Author's Notes:

The Wood Knot Warrior Part 3 is my contribution to the third Tales of Leinyere Story Event... that never happened.

Continuing the story of Dell du Krane, Eryllis Harrowane, and Kharza.

All characters engaging in sexual relationships or activities are 18 years old or older.

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Tales of Leinyere - The Wood Knot Warrior Part 3

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Chapter 1

Karter du Krane blinked his eyes open as his body clock told him it was time to get up. He'd developed this discipline from years of being the manager of the Wood Knot Inn. He was responsible for keeping the inn and restaurant businesses running smoothly and maintaining the inn's status as a neutral and protected territory for arbitrating territorial or cultural disputes. With Humans, Wood Elves, Dwarves, and Orcs living close to each other, the need for his skills to prevent bloodshed kept him busy.

Thankfully, nobody had been on the warpath in the last month.

He was more relaxed today than six months earlier as his son, Dell, was back in the kitchen. After being abducted by Pixies, then off galivanting to bring justice to the wicked, he'd finally settled back into his favorite role of being their chef.

A smile appeared on his face as he thought of how much of their success was due to his son's incredible talent in the kitchen. Their reputation for delicious meals exceeded most of the high-end culinary establishments in Grennesh. The inn's rustic setting and comfortable atmosphere would never outclass the fine dining restaurants with their glamor. Still, the Wood Knot Inn couldn't be beat for pure satisfaction from an excellent meal.

It tickled him that his competitors up there inside the city's walls were grinding their teeth in frustration as, time after time, they failed to lure Dell away with promises of riches and fame. They'd even tried to poach Dell's team, but Karter paid them well, ensured their families were taken care of, and they loved the atmosphere.

The only issue they faced now was they had more business than tables! The dining room was twice as large as it once had been, but their reputation was attracting even more customers! Thankfully, Dell had the kitchen working like precision-engineered clockwork. His team was brilliant at preparing and serving the meals Dell created. He also had ingredients prepared in advance in the cold cellar should he need to take some time away from the inn. The team was trained to make a wide variety of favorites, so this eased Karter's worries when Dell was away.

The latest addition to their family, Tawna the Pixie Princess, hadn't returned from the Tanglewood yet but Dell said he received the occasional mental touch from her, so she was well. Her connection to his son was another impressive bit of magic. Thankfully, it seemed to do no harm.

He had some appointments in Grennesh, so he pushed himself out of bed to start his day.

It felt good to have his family back.

-=-

"Diced cucumbers would give it a satisfying crunch," Dell said.

"But it has the lettuce and grated carrot for that," Maggie argued. "Does it need more spicy sauce?"

Dell examined the folds, but they seemed to contain the filling without leaks... so far.

He shook his head. "There's enough to enhance the flavor of the chicken pieces without it becoming a drippy mess when eaten."

He'd been trying to teach Maggie his skills as she was his senior assistant in the kitchen, but she seemed to have a block in the creativity side of cooking. She could follow Dell's instructions which made her a good backup for when he was away, but she wouldn't be creating any culinary masterpieces on her own.

"Dell! We have a courier in the lobby looking for a signature! Karter's in the city."

The chef looked toward the kitchen doorway at Hildy, who grinned in delight at seeing him so absorbed in a new creation.

Dell smiled and nodded. "Yes! An impartial test subject!" he said to Maggie, who rolled her eyes.

He quickly tucked his experiment into a paper sleeve and walked to the Inn entrance, where a tall, slim man in a courier's vest stood waiting. The man's cheeks were pink from the late fall cold air.

"Hi, I'm Dell du Krane. You have a delivery?" Dell asked, and the man nodded.

The man pulled an envelope and a clipboard from his pack and looked at the front. "Does a Maevria Stormguard reside at this address?"

"She does," Dell confirmed.

The man held out the board with a sheet of paper on it. "Please add your signature on line ten."

Dell signed the form, and the board went back into the courier's pouch as he handed Dell the envelope.

As the man turned to leave, Dell caught his eye. "Could I ask you for your honest opinion on a new dish I'm contemplating adding to the menu?"

The man looked at Dell in surprise. "My opinion? Uh, I'm on a delivery run, so I don't have much time...."

Dell could see the man was torn as his interest had been piqued by the wonderful scents coming from the kitchen but he was on a deadline.

"Then you're in luck, as this is meant to be eaten while on the go! It will only take a moment," Dell said with a smile and handed the paper sleeve to the man to accept.

"What is it?" the slim man said as he looked closer at the tubular meal in his hand.

"I'm calling it a wrap! The outer layer is unleavened flatbread wrapped and folded around the filling. This one has roast chicken in a spicy sauce with greens. Take a bite and let me know what you think," Dell explained.

The man lifted it to his mouth and took a bite.

His eyebrows rose at the chewy-crispy texture then the spicy sauce reached his tongue, quickly followed by the tangy roast chicken. His eyes closed as his chewing slowed.

Dell grinned as he already knew it was a hit.

When the man finally finished his first bite, his eyes opened, and he looked at Dell. "That's delicious! It conveniently fits in the hand, and the taste is incredible. It's crunchy and tangy, and the outer layer is soft and chewy!"

Dell smiled at the man and saw him reluctantly passing the wrap back.

"No, no! You can have it as thanks for your participation," Dell insisted, watching the courier's face light up. The man raised the treat in his hand in salute and rushed out the door. Dell saw him taking another big bite as he hustled away. Obviously, it would be going on the menu.

He spotted Opphai walk in from the dining room. She'd quickly become an integral part of the team, and her endless cheer lightened the mood of any room she entered. While she was taller and more muscular than Dell, there was no intimidation factor with her as she looked so soft with her fluffy, pointed cat's ears and long, thick braid of hair hanging down her back. Her server's dress lifted her significant breasts to expose the white skin of her cleavage while clinging to her extra generous curves.

"Opphai, could I ask you to bring this upstairs to Maevria!" Dell asked, and the tall, white-skinned female skipped over to Dell to take the envelope with a smile and rushed away.

Dell took a moment to recover from witnessing her chest bouncing so dramatically then walked back into his kitchen with a sigh of satisfaction.

Time to prep for the lunch rush!

-=-

Eryllis was almost back to the inn from her foraging task. Dell mentioned he needed some star crescent mushrooms for a new pasta dish he wanted to try. He said they needed to have a strong umami. This would give the sauce its rich and meaty flavor but distinctly different from his rich meat sauce.

She pulled her coat a little tighter around her as the morning's chill tried to slip inside. Winter seemed to be hurrying to push the last nice fall days away.

She smiled as she recalled something Geneviere Warrick mentioned to her in her last letter regarding the bitter bite of winter. While they hadn't had the opportunity to meet face to face yet, they'd become pen pals, writing letters to each other. That began with her thank you note for the two-wheeled cart the woman gifted her as compensation for her late brother's false claim against them. She'd been surprised by the letter that returned a week later from the woman, but she'd been charmed by the sincerity of her words and responded in kind with her own letter.

They'd tried to find an opportunity to meet in person, but their individual schedules kept this from happening. Geneviere was now the head of the Warrick household, and as such, the first families of Grennesh pulled her into their not-so-secret cabal. They were the unofficial rulers of society in the city, and the Warricks maintained a vote in this council. While her elder brother lusted for this, Geneviere found it most tedious.

Luckily, Geneviere had a brilliant mind and navigated these meetings without becoming entangled in their intrigue. She also managed to redirect their efforts toward more beneficial goals when their thirst for control led them toward darker paths.

On the few occasions Geneviere had been available, Eryllis was pulled away to handle some crisis.

She sighed, and her breath steamed.

She shifted the heavy basket on her arm. It was late in the season, so she was lucky to find what she did. Being such an expert forager, she'd filled the basket, but she was certain those were the last for the year.

As she climbed up the steps and walked in the front door, she inhaled the wonderous scents from the kitchen, and her stomach grumbled at being empty. She smiled as Dell was back where he belonged.

She'd recovered from his abduction, and they'd reaffirmed their love many times since then, so her mood was much lighter. Her temper was taking a well-deserved vacation.

She wondered how Kharza was enjoying her wilderness training with Ket. She shook her head with wonder as the idea of trying that with her two-year-old, Jessa, was ridiculous. Orc children grew up so much quicker.

Eryllis was crossing the bar and saw Dell leaving the kitchen in haste.

"What's wrong?" she asked as she moved to join him.

He smiled and kissed her, and this eased her worry. He took the basket from her and set it on a nearby table as he guided her towards the stairs.

"Nothing's wrong. I just got a touch from Tawna. She's coming for a visit. There was a sense of... anticipation?" he explained.

They climbed the stairs and walked into their bedroom.

"Couldn't you have received her downstairs?" Eryllis asked Dell as she removed her coat, and his face froze. She grinned at his expression.

"I... supposed I could, but this is where I instinctively went," he said softly. He gave her a self-conscious grin. "Hey! I'm not the magic user in this family. I don't know how this is supposed to work."

He turned his face toward the bed as his eyes went out of focus.

A veritable cloud of brilliantly blue butterflies appeared out of thin air above their bed and fluttered their wings excitedly. Just as quickly, they flapped out of sight, leaving behind three Pixies hovering on their wings.

First was Queen Sa Lih Pish Stella, with flowing white hair and softly glowing pale blue eyes. Next to her was Sa Lih Pish Marlah, first in line for succession with reddish-gold hair and glowing pale green eyes. Last, but not least, Sa Lih Pish Tawna with her golden yellow hair and eyes like her mother's.

Dell bowed politely to the queen, and Eryllis followed a second behind. Stella was pleased but glanced at her daughters.

"I wasn't expecting a royal visit," Dell said cautiously.

The three Pixies settled to their feet before him. Their wings disappeared, and all three bowed their heads. Stella spoke first.

"I am deeply sorry for the actions we took during your visit to the Tanglewood. Our efforts to entrap you for our selfish needs were not the behavior of civilized beings. Our need to save our people from extinction did not justify our attempt to take your freedom. I hope you can forgive us," the Queen said humbly with her head down.

"I, too, am profoundly sorry for my attitude and how I deceived you. You deserved better, and I'm ashamed of my actions. Please forgive us," Marlah added softly, eyes downcast.

Dell was stunned as this was not what he was expecting. He was very pleased and quickly glanced at Tawna, who was smiling proudly at her mother and sister. He mouthed thank you to her, and her eyes twinkled.

"I accept your sincere apology and believe we should put this unfortunate event behind us," Dell said, borrowing the words from something he'd heard his father say at one of the arbitration meetings.

Stella and Marlah looked up with relieved smiles and saw Dell curiously looking toward their tummies. Each of the three showed a little dome where his children were growing.

He smiled, and they giggled happily. "We are coming along nicely. The physicians are pleased with the progress," Stella said.

"That's wonderful! Please let me introduce my partner and the mother of our three children, Eryllis Harrowane." He looked to Eryllis. "This is Queen Sa Lih Pish Stella and Sa Lih Pish Marlah."

"I'm also grateful for your acknowledgment of the mistake of imprisoning my mate," she said evenly, and Dell felt the steel behind her calm words. Her emphasis on the word mate was not missed by anyone.

"My daughter, Tawna, was most effective in shining the light of truth on how my isolationist practices warped our perception of others. I'm ashamed to say this was largely due to my giving into my fears for my people after we were attacked. I lost a daughter in that tragic event, and it caused me to make many unfortunate decisions," Stella admitted.

Eryllis nodded and smiled at Tawna.

"Where is Kharza?" Tawna asked.

Eryllis smiled. "She's out doing wilderness survival training with her two-year-old son."

She got three astonished exclamations from the Pixies.

"Was the apology the only purpose of your leaving your palace?" Dell asked curiously.

Stella smiled. "Tawna informed me of the special nature of the inn's neutrality and how it is used for arbitration and meetings between different races."

"Yes, that's one of the roles my father manages here," Dell admitted.

Stella smiled. "Might we have a meeting with him and you two?"

"I'll have to see if he's back from Grennesh. He had business in the city," Dell explained.

"If we have time, I would love to see the Inn. Tawna has spoken fondly of it," Marlah said with a hopeful smile.

Dell smiled. "This is our bedroom. I'm not sure why I felt the need to come up here when I felt Tawna's call."

The pretty blonde's face turned a lovely shade of pink, and her mother and sister giggled. Dell assumed this meant the pull to meet here originated with Tawna.

"Let's go downstairs and see if my father has returned," Dell suggested.

They nodded, so Dell led the group to the main floor. He spotted his dad walking in the front door with Morgan Ducane, Grennesh's Master Wizard.

Karter saw Tawna, and his eyes widened in delight as he spotted two more beauties.

"Dad, could we meet in your office? I need to make some introductions. Privately," Dell said.

"I need to speak to Eryllis so I can wait out here," Morgan offered.

"No, please, you should join us," Stella insisted with a sultry smile.

Looking at her in surprise, Dell saw Tawna nod, so he went with it. "Yes, please join us."

The two men glanced at each other then Karter led the way to his office.

Once the door was closed, Dell made the introductions as the men removed their coats. Their eyes widened in surprise. They were in the presence of royalty.

Stella addressed the group. "We arrived today to officially apologize for attempting to enslave Dell so he could help the Pixie nation with our falling population numbers. Our men are becoming infertile. Dell is very fertile and was able to give children to us and a small group of Pixies in the Tanglewood. We've seen the error of our ways and are deeply sorry for how poorly we treated him."

Karter choked off what might have become a laugh but shook his head and waved his hand to ignore him. Dell glared at his father, who pretended not to see it.

Stella continued. "In speaking with Tawna, she told us of the Wood Knot Inn's status as neutral territory. She suggested we might come here to make a plea for assistance in helping boost our population with fertile male volunteers. The Pixies females who are ready for this assistance would come here. Once they've mated with the volunteer, they would return to the Tanglewood. Our children must remain within the Tanglewood from conception until their early teens to ensure a strong binding to Pixie Magic."

Dell frowned. "Should you three be here?" he asked in concern and the three Pixie's smiled at him fondly.

"Short visits are fine," Stella said.

Dell nodded in relief then his brow showed another concern. "Does this mean the children can't come to visit?"

"It would be safer for them if you visited the Tanglewood," Tawna said, and he nodded slowly.

"How would we determine which males are suitable for you?" Karter asked the Queen.

Stella smiled. "Dell tells us Humans are particularly fertile. Healthy, attractive males who are not in a monogamous arrangement with a partner. We learned that Dell had multiple partners here so we incorrectly assumed that he would not mind his activities in the Tanglewood."

Karter cleared his throat. "Any particular age restrictions?"

Dell stared at his father incredulously.

Stella chuckled. "Age between Pixies and Humans is meaningless. We live a very long time compared to Humans. You're considered young to us. We find you and your friend Morgan to be physically pleasing. If you're fertile, you'd both make excellent volunteers!"

Karter smiled widely and nodded.

Morgan looked more than a little surprised, embarrassed, and flattered.

"It's a worthy cause," Dell said to the Wizard, who flashed him an annoyed look but couldn't deny the appeal. He nodded to the Queen as well.

"Commander Falco is single, healthy, and a handsome man. I think he would be a good match for this project," Morgan added.

Marlah locked eyes with Dell. "Are you interested in volunteering? You made quite an impression when you were in the Tanglewood. I know many who would gladly mate with you!"

Eryllis looked at Marlah in shock, but the Pixie seemed surprised Eryllis would have an objection.

"Let's say I did my part for the project for now, okay?" Dell suggested gently, and Tawna gave her sister a disappointed look.

"We will support your project here at the Inn as we can maintain secrecy," Karter offered and got smiles from the ladies.

"We need to know how many Pixies will visit and how often? As information about Pixies must remain a secret, we'll need to limit the number of volunteers to only those we absolutely trust," Morgan said and got nods from Karter, Stella, Marlah, and Tawna.

Dell frowned. "Isn't there a chance of health issues for the children if there are too few volunteers? I've heard terrible stories of small villages that refused outsiders to join. After a few generations, the children began to show signs of physical and mental weakness."

Stella shook her head gently. "Inbreeding isn't something Pixies need to worry about. Pixie magic ensures all children will be born as Pixies with randomized features and characteristics but none from the non-Pixie partner. We can mate with other races but only make more Pixies. Even with Pixie-to-Pixie mating, the children often bear no resemblance to their Pixie parents."

Dell sighed in relief. So, his children with the ladies in the Tanglewood would be healthy. That was a relief. Eryllis took his hand in hers as she must have guessed his thoughts. He smiled at her.

Stella looked at her daughters. "We are very grateful you've offered to assist us with this! Now that we have a tentative agreement, we will need some time to organize the efforts at our end and will get back to you when we have a preliminary schedule worked out. Does that sound good?"

Karter nodded, and Morgan did as well, but his cheeks were glowing under his beard.

"We need to return to the Tanglewood. Can't be away too long," Marlah said.

"Thank you again!" the Queen said graciously. Then she moved to Dell and sensually kissed him. He smiled as she held his hand to her tummy. Marlah was next and glanced at Eryllis before kissing him. He touched her tummy as well.

Tawna got a full body-hug and a searing kiss before she hugged Eryllis. She pulled Dell's palm to her tummy before she moved to join her mother and sister. They waved and the butterflies appeared and took them away.

"What an extraordinary method of travel!" Morgan enthused.

"Yes, I highly recommend it!" Eryllis said with a grin, remembering their return trip from Portoa.

The wizard looked at Eryllis in surprise. "You can travel this way?"

She grinned and nodded. "Only from someplace to the Inn and only if Dell casts the spell."

Morgan looked at Dell, who was frowning. "You have magic!" the wizard exclaimed in surprise.

"No, I don't. I do have a mental connection to Tawna somehow. I can link to her and ask her to cast the spell to bring me home. Or us home, as that's how Eryllis and I returned from Portoa on our last mission there."

Morgan blinked in astonishment. "Pixie magic is a wondrous thing!"

"Says the Wizard," Eryllis teased.

"Ah, well. I'm allowed to be impressed with magic outside my area of expertise," he said defensively.

Eryllis nodded. "You said you wanted to speak to me?"

"That's my cue to get back to the kitchen. That basket of mushrooms for me?" Dell said as he gave Eryllis a kiss. She smiled at him and nodded, so he left the room.

"I've got some business to do as well," Karter said, hinting that he'd like his office back.

Eryllis stuck her tongue out at him playfully and guided Morgan back to the mostly empty bar. They took a table by the outer wall and watched the early arrivals for the lunch hour begin to stream in and head for the dining room to be seated.

Morgan got right to it. "I've received word from the council of Ghelli'Talesh that Lerrisen Kerowick has suddenly taken ill. I believe it may be a poisoning as Lerrisen was having a conflict with another Wizard from a neighboring village, and it had become heated. As I can no longer pass through the Mistveil Woods, would you go in my stead to check on my friend?"

Eryllis had no desire to return to the village of her birth, but Morgan and Lerrisen helped save Dell and her from the curse on the sword and staff, so she owed them both. "Yes, I will."

Morgan sighed in relief. "Thank you! I don't know what poison was used—"

"I'm well versed in the poisons available in the Mistveil Woods and their cures. I worked in my grandmother's shop through my entire childhood and teens. Of course, the most poisonous thing in that shop was Haleth herself." Eryllis pulled back on her anger. She had to let that go. Her life was so much better now.

The wizard looked a little uncomfortable. "I'll leave first thing in the morning," she said to ease his mind.

His smile returned. "Thank you! Lerrisen has a scrying crystal he uses to communicate with me on mine. Please let him know I'm waiting to hear from him."

Eryllis' smile returned, hearing Morgan's concern for his friend. "I will get him to contact you the moment he can."

She saw the relief on his face as they stood, and he nodded as he slipped his coat on and made his way to the exit.

Here was another crisis preventing her from visiting Geneviere. She'd have to write her a quick note tonight to postpone their meeting yet again.

Eryllis could no longer wait to eat as they delicious scents from the kitchen were making her tummy rumble constantly.

She entered the kitchen and met Dell walking toward her with something in his hand.

"Here. I could hear your stomach growling from the next room!" he said with a teasing grin.

"What is it?" she said, looking at the tubular bread wrapped in paper.

"I call it a wrap. This one contains seasoned chicken and greens with a spicy sauce," he said as she plucked it from his fingers.

Eryllis took a bite and closed her eyes in joy as the delicious flavors and interesting textures combined.

"Zhis iz lubbly!" she exclaimed around her bite.

"Hey! Less talking. More eating," Dell said with a smirk.

He kissed her cheek, then went back to the prep station.

Eryllis tried to eat slowly, to savor the flavor, but it was too good. She finished the meal and sighed happily.

"That was wonderful! Thank you!" she said.

"You're welcome!" he said over his shoulder as his production line picked up speed for the lunch orders.

Eryllis decided to tell him about her trip to the Mistveil Woods later.

She decided to go upstairs to see her children. Maevria would be giving them their lessons, but she could pop in to see how they were doing.

She saw her children diligently writing in their notebooks when she got upstairs. Working on their personal projects. She looked over at Maevria with a smile, which quickly faded as she saw the old Dwarf was clutching a letter with a look of dread in her eyes.

"Maevria, what's wrong?" she asked as she moved to her side.

"Word from my daughter in the village for Grobrir Mine. There was an accident, and now the village is under attack by warriors who sound like smaller versions of Opphai. She wasn't sure if the letter would get out. She sent it... in case they were overrun. They were preparing for a siege," the old mother said. "I'm too old to do that journey again. I'd never get there in time."

"We'll—" Eryllis suddenly remembered she'd promised to save Lerrisen. She couldn't be in two places at once. She needed to get to the Wood Elf Wizard and cure him of the poison. Dell could go to the mine, but she didn't want him going alone. What a terrible time for Kharza to be off playing in the woods!

