“So, in the end, they didn’t really need a bunch of adventurers,” slurred Hectre. He was leaning hard on the table. “They needed a negotiator.”
“A broker, actually,” said Mazik.
“Okay, that.” Hectre pointed at Mazik. “But there wasn’t really a need for us to get beat up by a bunch of kids, was there?”
“Well, we did get paid eventually,” said Mazik.
“We also helped ensure that the New Lyfe Gang won’t be attacked,” added Raedren. “Hopefully.” Beside him, Uard bobbed her head in agreement.
While the others kept talking, Raedren glanced at Uard. He still needed to ask her, to find out how she felt about … them. Us. Raedren’s stomach roiled.
“My point was,” Hectre continued, “that we could have done most of what happened without having to fight those kids. It just feels like a waste of time. And of money, even though we earned more than we spent on those shields and armor.”
“I think the lesson here,” said Mazik, puffing himself up, “is that we shouldn’t always resort to violence. Sometimes talking things through is the best way.”
Everyone stared at him. Even Shava, who had been talking to a man at another table, turned back and shook her head. “Once again, I haven’t known you for long, but even I can tell that was bullshit.”
Everyone laughed. But to Mazik’s credit, he didn’t let it get him down. “A plea for peace, that’s all I’m saying!” he said, in what Raedren knew he thought of as a suitably dramatic voice. It mostly sounded silly. “We must put down our swords and pick up our pens! Or some crap like that.” Mazik relaxed and chuckled along with the rest of them.
“We probably should be more careful with the quests we accept, though,” Shava admitted. The others agreed.
Raedren took a sip of his drink as the conversation turned toward what was next. Shava and Hectre confirmed that their group would be heading back to Saffir, while Mazik talked about their plans to continue heading south. There was a big festival in Olihás coming up, and they wanted to be there for it.
Raedren tried to settle his pounding heart. Uard was quietly listening to the conversation again. Raedren knew he was out of time. He needed to ask her now, or he’d regret it. Now! he repeated to himself. But still, he didn’t move.
“What was that? You want to step outside?” Mazik said, right next to Raedren’s ear. Raedren startled. He wished his friends would stop doing that.
Mazik glared Raedren into silence, then continued. “Oh no, sorry, I need to get another beer.” He leaned on Raedren’s shoulder. “Uard, my good ser! Why don’t you accompany my friend here, and make sure he doesn’t get into any trouble? He wants to step outside for a breather, and he’s been drinking, after all.”
“Of course.” Uard scooted her chair out.
Mazik clapped Raedren on the shoulder. “Don’t wuss out, you wuss,” he hissed. He headed for the bar, humming off-key as he went. “More beer, more beer …”
Raedren looked to Uard. She was waiting for him. He felt like his heart was going to seize up, the anxiety crushing him—but he buried it. He rose. “Shall we?”
Uard smiled. “Of course.”
*
Raedren and Uard walked around to the side of the building, between the inn and the stables. Though it was summer, the night had grown chilly. Raedren offered Uard his coat, which she politely declined. He thrust his hands in his pockets and leaned against the wall. They stood in silence for several minutes.
He felt ridiculous. He wondered how it was that he could face monsters and murderers with less anxiety than he was feeling now. Though actually, he knew the answer. He was good at magick, but he wasn’t so good at talking to people. That’s one of the reasons he had become such good friends with Mazik, and to a lesser degree, Gavi. When they were around, he didn’t need to talk. But they couldn’t back him up here.
In truth, he would have been perfectly comfortable standing there in silence with Uard … if only he could just work up the nerve to ask her already.
Raedren’s heart pounded, and he was sure he was sweating. He was uncomfortable. He didn’t like this. I wish I had asked her earlier. Then maybe I wouldn’t have fallen in lo— He stumbled over that thought. But no, he was definitely in love. And like always with me, it happened far too quickly. Raedren wished he could just find a wife, so he didn’t have to keep doing this.
But alcohol helped steel his nerves. Raedren cleared his throat. “Um. So …” There was a long silence, as he struggled some more with his irrational fear. “I have a question.”
