The Jouster's Lance

by A. J. Marcus

  “That way!” Jocelyn pointed to their left.

  “Hope you’re right!” He turned Precious and urged the horse forward. Even with the heavy load, the horse ran. Trees continued to explode, and some of Dale’s hair singed.

  A large glob of searing sap landed on Jocelyn; she let go of the mane and tried to knock it off and almost unbalanced herself. Dale caught her by the shoulders and righted her, then knocked the burning goo off her the best he could. He had to smother some of the flames with his hands. The fire seared both of them.

  They burst out of the fire and into the alleyway behind the joust arena. People were already running their way with buckets and water hoses. In the distance, several fire engines wailed.

  Chapter 34

  Austin hefted another pail of water and hurried it along the bucket brigade that was doing its best to contain the north side of the fire. He was trying not to think about Dale riding into the fire. How long had it been since man and horse had vanished into the flames?

  Max had gotten the last horse loaded and driven off with them when Catherine forced Austin to join the bucket brigade. There weren’t any hoses long enough to reach the north edge of the fire, and the one fire truck stationed at the fair was already deployed to the south side, protecting the shops, trying to keep the fire from climbing the hill behind the fair.

  Chipmunk and the other staff members who had been nearby were all manning buckets, doing what they could to slow the fire until more trucks arrived. But why hadn’t Dale returned yet? Austin pushed all thoughts of anything horrid happening out of his mind so he could focus on carrying the bucket of water. Dale should have been back by now. Austin should have gone with him. It would’ve been so much better to die in the fire with his lover than go on without him. Tears threatened again, but he couldn’t pause to wipe them.

  The heat pushed at him as he hauled the five-gallon bucket toward where they were dumping them in hopes of creating a line of wet ground the fire couldn’t cross. In the distance, the train whistle blew. Austin’s heart sank. What if the train delayed the fire trucks from reaching them? Would the whole fair go up? Would he lose Dale and Jasmine in one incredibly tragic event? Would they lose him? He had to keep hauling water. He had to do his part to make sure the fire didn’t claim any lives or more property.

  Two more buckets, and the fire truck sirens rang loud and clear in the distance. Austin didn’t stop; the line kept moving. Surprisingly no one talked as they stood in line to refill their buckets from the hydrant near the showers. Everyone was too tired, after a few trips up and down the hill, to think about idle chatter. Austin’s arms ached as he set the bucket down for the gal who worked at the chocolate booth to refill.

  “Thanks,” he muttered as he picked the bucket up and started back down the hill.

  “Austin!” Jasmine ran toward him.

  He set the bucket down. “Need to keep this moving.”

  “I’ll get this one. Dale came out near the joust arena. He’s got Jocelyn and John with him.”

  He didn’t even pause to thank her. He ran up the hill toward the arena. The smoke blowing across his path made him cough, but he didn’t care. Dale was clear of the fire. Austin’s legs complained as he ran through the open gate next to the food court.

  Precious was easy to spot; the big palomino stood over all the humans. Austin couldn’t see Dale’s head in the cluster of people near the horse, so he kept running.

  “Let me through,” he said as he slowed at the edge of the crowd.

  As he made it through the mass, he spotted Dale sitting on the grass near the horse, coughing. He had several burns on his head, and someone was wrapping his hands in cloth torn from a woman’s dress tails.

  “Dale!” Austin shouted, dropping to his knees next to him.

  “I’ll be all right.” Dale’s voice was weak from the smoke. The coughing overcame him again. When it subsided, he smiled weakly at Austin. “I got everyone out.”

  Momentarily forgetting about Dale’s injured shoulder, Austin threw his arms around Dale and hugged him tight. The tears returned and he didn’t care. They kissed. There in front of everyone, they kissed. It didn’t matter. Dale was safe—a little worse for wear, but safe. Austin wanted to hold on to the man and never let him go again.

  “Austin, my shoulder,” Dale complained softly. He started coughing again. Someone pressed a bottle of water into his crudely bandaged hands.

  “Oh God! I’m sorry,” Austin said, releasing him. “I’m just so happy you’re okay.” He took the bottle of water and held it so Dale could drink.

  “He’s our hero,” Jocelyn said. She sat a few feet away with someone dribbling cold water on her head. “John wanted to leave him there to die in the fire, but he knocked the asshole out and got us on the horse. He’s so brave.”

  Austin looked at Dale. “You fought John again? Why not just leave him in the fire?”

  “You know I couldn’t do that. It’s not who I am,” Dale wheezed and motioned for more water.

  “I know.” The wail of an ambulance rolled toward them, and they looked up to see the large vehicle come down the hill, the red and blue lights flashing through the smoke. “None of it matters except you got out alive.”

  “I’m still here for you,” Dale said, catching Austin’s hand and bringing it to his lips. “You’ve got to put up with me for a while yet.” He resumed coughing.

  “For as long as you’ll have me.” Austin didn’t want to start crying again and fought to push back the tears. They still had each other. Everything was going to be just fine.

