The Ranger: Ch. 03

They both come out together, "Sit." I point to the chairs in front of me.

"I know you are interested in me based on the conversation with your mother and you obviously know about what happened last night and this morning. I understand the town's situation, the only person before this was Cinthia and that's due to her just taking it after long days working together in battle or exploration."

"Ahh, so my advances were bold enough for you to just go along with it and.." Katelyn looks over at her daughter. "You are being shy, causing our hero here to have doubts."

"I enjoy being here, I plan on staying here when not fixing the grove, I don't wish to cause any issues that would put this in jeopardy. Part of that being, making absolutely sure this is what you both want, not half assed I guess, and with the knowledge that if a dashing young man half my age shows up in town and you both hit it off, you move on."

"Me? Or Sabina?" Katelyn asks and I give her the grim frown of not now.

"I didn't hear you say you didn't want me, you just want to be sure we want you?" Sabina asks and I nod looking for a drink and starting to rise when Katelyn puts her hand on my shoulder and gets up.

"I know what you were looking for, now is a good time for that." She walks into the kitchen as Sabina leans forward.

"I trust you, and if you want it, I want it."

"No flaunting it after Sabina, I will be making enemies and I'll not have you two involved other than being the Innkeeper and her daughter."

"No flaunting, got it." Sabina has a huge smile on her face.

"I noticed you didn't say anything about a man coming to town for Mom." Sabina says as Katelyn walks back into the room with two cups.

"We've already had that conversation dear," Katelyn sets the cup in front of me and takes a drink of the other. I raise an eyebrow and she shrugs. "It seemed a good idea considering."

"The amount of work it takes for a hot bath, how much do you charge for them?" Not sure why I asked that at this moment other than thinking what a pain in the ass it was and giving up after a few buckets.

"A bath is normally room temperature using the barrels in the kitchen, and then two buckets of hot water added in at the last moment." We charge half as much as the room for a hot bath and a quarter if a normal.

"Ahh, that makes more sense, can we just hang out for a while before we get that going, it's a little early in the day.

"Blah, what else do we have planned for today then?" Sabina pouts and it is adorable.

"I'd like to go for a run up north for a while, how far away is Twin Rivers?"

"If the waters are calm a few hours by boat if they aren't rowing or have small sail out."

Steps on the deck outside the Inn turned our attention, a woman I hadn't met entered, looked at us and stopped short. Speaking to me, not knowing I have no idea what she is saying though I caught Beau and female.

Looking over at Katelyn, "Beau requests your help with Nikolas."

"Lead the way, what is her name?" I ask Katelyn and stand up walking towards the door. "Can I borrow Sabina?"

"Sure." Sabina replies, "that is Treya.

"Do we know the problem?" I ask and wait.

"They believe it is something Nikolas has eaten." Sabina answers as we head to the east of the meeting hall. The house is small in the front with a much larger addition on the back. We go through a gate and find them outside in the back.

"Kaethorn, I asked Treya to find you as you had talked about healing and I believe Nikolas ate something from the woods and the few remedies I've tried have yet to have any results."

Nodding and kneeling next to the boy I start the process, my mentor had druidic powers that far exceed what I know, but I can heal wounds that do not require regeneration and if the poison or disease is animal or plant based there is a chance to counter it.

"We are sure it was ingested and not from a cut or puncture?"

"He was able to talk when he arrived and the swelling of his fingers show Lily of the valley as the culprit but he is not reacting to the cure."

Holding a hand with a palm on the stomach, reaching in to see if the healing will work or not, It shows he is full of the berries. Flipping him over and shoving my fingers down his throat I get him to wretch up his stomach contents. I move him over a little and sure enough he still has more in there. Pulling him into a kneeling position and circling his waist, "fingers Beau, one more time." She gets him to vomit and I pull in and up to get everything out. And then started the healing process to cleanse the stomach and bile from the midriff up through his mouth, reduce the swelling and fix the bruising on the lower ribs that I caused.

"Well that would explain why it wasn't taking, I had him do that twice also just over there." Beau shakes her head.

"He should be fine now, he will have a sore rib and throat, but be just fine when he wakes up, the healing restores them and drains me a bit, how he kept all of that down in the first place is odd as nausea is a primary symptom."

