The Seventh Day, A Day of Rest?

On the night of the sixth day, the entire village had a banquet in the main hall. It was made merry by the addition of copious amounts of Greentree Mead.

The table fare was mostly of unpreserved meats and such excess stores that wouldn’t travel well. Many of the villagers were bemoaning the leaving behind of their beloved village that they spent years building up.

Especially the Master Carpenter Dorphan a Dwarf.

Of the villagers, there were 13 demi humans including three dwarves, four elves, a Foxia who was the lead hunter and ranger for the village and five Little Fellows who composed one family that were the apothecary for the town.

However, even though they all were different, the way the other villagers treated them as family impressed Rowen. They all played an important role in the community.

That was what the tin soldier would have ripped out of this community in the name of religious purity.

Rowen enjoyed himself, although he was more often than he was used to, the center of attention. There were several toasts to him and his leadership and power.

By the third mug of Greentree Mead and the many toasts that made him drink them empty, he was feeling a bit tipsy. His body was still somewhat innocent to alcohol. Add to that, his massive expenditures of mana over the last week, he found himself plastered.

The last thing he remembered was being conducted across the street towards his cabin by Dana and Xyarra. They were arguing about “who’s turn is it” when he must have blacked out.

His dreams or memories, he wasn’t sure which, were erotic and filled with Dana and Xyarra trying to out passion the other in regard to Rowen.

Libido, “Thank God for competitive spirit!”

He woke up finding himself sandwiched between Xyarra and Dana.

It took a moment for the memories to hit him like a sledgehammer and he smiled and closed his eyes again and went back to sleep.

When he woke up again, he was greeted by the smell of frying bacon. He looked over to his right and left to see both ladies looking back at him smiling.

He said, “Good morning, wives.”

Both said simultaneously, “Good morning, husband.”

They got dressed and left the bedroom to see Eliarra cooking breakfast.

Rowen went over to her and kissed her cheek and said, “Thanks for making breakfast, do you need any help?”

“You just need to sit down and enjoy it, my lord husband.”

“Don’t be so formal, dear. We’re married after all.”

Eliarra smiled and said, “I say that with pride, my lord husband.”

Rowen decided to leave it alone, nodded and sat down. He did say, “Well, I’m proud to call you wife too.”

She beamed happily to him, her emerald green eyes twinkling.

He, for some reason, started to think about how the Greentree elves’ hair ranged from pale white to dark green. But their eyes were uniformly the same shade of green.

Their skin color also varied from lighter green to very dark green. He assumed that that had a lot to do with exposure to sunlight, much like human skin darkens when exposed to the sun.

The Rias’ skin was so pale that it was practically white. He assumed that she never went out into the sun at all to stay out of sight of the Fates.

He felt a piece of bread shoved into his mouth and Xyarra was saying, “Are you board with us already?”

Dana, “Yeah?!”

Rowen said defensively, “No, no, no! I was just showing my appreciation for Eliarra cooking breakfast that’s all!”

Kit was noticeably absent, so in order to change the subject he asked, “Where’s Kit?”

Eliarra said, “Oh, she said that she wanted to talk with the village ranger about something.”

Rowen felt a tinge of jealousy because the Cam Village’s ranger was an extremely handsome male Foxia with black hair and tail. But he schooled himself to trust Kit.

So, he said, “Oh, that’s okay.” He then looked to the ladies and said, “Well, today I plan on relaxing and resting up for our mission ahead. Do you ladies have any ideas on how we can relax?”

Xyarra said, “How biblical of you, resting on the seventh day.”

Chatter around the breakfast table was light and lively.

Rowen found himself feeling full of pleasure at his domestic set up. He was especially enjoying Eliarra’s cooking.

However, after breakfast, Rowen felt a wave of lethargy sweep over him and he excused himself and went back to bed.

His dreams were more or less a rewind of his time here on Twalling Cade. He was having vivid memories to the point that he was disoriented when he woke up to Domonique’s voice saying, “My lord? My Lord, please wake up.”

Rowen rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and asked, “What time is it?”

“Just past midday, My Lord.”

“What is it?”

“My Lord, you have an appointment with the Rias. You asked me to make sure to remind you yesterday.”

“Ah, yes thanks.”

He got dressed and then made his way into the living/dining area to see Shuree sitting at the table waiting for him. Also in the room were her four normal guards and the two golem guards that he had assigned her.

Rowen couldn’t help but chuckle and say, “I know that you’re a living treasure, with as much history as you have in your head. But you are the most heavily guarded individual here in Cam Village.”

“Not so my lord. You have a hundred golem warriors, forty Greentree warriors and a dragon protecting you.”

“I guess you have a point there. Hey, let’s skip the formalities here. Just call me Rowen please.”

“Fine, if you call me Shuree. None have called me that in a long, long time.”

“Okay, you were going to help me with my psionics, were you not.”

“Yes, although I don’t have the telekinetic skill, so I cannot help you with that.”

After a session of psionics training he and Shuree had a late lunch.

Then Rowen went for a stroll through the village.

The Village was bustling with activity as people were packing up to depart the next day.

Rowen could see the sadness on the villager’s faces as for many this was the only home that they ever had.

Domonique was strolling along with him being attentive to any need that he might have. As was Jade, only she wasn’t as obvious about it.

He saw Xyarra, and the Mayor having what looked like a heated discussion with an older man and a child…child? Little Fellow.

