by Logan Jacobs
My heart swelled two sizes bigger than it was before.
Well, that was a surprise.
Chapter Three
I squeezed Caelia into a tight hug, and I held onto her until her shaking began to subside. Then I set her down on her feet so I could get a good look at her face. Her five feet and three inches meant she barely came up to my chest, and I had to hook a finger under her chin to lift her pretty face up. Her brown eyes twinkled and brimmed with emotion, but her thick lips were pulled up into a smile. The general store owner was beautiful, that much was for sure, but her timidity had always kept her at arm’s length.
Maybe now I could get to know her a little better?
The thought excited me in ways I wasn’t expecting, but I wasn’t prepared to do anything about it right at that moment, so I contented myself with memorizing the smiling expression on Caelia’s face. I locked it in my memory bank for further analysis later, and I took a deep breath before I spoke.
“Thank you, Caelia,” I said in a soft voice. “That was a wonderful way to say hello.”
Caelia merely blushed and dropped her gaze to the ground.
Oh, well. I’d get her to come out of her shell eventually, and the hug was a great start.
I turned to the rest of the townspeople who crowded around the open gates of Bastianville, and I raised my voice so everyone could hear.
“I am beyond grateful for the love you’ve all shown me,” I said with a wide grin. “But I could really use a hot bath.”
“Yes, of course, Great One,” Elrin said in a hurried tone, and he ushered the townspeople back inside the walls. “We will have a feast to celebrate your return, and you can tell us all about your most recent adventure. Until then, we shall all allow you to return home.”
“I’d like to walk around town with you at some point today, Elrin,” I told the leader of my small town. “We can discuss what’s been going on in Bastianville during my absence.”
“I think you’ll be very pleased to hear of the work we’ve been doing,” Elrin replied with an incline of his head. “Until then, Great One.”
“Until then.” I nodded, and then I turned my attention to my three traveling companions. “You girls ready to go home?”
“I’m going to stay with my father for a moment longer,” my wife said, and she hooked her arm through Elrin’s elbow. “I will catch up to you later.”
“Sounds good.” I planted a quick kiss on her cheek before I turned and arched an eyebrow at the other two ladies.
“Let’s do it.” Eva nodded.
“Home at last,” Mahini sighed.
The crowd had already started to disperse, so we were able to drive the wagon inside the walls of Bastianville without running anyone over. My gaze swept over the town as I took in the familiar sights, sounds, and smells. It was good to be home. That’s when Riondale appeared silently by my side as if by magic, and I jumped a little when I noticed him.
“Ri-guy,” I laughed. “I didn’t see you there. How are you?”
“I didn’t want to interrupt any of your greetings,” the young lieutenant said, “but I came to offer a hand with your horses.”
“Perfect.” I grinned at my second in command, and then I lowered my voice to a conspiratorial tone. “There are a lot of valuable items inside the wagon, so please take the cart behind my house and park it there, and post a couple guards on it at all times for me.”
I pulled the wagon to a halt before I climbed down from the seat, and I gripped the young man’s forearm in mine.
“Yes, sir,” Riondale replied with a quick salute, and then he trotted over to Goliath’s head. The lieutenant took the warhorse by the bridle, and he led the vehicle away from the gates.
I swallowed down the anxious feeling that rose in my stomach as the wagon rolled out of my eyesight, but I trusted Riondale with my life, so I knew our treasure was in good hands.
“What have you returned with, Great One?” Elrin asked as we walked as a group toward my house.
“It’s a surprise.” I grinned, and then I shot a warning look at the three ladies. “And you girls don’t tell him, either, okay?”
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Elissa giggled.
“I hadn’t even thought to say anything,” Eva assured me.
“My lips are sealed.” Mahini nodded curtly.
“Why so much secrecy, Great One?” The mayor of Bastianville shook his head. “Do you not trust me?”
“Oh, I do.” I grinned. “It’s just going to be so much more fun to reveal it to all the elders at once. I can’t wait to see your faced.”
