Leo

As Leo sat on a grassy hill and watched the sun descend over Grassea, it surprised him how calm this zone made him feel. It wasn’t Evolan. It wasn’t the zone where he’d grown up. But its wide green fields were quite beautiful, and after fighting three dead Monsters in the middle of Wolfpine’s town square, he needed a bit of beauty to soothe his nerves.

He also needed to figure out what to do now.

The sound of heavy armor announced Joanne Dewcrest’s arrival. He didn’t need to look back to know it was her. Her ability to approach him is why he’d chosen to sit within fifty paces of the town wall. If the Town Guards needed to ask him more questions or had news about the Deathcaster they’d all captured today in Wolfpine’s square, he wanted to be available.

Joanne thumped down beside him, then flipped up the visor on her helmet to reveal her face. “That mountain of paperwork really was a pain in my attractive ass. It’s done. How are you?”

It was nice of Joanne to come and check on him. She had been the first ally he made in Wolfpine, after all. He glanced her way.

“I really am sorry that all this trouble had to come to your town. And for my part in it.”

Joanne slapped his armored knee. “Enough of that. You did fine. Today was a good day, so we’re celebrating in the Beast soon. How about I buy you a drink?”

“Is this another attempt to get me into cuffs?”

Joanne chuckled. “Sorry, Blazer, that ship’s already sailed. My dance card is full tonight, but until then, I can offer you some good company. After all that in the square, you seem like you need it.”

“That I’ll gladly accept,” Leo said. “And yes ... today didn’t go as I expected.”

“Also, I need you to give me a moon.”

That surprised him. “What for?”

“Some Adventurer ... Sarah something ... won’t shut up about how we owe her a moon for capturing Jahid Rockhollow. Apparently Redwood promised her a bounty on behalf of the Blazers. So unless you want to track down Becka and wring the coin out of her—”

Leo dug into his [Unfilled Bag]. “Of course.” He pulled out the large coin pouch he’d used to implicate Zack Silverstone on his first day in Wolfpine and extracted a round gold coin. “Here.”

Joanne slipped the coin into the small [Leather Pouch] on her belt, then watched him calmly. “I’m going to be honest with you. After we met, I really didn’t expect you to find your fugitives.”

“Apparently, Jenny didn’t either.” Leo did his best to keep the bitterness for his voice.

“Yet you did find them,” Joanne said. “You’ve also impressed me in the square, and that’s not so easy to do these days. That high-flying trick with your spear was something special. Without that, I doubt we’d have subdued that Deathcaster with as little damage as we did.”

“You’ve have easily managed it without me.”

“Sure, we’d have managed it,” Joanne agreed. “But not easily. I’m not shining you on here. You’re a talented Adventurer and a good man. You more than merit the title of Blazer.”

The praise felt good, even if Leo still felt a bit disappointed in how things had gone. “That’s kind of you to say. All I can hope is that my mentor agrees with you.”

“Which reminds me why I came to find you.” Joanne reached into her [Leather Pouch] and produced a scroll. “Hal Redwood delivered this. Phantom correspondence from Frostford, addressed to you from Jenny Ambersun. Marked urgent as well, so I expect she’ll want you to read it today.”

Leo hadn’t expected a letter from Jenny so soon. It still bothered him that Jenny had sent Becka to bring news of the Blazer impersonator instead of sending it directly to him, but ... he supposed it made sense.

Given the impersonator had already arrived, any phantom correspondence Leo received risked being read by the man it was intended to unmask. Had that happened, their quarry would certainly have fled, and possibly with hostages.

Sending Becka to Wolfpine, covertly, had been the only way Jenny could be sure the news of her investigation arrived in Wolfpine without being intercepted by those involved in the plot against Anna Bronzelight. Leo knew this, logically. Still ... he couldn’t help feeling like he should have done more.

Joanne stood. “I’ll leave you alone to read your letter. Afterward, if you want a drink, I’ll be at the Beast with Chelsea and Seth. We’ll save you a seat. Come or don’t come, but if you do, expect a few rounds on us.” She leaned down to thump his shoulder. “And cheer up, will you? We just arrested a Level 35 Deathcaster and thwarted an evil politician’s evil plot. The good folks won today.”

Leo supposed she was right. After he listened to the sound of Joanne’s armored steps receding, he broke the seal on Jenny’s letter and produced a one page message. He read over it twice. Then, he folded it up, tucked it back into its envelope, and tucked that envelope back into his [Unfilled Bag].

His mentor’s words were better than he expected and less than he had hoped.

Jenny had confirmed everything Becka had said. She was proud of him for accomplishing his Quest. He supposed this was better than being told he’d failed. He still couldn’t help but feel a little used, but Jenny had confirmed what he believed.

Jenny always had to send someone to look for Anna. So long as the Blazers believed Garret Bronzelight’s claims to be genuine, their honor demanded no less. So Jenny had sent someone she could trust to keep an open mind about Anna and make the right choice when all the facts were on the table.

Leo had made a choice. He helped save Anna Bronzelight, a little. And he would get credit for completing his Blazer Quest, which would also provide a huge boost of experience. Reaching Level 11 would be much easier now.

So why wasn’t he satisfied? As Leo thought about it, he supposed it was simply because he hadn’t gotten to do more. Still ... there was always the next Quest. The next chance to help someone. And before he tackled that, Leo realized he very much would like a drink.

He rose and walked back to Wolfpine to finally get himself a real drink.

*****

Glenn

The extravagantly fitted-out room Becka rented them in The Scarlet Rose was, in fact, the nicest room Glenn had ever had the pleasure to be inside ... though he barely noticed. Mostly, he only had eyes for the gorgeous woman once again lying beside him, wrapped around him, beneath the red silk covers. A woman he’d assumed wouldn’t return to Wolfpine for over three years, here, now, with him.

