When we were seated I asked Meena about a subject that had been bothering me.
“So when did you and Ruguer get together? It was fairly evident on that battlefield that you two had had something going for a while.”
“That is a little personal, don’t you think?” Dwan admonished.
Meena laughed. “I don’t mind. We’d been running into each other in odd places all around the city. It got to the point that I began to suspect that the accidental encounters were not so accidental.” She grinned at Dwan who smiled back. “I finally told him that if he wanted to explore a relationship with me he should just come out and say it. Well…he said it.”
We all laughed and she continued.
“Because of his rank we decided to keep our feelings for each other a secret, at least until after we got through this war. I moved into his quarters as soon as he was released from the triage building.”
“Well I, for one, was astonished when I found out about it,” I said. I turned to my lady. “Weren’t you?”
Dwan shook her head. “Not at all. It was obvious whenever they were in the same room together. I actually started to suspect on the day that you two went over the wall to fight those four Greys. I saw the way he looked at her.” Meena laughed and touched Dwan’s arm.
“But,” I persisted, “I thought you and Pulg had some sort of thing going on.”
Now both of the ladies laughed.
“Tag,” Meena said, “Pulg is twice my age and he has a woman.”
“Yeah, well he seemed to forget about those things whenever I saw him around you.” That provoked another spate of laughter from my tablemates.
We sat with Meena for another hour until Ruguer finally joined us. He asked about Tinker and Dwan placed the large bejeweled bag she had been carrying over her arm onto the table. Tinker stuck her head out of her new carrying pouch and sniffed. There were still white bandages on her front leg and around her chest and neck. She closed her eyes and purred as King Ruguer stroked her head with one finger. He then asked a steward to bring her a small bowl from which to eat. We all took turns hand-feeding her tidbits since she was still weak.
“Well Tag,” Ruguer said. “Have you been able to figure out yet if you are, indeed, The Legend? Were you sent here by a mysterious force to be a leader and inspire our people to victory?”
Dwan squeezed my hand under the table. We had talked about the subject at length over the last few days. I picked Tinker up and held her in the crook of my arm as she rested. I looked back at Ruguer and took a moment to compose my thoughts because I wanted to make certain that my words made sense.
“About my being The Legend; I think there is not enough evidence to answer that question definitively either way. But if I were forced to give an answer I would have to say yes. The manner in which I arrived here and meeting up with Tinker are just too coincidental to ignore.
“As far as my being a leader and inspiring the people of Olvion? Both of those actions were performed by someone other than myself. That person, by his simple act of courage, stopped the wholesale retreat of thousands of Olvioni military and drew every citizen of this city out of the safety of the walls for the purpose of joining him in the defense of our city. And that person now wears the crown. ”
Ruguer started to protest but Meena spoke first.
“True that may be, but everyone in this room knows that Ruguer had help getting to the point where he could exert that influence. The novel ideas and tactics that you suggested helped turn the tide of the war. Maybe that was the intended task of The Legend this time.”
I had no answer for her.
CHAPTER FORTY EIGHT
TINKER
She lay cuddled and comfortable in the warm crook of her human’s arm. It was a good place and a good feeling. The wounds were healing. The more serious ones on her neck and back still felt tight but she could feel her strength returning. The noise around her was too loud so she had dialed back her hearing, remaining tuned in only to the humans around the table where her friends were. They had all become her friends.
Tinker had had much time during her convalescence. She had searched for and found the mindscent of the woman, Dwan. She had detected it once before so very long ago and it was still very strong. She opened a contact with Dwan many nights ago when she had lay sleeping. Her mindscent was a mixture of strength, determination, confidence and love for all creatures. Opening herself to it was like approaching a cheerful fire. It was she who had tended to Tinker’s wounds and coaxed her away from an early journey to be with the Awareness. Following the encounter with the Silver, Tinker had been so close to slipping away, had yearned for it in fact. But the woman Dwan would come back to the small sleeping place several times a day, taking time away from healing the horrible wounds of the other humans. She would change her bandages and apply the miraculous herbs and potions that only her kind possessed. Eventually the pain and fever had receded.
The man that she knew as Tag was now full of happiness and eager for what the future would bring. He had hated the war and the senseless loss of life that had been inflicted upon the humans by the Greys and the Silver. But he had done what the Awarness had brought him here to do. He, too, would pamper Tinker, feeding her by hand and lifting her fevered head to the water bowl. Lately he had taken to walking her throughout the castle proper pointing out things of beauty to her and constantly trying to lift her spirits. At night Tinker lie between her two humans and go to sleep with one or both of them gently stroking her back or scratching her nape.
But Tinker was now troubled. She was almost healed and soon she must make a choice. She loved the humans. They were as much her family as her littermates. But there was also the pull of her own kind. She longed for a mate. She was of an age where the call of her home was strong.