“Me, either.” Elissa gave her father a toothy grin, but this merely compounded his air of confusion.
Elrin escorted us to the house I’d claimed as my own, and then he and Elissa waved before they continued on into town. Mahini, Eva and I made our way up the steps to our house, and I sighed happily as I pushed open the door. It smelled a little stale inside, and the interior was dark with the late afternoon light beginning to fade. We took a few moments to light some candles and gas lamps, and then Mahini built a fire in the fireplace.
I would look around at the changes to my home that had been made during my absence later, but I had more pressing concerns at the moment.
“Oh, it feels so good to be home!” I laughed. “I call the first bath.”
“I won’t argue with you.” Mahini sniffed me and then made a face.
“Oh, hush,” I chuckled, and I tweaked her nose.
The desert goddess scrunched up her nose, but a smile tugged on her lips.
“You should hurry,” Eva urged. “I’m sure the elders will have much to discuss with you.”
“That’s true enough.” I frowned. “I do worry about leaving Bastianville so much, but so far everything seems to be just fine.”
“I’m sure you’ll get a full report as soon as you get cleaned up,” Mahini said.
“Alright, alright,” I said, and I held up my hands in surrender. “Bath first, then anything else, apparently.”
“We merely have your best interests in mind, Bash,” Eva said with an amused twinkle in her gray eyes.
I trotted up the stairs to the bathroom, and a short while later, I was soaking in the sudsy hot water. It took me a while to wash away the road grime, and even longer for my stiff muscles to relax beneath the heat, but soon I was clean and relaxed. I put on clean clothes, raked my hands through my hair, and then returned to the living room in search of my girls.
Elissa had joined Eva and Mahini on the couch, and the three girls had their heads together as they giggled to themselves. They didn’t look up when I entered the room, but they were whispering too quietly for me to hear what they were saying.
I leaned forward and tried to overhear, but Mahini’s ice-blue gaze met mine, and she silenced the other two with a finger over her lips.
“Whatcha talking about?” I asked with an innocent smile.
“It’s a surprise, husband,” Elissa said, and she flashed me one of her brilliant, knee-weakening smiles. “Don’t worry yourself about it.”
“I’m not worried,” I said. “Just curious.”
“All things will be revealed in time, Great One,” Eva assured me.
“As long as you keep your nose out of things that do not concern you,” Mahini warned with a teasing glint in her blue eyes.
“I have a feeling it does concern me, though,” I pointed out with pursed lips, and I narrowed my eyes at them playfully. “You three are acting kind of suspicious, after all.”
“What?” Elissa blinked her eyes at me like an angel who could never do anything wrong. “Don’t you trust us, husband?”
“Of course, I do,” I laughed. “I’m mostly just giving you girls a hard time. I trust you, and I know you wouldn’t keep something secret if it wasn’t important.”
A knock sounded on the door, and all four of us turned to look like we could see through the portal. I motioned for them to stay seated, and then I crossed the room to the front doo
r before I pulled it open.
“Hello, Great One,” Torya greeted with a wide smile. “I was sent to fetch you for a meeting of the Elder Council.”
“Perfect timing.” I grinned. “Let me just say goodbye to the girls, and then the two of us can walk over to Elrin’s house together.”
“That sounds delightful,” the innkeeper said, and she followed me back inside to the living room. She eyed the rug in the foyer, and then she scanned the fresh flowers, recently cleaned curtains, and the reupholstered couch. “Your house is coming along quite nicely.”
“Thank you.” I inclined my head politely before I turned to the three women sitting on the couch. “I’ve been summoned to a meeting. I’ll be back soon.”
“We figured as much,” Mahini said.
“Have fun,” Elissa chirped.
“I will miss you,” Eva added.
“Have fun with your secret while I’m gone,” I chuckled. “I don’t want to accidentally overhear anything when I come home.”