"You said the warriors look like Opphai?" Eryllis asked.

"That's how she described them. Just not as big," Maevria confirmed.

She was thinking of a plan. She'd heard from Kharza that Opphai was extremely strong. She slapped a man so hard and fast that Kharza said he disappeared and was a bag of broken bones afterward. This sounded like someone who could assist Dell on the trip. She might also be able to speak to these warriors to get them to back off.

Eryllis held Maevria's eyes. "I will ask Dell to investigate the conflict at the mine. Opphai can accompany him. I wish I could go, but I must travel to the Mistveil Woods on a mission for Wizard Ducane."

The old Dwarf gave her a trembling smile. Hope was returning to her eyes.

Eryllis smiled and nodded as she thought of the details she should deal with tonight before her mission and Dell's.

Chapter 2

Kharza grinned as Ket ran ahead to collect his prize. They would be eating well tonight as rock fowl were meaty birds. The child's skill with the sling Dell made for him improved daily. His ability to throw rocks by hand was excellent, but being able to kill with those rocks from a distance meant he could hunt with greater success. That made all the difference in his wilderness survival training.

She heard a sudden snarl and squeak before seeing Ket running back to her as fast as his legs could take him. This was another gift from Dell. Ket's body was strong and tall from his father's physique, so he was a natural runner, even at two.

He wasn't running in a straight line, so she knew there was a threat following. She unhooked her battle axe and prepared. Ket shot past her and didn't stop until he found a defensible spot.

A second later, a large Orc male rushed through the brush to stop suddenly when he saw the female blocking his path with a wicked axe in her hands. She saw the dead rock fowl dangling from his belt.

They stood facing each other, assessing the threat potential.

"The spawn is yours then?" the male said boldly.

"Are you in the habit of hunting children?" she responded with scorn in her voice.

As he scowled, she took his measure again. He was roughly the same size as she was and equally powerful. His weapon of choice, still strapped to his back, was a war hammer. So, he was a brute-force warrior. His brow and small eyes didn't suggest he was much of a strategist.

"No, but I won't tolerate thieves attempting to steal dinner, which falls dead at my feet," the male sniped back.

She gave him a pitying look. "Survival lesson one, in the wild, don't eat dead beasts you didn't kill." He looked offended that she was teaching him basic lessons. She didn't let him respond. "My son killed that for our dinner."

Now, the Orc laughed. "Now you lie to my face? He is too small to hunt!"

"Do not make ugly noises of disbelief because you were not so advanced at his age," Kharza scoffed.

The warrior's scowl returned.

He flexed his chest muscles as he pulled back his shoulders. This let Kharza see the symbol he was wearing on a necklace. It was the same one the Orcs who killed her villagers wore.

"I am Drex! Warrior of the Dark Valley! Champion—"

"What are you doing so far west?" she interrupted, and his bravado became confusion as he didn't know how she knew this.

"I am on a quest to find my brothers. They all left in a raiding party years ago but never returned. They were mighty warriors. None could stand in their way!" he said with pride.

"You didn't go with them? Not mighty enough?" she goaded.

His scowl returned. "I was injured at the time. The only reason I could not join them for the glory—"

"You passed your brothers on your journey west. At different places as you crossed the plains until just east of the turn-off for Grennesh," she said.

He shook his head in confusion. "I did not meet them."

"They were in the bellies of the scavengers who picked their corpses clean."

Drex went still as he locked eyes with Kharza. "How would you know this?"

"I survived the cowardly attack of these mighty warriors, slayers of the sleeping, the elderly, and the children. I followed their path and killed them one by one until the last four ambushed me on the road to Grennesh. I might have taken one or two more before they killed me, but I met my mate that night. He killed the two I did not. I had no idea there were more of their weak seed alive.

Drex trembled in his rage, but he didn't deny her claim. He could see the truth in her eyes.

"I would know the name of my brother's killer," he managed.

"Kharza."

"The spawn is the son of you and this mate?" Drex said between his teeth as he pulled his hammer from its harness on his back.

She nodded to him as she smiled.

"Then I will kill the spawn, kill your mate, and take you as my woman. You will give me children until you have replaced all the warriors who's lives you took. Then I will kill you."

He frowned as he heard an odd whirring sound from behind the female.

When she went down on one knee, he smiled as he believed she was going to beg for their lives.

That's when the rock struck his forehead with great force.

He was dazed and stumbled back, unable to open his eyes.

He heard the axe swinging before it struck and threw himself back. He lost his grip on his war hammer, and it was struck from his hands. He lost a finger as the axe blade caught it on the handle of his weapon.

Drex struggled to open his eyes, but blood was in one, and the other would only open halfway. He grabbed the knives from his belt and slashed them at the blur before him but struck nothing.

Instead, the metal-capped end of the female's axe handle slammed into his nose, crushing it.

His legs were kicked out from under him, and he fell back, striking his head on a rock. His world began to slide away.

He heard the axe swing again and felt the flat side of the blade strike his hands. Bones broke, and his knives were knocked from his grip.

A heel was driven into his ribs, and he heard the snap of bones breaking. Breathing became painful and the shortness of breath took the rest of his strength.

When his knives were driven into his thighs, he tried to scream but fainted instead.

Kharza released her grip on his knives and stepped back to gaze down at the male. He was a mess. Likely, he wouldn't last the night.

She was considering cutting his head from his body, but Ket's hand slipped into hers, and she smiled. He was such a good son! She didn't feel like fighting any longer.

"Let's go home," she said.

Ket reached down and pulled the rock fowl from the unconscious male's belt. "Dinner!" he said as he held it up, grinning toothily at his mother.

"Okay, we'll have dinner first. Just not here."

Ket nodded, and they trotted away. They didn't want to be in the neighborhood when the hungry creatures of the night came to investigate the scent of blood.

-=-

Drex woke to the feel of something licking the wound on his leg.

His eyes were finally working, so he looked down the length of his body and saw the outline of something half his size licking his blood from his leg. Preparing to bite.

He grabbed its throat with a broken hand and contained his screams as he used his other broken hand to pull one of the knives from his leg and drive it into the creature's neck. He held on with everything he had until it was dead.

Then, he began roughly bandaging his wounds from strips of his coat.

He made a fire as this would keep the beasts away and provide warmth.

He'd eat the dead beast to replenish his energy.

His brain was working in basic survival mode.

He would make plans later for killing the spawn and the mate, then taking Kharza for his own.

-=-

After dinner and cleanup, Eryllis called a meeting with the family to discuss the new missions that had come to them. Dell agreed she needed to help Lerrisen, and he had to help Maevria. The Dwarf gave him the map she'd made on her way back from the mountain to the inn. Karter was assured that the cold cellar had enough prepared food to keep the restaurant going for a month.

The argument began when Dell said he'd go alone.

"We don't know when Kharza will be back. Opphai is an excellent choice for this mission," Eryllis argued.

Dell looked at the sweet smile on Opphai's hopeful face and felt a sinking feeling.

"Look, I understand I might be walking into a battle, but it's not like I would charge in without carefully evaluating the situation. I'm not that guy anymore! I have much better control over my temper these days.

Opphai has a sweet disposition. I wouldn't want to put her at risk!" he insisted.

"I would like to see these people who look like me. Maybe they can tell me where I come from. Maybe I can talk to them to find out why they are attacking the mine?" Opphai said, and Dell looked at her in surprise. He'd never heard her speak so many words at once or make so much sense.

He glanced over at Eryllis and saw an impressed smile on her face.

"Ah, I see. I guess that might be helpful. But what if they become violent?" he asked cautiously.

Opphai's smile widened. "Then I bust some faces!" She burst into giggles, and Dell's sinking feeling returned.

Eryllis saw his concern and took his face between her hands. "Kharza isn't here. Tawna can't be away from the Tanglewood. I promised to help Lerrisen. I need you to take Opphai. Please." She pouted.

He sighed. "No fair looking at me like that."

She smiled a little. "Did it work?"

"Yes," he sighed. He eyed the gleeful look on Opphai. "The next issue is that I'll be running all day."

Eryllis raised an eyebrow. "And?"

"She's in the same situation you claim as the reason you don't like to run!" he said in exasperation.

Eryllis grinned and pulled a wide band of stretchy fabric with straps from a bag she'd been hiding until this moment. "I prepared a running harness for Opphai!"

The female in question clapped her hands in excitement. "What is it?"

"You wear it to protect your breasts from bouncing too much and putting stress on your shoulders and back," she explained.

Opphai held it up against her chest and looked at Eryllis.

"You wear it under your clothes," Eryllis said.

"Ah!" Opphai said and pulled her dress off.

Dell spun to face away as Eryllis grinned and helped the large female pull the harness on and get her arms through the straps.

"There you go!" she said proudly.

Dell turned his head back, and his eyes threatened to fall out of his head. While she'd had cleavage before, now Opphai's breasts were being lifted and squeezed together like two ripe, enormous puffball mushrooms. Silky-white, plump goodness.

He made a quiet sound of defeat as Eryllis smiled knowingly.

"So, no problems at all!" she said smugly.

Dell sighed. "I'll prepare our travel kits."

"It's getting colder, and you'll be heading into the mountains. Pack warm. Share a tent," Eryllis said with a serious expression.

Dell stared at her, but she raised an eyebrow at him to show she was serious. He glanced at Opphai, and her white cheeks had a darling pink glow on them.

He swore her green eyes were sparkling.

-=-

Morgan rested back in his favorite chair and considered the man sitting opposite him. They'd known each other for a long time. He thought he had a pretty good read on the man, but what he was about to ask him might cause him to become upset. He'd have to be sensitive about his questions.

"Dating anyone?"

Falco eyed Morgan in surprise. "Where did that question come from?"

Morgan pinched the bridge of his nose. He really was out of touch with performing such small talk.

"Sorry. I know it sounds like an odd question, especially from me, but there's a valid reason I can share with you once you answer," he said.

Falco looked at him cautiously. He frowned. "No, I'm not seeing anyone. Not for years. My job is hard on relationships."

Morgan nodded thoughtfully. "So, uh, is the plumbing still functioning?"

Falco stood up to glare at the wizard in outrage, who held up his hands. "Please sit, and I'll explain!"

The commander sat on the edge of the seat, indicating he would leave immediately if the explanation proved to be as disturbing as the questions.

"You were brought into the loop about the Pixie's Dell du Krane met in the Tanglewood," Morgan began.

Falco nodded. "I seem to recall they kidnapped him."

"Yes, they did. They did this because the Pixie race desperately needs fertile males," the wizard explained.

Falco paused as he looked at Morgan with wide eyes. "What does their need for fertile men and my functional plumbing have to do with each other?"

Morgan nodded. "The Queen of the Pixies recently visited Dell and formally apologized for their previous actions. She then asked Karter du Krane to use his Inn's neutrality as a place where Pixie females might meet with Human male volunteers to make children."

Falco still seemed to be in a state of shock. "And you thought I might be one of these volunteers?"

Morgan nodded. "Mostly due to the need for secrecy. The volunteers must never disclose the existence of the Pixies. We can only ask those we can absolutely trust and keep the number of volunteers to a minimum."

Falco sat back further in his chair and considered the offer. "How many volunteers?"

"So far, two. Three, if you agree."

"Two? —Karter, of course, he would—YOU?" Falco gasped as he saw Morgan's expression.

The wizard looked indignant. "Why not me? I may be older, but my plumbing works, and I confirmed I'm still fertile!"

Falco held up a hand. "I don't want to know how you did that."

Morgan shook his head. "Listen, the Pixies are in a desperate state. They need to refresh their population with children who will be fertile when they reach the age of finding mates of their own."

The commander frowned. "Won't they be halflings?"

Morgan shook his head. "The queen indicated the Pixie magic in the Tanglewood ensures the children only have Pixie characteristics. The children must remain in the Tanglewood from conception until their teens. It's a completely unique form of magic! We can't let it die out!" he said excitedly.

Falco looked uncomfortable. "I don't know how the three of us will be able to achieve this... refreshing."

Morgan smiled as he heard Falco's agreement. "Three to start. Maybe Dell will be convinced to help, though he believes he's already done his part."

Falco still looked unsure. "Is there a plan?"

"Queen Stella is working on that. She'll reach out to Karter so they can finalize the details," the wizard said with a smile.

Falco stood. "Fine. I can't say I'm completely comfortable about this, but I understand the need for secrecy, and the Pixies seem like honorable people."

"Thank you, my friend. You're one of the good ones, too!" Morgan said with a smile.

Falco headed for the door and glanced back over his shoulder. "Dating anyone? Seriously?"

Morgan winced.

Chapter 3

Sitting at the same table where their elder brother ate his last meal, Geneviere and Harold Warrick enjoyed a quiet breakfast as sunbeams played across the wall under the portraits overlooking the table.

Geneviere panned her eyes across the paintings and stopped on the one of Lucien. The portrait artist was quite good at capturing the man's smug arrogance. She thought she might inquire about the artist and commission a portrait of herself.

Not that she believed she was as beautiful or glamorous as the other women of the first families of Grennesh. Having one done was just expected, as the leaders of each house had their portraits painted and hung in their homes. Why the Warrick family chose to display them in the dining room was lost in the mists of time.

She'd seen the paintings in some of the other homes in more appropriate locations, such as entrance halls, visitor salons, and hallways.

"Harold, do you like these paintings staring at you while you take your meals?" she asked.

She saw him look at her in surprise, as he was likely unaware of them. He had a unique attention span.

Glancing up at them, he shrugged indifferently as she'd expected of him.

She decided as master of the house, she would find a place to display them that didn't disturb her digestion.

There was a polite knock on the door.

"Come," she called out.

One of the household staff entered and delivered an envelope with a smile.

A look of delight crossed Geneviere's face. "Thank you, Lizanne!"

The woman dipped her head happily as she enjoyed seeing her master smile. She left quickly and closed the door behind her.

Geneviere was aware that the staff were far more relaxed since Lucien's passing. They were also much happier with their adjusted daily wages. One of the first things Geneviere did was bring everyone's pay up to the proper amounts for their positions, with a little extra to keep them happy. Unlike her father and brother, she understood the true value of a happy workforce in the home.

Lucien used them as disposable commodities. Stupid, shortsighted man.

She glanced at his portrait again, and her resolve to move it solidified.

Pushing that from the thoughts, she quickly examined the letter. She recognized the stationary as the crisp and pleasingly smooth stock from the Wood Knot Inn. Not the refined paper that the high families demanded for their stationery but above the rough stock used by the merchant guild.

It meant it was a letter from Eryllis!

Her friend, Eryllis!

The thought that they might be friends sent a burst of joy through her. This would be her first true friend in her entire life!

It was frustratingly true that they hadn't been able to meet in person yet due to her new responsibilities and Eryllis', but they were trying. Perhaps this letter would announce some open dates?

She flashed a quick grin at Harold, then quickly opened the envelope and began to read.

Ah, drat. Eryllis had been called away on a mission to the Mistveil Woods for Wizard Ducane.

Her eyes read how Eryllis wasn't looking forward to traveling to her old home and revisiting all the sad memories there, but perhaps it would be cathartic to face them.

Sharing the personal details of one's life without fear of it becoming a weapon used against her was a precious thing. It made Geneviere feel like she'd already been taken into Eryllis' confidence... as a true friend would be.

Then she read the final paragraph, which stated that Eryllis would not allow further delays when she returned and would make an appointment to see her in person. She apologized for the previous delays, which was incredibly kind as most were caused by Geneviere's schedule.

It was a clever idea to set an appointment! Geneviere wished she'd thought of it, but, of course, she'd been so preoccupied.

"Eryllis will make an appointment when she returns from her mission! We'll finally be able to meet face-to-face!" Geneviere gushed as she smiled at Harold. He nodded with an odd smile, but he was always making faces. She jumped to her feet and decided to start her day by finding a new location for these dreadful portraits!

-=-

Harold watched his sister rush from the room and felt his stomach drop out from under him.

It was happening. He was going to lose her! Stolen by this stranger!

Geneviere was the only one he could speak to. His skin itched when other people tried. Only Geneviere was capable of understanding him.

They'd always been close, but now she was constantly preoccupied with the duties of being the house leader or, worse, with her plans for Eryllis Harrowane.

He couldn't let this happen. He wouldn't.

Harold would keep his eye on Geneviere's calendar for this appointment.

Then he would act.

Chapter 4

Eryllis did her best to set a quick pace as she walked through the Mistveil Woods. She'd enjoyed accompanying Dell and Opphai to the juncture where the path to Grennesh ended, and the route split east toward the Plentiful Plains and west to the Mistveil Woods. He'd given her the most delightful kiss and hug before he and Opphai ran directly south through the valley between the mountains of the Dragon's Spine. She knew he planned to bypass the Mistveil Woods by following the valleys until he reached the coastline. Then, they'd follow that south until he got closer to the mountain where Grobrir Mine was situated. This added distance to a long journey but meant they'd avoid crossing too many mountain passes.

She smiled as she felt the primal magic of the Mistveil Woods swirl around her, one predator to another. It respected her strength as she respected its power. It wasn't a consciousness but something far more primitive and basic.

She was also grateful for the bounty it offered.

When she first entered the forest, she'd detected a disturbance and realized the magic was damaged. It was like scar tissue, disturbing its smooth flow. She used her Druidic skills to detect who might have caused this damage and felt Ducane's signature in it.

She held herself still, reached for the Druid magic within the staff, and felt the spirit wake and focus on her finding. Impurity in the magic. A cleansing spell surfaced in her mind, and she called it forth to bind it to the damage. It stretched away from her for quite a distance, the path Morgan had followed to escape from a trap, no doubt.

Speaking the words of power that flowed through her, she cast the purification spell on the entire path. She felt a draining, but the impact of her spell was immediate.

A loud crack echoed through the woods as the scar tissue shattered and the smooth flow of magic was restored.

As she followed the path deeper into the Mistveil Woods toward Ghelli'Talesh, she felt energy seeping into her body. A grateful offering in return for the healing.

As the sun began to set, she made camp in a clearing next to the trail and set up a protection spell to keep the wild, hungry creatures away. The Mistveil Woods would not protect those who couldn't defend themselves. There was no animosity in that. It was simply the law of the wild. The strong or lucky would live another day. The weak and unlucky would feed the strong.

Eryllis was strong and her sleep remained undisturbed within her protective shield.

The next morning, she broke camp and sent out a detection pulse to find any dangers that might be waiting to ambush her. The moment it detected the predator, she fired a bolt of plasma at the bush it was hiding under, and the forest echoed with its dying scream.

She paused on her way, but nothing was worth collecting from the smoldering corpse.

It was approaching midday when she began to see familiar sights. The side trails she used to take to get to some prime foraging spots. The curved tree trunk she once relaxed upon during the hotter summer days. The route to the cliff where she fell onto the rocks and found the Druid Staff.

There were a lot of emotions tied to these places, and not many of them were happy. Her mood began to drop, and her anxiety increased. The Master Druid's spirit in her staff picked up on this, and she found herself inside a defensive shield spell like that could keep the bad memories away.

She paused as she felt its concern and smiled to herself as that was so sweet! She hadn't realized her emotions had become so strong they could be picked up by the spirit.

Still, she left the spell in place as it couldn't hurt, and it reminded her of its concern for her.

She wasn't alone.

Walking into the open space that signified the beginning of Ghelli'Talesh village, her eyes sought out the familiar buildings.

The one that featured most prominently in her bitterest memories was gone! She'd been told of the fire, but she'd assumed the woman had the home rebuilt.

Haleth's shop, her childhood home, was no more. A cluster of small trees and flowers was in its spot, fenced off. She approached this boundary and spotted a burial marker. Her grandmother's name was written on the plaque, and she saw the date was just three years ago.

What caused her to go still was the final line.

"I'm sorry, Eryllis. Please forgive me."

She scowled as her emotions surged again. Haleth had a change of heart on her deathbed? Or was this just another way to emotionally manipulate her? One last scar.

Eryllis stood very still and did the breathing exercises Dell taught her until she regained control of her rage.

Once she calmed down, she looked at the marker one last time and moved on. It was an unresolved issue when Haleth died, so it would remain that way until Eryllis had time to consider it later.

She knew Lerrisen's home was closer to the center of the village, so she continued until she saw it.

As she got closer, she saw it had a shield spell around it. She reached forward to read the energy.

A deadly firebolt crashed against her shield and flowed around it harmlessly. She would have been killed if she hadn't had her shield up.

Someone tried to incinerate her. To take her away from Dell and her children. The hair on the back of her neck began to prickle. She suddenly heard Kharza's voice in her ear as a memory surfaced.

"Fuck around and find out."

She spun to see a tall, male Wood Elf in a grey robe step from behind a house into the open with his wand pointed toward her. She recognized him as Wizard Orleck Truxillen from Lhesh'Arawen village. This must be the one who had a feud with Lerrisen. He looked down his crooked nose at her like she was a disgusting insect.

"You will not interfere with my challenge against Wizard Lerrisen Kerowick! If you do not leave immediately, I will—"

Eryllis' rage exploded, and a thick bolt of lightning shot down from the sky to touch the top of her Druid Staff, then leapt across the distance to touch the tip of his wand.

It exploded into thousands of splinters and took the last joint of the wizard's thumb with it.

Next, a blast wave of flame ripped past the stunned wizard, scorching his clothes and every hair from his body, including his thick and long grey beard and flowing grey hair.

Next came a terrible wind that swirled around him, abrading his exposed skin with the dirt it picked up. His feet left the ground as the wind spun him faster and faster until it suddenly dissipated and dumped him on the ground with a thump.

He groaned miserably as his nausea caused him to vomit on himself.

