With a nod to the healer, Luke rushes outside to find that Sari is running at full speed through the town. A few people stare at her while she laughs and dances in random directions. When the gypsy notices the stares, she waves and raises her skirt enough for people to see her thighs. She is about to undo her shirt when Luke catches up to her and grabs her wrists. A mischievous smile crosses her face while she stares into his eyes. Luke is about to say something when Sari yanks him off-balance and dances across the street with him. She suddenly pulls him close in order to nuzzle at his neck.
Luke realizes that several people are watching and whispering. The fear of rumors about him reaching Kira causes his body to tense up, which makes Sari more amorous. After some panicky thinking, he is not certain that Kira would be angry about this. Though, he is pretty sure that Nyx would have issues with him doing anything with the gypsy. The thought of an angry Nyx makes him shiver. The half-elf gracefully picks Sari up over his shoulder and runs to a quieter area of Haven.
“This isn’t a fun ride,” Sari whines, wiggling out of his grip.
Luke stops and walks back to the moping gypsy. “Come on, Sari. I know a place where you can have a lot of fun.”
Sari defiantly crosses her arms. “Are you embarrassed to be seen with me? Are you trying to get rid of me? Am I not cute enough for you?”
“Uh, no?” Luke shrugs in startled confusion.
“Yay! Luke thinks I’m cute! He doesn’t want to get rid of me!” Sari shouts triumphantly.
“Not even back to life for a full day and this is what I have to deal with,” Luke mutters, rubbing his eyes.
“When are we going to your secret place?” Sari asks, her voice a whisper. She tries to lower her neckline and hike up her skirt. “Don’t take advantage of me, though. I have a partner and so do you. You can look, but you can’t touch.”
Luke quickly grabs her by the hand before she tears her clothes. “I’ll give you a piggy-back ride to the fun place.”
Sari wastes no time turning the poor half-elf around and leaping onto his back. Her legs wrap around his waist and she grips his shoulders with a surprising amount of strength. Luke stands still for a few seconds, staring at his feet in morbid embarrassment. A sudden smack to the side of his head wakes him up. Shaking his head clear of the stars appearing in his vision, Luke sprints toward the forest. It takes a few minutes of weaving among the houses of Haven before they reach the tree line. Sari begins bouncing in excitement, causing a dull pain to grow in Luke’s legs. Fifteen grueling minutes later, the forest tracker stumbles to a halt at the edge of a clear pond.
“Here we are,” Luke announces, letting Sari down and rubbing his lower back. “I found this pond when I was nine and it’s been my hideout ever since. So, run around and enjoy yourself until you get tired.”
“You don’t look too good,” the gypsy gently mentions.
“It’s just my back. My body has been lying still for so long that it wasn’t ready for an intense workout,” Luke says, his face flushed from pushing himself too hard. “Also, you’re a little heavier than you look. I think the skirts are a bit misleading when somebody is trying to gauge your weight.” Luke pauses in fear and immediately begins to stutter. “Not that you’re fat. It’s just that your . . . dimensions are hidden by the flowing clothes.”
“Damn right I’m not fat,” Sari proudly states. “Want to go swimming?”
Without hesitation, Luke fights to talk his way out of trouble. “No thanks. Ionia told me to stay on dry land in case my body locks up. If I’m in the water then I could drown.”
“I’ll swim for both of us then. Be a good riding beast and rest,” the gypsy orders, patting Luke on the rump. She quickly strips down and dives into the water.
Luke sits against a sturdy oak, wondering about the gypsy’s odd behavior. He always imagined that gypsies had no shame, but he was certain that Sari was acting under the cure’s influence. Remembering how she acted when they found her in Kalam’s dungeon, Luke can barely believe that Sari would be this uninhibited. Then again, he also remembers her molesting Nyx soon after their reunion.
An amused smile crosses his face. “I guess this wild girl is my punishment for me driving my friends crazy.”
“Look at what I can do!” Sari hollers from the water.