Then I waved over my shoulder as Torya and I headed out the front door. The innkeeper and I made our way down the steps to the dirt road, and then we traveled the short distance to where Elrin’s house stood near the center of town. Torya pushed open the door like she lived there, and she led me inside to the dining room where the rest of the Elder Council waited.
Elrin stood at the head of the long formal dining table, Jaxtom looked casual as ever in a chair to the mayor’s right, and Theodora and Caelia sat across from the blacksmith. Torya quickly took a seat beside Jaxtom, and then the Elder Council was complete.
“Howdy, everyone,” I greeted in a friendly tone.
“How’s it goin’, Bash?” Jax growled in his gruff baritone, and he crossed his muscular arms across his chest.
“You’ve been sorely missed,” Theodora confessed with a relieved smile.
“Hello again,” Caelia murmured as a blush crept up her neck.
“Please, have a seat, Sebastian,” Elrin insisted as he gestured to the chair opposite him.
“Don’t mind if I do,” I quipped as I got comfortable, and when I was ready I glanced around the room with a coolly arched eyebrow. “So, what’s on the table today?”
“There is nothing on the table,” Elrin replied with a confused frown. “We are not eating a meal during this meeting.”
“It’s a figure of speech.” I shrugged. “I just mean what are we talking about?”
“Your territory, of course,” the Mayor of Bastianville explained. “There has been a lot of progress made since you were last here. Although, I had hoped to have a lot more to report, but you returned sooner than we’d anticipated.”
“It didn’t take me long to handle the problem.” I smirked. “Plus, I missed my home.”
“Oh, it’s so lovely to hear you speak of Bastianville in such a way,” Torya gushed as her cheeks reddened. “You could have chosen any town in Sorreyal, and you chose our humble little village. It is truly an honor, Great One.”
“You’re very welcome.” I inclined my head, but then I flashed her a flirtatious wink that sent her into a fit of giggles.
“As I was saying.” Elrin cleared his throat, and the leader shot me a pointed look. “Bastianville is doing very well. The population has risen to over one-hundred, and several more shopkeepers have started business here.”
“That’s awesome!” I grinned. “My following has definitely grown.”
“That doesn’t include the people who live in your new holdings,” Elrin pointed out. “Carleone and Ivywood both belong to you now, or so I hear.”
“That’s true.” I nodded. “The Duke of Bullard conceded them in a letter before I left on my last quest.”
“I am pleased the transition of power will be smooth,” the leader replied with a sage nod. “Historically speaking, moving boundary lines often caused conflict.”
“We’re all dyin’ to hear about yer quest, Bash,” Jax said in a surprisingly excited voice.
“All in due time,” I laughed. “But I want to hear more about what’s been happening while I was gone. Any attacks?”
“None,” Jax assured me.
“The archery towers are working great,” Elrin added. “We managed to scare off a small group of goblins that roved too close to the walls.”
“We ran into goblins as well.” I frowned. “I wonder if they were the same ones. We’ll need to send out groups of warriors to comb the area around town to make sure there are no more pesky creatures hiding nearby.”
“After the way you handled the goblins in the mine, a few more shouldn’t be any trouble for you, Great One.” Theodora shrugged, and she subtly scrutinized me from across the table.
“I might have killed the only ones in the area.” I kept her gaze in mine until she looked down. “I combed the woods afterward and didn’t find any signs of them.”
“We trust your judgement, of course,” Torya said in a rush, and she shot the herbalist a scathing glare. “We will do whatever you ask of us.”
“Yes, of course.” Elrin nodded. “If you wish to form together a group of men to hunt down any remaining goblins, then we can make it happen.”
“We will get to that later,” I said, and I scratched at the scraggly growth of hair on my chin. “I’d like to hear more about what’s been going on with Bastianville. Besides chasing away the goblins, what else has occurred?”
“Like I said, several more shopkeepers have settled into town.” Elrin brightened as we returned to a positive topic. “I’d like you to meet all the new owners who have joined our community.”
