Chapter Eighty Five

Joe sat in the muddy field, too tired to turn or stand, but enjoyed the sounds of joy rising behind him. Soon, he heard Allanar’s cries and a slap on his shoulder a few moments later.

“Eccentric! You… a shadow tide master! That was amazing!”

Joe looked up at him and smiled wearily, “Well, I’m glad you enjoyed it, but I’m too tired to really be that happy about it right now.”

Allanar laughed, “You will be tomorrow.”

“I am certain of it,” Joe nodded.

Allanar nodded back before then offering him an arm, “Here! Up. I’ll clean you off and offer you travel back to the walls.”

Joe’s eyes brightened as he smiled, “You know what, that would be great!”

Joe offered an arm, and the two clasped at elbows before Joe was lifted to his feet with relative ease. Shortly after, a massive ball of water swirled before him, and Joe stepped into it gladly, shivering a bit from the cool touch but sighing in relief as it began to swirl around him and drag the dirt, mud, and blood away. Once he was clean, the water was pulled from him leaving him and the clothing completely dry. Man…magic… just to take a bath! Totally worth it!

Now cleaned, water swirled once more, wrapping both of them in a massive fist which then began rolling across the ground. Somehow, it never picked up any of the dirt, nor did it touch his skin and make him feel any wetness. It was a rather strange feeling and experience, one that Joe now took the time to actually feel since there were no more cries of battle or screaming beasts bent on killing him. He waved a hand through the water and felt nothing except resistance. Pulling his arm from the water left him as dry as when he’d been washed.

Allanar was talking excitedly beside him, and Joe turned his attention towards him, but found his exhaustion profound enough that the noise just kind of washed over him as he relaxed into the water. He soon found himself almost laying in the water, drifting, relieved, and happy.

* * *

Kilniara stood on the wall bouncing with excitement, Gwenvair standing beside her. She lay a hand on Kilniara’s arm and whispered softly.

“Propriety. You stand on the wall, wife of the eccentric, in the eyes of thousands!”

Kilniara froze, then attempted to adopt Gwenvair’s soft, regal air. She failed, miserably. She knew it. But she honestly cared little for it and still vibrated with excitement. Joe spoke with Allanar as Allanar brought them to the wall swiftly in his water. Liquid. He said it was liquid! They reached the bottom of the wall and she could only stand in excited agitation before the fist of water slid over the wall and settled to the ground in front of them.

The fist released Allanar and he settled to walk over to the Matriarch. Joe, however, laid in the fist, unmoving, and Kilniara felt her heart clench before she sprinted across towards the water, leaping onto it to grab and wrap him in her arms. Gwenvair followed almost immediately behind. Allanar turned as he saw them run and quickly called out.

“Relax! He’s fine. He just fell asleep!”

Kilniara turned, her arms still around Joe, “Really?”

Allanar laughed, “Really. He fell asleep in the middle of talking with me!”

Kilniara looked back at Joe, and when her jostling made Joe rouse and blink bleary eyes, her fear immediately dropped, a relieved smile coming to her lips.

“Hi! Everything alright?” Joe asked, staring up at Kilniara, then blinking in surprise when he saw Gwenvair.

“Hey, what’s going on? Everything OK?”

“You fell asleep just coming to the wall?”

Joe grinned, “I’m tired!”

Gwenvair laughed, and Kilniara joined her, placing a soft hand on his cheek.

“Sleep. Mother will take care of everything,” Gwenvair softly said.

“Yeah. Sleep, Joe. Rest. You deserve it.”

Joe’s smile was one of beatific relief and immediately fell back asleep. Kilniara looked up at Gwenvair, sliding off the fist of water and the two hugged each other. A few moments later, she began bouncing, squealing in glee before pulling away and looking and Gwenvair.

“Thank you!”

Gwenvair smiled, “It is only my job.”

“Not a job.”

Gwenvair’s smile grew, “No. Not a job.”

Their stare was laden with hidden meaning for a few moments, then they turned and looked towards Gwenvair’s mother. She arrived at their side and spoke softly, with imperial grace.

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“He is well?”

“Exhausted. May I request a healer?”

Chulnan heard that and quickly skittered over, placing a hand gingerly on Joe’s head, falling into his healer’s trance to evaluate Joe.

Gwenvair’s mother rose an eyebrow at Gwenvair’s request, but out of consideration to Chulnan, kept silent so as to not embarrass him, “You think he is in need of a healer?”

Gwenvair also fell to a quite whisper, keeping the wind from reaching Chulnan’s ears while she shrugged and replied to her mother, “I think it is the least the clan can do for him.”

Gwenvair’s mother smiled brightly, her volume returning to normal, “Very true.”

Gwenvair smiled back at her mother, straight backed, nodding.

The two stared at each other, sharing a moment much like she had shared with Gwenvair, and Kilniara kept her smile reserved, even as she felt pride well within her.

“You have found yourself.”

“I have,” Gwenvair spoke back, confidently.

Her mother’s smile blossomed to joy and she reached forward to hug her daughter, “I am so happy for you.”

Gwenvair giggled, and Kilniara felt her eyebrow’s rise in shock, “A giggle, Gwenvair?”

Even Gwenvair’s mother took a step back to stare at Gwenvair in surprise. Gwenvair blushed, turning away, but then smiled and simply wrapped her arms around Kilniara.

“I did, so?”

Kilniara let out a giggle as well, and the two were soon hugging and giggling in excitement tinged with a hint of manic glee. Gwenvair’s mother sighed and rolled her eyes before turning away and speaking with Allanar for a bit, before speaking to several other staff members surrounding them. Kilniara was too lost in the moment, their hug shifting from excitement to one of companionship as the two stared towards Joe, their excitement settling slightly when they saw Joe’s exhausted figure.

