The Wood Knot Warrior Pt. 02

Kharza set her axe down and smiled. "That one jumped out the window on his own. They came to kill Blest. I came to ask him some questions, but I got here after they stabbed him. The one in the hall tried to stab me." She pointed to the one with his knife in his eye. "So did this one. I managed to take these two alive. Blest is still alive if you have questions like who hired the goons to kill you?" At his nod, she picked up and strapped her battle axe to her back again, then leaned against the far wall to give them some privacy. It was symbolic as it was a small room, and she could still hear them perfectly.

Falco scowled at her but kneeled before the dying man.

"Rohann Blest, are you able to give me your account of what happened?" the commander asked.

Rohann nodded, but it was shaky. "Devlin Warrick ignored my warnings about his son, Lucien. Wouldn't invest in a proper spy network because he was so cheap. Lucien had spies within Devlin's household staff. One added a tripwire to the staircase to kill him, but it only broke Devlin's leg. The man confessed that Lucien paid him to do it. I killed the man as per Devlin's standing orders. The next attempt was from a nurse who substituted Devlin's pain medication with poison. She confessed Lucien forced her to do it by threatening her family. I had to kill her too."

Rohann took a deep breath and released it slowly. Then he continued.

"Harris Kess, Magus Thaneblood's Security Chief, visited Devlin, but I wasn't included in the meeting. Kess left with a bank withdrawal note for more money than I made in my career with Warrick. Then Lucien came by to let me know he'd put funds aside for my retirement as he knew his father was too cheap." He shook his head as the pieces fell into place in his mind.

He looked at Falco again. "Devlin let slip that Magus sold him a miracle cure like the one he used seven years ago." Rohann shook his head bitterly. "I couldn't deal with the idea of being trapped in a contract, fulfilling the evil wishes of that cheap idiot for the decades to come. I remembered what Lucien had done, so I informed him about the courier pouch with a cure coming from Portoa. When you came to the estate and told Devlin you were sending a team to get the pouch, I knew I had to act. That night, I reported to Devlin that the pouch had been stolen. I knew he was hanging on by willpower alone. The old man lost hope, gave up, and died that night. The next morning my contract was up, so I left the estate and went to the bank. Lucien was right. Devlin left me nothing for retirement, but now I had the funds Lucien set aside." He snorted wearily. "Now I see how Lucien worked me, and I was primed for it by Devlin. Lucien hired these goons to collect the funds and close off a loose end."

Blest eased open his jacket and pulled out a folded sheet of paper. He handed it to Falco. "These are the orders Lucien gave his security chief to hire the bandits and a wizard to take out any travelers from Portoa to Grennesh and find the courier pouch."

Falco read the document. "How did you get this?"

Rohann smiled weakly. "An old chief of security has tricks a younger chief of security has yet to learn and now never will." He slipped his hand into his jacket once more and pulled out a small ledger book.

"What's this?" Falco asked.

"A list of Lucien's spies, also from his security man. He has people everywhere." Blest was reaching the end of his strength.

"Rohann Blest, is this your dying declaration?" Falco asked.

Blest smiled and held Kharza's eyes. "Yes. Thank you." He closed his eyes and slipped away.

With a strangled scream of rage, the blond Guardsman suddenly leaped in the door with his dagger aimed at Falco's back.

Before he got two steps inside, his feet locked to the floor, and his outstretched arm suddenly tucked back under his body as he fell. His scream ended with a gurgling wail as his body slammed down on the point of the blade.

Falco leaped to his feet and spun to see the frozen look of surprise on the young man's face.

"What the fuck?" the commander yelled as he looked at Kharza, who stared back at him curiously.

"Maybe you'll find his name in that little book? He seemed pretty desperate to sink that dagger into your back," Kharza said.

Kharza went to the door and confirmed they were alone.

"Tawna, it's time," she said. The Pixie flew out of her hair and returned to full size next to her.

"Commander Falco, let me introduce Princess Tawna. She was the one Magus was delivering to Warrick in his courier pouch," Kharza said. "She was the miracle cure. A Pixie."

Falco's mouth was working as he recalled the conversation they had about the pouch. "Eryllis said they only found silver thread in the pouch!"

"Actually, she didn't say what she found. She just pointed to the threads. The Wizard Ducane told her to keep the Pixie's existence a secret.

Falco's face was red with suppressed fury, but he managed to continue. "How are Pixies a miracle cure?"

