Dawn of the Last Dragon Rider - Chapter 044 - The Trip Home (Patreon)

I cannot imagine what I would do without you.  Even now, I know that I would be unable to continue without your strength.

Kaen was handling the cart as Aubri sat next to him on the front bench, laying her head on his shoulder and sitting silently.  The last three hours since they had left with the head of the orcs and Luca’s body had been in almost complete silence.

Aubri had not complained when he offered to take over and let her recover after everything she had suffered.  She had not paid attention to any of the dead orcs, which made things easier on Kaen.  No one would see the wounds that Pammon had inflicted upon the massive orc.  Kaen had cut off its armor and hacked off its shoulder parts, also just in case anyone attempted to investigate the scene.  No use leaving evidence that might point to Pammon.

How is your injury?

I am fine now, Pammon informed Kaen.  My haunches and claws are still a bit sore, but I have recovered.  As you know, I ate a deer, and it seemed to help.  I might have eaten the orcs, but you are probably correct someone will come and investigate the scene.  I would rather not leave tracks for them.

Did you know you could attack like that?  We had never practiced that before.

Pammon chuckled through their connection.

I have killed many deer with an attack like that.  Often I would scoop them up and finish them in the air if they were still alive.  I had to learn to control my speed as I snapped a few in half from hitting them too hard, wasting a lot of meat.

I’m just glad you didn’t crash when you hit that monster of an orc!  I cannot imagine how heavy it was.

A chuckle drifted through the bond.  Kaen knew Pammon was overhead now, high above them, watching out for him.

I am glad also.  I am sure he would have been easy to lift off the ground in time, but that day is a long time away.  Possibly years.

The thought of years being required for Pammon to grow that big boggled Kaen’s mind.  Pammon had already grown larger and faster than he could have imagined.  Hess had mentioned the size of a full-grown dragon, and it seemed impossible to believe six months ago that Pammon might ever reach that size.  Now that growth potential seemed only a time problem.

Lost in his thoughts, Kaen found himself drifting toward the edge of the road, and a few bumps from rocks and divots jolted him from his mind and caused Aubri to sit up.

“We are almost to the camp spot.  I can cook dinner,” she stated.

“I don’t mind cooking and setting things up,” Kaen replied.  “Or, if you prefer, we can just eat some dried jerky and fruit and enjoy a fire.”

Aubri nodded and leaned her head back on Kaen’s shoulder.

“Maybe just a simple meal today would be best.  I should be fine in the morning.”

Kaen nodded and patted Aubri’s knee as he made sure to stay on the road.

They slept in the cart that night, and she asked if she could sleep next to him.  She nestled up against Kaen’s side and put her head on his chest.  She was asleep in less than a minute, and all Kaen could think about was how hot it was with her next to him like that!

Aubri appeared to be her usual cheerful self when they woke up the next morning.

She was wearing the leather armor she had tucked away in a backpack and had just a sword on her hip.

“Let’s just eat the dried food again and get on the road if that is ok with you.”

Already prepared for that possibility, Kaen pulled out his jerky and fruit pack that Hess had somehow known he would need.

“I will have to thank Hess for this.  He is the one who told me I would need this.”

Aubri laughed, took the pouch Kaen offered, and pulled out a strip of meat.

“Hess is a great mentor.  He knows that many times you may not have the time or feel the need to stop for hours and cook.”

Hearing Aubri laugh made Kaen relax.  He had no idea how one handled losing a friend like this.  It was hard enough on him when Cale was injured in Minoosh during the orc and goblin attack.  Knowing his friend was alive was a blessing, but he also felt the pain of his friend forever being crippled.

I need to fly to the east and let you be.  I do not want to risk flying over the pass in the mountains.  I am not certain if there is anyone watching the sky from there.

Thank you for watching over us, Pammon.  I will let you know as soon as I find out how things go.

Kaen smiled at Aubri, who was still talking.  For the last hour, she had been talking non-stop after she had made him tell her his whole life.  She had gone crazy for a while when she found out he was Hoste’s son.  The thought that Hoste’s son had saved her seemed more special than when he was just ‘Kaen.’  Now she felt the need to share about her life as they were only an hour or so from the pass.

“So for my forty-seventh birthday, my youngest sister bought me the sword I carry.  I have enjoyed using it for the last five years.”

Kaen snapped out of the fog he had been in and jerked himself to the side a little.

“Your fifty-two years old?!” he exclaimed.  “You don’t look like you are out of your twenties!”

Aubri grimaced but still blushed as she realized she had shared something she had not intended to share.

“Ahh… can we forget I just mentioned how old I am?  I did not realize I was rambling on like that!”

