“I would like your assessment of this blade,” I said as I drew the dagger from my belt.
Hilgreth took the dagger from me and evaluated it carefully. She ran her fingernail along its edge, looked over its perfectly formed angles, and even tapped the blade against her anvil to listen to the ringing of its steel.
“It is a very fine blade,” she finally pronounced. “Equal to anything I could craft. I’d be honored to meet the smith who forged it.”
“I hoped that you would say that,” I smiled at her. “This blade was a gift to me, one I was honored to receive. The man who forged it is called Georl, and he’s standing right in front of you.”
Hilgreth was clearly taken aback by the revelation. Although it came as a shock to her, and she clearly waged a struggle inside herself, to her credit, she held her tongue until her better judgement could prevail.
“I will not lie to you, Georl,” Hilgreth replied honestly. “I did not think your people were capable of such craftsmanship, but I have learned much about such preconceptions since coming here, and I’m happy to learn that I was wrong.”
“Thank you Hilgreth,” Georl answered her warmly. “It is rare to meet someone as open minded as you are.”
Hilgreth and I shared a knowing look at Georl’s ironic praise. It had been a bumpy road to get Hilgreth to this point, and we both felt a certain amount of pride in how far she had come. So, on that note, I finally revealed my purpose for coming to her.
“Now that you’ve seen his work, and you know what he is capable of,” I told Hilgreth, “I’d like you to find a place for Georl here.”
“I can do that,” Hilgreth surprised me by responding immediately.
I had been prepared for some resistance from her, so when she offered no objections, I was at a momentary loss.
“Good, then we’ll leave you to it,” Tási said when I hesitated before leading me away.
“That was too easy,” I commented as we left the forge behind.
“You are so dense sometimes,” Tási sighed in response.
“Now what?”
“Hello? Sintári?” Tási mocked me. “Your whole thing is getting people to do what’s right. It’s not always going to be as simple as that, but you really shouldn’t be too surprised anymore when it is.”
“Come here, hold my hand,” I said as I sidled up beside her.
I almost had her in my grasp before she recognized the look in my eye, and the petty act of revenge I had intended.
“Nope,” Tási said as she drew her arm back quickly.
We were almost to our next destination before I was able to convince Tási that I wasn’t going to send her any uncomfortable impulses, and she finally let me take her hand. When we arrived at the home that was next on my list, I knocked on the door and waited patiently for someone to answer.
“I’m so glad you were able to come by!” Jessah exclaimed as she flung the door open and welcomed us inside. “I thought for sure that you’d be too busy with all that’s going on.”
I felt Tási’s grip on my fingers tighten as we walked inside, and I sent her the tiniest tingle in warning. Her eyes flashed wide for a second when she felt my gentle reminder and I squeezed her hand reassuringly.
“Irisse is upstairs; please, have a seat and I’ll go get her,” Jessah said as she gestured to the table in the common area.
“I promised I would talk to her,” I quickly explained when Jessah vanished upstairs. “And I brought you with me. That was not by accident.”
Although Tási seemed mollified by my words, before she could reply, Jessah and Irisse had joined us.
We exchanged a few pleasantries before I asked what had brought the two of them to my Realm. The last time I’d seen them, they were living happily in Orlan, and I wasn’t sure why they would leave the capital city for my little domain in the wilds.
“It was a truly odd series of events, really,” Irisse volunteered when I asked. “The inn we were working at was sold, and the new owner sent everyone packing so he could bring in his own people. We tried to find new jobs, but nothing was available. Our money was running low, and things were getting pretty desperate. Then, we happened to meet Stel one night and Jessah recognized him. He was talking to Travis and Annia about coming here to open an inn of their own, and, well, it seemed like our only option.”
That little tale was beginning to sound quite familiar, and I wasn’t the only one who thought so. As Irisse told the story, Tási squeezed my hand, letting me know she recognized the pattern too.
“Have you seen Venna yet?” I asked when Irisse was done. “She’s making sure everyone gets settled in their permanent homes, and also helping to get the inn built.”
“Yes, actually we were just packing up our things when you got here,” Jessah responded. “Venna promised to have a new place built for us close to the inn, but she’s moved us as near as she can until its ready.”
“I can’t thank you enough, Dreya Sintári,” Irisse added sincerely. “You’ve taken us in and are providing us with so much. I don’t know what to say.”
“I’m doing everything I can to see that everyone who comes here gets off to a good start,” I told her. “But after that, I expect you to do your part—to be productive and contribute. And most importantly, to be a decent person. I’ve laid out the guidelines that I expect my citizens to follow, and as long as you adhere to them, there will be a place for you here.”
“They posted the words from your speech around the valley and at the Garrison for everyone to see,” Jessah replied. “I wish I’d been here when you gave it. From what they tell me, it was an incredible night.”
“When did that happen? I didn’t tell anyone to post that,” I said as I turned to Tási.
“That was me,” she muttered as she stared down at her lap.
“Jessah, Irisse, it’s been great to see you both again, but I’m afraid we need to go now,” I said as I rose from my chair.
