Chris seemed to slump. “Sadly, I didn’t. I was consumed with my own thoughts of having been a brutish thug and forcing myself upon her. Last night, though, I dreamt of Deirdre crying that I had abandoned her. That thought woke me in the dark of night, and I have been awake ever since, waiting for sunrise. I need to see if she is okay, and to try to explain how sorry I am for what I’ve done. I never wanted to cause her any pain—I would rather forsake my vows to the Dark Lord.”
Those words made Deirdre flush as she felt the truth of them. For a brief moment, it was as if she had her mother’s ability to know emotions. Stepping back into the hall, Deirdre took a moment to compose herself. She mustn’t let them know she had been listening. Taking a deep breath, she hurried out to the taproom, head down as she fussed with her outfit. “I be sorry for bein’ late…” She let the words trail off as both of them turned to face her. “Chris?” She couldn’t help the rush of emotion that filled his name as she found his eyes.
“Deirdre?” Her name from his lips was full of emotion as well. He took a step toward her before he paused, saying, “I’m sorry. I should have come sooner, or sent word. I should have done anything else, except stay away.”
“I’ll leave you two alone for a moment,” Stewart said. “If you need help, I’ll be right here,” he whispered to Deirdre as he passed her.
Finding themselves alone in the taproom made both of them self-conscious. Chris spoke first, “Deirdre,” he paused at her name before dropping to his knees. “I’m sorry for having abandoned you this last week. I hope you can forgive me.”
Seeing the towering protector kneeling before her, Deirdre’s face flushed. “Stand, please, Chris. It be wrong of me to keep you kneelin’ just because I could nay accept ya nay bein’ here.”
“I have wronged you,” Chris replied evenly. “I must make amends through deeds. Please tell me what I must do to make amends for my grievous error.”
Deirdre’s cheeks went redder as a myriad of different thoughts flashed through her mind. “Over the next few months, I be givin’ ya a number of tasks. Iffin ya complete them all, ya will have me forgiveness, for ya deeds will have proven ya be willin’ to make amends.”
“Only the Dark Lord will hold greater sway in my mind, and only by the slimmest of margins. Thank you, Deirdre, for showing me your mercy and letting me prove my worth to you.”
“Please, rise, ya do nay belong on ya knees,” Deirdre said.
“As you command,” Chris said, rising to his feet. “What is your first task for me, Deirdre?”
“Ya must never leave me for days again,” Deirdre said immediately. “I know ya will be called away at times, but please tell me these things. I felt unwanted when ya did nay return.”
Stepping closer, Chris towered over her, though he seemed smaller to her. “I will never leave you, unless you order me to do so, Deirdre Crowley. I will tell you if the church tasks me to leave for any length of time.”
“Good,” Deirdre said, her hand coming to rest against his chest. “For the next week, ya must visit me every mornin’.”
“As you command, so shall it be,” Chris replied as he covered her hand with his much larger one.
“Deirdre? Where ya be? Ya have to work the mornin’…” Alistern began from the other room, but trailed off as he entered the taproom and found the two of them standing there.
“Who might ya be?” Alistern asked, his eyes stabbing at Chris.
“He be me friend, Da’, and I be here now. Go get ya sleep,” Deirdre said, slipping her hand from Chris’.
“I be thinkin’ I should be talkin’ to this boy first,” Alistern said.
“Chris, ya are to go, and do nay tell me Da’ anythin’ unless I okay it,” Deirdre said, turning to face her father.
Chris bowed his head to her back, “As you command, Deirdre.” With that, Chris turned on his heel and left, ignoring Alistern’s shouts to come back.
“Iffin he be havin’ an interest in ya, then I be needin’ to talk to him,” Alistern said.
“Husband,” Lilith said from behind him, “we need to chat.”
Alistern sighed, “Yes, dear.”
Deirdre gave her mother a grateful look, as she went behind the bar to get started with her day.
~*~*~
The next few days saw Deirdre return to her normal self. Cleaning the bar three days later, Deirdre was happy that Chris had stopped by again, and that her mother had stopped her father from trying to corner him.
It was rapidly approaching noon when Alistern came striding into the taproom with a worried, if pleased, smile on his face. “I got the bar,” Alistern told her.
“What be with the smile so early in the day?” Deirdre asked worriedly.
“Ya sis went out huntin’ with Wilbur and says tha’ she be levelin’ fine,” he replied.
Deirdre’s smile faded for a moment, as she hadn’t thought of asking Chris to take her hunting. There had never been a reason, with her not having a Class, but the idea took root in her mind. “I be leavin’ it to ya, Da’.”
Going back to her room, Deirdre put together the things she was going to need for the next day. Chris wouldn’t deny her—he hadn’t denied her a single thing since he had come and apologized to her. Slowing in her task, she wondered if it was right for her to put him in danger for her own selfish desires. Shaking off her worry, she continued with her preparations.
Later that evening, Deirdre snuck out the back door and deposited her bag into an old barrel. Creeping back into the building, she went to her room and spent the rest of the evening thinking about what the next day would bring. Waking to the sounds of excited conversation, Deirdre got out of bed and cracked her door open.