“Yes?” Uard huddled closer to him, trying to escape from the wind.
Raedren’s heart was hammering so loudly, he was afraid Uard would be able to hear it from there. He swallowed. His mouth was dry. “I—are you planning to go back to Saffir with the others?”
Uard nodded. “Yes, I am.”
“Have you … have you ever thought about traveling?” He wiped his hands on his pants. His palms were sweaty. “Like, maybe … farther south? Maybe …” His voice dropped, and he tried to bury his face in his jacket. “Maybe with us.”
Raedren let out a long sigh. It was like a physical weight had lifted from him. He felt so much better, now that he had just asked her. As he knew he would. Not that he ever seemed to listen to himself.
He looked up, and found Uard staring at him. Her head was cocked to the side. “Are you inviting me to join your team?”
“No, I—” Raedren swallowed around his suddenly thick tongue. “Kind of.” He lowered his head. “To come with us, at least.”
“Ah!” Uard clasped her hands together. “My, that sounds fun! But I don’t think I can be away from my husband for that long, so I’ll have to decline.”
Raedren blinked. He raised his head. He wasn’t sure he had heard her correctly. “Your … husband?”
She nodded. “He’s not an adventurer, and he usually can’t be away from his business for long. Besides, he doesn’t like to travel that much.”
Raedren felt like his head had come disconnected from his neck. “So … you’re married?”
“Yes, I am.” Uard’s brow furrowed. “Didn’t I mention that?”
She’s an airhead, Raedren realized. I’ve been dating a married woman, and I didn’t even know it.
Raedren frowned. “Wait. If you’re married, why did you agree to go on those dates with me?”
“We’re in an open relationship. We both date other people, but I couldn’t live if I was away from him for too long.” She frowned. “I told you that as well, didn’t I?”
Yup, she’s an airhead, repeated Raedren. It didn’t feel like his brain was working correctly. It felt like this was happening to someone else.
He struggled, forcing himself to think. He had heard about open marriages before. Houk was a melting pot, a confluence of many different cultures, and that included all kinds of dating, marriage, sex, and everything in between. He had heard about it, and didn’t have a problem with it, but …
Raedren let out a breath. It was fine for others, but it wasn’t for him. Dating made him anxious enough without volunteering to do it more often. Besides, he felt like not having to date new people anymore was one of the perks of getting married.
“Yes, you told me,” Raedren lied. He scratched his beard. “I just forgot. I’ve been drinking, after all.”
“Ahh.” Uard giggled. “That happens to me sometimes, too.”
Raedren smiled weakly. He pushed off from the wall. “Thank you for coming out with me to get some air. Maybe we’ll work together again someday?”
Uard smiled back. “That sounds lovely.”
*
“She said, she said—bwahahaha!” Mazik’s laughter took over again. He laughed and snorted and howled and wheezed, slapping his knees and rolling around on his bed—until he rolled right off. But that didn’t stop him. He kept laughing, his hand pounding the floor as he struggled to breathe.
“You’re not helping,” said Raedren.
“Yeah. Stop that, Maz. It’s not nice.”
Raedren glanced at Gavi. She was holding a hand over her mouth, and her cheeks were flushed. “You’re not helping either.”
“She was married! She was married the whole damn time, and you never asked!” Mazik dissolved into another fit of laughter.
Raedren scowled. “I’m not going to protect you the next time you do something crazy.”
Mazik shot up, his face serious. “Yessir. Sorry about that, sir.”
Raedren stared. Mazik’s lip twitched. Raedren kept staring. Mazik’s cheek started vibrating. Raedren kept staring.
“I can’t help it!” Mazik collapsed back to the floor, howling with laughter. “That’s great! That’s so like you! She was married! Hah!”
Raedren looked up at the ceiling. “Gods help me, I’m beginning to hate my friends. You know, this is partially your fault. It wouldn’t have happened if you didn’t put me up to it so much.”
“And not have this amazing event happen?” Mazik said from the floor, still laughing. “Worth it!”
Raedren threw a pillow in Mazik’s direction.