  Chapter 35

  Dale accepted the drink Austin handed him. Luckily the blisters on his hands were healing quickly and he could hold things like glasses again. The party rolled around them. Chip had insisted they still needed a fair-closing party, since his original one had been canceled by the fire. Most of the cast and crew that hadn’t already headed to other fairs across the country were there. The number surprised Dale, since many Renfair folks traveled from fair to fair, but Colorado was different; they were more like a close family that accepted the extended family during fair but kept in contact among themselves in the off season.

  “Hey, guys, glad you could make it,” Chip said, coming over to them. “Of course it wouldn’t be a party without the hero of the hour.”

  Heat rose in Dale’s cheeks. All the hero worship the fair folk were piling on him was taking some getting used to. How often does the dark knight end up the hero?

  “Thanks, Chip, we wouldn’t miss this for the world,” he replied.

  “Later some folks are going to want to say a few words.” He smiled mischievously. “I just thought I might warn ya.” Chip headed toward the punch bowl.

  “I wish people would stop making a fuss,” Dale complained to Austin. “I just did what any decent person would’ve done.”

  “Oh, I don’t know,” Austin replied. “I think even a few decent people would’ve had to think twice about saving John’s life the way you did. After what he put you through, I think letting him die there might have been okay in most people’s books.”

  “So are you most people?” Dale tried not to laugh. They’d had this conversation several times over the past two weeks. He knew Austin loved him for being man enough to overcome his gut feelings toward what John had done, and get the man out of the fire.

  “You know I’m not. What you did is just one of the special things that makes my jouster, my jouster.”

  Dale’s heart swelled like it always did when Austin got possessive of him. He’d never had someone do that before now, and it felt good. He knew he was possessive of Austin too. It felt great to have someone in his life he could count on.

  A smile graced his lips as he leaned over to kiss Austin. “Good. I’m glad my pirate approves of my decision to be a decent human being.”

  “Oh really,” Catherine said as she sallied up to them. “Are you two really having this conversation again? I mean, you should’ve let the bigot b
urn, but you didn’t. Now we all still have to endure his assault trial. And didn’t I hear something about him threatening you with assault and battery charges for knocking him out to get him out of the fire?”

  Dale laughed. “Yeah, but the lawyers talked him out of it. Something about saving his life, and if I hadn’t hit him, he’d be dead. That took a lot of the piss out of him. He’s still not happy about being saved by a fag, but who cares.”

  “He’d probably be a lot happier if he’d just give in and take it like a man,” Cat said with a smile. “Sometimes I think he really might be one of these really old virgins.”

  “From what I felt when I got him on that horse, he’s not got a lot to use anyway,” Dale said.

  Austin turned and stared at him. “You never told me you felt him up while he was out.”

  Dale laughed again. It felt good getting out and enjoying the evening with his lover and their friends. “I didn’t feel him up… exactly. Jocelyn and I had our hands in his crotch getting him up on the horse. It was pretty hard to miss the fact that there wasn’t much there.”

  “Then I’m so glad he never accepted any of my advances,” Catherine said.

  “So there is someone besides Dale and Austin who resisted your charms,” Jasmine said as she walked over to them. Austin had told Dale earlier that she invited her sorta boyfriend, Mike, who had been on good behavior since the fair let out, to the party, but he’d declined, claiming Renfair folk were all too strange for him to hang out with. Dale hadn’t met Mike yet, but from what Austin had said, the man was pretty much a loser. They’d have to see what they could do about finding someone for her and Cat.

  Cat smiled at Jasmine. “I try not to repeat gossip, particularly about myself. Let’s just say, I know that some men can resist my charms and leave it at that.”

  “Well if you won’t repeat gossip, then I’ll go find Chipmunk. He’s up on everything about everybody.” Jasmine started to turn away and Cat snagged her arm. The two exchanged a hushed couple of lines and then laughed.

  “All right, so anything else new and interesting with you two?” Catherine pointed her delicate finger at Dale and Austin.

  Austin shrugged. “Nope, nothing at all. We’re settling into our routine, turning into a boring old married couple since the fire.”

  Dale started to say something and paused. Austin had just voiced what he’d been thinking to himself for a few days. In their own way, without any kind of special ceremony or even outward acknowledgement, they’d found themselves married. He liked waking up next to Austin every morning and snuggling close each night as they drifted off together. There was something special in the way he caught himself looking at the other man and the light sensation he felt inside when Austin looked back at him. A couple of months ago, he’d been a lonely man, looking for a good time wherever he could find it. Due to his injuries, they hadn’t had any kind of sex in couple of weeks, but that didn’t matter. What mattered was the closeness they enjoyed being with each other, learning new things about each other and just having each other.

  “Hey, guys, time for the closing speeches!” Chip called as he walked up to the impromptu stage and waved the fairy band to silence. He grabbed the microphone from the lead singer.