"I've treated this many times and should have seen this." Beau mumbles.

"I've also, and I've had starved men twice my size wretch up nowhere close to what I see around us. He must have been starving."

"What? No." Beau exclaims, "he has no parents and will stay with me, Treya and sometimes Mertil depending on what we are having. He eats like a horse every day."

I laugh, "well, he definitely does that from what I can see, Beau is going to have them covering her entire property next season."

"The swelling in his hands and tongue are gone already, thank you, he is like a son to us." Beau lifts the boy up and carries him inside.

"Whew, I'm beat, going back to the Inn and rest a little. He scared me when they wouldn't come up."

Beau came out the front door and stopped me for a hug. "Does your gift tell you what else could have been done? I normally induce the wretch, fluids that push everything through and out right away and then fluids to keep them fit."

"That's it, but he is so skinny and ate so much at best, some of his organs would have failed and other issues would have taken him if not succumbing outright. The whole berries were flipping around and settling back down in his stomach instead of coming out. Sounds like he is going to spend the next day on the pot thinking about his actions."

"Thanks to you, yes," she glances back at the house, "and he'll be digging any that sprout up next season under supervision."

As we turn to leave Sabina finally speaks up, "Let's discuss his payment."

"What?" Beau and I said at the same time.

"I figure your specialty dinner, here; he eats the same thing at the Inn, so it'll do him some good to have a variety."

"Oh, I can do that." Beau flushes and turns back to the house.

"Not very subtle."

"Beau has been the most important person to us for years until you arrived, she deserves a nice evening more than most of us."

"I won't turn down a good meal."

"Oh, she can't cook at all, that was just to let her know what was in store for her."

"What!? Have you lost your mind."

"Hah, I'm kidding she works with herbs and spices every day, of course she can cook." Sabina laughs and jumps away as I move toward her. Turning around I start walking back to the Inn, "Since I have nothing planned for this evening."

"No, I was just kidding, don't be like that." Sabina grabs my arm and is dragged along with me until I turn and hold her still.

"Behave yourself or we'll add spanking to your rite of passage."

"Yes sir." Sabina flushed a dark red and we head back towards the Inn.

"I'm sure whoever saw this thinks I'm acting a fool out here." I grumble at myself for doing this out in the open.

"Most will know about Nikolas before you wake from your nap, and most know everyone's business being so few and all women and children."

"Other than the guards and a few old men like Tremont, how did Anders end up staying here?"

"He jumped off a boat heading south a few years back at the end of the conflict and stayed, he was under the age of consignment at the time and it was over when he was eligible. He only has eyes for Heran from the first time she came up and visited." She snorts, "Heran told me about you catching them, she was so embarrassed."

"Well, she was definitely bareassed" I reply and she snorts and laughs all the way inside the doors.

"I take it from the laughing all the way outside that all went well?"

"He saved Nikolas after eating an entire bucket of bad berries." Sabina replied. "We're sending Kae over to Beau's for dinner as payment."

"Good for Nikolas and Beau then."

"Mister Magic man here needs to rest up and get his strength back." Sabina pulls me along to the stairs.

"Good, you can help with filling the barrels and helping with the wort as the yeast is foaming, we have a few batches to make as ale seems to be flowing more lately. And Kae, could you check tomorrow to see if we can add any meat to our reserves as you've eaten most of it?" She waves me up the stairs. "Answer after you rest."

"Hold on, I'm eating it all?" Turning on the steps, it dawns on me. "Oh, I guess the women of the town aren't ravenous meat-eaters having two bowls at a time," nodding in acknowledgment and trudging up the stairs into the room and flopping down on the bed, a quick nap feels like a great idea.

'Tomorrow is a big day for you.' Cinthia says sitting on the bed.

'I miss you.' She is not completely in focus though she sounds like she is here.

'You were the best thing to happen to me also Kae, though we both know you hate to be the center of attention, you hide in here and work through others, just like before. Tomorrow, you need to stand in front of them with conviction or they will half-ass their roles until they all perish.'

'Is this your new role?" I ask and her smile brings her face into focus, she looks exactly as I remember, though I guess that's the point.