Kharza shrugged. "We don't know, and neither does Tawna. Magus, his wizard, and Harris Kess must know, but they didn't share it with Tawna. Devlin probably knew, as Kess would have told him as part of their deal. Magus wanted Devlin alive."

The commander was still smarting about being kept in the dark. "Was Lucien right about Dell and Eryllis stealing the contents of the pouch?"

"No!" Tawna said. "The wizard with the bandits took me from the pouch but left me bound. Dell freed me from my bindings, but I was so weak. I used my magic to escape but used Dell's vitality to power the spell. I brought Dell back as soon as I could. Magus has a Pixie. We must free her."

Falco looked suspiciously at Kharza. "Why did you wait to disclose Tawna's presence?"

Kharza tilted her head at him with a grin. "Isn't it fortunate for you that I did? Tawna saved your life. Lucien obviously has spies within the Guardsmen as well. He is a very dangerous and lawless Human. For now, only certain people may see her."

The commander scowled, but he couldn't argue. "Okay, but it goes back to why I was kept in the dark about the true contents of the pouch."

Kharza nodded. "Morgan explained this to us. How much trouble would be stirred up if people believed Pixies could be miracle cures?"

Falco paused for a long moment, and he was clearly running through the scenario in his mind. When he was done, he looked at Tawna. "That knowledge would lead to chaos and lawlessness."

Kharza nodded and gestured for Tawna to hide again, and she shrank and slipped into her hair.

Falco frowned at the two thugs as one was beginning to stir. He bent down, flipped his soldier over, and pulled the dagger from his chest. He carried it over to the two thugs and slit their throats.

Kharza watched him cautiously as he put the blade back into the soldier.

The commander frowned, then sighed. "The story will be that this brave soldier died trying to protect me. To avoid the chaos, protect the secret of the Pixies, and give me time to dig Lucien's spies out of the Guardsmen, none of Lucien's hired thugs can be allowed to live... except for the one impaled on the fence, who saw nothing, right?"

Kharza smiled as she understood. She nodded.

"How are you going to contain the secret?" he asked.

"Dell and Eryllis have some ideas about that." She grinned. "You probably don't want to know about that, as you'll have enough on your plate taking Lucien down."

Falco frowned. "The letter isn't sufficient to put him in jail. Not with his connections. It's certainly enough to get him to back off with his charge against Dell and Eryllis, but Lucien will remain a menace, with or without his chief of security."

Kharza shrugged. "Talk with Karter. I'm sure he'll be able to create a plan with the information and confession you now have."

Falco thought about that and nodded. "I'll come to see Karter after I deal with this." He paused. "Please thank Tawna for saving my life."

Kharza grinned as she heard the Pixie's happy sigh. "She says you're welcome. We'll leave this to you. Thanks!"

Their return through the streets of Grennesh was uneventful as life moved on. It was close to noon, and the flow of the city hummed along, unaware or simply uncaring of the loss of some goons and a former head of security for one of their important families. Kharza thought that was a little sad, but she was glad it was them, not her.

She was going home. Dell was back. Ket was waiting for her. Eryllis, her children, and Karter were there. Maevria, Maggie, the ladies, and now Opphai were part of her new life. Her smile widened as she realized the Wood Knot Inn had become her new village. She deeply missed her original family and the collection of tents that made up her first village, but she felt a great sense of wonder that she'd found herself accepted into this new one.

Not just accepted but loved and an integral part of it. One of its defenders. What she'd gone through after she woke that awful morning in the aftermath of the slaughter forged a new Kharza. She was hardened, more accepting of her brutal side, and trained to be an even deadlier weapon through her training with Dell's spirit warrior.

But she hadn't lost her ability to laugh, cry, and love. She would be forever grateful to Dell and whatever fates conspired to have him find her on that dark road that night.

Now there was a new... applicant, wanderer, lost soul who was approaching her village. She'd proven herself in battle today and had something to contribute. Kharza wondered how her new Pixie friend would integrate into the family.

She smiled to herself as the Wood Knot Inn came into view, and she made her way inside. She heard the busy sounds from the new dining room and saw the stream of servers moving to and from it. Lunch was in full swing. She immediately set course for the kitchen.

She stepped inside and moved to the side to not obstruct the flow but to take in the activity.

Dell was in his element as he whipped together meal after meal, and his assistants moved the orders along to the counter to be scooped up and carried to the dining room. There was no special meal today, so it was just the restaurant favorites, and the team knew how to deal with the variety.