Eryllis struggled to calm herself and was proud she'd limited her attacks to a non-lethal level. She kept her shield up as she moved closer. As she gazed upon the naked, hairless man, she heard Kharza's satisfied laughter in her mind, which calmed her further. She hadn't realized how much she relied on the Orc for emotional support. It brought a smile to her face.

"Lerrisen Kerowick is my friend. Attacking him was your first mistake. Trying to kill me was your second," she said stiffly.

"Fuck you... bitch."

"And that's three." Eryllis smiled as she reached for something truly wicked. She cast an ancient pox.

He screamed as his body arched on the dusty ground between his head and heels, then flopped to the ground.

As he lay in the dirt, splashed with his own sick, hairless, and naked as the day he was born, Eryllis cast a compulsion on him. "You will leave my friend Lerrisen alone, and you will remain in your shitty little village. If I hear of you causing unrest, I'll return to finish you. You don't want that. Go home."

Eryllis turned and walked from the gasping man who was starting to crawl away.

She approached Lerrisen's home and stood just outside the shield. She raised a hand and gently pressed her shield against his.

Initially, sparks flew, but Lerrisen detected her signature in the foreign shield, and she was allowed to walk through.

She disabled the booby trap on the front door and entered the home.

This was her first time in the wizard's abode, but she wasn't surprised to see the clutter. He was a wizard and a male who lived alone, after all.

She used her detect spell to direct her in the right direction to find the old Wood Elf.

He was slumped in a chair, his already pale face an ashen color. He was using the last of his energy to keep the shield up around his home. She dropped her personal shield and cast a large one around his.

"It's okay, Lerrisen. I spanked Orleck's ass. He's crawling home minus his clothes, all of his hair... and part of his right thumb. I compelled him to leave you alone and remain in his village. He called me a bitch, so he's going to feel the most excruciating pain every time he pees for the rest of his life," she said gently. Lerrisen's eyes twinkled as he released his shield spell. A little energy returned to his face with a grin.

"Let me see what he poisoned you with," she said as she used her Druidic magic to cast an internal detection spell on the old wizard's body.

When the answer appeared in her mind, she growled. "Crafty bastard! This poison is ancient. I'm not sure where he got it, but fortunately, I can access equally ancient remedies."

She reviewed the old spell and used another detection spell to locate the ingredients needed to formulate the antitoxin. She quickly moved about his kitchen and crushed the ingredients in a pestle. The powder went into a chalice, and she poured a little wine in and mixed them together.

Eryllis returned to Lerrisen and raised her staff over the chalice. "The main ingredient," she said as she began to speak quietly over the mixture.

A fog appeared around the staff and settled in the chalice, which began to fizz.

"Drink it quickly, and don't stop until you have it all," she said as the Master Druid's spirit sank back into the staff and the back of her mind.

Lerrisen glanced at the bubbling mixture cautiously but swallowed it as quickly as he could.

When it hit his stomach, he felt a cool energy spread outward through his body to reach every corner. Then, it began to pull back toward his core, drawing the poison out of his cells. That was painful! He jolted, and Eryllis held his hand tight.

"You're doing well, Lerrisen! Hang on! Just a little more!" she chanted in his ear as he struggled to survive the remedy.

Finally, the energy reached his gut, and he suddenly released an enormous belch.

A small nut flew from his mouth and landed on the floor.

They both leaned forward to look at the small oval with barbed hooks all over it.

"Do you recall swallowing this?" Eryllis asked Lerrisen.

"Not at all! What is it?" he asked.

"It's a nut from a tree that only existed back when the spirit of the Master Druid was still in his body. We were fortunate that he was with me to create the remedy."

As Lerrisen leaned forward to pick up the nut, Eryllis blocked him. "Are you trying to poison yourself again? Never touch that with your bare hands! Use tongs to drop it into a glass bottle of acid and dissolve it. Don't plant it. Don't bring this species of tree back to life!"

The wizard must have been thinking along those lines as he gave her a guilty look and nodded.

"Listen, Morgan sent me as he's worried about you. You need to contact him to let him know you're better," she said, watching his eyes.

"Ah, yes, could you bring me the blue crystal on the table?" he said with a weary voice.

"I will, then I'll make you some soup. You need to get your strength up," she said as she walked to the table and returned with the crystal.

As she puttered around in his kitchen, Lerrisen activated his scrying crystal spell and reached out to Morgan as he rested back on the chair.

A sense of immense relief came through the link as he felt Morgan connect. "My friend! You are well?" his voice said in the wizard's mind.

Lerrisen smiled. "I will be, thanks to you and Eryllis."

"Is your foe dead?" Morgan asked with a smile in his voice.

"No, but it sounds like he'll want to be dead the next time he urinates," Lerrisen said.

Morgan's laughter came through loud and clear, and Lerrisen smiled as just a short time ago, he thought he'd never hear it again.

"Tell Morgan goodbye, as you must eat something to regain your strength!" Eryllis insisted as she brought him a bowl of soup.

"Eryllis wants me to eat some soup now, so I will contact you later," Lerrisen said with a smile.

"Tell her thank you from me," Morgan said and disconnected.

"Morgan says thank you," Lerrisen said, passing along his friend's message.

"Those scrying crystals would be handy for everyone to have!" Eryllis said to Lerrisen.

The old Wood Elf nodded. "All it takes is being a wizard."

He ate a spoonful of the soup and did his best to hide his distaste. It certainly wasn't the best he'd had.

"Next time, we'll send Dell, and he can whip up a delicious meal to serve to your corpse," Eryllis said with a frown.

"What? I didn't say anything!" the wizard gasped.

"I've got three kids. I know a sour expression when I see one being hidden!" Eryllis pouted.

Lerrisen looked at Eryllis closely and saw a deep sadness hidden behind her annoyance.

"I'm sorry. Did something happen on your way here?" he asked gently, and her eyes found his momentarily. She looked away with a sigh.

"The burial marker. The last line. Was it real?" she said softly.

Lerrisen swallowed another spoonful of the soup and then set it aside. "Your grandmother was a force of nature in her way. Not always the most pleasant, as you recall. She blamed everyone else for her disappointments in life, again, as you know. But her last year was not easy for her, and she was forced to face her shortcomings. She wasn't a contented person by any means when she passed, but she did tell me her greatest regret was how she treated you and your mother. She just didn't know how. She'd failed her daughter and her granddaughter."

Eryllis fought back the tears that wanted to fall. She'd release them at a better time and place. Instead, she just nodded to the wizard.

"Where are the women I hit with the pox?" she asked.

He looked at her in surprise. "They're still here. They live together in the old green thatch cottage on the way out of town."

She nodded again, then looked the wizard in the eye.

"Next time you speak to Morgan, tell him he left a big ugly scar on the magic of the Mistveil Woods. I healed it."

With that, she stood and left his home, ignoring his look of astonishment.

Eryllis was done with this visit. It hadn't felt cathartic at all. She wanted to go home, but there was one thing that she needed to do.

She ignored the stares from the few residents out on the street and headed down the lane that would take her back to the road home.

On the way, she spotted the cottage and stopped at the gate before the small fenced-in front lawn.

She spotted the curtain move, but she was pretty sure they were hiding.

"Lyyrall, Jorina, Garis, and Hessia. Come outside now," she called loudly, pushing a little compulsion magic into her voice.

One by one, the women stepped through the door and lined up on the grass before their home. They were crying and trying to hide their faces, which were badly scarred from the pox. The ladies were cowering before her.

Eryllis had done that. She'd had her reasons at the time, but seeing it now made her feel ill. She wasn't the same person.

She recalled their original beauty and how ugly they were inside. Reaching for her Druidic healing spell, she cast it over them and healed the scars to return their skin to its original unblemished beauty.

The four were stunned and burst into tears of joy as they looked at each other and felt their skin which was smooth once more.

Then Eryllis removed the compulsion she'd placed on them back then.

Hessia was the first to speak. "Why did you heal us?"

Eryllis looked each in the eye. "I wasn't an easy person to be around due to my trauma, but your cruelty exposed the inner ugliness you hid behind your physical beauty. I hope you've used this time to reflect on the true nature of beauty. It has to come from inside. Compassion. Empathy. Patience.

When I left, I found someone to love who loves me just as strongly. His compassion, empathy, and patience healed me. We now have three lovely children.

It's my hope that you remember this lesson and find someone who'll love you for more than your physical beauty."

She'd done all she could. If they returned to their cruel ways, it would prove there'd never been any hope for them from the start, but she hoped this wasn't the case.

Eryllis was done with them and this place.

She was going home.

Chapter 5

Dell was very impressed with Opphai as, despite her size, she maintained his pace as they ran through the fields and valleys between the mountains on their way south. She never complained, and she truly appeared to be enjoying herself. When they stopped for food and water, she wasn't overly chatty but was willing to engage in conversation if he initiated it. On a few occasions, he heard her make small exclamations of delight when she saw wildlife. They'd talk about what it was, then return to their run. The distances they achieved each day were significant, and Dell was very pleased.

Sleeping together in the tent hadn't proven to be any difficulty as they kept to their sides. Mostly. Each morning, he'd find himself being spooned but that's as far as it went.

Opphai insisted on marking the boundaries of their campsites and that seemed to keep the curious beasts away. It didn't hurt that Eryllis had placed a spell on the tent to ward off predators.

They'd threaded their way through the mountains and turned toward the coast. This took them past the southern edge of the Mistveil Wood, and at one point, a group of three Wood Elves on patrol left the woods in a rush to protect what they thought was another Wood Elf being chased by a white monster.

Dell paused their run and waited for the patrol to reach them. Seeing their frowns when they realized he was a halfling raised the hairs on the back of his neck, but he pushed his anger back. He thanked them for their concern and continued on his way, with Opphai watching the rude gestures from the trio as she caught up to Dell.

At their next water break, he could see she was disturbed by the encounter.

"What's wrong, Opphai?"

Green eyes looked into his. "Why were those Wood Elves so rude to you?"

He sighed. "That's just their prejudice towards outsiders. Most Wood Elves are unfriendly to anyone who's not a Wood Elf. I'm a halfling, which is proof that a Wood Elf had a child with another race, in my case, a Human. In their minds, that's the ultimate betrayal to their race."

Opphai thought about that. "Will the race that looks like me treat me like the Wood Elves treat you?"

He looked into her eyes. "If they do, they're not worth knowing. Anyone who believes racial purity is necessary for a person to have value in society is mentally deficient and emotionally stunted. Race is meaningless to love as it looks beyond such trivialities."

Opphai smiled and her cheeks became that darling pink color again.

Dell looked away from Opphai's sweet face as there was more running to do, and her smile made his tummy feel odd. "You're okay to continue?" he asked.

"Yes. Thank you," she said.

He gave her a glance and saw she was still smiling at him.

He nodded and set off again.

He listened for her footsteps and heard the soft pad of her feet against the ground. He marveled that someone so large could move so quietly.

They reached the coastline, and the path improved considerably as more people used it.

The winds from the sea brought the scent of salt and seaweed. It also added a bite to the chill. Dell realized he'd need to purchase warmer clothes if this continued. Cold was fine, but cold and damp was unpleasant.

He suddenly felt Opphai's hand on his shoulder, so he stopped and looked at her.

She guided them off the trail and then whispered to him. "I smell smoke, sweat, and cooking." Her ears flicked and turned. "Voices ahead."

Dell nodded and slipped forward through the trees with Opphai at his heel. They slowed as they got to the edge of the camp and saw it was a group of ten bandits. Two were archers. They'd have to go first.

They had a female Dwarf staked down to the ground, and she was naked. She was surprisingly busty for one of her race, but then Dell didn't know that many Dwarf females. There was little doubt what they were using her for.

"Gennie!" Opphai gasped quietly to Dell.

"Leave the bandits with swords and bows to me," Dell growled quietly, and she nodded wide-eyed.

Slipping off their packs, Dell drew his sword and felt the warrior's spirit flow into his body. Each time it did, he felt his confidence grow and knew what to do. The ten men quickly ordered in his mind, and he recognized the leader immediately. That one would remain alive, for now. He pointed to the four men he considered the weakest at the right side of the camp. They were for Opphai, and she nodded.

He leapt between the trees and thrust his sword forward through the neck of the first archer before any could react. Yanking the sword back, he spun and swept the blade of his sword through the gut of the next brute and spilled his entrails onto the ground.

He heard the crunch and wet splat of a head being slapped from its body as Opphai reached her first target with a mighty swing of her big hand.

Kicking the second bowman onto the campfire, that man began to scream when he landed hands first in the coals. He wouldn't be stringing his bow.

A sharp kick against the man's hip broke his pelvis. He wouldn't be running away, either.

Dell's next three opponents scrambled to unsheathe their blades. Dell drove his sword tip through the armpit of the first, sinking it deep into his chest before kicking him free. He crashed to the ground and lay there gasping for breath.

The next bandit leapt at Dell with dual daggers and a scream of rage, which ended in a wheeze when he discovered his head lifting free of his body as Dell stepped past him.

An arm ripped from its shoulder soared by overhead, so Dell knew Opphai was working her way through her bandits.

His final target was larger than the others and seemed confident of his strength and swordsmanship, but Dell blocked every swing and knocked his sword back again and again, quickly draining the man's strength and bravado.

Soon, the brute's sword wobbled in his hand, and with a lightning-fast twist, Dell knocked it from his grip. The man's eyes followed his tumbling blade, so he missed seeing Dell's left fist until it struck his jaw and put his lights out. The thug collapsed to the ground like a bag of bones.

Dell heard an odd screaming wheeze and turned to see Opphai stomping on her final opponent as he lay on his back wheezing. He was going nowhere. Another was staring at Dell, but his body was facing the other direction.

"Opphai, untie your friend," he called out, and she nodded at him. She pranced over to the prone Dwarf and extended one of her claws to cut through the bindings.

Dell stared as he had no idea Opphai had claws! The large hook was deadly sharp and passed through the leather ties like soft butter.

He felt less concerned about Opphai in battle, knowing she had such weapons and incredible strength.

Dell grabbed the back of the leader's collar and dragged him over to the spot where the Dwarf had been tied down.

Opphai put a blanket around her friend's shoulders. Gennie had lovely, deep bronze skin, long, straight black hair in braids that needed redoing, and dark, large eyes that looked into Dell's with anger and suspicion. That wasn't a surprise considering what she'd gone through.

"Are you Opphai's new master?" she spat.

"Gennie!" Opphai gasped in dismay.

"It's okay, Opphai," Dell said calmly. "No, we're just coworkers and friends. Opphai's no longer a slave. We're on our way south to check on possible trouble at Grobrir Mine for the mother of one of the miners. We just stumbled upon these bandits." He looked at Opphai and then back to the Dwarf. "You two know each other?"

Gennie seemed to be calming as a shiver ran through her. "Yes. We worked together as slaves at First Priv. An Orc freed us—"

"Kharza!" Opphai offered happily.

Gennie's tension seemed to ease a little more with her friend's bubbliness. She nodded. "I did some odd jobs in Grennesh to earn enough money to kit myself for the journey home but was ambushed by these bastards a week ago."

Dell nodded and handed her his dagger. "Their lives are yours. I mean the ones who are still alive." He pointed to the stomping victim, the crippled archer, and the one gasping out his last breaths. "We'll tie this one down if you'd like."

Gennie's eyes widened then a smile appeared on her face for the first time. "Yes, thank you."

Dell nodded and pointed to some new leather straps Opphai collected for him. They stripped the thug of his clothes and then tied him down. They ignored the cries of the other men, then sat back and waited for Gennie. She'd found her gear as she was dressed once more.

"We'll collect anything of value from them as you deal with the last bandit. We're heading south, and you are welcome to join us," Dell said.

Gennie nodded. "I'd appreciate that. The bandits were talking about a traveler's market and inn on the coast an hour's run south of here. They were planning on raiding it." She glanced up at the grey clouds. "It might be a better place to stay as a storm is coming." She looked at the bandit leader. "This won't take long."

The man was starting to come around and jolted as he realized he was naked and tied down.

"We'll leave you to it," Dell said, walking over to the bandit's gear. Most was junk, but he did find their cash. That would pay for warmer clothes, a blanket or two, and hopefully accommodations for the night. He would enjoy sleeping on a bed instead of a bedroll.

He glanced at Opphai, examining the jewelry she'd collected from the bodies. It looked like they preferred to carry their valuables on their bodies rather than in their bags. He gave Opphai a nod of approval, and she grinned happily.

When the bandit leader's shrill screams finally became a death rattle, Dell relaxed and looked over at the Dwarf. She was staring down at the bloody corpse and spat on it. A shudder went through her body, and Dell watched her shake off the last of her rage. He knew it would resurface again later but he'd been through this with Eryllis and knew patience and compassion would heal the woman eventually.

After cleaning Dell's dagger with the bandit's jacket, she returned it to Dell. Then she ate a small amount of the stew the bandits had been cooking but frowned at the taste. Finally, she drank some water.

As she took care of this, Opphai efficiently stripped the corpse of his jewelry and dumped the items into the little purse she'd found amongst the baggage. Then she dragged the other bodies next to the leader's.

"They must have attacked a lot of people to have gathered so many," she said as she rattled the bag.

"They were bad people," Dell said grimly, then looked to Opphai and Gennie. "Are we done here? I'd like to reach that inn before the storm hits. Not sure if it will be rain, snow, or both."

Gennie looked up and nodded. She picked up her pack and slung it on her back. Dell and Opphai collected and put theirs on as well.

With a nod, Dell started off with a light jog and checked on Gennie frequently to ensure she was okay.

When she noticed him doing that, she fought back a smile. "You can pick up the pace. I'm not hurting badly, and I'd like to avoid the storm, too," she said.

Dell nodded and brought them up to a gentle run. Gennie nodded on his next glance back, so he maintained the pace. Opphai was bringing up the rear and she gave him a smile.

The first drops of rain landed on their faces as the large building came into view. Dell thought it looked more like a fortress than an inn. They slowed to a walk and climbed the steps to reach the armored front door.

A large metal ring hung before a metal plate. Dell thumped the ring against the plate and herd an echo from inside.

They waited a short time then a narrow metal slot opened. "Who's there and state your purpose."

"Travelers looking for shelter from the storm," Dell said. "I'm Dell du Krane from the Wood Knot Inn, and I'm traveling with my companions, Opphai Wintervale and—" he turned to Gennie, realizing he didn't have her last name.

"Gennie Gwendish," she added.

"You don't know the name of your companion?" the voice asked curiously.

"Opphai knows her, but we just rescued her from bandits an hour's run north," Dell explained.

"Bandits! How many?" the voice asked urgently.

"Ten," Dell said, "but they're dead now."

"Their leader was Joon Maggus," Gennie said.

A loud metallic clank announced the door's unlocking, and they stood back to let it swing open.

An elderly but powerfully muscled Dwarf with a grey beard stood behind it, smiling at them. "The Wood Knot Inn's reputation is well known even down here along the coast. You're the largest Wood Elf I've ever seen, but knowing you're from that inn, you couldn't be anyone but their famous chef!"

Gennie snorted in surprised amusement. "Chef? He's a master warrior!"

Dell gave Gennie an uncomfortable grimace. "I'd much rather be a chef than a warrior."

She looked at him in shock, and Opphai giggled.

"Come in! Come in! I'm Kregan Thurrenkith," the owner said with a smile.

Once they were in the hallway leading inside, Kregan closed the thick door and bolted it shut. The passage was lit with magic lanterns, giving off a soft, warm light.

Kregan noticed Dell's admiration and smiled. "My wife has a touch of magic and an artist's heart."

Dell nodded in agreement.

"Thank you for eliminating that bastard Maggus, and his crew. He's attempted to rob us in the past, but he's never been successful," Kregan said proudly.

Dell nodded. "I thought this was a fortress when I first saw it."

The Dwarf smiled and nodded. "We've added protective measures to the original structure, so we're pretty secure now."

The inner door of the hall opened, and an older female Dwarf with greying light brown hair was standing in the opening with a delighted smile. "Is that really Dell du Krane?"

Dell chuckled. "I don't think I've ever found myself in a situation where people know of me before!"

"I'm Mayreth since my brute of a husband hasn't introduced me," she said with an annoyed look.

His bushy eyebrows rose. "I was about to!"

Dell grinned. "These are my traveling companions, Opphai Wintervale and Gennie Gwendish."

"Gwendish? I believe I've heard that surname from the Gratvult Mine," Mayreth said, and Gennie nodded stiffly and didn't smile. Mayreth didn't continue her inquiry, seeing the other's discomfort.

Looking to earn some points from his wife, Kregan caught her attention. "Dell was just admiring your magic lanterns. I mentioned your artist's heart."

She glanced at him as her cheeks reddened. "You're embarrassing me!"

"It's true! Their light is very beautiful!" Dell agreed.

She preened and then gestured for them to enter. Once they were past the inner door, she locked it and gestured to the large shop they were standing in. "Welcome to our Coastal Market!"

Dell looked around in awe. "It's incredible! This rivals anything I've seen in Grennesh!"

"The shelves for foodstuffs are shielded with preservation spells so the goods remain fresh," Kregan said proudly smiling at his wife. She put her hands over her warm cheeks and flashed him a look to stop, though she was not-so-secretly delighted by his praise.

"How did you get such a variety of items?" Dell said in awe.

Kregan nodded. "We have a few ships who regularly stop at the nearby pier to deliver products and purchase provisions. Hunters sell to us, and nearby villages sell us goods and purchase from us as well. This location turned out to be very fortunate for us and our customers."

Mayreth scowled. "If it weren't for the bandits, it would be perfect!"

Kregan grinned. "They took care of Maggus' gang!"

Mayreth smiled in delight. "That's wonderful! What a relief! They never managed to get past our defenses but ambushed our delivery agents, local customers, and travelers. Oh! Heather will want to hear this."