“I don’t know how long I can take this,” Luke groans. He turns around until he sees part of Sari’s reflection. Her legs are sticking out of the water with her toes wiggling in the air. The half-elf stops and quickly looks away from the water with his face a bright red.
“You weren’t watching!”
“I was too.”
“Then, what did I do?”
“A handstand in the water.”
Sari is quiet for a second. “You got lucky, Callindor.”
Luke chuckles to himself and looks to the sky. “Depends on how you look at it.”
“Are you scared to look at me?”
“I’m not scared.”
“Then, you’re embarrassed!”
“I’m a gentleman.”
“Liar! You just don’t want your fiancée to get angry about you ogling a naked girl,” Sari accuses him victoriously.
“You’ve been talking to my mother, haven’t you?” Luke asks, looking to the sky.
“Yup. She was happy to tell me as much about her little boy as she could,” the gypsy replies. She swiftly dunks her head under the water and resurfaces.
“We just met, Sari, so I feel weird seeing you naked,” he admits, taking a deep, cleansing breath. “It has nothing to do with Kira.”
“I’m sure that she has a little to do with this. Though, I don’t see why you are so concerned about her. You are in an open relationship, which, according to Nyx, your girl has already taken advantage of. Those southerners love to investigate every relationship opportunity that falls into their lap,” Sari explains, her voice barely louder than her carefree splashing. “I know several gypsies who got caught up in that world and abandoned their clan for the promise of sexual freedom. Personally, I wouldn’t enjoy that type of world. Though, I guess it’s very desirable for lust-oriented gypsies.”
“It isn’t easy,” Luke mentions.
“Relationships nev-” starts Sari as if she is going to quote someone.
Luke interrupts, “No. I mean, it isn’t easy to take you seriously when you’re swimming around naked.”
“You’re even cuter when you’re flustered,” Sari whispers, hiding her smile underwater. A movement near Luke catches her attention, causing her to rise from the water and point excitedly. “Hey! Look at the big puppy!”
Luke cautiously turns around to see a large wolf standing several yards away. The beast’s eyes are a shimmering black amid its sea of thick, red fur. Luke gets to his feet in order to step between the wolf and the defenseless gypsy. The wolf takes a few long strides forward before Luke notices that it is at least five feet tall. It stops when Luke moves his hands to his sabers in preparation to draw them. When the wolf turns its attention to Sari, Luke stomps his foot and growls at it.
“I think it likes me,” Sari innocently says.
“I’ve never seen a wolf like this before. There’s something off about him,” Luke claims, maintaining eye contact. The wolf’s fur rises along its back as it bears its teeth and snarls at the half-elf. For the first time, Luke notices that it is missing its right ear.
“You insulted him. Apologize,” the gypsy orders Luke. She sinks far enough into the water so only her nose, eyes, and forehead are visible.
“I don’t want to fight you,” Luke announces, moving his hands away from his sabers.
“Don’t get too comfortable,” the gypsy gurgles.
Luke ignores her and lets his body relax. “I’m guessing that you’re hungry. You don’t have a pack and you’re missing an ear, so you must have a hard time finding prey. A swimming girl, such as my friend, would be an easy meal if I wasn’t here. The wolf snorts and appears to nod before Luke continues. “I c
an’t let you eat her. If that is your intent then I will be forced to fight you. I think I have some dried meat in my pocket. It isn’t much, but it should give you enough energy to hunt for yourself.”
Luke slowly puts his hand in his pocket and pulls out a chunk of dried pork. He holds it out for the wolf, which stops snarling and cautiously approaches the forest tracker. A few curious sniffs is all the predator needs to know that the food is safe. The wolf swallows the food in one gulp and howls at the darkening sky with all its might. Luke is about to say something when the sound of snapping twigs catches his attention. He turns toward the noise as the wolf bounds away and disappears among the trees. A black doe and her gray fawn step out of the trees to get a drink from the pond. Sari lets them drink in peace for a few minutes before gently splashing the fawn in the face. The deer sneezes in annoyance and stamps its foot at the playful gypsy.
“Leave them alone, Sari,” Luke calmly warns her. “We got lucky with the wolf.”
