We took over a building which, whilst still on the main road, was on the far edge of Three Bridge and so overlooked the forest. The workmen we asked to prepare our building for us were surprised when we said we wanted large windows to open out upon the vast expanse of forest which lay just beyond the border of Three Bridge.
It had been a long and hard two months since the rampage of the Three Jobs, or so how the story went. We were just about to move in to our new home. Sara was furious with me, thinking I was abandoning her and our child. Somehow Mirielda got involved and they had a rare argument whilst I slunk off somewhere else. Since then our relationship hadn ’t been the calmest, it was somewhat like the a constant battering wind from the ocean storms. Ever present, cold, bitter, but never too bad that something major needed to be done about it.
Outside of my relationship with Sara, things progressed strangely during the past couple of months.
At first there was confusion about what happened, but slowly over time the story came clear. Somehow all of the people who saw what happened said it was the Three Jobs who caused the chaos and it was Treeman who stopped them.
Nolicia wasn ’t happy about what was happening, but she refused to tell me anything. She started following me around as I was doing my best to calm things down in Three Bridge, build up my guild, and help the region I did my best to guide in a positive manner.
After defending Three Bridge and defeating the Three Jobs, Treeman got an even larger following. Becomming an even bigger hero to those within Three Bridge. Folk stories and folk songs were starting to spread about him. Not one person who must ’ve seen me change into Treeman said anything about me being Treeman; even despite the vast reward being offered by the guilds and Livery Companies within the walls. Further more whilst there was mention about Treeman, there was no mention about Tan-bei being involved. Someone had even covered up evidence as to the death of Raider.
The letter that the Three Jobs mentioned was found, but was discovered to be a forgery made by another member of the Brook Gate Fellowship. It was said she forged the letter to get revenge for their husband being arrested and in the process of being sentanced to be executed for illegal money collection within Three Bridge.
After the news that Saint Evaine ’s Defiance was moving into the region that Treeman had defended informally this region was starting to be called Defiance. I liked the name and used it myself when I refered to this region, much to the dislike of the heroes within the walls.
Finally after so long, our house was ready. It was a grand three-story building paid for by the Temple and from funds taken from the Brook Gate Fellowship for their reperations to Three Bridge for all the damage done by the Three Jobs. The ground floor and first floor housed the guild and guild housing for Saint Evaine ’s Defiance. The second floor was just for our family, Sara refused to move in. But Nolicia told me she was looking forward to moving in with us, but not just yet. She said that there was something she needed to be in Brook Bridge to do, but she never said what, and I didn’t push her.
Though we had a grand house for us to live in, both Tan-bei and myself didn ’t care for much grandure. So we ended up only using four rooms. The main chamber, a sleeping chamber for Tan-bei and myself, and a seperate sleeping chamber for Nolicia. Fenalla had her own seperate room, but after cooking food for us left to go to a nearby tavern.
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The main chamber, though solidily constructed, was somewhat simple and sparse. We had a table and benches set off to one side. The cooking and fire pit, surrounded by magic fire suppresent stones, and backing onto the chimley which drew the smoke out of the room was set in the centre of the chamber.
But to us the heart of the room to us was a small region, surrounding a warm rug, which overlooked the large window and out into the forest beyond.
It was in the heart of the room, with both of us snuggled together on a large, well built, yet simple and unornamtened chair in which we could both sit, if we snuggled together. I was wearing a brand new tunic that Tan-bei had brought for me, it was made of finer material than my normal ones. She told me it was for when I was dealing with other guilds. I loved the thought she put into the presesnt so I wore it for our celebration and welcoming meal we had just finished.
The summer months were over and the early autumn air was still warm enough for us to keep the windows open allowing in a gentle breeze which carried the fresh forest air into our home mixing with the roasted duck that Fenalla had purchased for our celebration and welcoming meal into our house and for the offical start of the Saint Evaine ’s Deficance Guild.
Outside the window, the solid green canopy was slowly changing colour. Some leaves were yellowing and others had turned brown, giving the canopy a soft mottled cloudly appearance. In time the leaves would fall and the branches would be empty, ready for the harsh winter storms on the island. But here, this far inland, the winter storms were much calmer if they ever even occured. Sadly, snow seldom blanketed the city.
Alone and calm at last Tan-bei and myself had settled down together. This was the first time we had ever done this. I could feel the built up tension in Tan-bei ’s body ease slightly as she snuggled into my arms. My tension was also fading away.
It had been a long path to where we are now, but finally the guild was set up and ready to offically practice heroing within the confines of Three Bridge. We still only had the two of us as offical heroes, but part of our guilds charter allowed us to become the first teaching guild. With help from Doctor Lee and Castor we ’d already started getting some volunteer mægen from Three Bridge to start training on how to be a hero.
Thanks to that scheme, along with having to be a public face for our guild, I knew things would get busier again from now. For now we needed some quiet time together, so I allowed myself the opportunity to just be with Tan-bei as we sat together. It was pleasant and pleasing in needing no more from each other than each other ’s presence.
Her curvaous form felt comforting as it leant against my solid muscular form. I worried that maybe I would be uncomfortable for her to lean against but her breathing grew deeper and more regular as she fell asleep in my arms.
I looked down at her beautiful copper-fawn face as she lay sleeping against my chest. The beauty outside of the window was second to her lovely face. I allowed myself to get lost in the soft smile which graced her lips. After a seemingly endless time I looked out the window again. The soft autumn evening sky shone a brilliant golden colour. Small flocks of birds darted above the mottled canopy. Only a few discordant human-made sounds from Defiance intuded upon the nature which blessed me almost as much as the one I loved in my arms.
In time, as the sky darkened I found myself slowly drifting off. For a moment I thought that maybe I should take Tan-bei back to our bed, but as I looked down upon her soft face, I realised that I couldn ’t do that. So I allowed the soft, calming breathing of Tan-bei to peacefully lull myself to sleep.