'You are stuck with me and Gray for a good while to come.'

'What became of Drakson? He isn't coming?' Drakson was our forth member picked up a year back, he could get into anything and anywhere.

'He, like you never joined us, though he is back home in Mercia drinking, whores, and stealing everything he can get his hands on, so we it's just us two.'

'Oh, well, I can't complain as your voice alone fills the void.' Cinthia smiles and squeezes my arm which startles me as I felt it.

'Heh, I've been waiting to do that, anywho, I'm here for you for the good and the bad that is coming, you held the team together and now it's time to do the same with your new people, all of them. Starting tomorrow you will be front and center, keep that constable happy in his role, but this is your town now.'

'whoa, I'm..'

'Ssssst! Stop. You have limited time to take forty women and turn them into a fighting force that rivals what those assholes from the north are going to send your way and it's not just the raiders. Most of these women would hide while their neighbor's scream. You must change that, make them understand there is nobody coming to help them, and you are it for the foreseeable future.'

'What do you mean, not just the raiders?'

"There are organizations here that want their cut of you and this village once it starts to succeed. Those that ignored them during the famine will be here hands out during the feast.'

'Stay true to Gaia and we can continue these little chats and more if she allows it. Cinthia leans over and I can feel her lips on mine. Do it for me also, as this is the first touch I've felt since the storm.'

Waking up, I'm feeling my lips and these dreams aren't fading. Shit, no pressure, I just have to take abandoned housewives and children into battle, or Cinthia and Gray stay in limbo for nothing.

Sitting on the edge of the bed I realize my room is as much mine as it was the first day I arrived. Nothing in here to sort except boots and both were the same style to switch out when one pair was wet.

The tub was half full, getting my head wet since my hair is longer, beard is coming in, and itchy, not enjoying either of them, but the town seems to like it so I'll let it go for another week.

A knock and Sabina walks in, "Mmmm, you look nice with wet hair and..," she walks around, "did you win any of the fights?" She traces the scars accumulated over the years.

"A few." Sabina has the traits of both Katelyn and Agitha, just the younger, slimmer version with long jet black hair reaching halfway down her back. A medium length linen dress, she gets shy when I give her a look after seeing no chestband or panties when I pull the dress off her shoulders and scoot it over her hips.

"Do you dress like this often, I should pay more attention."

"I could, and you should." Sabina unties the front of my pants and works them down.

Moving her over to the bed, "Haven't done anything with anyone, or just not all the way with a man?"

She reaches out and takes me in both hands. "This is the first one."

"Ahh, release me and lets do this from top to bottom."

"No, I got it, it's mine." Sabina squeezes a little harder.

"Oh! Don't hurt the dick that's going to feed you."

"Sorry, sorry."

Laying her back, "breath Sabina, going to pass out if you don't," I hear her whoosh out air, let's make sure this is as good as possible," Leaning down, I kiss her mouth, neck, around her chest, belly and start in on her and she is already wet, licking and sucking and feeling up in there, I don't feel any barrier so at least there won't be any pain, good.

"Wrap you legs around and pull me to you,' she opens her eyes and smiles at me as she complies, sliding in just past the head and pausing, waiting for her to relax and repeating until we bottom out. "This is what you wanted?"

"Mmmhmmm," Sabina leans up a little and looks down at us and then back up at me, "This is exactly what I've wanted, she pulls at me with her legs, so I get down to business and we go at it for many times longer than her mother lasts before her thighs are shaking like crazy and she bites her arm to keep the noise down.

"Kiss me, and wake up in a few hours." I lay back on the bed and get comfortable.

---

'I'm not kissing you.' Gray says and I agree.

'What's in this for you Gray?'

'I get to wade into some down and dirty battles with you my man, compared to how I ended my time and what I've been told is a surreal and boring destination, I'd rather do this. The stronger you get, the more I get to participate, so Imma be on your ass until we can do this when you are awake.'

'Ugh, you need to work on your motivational speeches Gray, that was awful.'

'It only seems that way until I can muster enough energy to lay my baby on the head of someone in the real. Then you'll be thanking me for saving your butt, like the ole days.' He hefts his Warhammer and gives it a kiss.