“Sorry.” Gavi rapped her knuckles on her breastbone and cleared her throat, getting herself under control. “It’s just not what we expected.”
The three of them had assembled in Mazik and Raedren’s room after the others had excused themselves to go to sleep. Raedren and Mazik were both sitting on—or in Mazik’s case, near—their beds, while Gavi had taken a seat on a small chest of drawers.
Gavi wrapped her arms around one leg and pulled it to her chest. “I guess you weren’t up for an open relationship?”
“No, thank you.” Raedren shook his head. “One of the reasons I want to get married is to no longer have to date. That’s the goal.”
“I thought love was the goal?”
“That too.”
Gavi chuckled. She shifted, pulling her other leg to her chest. “Well, I think I agree. It doesn’t bother me if someone else wants to do it, but I don’t think I could handle it. I think I would get jealous.”
“Me too,” said Mazik, who was picking himself off the floor. He flopped onto his bed and rested his chin on his arms. “Dating is fun, but I think I’d rather find one person I want to keep going on dates with, you know? A partner I can always trust and be with. Kind of like you two! Except for, you know, with sexy times.”
“You two do sleep in the same room a lot,” Gavi pointed out. “I don’t know what you get up to.”
Raedren rubbed his forehead. “Thanks. Now that image is in my mind. I’ll never be able to look at Maz the same way again.”
Mazik struck a pose and wiggled his butt. He winked. “You know you like it.”
Raedren buried his head in his pillow. Mazik and Gavi laughed.
“Speaking of significant others, do you mind if I tell Kalenia about what happened?” Mazik pointed at the door. “I need to go call her anyway.”
Raedren sighed. “Fine.”
“Yipee! I’ll be back in a while.” The door swung shut behind him.
Now Raedren and Gavi were alone. Gavi stretched her legs, then walked over to Mazik’s bed, but didn’t sit down. “How are you feeling? Need a hug?”
Raedren shook his head. “I’m fine.”
Gavi hugged him anyway. “Don’t worry,” she said as she let go and sat across from him. “You’ll find someone. We’ll still help you out, too. It’s just …”
“Hmm?”
“Next time, I think Mazik or I will ask if any woman you’re interested in is open to traveling.” Gavi chuckled. “And whether she’s single, I guess.”
“No, that’s okay. I can do it.”
“Definitely wasn’t an offer.” Gavi glared at him, then softened it into a smile. “We’re just going to do it. Beat us to it if you want to do it yourself.”
Raedren scratched his beard. He was sure he was blushing beneath it. “Yeah, well … thanks.”
“But the rest is up to you!” Gavi tousled Raedren’s hair, like she usually did with Mazik. “You deserve to at least have better luck in love than me.”
Raedren stared at her for a long second. “Which reminds me. I’ve been meaning to ask you—”
“Anyway, I’m tired,” interrupted Gavi. “I’m heading to bed.” She was already halfway out the door when she waved over her shoulder. “Night.”
Raedren stared after her as the door closed. “Mhm. Good night.”
Adventure Eight
Dog Days
Gavi woke up in an unfamiliar bed.
She sat up, her drowsiness evaporating. She clutched the quilt to her chest as her eyes darted around the room. It was empty. She could see her sword, knife, and holdout crossbow on top of the dark mahogany chest at the foot of the bed, and her backpack was in the corner. The door was open, another room visible beyond.
Gavi pulled back the covers. She was still in her clothes from the night before, though her jacket and boots were neatly arranged on the chair near her backpack. She patted her chest—both her arrowhead pendant and the focus crystal she was borrowing from Mazik were there.
She swung her legs out of bed. She didn’t remember going to sleep here last night. She rubbed her forehead, her mind still fuzzy. She remembered going to bed at an inn in Gernd, a Jihnsruckian border town where she, Mazik, and Raedren had accepted their next quest. They had been sharing a room, one larger than the one she was in now. And sure, she’d had a decent amount to drink last night, but she didn’t think she had gotten so drunk as to—
Oh. The quest. Gavi rubbed the bridge of her nose as the memories trickled in. They had been hired to defend some town, but apparently its location was a secret, so they had agreed to be brought there blindfolded. Their employers had woken them up not long after they had gone to sleep. Gavi vaguely remembered being blindfolded, climbing into a cart … and then she woke up here.
