The Warrior Elf

by Morgan, Mackenzie

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  After Kevin left Caleb with his uncle, he went back to his office, plopped down in his chair, and rested his head on his arms. He felt like his day had already been a week long and it wasn’t even lunchtime yet. At some point he needed to find Rhianna and thank her for taking Dougan off his hands, and it wouldn’t hurt to thank Neiven for putting up with them, too. Later, after dinner, he had to talk to Robyn, and then take Warren and Torrey back to Rainbow Valley.

  The thought of Torrey brought up the image of two bundles wrapped in cheesecloth sitting on his dresser. He’d completely forgotten about them. With a heart-felt sigh, he slowly stood up and headed out of his office to go get them.

  “Where are you off to this time?” Chris asked.

  “Upstairs. Why?”

  “Just trying to keep up with where you are today.”

  “Yeah, it’s been one of those days.”

  Five minutes later, he walked back into the main office with two bundles. When Chris looked up, Kevin tilted his head towards his office and walked on. Before Kevin made it around his desk Chris walked in and shut the door.

  “What’s that?” Chris asked.

  “Something from Torrey. I set them down in my room this morning and completely forgot about them until a minute ago.” Kevin picked up one of the two bundles. “This one’s yours, and she said to tell you to share it with Marcus, and since Caleb’s with him right now, this would be a good time.”

  Chris gently unwrapped the pastries and grinned. “My favorite!”

  “What?”

  “Cinnamon buns!”

  “I thought Miranda’s sweet buns were your favorite.”

  “They are when I have them. But right now I have Torrey’s cinnamon buns so they’re my favorite.”

  Kevin shook his head. “Go find Marcus and share them with him and Caleb.”

  Chris stuck one of the buns in his mouth as he carefully wrapped the cheesecloth around the others. “Know where they are?”

  “They were out back near the stable when I left them.”

  After Chris left the office, Kevin picked up the other bundle and headed for Laryn’s house.

  Laryn and Steve were sitting on their porch with sketchbooks in their hands. Kevin sat down beside them and handed the bundle to Laryn. “From Torrey.”

  Laryn nodded as she unwrapped the buns and said, “Tell her we said thanks.” Then she wrapped them back up.

  “Hey,” Steve said, “Wait a minute.”

  Laryn shook her head. “It’s time for lunch. These will make a nice afternoon snack.”

  Steve shook his head and looked at Kevin. “See what marriage does for you?”

  Laryn laughed as she stood up to go put the buns away.

  “Before you go,” Kevin said, “I’ve got a favor to ask.”

  “What?”

  “You know we had guests this weekend.”

  Laryn nodded.

  “Rhianna took care of them and kept them so busy I didn’t have to deal with them.”

  Again Laryn nodded.

  “I want to do something to say thank you, but I don’t know what. Do you know of anything she wants? Anything she’d like to have?”

  Laryn paused. “Not at the moment, but I’ll see if I can come up with something. In the meantime, a simple thank you would be nice.”

  “I’m going to see her this afternoon and tell her how much I appreciate it, but I want to do something more than that. I just don’t know what.”

  Laryn nodded. “Let me think about it.”

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  After lunch, Kevin went to Doreen’s house. When he knocked on the door, Shelley answered it.

  “Hi, Shelley,” Kevin said, “I came to see Rhianna. Do you know where she is?”

  The little girl nodded.

  “Would you tell me?”

  Shelley pointed towards one of the parlors.

  “Is she in the parlor?”

  Shelley shook her head and pointed towards the parlor again.

  Kevin frowned. “But she’s not in the room?”

  Shelley laughed and shook her head. Then she took his hand and led him back to the edge of the porch and pointed towards the yard. Rhianna was working on the garden.

  “Thank you, Shelley.” Kevin walked the little girl back to the front door and held it open for her. “I’ll see you later.”

  Rhianna had heard him talking to Shelley, so she’d already gotten up by the time he headed in her direction. She met him halfway. “Looking for me?”

  “I thought you’d be taking it easy somewhere. You had quite a weekend.”