“It be so amazin’ tha’ she found her class while out huntin’ with him,” Alistern exclaimed softly as Lilith led him down the hall.
“You’re going to wake our daughters, dear,” Lilith chastised him softly. “Now shh, and I’ll make it up to you in a bit.”
Eyes wide, Deirdre felt her heart beat faster. Erin had found her Class, and Stacia had become a succubus. Both of those had happened after they’d hunted with the men that they loved. Licking her lips, Deirdre thought about what it would be like to finally find her own Class. Closing the door carefully, she went back to bed and laid there for a long time, her mind racing about the many different possibilities that might come to pass when she woke up.
Loud knocking woke Deirdre from her sleep. “Sis, wake up. It be ya time to watch the bar,” Marian said from the other side of the door.
“Be right there,” Deirdre said as she got out of bed. Yawning, she began to dress. It was the moment she opened the door that she remembered what she had planned for today, and what she’d overheard last night.
Just short of running to the taproom, Deirdre found Marian talking with Chris. “I be here now. Ya should go get ya rest, sis.”
Marian raised an eyebrow at Deirdre before giving her a small smile, “Oh, aye, I be getting’ right on tha’. Good speakin’ with ya Chris. Have a good day.”
When Marian left the room, Deirdre turned to Chris. Her heart raced as she considered how to ask him to take her hunting. Words kept eluding her as she stared at him.
Concerned, Chris finally spoke up, “Deirdre, is everything okay?”
“Huntin—will ya take me today?” Deirdre blurted out, her hands twisting her skirt in agitation.
Stepping closer to her, Chris leaned down and met her eyes. “Anything you need me to do, I will do. I will be happy to take you hunting with me, Deirdre, and I will keep you safe no matter what comes.”
Swallowing hard, Deirdre felt like she was floating. “Thank ya, Chris. Meet me behind the bar after me shift be over. Please do nay be late.”
“I will not make you wait for me again,” Chris said. Feeling brazen, he tilted her chin up and kissed her softly. Backing up a step after the kiss, his face burning, Chris gave her a hesitant smile before fleeing the room.
Heart pounding, Deirdre touched he
r lips where his kiss lingered. “See ya then, Chris.”
The day seemed to take forever, but also flew by. Deirdre was still floating on air when Alistern came to take over the bar from her.
“Ya be okay?” Alistern asked, eyeing her questioningly.
“I did nay sleep well,” Deirdre said. “I be thinkin’ I be turnin’ in early, or at least be getting’ a nap.”
“Aye, ya need to keep ya strength up,” Alistern nodded.
“Ya also be needin’ to change the light ale keg, it be empty.”
“I be grabbin’ tha’ first,” Alistern said as he headed for the storage room.
Once he was out of the room, Deirdre darted toward the back door. Exiting without being seen, she found Chris waiting for her. “Sorry for keepin’ ya,” Deirdre apologized.
“It is fine,” Chris said, a hesitant smile on his lips. “I’m ready to be your shield.”
Going to the barrel, Deirdre pulled her bag from it. “I just be needin’ to stop and change before we go.”
“I know of a place that won’t ask questions,” Chris said. “Shall we go?”
“Aye,” Deirdre said, taking his offered arm. “About the kiss this mornin’,” Deirdre said slowly, feeling Chris tense up as she paused. “Ya can do tha’ again. I enjoyed it as much as ya did.”
A soft exhalation escaped Chris along with a nervous laugh. “I’ve been fearing what I did all day. I worried I might have overstepped.”
“We’ve slept together? Methinks I recall it vividly,” Deirdre said, regaining some of her composure. “Ya do nay need to be afraid of kisses.”
“I shall endeavor to remember,” Chris said, his smile broad.
Once she was changed into leathers similar to what Stacia and Erin had worn on their first hunting trips, they made their way to the Portal Guild and ended up at the Goblin Fort. The sun was past midday and was starting the slow fall toward the horizon when Deirdre looked for the first time upon the lands miles from the city.
“I did nay think it would be this busy,” Deirdre said as she looked down at the field separating the two keeps.
“It’s busier today than it was the last time I was here. Maybe it’s the Two-souled. People have been saying that they thrive on combat,” Chris suggested. “Let’s grab the quests, and then we can hunt.”
“I be in ya hands,” Deirdre murmured, following after him.
After they picked up the quests for Deirdre, they again stood looking across the fields, trying to find a spot that they could mark as theirs. “There’s a spot over by the corner of the keep. Stay close to me as we cross the fields.” Pulling his shield off his back and drawing his hammer, Chris led her toward his selected spot.
Crossing the fields proved a little more difficult than Chris had intended. He tried to pick a path that wouldn’t have them running into any of the goblins on the way, but they were unlucky when three fresh goblins came out of the gate and headed their way while they were in the middle of the field.
“Hey dude, those are our mobs!” a surly Dwarf snarled as he rushed forward to grab the trio of goblins headed toward Chris.
“I wasn’t going to take them,” Chris replied, stepping well aside for the Dwarf.