“Why is that?” the gypsy asks.
“Wolves travel in packs, but he was alone,” Luke answers while he gathers her clothes off the ground. “He was probably a defeated pack leader. Rogue wolves like that can be very desperate when it comes to getting food.”
Sari steps out of the pond and shakes her blue hair, splashing water in every direction. “Those are deer. What makes them more dangerous than a lone wolf?”
“They are part of a herd. I hear the other deer coming and they might attack to defend the fawn,” Luke explains, blindly handing Sari her clothes. “After all, look how small it is. I would guess that this little girl is no more than three months old. The black deer in these forests are extremely protective of their young. Over the years, I’ve stumbled onto many goblins that have been trampled and gored to death for threating a fawn. We should get out of here before the herd shows up.”
“You’re too paranoid. They wouldn’t attack us with a sweet friend of the forest like you around,” Sari coos after she gets her clothes on. She is about to say something else when Luke suddenly falls to his knees.
“I think my body wants some sleep,” Luke whispers weakly. “The energy spell didn’t work as well as Aedyn planned.”
“I guess I don’t have a choice,” Sari says, taking Luke by the arm.
Sari braces herself as she tries to support all of Luke’s weight. She can feel him try to take as much pressure off her as he can, but his legs continue to go weak. They trudge their way through the forest, getting slower and slower with every step. Sari giggles whenever her long, blue hair gets tangled around Luke’s face and he feebly tries to blow it away. The pond is far behind them when Sari’s energy plummets. Her rush of adrenaline is fading, leaving her with barely enough strength to keep her eyes open. When all of Luke’s weight pushes on her, Sari can’t stop them from collapsing to the ground. Together, they manage to muster up enough energy to drag their exhausted bodies to a moss-covered log. Defeated by their exhaustion, the pair slump against each other.
“I think we wore each other out,” Sari chuckles.
“That doesn’t surprise me. You’re too much for me to handle,” Luke jokingly claims.
“So, ready for a nap?” she asks.
Luke is fast asleep before she finishes her question. The gypsy gives him a small kiss on the forehead. She snuggles against him, draping his left arm over her, and passing out.
16
Nyx gently opens her eyes and yawns when the sound of an arguing man and woman wakes her. The half-elf can tell that the couple is in no rush to end their heated debate. Out of boredom, she lies on her back and slowly stretches her arms and legs into the air. After a minute of stretching and letting her eyes adjust to the fading sunlight, Nyx swings her legs off the bed. The wooden floor is cool against her bare feet as she pads around in search of her last pair of clean pants. Eventually, she wanders past a full-length mirror and notices splashes of dried blood and filth on her shirt. A whimpering sigh escapes her lips as she pulls the soiled piece of clothing over her head and burns it to ashes. She shivers as she hunts the dressers for her extra clothes. After turning the room inside out, she remembers that they are still in her backpack, which she left downstairs where the couple is arguing. Grumbling to herself, she wraps the warm blanket around her body. A half hour passes before Nyx hears the sound of a door opening and the voices move to below her window. Taking a deep breath, Nyx prepares to rush downstairs for her backpack, but she stops when she hears the voices clearly.
“I still don’t think Isaiah should have left,” the woman bluntly states.
“He did what he thought was right. His brother might have attacked sooner than expected if Isaiah remained,” contends the man, who Nyx quickly realizes is Talos. “Besides, a caster of his caliber could destroy many of the trees around Haven.”
“Are you suggesting that I am not of the same caliber as Isaiah?” the woman asks with a teasing tone.
Talos clears his throat in discomfort. “You’re different, Magella.”
“How is that?” she asks curiously.
“I married you, so that makes you different,” Talos states. From his tone, Nyx can tell that he is smiling.
“You haven’t been able to win an argument with flattery since Ilan was a teenager,” Magella mentions.
“You’ve been away for years, so I thought I could get away with it,” Talos admits, beginning to nervously pace on the grass. “To be serious, dear, I don’t think you should get involved. We know that Kalam will be arriving any day now. He wants his spellbook back and this is the first place he will look. Our best bet is to work with what we have.”