He glanced over and smiled at Kharza as she pointed to her hair. He nodded, then paused the production line as he gathered the attention of his crew. The servers returned from the floor, so all were present and accounted for. He smiled at the attentive look from Opphai, whose apron needed some additional fabric. No doubt Maevria was on that project.

"Ladies, we have a new guest, and I want you all to swear to me that for the next week or so, you'll keep her presence here just between us. If she so decides, she may stick around longer than that, but we keep it hush-hush for now. Promise?"

The ladies watched him curiously, but all promised to keep the secret.

"Thank you." He looked at Kharza. "Tawna?"

The Pixie flew out of Kharza's hair and returned to her full size, standing next to the taller green female.

Opphai couldn't contain her delighted gasp. "Ah! She's so pretty!"

The others burst into nervous giggles.

Dell did the introductions, and everyone was delighted to greet the new visitor. Then Dell cracked the whip. "Okay, we'll talk more later about our new Pixie friend. Now, we have food to prepare and serve!"

The creation assembly line began again, but everyone was wearing excited grins.

Two plates passed from Dell's hands through the team and were placed on the small table by the wall where Kharza and Tawna stood. The plates contained items currently not on the Inn's menu. Thin slices of bread with vegetable and meat filling and crispy fried potato slices with a delicate seasoning.

Kharza grinned at her new friend, gesturing for her to sit. "Thank you, Dell, ladies!" she called out and got a nod from Dell, who was busy making the next meal. Several of the kitchen staff smiled her way.

She looked over at Tawna and grinned at the look of joy on her face. When the Pixie's eyes opened again, they sparkled. "This is food from my home, but it's so delicious!" she cooed.

Kharza tried one of the potato slices, and her tastebuds cheered. "Oh! This is very good!" she said, grinning with a nod. "This is Dell's favorite kind of magic," she said to Tawna and got a happy giggle.

"Dell! We have another success on our hands!" Kharza called out and heard happy chuckles from the staff. The Inn's successes were their successes, so that delighted everyone.

Karter pushed into the kitchen. "What success?" he insisted, then spotted Tawna enjoying a meal in plain sight of everyone. "What?" he gasped, gesturing to the Pixie in the room.

Maggie paused to look at him. "Oh? Haven't you met our new friend? She's a Pixie, but keep her under your hat."

The crew and Dell burst into laughter as Karter sputtered.

Kharza took pity on him by passing him one of the slices. He accepted it with a curious look, sniffed it, then popped it into his mouth. His expression immediately transformed.

"That's... that's... that's...." He seemed lost for words.

Kharza offered one. "Delicious?"

"A GOLD MINE!" he cheered. "Seriously, these could be addictive!" He gestured to Kharza for another, but she put her hand over her plate to block him. "Hey! You can't eat just one!" he cried.

Tawna took pity on him by giving him several from her plate. Karter thanked her, then stuck his tongue out at Kharza. Tawna giggled with delight.

After he munched on the chips of potato, he looked over at Dell. "Seriously, these are amazing! Where did you come up with this?"

Dell smiled over his shoulder as he slowed down. They were just about through the lunchtime rush. "I picked up quite a few recipes while I was staying at the palace in the Tanglewood. I spent an entire day with their Master Chef, trading recipes and tips. It was wonderful!"

Karter's eyes were wide with excitement.

"I have a new delicate flakey pastry recipe I will use with my pot pies from now on. I'll make some for dinner tonight so you can try it out," Dell said.

"YES!" Karter cheered.

Opphai took that moment to peer in the kitchen door. "Karter? Commander Falco is here to speak with you."

Karter looked at Kharza in question.

"He knows everything and needs your help to deal with the Lucien Warrick issue," Kharza said. His eyes dipped to her plate. She sighed, then dumped most of her potato treats onto a cloth napkin and lifted the corners to make a bag. "Let him try some. Don't eat them all yourself!"

With a grin of delight, Karter accepted the napkin and hustled out after Opphai.

As she finished her wonderful meal, she let herself soak in the warmth and love that filled the kitchen. This truly was the heart of her new village.

She looked across the table and saw the smile on Tawna's face. She understood. She was going to fit in just fine.

-=-

Hours later, after the lunch crowds had left and the staff were busy doing prep for the dinner rush, Dell took a seat in Karter's office to get filled in on what he'd missed while asleep this morning. Kharza, Eryllis, Tawna, and his dad joined him.