  Rhianna laughed. “You don’t know the half of it.”

  “I’m sure I don’t, and for that I’m very grateful.” Kevin reached out and wiped a bit of dirt off her face. “You have no idea how much I appreciate what you did. I know you must be worn out after dealing with them all weekend.”

  “It wasn’t that bad. Most of the time, it was fun. But I think Marshall’s right about not visiting Farragon anytime soon, like anytime in the next twenty or thirty years.”

  Kevin laughed. “That bad, huh?”

  “Only if he gets Marshall someplace where he can control the situation. He’s bound and determined to make a soldier out of him.”

  “What about Murphy? He’s Marshall’s father. What does he say?”

  “Not much of anything. He bows to Dougan in all matters. Whatever Dougan says, goes. Period. Personally, I don’t see how Eryn puts up with it. I wouldn’t.” Rhianna paused. “But there was one time, when Dougan and Darrell were talking about training and strategy, Murphy was a different man. We went to the pasture and he asked Marshall about the horses, their temperaments, their training, and he asked about Nikki. When Marshall talked about working with Kyle, Murphy seemed genuinely interested. They had a nice, comfortable conversation. Too bad Marshall’s parents can’t come for a visit without Dougan. I think they’d have a nice time if they did.”

  “Maybe that can be arranged at a future date.” Then Kevin asked, “Have you eaten?”

  Rhianna shook her head. “Not yet. I thought I’d heat up some of the stew Blair left for us.”

  “Want to go to Fenway’s instead? I’ve already had lunch, but I wouldn’t mind some scog.”

  Rhianna hesitated. “I think I’d rather have Blair’s stew and I can get you some scog. Doreen keeps some on hand.”

  Kevin shook his head. “No, I’m fine. I suggested Fenway’s so you wouldn’t have to do anything.”

  Rhianna laughed. “That’s nice, but I’m not tired. Are you and Nikki coming by this evening?”

  Kevin shook his head. “I’ve got a meeting at seven, and I have to be in Walnut Springs at nine. And I’ve got to take Caleb back home by five.”

  “Caleb?”

  “It’s a long story.” Kevin explained about Bridgeport, Hayley’s connection through Marcus, the raid, and Hayley’s sense of responsibility towards everyone up there. “When I picked her up on the way back from Farragon, I asked Caleb if he wanted to come visit his uncle for the afternoon. If I don’t have him back on time, Marcie will be mad at me, and if her temper’s anything like I’ve heard, I’d rather not experience it firsthand.”

  Rhianna laughed. “Then you better get back up there and find him. See you tomorrow.”

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  Kevin and Chris went to dinner as soon as Kevin got back from taking Caleb home. After they ate, they headed back to the office to shut it down for the night. Chris dismissed the pages and covered most of the glowstones. Then he joined Kevin in his office and shut the door. “Do we need to do anything before we go to Mapleton?”

  Kevin shook his head.

  “What did Marshall say when you asked if Nikki could stay with him tonight?” Chris asked.

  “He said he didn’t have much time with her this weekend so he’d love to keep her tonight.”

  “Why? Did he leave her somewhere?”

  Kevin shook his head. “I think he meant he w
asn’t able to give her the attention he usually does. I imagine he was distracted most of the time.”

  Chris nodded.

  “And if he’s anything like me, he’ll spend the evening telling Nikki all about his weekend, how he felt about seeing them and some of the things that were said. She’s a great listener.”

  “I know. She and I have had a few conversations too, especially when you’ve gone off somewhere and are late getting back. She worries, you know.” Chris motioned towards some papers he’d left on his desk in Kevin’s office. “We’ve got almost an hour. Want to look through the district sorcerer files and see if we can find someone to switch with that guy up north?”

  Kevin paused. “I’ve been thinking about that. If we put Garen’s men on the island, we might need to put a sorcerer out there with them.”

  ‘Why? What do they need one for?”

  “They might want to build houses, especially if their families go with them, and although they could do it without the help of a sorcerer, one sure would make it easier. Or what if a tree falls the wrong way and hits a building, or worse, pins someone under it? And what about mud or rock slides?”

