Dawn of the Last Dragon Rider - Chapter 078 - Separation Problems (Patreon)

“Gertrude, that makes no sense,” complained Rory, the healer for her party.  “We are going on a three-squad mission.  We need to let each squad handle their own crap.  How are we going to train golden-boy over there while working with others?”

“It’s silver- boy,” Gertrude replied as she pointed at Kaen, “and you and I both know he could kick all of our asses.  So stop worrying about him, and let's focus on what we need to collect before the mission.”

Rory snorted at her and picked up his drink, diverting his eyes to his cup and not to anyone else.

“Anyone else want to speak up?” she asked as she looked at the other group members sitting with Kaen at the table.

Brazuc, her cousin, laughed and shook his head no.

“If he’s good enough for you, I’ll stand next to him the entire time,” he roared as he wiped his beard, drenched from the amount of ale he had already drank.

“Aila?” Gertrude asked as she glanced at their elven mage.

“You know me, I prefer having someone in the back with me raining down destruction,” the elf woman answered with a laugh.

Kaen could see the advantage of standing behind everyone and casting spells.

“Then it's settled!” she exclaimed as she slammed her fist into the table.  “Once silver-boy finishes up his fancy meeting with the King, we’ll head out the next morning.  I’ll update the hall and let them know of our plans.”

Kaen glanced around the table, and everyone seemed completely fine walking into a fight versus a hundred-plus creatures.

“Is no one worried about what we are going to face?” asked Kaen.  “I know you are all experienced, but you almost died on the last quest you took.”

Each of their faces twisted differently, some upset and some with a bit of fear.

“That was different,” Grazuc informed him.  “We didn’t have enough range damage.  Aila couldn’t handle that many by herself.  With you and a stack of arrows, I don’t see how they will be able to get close.”

“What about the orcs?  What if there is one of the tall ones?”

Waving Kaen’s questions off, Gertrude tapped the table with her stubby finger.

“Listen, Kaen.  You have three full parties, all experienced and each with a solid grouping of classes.  We could handle one of those guys on our own.  Sure, it would hurt. Yes, Grazuc might die, but we are all ok with that.”

Roaring with laughter, Gruzac nodded before taking another drink.

“You just want the land I’m owed when I die.  I’m afraid I’ll disappoint you again!”

All the others except Rory laughed at some joke Kaen was not aware of yet.

Listening to them tell their stories or share private jokes felt weird.  He was enjoying it but knew he couldn’t get too close.  Soon, he would leave all of them to join Pammon, limiting his ability to work with others.

“Why are you frowning?” asked Aila.  “Your cat died or something?”

Kaen saw everyone looking at him and quickly put on a smile.

“I just realized what I had been missing by not having a party like you.  Don’t get me wrong, Hess is pretty awesome, yet he snores loud, smells, and can’t cook.”

“You just described Gertrude,” stated Gruzac, earning an elbow and a scowl from Gertrude as she began stroking her beard braids.

“Ignore him, he’s an idiot.”

They all laughed again, agreeing that she was right.

“What is wrong?” Sulenda asked as she watched in horror as Hess tore through some pouches he had brought from Minoosh.  “You are scaring me!”

Turning around, he saw the look on her face and tried to smile but knew he could not.

“I need to make sure Kaen has everything he needs for this next mission of his!”

Sulenda approached Hess and grabbed his hand as he reached for another pouch.

“Tell me! Tell me what I am missing!”

He hung his head and shook it side to side.

“I cannot tell you anything other than what his squad is going to face will be harder than they expect.”

Sulenda caught him off guard as she grabbed his arm and pulled him in for a hug.

“It’s okay if he grows up. You can’t always be there to watch him,” she whispered as she felt him squeeze her back.

He nodded, and no words came out.  He couldn’t bring himself to speak.  Doing so would betray his promise.

“Thank you,” he replied, holding the embrace for as long as he could.

She nodded, letting herself enjoy the moment, believing Hess was finally letting go of his obligation to Kaen.

“You look distracted, Hess, what's up?”

Kaen had noticed that all during dinner, Hess had been quiet and not his usual talkative self.

Hess looked up from his mug of ale and smiled at Kaen.  His heart ached to tell him the truth, but he knew he couldn’t.