He strolled up to them and asked, “May I be of assistance here?”

The old man started to open his mouth but Xyarra cut him off by saying, “No sweetie. We have this under control. You are supposed to be resting your mind today.” She made a shooing motion with her hand and said, “Shoo, shoo, shoo, sweetie.”

“Alright but do let me know if you can’t get this, whatever it is, straightened out.”

“We will not. Besides, this is just minor stuff anyway. So, on your way dear.”

He walked away as they resumed their “discussion” about how much of the dried herbs were coming along.

He, not for the first time, was thanking the Guardians for how capable the wives were that were sent his way. He, being raised by a capable and strong-willed mother, always respected strong willed women.

He did worry at times about how his wives might be too strong willed at times, especially when Dana and Xyarra get into it with each other. But he suspected it was just how they communicated and related to each other.

He also came to the realization that when they both agreed with each other, especially about him, he found it more worrisome.

He asked Domonique, “So, tell me more about yourself?”

“What is there to say, My Lord?”

“You’re from Challain, but other than that I don’t know anything about you.”

I’m the third daughter of the Baroness of Challain. Actually stepdaughter. My mother died when I was born. My mother was my father’s first wife. My stepmother was the second wife. So, when my father died in battle, she became the baroness…”

She relayed about her relationship with her parents. Her father, despite her being a girl, taught her the way of the warrior and the ways of the Guardians. It was why she was disillusioned by her short service to Lord Knight Rupert.

One story she related to him, about the sack of Stiarra Nor, particularly chilled him. She told him that when she tried to restrain some of the soldiers from acts of barbarity, her mentor chastised her, saying, “The tainted don’t deserve our humanity.”

Then to humble her for asking why, he made her strip down and do her squirely duties for the rest of the day naked.

Rowen wanted to resurrect that man and execute him himself after hearing that story.

He heard someone call out, “My Lord, a moment please?”

He looked to see the village’s priestess waving to him. He walked over and said, “How may I be of service to you, Priestess?”

“My Lord, we’re having a problem with the burial of poor Clem and the executed soldiers. The ground in our graveyard is frozen solid and our grave digger has broken two shovels already. I was thinking that since your troopers were able to bury the other fallen soldiers, then they can help with this.”

“Of course. Jade, please go tell the Captain to assign a squad to help the Priestess here with a burial detail.”

“Yes Master!” and she turned and left.

He turned back to the priestess and said, “Is there anything else I can help you with?”

“No, my Lord. But I would also like to thank you for all you do. I don’t know what your mission is my Lord, but I believe that you’re heaven sent to make things right.”

He just smiled at her and said, “I believe that that is all of ours mission here. We should all be striving to make things right.”

She smiled back and said, “Spoken as a true holy warrior.”

Rowen and Domonique both strolled around the village some more, taking in the sights and watching the people getting ready. They found themselves near the log wall in a secluded area of the village and Rowen turned to Domonique and said, “This is such a pretty village. Too bad we’re going to have to leave it to the ravages of war. Too bad we can’t just put the whole village in my…” he suddenly felt like they were in danger and his reflexes made him grab Domonique and pull her to the ground.

He then looked up to see an arrow had hit the log wall right near where she was standing a moment before.

“My Lord, what…”

He placed himself between her and the next arrow that then hit him in the back. He felt his armor absorb the impact of the arrow and direct the majority of the force outward along his back instead of allowing the arrow to pierce it. However, the very tip of the arrow did manage to break through and pierce his skin.

He turned to see the three Grental decenters, one with a bow and the other two with long swords walking towards him.

He noted absently that he had drawn his sword and one of his shotgun pistols.

He saw two men who were obviously with the decenters walking over towards him warily as well.

One of the men said, “The paladin was willing to offer 100 Shek for us helping him. I’m thinking that if we kill you, we can go claim a thousand or more easily…”

Rowen just shot the man talking in his chest with his pistol, then engaged the bowman next. He obviously surprised the bowman because he was underneath his aim and knocking his bow upwards before he could fire it.

He then shot the bowman at point blank range and turned to engage one of the decenters. He stopped to see that Dominique was engaging both of the decenters with her broad sword, quite expertly at that.

He turned on the remaining man to see that this man was quite strong looking.

The stout looking man was wielding an axe and looked like he was capable with it. The stout man smiled a crooked smile and said, “More reward for me, that’s all…” but then his eyes seemed to glaze over and he fell to his knees then flat on his face revealing Jade who had come up behind him.

“Thanks Jade.” And he turned to help Domonique only to see that she had disabled one of the decenters and disarmed the other. She had the decenter at sword point, “On your knees vermin! You dare attack Lord Rowen?!”

Rowen nodded as he was impressed then said, “Well done Domonique!”

He then turned to the remaining conscious decenter and said, “If you wish to live then tell me if there are any others that I need to worry about?”

He heard Xyarra in his head say, Row, sweetie, I’ll take care of interrogating the prisoners myself.

He turned his head to see her striding purposefully towards them.

He turned back to the prisoner and said, “You’re going to wish that you answered me. Now you’re going to have the pleasure of being interrogated by a black dragon. X do your worst. He had the nerve to attack one of mine. Make sure to send the message and results of your ‘questioning’ to the minds of the others he reveals. ” And he motioned to Domonique.

The decenter gulped as Xyarra walked up to him and said, “My pleasure.” Her golden eyes flashing.