Tási seemed reluctant to leave, and I had to practically haul her up by the hand I was firmly grasping.
“I’ll try and stop by again and see how things are going,” I promised as I dragged Tási outside.
“We’ll look forward to that,” Jessah smiled as she and Irisse started to giggle.
I waited until we were out of sight before I whipped around and turned on Tási.
“Why would you do something like that without asking me first?”
“I thought it would help,” Tási tried to explain. “With so many new people, I wanted to make sure everyone knew what was expected of them.”
“And what if I already had plans for how I wanted to accomplish that?”
“Oh,” Tási replied softly.
“Please don’t do anything like that again,” I responded more calmly. “I need your help Tási, but you can’t do something that important without checking with me first.”
“I’m sorry that I ruined whatever you had planned,” she apologized.
Instead of answering her, I held out my hand. She looked at me and then reluctantly took it, expecting me to send her a powerful tendril, but I didn’t. Once I held her hand in mine, I simply guided her away towards our final stop for the day.
“You didn’t ruin anything, Tási,” I told her as we walked down the narrow path. “I was still trying to figure out how I was going to tell all the new people.”
“But you…” Tási stammered. “You made me think… oh, you’re such a bitch.”
“You are so dense sometimes,” I echoed back to her.
When we reached the home that was my final destination, no one answered the door. I had a quick look around, but there didn’t appear to be anyone nearby, so I gave up and headed for our own house.
“Who were you expecting to meet?” Tási asked curiously.
“Marli and Ella,” I answered honestly, even though I knew she wouldn’t be happy with my reply.
“I like Marli,” Tási responded innocently.
Her delivery was perfec
t, and her tone was just right, so I couldn’t help but laugh at her pointed reply.
“You spent a great deal of time with her yesterday. What did you learn about Ella?” I asked once my giggling stopped.
Tási let out a huge sigh before she began her answer.
“She absolutely worships you,” she said to my surprise. “You’re the reason she left her job and started adventuring. What you did in Tula, killing that man, it impressed her. She didn’t say as much, but you’ve told me the story, so I figured it out.”
“Then you know her role in those events as well,” I told her when I recovered from the shock of what she had said. “She helped me that night. More than I had any right to expect. I owe her a great deal.”
Tási let my statement go without responding to it, and we walked the rest of the way back home in silence. When we arrived, Bane was waiting for us on the front porch with his usual report, and we headed inside to wait for the others to arrive home.
Once we were all together, everyone went over how their various assignments had gone. Venna, Broda and Ilvain had managed to house everyone, and even worked out a rough design for the new inn. Stel had spent most of his time coordinating with Evans, and the two had come up with what they believed would be a workable pay scale for our new military. They had even managed to draft Hilgreth and Georl with the promise of not only a regular salary, but the shared title of Chief Armorer of the Realm. It seemed a bit gaudy, but I had given Evans wide authority to run the military as he saw fit, so it was too late for me to object to the First Marshal’s methods.
“What did you do all day, master dwarf?” I asked as he was the only one of us who hadn’t had an official assignment.
“Um... well… that is,” he fumbled.
“He pranced around in his new armor for all the pretty ladies is what he did,” Broda glowered.
“Why, master dwarf, I’m shocked,” I said in mock surprise.
Broda tore into him for a while after that, almost to the point of where I pitied the dwarf—almost.
Eventually, things calmed down and we were able to end the night on a more peaceful note. Bane settled in on his cushion, and I lay with him for an hour or so before I finally headed upstairs for the night. Tási was already in bed when I got to our room, and I changed quickly to join her before she fell asleep.
“You’re going to try and visit with Ella tomorrow, aren’t you?” She asked as I slipped under the covers.
“I told you I was,” I replied. “And you’re more than welcome to come with me.”
“I can’t,” Tási complained. “I already promised to help Venna in the infirmary, and I’ve put her off twice already.”
“But I can make sure you’re still thinking of me when you’re with her,” Tási said as she climbed on top of me and stared into my eyes.
She leaned in and kissed me more passionately than ever before. I let her past my defenses without a fight and felt her deep desire. For the first time, that desire was tinged with a hint of doubt.
Feeling her misgivings sent a sharp spike of guilt though me. I had never intended to cause her any pain, yet she had accepted the fact that doubt and pain would very likely be a part of our relationship forever. I had no intention of pursuing anything like what she feared with Ella, but I also knew, as Tási did, that things like that were ultimately outside my ability to control. The course of my life was not mine to dictate, and we both knew that circumstances would very likely cause me to do things that I might otherwise not choose to do.
I knew that I would cause her pain. If not the next day with Ella, then it would be some other day with someone else, and I knew that there was nothing I could do to prevent that from happening. All I could control was what I did at that exact moment. So, I did what I knew was right—what feeling Tási’s doubt and pain made me want to do more than anything, and I loved her with every fiber of my being. I sent her every last shred of my heart, tied to the most powerful tendrils and threads that I could muster, and flooded her with my devotion. I may not have been able to promise her that she’d always have me to herself, but I made sure that she knew that she would always have me.
“Will Tási be down soon?” Venna asked the next morning as I sat down for breakfast.