“Just preparing for the next stage in things,” he lied.  “You are going to be off on your own, forgetting about me, saving the world, while I’ll be stuck in this place, probably cleaning dishes if I’m not careful.”

“Well, thank the spirits. Sulenda is smart enough not to ask you to cook!” teased Kaen.  “No one would come in here to eat if she did that.”

Hess chuckled and nodded.

“I got something for you, one last gift for you as you go off on your own with your group.”

He pulled a small pouch and tossed it across the table, where Kaen snatched it mid-air.

Opening it up, Kaen’s eyes lit up.

“Are these what I think they are?”

Hess nodded and smiled.

“That should put you above forty.  Make sure to wear all your gear on this next mission.  No point in taking any chances.”

Kaen nodded as he plucked the two rings out and slid them onto his fingers.

“If I said it sometimes feels like I move faster than others, would that make sense?” Kaen asked as he flipped the pouch back to Hess.  “Is it because of how I stack up against others?”

Nodding, Hess took the empty pouch and returned it to where he had taken it from.

“When we fought in the woods, I was not too far behind you, but now you would easily dodge me unless I used a skill you weren’t prepared for.  If things keep progressing as they seem to be, I doubt anyone here could land a shot or blow on you when you have all your equipment on.”

Kaen started to pick up a potato from his plate and stopped.

“How close would you say you were before these, dexterity-wise?”

Hess shook his head and shrugged.

“Just because I know your numbers doesn’t mean I’m going to share mine.”

Groaning, Kaen picked up the potato and popped it into his mouth.  He enjoyed these small ones as the cook always had them cooked perfectly and seasoned to his taste.

“Gertrude's squad is different,” Kaen blurted out as he watched Hess, waiting for a reaction.  “She told me they had been together for a few years and only lost one person in all that time.  A rogue, which is why she doesn’t want another one in the group.”

Hess just nodded, taking a drink and not responding.

Frustrated, Kaen tapped the table with his fork.

“You sure you’re ok? Something seems off.  Was it what Fiola wanted to talk to you about?”

Hess closed his eyes and sighed.

“Kaen, I need you to listen to what I’m going to say.”

Opening his eyes, he leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest.

“I have a quest, as does a lot of other people in a few days.  I have a lot of things on my mind, and making sure you’re prepared for this next step is my biggest concern,” he declared as he began to scoot out of the booth.  “So I am distracted.  Worrying about you and the team I’m going to be leading.  Enjoy your dinner, enjoy tomorrow, and be ready for the King in two days.”

Kaen started to say something as Hess moved off after he finished speaking.

I can feel you are frustrated.  What is going on?

Hess… he is just acting weird.  I think he is taking the whole last quest together badly.  I don’t know.

Give him some space.  I can tell he is still worried about you.  I’m upset I can’t see you for a week.  Thinking about it drives my scales crazy already.

I know. I don’t want to think about it either.  After this quest is over, I’ll come out to the woods, and we will hang out for a few days.  Hess says soon enough, we will get to tell others about us and not have to hide it anymore.

I can’t wait!

Both of them felt the feelings they had mixing through their bond.  It was like missing an arm, not having the other nearby.

As Kaen sat there, chatting with the occasional adventurer who visited the inn and felt the need to engage him in conversation, a man dressed in fine servant clothes made a beeline to his booth.

“Sir Kaen?” the man asked as he bowed slightly.

“Just Kaen or Kaen Marshell, please,” Kaen answered with an eye roll.  “I prefer no fancy titles as I don’t think I am owed them.”

The man nodded, and a slight smile of approval crossed his face.

“I have a letter for you,” he stated as he handed it to him.  “If you would, please read it and let me know your answer.”

Kaen saw the smooth ivory envelope with a wax seal on it in the man's hand.  Taking it, he could feel the paper was of exceptional quality.  As he brought it to his face, he could smell something.

Smiling, he knew it was from Ava even before he glanced at the seal, noticing the two intertwined snakes.

****

Kaen,

If you would like, my servant here will bring you to my carriage outside, and we could go for a ride for a few hours.

Ava

****

After reading the letter, he read it once more to make sure he understood it correctly.

“She’s outside?” Kaen whispered as he leaned toward the man.