Dell was drawn toward the spice aisle, and his eyes struggled to take it all in. "I-I think I'm going to need to spend some time here... and money."

Kregan and Mayreth glanced at each other in delight.

Dell gasped as he saw one of his favorite spices. He spun to face the couple. "May I cook dinner for you?"

It was their turn to gasp. "We would be honored!"

"There's a stew I make that uses this spice to bring out the meat's savoriness. Do you have any boar or venison?"

"Yes! We just butchered a boar a hunter sold to us," Kregan said as he rushed over to the meat locker.

Dell picked up a basket and began collecting the ingredients for the stew. He planned to make a large pot of it. Opphai took his backpack from him as she watched with interest.

Gennie was stunned as she hadn't believed his claim that he was a chef and not a warrior. What she'd seen him do in the bandit's camp was nothing short of master-class swordsmanship.

Kregan returned with a large block of boar meat, and Dell nodded with a smile.

Once his basket had the needed items, Dell looked at Mayreth. "Will you assist me in the kitchen?"

"Yes!" she said happily, leading him to the back of the shop to a door leading into another hall. The group followed until they reached a door leading into the kitchen. Inside were two young Dwarf ladies and a young Human woman. The three looked at the new arrivals apprehensively.

Mayreth put them at ease. "Ladies, we have a special guest today all the way from the Wood Knot Inn, Dell du Krane! He's going to prepare a meal for us, so pay close attention, as we don't get many celebrity chefs in our kitchen."

"Celebrity chef?" Dell said in embarrassment. "Please, I just enjoy working in the kitchen!"

The ladies smiled at this and relaxed. Dell noted that the two pretty Dwarves bore a striking resemblance to Mayreth, both with long, light brown hair. The Human woman was yellow-blonde and too slim. She definitely looked like she needed a few more meals in her.

"These are my friends Opphai and Gennie," Dell said to them.

"These two are our daughters, Dwenan and Casseth," Mayreth said with a smile, then gestured to the third helper. "Our latest addition is Heather Waterson." Mayreth turned to the woman. "Dell and his friends killed Joon Maggus and his gang."

Heather's expression froze then she began to cry, but Dell saw relief on her face. She crossed the room toward Dell, so he set his basket on a counter before the woman wrapped her arms around him and cried against his chest. He held her gently and rubbed her back, feeling a tension leaving her muscles.

Mayreth looked at Dell. "Her family was ambushed as they traveled down the coast, but she managed to escape and run to our door. That was three months ago."

Heather got control of her tears and pulled back from the hug. "Thank you."

Dell nodded to her. "It was a team effort," he said, gesturing to Opphai and Gennie, the latter blinking at him in surprise.

"Thank you for ending my nightmare. Knowing they aren't out there waiting to attack again sets my mind at ease," Heather sighed.

Dell nodded and looked around the kitchen, confirming they had the cookware he'd need. They were well stocked. "Shall we get started?" he said with a smile.

-=-

As they relaxed in the sitting room before a large fireplace, Dell smiled as he rested his hands on his pleasantly full stomach. Contented smiles were on the other faces as well. The huge pot of stew they'd made served them all, and there would be leftovers for a few more days. Mayreth had instructions on how to make the dish as well as how to prepare the leftovers to ensure it tasted as good as the first serving.

"This is going to be our new favorite dish at the inn for when we have larger groups staying," Mayreth said.

Dell looked toward the stairs leading to the second story. "No guests tonight?"

"Just yourselves," Kregan said. "How many rooms will you need?"

Dell glanced at Opphai and Gennie. "Three?"

Opphai shook her head as she looked at Dell. "Two? I don't like to sleep alone."

Gennie looked uncomfortable. "Opphai can sleep with me. We did when we... worked at First Priv." Her deep bronze complexion got a little darker.

Dell raised an eyebrow and looked at Opphai, but she nodded after a moment. "Two then, please."

"So, you're leaving in the morning?" Kregan said.

"Yes, we need to get to Grobrir Mine quickly, and we're still a few days away, by my estimate," Dell said.

"Well, you're always welcome here, especially if you cook!" he laughed, and his wife gave him a playful swat for being cheeky.

"I think it's time for me to go home," Heather said, drawing eyes to her.

Mayreth smiled and reached over to path the woman's hand in support.

"Where is home?" Dell asked.

"Portoa. I have family there." Her expression dropped. "I don't know how I'll pay for my fare for a berth on a ship to get there."

"We can—" Mayreth began, but Heather shook her head firmly. "You've done so much for me already!"

Dell remembered the bandit's treasures. He looked at Opphai. "The bag from the bandits," he said, and her eyes lit up. She dug it out of her pack and handed it to Dell.

He looked at Gennie and spoke quietly to her. "Are any of these yours?"

Gennie shook her head.

"Do you want any of them?" he continued but she shook her head in distaste, so he nodded and looked to Heather.

"We took these from the bandits. They're yours if you want them." He paused as he recalled she'd been captured by them. "Some may already be yours," he said, gently pouring them onto the coffee table and spreading them out.

Heather slid off her chair to kneel next to the table as her hands hovered over a necklace she obviously recognized. Her expression was frozen as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

Finally, she lifted it from the surface as a trembling smile appeared on her lips. "This was mine. It belonged to my mother. There was a matching ring and earrings."

Dell helped search through the jewelry until he heard her gasp as she found the ring. Her familiarity made finding the items easier, and she quickly discovered the earrings as well.

"They're lovely," Dell said, and she smiled with tears in her eyes. She suddenly threw herself against his chest, hugging him tight.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" she cried.

He smiled and whispered to her. "It was Opphai who thought to collect these items. She's a hugger, too."

Heather pulled back from him with a smile and was soon wrapped in Opphai's big arms.

"Thank you so much!" the woman said, and Opphai nodded with a big grin and twinkling eyes.

Dell looked at Kregan. "These will get Heather passage to Portoa?"

The Dwarf nodded, then his brow wrinkled in concern. "It would be safer for her if I gave her cash for some of these and she hid the rest on her person and kept them hidden. She'll be safer on the ship if she pays with coin. I'll ask the captain to ensure her safety. The next ship will arrive in a few days."

Heather smiled at Kregan.

Dell couldn't hide a sudden yawn, and Mayreth stood up.

"Come on. I'll bring you to your rooms," she said.

Dell nodded with a smile and said his good nights to Kregan, his daughters, and Heather as Opphai and Gennie followed him upstairs.

"Dell, you take room one, and the ladies are in room two. There are fresh sheets on the beds and water in the wash basins," she said.

"You had me at bed," Dell sighed, and she chuckled.

"See you at breakfast," she said.

"Thank you!" they said to Mayreth as she nodded and headed back downstairs.

"Good night, ladies," Dell said, and Opphai and Gennie returned it as they stepped into their room.

After Dell closed his door, he quickly set his pack down, undressed, freshened up with the basin, then crawled under the sheets. The bed was almost as large as the one he slept on at home, so his feet weren't hanging off the bed. Without Eryllis and Kharza, it felt a little empty, but he knew he'd be home soon enough. The thought lightened his heart.

He felt a gentle ping in his mind and knew it was Tawna checking in. He sent her a fond ping as well, which would indicate all was well.

Sleep came quickly, and he was grateful for that, too.

-=-

Sometime during the night, Dell woke as his door opened and the dim hall light poked inside. He saw Opphai leading Gennie, then heard the Dwarf's shuddering breath as she tried to stifle her tears. He sat up, slid over on the mattress, and pulled the sheets aside to let them in. He recalled the bad nights Eryllis once had.

Gennie approached the bed cautiously.

"Come on. Get some sleep. We'll watch over you tonight. You're safe now," Dell said gently, and Gennie climbed onto the bed and nervously moved closer.

Opphai slipped onto the bed and snuggled up against her back. This pressed Gennie against Dell's chest, but he just rested back against his pillow and made no moves to push her away or hold her in place.

Dell felt Gennie tremble, and then she leaned in and cried against his chest. He stroked her hair gently, and her trembling slowed, as did her tears. Soon, she was breathing deeply as she'd relaxed into sleep.

Dell looked over her head and saw glowing green eyes watching him. He nodded to Opphai, and she nodded in return and closed her eyes.

It took a little longer for Dell to return to sleep as he remembered the nights he comforted Eryllis.

With her smiling face in his mind, sleep finally came to him.

Chapter 6

Karter did his best not to pace in his office. He chastised himself for being so eager. It was like he was a teen all over again!

In the past week, he and Queen Stella reviewed the plan for bringing Pixies to the inn for mating and settled on the initial plan. He'd contacted Morgan, who passed along the schedule to Falco.

Today would be the first sessions, and Karter would be meeting two Pixies, one this morning and one after lunch. Morgan would come by after dinner for his first session.

Queen Stella prepared three of the inn's upper floor bedrooms to Pixie standards which meant a lot of flowers brought from the Tanglewood. The rooms were lovely, but the scent put steel in his member, so he didn't linger inside.

Dell had warned him that the Pixies used aphrodisiacs, which boosted the sex drive, but not to worry about becoming a little too passionate. They seemed to enjoy it.

A bell Stella had placed in his office gently chimed once. This meant Tawna had brought their first guest, who was now in room one.

Karter left his office and headed upstairs.

He paused momentarily before the door then knocked once and stepped inside. As he closed the door behind himself, he gazed upon the naked glory of one of the most beautiful creatures he'd ever laid eyes on. Her long black hair poured over her shoulders in waves and hung down to her ass. Her curves drew his eyes, and his hands ached to touch them. Her blue eyes were watching him hungrily as she licked her full lips. He began disrobing and made a note to attend his next session, only wearing a dressing gown as it looked like she was impatient to devour him!

Finally, he stood before her naked, and her eyes locked onto his cock, which felt like iron!

He moved closer, and she wrapped her fingers around his hardness. That felt good, so he kissed her until she began to tremble.

They tumbled onto the bed, and he moved his body over hers. She cried out in bliss as he stroked his cock against her wet pussy. Pulling his hips back, he found his mark and drove himself deep inside. She cried out in ecstasy. Then, their pleasures drove them like wild animals. She pulled at his ass as he pounded her against the mattress. His hands found her full breasts and squeezed and tugged on her nipples, throwing her lust into overdrive.

She hooked her heels around his hips and pulled him tighter with each thrust.

She cried out when she reached her climax and squeezed him tightly as he fired his hot cum into her depths.

"Yes! Oh, glorious! Yes!" she purred, feeling his offering to her.

It took some time for them to return to their calm states. Eventually, Karter pulled himself free from her warmth, and she smiled as she kissed him once more.

"That was wonderful!" she sighed.

"Magical," Karter said in agreement, and her smile widened.

He gently slipped off the bed and dressed as he admired her beauty.

Karter gave her a little bow as he left the room.

As he returned to his office, he recalled Queen Stella's words.

She'd told him it would be simpler to keep their sessions free of entanglements. A simple physical joining to mutually enjoy each other. No names, promises, or expectations aside from mating and sharing the bliss.

He knew she was right, but if they were all going to be as lovely as the brunette, he would have to protect his heart from falling in love. He felt lighter and more energetic. Younger!

As he reached the main floor, Ket rushed forward and hugged his legs. "Grandpa!"

Nothing like a child to return you to reality.

"Ah, Ket! You and your mum are back!" Karter said as he looked up to see Kharza's smiling face as she set down her pack.

"Good day, Karter! Why do you smell like flowers and sex?" she asked.

He shot her a frustrated and embarrassed look as he confirmed the room was otherwise empty. He stroked Ket's head. "Why don't you head upstairs to say hello to the other kids." Ket charged away to run up the stairs.

Karter locked eyes with Kharza. "Join me in my office, and I'll bring you up to speed on what you missed while you were away."

She grabbed her pack, and they went to his office.

Karter filled her in on the Pixie Queen's visit and their agreement to help.

Then he told her about Eryllis' successful mission for Morgan and how she was on her way back and should be home soon. Morgan had filled him in on the details of that as he could speak to Lerrisen again.

Finally, he told her about Dell's mission.

"I should have joined him!" she said in frustration.

Karter shrugged. "You were off with Ket, and we had no idea when you'd be back. Dell had to leave right away, but he didn't go alone. Opphai went with him."

"Opphai? Can she fight?" Kharza asked.

"Didn't she slap a Grennesh Guardsman into retirement?" Karter asked.

Kharza smiled as she recalled the moment. "Oh, yeah."

"How went your time with Ket?" Karter asked.

"It was good until a brother of the warriors who killed my village happened upon us. When I learned who he was, I told him to stop searching for them as they were all dead," she said.

Karter's expression went from concerned to calm as she'd obviously survived the encounter. "He tried to kill you?"

"He said he would kill Ket and Dell and take me as his wife to breed me until I'd replaced all the brothers he'd lost. Then he would kill me."

"He's dead?"

Kharza shrugged. "He wasn't looking good when I finished with him, but we didn't stick around to confirm if he died."

Karter stared at Kharza in surprise. "That's not the best news I've heard today. It's not like you to leave such a loose end."

The Orc sighed. "I know. I had a moment when my heart was too soft. Ket put his hand in mine as I prepared to cut off the warrior's head. I was weary of killing."

Karter nodded. "I understand. We'll just have to remain vigilant in case he returns."

Kharza gave him an apologetic look. "Maybe you should bath to remove the scent of sex."

Karter sighed. "Yes, that's what I intend to do if you'll excuse me."

His weary tone made Kharza smile. She grabbed her pack and headed to the door, closing it behind her as she left.

She wanted to bathe, too, and get some food.

She'd worry about Drex later.

-=-

Eryllis returned home and climbed the steps of the inn just as the sun set. She was glad to be home as her trip hadn't given her the sense of closure she'd hoped for. She was looking forward to hugging her kids.

The restaurant was busy, and the wait staff waved at her as they rushed by.

She headed upstairs and refreshed herself in the bedroom she shared with Dell and sometimes Kharza, then went upstairs to see her children.

"Momma!" Jahara squealed, and Jessa lifted her arms to be picked up.

Instead, Eryllis knelt before them and gathered them in her arms, pulling in Johon when he joined them. She kissed their faces and rubbed her forehead against theirs, absorbing their love and letting the last lingering bits of her melancholy slip away. This is what made her life so wonderful!

"Is something wrong, Momma?" Johon asked.

She smiled. "Everything is wonderful now that I have all of you in my arms."

"Ket was here a few minutes ago but went downstairs to get some food with his mom," Johon said helpfully.

"Ah! Kharza's back, too. Good," she said. She remembered the Orc's help when fighting the wizard in the village. She wanted to give her a hug.

She looked at Maevria. "Any word from Dell yet?"

"Tawna popped upstairs to let me know Dell is well and still on his way to the mine," the older female said.

Eryllis nodded. It was comforting for her to know Dell was okay, but she'd prefer to be able to speak to him like Morgan and Lerrisen communicated. She envied Tawna's link with Dell and wondered if any ancient Druid magic could give her the same ability or better.

She was too tired from her journey to look into it tonight.

Wait, Tawna?

"Why was Tawna here?" she asked.

Maevria smirked. "The Pixie Pregnancy Parade has begun. Today was Karter's turn, morning and noon, and the wizard, who's in with his Pixie visitor now. Tomorrow, he returns in the morning then we'll have Commander Falco with two Pixies."

"Three a day? That seems reasonable," Eryllis said.

"Karter says this is just the proving round. If it works, they'll double the visitors. Then triple it if doubling it proves successful. He explained that the Pixies need male children especially, as they'll be replacing the existing infertile males for breeding once they reach an appropriate age."

Eryllis frowned. "How romantic."

The Dwarf shrugged. "It's a matter of survival. They don't have the luxury of ensuring it's romantic."

Eryllis saw her point, but a more personal question arose in her mind. "Do you think they'll ask Dell to participate?"

The older female smiled kindly at her. "Only if you agreed to it. How do you feel about that?"

She frowned but looked into Maevria's knowing eyes. "I won't allow them to do what they did to him before. If Dell wants to help them, I don't have a problem with it. The only issue he might have is being unable to be part of their lives as much as he'd like. We'll talk about it if it comes to that."

Maevria smiled at Eryllis. "You two have a beautiful relationship. He truly loves you."

Eryllis beamed a happy smile at the woman. "And I truly love him. I hope he completes his mission soon."

Maevria smiled. "I'm sure he feels the same way." She grinned. "Do you think he'll return by the Pixie's butterfly method and fall off the bed again?"

Eryllis laughed and hugged her children. "I'm sure of it!"

She kept that image in her head as it warmed her heart.

Chapter 7

Dell, Opphai, and Gennie left Kregan's outpost after purchasing some warmer outerwear and refreshing their provisions. Dell also bought a large selection of spices, some familiar and some new to him. He couldn't wait to get home to start experimenting!

Kregan also supplied them with a more accurate map that showed the villages and routes all the way down the Dragon's Spine to just above the Drgnlok, the Dragon's Anus. They'd know they'd gone too far if they reached that volcano. Grobrir Mine was located in the mountain just north of that.

Gratvult Mine was carved into the mountains at the northern edge of where the permanent ice began.

On the route between where they were and Gennie's home, there were a couple of villages they'd be passing, so they'd see if there was an inn, as sleeping indoor on beds was preferable. They would use their tent tonight and see how it fit three sleepers.

The stretch they had before them was level but long, so they did their best to maintain a good pace and stopped only for water and a quick meal or when Dell foraged up an ingredient.

Gennie was relieved when Dell indicated the day's run was over.

As she and Opphai rested, he set up the tent and prepared them a meal with the items he'd foraged along their trek.

The three enjoyed the delicious and meaty soup with the fresh mushrooms, herbs, and end-of-season wild potatoes he'd collected.

"How can you make such delicious soup from weeds you pulled up on the run?" Gennie asked with a puzzled expression.

Dell chuckled. "They're not weeds. They're just wild variants of what the farmers grow. They have slightly different flavors than their tamed counterparts, but if you're familiar with them, you can make wonderful meals. They have lots of nutrients the farmed versions no longer have, so they're healthier."

After finishing the meal, they cleaned up and got into the tent to warm themselves and prepare for sleep. As it was too early for that activity, Opphai activated the light crystals Mayreth gave them. The warm glow filled the tent. It wouldn't warm them, but it did let them see.

Dell noticed Gennie was showing some discomfort with her chest. "Did the soup give you heartburn?"

She glanced at him in surprise but shook her head. "No, it's my breasts. They are too big for comfortable running even when I cinch my coat tight."

"Oh!" Dell said in embarrassment and looked away.

Opphai gave Gennie a cheeky smile, then covered that with an innocent expression. "My breasts are very large, so Eryllis designed a running harness to hold them comfortably while I run. See?" She pulled her outer garments off, and Dell and Gennie were treated to the sight of her large white breasts lifted and presented for their viewing enjoyment.

Dell couldn't stop himself from looking and froze as he could see a light sheen of sweat make them glisten. He might have moaned just a little.

"I wish I had one of those for my breasts," Gennie said with an innocent expression, too. She pulled her jacket and top off, and her large, bronzed bosom swayed freely. Her dark gold nipples were stiffening in the cool air of the tent.

Dell's eyes were trapped by the sight, and he might have moaned again before struggling to find somewhere else to look.

His view landed on Opphai's now exposed bosom as she showed the other female how the garment was designed. Gennie examined the cups and straps and made impressed noises.

"The harness' squeezing makes my boobs a little itchy after a day of running, and I have to rub them to get the blood flowing to them properly," Opphai said with a sigh as she rubbed and squeezed her breasts together with her big hands which no longer looked oversized next to her chest.

"Yeah, after all that running, I have to rub mine too," Gennie agreed, massaging hers sensually.

"OH, COME ON!" Dell exclaimed in desperate frustration as he openly stared at the two ladies playing with their boobs.

They burst into giggles as they could see how excited he'd become.

"Did we do that?" Opphai cooed as she pointed to the bulge in Dell's pants.

"We should make amends for our thoughtless actions," Gennie said, and Opphai nodded enthusiastically.

Dell watched them with suspicion until Gennie moved closer and planted her lips on his as she pressed her chest against him. He moaned again and went with the kiss. When hands undid his pants and tugged at them, he lifted his hips, and down they went.

Gennie pulled back, and the two females smiled at each other.

"I bet Dell would like to feel our breasts squeezed against his cock," Gennie suggested, and Opphai giggled excitedly.

Dell's eyes widened at the idea.

"Lay down and let us massage you," Gennie told Dell, and he followed her instructions after he pulled the rest of his clothes off.

He moaned once more when he felt their large breasts being rubbed all over his body. His head dropped back as the sensation was like nothing he'd felt before. When he felt his cock slide between soft breasts, he lifted his head to see Gennie smiling at him as she squeezed them together around his heat. Her eyelids fluttered as she enjoyed the sensation as well.

When Opphai's breasts slid up his legs to join Gennie's, he couldn't contain his sigh of bliss as he was trapped between four incredibly soft surfaces, each moving in slightly different directions. He heard them giggle, so he lifted his head again. He couldn't look away as the contrast between Gennie's bronze skin and Opphai's white was mesmerizing.

He reached down and tugged at Gennie until she got the idea and moved to swing her leg over his head. Her pussy settled down over his face, and he began to tease and please her with his tongue as she gasped. Opphai took this opportunity to straddle his hips and lowered herself onto his cock.

Dell grunted into Gennie's pussy, and she cried out her pleasure.

He increased his efforts on Gennie's pussy, licking and sucking, and felt her trembling hard.

When he lifted his hands and caressed her dark, thick nipples, she threw her head back as she came hard. Finally, she moved to the side and stretched out next to Dell as she watched Opphai enjoying her ride.

The large female was rocking her hips and cooing until Dell moved one of his hands down to rub her clit in circles as his other cupped and squeezed her breast.