Deirdre wasn’t quite sure what to do, as it had been a few years since she’d been in a similar situation, and she didn’t move aside. Chris reached out and pulled her to him, just in time to keep her from being knocked over by the Dwarf.
When the Dwarf had the goblins’ attention, Chris released her from his protective embrace. “Are you okay?”
“Aye,” Deirdre said as she brushed at her leathers. “Since ya was here, I be fine.”
“Follow me and we’ll get out of this mess,” Chris said, leading her on toward the spot he’d picked out. As they approached, Chris slowed his step slightly. “I’ll grab him first; once I hit him a few times you can join in.”
“Aye,” Deirdre said as she clutched at the hilts of the twin blades on her hips.
Giving her a smile, Chris set his feet. “Follow as quick as you can.” With those words, he blurred, appearing beside the Goblin Scavenger and slamming his hammer into its unprotected head.
Deirdre had half expected the Charge and ran after him, getting there as Chris hit it for the third time. Pulling her two short blades, Deirdre got behind the goblin and sliced at its back, doing minimal damage against its armor. The thrill of fighting alongside Chris filled her with euphoria.
After the first mob died easily under Chris’ blows, he nodded at the body. “I’ve done the quests here already,” he told her.
Looting the corpse, she got an armband and a cache for the quests. “Tha’ one was full of quest items.”
“They won’t all be, but we’ll kill them until you have what you need. Once you’ve gotten what you need, we can see about finding people to go into the dungeon with.”
Deirdre’s eyes widened. Licking her lips, she felt a burst of anxiety. “Mayhap it be best iffin we do nay do the dungeon.”
“Oh?” Chris said, turning to look at her questioningly.
“I do nay have a Class. It would be bad of me to hold others back,” Deirdre said.
“Nonsense,” Chris said softly. “I’m a Paladin. I will be in high demand, and if we can find a healer, they will accept you.”
“Mayhap. We can talk about it later,” Deirdre said, wanting to change the subject.
“As you command,” Chris said. “Here comes the next one.”
They killed one goblin at a time, so Chris knew she would be safe. A couple of hours later, Deirdre looted the fifth cache she needed when they killed the final Goblin required for the other quest.
“Chris, I have all the loot now. Mayhap we should turn in and call it a night,” Deirdre said. Her excitement had waned over the last hour, as she hadn’t felt, or seen, anything that might lead her to think she had found her Class.
Seeing her despondency, Chris frowned. “If that is your command, Deirdre. Have you reconsidered trying the dungeon?”
Shaking her head, she rejected the idea. “Nay, it be nay fair to others.”
“Follow me, then. We’ll turn in the quests before we head back,” Chris said leading her back toward the fort, wondering what he could do to make her smile again.
Lost in their thoughts, neither of them noticed the trouble they were headed for. The Dwarf from earlier and his two friends had finally bitten off more than they could chew. Their cries for help caught the pair’s attention.
The Dwarf was sprinting at them, four Goblins trailing behind him. “Help! I need help!”
“Deirdre, when I grab them, run for the fort so you’ll be safe,” Chris said, bracing his feet and waiting for the Goblins to reach him.
“Nay,” Deirdre said, her heart beating fast. “I will nay leave ya to die while I be runnin’ for safety.”
“Help!”
With no time to argue, Chris felt his mouth go dry at the thought of Deirdre getting hurt. “Then wait for me to engage them, please.” Not waiting for a reply, Chris Charged. As he got to the four Goblin Scavengers, he let out a shout to trigger Dark Bindings. Black tendrils whipped up from the ground and latched onto the Goblins, ensnaring them.
Focused on the fight, Chris couldn’t spare the attention to see what Deirdre or the Dwarf were doing. The Dwarf, having gotten the Goblins off him, kept running toward the keep rather than stopping to help them.
Deirdre felt burning rage as she watched the Dwarf run off, but it was quenched instantly as she saw the wounds being inflicted on Chris, despite his own small heals. With a prayer to the Dark Lord, she went to help him, only to find her hands glowing with black energy.
Deirdre’s breath caught in her throat as a gentle feminine voice spoke to her, “Be at ease, child, and save your knight. He will need your guidance in the years ahead.”
Thrusting out her black coated hand she watched the energy hit Chris, and his wounds began to heal. Tears began leaking from her eyes as she felt a warmth
spreading through her body. “Oh thank you, Mother. Thank you, Dark Lord.” Eyes streaming tears of joy, Deirdre started chain healing Chris, who used everything he had to keep the Goblins in place as he killed them one by one. When she ran out of mana, Deirdre rushed in on the last Goblin and began attacking it wildly. She helped Chris cut down the last Goblin Scavenger with a bright smile.
As the last body dropped, Chris looked at her worriedly, looking for wounds but finding her unharmed. “Oh, thank the Dark Lord,” Chris said as he slumped to one knee, “I was so worried.” He was unprepared when Deirdre knocked him down and the assault of kisses that peppered his face and neck. “Deirdre?”
“I have a Class. I finally have a Class! I be a Priestess of the Dark Lord,” Deirdre cried in joy as she continued to kiss him. “Mother answered me prayers and I was able to heal you.”
Tales from the Dead Man Inn Page 17