  “People get along without a local sorcerer all the time. And when Landis gets there, Warren’ll be with her. He can take care of anything that’s needed.”

  Kevin shook his head. “I don’t want him doing that, and if there’s no other sorcerer around, he’ll feel like he has to. I want him concentrating on Landis. The sooner she’s trained, the sooner she can defend herself, and the sooner I can get a good night’s sleep.”

  “Is it really worrying you that much?”

  Kevin shrugged. “Yes and no. Yes, because I know he’s looking for her and won’t stop until he finds her. No, because I know she’s safe in Glendymere’s backyard. And yes, because even though she’ll be safe on the island, one day she’ll have to leave.”

  Chris nodded. “That’s why you’re so interested in Garen and his men, isn’t it? For the day she has to leave the island?”

  Kevin nodded.

  “So what are you thinking about as far as the guy up north goes? What’s his name?”

  “Darwyn. He wants someplace warm. The island’s warm. And if I remember correctly, his position’s classified novice but gets extra pay because of the climate. Right?”

  Chris pulled Darwyn’s contract out of his folder. After he skimmed it, he nodded. “It’s a novice position, but I’m not sure you want to put a novice up there. Working in those conditions makes it a little harder. Experience would help.”

  “All right. Let’s compile a list of sorcerers who might be interested because of the pay, and a list of novices who are ready for their own district. We’ll need evaluations on all of them, but don’t let anyone know we’re thinking of making a change. Tell them we’re updating our files. If we’re lucky, we can move a practicing sorcerer into Darwyn’s position and a novice into the vacated spot. I’d love to handle this without having to go through a competition.”

  Chris nodded. “I’ll get Elin on it tomorrow morning. We should start getting some replies by the end of the week.”

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  When Kevin and Chris got to Sister Glenice’s office at the Chapel of Light in Mapleton, they found two mugs of scog and a plate of cookies waiting for them. They’d been there for ten minutes when the door opened and Robyn walked in.

  “Nice to see you,” Kevin said as he stood up to shake Robyn’s hand.

  “Nice to see you, too,” Robyn said. “I should have told you to send me a note or something after that duel so I’d know you were still alive. News of the duel hasn’t reached Mapleton yet.”

  “I’m not sure it’s made the rounds of Camden either,” Kevin answered. “I’m sorry. We should have let you know, but to be honest, I didn’t think about it.”

  “That’s all right. Main thing is you won.” Robyn sat down in Glenice’s chair. “You’re not here to tell me someone else has challenged you, are you?”

  Kevin shook his head. “No, no more duels.” Then he asked Robyn if he remembered a guard named Garen.

  “Sure. One of the best guards my father had. Good man, good leader. I thought the world of him. Why?”

  “Well, I met him the other day.”

  “How? Where?”

  “In Milhaven. Turns out he’d been sent to Camden two years ago with orders to kill me. Fortunately, he didn’t.”

  Robyn shook his head. “He’s not an assassin, Myron. He’s a guard. And a good one. He protects people. What was Rolan thinking?”

  “That he wanted me dead, but that’s not why I’m here. I’m here because of a request Garen made.” He explained Garen’s wish to offer his services and those of his men to Landis.

  Robyn thought about it for a bit. “If Cpt. Garen vouches for them, my first reaction’s to trust them. I’ve known Garen for years, since he was a teenager, and I’ve never had any reason to doubt him. He was very loyal to my father, to all of us for that matter. Granted I haven’t seen him or talked to him since my father died, but I doubt he’s changed. I don’t know who was on his squad, but if you can get their names, I’ll see if I know them.”

  “I may take you up on that, but right now I’m trying to decide whether to bring this up with Landis or not. Do you think she’ll remember him?”

  “I don’t know, but Taelor will. He’ll probably know all of them. Talk to him. I can’t say what happened after I left, but he’ll know.”

  Kevin nodded. “I thought I’d ask Hayden about him, too.”