Kaen laughed, shook his head no, and opened his mouth to speak.

“I swear if you say, I’m old enough to be your mother, I will beat you within an inch of your life,” Aubri threatened as her face scowled and her eyebrows furled.

Kaen laughed and shook his head no.

“I was just going to say how this all makes sense now!  Hess does not look as old as I think he is, and most adventurers seem younger than I would expect a silver or gold token adventurer to be!  How does the lifestone affect aging?”

Aubri laughed and shook her head, letting the scowl she had been prepared with fade from her face.

“Once you hit about twenty-five, it slows down how fast you age.  Most adventurers can live sixty-plus years without looking past thirty-five if they have not suffered too many injuries in battle.  I am afraid even with the potion you gave me, I will age a bit in the next year after the injuries I received yesterday.”

The moment Aubri spoke about the fight with the orc, her attitude shifted for a few seconds, and she glanced back into the cart where Luca’s body was wrapped up in a special cloth that greatly slowed the aging of a corpse.  They had set it outside the cart last night when they slept, its presence was too much for her.

“Well, I doubt you will lose any of the beauty you obviously possess,” Kaen teased as he attempted to bring her back from the depression she was shifting toward.  “In fact, if I happened to see you in a bar and didn’t know you, I would absolutely walk over to you and use my best lines on you.”

Aubri looked back at Kaen, saw the smile on his face, and started laughing.
“Perhaps you should try one on me right now and see if it would work?”

Holding up his hand and shaking his head no, Kaen chuckled.

“Sorry, you will just have to find your way into an inn near me and see if it works there.”

Giggling like a young girl, Aubri shook her head and rolled her eyes.

“Perhaps I will.  For now, we need to focus on the report we will have to give once we are back.  Most of it will fall to you.  Make sure you tell the truth as if they doubt anything, they might use other methods to test what you reported.”

He had heard of those methods from Hess.  There were crystals they could make someone use if the cause or need was deemed worth it to force the truth from individuals.  It was frowned upon unless there was a reason given for why such a thing was needed.

Kaen nodded and pretended to listen to Aubri as he thought about what he was going to say.  Luca would get all the credit for the giant orc.  He still did not know what it was classified as, and even Aubri seemed hesitant now to say what it would be finally labeled as.  He would say he got lucky with a shot after Luca gave his life, burning it with lightning, and finishing it with his final arrow.  The more honor he gave Luca, the less they would push.

The guards had seen them as they approached the pass, and once word was conveyed about the success of the mission but also the loss of Luca, riders were dispatched on some of the fastest horses Kaen had ever seen.  The sentries had cheered for a moment and then gone silent in honor when they learned the fate of Luca.  Everyone seemed to appreciate that Kaen was somber and did not mind when they acted as such.

As Aubri led the cart through the gates, adventurers and others from the town had already lined up part of the road and were cheering for Kaen.  It appeared that Fiola had not released the full truth of what had transpired on the quest.

It felt like a hero’s welcome, and Aubri smiled and waved as the people cheered for them.

“Keep smiling and waving,” Aubri whispered to him as they reached the halfway point of the merchant's alley.  “These people do not need to know yet the cost of this success.  In time they will find out, and they will pay honor to Luca.”

Nodding, Kaen kept waving and smiling.  His heart was torn. One side wanted to rejoice in what he had achieved with Pammon.  The other side of him was still struggling with the truth of how brutal an adventurer's life would be.

Up ahead, Kaen could see the crowd of people standing in a line that ran from both sides of this street up to the fountain and in front of the guild hall.

“How many are here?”

Glancing at those behind her and those up ahead, Aubri shook her head side to side as she counted in her head.

“Total, I would believe, at least four hundred since we entered the gate.  Probably almost one hundred adventurers are gathered here today to celebrate you and what you have done.”

Aubri smiled at Kaen and gave a playful wink before lifting taking a hand from the reign.  Aubri cupped Kaen’s cheek in her hand and stroked her thumb against it for a moment.  She moved her hand to the back of his neck and pulled his head toward her.

Closing his eyes, Kaen quickly licked his lips and puckered them up.

When her lips brushed his forehead, his eyes popped open, he saw Aubri starting to chuckle.

“Oh Kaen, Kaen, Kaen.  You are going to make some girl a lucky woman.  Thank you for saving me, but I will pass on letting you waste your words on me.  I will never forget what you did for Luca and me.”

She let go of his neck, and Kaen sat back and tried to hide his embarrassment with a laugh.

“Can’t blame a guy for trying, can you?”

Aubri shook her head no and laughed.

“No.  No, I can’t.”