Suddenly, Opphai's hips went into overdrive, and she gave out a low wail as her body began to shake. This trembling went on for a while then she swung her leg to lie down on Dell's other side as she panted through her recovery.

Dell gasped as Gennie suddenly sucked his cock into her mouth and took him down her throat in several fast strokes. That was all he could take, and he erupted into her mouth as she quickly swallowed.

The three relaxed in the now warm tent, content with their shared bliss.

When Dell's mind returned to him, he chastised himself for being weak to their breast play. He frowned as he suddenly smelled an herbal scent, cool and refreshing. He glanced at Gennie, who was chewing a small sprig of greenery. He raised an eyebrow.

"You weren't the only one who did a little foraging today," she said with a little smile on her lips. "Cleans the teeth and freshens the breath. Want some?"

He nodded, and she gave him a bit. He chewed it and felt his mouth become tingly and cool. There was just a hint of sweetness. When he finished, Gennie leaned over and kissed him.

"Fresh breath!" she said and chuckled.

He looked at Opphai, and she was looking at him hopefully. He gave her a kiss, too.

Then she sneezed on his face.

Gennie cracked up and couldn't stop laughing.

"Sorry, the herb tickled my nose!" Opphai said with a worried frown.

Dell wiped his face and smiled at her. "It's okay. No harm done. Let's get some sleep."

The tent stayed warm through most of the night with the three of them together.

Dell woke early, spotted Opphai's running halter, and examined how Eryllis constructed it. He pulled one of his shirts from his pack and the sewing kit. A short time later he had a running harness made for Gennie.

He heard the ladies stirring and slipped on his clothes as they woke.

"Is this for me?" Gennie asked as she examined the harness with a smile.

Dell nodded. "Yeah, I hope it works for you."

He made them a cold breakfast as they dressed, then broke camp as they took care of some business in the bushes.

"We should be able to reach a small fishing village tonight. Hopefully, they'll have an inn," he said.

They put their packs on, and Genni and Opphai posed before Dell.

"What do you think of our matching running harnesses?" Gennie teased as Dell's eyes widened. Now, not only was Opphai's bosomy splendor being lifted and suggestively presented for his viewing pleasure, but Gennie's was, too.

"We, ah, we should get running," Dell said as he cleared his tight throat. He turned and adjusted his pants before jogging away, his face heating up as he heard their delighted giggles.

He'd have to be firm—strong! Strong-willed, yes.

Dell would keep his mind on the run... and not think about tonight.

-=-

They reached the fishing village by mid-afternoon. It was larger than Dell expected, and there were two hotels, which was fortunate as the first one turned them away when they saw Opphai. Something about her frightened the Human inn manager. He also had a dirty look for Dell.

In Dell's opinion, the second one was nicer, though it was at the far edge of town. He was especially delighted to discover they had a large kitchen and dining room. It turned out that the chef, a burly Dwarf named Lagdrun Northwish, was a friend of the Thurrenkiths. When he learned Dell had prepared a meal with Mayreth, he asked if Dell would honor their kitchen by preparing a meal with him.

Dell said he would if they could have a room with a large bed for the night. The inn manager, a Human named Barlett, saw money in this deal and readily agreed.

The travelers headed upstairs to get cleaned up, and the ladies said they'd clean their clothes while Dell worked downstairs. He left his sword in the room, and it listened.

When he returned to the kitchen, he and Lagdrun went through the cold cellar together, and Dell suggested they could make pot pies and turn it into a dinner event.

They immediately went to work as the inn's manager rushed into town to announce the special guest appearance in their kitchen for the pot pie event in the dining hall.

Dell explained how their prep stations worked and organized the staff to manage their assigned position. With the production line in place, they prepared the first batch of pies, which went into the ovens.

He didn't use his special pie crust recipe as that was a trade secret for the Wood Knot Inn, and a few spices were held back for the filling. The pies would be delicious but not as wondrous as they were from Dell's own kitchen.

He knew Lagdrun was carefully noting the recipe and steps so he could produce these pies for his customers at a later date, and Dell had no issues with that. Maybe he would experiment with spices and get closer to Dell's, but he doubted that would happen. The Dwarf's imagination didn't seem that strong.

Customers began to arrive early, and a line formed outside. Soon, they began to hear some unrest in the mob, so Dell poked his head out the front door to see what was happening. Lagdrun joined him and smiled at the townsfolk.

"You didn't believe Barlett, but here he is! Dell du Krane from the Wood Knot Inn! We're hosting a special pot pie dinner event! Make a line and no pushing! There's going to be enough for everyone!" Lagdrun shouted to the people and smiles appeared.

The chef turned to Barlett. "Keep them civil and start bringing them in when the sun reaches the treetops."

Dell and Lagdrun returned to the kitchen and got the staff to return to their positions. It would be difficult for them to maintain this discipline if Lagdrun didn't enforce it. Dell mentioned this quietly to the chef and saw that sink in. He nodded firmly.

They returned to the production of the pies, and after a bit of wobble, the staff caught on, and they produced more, faster. These went into the ovens as the earlier ones moved into the second warming oven. They were ready for serving.

Dell was keeping track of the numbers, and he was pleased by the output from the crew. Servers arrived to announce the customers were arriving. Dell showed some of the production staff how to manage the next steps of the workflow for preparing the plates for the servers. One pie, one dinner roll for soaking up the gravy, and a sprig of greens for color on each plate and the servers took them to the tables.

He could just supervise now as Lagdrun was managing his production line, and the pies were moving into the baking ovens, then the warming oven before going out on the plates.

Shouting came through the kitchen door, and Dell gestured for Lagdrun to ignore it. "I'll see what's going on."

Dell marched out into the dining room and saw the Human manager from the inn who refused them service. He was shouting at Barlett, who was turning red in the face as he tried to get the man to leave the dining hall.

Using his training as a bouncer from the Wood Knot Inn, Dell walked up to the man, seized the back of his collar and belt, and walked him outside on his tip toes. Barlett quickly followed with a look of delight in his eyes.

The moment they stepped from the building, Dell's sword and sheath were hanging on his belt.

Once they were off the porch, Dell gently pushed him, but the man stayed on his feet as he spun to continue his rant.

"No fighting in the inn!" Dell growled with his hand on the pommel of his sword. "Inns need to be a place of refuge and neutrality. No bullshit, bravado, or aggression. If you have a disagreement, you have a civil conversation in a designated meeting area, not in the dining hall. Do NOT disturb the cherished customers!"

The crowd in line, waiting to enter for their turn, were loving the dinner show. A few clapped and cheered.

Dell turned to Barlett. "What is this man's name?"

Barlett smiled. "Penklar Monrose. He's the manager for the Venti Inn."

"Mr. Monrose, what is your disagreement with Mr. Barlett?" Dell asked.

"He stole all my dinner customers!" Penklar shouted.

Dell raised a hand. "Civil tones, please." The man pouted. "How did he do this?"

"He came to my inn and told everyone about the dinner event. You didn't tell me you worked at the Wood Knot Inn!" the manager growled.

Barlett looked at Dell in surprise, so he explained.

"When we arrived in town, we tried to book a room at Mr. Monrose's inn, but he refused us service. His mistake," Dell said. "Did you enter his property to inform his guests of the dinner event?"

Barlett looked at Dell and shook his head. "No. I walked to the town square to announce it. I didn't enter his property, but they might have heard my announcement."

"Exactly! He was shouting about it in front of my business!" Penklar snapped.

"Did you stop before his establishment to make your announcement?" Dell asked.

"It's the town square! Everyone makes announcements there!" Barlett responded.

Dell looked at the frustrated look on Monrose's face.

"It seems you have a prime location at the center of the village. This was proven earlier today when I first visited your establishment due to its central location. If you had put aside your prejudice and let us stay, I might have offered to cook in your restaurant. But you didn't. The fact that Barlett made an announcement in the town square is fully justified, as that's where such things are done. I believe you get the bulk of all visitor traffic due to your location. Complaining that he got preferential treatment now is disingenuous. Suck it up and move on."

Penklar scowled, but Dell intimidated him, especially with the sword on his belt. With another glare at Barlett, the man spun and marched away.

The crowd cheered, and Dell smiled and waved to them as he walked back toward the front door. As he opened it, the scent of the pot pies flowed outside, and he saw the eager smiles on the faces of the waiting customers.

"Thank you for dealing with that bully for us," the man said quietly when they were inside.

"I'm just passing through. You're going to need to stand up to him on your own when you have your next pot pie event."

Barlett's eyes widened. "Another?"

"Yes! Lagdrun and his crew know how to do it now. If they keep practicing, they can hold these events regularly." At Barlett's concerned expression, Dell made another suggestion.

"Post the rules of conduct at the entrance. Hire a bouncer to enforce the rules. No fighting inside. The bouncer's job is just to move the aggressive parties outside."

Barlett was nodding, so it looked like he could go back to the kitchen.

When he got inside, he smelled burnt pies. He immediately moved to the oven and removed the overcooked ones. These he dumped into the trash.

"Hey! They could be served—" Lagdrun began.

"Never serve less than your best. Reputation is a fragile thing and will make or break your business." Dell insisted, and Lagdrun nodded slowly. "Who was responsible for watching the timing for the oven?"

"Jentay," he said, glancing at the worried Human woman with the beginnings of anger.

"And who is responsible for monitoring the crew?" Dell asked.

Immediately, Lagdrun's anger was snuffed out. "I am."

"As I am in my kitchen. It's a team effort, and we all support each other. I'll prepare some appetizers to give to the customers waiting for their pies. Get the flow going again. Everyone in their positions and ready to go."

Dell unbuckled his sword and propped it up against the wall by some chairs, then went back to the cold cellar and brought up some ingredients to make bite-sized yummies to appease the hungry people. He saw the pies moving from the cooking oven to the plates as they had no backlog, but at least these pies were properly cooked.

He spoke to the servers and identified the customers who'd have to wait. He personally delivered the appetizers to them with an apology for the delay caused by his need to deal with the rowdy innkeeper. He got them smiling again, and they enjoyed the treat.

Returning to the kitchen, he made more of the appetizers and went to each member of the production line. He popped one of the bite-sized morsels into each of their mouths. Their mood immediately improved, and they focused harder. More pies were made and cooked, and the backlog disappeared. Dell spoke with the servers, who ensured the finished customers didn't linger at their table after dinner by inviting them to the bar and quickly reset their tables.

After the last customer was served, Dell made sure there were enough extra pies for each of the kitchen crew to eat or take home. And three for Opphai, Gennie, and him.

Dell sat in a chair at the side of the kitchen, watching the energy in the team as they cleaned their stations, and smiled as they were just as happy as his team at home.

Lagdrun joined him and shook his hand.

"I didn't realize how badly we were working before. This new production flow will greatly improve our business."

"Increasing efficiency makes everyone's role easier to manage. Working as a synchronous team feels good. Makes for happier people. You want that. Keep your people happy," Dell offered, and the chef nodded.

The chef watched Dell from the corner of his eye. "About those appetizers—"

"The recipe is on the counter," Dell said with a grin.

"Thank you so much! For everything! I think we got more out of the deal than you did. You worked hard for that one hotel room for the night," Lagdrun said as he watched Dell.

"This is what I love. Making good food. Working in an efficient kitchen with a happy team." He waved to the staff, who were smiling and waving at him as they left for the night. He saw the three dinners waiting for him on a serving tray with utensils.

"Thanks for the fun. I'm going to bring our dinners up to the room. I'll see you at breakfast," Dell said as he put his sword back on his hip.

"Wearing that, I'd mistake you for a warrior," Lagdrun said with a grin.

Dell nodded. "I'm a warrior when necessary, but I will always belong in the kitchen."

He picked up the tray, carried it up to his room, and knocked with his foot.

Gennie opened the door and looked at him cautiously. "Everything okay?"

He blinked at her in surprise. "Yes, why?"

"Your sword disappeared, and Opphai told me it does that if you get too far from it or need it. That's frightening!" she gasped.

"Sorry. It was the former this time. I left the inn to stop a dispute. I didn't need to use it," he explained.

"Did you have fun?" Opphai asked and Dell grinned.

"Yes. It's funny how it made me recall how disconnected our team was at the start. I hope they stick with it."

"What's for dinner?" Gennie asked as she inhaled the scent.

"Pot pies," he said and set the tray on the table by the window. This was their largest room, so it had the luxury of a round wooden table and four simple wooden chairs.

They dug into their meals, and Gennie sighed happily. She caught Opphai taking a bite and looking at Dell questioningly.

"I couldn't give them my recipe as it belongs to the Wood Knot Inn," he explained to the blonde.

"Ahh!" she said with a grin.

Gennie looked between the two in confusion. "This is delicious!" she gushed.

Opphai nodded. "Just not as good as the ones at home."

Dell smiled at her for referring to the inn as home and saw the realization come to her face as well. She locked eyes with Dell, and her cheeks went pink.

"How much better could this get?" Gennie asked before enjoying another bite.

Opphai giggled. "So much!"

"It's very good, and I'm very hungry," Dell said as he concentrated on his meal. Yes, he could easily tell the difference, but once, this was the pinnacle of his pot pie making.

The room was quiet as they ate their dinner and just enjoyed each other's company.

Afterward, Dell carried the tray down to the kitchen and left it on the counter before returning to his room.

Opphai and Gennie were already in bed, and he could see they were not wearing any clothes. They smiled at him hungrily.

They wanted dessert.

Chapter 8

Eryllis was surprised at how much hassle it was to make an appointment with a leader of one of Grennesh's first families. It was like their personal secretaries were tasked with preventing the meetings rather than arranging them.

It took two days, but she was finally being admitted to the estate. The next hurdle was the security people insisting she hand over her Druid Staff.

They didn't seem to want to believe she was bound to it. Special permission was required, and this request went up through some labyrinthian channel to reach Geneviere forty-five minutes later, who immediately bypassed this by coming to meet her in the security department. She personally escorted her upstairs to her reception salon.

They'd just taken their seats when Geneviere was called away for a crisis.

So here Eryllis sat, all alone in a beautifully appointed meeting room in the Warrick mansion. She got bored of sitting, so she stood and walked to the window to enjoy the view of the city.

A servant entered the room with a tea service and paused when she saw Eryllis was alone.

"Ms. Warrick was called away to deal with an urgent matter," Eryllis said.

The young woman smiled and nodded. She moved to the table between the chairs and placed the items on the table.

When she was done, she smiled at Eryllis. "Please help yourself. Urgent matters sometimes take awhile to be resolved."

"Thank you," Eryllis said, and the young servant left after a polite nod.

The view from the window quickly lost its glamor, so she walked back to sit on the chair facing the little table. There were some small glass jars with lids on them. Inside were colorful candies or something that looked like candies. She reached over to lift one of the lids and felt a prick on her finger. She blinked in surprise as her hand suddenly went cold. She shoved the hand into a hidden pocket in her dress as she felt the cold climbing up her arm. Her muscles began to seize up, and she fell back against the cushions, awkwardly pinning her Druid staff between her head and the chairback. With her other hand, she tried to reach for it, but her arm dropped.

A minute passed before the door opened. A slim man with slightly messy, short blond hair stepped inside. He wasn't very tall and seemed nervous. He glanced toward the chair furtively.

Then, he boldly stepped closer with a syringe in his hand.

A loud snap caused his muscles to suddenly lock up as a round cage of electricity snapped into place around him.

Eryllis slowly sat forward and took deep breaths to calm her rage. She'd walked right into this trap and would have died if she wasn't so familiar with poisons. The pouch she was clutching in her pocket injected the antidote the moment she jammed her hand in her pocket. This freed her of her paralysis and her contact with her staff let her call her spell.

Shaking off the last of the poison, she stood and moved closer to the cage, which snapped and spat sparks angrily, reflecting her inner struggle. The man watched her in terror. She saw he'd pissed himself.

The large doors on the other side of the room opened, and Geneviere stepped inside and froze.

"Eryllis? What... what are you doing to Harold?" she said.

Eryllis looked into Geneviere's eyes to see if she was part of this, but she couldn't tell. The first families were well-practiced liars. Master class, in fact.

"This is your brother? He just attempted to poison me. First paralysis, then something worse I didn't give him a chance to inject." She locked eyes with the other woman. "Was this all just an elaborate plot to eliminate me? I don't understand. I thought... I thought we could be friends. I was looking forward to it, but it seems I was wrong."

"No! I didn't know anything about this!" Geneviere said desperately.

Eryllis trembled with reaction at her near brush with death, and more sparks flew from the cage. Her rage wanted her to constrict the cage around Harold, to kill him as he'd tried to do to her, but she couldn't find it in herself to do that to Geneviere.

"I won't kill him as I won't take your brother from you." She turned her attention to the man inside the cage. "Harold, if you ever attempt to poison me or anyone important to me, I will return and end you." She thumped her staff against the floor, and the cage flashed and faded. He dropped the syringe before stumbling away from her to fall onto the chair.

Eryllis walked to the exit and left the mansion. It would take some time to settle her nerves.

-=-

Geneviere was frozen as she watched Eryllis leave, deep sorrow and rage struggling for dominance on the Wood Elf's lovely face, though she wouldn't look at her.

She turned to look at Harold, who was struggling to get back on his feet.

Dropping to her knees, she realized she'd just lost her first friend. Tears burst forth, and her chest felt tight as the pain of that loss threatened to overwhelm her.

Harold stood before his sister and watched her crying. He looked at the door, and his face showed his struggle to connect the dots. He reached the conclusion that Eryllis had done this to his sister!

"She hurt you. I'll make her pay—"

Geneviere looked up at him with tears streaming down her face. "WHY? Why did you try to kill her? She was no threat!"

His confusion returned. "She... she was trying to steal you from me!"

Geneviere's mouth dropped open as she stared at Harold in shock and horror. It was clear to her now. His brilliant but simple mind couldn't conceive of the magnitude of the mistake he'd made.

Fresh tears ran from her eyes as her grief surged once more. It felt like her heart was going to tear in half.

When she managed to catch her breath, she saw he was still standing before her with a confused and sad look. He needed to know how big a mistake he'd just made, so she clamped down on her tears to let her ability to speak return.

"Harold, you're my brother, and you always will be. Nothing breaks that bond, but you just destroyed my one chance of having a female friend I could trust! My one chance for happiness!"

Her own words rocked her emotional stability, and her grief struck once more. Her face in her hands, she let the tears fall.

-=-

Harold rocked back on his heels as he finally understood.

He watched his sister grieving the loss of something Harold couldn't provide.

Female friendship.

He knew there were other females Geneviere spoke to on a daily basis, but they were staff or members of rival families. There could be no trust between them. Eryllis was not part of this society as she lived outside the city. She wasn't a rival or paid to serve, so her friendship could be genuine. She could be someone Geneviere could trust.

But he'd just destroyed that trust.

The pain he'd just inflicted upon the one person he felt understood him and... loved him was too much.

Harold gathered up the syringe he'd dropped and quietly left the room. He walked back to his bedroom and sat at his desk, looking out the window.

Geneviere deserved a female friend. She needed someone outside the family and beyond the politics. Someone she could confide in who had no connection to the game.

All he could provide was death.

He pulled a sheet of paper from his drawer and began to write.

First, an apology. Eryllis had done nothing wrong, and he'd behaved in a manner most foul toward her. He expressed his deep remorse for his actions and said it was inexcusable for him to let his fear of her stealing his sister from him drive him to such an act.

He explained that his sister had been innocent of his actions, and he'd hurt her far more than he'd thought possible.

He begged Eryllis to reconsider and be Geneviere's friend, as she would need one more than ever because he would no longer be a threat to anyone.

He sealed the letter in an envelope with Eryllis' name on its face.

Then Harold wrote a letter to his sister apologizing for not understanding her loneliness and prioritizing his own over hers. He said he didn't understand emotions very well and was too ready to use his poisons to remove obstacles to his goals. Seeing the pain he'd caused her, he now realized the danger he represented, and he was sorry, as she deserved better.

This letter went into the envelope with Geneviere's name on it.

He summoned one of the staff, gave her the envelope for Eryllis, and asked for it to be delivered tonight.

When he was alone again, he placed Geneviere's envelope on his bedside table, stretched out on his bed, and injected the poison he'd made for Eryllis.

She was right. It was far worse than the paralytic.

Chapter 9

Dell watched the entrance of the first Dwarven mine they were approaching. According to the map, there were few villages to restock their provisions once they reached the zone of permanent ice and snow, so they needed to do that here.

Gennie was their ambassador as they weren't far from Gratvult Mine, which they'd reach tomorrow. She suggested they not wait until then to replenish their supplies as she wasn't certain of her welcome. Dell noted her hesitancy and followed her lead.

Guards met them at the entrance to Bhagthiad Mine, and Gennie explained their journey. She asked if they'd heard any word on the situation at Grobrir Mine, but they hadn't. They were allowed in as long as they went nowhere near the mining levels. As the shops were at the top, they readily agreed.

It didn't take long to purchase what they'd need for the rest of their journey. Then they booked a room for the night.

There was a distinct sense of tension due to Dell and Opphai's presence, so they remained in the room, and Gennie purchased dinner for them.

They refrained from dessert and got a good night's sleep.

The following day, they left early. They made good time and reached Gratvult Mine by mid-afternoon.

The guards knew Gennie and were surprised to see her. They admitted the party, so Gennie led them toward her family home.

Dell couldn't get used to the idea of living inside a mountain with no sunlight to warm your skin and no wind to cool your brow.

The Gwendish homestead was dug into the solid rock off the main corridor, but the ceilings were too low to admit people of Dell and Opphai's stature, so they said they'd wait outside.

Gennie knocked on the door and a gruff voice called out for them to wait.

When the door opened, a broad-shouldered but short Dwarf stood in the opening and stared at Gennie in surprise.