  Robyn thought for a moment. “I don’t know if Hayden will remember him. He wasn’t around the castle much. When he brought Landis home for a visit, he usually camped out in the woods while she was there. But it won’t hurt to ask. He might have known him.”

  “He’s also her foster father. I need to talk to him before I pass Garen’s message on to Landis.”

  Robyn nodded. “You say she’s safe where she is right now. Why not wait and worry about it later, after she’s trained.”

  “I’ve thought about that too, and we may decide to do that. But at the same time, if they’re going to serve as her guard, I’d like for her to get to know them while she’s in protected territory.”

  Again Robyn nodded. “Anything else?”

  Kevin shook his head as he stood up. Then he asked, “Did you ever find out anything about that guy who was asking all those questions?”

  Robyn shook his head. “He left about a month ago. We never did find out what he was up to. Hope we’ve seen the last of him though.”

  Kevin nodded. “I’ll let you know what we decide to do as far as Garen is concerned. Take care.”

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  It was nearly nine by the time Kevin picked Torrey and Warren up to take them back to Rainbow Valley. After they got there, he asked, “What time does Taelor normally get here in the mornings?”

  Warren shrugged and looked at his wife.

  “Sometimes he and Sari are down here before daybreak,” she said, “but usually it’s a little later, nine or so. Why?”

  “There’s something I want to talk to him about and I imagine it’ll be easier to find him down here than up at the house.”

  “He spends most of the day between the gardens and the workroom,” Warren said, “but those gardens are scattered all over the valley, up the sides, and on top of the mountain. But he usually stops by the caves on his way back up to the house.”

  “When does he usually head up?”

  “Around time for dinner,” Torrey answered. “He and Sari try to be back before Ashni’s ready to serve. Around dinnertime would be the best time to catch him. Down here before dinner, up there afterwards.”

  Kevin nodded. “Thanks. See you soon.”

  Chapter 38

  More Loose Ends

  Rhianna glanced into Kevin’s office when she got to the castle Tuesday morning, but he wasn’t in. “Where is he?” she asked Chris as she sat down beside his desk with a cup of tea.

>   “He’s still with Glendymere. He should be back before long.”

  “Is his schedule full today?”

  “Not particularly, mainly paperwork. Why?”

  “Doreen finished Allisandra’s planter last night. I was wondering if he had a few minutes to take it to her.”

  Chris laughed. “There’s no way you get in and out of Allisandra’s in under an hour. I’ll let him know when he gets back, but if you go down there before lunch, you’ll be there half the day. He’ll probably wait until this afternoon.”

  Rhianna finished her tea. “Do you know where Rigel is?”

  “Should be in the guard’s office. He’s on standby today.”

  “Oh,” Rhianna said.

  “Why?”

  “Doreen finished another planter last night, too. Originally she planned to give it to Callie, but since she’s gone, Doreen’s going to let Debra have it. She was wondering if Rigel could borrow a wagon and help her get it over there, but I can do that. No problem.”

  “Except Doreen would rather have Rigel help her.”

  Rhianna’s smile was answer enough.

  “Tell you what. If you’ll hang around while Rigel’s gone, I’ll tell Darrell you’re covering the bodyguard bit for now.”

  Rhianna paused. “I was going to work with Elin and Cameryn for a bit. Would out back be close enough?”

  Chris nodded. “Has Doreen made all the planters now?”

  “I’m not sure. She may need to make one for Danyelle. Allisandra said Danyelle would... let me think how she put it... turn positively green when she saw it. I’ve never heard that expression before, but I have a feeling it means Danyelle will want one, too.”

  Chris laughed. “I don’t know where the saying came from, but it means Danyelle will be jealous. Want to go get her tomorrow and take her to see Allisandra’s? Then if she wants one, Doreen can get started on hers.”

  “Will Myron have time?”

  “As far as I know, but if something comes up and he can’t take you, I can.”

  Rhianna nodded as she stood up. “Elin, Cameryn, finish up whatever you’re doing and meet me out back.” Then she turned to Chris. “We’ll be back in an hour. If Myron has to go somewhere before I get back, don’t let him leave without me or I’m going to blame you.”