He nodded yes, and his smile only showed now on one side.

“Would you like me to take you to her or tell her you are too busy?” he asked as he motioned around the inn, which was only a fourth full tonight.

“Take me to her!” he announced as he almost leaped from his booth.

“Follow me,” he said, turning immediately and leading Kaen to the inn's entrance.

Outside sat the same type of carriage her father had arrived in.  It was a slightly different color.  A little more… feminine, he figured.  A soft rose color.  The twin snakes were embossed on the door, and small lightstones were on each corner of the cart, gently glowing in the evening night.

When the man opened the door, Kaen saw Ava sitting inside, smiling, with a book on her lap, wearing a dress that was too formal compared to the standard tunic and pants he was wearing.  Her hair was done, and she looked more radiant than he could remember.

“You going to stand out there with your mouth open trying to catch flies or join me?” Ava teased as she smiled at him.

Bounding into the carriage, Kaen almost ran into her from his excitement.  He glanced around and saw there were two benches inside the cart and almost sat down on the one across from her till Ava moved over a little and tapped the spot next to her.

He nodded and sat down beside her, not realizing that her servant had closed the door behind him.

“What are you doing here?” he asked as he looked at her outfit.  “You look like you are going to some ball or something.”

Ava batted her massive eyelashes and nodded.

“There was a dinner and event at another lord's house, but I was bored and left.  I have a few hours before I need to be home and thought I might ask you what you think of my dress.”

Looking at her, he tried to keep his eyes from betraying his thoughts. The neckline was low enough to show that she was a well-developed woman, and her skin was tanned everywhere it showed.  With her hair done behind her and the ornaments in it, he could not believe he had ever managed to dance with her.

“I am afraid words would not do me justice in describing you with anything but beautiful.”

She chuckled and rolled her eyes.

“That will do, I guess, only because I can tell you can’t keep your eyes off of me.”

Kaen shrugged and glanced around the inside of the carriage.  The two lightstones inside it lit up the space they shared enough right now to notice the fine cloth on each seat and the gold and silver used as decorations on the walls and ceiling.

When his attention got back to her, he saw her tapping her book and waiting on him.

“What do you think?”

“Of you? I already answered that question,” teased Kaen.

“The carriage, you fool.  I can see you have never been around something like this before.”

Nodding, Kaen pointed to the gold line that ran across the ceiling.

“I’m a guy who grew up breaking rocks at a quarry.  The idea of using gold as a decoration seems… well, it seems like something stupid.  We would have spent that on food or others.”

Ava nodded, not put off by his honesty.

“And yet you are meeting with the King in two days, and I feel you might need some help with that.  My dad told me about your mishap and how you tried to promise him something.  I’d like to help prevent such a thing from happening if you are willing.”

“I would appreciate that!” exclaimed Kaen as he stared at her green eyes.  “What do you have in mind?”

“Tomorrow, you will come to my house and meet my mother while my dad is busy with business matters,” Ava stated as she leaned a little closer to Kaen.  “I must warn you she is extremely excited to meet you.”

Kaen felt his face turning red, and his eyes were lost on Ava as she stopped just a few inches from him.

“Uh… okay,” he finally blurted out, his brain lost in the fog of hormones and things running through his mind.

Ava rolled her eyes and shook her head as she leaned back on her spot.

“Kaen Marshell, what am I going to do with you,” she said with a mocking sigh.  “Rumor has it you like to tease girls and lead them on, yet I don’t get that from you right now.”

She sat there, tapping her finger on her book again, watching him process what she had said.

“I’m sorry,” he finally blurted out as he took a breath.  “You caught me off guard.  Showing up in a carriage, dressed like you are now, looking and smelling the way you do!  I smell like a guy who has sat in a tavern for a few hours and looks like it.  My hair isn’t done, my breath probably smells like potatoes and pheasant, and all I can think of is how amazing you look and how much I want to kiss you, but I don’t want to because I’m afraid you’ll think I smell or it tastes funny.”

Holding his hands up in frustration, he grunted.

“Does that make sense?” he asked as he watched her smile at him.

She nodded and put her book on the seat beside her.

“Yes, it does,” she answered quietly as she moved a little closer.  “So stop talking and thinking and just kiss me already.”