"What? You've come back?"

"Greetings, Father," Gennie said politely.

The older Dwarf hesitated, then turned to shout over his shoulder. "Misoria! Look who's back!" Then he spotted the two taller beings standing in the hall. "Who let these in?"

A female with some of Gennie's features arrived at the male's back and pushed him aside. She stared at her daughter, but Dell saw no affection in her eyes.

Gennie told them of her abduction and slavery.

"It's not like we didn't warn you that your wanderlust would lead you to misery, but you've always been a stubborn fool. I suppose I can get you a position in the mine, but this is the last time we'll take you in," the mother snapped.

Dell was surprised by the harsh reply and tried to keep his reaction from his face. Opphai made no effort to hide her disappointment in them.

Gennie was silent for a moment. "I have no place in this home."

"Fine. Good riddance," the father said and slammed the door.

They remained silent as they made their way out of the village and stepped back out into the daylight.

Dell put his hand on Gennie's shoulder to stop her. "If you don't find a place you feel at home, you can live with us at the inn."

Gennie wrapped her arms around Dell and pressed her face against his chest as he stroked her hair. She didn't cry, but he could feel the tension slowly draining away.

When she reached a calm state once more. She looked up with a smile. "Thank you." He nodded as Opphai smiled at her.

They still had some distance to go so they stuck to the coastal path as it was flatter and easier to run along.

It was late afternoon when they came upon a fishing village that wasn't on their map. "Do you think there's a reason it was left off?" Dell asked and got shrugs from his companions.

They walked into the center of the small village and saw an old Human smoking a pipe as he sat on a bench watching people working at their tasks on the pier.

"Excuse me. What's the name of this village?" Dell asked.

The old man's bushy brows rose as he suddenly became aware of the strangers. "Name of the village?"

Dell nodded as the man seemed to be recovering his faculties.

"Fautnox," he finally said. "Don't tell me. We're not on your map."

Dell's brows rose as he nodded.

The old man smiled. "The curse is still working then."

"Curse?" Dell said.

The villager nodded. "It makes people forget we exist. You can stumble into the village, but you'll forget it exists once you leave." He shrugged. "It makes no matter to us."

"I was going to ask if you'd heard any news of the troubles at Grobrir Mine," Dell said.

"Oh? Hang on," the old man said and turned to face the pier. "WALT!" he bellowed.

A big blond man turned and walked across the pier to join them.

"Walt's ship trades up and down the coastline. He gathers news as well," the old villager explained, then turned his face to the broad-shouldered sailor. "This fellow is looking for news on Grobrir Mine."

"They're still being blockaded by Anocot Warriors. I've been unable to deliver any supplies to the mine. None of the supply ships can get goods to them. Not for months," Walt said.

"Any word on the condition of the Grobrir villagers?" Dell asked.

Walt shook his head. "No one can get near the mine." He suddenly did a double-take as he spotted Opphai. "You're the biggest Anocot I've ever seen!" Then he frowned as he looked closer. "But you're not one, are you."

Opphai shook her head. "I don't know what I am. I lost my memory long ago."

The old man leaned forward to squint at Opphai. Obviously, his eyesight wasn't too good. "I think I know a bit of the Anocot's language. Let's see. Cir Rrkan. Nala Hskan. Kloff Ark."

Walt frowned at the old man. "I'm only sure of that last phrase. Fuck you. I think the other ones are equally rude."

The old man cackled. "Of course, I remembered the rude words! What others would I need from that language!" He continued to laugh in delight at his cleverness.

Walt shook his head and walked back to the pier.

Dell guided Opphai and Gennie away from the rude man.

"Let's get a room at the inn," he said.

This time, the innkeeper had no qualms about renting them a room for the night. They sat in the mostly empty dining room and ordered dinner. An older woman at the next table couldn't take her eyes off Opphai.

Dell noticed the woman's rude staring and saw how it was disturbing Opphai. He leaned closer to the other table. "Excuse me, but could you not stare at my friend?"

The woman jolted from her daze. "I-I'm terribly sorry. I was trapped in a memory of a story my grandfather told me when I was a child. A story of giants who hunt in winter storms. Giants with pure white skin."

"Have you seen these giants?" Opphai asked her.

The woman came back to herself. "What? Seen them? No, nobody has, as they're a myth. A scary story told by grandparents to keep children from wandering away in snowstorms. My apologies. Good night."

The woman stood and left the dining room.

"I don't think I like this village much," Gennie said quietly.

"Agreed. We leave first thing tomorrow. I don't think I'll mind forgetting it."

The food was largely forgettable, too.

They quickly got ready for bed, and Dell noticed Opphai was less than her normal bubbly self.

"What's the matter, Opphai?" he asked gently.

Big green eyes looked into his. "People think I'm an Anocot or at least part Anocot, and I have no memory of them. I've lost so much. There's a whole language I don't know."

Dell led her to bed and ensured she was in the middle, receiving cuddles from himself and Gennie. When she began to purr, Dell smiled, and they all slipped into sleep.

Chapter 10

Falco walked toward the Wood Knot Inn with knots in his stomach. He'd promised Morgan that he would be one of the volunteers for the effort to help the Pixies revive their race's fertility, but he was days overdue to begin. He'd been called away by issues in the city for his first few sessions then he missed the next few due to nerves.

Finally, he forced himself to clear his calendar and marched down the hill.

Karter was standing on the front steps and beamed him a wide smile when he spotted him.

"Good evening, Commander!" Karter said with a grin.

Falco frowned at the happy man. He was sure Karter would use the opportunity to make some smartass comments.

"I'm off duty, so you don't have to use my title," he said stiffly.

Karter's expression showed puzzlement. "I just realized I don't know your first name."

"My name is Falco."

Karter's confusion remained. "Your first name is Falco?"

"My only name is Falco," he said simply.

Karter's jaw dropped for a moment then he smiled again. "A singular name. That's... unique."

"A family tradition," Falco said proudly.

"Your father?" Karter asked.

"Falco," he responded.

Now Karter looked perplexed, but he quickly pushed that aside and switched to a smile. "Okay. Your date will be arriving in room one upstairs in a few minutes. You can use room eight across the hall to slip out of your clothes into the dressing gown on the back of the door. I've picked up your missed sessions, but I'm sure the variety you'll add will be greatly appreciated."

Falco looked at Karter in surprise. Then he shook that off because, of course, Karter picked up his sessions. He was... was—"

"Are you dying your hair?" Falco asked in surprise.

Karter grinned happily. "You like it?"

Falco huffed in annoyance and walked past him to enter the inn. He turned, climbed the stairs toward the rooms, and heard a door close as he approached the top. Was that the door to room one, which just closed?

Putting that aside, he entered room eight and quickly undressed. He reached for the robe but stopped when he spotted himself in a full-length mirror. He took a brief moment to critique his appearance.

His hair was dark and wavy to his shoulders and could probably use a cut, with grey patches at is temples.

He had dark eyes under thick black brows. Maybe a little too fierce looking. He tried to lessen that but moved on. He had a strong jaw, freshly shaven except for his trimmed goatee and mustache.

While he was slightly shorter than Karter, he was more muscular, but age was slowly stealing that from him. He maintained a strict diet and exercised regularly so his body had no fat.

His chest and arms were a bit hairy for some women's tastes, but others thought it just added to his fierceness. He wondered if that quality would be desirable for Pixies. He took a deep breath as he reached for the robe. As he slipped it on and cinched it around him, he glanced at an appendage he was most concerned with, but time would tell. He'd made his date wait long enough.

He left the room and crossed the hall to knock once on the door before opening it and stepping inside.

When he turned to look toward the bed, he paused as what his eyes were trying to take in sent a shock through his body.

Standing beside the bed facing him was a being whose beauty defied his comprehension. Her long blonde hair flowed over her shoulders, down her back to the back of her knees. It almost glowed like the sun! Her eyes were sky blue, and they were glowing from within. Her features were delicate and had a symmetry that dazzled him. Her body was exquisite, and his eyes roamed her curves.

He wanted her more than any woman he'd been with. His head felt a little light, but he tugged the belt loose from his robe and pushed the garment from his shoulders to let it drop to his feet.

His darkness just seemed to make her that much brighter. He looked at her expression and saw her shock as she stared toward his groin.

He was beginning to thicken and rise as his excitement increased. Her breathing was starting to speed up as the delicate pink tip of her tongue darted across her lush lips nervously.

She couldn't tear her eyes away from his cock, and he wondered if this would be a deal breaker for her.

As he'd been told by a few women he'd dated, he'd been gifted or cursed with abundance. He'd heard both arguments. He'd learned a few things he could do to relieve some difficulties, but ultimately, it was up to the woman.

The Pixie seemed frozen, so he stepped forward, and she swayed on her feet.

He stopped and looked at her questioningly. "Do you want me to leave?" His voice came out huskier than he intended, but she responded quickly.

"NO! No, I-I've just never seen one so... profound," she said breathily.

The word caught Falco by surprise, and he chuckled. This caused his cock to bob before her, and once more, her eyes were drawn to it.

He stepped closer, and she swayed again.

He continued to approach, and her eyes widened. When he was close, she immediately reached out and wrapped the fingers of both her hands around it. She went a little weak in the knees, so he pulled her against his body to keep her from falling.

Falco heard her gasp at the feel of his rough hands on her back, the surprising softness of his dark chest hair, the hard muscles under his skin, and his hot cock pressed between them.

He moved one of his hands into the thick hair on the back of her head, and his mouth found hers. He took his kiss and felt her trembling. He pulled his head back to look into her eyes, but she wasn't denying him, so he took a deeper kiss and felt her surrendering to his need.

Her hands squeezed his cock, driving his passion higher.

Falco moved forward, and the bed touched the back of her legs. He lowered her to the mattress, and she had to release his cock to touch his chest. He kissed his way down her body, drawing gasps and moans from her. When he worshipped her breasts, her head tossed from side to side as her writhing increased.

When his demanding kisses crossed her stomach, her eyes widened in shock as her hips gyrated in anticipation.

His mouth reached her wet lips, and his tongue explored her roughly but thoroughly.

Her fingers sank into his hair, and she clung to his head as he quenched his hunger for her nectar.

He could feel her cresting again and again under his relentless strength.

Falco couldn't get enough of her!

-=-

The Queen had told her of this technique, but she never expected it to be so intense! When he pulled back, she was gasping for breath. Her eyes rolled in her head as waves of bliss rolled through her nerves. Every cell in her body felt like it was tingling with energy. His energy.

She gasped once more when she felt his hand on her lower lips, and a thick finger slid into her pussy. It entered without issue as it was well lubricated.

She lifted her head to see he'd discovered the bowl of slippery lubricant on the table next to the bed and was slathering it on his heavy cock. Her eyes widened as he seemed larger than before, and a strong tremble went through her.

Then he moved his body over hers, and she felt the hot tip of his cock pressing against her slick pussy. It was impossible! There was no way—

The head popped inside, and her jaw dropped. Her eyes threatened to roll back in her head, but they locked onto his fierce gaze. He was watching her like a hunter, and she couldn't stop herself from nodding her submission.

He pressed forward, and her inner walls squeezed as he slid into her body. The sensation of fullness was intense.

It was almost too much, but it was that sensation of reaching for the precipice of unimaginable sensation that she couldn't get enough of.

-=-

Falco's body was telling him to drive himself into her hard and fast, but he was in control, and he eased himself forward and back, letting her body grow accustomed to his girth. He knew she wouldn't be able to accept his entire length, but that was okay as her hot, slick pussy felt so damn good he wasn't sure how much longer he would be able to last.

When he felt the tip touch the beginnings of her womb, he stopped and reversed almost all the way out. Her legs were shaking strongly as he stopped with just the head inside. He pushed forward again in one long thrust, and she moaned and gasped as her legs continued to shake.

Her trembling was beginning to affect his rhythm, so he lifted her legs against his chest and began to stroke in and out faster. His grip on her legs made her even tighter, and he was rapidly losing control. He pushed his thumb between her thighs and rubbed her clit as his pumping sped up. She was taking a little more than half of his length, but each stroke ended with a gentle kiss on the tip of his cock. He was lost in his bliss.

She began clamping down on his cock, and it was too much for him. He drove in and held her against his body as he filled her depths with his hot seed.

She cried out as her orgasm surged from the sensation.

When the waves of pleasure finally ebbed, Falco eased himself slowly from her body and gently lowered her legs to the mattress. She made little coos of pleasure, but her eyes were rolling from her exhaustion.

He'd been instructed to simply leave when he was done, but he was trapped by how lovely she looked.

He leaned down and kissed her one last time before walking to his robe and putting it on again.

With a final look back, he left the room.

Falco refreshed himself with the basin in the room across the hall and dressed.

He met Karter in the bar and nodded to the man.

"Everything okay?" the innkeeper asked as he saw a calmness in the man he hadn't seen before.

"Yes," Falco said with a slow nod. "When am I expected to be here again?"

Karter smiled. "Tomorrow after breakfast and after lunch."

Falco nodded. "See you then."

He had a lot to think about and did all the way back to Grennesh.

-=-

Queen Stella used the butterflies to appear in Karter's office per their arrangement. It made more sense than using Dell's bedroom. She left the room, walked into the bar with her wings hidden, and smiled at Karter.

"I take it from your presence here that your friend finally worked up the nerve to volunteer?" she said with a smile.

Karter nodded. "Yes, and I believe it went well but you'll need to speak to your volunteer to be sure."

She patted his arm and went upstairs. A quick knock on the door, she slipped inside. She paused as she saw the Pixie stretched out on the bed, asleep! She moved to sit on the edge of the bed and gently touched her cheek. The Queen felt a radiance from the Pixie. She was floating on her bliss.

"Solana? Solana, dear? It's time to go home," she said.

Eyelashes fluttered as the lovely blonde surfaced. Her eyes didn't track at first then found Stella's face. She smiled then a little crease appeared between her eyes. "Ooo."

Stella's eyebrows rose. "What is it?"

Solana's eyes widened. "He was so big and so forceful!"

"Did he hurt you?" Stella asked in concern.

"No! He wasn't cruel or angry. It was passion! He was so passionate... and he has a thick cock!"

Stella burst into giggles and Solana moaned with a grin as she tried to suppress hers.

The Queen raised an eyebrow at her. "So, he was good?"

Solana's eyes went dreamy. "So good! But big."

Stella nodded. "Did it work?"

The blonde closed her eyes and was soon smiling. "It did!"

"That's excellent! Let's shrink down, and I'll take you home."

The two Pixies transformed into their smallest state, and a few butterflies appeared and disappeared as the Queen returned her subject to the safety of the palace in the Tanglewood.

Another success.

Queen Stella went back to her office after seeing Solana to her home.

She reviewed the list of candidates again and saw the next two were suitable for their generously hung volunteer. She'd have to be careful with her selection process for the Commander, as not all Pixies would be as... flexible.

Perhaps after she'd recovered from having her child, she'd also arrange a date with him.

Chapter 11

Dell, Opphai, and Gennie left behind the forgettable village and set a comfortable pace, making the distance slip away. The permanent snow and ice were everywhere before them, so they knew they would soon reach the mountain where Grobrir village was located.

When they reached its base, they stopped for water and to discuss their strategy.

"How do we get past the Anocot Warriors?" Gennie asked.

Dell had been thinking about this all the way down and decided to borrow a play from his father's playbook. The Big Bluff.

"Are we going to sneak around them? Climb up the other side of the mountain?" Opphai asked.

"No. We're going to walk directly up the main path to the mine entrance," he said.

The two ladies looked at Dell like he was mad.

"Isn't that exactly what you promised Eryllis you wouldn't do?" Opphai gasped.

He smiled. "No, I said I wouldn't charge in. What I will do is enter as an arbitrator like my father, a neutral party. I'm not here to fight. I'm here to end this fight by finding a solution both sides will agree on. But first, I need to investigate what triggered the war."

Dell looked into Opphai's eyes. "Your task is to protect Gennie. If force is required, keep it non-lethal." She nodded.

Gennie stared at Dell and nodded nervously. She'd seen him with his sword, so she felt confident he could hold his own.

They continued at a comfortable jog and reached the intersection of the walking path and the road from the mine entrance to the seaport. They turned uphill and when the grade increased, they dropped to a walk to preserve their energy. The distance was considerable, so they didn't get close to the entrance until late afternoon. As they rounded a bend, they came upon the line of Anocot warriors facing the other way.

Dell took a moment to familiarize himself with the Anocot's physical characteristics. They were uniformly tall but with varying levels of svelte musculature. None matched Opphai for raw power.

They were much like her in many ways, except they were fully furred. Their faces also had more feline features than Opphai. Some were picking up his presence, so he had to put a bookmark in his review of them.

"STOP!" Dell bellowed.

The rear line leapt in the air. Some dropped their weapons.

When they turned to face Dell, he strode forward boldly. "Return to your camp. I'm not here to fight. I'm here to arbitrate this dispute."

He could tell some didn't understand his words, but they leaned closer to others who quickly translated. Three were pissed at being surprised and charged forward with their spears.

Dell pulled his sword, and it whirred before him, chewing through the three weapons before sliding back into his scabbard. The warriors stared in dismay at the sticks they held.

"Go back to your camp. Tell your leaders I will come to speak with them to hear their side of the dispute tomorrow."

More Anocots arrived, falling back from the mine's entrance after hearing of a surprise attack from behind. They were stunned to see one tall, ruddy-skinned swordsman facing down the rear reserve. Two seasoned Anocot warriors, potentially the leaders, moved forward and yelled something that caused all the other Anocots to move to the sides to give them room. One held a sword, and the other used a bow.

Dell pulled his sword once more, surged forward, slapping arrows from the air, and quickly engaged with the swordsman. Their blades spun faster than the eye could follow and flashed in the rays of late afternoon sunlight.

The Anocot was quite good. Dell could feel the exhilaration from the warrior's spirit at being matched against such a challenging opponent. He ensured he remained shielded from the bowman behind the warrior as he pushed closer. This forced the Anocot warrior back faster and faster as their swords clashed.

When he suddenly lashed out with a kick, he caught the swordsman by surprise as he flew back into the archer, causing them both to collapse on the ground.

Everyone seemed to be holding their breath. Dell sheathed his weapon and offered a hand to the swordsman on the ground. He looked up at Dell in surprise, then gripped his hand to let himself be pulled to his feet.

"I'm Dell du Krane. I'm here to arbitrate the dispute. I'm not here to fight. I will speak to the Dwarves and come to speak with your leaders tomorrow. We will find a solution for this dispute." He gestured behind himself.

He held the eyes of the Anocot warrior, who nodded. The swordsman picked up his weapon and sheathed it as he watched Dell. He called out something else, and the war party began moving down the road. They slowed as Opphai boldly walked up the middle of the road with Gennie at her back. The Warrior saw them and looked to Dell.

"They're with me."

The war band leader nodded and joined his people as they jogged down the road toward their war camp. Wherever that was.

He'd find out tomorrow.

Gennie stared at Dell in awe. "That was incredible!"

He smiled. "I'm glad it ended as it did." He looked up the road. "Let's see if the Dwarves are as reasonable."

They'd just reached the next bend when three Dwarves stepped out of the woods on one side of the road.

"Why didn't you just kill him?" one blurted angrily.

"Who? The Anocot warrior?" Dell asked.

"Yes! The bloody big one with the lightning-fast sword!" the angry Dwarf responded.

Dell frowned. "I'm not here to fight. I'm here to arbitrate this dispute and end the fighting. Take me to your leaders."

The angry one's eyes almost bugged out of his head in his outrage. "NOT HERE TO FIGHT!?!"

He reached for his axe and then slumped to the ground after Gennie planted her fist against his nose.

"Not here to fight," Gennie repeated much more calmly. She looked at his partners, and they took a step back. "This one's got battle fatigue. Make him take some rest," she said as she walked toward the entrance. Dell and Opphai caught up. Soon, the three scouts joined as well, but two were carrying their unconscious friend.

When they reached the doors, they opened, and a group of Dwarves stood ready for battle.

"They've gone," one of the scouts said. "This fellow says he's here to arbitrate the dispute. Wants to talk to the leaders."

"What happened to Dinkley?" someone called out.

Eyes darted to Gennie. "Battle fatigue," the two said in unison.

"Okay, bring them to the upper ups," one from the group said, and Dell moved forward.

"You're not bringing an Anocot into the village!" the same voice called out as Opphai moved to join Dell.

"Don't be a fucking moron! She's not an Anocot, not fully anyway. She didn't grow up with them and has no memories of her childhood," Gennie snapped at them, and they backed off.

Their guides brought them to the village council office, where they found the village leaders. Dell was grateful they built their rooms with sufficient headroom.

After the death of Krommin Grobrir, ownership of the mine went to the next family relatives. This was Krommin's cousins, Hoseth and Hakhal Greyback. They were also the instigators who had Maevria ejected from the village, so there was already a strike against them in Dell's mind.

Hoseth was the older brother, so he was nominally in charge, with Hakhal as his deputy. Management of the mine and administration of the village was a joint effort of the owners and a council of four elected officials from amongst the other families who worked the mine. The usual political jockeying made the other four less effective against the owners.

Dell stared at the six frowning Dwarves and sighed. "My name is Dell du Krane. I'm here to arbitrate the dispute between the people of Grobrir village and the Anocot warriors."

Hoseth approached Dell and looked at him in contempt. "I don't recognize your authority over this concern!"

"Do you recognize the people of this village who haven't received any supplies since the Anocot warriors began their blockade of the port? How long will they have to suffer before you take steps to reach an agreement?"

Hakhal looked visibly upset. "Who told you about the blocked supply shipments?" He scowled at the other four council members.

Dell frowned. "One of your suppliers told me the warriors have been blocking all shipments to the mine."