He’d never had any dream that was remotely this good.

As Becka cuddled close, her dark hair tickled his bare chest. “I have to ask. Are you sure you haven’t been sneaking off to the Rose in the months since I’ve been gone? As much as I’ve looked forward to this, I didn’t expect you to be quite so adept.” She grinned lecherously as she walked two fingertips down his leg beneath the covers. “At least for our first time.”

Glenn gently rubbed her very soft back. “By my count, that was our third. Town Guards have an awful lot of Vitality.”

Becka kissed his chest and cuddled against him. “Gods, there is that.”

Glenn brushed the edge of a fingertip along Becka’s cheek, savoring the softness of her, and then slipped a finger beneath her chin. He gently titled her eyes up to his. “Again?”

Becka laughed and thumped his chest. “Gods, give me a moment. I still haven’t eaten anything, and after all that, I’m absolutely famished.”

Glenn immediately felt guilty about monopolizing so much of her time. Yet from the moment they’d walked into this room together, he’d been unable to keep his hands off her. Fortunately, Becka more than shared his enthusiasm. But now ... she really did need food.

He sat up in their shared bed. “I’ll go get you something from the Beast. What would you like?”

Becka pressed one hand to his chest. “Stay. We can order in right here. The Rose has full meal and drink service to every room, you know. Part of its charm.”

“I didn’t know that,” Glenn said. “And wait, did you?”

“Why do you think I rented a room here instead of the Beast? I see no reason we need to leave this suite tonight at all today or this evening, given I’m not expected back in Lakebrooke for four days and you don’t have duty until ... tomorrow?”

“First thing,” Glenn said regretfully. “But I’m off duty by midafternoon.”

“Which will give me a free morning to spend with Father before I drag you back into bed with me,” Becka mused thoughtfully. “That’s perfect. We’ll all grab a meal once you’re off your shift, and you and Zack can catch me up on everything that’s been going on since I’ve been gone. And Anna. I’d really like to know all that happened with Anna before I got involved.”

“She’s really nice,” Glenn agreed. “And Zack’s absolutely taken with her.”

“I can see why. Now, food. Don’t move.”

Glenn had no problems with that. Becka did slide out of bed utterly unclothed, after all, and that was a sight he couldn’t get enough of. Now that they were both common age—16, together—the Laws of Levos no longer applied. He’d thought a night like this with the woman he loved wouldn’t happen for three more years, but they already had it. And he did love Becka. He’d tell her soon.

Once Becka rang a bell by the desk and ordered food and mead through the door—which remained closed, of course—she returned to bed. Glenn still wasn’t entirely sure he hadn’t been smacked in the head by a dead Mountain Troll. He could simply be dreaming all this as he lie passed out in the town square, but it was a good dream.

This felt real. Becka felt real. He also knew this couldn’t last forever. “So...” He hesitated to bring this up with how pleasant things had been, but they did need to wait for her food.

“I’m not staying,” Becka agreed softly. “Four days is all I get, which means I’m leaving in two to return to Lakebrooke for my training. Short of another woman being framed by her evil politician brother in such a way that I’m the only one who can save Wolfpine, I likely won’t be back until I reach Rank Eight.”

“Which you will,” Glenn assured her. “You’ll absolutely make Rank Eight, and every rank beyond. As high as you decide to climb.”

“I have talked with Jenny, though,” Becka added. “About where I’d like to be assigned when I become a full Blazer. Evolan is quite beautiful, and given how much I already like it there, I’ve asked to be stationed at the Lakebrooke office permanently. She’s said that’s possible.”

Glenn considered the possibilities that presented. “So you’d be a zone away?”

“Two day’s journey. It wouldn’t be an ideal situation by any means. I’d still be out on Blazer Quests or Monster hunts for weeks at a time. All Blazers end up spending a great deal of time on the road, which can make a long term relationship with anyone difficult.”

“But you’d only be two days away,” Glenn reminded her.

“I would,” Becka agreed. “Sometimes even closer. And given Wolfpine still feels like my home, I’d be visiting whenever I could. Especially if—”

“I’ll be here,” Glenn said at once. “Just like I have been. And not just because the Gods chose me to be a Town Guard. I want to be here for you.”

Becka tilted her head. “Three months ago, I told you to get over me.”

“You did.”

“It doesn’t seem like you’ve done so.”

“I just said I would to make you feel better.”

Becka laughed again. “Would you believe I was trying to do the same?”

Glenn grinned back. “And while you’ve been gone I learned something else, from Seth. About Town Guards and relationships. You know how he’s married to Sadie, right?”

“And young,” Becka reminded him. “Younger than she is, at least physically.”

“But he plans to unSlot [+Regrowth+] at age 40,” Glenn said. “Which I might or might not do. Maybe I’d like to go adventuring with you instead. Either way, we could figure it out then.”

“And you’re certain that’s what you want? I’ll eventually be older than you, after all. We’d have a number of years together, but you’ll almost certainly outlive me.”

“I’m don’t care,” Glenn said. “I’m entirely focused on the many years before that, and also, this also works out especially well for you. What woman wouldn’t want an endlessly young and attractive guardsman to bed every time they return to Wolfpine?”

“A valid point.” Becka gripped his hand tight enough Glenn noticed. “I’m done being selfless. I’m being greedy, because I want you very badly to be mine.”

“Already done.”

“I’m willing to try this if you are. There’s still the next two years to deal with, after all, and lots of time to experiment. Maybe we’ll change our minds.”

“Maybe we will,” Glenn said calmly. “But still, I could get used to nights like this.”

“Oh, me too,” Becka agreed softly, before she once more climbed on top of him.

Glenn simply smiled up at her. “What about your food?”

“It’ll be just fine. They can leave it outside the door.”