First, Kharza explained what happened with his meeting with Blest, and everyone thanked her, then Tawna for protecting her.

Then Tawna let Dell know what actually happened while he was performing diplomatic activities.

His rage flared, and he struggled to contain it. His sword was instantly on his hip. Along with that heat, he felt a sick creeping sensation of being used, and that... didn't feel good.

When he managed to get his breathing back under control, he looked up at Tawna and saw tears in her eyes. That took the rest of the steam from his rage, and he reached across to take her hands. "I'm not mad at you. I'm seriously pissed at your sister and mother, though. What they did is wrong on so many levels. I get their fear for their people, but they should have just asked." He felt a tremor run through his body again and took another deep breath. He could see Tawna was still nervous, and he connected the dots. "Are you pregnant too?"

Her head bobbed up and down. "I think so?" she said, her voice trembling.

He pushed his chair back. "Come here."

She flowed from her chair to sit on his lap, and he hugged her.

"I never wanted them to treat you that way, and I didn't know I would become pregnant," she moaned softly.

Dell looked at Eryllis, and she nodded. "We aren't upset with you. I'm glad you got your magic back, as it wasn't a good fit in my head. What do you want to do now?"

She thought for a moment. "I need to rescue the other Pixie." She looked to Dell and Eryllis, hopefully. "Will you help me?"

Dell shared another look with Eryllis then they nodded.

"I need to rest and recuperate before I'll be able to go. It will also take time to get to Portoa, find the Thaneblood mansion, find a way in, and rescue the Pixie," he said.

He looked to his father, who was watching him hopefully, too. "If the new pot pies pass everyone's approval tonight, we can host another pot pie dinner event while I recharge."

Karter looked thrilled.

There was a knock on the door, then it opened a crack, and Opphai squeezed her face against the small opening she made while blocking the rest with her large body, dutifully hiding Tawna's presence from anyone in the hall, no doubt.

"Karter? Wizard Ducane is here to speak to Eryllis?" she squeaked through the crack.

"It's all right, Opphai, he's allowed to come in," Eryllis said.

Kharza grinned at Tawna and pointed to her hair.

The Pixie smiled, shrank, and zipped over to hide in Kharza's hair.

Opphai stepped back and turned in the hall, bumping Morgan's hood off with her chest. The wizard blinked in surprise, then stepped into the office, closing the office behind himself.

"Dell! You're back!" he said as he registered who was sitting next to Karter's desk.

"Yes, last night."

"What did you find out from your research about Pixies?" Eryllis said, jumping in before the wizard could ask Dell another question.

Morgan frowned at her in frustration. "Very little!"

Dell grinned as he picked up Eryllis' game. "Maybe you can ask our new friend. Tawna?" he said and patted his lap.

The Pixie flew from Kharza's hair to expand to her full size as she landed on his lap with a wide smile.

Morgan stared at her dazzling wings, and his eyes widened. "A Pixie!"

"Yes. Please let me introduce Princess Sa Lih Pish Tawna, daughter of Queen Sa Lih Pish Stella. She brought me back from the Tanglewood with her magic last night," Dell explained. "Tawna, this is Morgan Ducane, Master Wizard of Grennesh. He's a good friend of ours."

"It's very nice to meet you," Tawna said.

"I'm delighted to meet you as well!" Morgan said with a smile.

"You have some questions about Pixie's? I might be able to help you with that as long as it doesn't put my people at risk." Tawna offered.

Morgan nodded. "I assure you, harming the Pixies is the farthest thing from my mind."

"Still, information can be used for many purposes. It will need to be locked down until they are ready to say hello," Karter said as he held the wizard's eyes. "We must protect the Pixies, especially Tawna as she's family."

The delighted smile and tears of joy in Tawna's eyes were beautiful to see.

Dell smiled at his family. His growing family! That felt... right.

Chapter 13

Lucien Warrick sat at the dining table in the suite he'd taken over from his father. His art now adorned the walls, and aside from the grand table and chairs, every reminder of his father had been expunged from the apartment. It now belonged to Lucien, and he was making his mark on it.

He was enjoying his breakfast, munching on toast with preserves, as he gazed out the window over his new view of Grennesh below. He had plans for the city now that he was the head of one of its leading families. He knew he'd be a busy man in the days ahead.