“You never did like asking for help,” Magella playfully scoffs. “May I ask what you have? I hope it’s more than you, Luke, and our son. Ilan is a talented archer, but he can only do so much with his injured leg. Besides, he dislikes combat.”
“Luke has brought some powerful friends with him,” Talos calmly informs her.
“I’ve had the pleasure of meeting some of them long ago. It is a shame that the halfling turned on him and Fritz sacrificed himself for the sake of friendship. Once again, a talented and irreplaceable man dies an early death,” the old woman says bitterly. “This is why I despise the concept of sacrifice. It is a useless gesture that can only be done once in a lifetime. The majority of people waste it in the heat of the moment.”
Talos sighs heavily and gives his wife a sympathetic look. “You can be so cold and untouchable, Magella.”
“And you are too much of an optimist.”
“I prefer to think of myself as a positive realist.”
“You’re still using that ridiculous term to confuse people?”
“It keeps me entertained.”
Magella’s melodic laugh carries on the wind and is joined by a distant pair of songbirds. “I will admit that Luke’s friends give me some faith in your decision. Aedyn Karwyn is a great asset since every army needs a healer. His skill with offensive holy magic is great for someone of his age, which gives you an edge against Kalam’s undead. I do hope that you have more than yourself, Luke, Ilan, and a priest in your army. Four against many would be nothing short of foolish.”
“You forget that all of the townsfolk have had minimal training in two sword style. They can be useful as long as they use the terrain to their advantage. Many of the men have already promised to stand with us when the time comes,” Talos confidently explains. “Though, I will not have to accept their offer considering we have a caster on our side.”
“You refuse the help of an experienced caster while accepting the help of an apprentice?” the elven woman asks, wringing her slender, wrinkled fingers. “Don’t be a fool. She could be a liability.”
“I already told you that she has proven herself. Lady Nyx took care of the water ghasts and banished Kalam. Without her help, we would have lost the town,” Talos argues. He frowns when Magella laughs mockingly and snorts in derision. “What is it about her that makes you so nervous and afraid?”
“I am neither nervous nor afraid, Talos. I am merely concerned,” Magella calmly replies.
“About what?” Talos prods with a little more force in his voice.
Nyx strains her hearing when Magella begins talking very low. The half-elf knows that she should grab her backpack and leave them to their conversation, but she also knows this is a golden opportunity. She remembers reading stories about Magella during her lessons on elven casters. There were records on this amazing woman going back at least one hundred and thirty years.
With a deep breath to steel her nerves, the half-elf decides that it is time for her to be brave and jump at this once in a lifetime encounter. Nyx quietly crawls to the window and peeks outside. No more than ten feet from the back of the house stands an elderly, female elf. Her silver hair rolls down to her ankles and there is a pair of yellow finches sitting on her head. A flowing, long-sleeved dress of forest green is Magella’s only article of clothing. Nyx can only imagine how soft the beautiful fabric is just from looking at it. Nyx is busy trying to figure out if the elf has any visible magical items when Magella suddenly looks at the window, her lavender eyes briefly glimmering. The half-elf panics, dropping to the floor and hitting her forehead against the windowsill.
“Are you okay, dear?” Talos asks with a knowing smile on his face.
“I was just remembering when Luke would sit in that high window without a care in the world,” answers Magella in a whimsical, reminiscing voice. “Eventually, Vixen would notice him, go into a panic about how he is about to fall, and rush through the house to grab him. He never considered that he could fall out of the window and get hurt. From what I’ve heard, he still forgets that he can get hurt. It must be a flaw of youth. The young never believe they can die until it stares them in the face.”
“It is his strength and his weakness,” Talos claims with a proud smile.
“Again, we come to our disagreement on the usefulness of sacrifice,” Magella announces, glaring at her husband. “There is no strength is sacrificing yourself for a one time victory. That road always leads to an early, usually messy, demise. Until Luke accepts that his life is not something to be thrown away, his blind courage will be his downfall.”
Legends of Windemere: 03 - Allure of the Gypsies Page 36