Hoseth shot an angry look at his brother, then faced Dell again. "Regardless, you have no authority here. The Anocot won't listen to you either!"

One of the scouts who followed them spoke up. "We witnessed this fella defeat the Anocot's strongest warrior. Then he got them to leave after he said he'd speak to you and come talk to them tomorrow. They listened."

"You killed the warrior?" Hoseth asked eagerly.

Dell frowned. "No. I stopped his attack and got him to understand I'm not here to fight. I'm here to arbitrate. He just needed to know I was serious."

The four councilors looked at Dell like a solution they'd been waiting for, and he saw the brothers were nervous about that for some reason.

"I need to investigate the source of this conflict. I'm taking statements from both sides. I'll take yours now. When did this begin?"

Hoseth leaned forward. "When the Anocot warriors barged into our village to demand our hard-earned ores as if they owned them!"

Dell saw the expressions of discomfort on the faces of the four and knew Hoseth had skipped over some vital details. "So, the warriors came to the village to make a claim against your ore."

"That's right!" Hakhal added.

"What reason did they give for this demand?" Dell asked calmly.

"Reason? They're beasts! What use have they for reason?" Hoseth blurted.

Dell was getting tired of these bombastic claims. He turned to the closest councilor of the four and locked eyes with him. "What reason did they give?"

"The explosion—"

"Is none of his business, Lotmur!" Hoseth shouted.

Dell turned to face Hoseth. "If I find you've not provided the truth in my investigation, I won't be able to help you limit the damages the Anocot Warriors will claim."

"Tell him about the blasted explosion, Hoseth!" one of the other councilors shouted when he got the nerve.

"He knows nothing about deep shaft mining. It would be meaningless to him," Hoseth said between his teeth.

"Try me," Dell said.

Staring daggers at Dell, the Dwarf ran his fingers through his grey beard and then fixed a cunning eye on Dell. "Mining is a dangerous business. The deeper the mine goes, the more danger there is. An operation in one of our deepest shafts suffered an unforeseen failure when a collapse caused an underground river to come into contact with a magma chamber.

The explosion cost the life of the crew chief, who should have taken greater care when plotting the course of the excavation.

After the explosion, we discovered the river had been altered by passing through this extra chamber. The water is superheated and contaminated with dissolved minerals.

The Anocot claim the river by their village is fed by this underground river, and they can no longer consume the water or use it for irrigation. They've had to move their village from their ancestral lands.

There is nothing we can do to fix what this accident caused. The one who might have prevented it is dead.

Their claim for reparations is outrageous and would cripple our village. We must protect the people from that. The warriors would not see reason."

"How much are they asking?"

Hoseth seemed to relax. "It's the value we've collected from the mine for the past two years."

"And your counteroffer was?" Dell asked.

Hoseth threw his hands up. "As I said, he knows nothing of the complexity of mining! Did you not hear how this accident was unforeseen by all but the one who died? Should we destroy everything we've worked for due to his mistake?"

"You offered them nothing," Dell said as he held Hoseth's eyes.

The male's face just reddened.

Dell didn't wait for him to respond. He had his answer. "I'll come back in the morning to speak to you again. In the interim, I want you to consider your costs if the Anocot drive you from your homes as you've done to them. Or the cost to your people if they starve."

He turned, left the council building, and faced the group following him from the entrance. "I need to deliver a letter to the daughter of Maevria Stormguard and Krommin Grobrir."

One of the scouts raised a hand. "That's Ardelyn Greskagg. I can take you to her."

Dell nodded and followed with Gennie and Opphai at his heels.

The scout left them at the door to one of the homes, so Dell knocked.

Moments later, a female Dwarf answered the door and Dell smiled as he saw Maevria's features in a younger face. "Hello, I'm Dell du Krane from—"

"The Wood Knot Inn!" the female said with a smile. Obviously, Maevria had mentioned him in her letters.

"Yes. These are my friends Opphai Wintervale and Gennie Gwendish." She nodded, and her eyes widened as she looked at Opphai.

"I'm Ardelyn Greskagg. Come in, please!" she said.

When they were inside, Dell handed her the letter he'd been carrying from Maevria. "Your mother asked me to deliver this and help with the crisis you mentioned in your last letter to her."

Ardelyn cupped her face between her hands in dismay. "You came all this way and got tied up in our mess because of my letter? I'm so sorry!"

He smiled. "Maevria is family to us. If she needs my help, I will do my best."

The female looked a little overcome, but she gestured to some chairs.

"Please have a seat. We don't have much as we're rationing, but I do have water," Ardelyn said.

Dell pulled a package of tea from his pack. "You may have this," he said, handing it to her.

"Tea! Such a welcome luxury!" she sighed happily.

She made them tea and they relaxed as she quickly read the letter. A tear ran down her cheek. She smiled at Dell as she slipped it back into its envelope.

"Thank you for bringing me her letter. It sets my heart at ease to know she's happy and content, taking care of children."

The front door opened, and a male Dwarf stepped inside with a worried look on his face as he took in the sight of the strangers sitting with his wife.

She made the introductions, and they learned her husband's name was Theli Greskagg.

"I hear you're here to make the Anocot leave us alone?" Theli said.

"I'm here to arbitrate an agreement between the two groups so the hostilities will end peacefully. So, people can get back to their lives."

Theli looked at Opphai. "I'm not sure how I feel having an Anocot in my home when her people are trying to kill us."

She leaned forward and pointed to the scar on her forehead. "I can't remember anything about my life before my injury, and it happened a long time ago. I can't speak their language. I don't remember anything about them. I'm not even sure they are my people as I'm so much bigger than them."

Theli watched her and nodded. "You're not exactly the same."

Opphai nodded. "Do you know anything about Giants who hunt in snowstorms?"

Theli smiled in surprise. "I recall my grandfather telling stories to us about the Giants who hunted for children in the snowstorms. Bigger than your friend Dell with wild white hair and beards. Massively muscled and fierce warriors. All the children were terrified of them, so none of us wandered in the storms."

Opphai and Dell exchanged looks. "There might be more to the myth than everyone thinks. We need to speak to the Anocot people about Giants."

Dell looked at Theli. "You work in the mine?" The male nodded. "I spoke to the councilors, and they described an accident that seems to have triggered this issue with the Anocot. I need more information on what exactly happened."

Theli nodded. "Give me a minute." He stood and left the home.

They finished their tea while they waited, but when Theli returned, he gestured for Dell to join him outside.

Gathered before the home was a group of thirty or so Dwarves. "These are all members of my crew," Theli said. "The deep shaft was all but exhausted, but there was a hint of a vein of silver in the worst location at the bottom. Our crew chief, Narghret, reviewed the site, determined the risk of collapse was too high, and advised against further excavation. He sent a report to the council, and we stayed out of the shaft."

"We told them it was too close to an unstable zone!" one of the others called out, and heads nodded.

An older Dwarf moved forward. "I could feel the river behind the stone. I told Narghret, and he sent a second report to the Greybacks telling them the unstable zone plus a river added too much risk for what would most likely be a limited vein."

Theli continued. "As we were protesting, Ardelyn's crew was sent into the deep shaft, and the collapse began. When Narghret discovered the other team was down there, he went in and got everyone out before the wall fully gave and took him from us. He was my best friend."

"Is Narghret's second report on file somewhere?" Dell asked.

Scowls appeared on faces. "It should have gone to the council, not the Greybacks. You'll find no sign of it now," another miner shouted.

Dell noticed Theli's look of unease and turned to him. "Narghret gave me a copy of the report," the Dwarf said.

The group began to shout angrily, but Dell held up his hands, and they quieted down.

Theli continued. "The Anocot attack came too soon after the collapse, and all efforts turned to holding them back. There wasn't an opportunity to approach the council with the demand to investigate the Greybacks. Also, you know how vicious those bastards can be," Theli snarled at the others. They nodded grudgingly.

"I believe it's time now. Give me the report," Dell said, and Theli nodded.

Dell looked at the crowd. "I'm speaking with the council tomorrow morning before I speak with the Anocot. Their demand for reparations for being forced from their ancestral home was two years value from the mine." More angry shouting ensued, but Dell got them to quiet down again. "The owners offered them nothing, leading to the blockade and the war. We are talking about a significant loss for the Anocot people. The insult of being offered nothing will have damaged your ability to bargain, but I will do my best to limit the cost. Before I speak to the council, I need a better understanding of what you believe the mine can afford to pay in reparations without causing undue hardship for its people. Talk it out."

He stepped back and saw the group put their heads together. The discussion was quite animated as feelings ran high, but calmer heads were also involved. When the volume dropped to calm discussion, and the expressions were serious but hopeful, Theli turned to Dell.

"One year's value."

Dell nodded. "Thank you for all your help. As I said, I will speak with the council and the owners tomorrow. Armed with this information, I believe we can end this war without any more bloodshed."

The miners nodded and began to disperse.

Theli looked at Dell. "Seriously, be careful with the Greybacks."

"Noted," he said.

They returned to Theli's home and Ardelyn had prepared a room for the three travelers to sleep in. Dell opened up their supplies for the couple, and they ate a filling meal for the first time in over a month.

Dell yawned and thanked the couple for their hospitality before he, Opphai, and Gennie went to their room to sleep.

There was no dessert tonight, as well.

-=-

The next morning, Dell stood before the village leaders, awaiting their answer.

Hoseth looked supremely confident, and Hakhal wore a smug smile.

"We will offer the Anocot three month's value as reparations," he said.

Dell sighed. So, they were going to have to do this the hard way.

"Did any of you seriously consider my question last night? How much would it cost you to move your village?"

Confidence turned to anger. "We will not be leaving our ancestral home!" Hoseth shouted.

"But you believe the Anocot's ancestral home has no value? A home they were forced to leave because of your greed?" Dell countered as he looked right into Hoseth's eyes.

Shock appeared on the faces of the four councilors, but doubt and suspicion appeared on Hoseth's, while Hakhal's showed worry and fear?

"I interviewed a large group of miners last night. The people who worked the deep shaft. The ones who know what really happened. It wasn't a surprise accident at all. You had experts who reported the dangers with specific details on what would go wrong if you proceeded, but you ignored them for the slim chance of accumulating more wealth. A fully preventable accident that cost the life of one of your experts and placed the entire village in danger. I have a copy of the report he sent to the Greybacks. A report indicating the presence of the hidden river. A report that was ignored for their greed."

He looked into the enraged eyes of Hoseth.

"I ask again, what are you willing to pay to compensate the Anocot village for the loss of their ancestral home?"

Hoseth leapt to his feet and charged at Dell with his battle axe. Hakhal followed with his war hammer.

Dell had been forewarned and surged forward to get inside the axe's swing to slam the heel of his hand into the leader's forehead, stunning him. He shoved the dazed Dwarf into the path of Hakhal. The two crashed to the ground, and Dell kicked the brother's elbow, making him scream and release the hammer. Dell kicked their weapons aside.

He faced the councilors. "I didn't come here to fight but to see if I could help stop this conflict and protect your people." He pointed to the two Dwarves on the floor. "If these two speak for the leadership of the village, then I'll leave you to your fate. I have no interest in getting involved in your internal politics."

The four elected officials shared looks and nodded. "We vote for the immediate removal of the Greyback brothers from the council." They turned to Dell. "Will you help us negotiate with the Anocot? Two year's value would cause our people hardship. We might be able to endure ten month's value?"

"One year's value?" Dell suggested, and after a moment, they agreed.

Dell nodded with a smile. "This was the amount the villagers believed they could endure." The four looked relieved.

They nodded and continued. "To further compensate the Anocot people, they may also have the personal property and wealth found in the homesteads of the two men for putting their greed ahead of the village's safety."

Hoseth had heard enough and struggled to his feet to attack the four, but Dell kicked his feet out from under him, and he fell on his brother, slamming their foreheads together. They sagged, unconscious.

"You need to restrain and incarcerate these two. I'll take the offer to the Anocot," Dell said.

The one called Lotmur went to the doorway and asked for Mine Security to take the Greyback brothers into custody and stick them in cells.

Dell handed the report to one of the other councilors and saw the distraught expressions as they read the fateful words.

He left the council offices and went back to Ardelyn's home.

She answered the door, and he took a moment to explain what happened. Smiles appeared, and Dell gestured to Opphai.

"It's time for us to speak with the Anocot leaders," he said. "It would be safer if you stayed here, Gennie."

"If Ardelyn doesn't mind," Gennie said.

"Not at all!" she said.

Dell and Opphai walked through the village and were eased out the massive front door which closed with a thump behind them.

"We don't know where the Anocot people are hiding," Opphai said as they walked down the road.

"We don't need to. I'm sure they'll find us," Dell said.

The day was especially crisp and bright, so they enjoyed the walk down the mountain road until they found themselves surrounded. The leading warrior was with them. He nodded to Dell and led the way onto a hidden trail off the road. Dell and Opphai followed, walking for an hour before exiting the forest into a wide clearing.

The warrior took them to a group of five senior Anocots. "Our leaders will hear your words."

Dell nodded to the warrior and bowed to the leaders before sitting cross-legged before them. Opphai sat at his side and got some surprised expressions from the seniors.

"Hello. I'm Dell du Krane. I came to act as an arbitrator for the conflict between you and the people of Grobrir village. In my investigation at the mine, I discovered the nature of the accident that caused the mine to alter the river.

Mining experts discovered the shaft they were working on was unstable. They sent a report to their council. This report was under review when a second report was created, which said the underground river had been detected and indicated and even greater risk.

All activity in the shaft should have stopped, but the second report was blocked by the two owners of the mine, who sent another crew of miners to continue the work. The shaft collapsed, and the river was diverted into a magma chamber, which caused an explosion. The mining expert responsible for the two reports was killed, saving the team of miners.

It was the greed of the owners which caused the accident."

The Anocot leaders looked upset by this, and Dell waited for them to calm down before he continued. "The councilors have arrested the owners, and they have been imprisoned for causing the accident and endangering the two villages." He saw some small nods. "They have instructed me that they would pay reparations to you for the loss of your village and lands."

Now, Dell saw more nods as the Anocot leaders saw the end of their struggle approaching.

"In speaking with the council members and many villagers, they indicated that losing two year's value from the mine would cause them great hardship. They empathize with your struggle from being forced from your village, so they are offering one year's value from the mine plus all the personal items and wealth to be found within the owner's private homesteads. Due to the blockade your people enforced, the villagers who were not responsible for the accident have suffered from food and medical supply shortages. It will take some time for them to recover from this period of warfare."

Dell sat back and waited, and the leaders whispered to each other.

The central one turned to face Dell. "We will consider this offer of reparations. It is good to hear a serious offer after the terrible insult they delivered initially. If you return tomorrow, we will have our answer."

Dell nodded to them. "Thank you. Might my companion ask a question regarding a personal matter?"

The five nodded and looked at the large female.

"Have any of you heard of an Anocot who looks like me? I'm trying to discover my past as I was injured a long time ago, and I have no memories of my childhood," she said.

They looked at each other, but it was clear that none had any information. The lead warrior stepped forward. "I will send for a historian from our village. She has traveled extensively through our lands and knows much about our people. Hopefully, she will be able to answer your questions tomorrow."

The leaders stood, so Dell did as well and bowed to them.

The warrior walked with Dell back toward the road. His squad joined them. Dell thought he'd ask them a question. "Do the Anocot have any knowledge of Giants who hunt in snowstorms?"

Opphai's eyes went to the warrior, who smiled as he looked at his squad mates, who were listening in and smiling, too. "We've heard these tales long ago when we were just Cotlils—children. Cautionary tales to keep us from wandering away in storms." He stopped talking when his eyes focused on Opphai.

Expressions became uncomfortable.

When they reached the road, Dell nodded to the warrior and received one in return.

"Until tomorrow," Dell said, and the Anocot warriors rushed away, fading back into the woods.

He smiled at Opphai, and they returned to the mine. They went directly to the council to let them know he'd be returning to the Anocot camp to hear their answer tomorrow.

Then they walked back to Ardelyn's home. Gennie was relieved to see them.

"Did you get any answers about your past from the Anocot?" she asked Opphai.

She shook her head. "But tomorrow, an Anocot historian will be there, so I can ask her questions!" she said excitedly.

Gennie smiled at her enthusiasm.

-=-

That night, after dinner, Dell needed to take a walk. He asked Gennie to join him so he would look like he had an official escort. They stayed at the top level and just stretched their legs.

Dell looked at her and saw a slight smile on her face. He looked around and saw others walking as well. "Are you comfortable in this village?" he asked.

Gennie looked up at him. "Are you revoking your invitation to return to your home?" she asked cautiously with a serious expression.

"No! Not at all. I was just wondering if you'd feel more comfortable living in a Dwarf village," he replied honestly.

She watched his eyes and nodded to herself. "I'm not comfortable being a stranger in an environment where there are no strangers. While I've always had a little wanderlust, I've only felt comfortable in my home village, and I'm no longer welcome there. I'd like to see the Wood Knot Inn. Opphai's stories make it seem like a place I might fit in. I've been talking to Ardelyn about her mother, and she sounds nice."

Dell smiled and nodded. "She's wonderful with my kids."

They made another loop of the top level, then headed back to Ardelyn's.

Getting ready for bed Dell couldn't help thinking he might get to go home soon.

-=-

The next morning, Dell and Opphai were met by the Anocot squad, but the warrior was not there. They followed their guides through the forest and arrived at the war camp as it was being disassembled.

They were brought to an older female Anocot with longer fur than the warriors. She locked eyes on Opphai.

"Hello, I'm Opphai Wintervale—"

The old female stared at Opphai in shock. "Wuntrrvall!" she said softly.

Opphai's eyes widened in surprise. "Do you know me? Do we know each other?"

The elder shook her head. "No, I'm sorry. It's the name of an old Anocot village. It was a south coastal village midway between Fscilwite and Rrmwite. After an enormous blizzard thirty years ago, a supply ship arrived at their pier and discovered everyone had been slaughtered except for one female who was hurt. The ship took her to a neighboring village, where she healed slowly but no longer spoke.

When they discovered she was pregnant, they wondered if she'd been raped. When she gave birth, they had their answer, as the baby was a halfling like none they'd ever seen. The village elders wanted the infant to be killed, but the mother and child disappeared that night. No one ever saw them again."

Opphai watched the Elder's lips tremble as she told the story.

"Does anyone live in Wuntrrvall now?" Opphai asked hopefully.

The old female shook her head. "The village no longer exists. Someone burned it to the ground, and nature took it back. The village which took in the pregnant female was wiped out three years later by bandits. I lost my cousin in that raid. She'd been the one who wrote to me of these events."

"Can you tell me anything about Giants who hunt in snowstorms?" Opphai asked.

"There hasn't been a sighting of any in the past twenty years," the old female said.

"So, not a myth," Dell said.

She shook her head. "It's better to tell people they are."

They thanked the historian for the information, and she wandered off, glancing back at Opphai.

The lead warrior returned from wherever he'd been and approached Dell.

"The leaders have agreed to the reparations, but they want the two Dwarves responsible," he said.

Dell looked into the warrior's eyes. "The dispute between the two groups was based on the loss of property due to the greed of the two leaders. Escalating the punishment to a blood debt would unbalance the conflict. As the cause was their greed, taking their personal property and wealth is true justice. Their freedom has already been taken from them by their own people."

The warrior was quiet as he absorbed this. Finally, he nodded. "We will accept this."

Dell nodded. "I will inform the new leaders that the dispute is over, and you will come to collect the reparations in... two days?" He paused to see the male nod in agreement. The leader presented his palms up, so Dell pressed his to them, and the warrior walked away.

On the way back to the road, Dell kept an eye on Opphai and saw she was distracted. As they headed up the wide gravel lane toward the mine, Dell caught her eye.

"How are you feeling now that you have more information on your past?" he said gently.

Opphai nodded slightly. "I am a little sad... but a little happy. Sad that my people wanted to kill me but happy that my mother saved me. I wish I could remember her." She was quiet for a little while as she sorted her confused emotions.

"I don't know if I want to search for more information. Not right away, at least. I have a happy life now, which is the most important thing," Opphai said.

Dell nodded to her with a smile, and she smiled at him in return.

When they returned to the Dwarf village, Opphai returned to Ardelyn's place while Dell went to speak to the councilors.

He found them in the council hall, and they stood nervously as he entered.

"The Anocot have agreed to the offer. One year's value of the mine's output and everything inside the homes of the Greyback brothers. The Anocot warriors will return in two days to collect the reparations. Don't fuck around with these guys. Be straight. Give them what you owe them, and they will leave."

"Thank you. We haven't discussed your compensation for the arbitration," Lotmur said hesitantly.

Dell shook his head. "I'm giving you a one-hundred percent discount."

Wide smiles appeared on the faces of the four councilors.

"Just make sure Hoseth and Hakhal serve long sentences. I hate bullies," Dell grumbled.

Heads nodded in agreement as they smiled.

"My arbitration task is done, so I'm going home," Dell said.

He waved and left the council hall to return to Ardelyn and Theli's home.

Theli was smiling as he opened the door for Dell and shook his hand. "I understand the war is over!" he said.

Dell nodded. "In two days, the Anocot will pick up their reparation, and that's it."

Ardelyn gave him a hug and handed him a letter. "For mother," she said, and Dell nodded, tucking it into his pocket.

He looked at Gennie and Opphai. "It's time to go home."

Gennie frowned. "It's pretty late in the day to start. We should head out first thing tomorrow morning."

"We wouldn't get very far before dark," Opphai agreed.

"I want to get back instantly, so we're gonna be using magic!" Dell said with a wide smile.

Gennie blinked at Dell. "If it's that fast, why didn't we use magic to get here?" Opphai looked at Dell in surprise.

"The only direction I can make it work is to go home," Dell explained.

