarek’s.”

Senna goggled at her.

“What—”

“We left him in the meadow.” Lira lifted the staff I’d given her. “It works well. Thank you for it.”

“But what about Senna!” I blurted, finally catching enough breath.

Lira stopped, turning toward me. “She chose just the right wildflowers for the house. Didn’t she do well?”

“I did my best,” Senna muttered.

“And your best was wonderful. Which part did you like more, finding these beautiful meadow clary, or watching me practice with my staff?”

Senna considered for a moment. “Finding the clary, I think, ma’am. Though it was fun watching you practice with your staff.”

Fun. She’d just said it was fun.

“That’s what I thought you’d say.” Lira smiled at me. “Have you already eaten, Kaelan? We’d love for you to join us if you haven’t.”

She turned, tugging Senna along with her. “Come on. He can make up his own mind, but we need to get these into some water, and I’ve worked up such an appetite. Haven’t you?”

I stood in the middle of the road, gaping as they walked away, arm in arm.

Then I shook my head and laughed.

She was a fucking perfect companion, my brave High Priestess tigress. Claws and teeth to match.

Guess I didn’t have to worry about Kenwick anymore.

I strolled after the girls, in no rush to catch up.

It was a beautiful day. Peaceful, too.