  “Well, folks, we survived another season of the Colorado Renaissance Festival,” he started, and then paused as the crowd cheered. “It’s been a long, hot, and different season this year. First we are pleased to announce no one came back from the Fourth of July party with any kind of contagious disease or insects that required medication.” Folks cheered again. “And the fairies all got rehired for next year, so be sure to stock up on glitter before the fair as there will surely be a shortage of it after fair begins.” Several people booed him for that comment, and a small vial scattered glitter about as it flew from the crowd to the stage. “We are happy to report that although the ending day fire destroyed the campground, it was stopped before it got to any of the shops or eateries. They have promised to have the space cleaned up in time for next year. Unfortunately, it’s going to be a while before the trees grow back. Look for an announcement this spring about having a tree-planting party to start the reforestation of the area.”

  “Who started the fire?” someone shouted.

  “They’re still trying to find that out. Since there was no lightning in the area that day, the officials are pretty sure someone started it. If you’re all on my Facebook friends list, I’ll post more as I find things out. You know me, I’m the local Renfair grapevine.”

  “I bet it was that asshole John Bishop!” another voice screamed out.

  “We don’t know that for sure,” Chip replied.

  “Why was he even there?” yet another voice shouted, this time a woman’s.

  “He says he was getting things he’d left behind.” Chip actually sounded desperate. “We want to take a moment and congratulate folks for outstanding achievements this year. For our good queen, we thank you for keeping your cool after a certain unnamed celebrity called you a bitch to your face. You have done the fair and Colorado proud.”

  “He’s a dog anyway,” the queen called to the stage.

  “We’d normally congratulate Rasheed, the elephant boy, for letting his pachyderms loose to cause trouble in the hayshed, but they moved on already.” Chip went on for several more minutes, thanking various members of the cast for their hard work and pointing out unusual things that had happened to them during the season. Some folks around Dale actually wondered quietly to their friends how Chip knew as much as he did. One person said he thought it was some kind of magical talent.

  “And finally, we need to thank Dale O’Toole, aka Diederik, the Demon Duke of Denmark, for surviving the season, although he only managed to work half of it, and for saving our fair Jocelyn from the fire. Dale, come on up and say a few words.”

  Dale hated making speeches. Things during performances were one thing, but this was totally off-the-cuff. Chip had warned him he might need to go up on stage. But he’d thought others would too.

  “Go on, Dale, I’m here for ya,” Austin said with a soft shove toward the front of the room.

  With a heavy sigh, Dale walked forward as the people parted to give him room. As he got up on stage, folks cheered. As the cheering died down, several people shouted, “We’re sorry about John!”

  “All I can say is you guys gave me a great welcome. You might do things a little differently here, but you’re great people. Thanks for all the support through the tough times.”

  The crowd cheered again and then started chanting his theme of “bad to the bone!”

  He waved to them and handed the microphone back to Chip.

  “Dale, you’re the best!” Chip screamed into the mic.

  Folks gently shook Dale’s bandaged hands as he headed back to Austin. Austin stood in the middle of the crowd, grinning. That look made Dale’s heart flutter. He could only hope he’d see that look many times in the future. Austin was waiting for him amid the sea of cheering people. Even after all he’d been through—the beating, the fire—it was all going to be worth it because Austin was going to be there for him.

  Dale caught Austin up in his arms, more gently than he would’ve liked. Their lips met, there among their Renfair friends and family. People continued cheering. Dale held his man in his arms and everything felt right.

  “I love you,” he whispered.

  “I love you too,” Austin replied.

  Their lips met again as the band resumed playing and people closed in around them. Dale felt at home in Colorado, and most importantly in Austin’s arms.

  If you enjoyed “Jouster’s Lance” and want more Renefair Romance, don’t miss book 2 “The Satyr’s Song” and the other books in the series coming soon.

  Also don’t forget to leave a review.

  The Jouster’s Lance is dedicated to Lady Kamala, who has helped me so much in understanding the Renaissance Faires and without whom this series wouldn’t be possible.

  A.J. M
arcus Bio

  A.J. Marcus has been writing to pass the time since high school. The stories he wrote helped him deal with life. A few years ago, he started sharing those stories with friends who enjoyed them, and he has started sending his works out into the world to share with other people. He lives in the mountains with his extremely supportive lover. They have a lot of critters, including dogs, cats, birds, horses, and rabbits. When not writing, A.J. spends a lot of time hiking, trail riding or just driving in the mountains. Nature provides a lot of inspiration for his work, and keeps him writing. He is also an avid photographer and falconer; don’t get him started talking about his birds because he won’t stop for a while.

  Visit A.J. on his website: http://www.ajmarcus.com

  Send him an e-mail: andy@ajmarcus.com,

  Find him online

  Twitter: twitter.com/#!/aj_marcus

  Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/pages/AJMarcus/116957265075108.

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  After leaving his high-powered corporate job years ago, Sam works at a small feed store in an effort to keep his family together. It’s a job he never thought he would find pleasant, but working with Geary Ellis may have something to do with his newly found job satisfaction.