Opphai was excited and bounced on her toes, which mesmerized Dell momentarily. She burst into giggles at his funny expression.

Dell faced the Dwarf couple. "Thank you for your hospitality."

"It was our pleasure!" Ardelyn said.

"Thank you for ending the war!" Theli said.

Dell, Opphai, and Gennie unloaded all their food items and supplies from their packs onto Ardelyn's table much to the couple's delight. The three travelers put on their much lighter packs and hugged each other tight to make them as small as possible.

"This is a very strange way to travel," Ardelyn said as she chuckled at them.

Opphai tucked her head down into Dell's shoulder and Gennie was squeezed tight between them.

"I think Dell just wanted to feel our boobs squeezed against him," Gennie teased.

"Hush! I must concentrate!" he insisted, though he was enjoying the sensation.

Calming his mind, he reached out to Tawna, holding the spell in his mind. He felt her link to him then there was a long pause, and he began to worry. Suddenly, Stella and Marlah connected as well. He was surprised by the extra help, but the butterflies started to appear and cover them. Opphai was dazzled and cooed in delight. His last sight of Ardelyn and Theli was their expressions of joy and awe then the butterflies covered them completely.

There was a moment of disorientation as the butterflies burst away from them in a blitz of flapping wings. This was followed by a second of freefall as they dropped onto Dell's bed. They wobbled and went to their knees, but their differing heights pushed them off balance and they toppled off the bed to land on the floor with a loud thump.

Opphai laughed joyfully at their sloppy landing and even Gennie was grinning as she looked around in wonder. "What a weird place to end up!"

Dell was on his back on the floor under the two ladies. "Hey, it's not weird. It's my room! Home!"

He was amazed he was still conscious.

The bedroom door opened, and Eryllis surged inside with Kharza at her back.

Dell tilted his head up and smiled at her lovely face. "Hi, beautiful! I'm home!"

Opphai rolled off Dell and Gennie managed to stand next to the bed as she gazed at the Wood Elf beauty kissing Dell's face. She looked up at Kharza and recognized her as the Orc who freed her from First Priv. She suddenly realized she hadn't even said thank you for that.

"Uh, thanks for what you did for us at First Priv," she said awkwardly.

The Orc gave her a toothy grin. "My pleasure—Oop," she said as Dell pulled her down to kiss her as well.

Tawna, Marlah, and Stella appeared in the doorway and smiled at the happy man and his mates. They looked in interest at the extra arrivals.

Dell finally managed to untangle his legs from the bed and stood between Eryllis and Kharza to look toward the Pixies. "Thank you so much for carrying the load to bring us back from Grobrir Mine."

"You're most welcome. I'm sure I'll think of some way you can repay me," Stella said with a sultry smile.

Marlah gasped at her mother, then looked at Dell. "Me, too!"

Tawna just rolled her eyes.

Dell gestured to his new travel companion. "Everyone, this is Gennie Gwendish. She's going to be staying with us."

Karter appeared in the doorway with a smile and Dell stared at his father as he looked so much younger.

"What the hell?" he asked. "Are you dying your hair?"

Stella patted Karter's cheek fondly.

Maevria came downstairs to see what the commotion was. Dell pulled the envelope from his pocket and handed it to her. "All is well at the mine. I brokered peace between the leaders of the Dwarf and Anocot villages. The Dwarves now have new leadership as its owners caused the crisis with their greed and are now in jail."

"That's my boy!" Karter said in delight. He was very impressed. "The old Dell would never have been able to keep his temper long enough to get two knuckleheads to listen to reason."

Dell stared at his father. "It's too weird getting fatherly praise from a man who doesn't look old enough to be my dad."

Karter grinned widely.

"If you'll excuse us, I need a few minutes with Eryllis," Dell said as he looked into her eyes.

With a grin, Karter headed downstairs with the three Pixies.

Maevria smiled at him and gestured for Gennie to join her. Gennie glanced at Dell as she went by.

"Thank you for bringing me," Opphai said to Dell, and she headed upstairs.

Kharza leaned forward and got another kiss before she headed out.

Dell closed the door and turned to see Eryllis' knowing smile.

He held up his hand for her not to speak first. "How went your visit to Ghelli'Talesh?" he asked with a concerned look.

She smiled as love for him filled her heart. "It wasn't what I was expecting or hoped for. We'll talk about it tonight if you don't mind."

He watched her eyes, then nodded.

"You've brought home another damsel in distress," she said.

Dell nodded seriously. "I want you to know I had sex with Opphai and Gennie."

Eryllis lifted her breasts and squeezed them together. Dell's brain took a little holiday.

"You shared a tent with two bosomy ladies who enjoyed teasing you with these?" she asked.

He sighed. "Guilty as charged," he said with a frown.

She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him as she kissed him.

"Do you love me?" she asked.

"I love you more than it feels possible to love someone," he said.

She smiled. "I love you, too. I'm not in the least bit threatened by Opphai's and Gennie's attraction to you and your affection for them. I know you love me and want to be with me until we're old and grey."

He nodded and held her close to kiss her again. "You're the best part of my heart and soul. You're also going to get a lot more of that tonight!"

She chuckled. "You better believe it! Now feed me!" she said, pushing him toward the door. He grinned at her with glee.

"I missed you so much! I also missed being in my kitchen! But I missed you more!" Dell clarified, and she chuckled.

They went downstairs, arm in arm.

Chapter 12

Dell had to admit that having a shield spell was handy in a snowstorm.

While it wasn't a blizzard, the falling flakes tickled his nose until Eryllis took pity on him and erected the shield around them.

They stood back by the bare trees dressed in black cloaks as the funeral for Harold Warrick took place a short distance away. While they hadn't been invited, Eryllis wanted to be there... for Geneviere.

The guests were using umbrellas to keep the snow from their faces. There was a good representation from the first families of Grennesh, but that was expected. Geneviere was the head of the Warrick family, and respect was due.

The security teams for these family members cast nervous glances at the two dark and silent sentinels watching from the treeline.

Dell reflected on his reaction when Eryllis told him of Harold's attempt to murder her. It had taken her some time to calm him, and then he held her as his muscles shook with unspent adrenaline. If Harold had still been alive, Dell might have hunted him down and ended him.

She'd read his letter aloud and they both realized his sister would need support now more than ever. Damn the politics.

Geneviere looked devastated, and they ached to approach, but... they hadn't been invited.

Who knows how the security teams would overreact.

When the service was over, Geneviere finally looked away from the grave and went still, her eyes locked with Eryllis'.

She moved through the group of first family members, nodding to their whispered condolences, but never looked away from Eryllis.

This distraction was noticed by the attendees, who watched in surprise as Geneviere continued toward the two uninvited outsiders. Geneviere said something to her personal guard, who seemed to be protesting but immediately stopped moving when she spoke softly once more.

The first family guests went still and watched her cross the distance alone to stand before the tall observers.

Geneviere looked away from Eryllis to gaze up into Dell's eyes.

"I'm sorry for your loss," Dell said gently.

"If he'd succeeded—"

"You would still be here today," Dell immediately responded, and she rocked back slightly at his brutal honesty. Eryllis touched his hand, and he dipped his head to her and moved back to give them some privacy.

He didn't take his eyes off her security team, though.

-=-

"Please excuse Dell's emotional state. Discovering what happened while he was away upset him," Eryllis said, and Geneviere nodded, and her eyes lifted to look into a compassionate gaze.

"I received a letter from your brother, but by the time it arrived, it was too late. I'd like you to have it," Eryllis said gently and handed the letter to the woman.

She took it and slipped it into a pocket. She was in no emotional state to read it here.

"I understand now. I wish there'd been some way to correct his misconception before he acted, but I'm sure we share that wish," Eryllis said, and Geneviere nodded.

"Perhaps... perhaps we could start again?" the leader of House Warrick said with a voice sounding much younger than her years.

Eryllis smiled at her and nodded. "I think we can pick up where we left off before that day."

Geneviere hiccupped in surprise, and happy tears threatened to flow, but she forced them back as the Master of one of the first families cannot show weakness in public. Instead, she smiled at Eryllis and nodded.

"I would like that very much," she said, her voice wobbling slightly.

"Would it be okay for me to give you a hug?" Eryllis asked as she glanced past the woman.

Another hiccup of surprise then a grin appeared. "Yes!"

Eryllis moved forward and gave her a gentle hug before stepping back. She saw Geneviere's security team almost vibrating with tension, but they were looking at Dell, who stood ready with his hand on his sword's pommel.

The faces of the first family members were more telling. While most were shocked, others leaked their unease and avarice at the sight of Geneviere's friendship with the powerful enforcers.

That's the reputation Falco told them they had with these high-end citizens.

She looked back into Geneviere's eyes and smiled. "Why don't you come by the Inn this weekend and we'll treat you and your security team to a delicious meal. You and I can catch up then."

"That sounds wonderful," Geneviere said with a much more relaxed expression. "Thank you."

Eryllis nodded and stepped back to join Dell as Geneviere returned to her security team.

Dell relaxed and put his hand on her back to demonstrate his protection of her. That sent a little thrill through her even though she was quite adept at protecting herself. It was still comforting to know how important she was to him.

Geneviere rejoined her security team and moved toward her coach. It was amusing to watch the other important people struggle to readjust their view of the Warrick Family leader in the power hierarchy. The woman had just shown the others she was not someone to fuck around with. Kharza's phrase came to her mind once more.

Finally, she looked up into Dell's loving eyes. "Let's go home."

They left the cemetery and walked through the streets of Grennesh. Dell stopped a few times to purchase ingredients from shop owners who were all smiles as he left their shops with the fresh produce.

When they finally left the city and walked down the road toward the inn, Dell had quite a load of food in a sack on his back. He had this smile on his face, and as they approached the inn, she finally had to ask.

"Thinking of a new recipe?" she asked.

He grinned at her. "Maybe."

At the widening of his eyes, Eryllis threw a shield around them just in time to deflect the spear flying at Dell's head.

He dropped the produce and had his sword in his hand in a second. Standing on the road just beyond the woods on the other side of the road was a big orc. Eryllis wondered if this was the Orc Kharza spoke of.

"I'm here to kill Kharza's mate to make her mine!" the big Orc bellowed.

That answered her question.

The Orc female just mentioned stepped outside onto the veranda and glared at Drex.

"YOU! You should have died and spared yourself the humiliation of being publicly spanked!" Kharza bellowed right back.

Eryllis placed her hand on Dell's arm as she saw what was about to happen. He glanced at her in question, and she shook her head.

He slid his sword back into its sheath, picked up his shopping sack, and carried it up the porch stairs as she followed. He gave Kharza a kiss.

Opphai stepped out onto the porch and looked at the big Orc making threats about harming Dell.

"Did he say he wanted to kill you?" she asked Dell in outrage.

Eryllis smiled at Dell's surprised expression. His eyebrows rose further when Gennie appeared with a pair of daggers in her hands and a snarl on her lips.

Kharza nodded. "Yes, he's a rather thick-headed Orc. The first lesson I gave him didn't sink in. The second will need to be permanent," she said with a bloodthirsty grin.

She smiled at Eryllis, who nodded to her.

They watched Kharza with her dual hand-axes, Ginnie with her daggers, and Opphai flexing her deadly claws as they walked down the steps and stepped out onto the road to face the male Orc.

"Shouldn't I do something?" Dell asked Eryllis.

"Drex is his name, and he's the last relative of the Orc who attacked Kharza's village. He seems to believe Kharza is some kind of property. I'd let her and the others set him straight on who's going to be owned."

Dell smiled and gave her a kiss. "I'm gonna get started on dinner."

"You do that. I'll be in shortly," she said.

When he left, she prepared her healing spells to ensure the three women walked away from this without a scratch.

A smile appeared on her face. Who were the enforcers now?

-=-

Drex watched his target walk away like he couldn't be bothered to answer the challenge.

He knew throwing the spear at an unaware target was not the most honorable way to defeat his enemy in a challenge, but he'd asked around in Grennesh about the big halfling's combat prowess. He had magic on his side, so he was already cheating. A surprise attack was Drex's best chance, so he took it.

Having it blocked by the female's magic was an outrage, but Drex readied himself for the battle of his life.

Then the halfling walked away and went inside like Drex was nothing!

Kharza was not behaving as a female Orc should either. She'd cheated in her last battle with him, but he was ready this time. When she and a Dwarf female walked down the steps with weapons in their hands, he realized he was going to have to kill them. He'd held back from killing Kharza before, as she was going to give him children before he let her die.

He wasn't concerned about the Dwarf. He had no respect for them as fighters.

It was the huge white female that made him most nervous. She had hooked claws and seemed angry. Maybe her size would make her slow.

"You still don't realize what an enormous mistake you've made underestimating us," Kharza said.

Drex snorted. "It is you who's underestimated me, slut who lays with animals!" He readied his war hammer.

Kharza smiled as she launched herself forward.

Drex roared as he swung his mighty weapon, but a white flash shot by his right side and yanked the hammer forcefully from his grip. Kharza shot by his left side, slamming a hand axe into his ribs, splitting open his chest and shattering his ribs. Pieces of crushed bone pierced his left lung.

A dagger slammed into the other side of his chest and bit deep into his right lung before the Dwarf kicked off his chest, and he fell back to collapse in the dirt.

Drex blinked in shock as the battle was over so quickly... He'd lost! Against females!

He couldn't breathe as he stared up at the sky.

Three faces appeared, and two smiled down at him.

The white one with furry ears was frowning at him. She held his war hammer in her big fist.

Then, a fourth face appeared. It was the magic-using one who stopped his thrown spear. All these interfering bitches!

"You shouldn't have threatened our mate. Big mistake!" she said with a smile.

The big white one smiled with joy as she brought the hammer down on his head.

-=-

Kharza laughed at the expressions on their faces as all four were splashed with blood and brains.

Opphai looked sheepish. "I'm so sorry!" she said miserably.

Gennie wiped the gore from her cheek as she scowled at her friend.

Eryllis sighed. She was mostly protected by the black cloak she was wearing.

"It's okay, Opphai. Everyone back to the steps," Eryllis said.

Once they were clear, she summoned her inferno spell and quickly turned Drex's corpse into ash with an intense blaze.

"Can I keep the hammer?" Opphai asked.

Kharza smiled at her. "Of course. You earned it in battle."

"Clean it before you bring it inside!" Eryllis insisted. "And clean yourself!" she called out as Opphai ran around to the back of the inn where a water trough was.

"I'm going to clean up as well," Gennie said, then smiled her thanks to Eryllis. She set off for the back of the inn.

Kharza and Eryllis walked back down to the road and saw the body had been consumed by the fire. There were a few bits of melted metal.

"Is that the last of them?" Eryllis asked.

Kharza nodded. "I believe so." She looked at Eryllis. "You've accepted two more mates for Dell?"

"Dell wants to be a chef. He can't do that if he's out in the wild, doing missions, but we also can't refuse all requests for help.

As we've just discovered, we can't always be there to assist him when he is called away. More of us to protect him is a good idea."

Kharza grinned at Eryllis. "You would do anything to protect your mate."

"As would you," she returned, and the Orc nodded.

Eryllis grimaced. "Let's wash this blood and goo off before we hug Dell."

Kharza chuckled and nodded as she followed her friend around the inn.

Epilog

Karter smiled in satisfaction as he admired the latest extension of the Wood Knot Inn's dining hall. Their total seating had increased by sixty percent. That was as large as he was allowed to make it, as Dell insisted this would match the total capacity of the new kitchen's output. Any larger and they wouldn't be able to properly serve their customers.

With the extension of the hall, they were able to build additional rooms above this space dedicated to their Pixie visitors. During construction, Karter splurged on soundproofing spells for the floor, walls, and doors. Nobody questioned the need for sound barriers for inn bedrooms.

They'd managed to keep the secret for six years. They hadn't expanded their volunteers beyond the initial group, except for Dell, and he was only available on special occasions when he went to the Tanglewood to visit his children. While there, he would entertain eligible Pixies. He was still the only non-Pixie allowed to go to the palace.

He'd returned last night after a three-day visit and was back in the kitchen with his new apprentice.

Karter walked through the updated inn and smiled happily at the small improvements. The old building had new life.

As did he.

He discovered during the past six years that the rejuvenating effect of having sex with Pixies had a natural limit. It wouldn't make him younger, but it would reduce the wear and tear he'd accumulated during his years. His knees were healthy old knees, and his other aches and pains had been greatly reduced. He looked a little younger but wasn't, which was okay.

As he looked in the kitchen door, he smiled as he spotted Dell and his son Johon inspecting their latest creation. Something they were calling a pizza pie. Dell assured him it would be a lunch hour hit, and the sheer variety of topping combinations meant it was highly customizable. Karter was excited as they could charge per topping.

It was almost dinner time, so their project was set aside, and they washed their hands in preparation for the main event.

Johon was ten now, and Dell was delighted to discover the boy had a burning curiosity and joy for cooking. Dell was imparting his vast knowledge of culinary expertise to his son.

Jahara was nine and had her mother's strong aptitude for magic. Morgan and Lerrisen eagerly tutored her, and all indications were that she would become a powerful wizard.

Eight-year-old Jessa had picked up her mother's aptitude for foraging and finding the freshest and most potent plants. Dell and Morgan found this most helpful.

She also had an uncanny ability to interact with animals of all sizes. It was too soon to say what her future career would be, but she said she wanted to heal animals. Morgan thought she might have an aptitude for healing magic.

Ket was quickly becoming a weapon's master. His talent at eight years of age was stunning. Dell was able to train Ket with the skills from the weapon's master spirit in his sword. Kharza couldn't be prouder.

The young Orc said he wanted to work for Falco as a Grennesh Guardsman. Considering he'd be the only Orc in the ranks, he had a challenge ahead of him. Of course, there were years to go before that happened.

Kharza had a second child with Dell four years ago, and Kess had Karter's heart wrapped around her little finger. Even though Kharza trained her daughter to be a warrior like her mom, Kess was a cutie and a cuddler.

Speaking of children, Opphai and Dell defied the odds to make a beautiful baby boy five years ago. Yuta had his mother's halfling features but his father's coloring. The little scamp was strong like his mother and mischievous. He liked to ambush his siblings by dropping on them from above and then scamper away. Opphai was working with him to curb that behavior.

Around the same time, Gennie and Dell had a baby girl. Dark like her mother but with a sunnier disposition, in Karter's opinion. Laalora was a sweetie! Maevria had taken a shine to Ginnie's daughter, and the feeling was mutual.

Karter was in heaven with all these children in his home. The staff were also delighted with them, though they'd like it better if Yuta would refrain from pouncing on them. Again, Opphai was working on it.

"Hello, Karter."

He turned around to face Geneviere Warrick and smiled. Her security team would be enjoying the cool summer evening air on the veranda as they waited for their employer. Dell would send out a light dinner for them when he heard Geneviere was here.

"Good evening, Geneviere!" he said as he glanced at the clock above the bar. "You're a little early tonight, aren't you?"

The woman nodded with a shy smile. "I finished my meeting with the Hussanian matriarch early, so I just headed here directly afterward." Karter gave her a sympathetic expression as he'd had dealings with the abrasive woman himself.

Eryllis walked down the stairs and joined them. She gave Geneviere a warm hug and waved at Karter as she dragged her friend by her hand toward the dining room.

He thought Geneviere looked happier than he'd ever seen her. That felt good.

Eryllis also looked happier than ever. She and Dell were so much in love they reminded him of himself and his wife, Sharlyn. He missed her, but he knew she would be as proud of Dell as he was.

"Dad! Can you make yourself useful and bring this outside to Geneviere's men?"

Karter turned to frown at his son, pointing to a large round tray. Karter noticed Johon doing his best to stifle his laughter.

He walked inside and saw Dell keeping a poker face as well. "Just you wait! If this is how you teach your son respect, soon he'll be talking as rudely to you!"

Dell put on an expression of outrage. "My son would never address me with anything but utmost respect! Isn't that right, Johon?"

A quiet snort leaked out then he nodded to Dell emphatically. "Yes, sir!"

"See!" Dell said with exaggerated pride.

The ladies in the kitchen who were preparing their stations all giggled at Dell's antics.

Karter rolled his eyes and lifted the large tray. The scent reached his nose, and he looked closer. It was one of those pizza pies but larger. The hot cheese, meat, and vegetable toppings made his mouth water. He looked back at Dell. "I thought this was a lunch meal," he said.

Dell smiled smugly. "Pizza Pie is good all the time!"

"The name is too unwieldy. Let's call it pizza," Karter said.

Dell threw his hands up and looked at Johon. "See! Always interfering with our creations!"

Johon couldn't hold back his laughter this time, and that delightful sound followed Karter as he carried the tray out to the front deck. He snagged a handful of napkins as he went.

He saw the team of six men relaxing back in the chairs and set the tray on the low table before them.

"What's this?" one asked curiously.

"Pizza," Karter said. "This one is topped with cheese, tomato sauce, spicy sausage, fresh mushrooms, red peppers, and seasoned ground meat."

Another man leaned forward and inhaled. "It smells good! How do we eat it?"

Karter saw Dell had pre-sliced it. "Take a grip on the crust, lift the slice to your mouth, and take a bite."

"Eat with our hands?" another said in surprise.

"Give it a try," he said.

The bravest three reached forward and picked up slices.

After watching them take their first bite, the others reached for their own slices but were blocked.

"You won't like it." "Yeah, you should order something else." "It's inedible."

"Fuck you, jokers," the others said as they quickly took slices.

Karter watched them enjoying the pizza and smiled to himself.

His boy was a gold mine!

"Damn, I could eat this every day!" one of the guards said with a smile, and the others nodded enthusiastically.

Karter grinned and handed them the napkins before heading back inside.

He wondered how pizza would go with ale.