It was only the two of us, so I didn’t hesitate to answer honestly.
“Not likely,” I replied with a smirk.
“Did you give her a rough morning?” Venna surprised me with her bold response.
“No,” I said as I took a sip of tea. “She’s still recovering from last night.”
Venna flushed bright red and I held her gaze.
“You asked,” I admonished her.
“My mistake,” Venna flushed again before she turned around quickly to crack a few eggs.
The rest of us had all finished eating and I was headed out the door when Tási practically stumbled down the stairs. I gave her a kiss on the cheek and wished her luck as I left for the day and noticed Venna blush yet again before I went out the door. I couldn’t help but smile as I felt that I had at least a measure of revenge for Venna’s teasing, and the thought brightened up my entire morning as I headed for the Garrison.
My first priority when I reached the Garrison’s walls was to find Evans and see how things were going for him. I had piled a lot on his plate, and while I was sure that he could handle it, I needed to be certain that he had everything he needed to do so. I was about to search for him in the headquarters building when I heard his distinctive voice ringing out from the training fields. It was a sound I remembered fondly, so I set off towards the echoes of his commands to seek him out.
“A little early morning exercise before you get stuck behind your desk?” I quipped as I strode up beside the First Marshal.
“I don’t even have a desk yet,” he replied flatly. “That’s actually my first order of business.”
“Dellon,” I said as I pointed to his workshop, “has been fabricating all of the wooden weapons and components for us. If you haven’t conscripted him already, you may want to make him Grand Carpenter of the Realm or something.”
“I’ll consider the title,” Evans responded. “But I assume that’s not why you’re here.”
“No, it isn’t. I’m here to see how your efforts are going.”
“All in all, not bad,” he replied. “For a simple militia, your people were doing a decent job. Aside from cleaning up a few things, I’d say we should have everything in order fairly quickly.”
“Tell me what you think of her,” I asked him as I spotted Ella sparring across the training grounds.
“She lacks your raw ability,” he responded. “But she’s got every ounce of your fire. She’ll be quite good if I can keep her focused.”
“What’s wrong with her focus?”
“She’s angry and impatient. She thinks she’s ready to take on the whole world by herself,” Evans explained candidly. “It’ll get her killed, and probably a few more as well.”
“I wasn’t much different,” I reminded him.
“Yes, you were,” Evans objected firmly. “You really were ready. She only thinks she is.”
“Ella’s important to me,” I confessed to him. “She’s only here because of me, so I’ll try and talk to her. Please do what you can to help her.”
“I will see that she is trained,” he replied flatly. “But I may not be able to control her rash behavior.”
I gave him a nod, acknowledging what he told me before I made my way around the grounds to where Ella was sparring. Despite the heavy bruises she bore, she was still challenging anyone who was willing to face her, daring them to stand against her.
“Come on!” Ella taunted. “Do I have to face two of you at a time to get you to fight me?”
“You’ve had enough, girl,” one of the soldiers tried to dissuade her. “You lost the last three rounds. It’s time to call it a day.”
“Bullshit!” She shouted back at him. “I can take on any one of you!”
; “You need to know when to quit,” I tried to tell her.
“Fuck you!” She said in a rage. “Who said that? Get in here and fight me, bitch!”
A hush fell over the soldiers who were gathered around since they knew it was me who had spoken, but I said nothing, and only took a practice sword from the hand of one of them as I stepped inside the sparring ring.
“The bitch is here—let’s fight,” I replied icily as I glared across the circle at Ella.
“I’m sorry, Dreya,” she quickly apologized when she saw me. “I mean Dreya Sintári. I… I didn’t realize it was you.”
“Too late,” I said as I circled towards her slowly. “The die has been cast, and now you must play the game.”
Ella’s eyes widen in surprise as I close in and unloaded a Flurry on her. To her credit, she managed to block two of the three strikes, but the third slammed into her stomach hard. She let out a pained grunt as the air rushed out of her lungs and she fell to one knee.
I took a step back and let her recover as I spoke again.
“Since you don’t seem to know when enough is enough, this match will only end when I say it’s over. Now get up.”
“Please. I’m sorry,” she gasped as she tried to regain her breath.
“Not yet you’re not.”
Once she finally rose to her feet, I scored hit after merciless hit on Ella until she could no longer stand up again. When I was certain that she had nothing left at all, I kicked her weapon away and slung her over my shoulder. Venna’s infirmary wasn’t far away, and I carried Ella’s nearly unconscious body inside and dropped her into one of the beds.
“Who did this to her?!” Venna cried as she ran over to attend to Ella’s injuries. “I told the First Marshal not to allow this sort of thing.”
“I’m surprised you let that happen to her,” Tási commented when she saw who I had brought in.
“I didn’t just let it happen to her,” I replied flatly. “I’m the one who did it to her.”
The two of them looked at me in shock as I walked away to let them heal her.
“I will need to speak to her when she’s ready,” I informed them coldly. “I’ll be waiting outside.”
Second Skin: Unified: A litRPG Adventure (Second Skin Book 3) Page 38