“They’re…” Caelia said, and then she fell silent again.
“They’re what?” I pressed, and I gave her an encouraging smile.
“The new shop owners,” the dark-skinned beauty murmured in a quiet voice. Her eyes fell to the table, and she wrung her hands together anxiously. “They are asking to have a meeting with you themselves. They’re always asking me about you.”
“I would be happy to meet with them,” I assured the shy shop keeper. “And I’d love to come see how your store is doing, too.”
“Oh, you don’t have to trouble yourself,” Caelia replied, and when she finally met my gaze, her soft brown eyes seemed to melt as I peered into the depths of her being.
“It would be my pleasure,” I insisted, and I was rewarded with an even deeper blush to her already red cheeks. Then I released her from my gaze, and I turned to the other people seated at the table. “I want to make a full tour of the entire town. I’d like to see everything with my own eyes.”
“Are ye gonna tell him about the messengers?” Jaxtom asked Elrin with an arched eyebrow, and the town leader squirmed beneath the blacksmith’s scrutiny.
“I was getting to that,” Elrin muttered.
“What messengers?” I asked, and I locked the Mayor of Bastianville in my gaze.
“Couriers from Carleone and Ivywood seeking your aid,” Elrin explained with a deflated expression. “I didn’t want to bother you with it on your first night home.”
“What do they need?” I frowned. I hadn’t thought about my new holdings making demands of me. I would have to get organized fast, or I could get overwhelmed.
“Mostly they want an armed presence in town.” Elrin steepled his fingers against his chin. “They fear the transition period where power is shifted over to you.”
“The Duke of Bullard will not fight me,” I assured him. “And the Duke of Arginold is no longer an issue.”
“The people will not understand the finer workings of politics.” Elrin shook his head solemnly.
“So, I need an army.” I furrowed my brow in thought. “How many men will each town need?”
I would have to pay for equipment and training, but the most important part would be finding the volunteers. I could send out letters to my two new holdings to ask them to step forward to protect their own town, but I would make sure they were well-prepared to do so.
“Well,” Elrin said,
“Carleone has a population of forty-five while Ivywood only has twenty-seven people, so you should consider that when dividing your forces.”
“I’ll consider that.” I nodded. “What else can you tell me?”
“Carleone is very much like Bastianville was when you first came here.” Elrin’s forehead creased with worry. “The mine is failing, and while they sent a large number of miners and their families to Bastianville, they are still struggling.”
“Hmm.” I scratched my chin. “Sounds like I’ll have to go visit them again soon.”
“I’m sure that would ease some of their concerns,” Elrin replied, but then he exchanged a look with the other members of the Elder Council. “There was… one more thing we wanted to discuss with you, Great One.”
“Shoot.” I grinned. “I’m all ears.”
Elrin shook his head in confusion, Jax chuckled quietly, Theodora smirked, and Torya giggled while Caelia remained ghostly silent.
“Never mind,” I chuckled. “Go on. What did you want to talk about?”
Elrin looked to Jaxtom, who nodded in encouragement, and then the leader cleared his throat. “We’d like to build a church to honor and worship you.”
“A-A church?” I blinked at my wife’s father in surprise.
“Yes, Great One,” Elrin said in a patient tone, and he smiled across the table at me in a very fatherly fashion. “A building erected in your honor where people can congregate to worship your greatness. Many have requested it, and the entire Council is unanimous.”
“He’s right,” Jax growled.
“Sure is,” Theodora added.
“We all agreed.” Torya’s light-brown eyes twinkled with emotion.
Caelia nodded enthusiastically.
“Well, alright, then.” I raked a hand through my hair, and I let out the breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. “If that’s what you want to do…”
“It is,” Jax insisted with a firm nod. “Don’t be arguin’ with us about it, ye hear?”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.” I flashed my friend a grateful smile. Then a thought crossed my mind, and I inhaled sharply. “Say, Elrin, how hard would it be to build a castle?”