She had a name now. Tinker. She had examined the memories of the man and now knew that it was inspired by a wonderful creature that was able to fly about like a flutter-bird. That Tinker also had a human that she aided in overcoming a horrible villain. She cherished her name. With it she could now return and claim a mate from the village. The danger was now past and her littermates were safe to seek their own names when they were called.
The Grey Ones were vanquished and their numbers had been drastically reduced. It would be a very long time before they again grew numerous enough to threaten all that lived in her beautiful mountain home and elsewhere. She had been deeply affected by the amount of death that had occurred. But it was all part of the plan for this world. One day, not soon, even the Greys would look out at the world from the mountains and see only places to explore and enjoy. They would finally learn the horrible lesson of loss. Until that day the Awarness would continue to call upon her kind but she would no longer be there to see it. She would have to be content in the knowledge that it would happen. Some day.
She turned her head with difficulty to look again upon the faces of the humans. She could foresee a future in which she was happy here among them. She could be an advisor and a friend. Would it be enough? She had opened her mind to the Awarness every day but there had been no direction, no glimpse of what the future would offer. She had closed every search for guidance with a plea, not for her but for the humans. They had sacrificed so much, lost so many whom they had loved. She wished them one thing above all else; peace. They had paid a high price and they deserved it.
But the Awareness had revealed nothing.
CHAPTER FORTY NINE
Time
Later that night my lady and I walked slowly back to our little room. Passersby waved and said hello. Warriors saluted. I had been reinstated and Ruguer had offered me his old position as Sword of the King. I was honored by the gesture but begged off. The new king had then given that position to Vynn, ignoring the warrior’s objections that he was not qualified.
I was not cut out for the full-time military commander life. I wanted nothing more than to be an advisor to the king and the leader of my little group of Rangers should
we be needed. There were still bands of raiders roaming our valley.
I looked forward to traveling and exploring the lesser known parts of this strange and wonderful world. I was also enjoying just being a part of the community. Now that Tinker was healing I took her on walks around the city. Her ability to mentally communicate with words had increased but it would always be painful for her. So I encouraged her to keep to the manner in which she was most comfortable unless the situation dictated otherwise. She was still celebrated by the citizens of Olvion as a mystical creature that had helped bring victory to the kingdom. Every day I took her with me to visit the monument that had been created to honor those who had fallen in defense of their kingdom. I would slowly touch the names that had been engraved there; Gallan, Waan, Layann, Crain, Temms and thousands more, each as brave and heroic the other. Only their names remained now, their lives having been spent foolishly. I felt it my duty to touch the name of each of them that I had personally known. It was my personal homage to them, my comrades in arms. My friends.
Now I mostly wanted to enjoy the time that our victory over evil had provided. Time to spend with the love of my life. Time to walk with her through the valley under the light of the twin moons with no fear. Time to watch her as she slept, time to see her face light up the room when she smiled. Time to feel the emotions that she inspired in me. Time to hold her close to me as we slept. And, mostly, I looked forward to enjoying the time to grow old with her, giving this world that had adopted me a new generation that combined her beauty and wisdom with whatever I could provide to the mix. We wanted children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. And now, at long last, there was time.
Back in our room I stood at our window as Dwan showered. Below me there were celebrations and feasting happening all throughout the city. Laughter could be heard from all points of the compass. I was happier than I had been in my entire life. I had no car or television or electric lights. No microwaves or computers. But I had my lady.
I turned and walked over to the small mirror hung on the wall. I looked at my reflection and smiled. The lines around my eyes had deepened. My hair had grown down past my shoulders now. I had expressed a desire to cut it but Dwan had said no. Yes, I could have insisted but I wanted her to be happy. She loved my long blonde hair. My beard had grown out as well and that she was not so fond of. I was not that crazy about it either but the past months had just been too hectic to even think about shaving.
I ran water into a cup and poured in some of the mild soap that the Olvionis used for bathing and shampoo. I mixed it up with a wooden dowel until it was frothy then reached for the shaving brush.
My hand passed through it.
***
Gerard Fleming, Fresno Bee
May 16, 2016
Clovis man who fled hospital found.
Jack Taggart, the Clovis man who fled the operating room at the Clovis Metro Hospital on January 12, 2016, was discovered this morning in the same hospital operating room. Readers may recall that Taggart disappeared from the hospital while actually inside the operating room and awaiting surgery.
Security manager James Turner told this reporter that he was called to the third floor surgery theater by surprised surgical personnel. The operating team had entered the room in preparation for a scheduled procedure when they found Taggart lying naked on the operating table. Taggart was disheveled in appearance and sporting long hair and a beard which authorities believe he grew in an effort to hide his identity. Because Taggart appeared confused and was relating “improbable” explanations for his sudden appearance he was taken into custody by Clovis Police for his own protection. Hospital personnel could not explain how the man achieved entry into a locked and alarmed hospital room.
The Olvion Reality (The Chronicles of Olvion Book 1) Page 50