Chulnan waited politely before speaking to Gwenvair, “The eccentric is healthy, from the basic check I have done.”

Gwenvair nodded at that, “Would you believe a more comprehensive check would be acceptable?”

Kilniara hid a smile and a bit of wonderment at realizing that despite Chulnan’s low status, Gwenvair was still being considerate enough to the man to include him. Chulnan seemed to be grateful, and not as blind as Kilniara had been to notice Gwenvair’s efforts.

“I would be incredibly grateful if it could be done. It is outside my capabilities.”

Gwenvair’s neutral smile turned genuine, “But you are humble enough to admit it and accept help. The eccentric is quite… grateful.”

Chulnan bowed but offered no reply to that and simply stepped back and to the side.

They all remained gathered around Joe for several moments until the healer came bustling forward. The man fussed around Joe for several moments, poking at him and staring at his ears carefully for a few moments before stepping back and preparing a healing ritual of some complexity surrounding Joe, then calling healing down upon him. The healer’s mana swelled beside her, washing over her and obviously washing over Joe then swelled again as the healer grunted and another swell of mana swept forth and added to Joe’s healing. Kilnaira looked up at the healer and grew concerned when she saw his concentration and effort.

Several moments passed and the man ended the healing with a slight stagger, stepping back and resting. The healer stared at Joe, an obvious feeling of awe and trepidation simultaneously playing across the man’s face. He shuddered, taking a deep breath before stepping back with a bit of fear. Gwenvair noticed as quickly as Kilniara did, and she stepped forward.

“What?”

“First in Line for Matriarch, how may I help you?” the healer bowed with respect and concern.

“Explain.”

The man waffled, glancing around uncertainly then looked back to Gwenvair, “First in Line, he… I am…”

Gwenvair’s mother appeared at that point, sweeping in like the Matriarch she was and swept the privacy dome around Joe and the four of them. Kilniara glanced to her left, seeing Chulnan, Zilnek, and Garnedell outside. She knew Zilnek could not see her, but he still nodded, offering his understanding and strength. Her confidence came with it, and she stepped forward.

“Tell me what you have found of my husband to be.”

The man jerked back in shock, “Husband to be?”

He looked back and forth between all of them.

The Matriarch smiled, “You heard the eccentric’s wife to be. She seeks news. Explain.”

“But Matriarch?”

Kilniara smiled, “I am unconcerned if she hears.”

His eyes darted around, landing on Gwenvair, but Kilniara quickly spoke to end his hesitation, “And my sister.”

The man’s eye’s shot through his hairline, and his breathing rapidly turned to panting before he gulped and bowed towards Gwenvair, “Apologies, Queen?”

Kilniara smiled and nodded while Gwenvair simply smiled and spoke, “Please, speak.”

The man nodded, barely keeping his excitement to himself before quickly calming himself to speak, “He is well. He suffered no injuries from the fight. He had an old injury to the ear, a ruptured ear drum. It has been damaged for some time. I am uncertain why he never asked for the healing, but it has been repaired.”

Gwenvair and her mother both nodded, accepting the healer’s judgment, but Kilniara found the man’s statement of an old injury strange, “He did not receive the injury in the fight with the tide master?”

The man quickly shook his head, “No. The injury is older, having already healed poorly, the blood hardening; a sign of injury from lack of health. But the blood has already hardened completely, thus the injury must be days old, at the very least.”

Kilniara searched the man’s face, confusion seeping out, “He hasn’t been injured within the past week?”

The man shrugged, “Some very weak individuals take even weeks to properly seal blood leakage if not properly cared for.”

Kilniara sighed, but said nothing. He… wasn’t injured… it has to be from today. It can’t be… I didn’t see any blood leaking from his ears. She bowed to the healer slightly, offering thanks. She knew she did not need to bow, but she’d seen Joe offer bows even to the least. She found the effort kind and meaningful, so decided to adopt a similar respect for others. With the bow, she gave a simple thanks.

“Then, I am quite grateful for the help you have offered, Healer.”

The healer bowed back as well, deeper than hers; something that was still making her feel uncomfortable, but an elbow from Gwenvair stopped her fidgeting and she accepted the healer’s bow in the measure it was given.

“I am honored to serve the eccentric and his queen.”

Gwenvair shivered, hiding her joy at hearing and being called queen. To think that Joe would be willing, Kilniara hid her excitement and saw to the healer backing away. Her thoughts were interrupted when Gwenvair spoke.

“You know, everyone will know within the great Bell.”

Kilniara blinked, then shrugged, “Sorry?”

Gwenvair laughed and punched her on the shoulder, “No you’re not!”

Kilniara smiled and looked at Gwenvair, “Nope, I’m not.”

Gwenvair’s smile dropped and she stared at Kilniara carefully, a hint of fear shining through her vulnerability, “Are you certain.”

Kilniara reached up and set a hand to Gwenvair’s cheek, “More than certain. I know. As does he!”

Gwenvair’s fear vaporized to shivering joy and the two clasped each other in a powerful hug, remaining in each other’s arms before a soft cough brought Kilniara back to attention, flash flushed red with embarrassment. Gwenvair also pulled back rapidly, and Kilniara found Gwenvair’s flushed face a relief, both soon finding solace in mutual embarrassment. Gwenvair quickly turned to her mother and her mother simply smiled back at both of them; joyful and full of pride.

“Perhaps we should allow the eccentric to rest back at his home?”

Kilniara giggled, “Yes. Lets.”