I must have fallen back asleep. She let out a breath as she ran a hand through her hair, collecting it in a tail behind her. Her mind felt like it was covered in a thick sheet of wool. I must have drunk more than I realized.
Her muscles unknotting as she calmed her nerves, Gavi walked to the end of the bed. She picked up her sword and knife, sheathing the latter at her side. Next to them was her backup focus crystal, the ring Mazik had looted during their adventure in Saffir, as well as the throwing knives she had taken to hiding in her boots. She left them where they were for now.
Still unnerved despite her own assurances, Gavi crept silently to the door.
She first noticed that the room was only a little larger than the one she had been sleeping in. Off to the right was a small table, big enough to fit perhaps two people, though three chairs were clustered around it. A small cupboard and an icebox sat in the corner. The other half of the room was sparsely furnished, with a wicker couch along the opposite wall, two papasan chairs in the corner, and a rug in the middle. There were also hangings on every wall, though the illustrations were so stylized Gavi couldn’t tell what they depicted.
Not that she tried. Her focus was on the mattress which had been laid out over the rug, and upon which lay Mazik, sleeping soundly. His belongings were neatly stacked on the couch above him.
Gavi’s shoulders finally relaxed. Mazik wouldn’t be sleeping so peacefully if anything were wrong.
She noticed two more doors in the apartment. The one in the dining area had locks on this side, which meant it probably led outside. Gavi walked to it and turned one of the knobs, taking some comfort from the sound of the tumblers clicking into place, even though she kept telling herself nothing was wrong; naturally, she ignored herself. The other lock required a key, so she left it.
The other door opened into a room identical to hers, save it was Raedren and his belongings resting inside. His chest rose and fell peacefully, his snoring at a late-morning low. His glasses were folded carefully on the nightstand.
Gavi set her sword on the table in the dining area. She took a deep
breath, and let it out slowly. “Okay,” she said to herself. “Time to wake these idiots up.”
She padded over to Mazik. He was laying on his back, his head lolled to the side and his limbs splayed. She smiled at his goofy sleeping face, and then bent over and shook his shoulder. “Hey. Wake up.”
Mazik smacked his lips. “Mmm …” He rolled toward her, and before Gavi could react he yanked her onto the mattress with him.
“Wha—!”
Mazik pulled her close, pressing her face to his naked chest. Gavi stiffened. Mazik rubbed his cheek on her forehead and muttered something unintelligible.
Gavi’s face flushed with heat, and it felt like the tips of her ears would burst into flame. “Hey!” she hissed, not wanting to wake Raedren.
Mazik yawned and mumbled again. After a moment his arms loosened, and Gavi started to pull away.
She stopped. She gazed at Mazik’s sleeping face for several seconds, his arms still gently wrapped around her.
Her heart was pounding now. She could feel Mazik’s warmth, so close and tantalizing. She could smell his scent, equal parts spice, sweat, and bitter, woody tang. She could see the muscles on his chest, arms, and stomach.
Before she realized what she was doing, Gavi was touching his chest. She didn’t remember him being so muscular when they had last been this close, in a cold cellar after a running fight and an impromptu dip in the Houk River. The training they had been doing every day was paying off, apparently.
Gavi looked around to make sure Raedren hadn’t woken up. She saw no one. Ignoring the little voice in the back of her head, she closed her eyes and let herself relax, sinking into Mazik’s arms. It felt warm and safe. She nuzzled up to him, letting his scent wrap around her. Her lips brushed his skin—
No. She jerked away and quickly scooted out of Mazik’s reach.
Gavi took a minute to compose herself, and to straighten the quilt to hide any signs of what had happened. Once everything was back to normal, she calmly yanked the pillow out from under Mazik’s head. “Hey. Wake up.”
Freelance Heroics (Firesign Book 2) Page 27