'I already feel stronger than before, Minerva said I would the more I make this my grove as she did hers, but she also told me not to go to war like we used to do.'

'She told you not to sell yourself out like we used to do, this is protecting those that need it. Saving that family, bringing hope to the two tavern wenches and saving that boy already has me and Cinthia enough for a brief encounter, she used hers to fool around with you, I'm saving mine for the Boom!'

'The youngster earlier was cute, but try to be a little more manly with the midwife, she can take it.'

'Stop! How about we not go there.'

'What? So far you've been disgustingly meek which will get old for them, you gotta spice it up a bit, make them WANT to live another day, so far they might fling themselves into the front lines just to end it." He laughs at the end.

'Uhhhgh.'

'Tell me you never saw my women fighting to get back to the hero with the big. Hammer. That wasn't me giving them foot rubs and tickling their nether, balance means soft with the soft and strong with the strong, and so far you've been soft, Haheheh, and with that old wench you gotta go strong with the strong. Do you think I dragged my butt here to tell you this on my own? Think about it.'

'I'm starting to think I'm still on that damn boat and all of this is delusions.'

'Nope, now get up, your first real day is about to begin.'

Definitely can't talk about any of this with anyone or they will think I'm crazy, I think I'm crazy, but I do miss them, so I'll let this kind of crazy go on for a while longer. The awkward silence at breakfast made me laugh which had Sabina blush and Katelyn scowl at me.

"Look, I get it, this is awkward and something I would never, Never, would have imagined, but at this point we are a team of three, taking on everything coming our way. I've been turning down men for years Kae, and it never crossed my mind to put you off. Everything around here was dead until you arrived and then everything turned." Sabina pauses and huffs and then looks down at the table.

"Wasn't happy with Sabina offering you up to Beau, but I get it." Katheryn gives Sabina a disapproving look. "Nobody in here, ever, and I expect Sabina to behave as she's my life so the worry you had for me is what I worry about for her."

"I'm sorry about that, it's just that she's Ms. Beau," Sabina frowns, "and after how I feel now, she's been so lonely for so much longer than everyone else around here. I know I took you by surprise Kae and won't do that again."

"Good, because I'm stuck right now on what I should do."

"You should go have dinner, it will give us time to have a conversation without you hearing it." Katelyn and Sabina flush.

"Anyone other than Beau, run them through us first please as a form of respect, except for Niviena as she will be sickly sweet to you, but has been an evil bitch for years."

"I'll agree to that if you two agree to the same." I reply evenly as Sabina is the only one to do this with both of them nodding along.

The morning was spent with the guards and Mertil setting up the archery range with bales as targets spaced apart to allow for eight lanes, we can make it sixteen lanes once they get better. This could take a while with what we have.

Katelyn and Jacob moved the cart to the Town Hall with people showing up hours early to ask about it and picking one to take home. I felt the people down south moving west which was a surprise and then not long after felt five people on a boat coming down the river. Jogging to the Inn, and then the Hall to find Jacob I let them know I was going to check it out, it seemed too small to be an issue.

Jogging through the woods was calming, and was not feeling any boats behind the first one, they were going to make it past the furthest check point so I had time to setup in the second furthest spot and wait for them to slow down.

If this is a scout group just to see if there is anything down this far or to go along the coast it should be a fair bit easier than having a full raiding party. I can't feel Saedins group any longer as they appear to be going the long way around and down as opposed to trying to sail upriver. 'Cinthia, Gray, save your strength you two, I got this one.' I send out to what I hope isn't my madness, but it does feel good to talk to them and if this isn't madness, I'd be ignoring the only reason they are here.

First thing I notice on the boat is Dawson and four soldiers with him, nothing for me to do here now, and getting ready to turn around I hear them talking.

"It's just down and around the corner, just a few minutes." Dawson says to what I guess is the leader at the front of the small boat. Nobody responds so I walk along the shore with them just out of sight while they are drifting.

"Just to be clear, we take him back alive if he admits that he talked them out of paying the ransom." The leader says. "Tell me you understand." He demands after a pause with the rest of them agreeing.