Taking a moment to look each elder in the eye, I began.
“Allow me to say this first: none of what I’ve brought up against you is meant as a foundation for me to take over the leadership of this town. Swiftband is my home, and I want it run properly, but I have no interest in leading myself. I have far too little time to complete my own work as it is.”
My proclamation was not met with obvious relief, but I still noted the way all of the elders loosened up ever so slightly, including Hyel. Regardless of what he’d said, it was obvious the elf couldn’t completely give up his old habits. Perhaps it was simply a matter of age and momentum, or perhaps he wasn’t so willing to relinquish authority after all. Either way, I would be keeping a careful eye on him going forward.
“Having said that,” I continued, “Swiftband does require someone willing to lead, and someone who will do so well. That can be you, if you so desire, so long as you actually do your job. I would recommend Martha… but I don’t think her ambitions lie anywhere beyond establishing her own militia, and, eventually, a proper city watch. Arandel, perhaps?”
My musings drew a loud squeak from said elf, who flushed scarlet now that she could no longer pretend like she wasn’t listening.
“I-I couldn’t possibly —”
“I am not saying you must. I am merely making suggestions,” I assured her, eyeing Hyel’s reaction all the while. The suggestion of Arandel becoming an official leader of the town clearly pleased him, if his slight smile was anything to go by.
I shrugged. “Then again, this might be something best left to an open town discussion. I will not pretend to know people here well enough to be sure of who should be chosen to lead.”
“It might be… premature… to pick an official town mayor quite yet,” Hyel hedged, earning a glare from me and a rumble from Alys.
“Then you should do a better job of managing things,” my dragoness snapped. I was grateful she was still backing me, despite the threat of our departure that I had dangled in front of the elders.
“My mate is correct,” I said. “That is the crux of my request, and it is exceedingly simple: you will endeavor to overcome the deficiencies you have shown so far. We might not be able to lodge an official complaint against Hergeiros, due to how that affair ended, but you can certainly do something to secure more support and protections for the town. Correct?”
Hyel hesitated. His eyes briefly strayed to Arandel before scanning over his fellow elders. They were all looking at him expectantly, even Grafton.
“There might be several things I can attempt, yes. It will require reaching out to certain acquaintances I hadn’t thought I would need to speak to ever again. But perhaps…”
“Excellent. You will do that.” Alys gave the order imperiously. I enjoyed the way Amara beamed at her daughter while Soren sent her a proud look. “You will also make sure people actually visit Thorn’s shop. I didn’t build it for nothing. And I know for a fact that my mate has put a lot of time and effort into the stock he’s intending to practically give away. Time he could have been spending with me.”
I couldn’t resist the smile that stretched across my lips. Alys was ever so adorable when she got upset on my behalf.
“Right.” The elf cleared his throat while shifting in his chair. “It might be somewhat difficult to get people to visit the shop while The Incandescent —”
“I. Do. Not. Care,” my mate ground out, her voice reverberating around us in a way that almost made my bones hum. A bit of Dragon Fear might have slipped out of her, too, from how the mortals suddenly flinched. I noted that her father did not, but he was living in the lair of The Molten Expanse. I could only guess that would inure a person to such things.
Hyel nodded, his face pale. “I… very well. We will strive to spread the news that people should visit the shop.”
“Speaking of Grandmother,” I cut in, “I am still waiting for an explanation. Why did you contact her without my mate’s knowledge? Your prior tendencies taking over, perhaps, leading you to make decisions without bothering to consult those involved?
“In part,” he admitted. Before I could appreciate his honesty, genuine exasperation flashed in his eyes. “But remember that we are speaking of The Incandescent. She gave me strict instructions to contact her if any trouble occurred. Surely you do not expect me to thwart the will of The Molten Expanse?”
“We expect you to tell us,” Alys rumbled. “Before you do anything that could have that kind of impact on us. Not after.”
I nodded. “Exactly. If something like that happens again, there will be consequences. We are not children for you to summon our parents behind our backs.”
Not that summoning my family to Swiftband would end well for anyone, as amusing as it was to imagine Hyel trying to contact my father or mother.
Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.
His shoulders settled, and he sighed. “I can certainly promise to keep you better informed, yes.”
“Good.” My mind was suddenly spinning with another potential task to give the elders. “I also need you to look around for someone able and willing to work in my shop, and direct them my way. I could use some help with handling customers while I am working in my lab, so I do not have to stop in the middle of delicate brewing procedures.”
It was Yora who jumped in, looking inordinately pleased. “That can be done. I can think of several people who might be interested.”
Alys nodded just as imperiously as before. I could definitely see a shadow of her grandmother in that gesture now.
“You.” She pointed a sharp claw directly at Grafton. “You are going to start doing your job.”
“What exactly are you saying?” the human growled.
“I am saying that my mate has put time and effort into fixing you. I came here with the very first wave of settlers, and I had no idea you were an actual archmage. Either you start proving your worth, or I won’t have my mate wasting time on you.”
Alys’ bluntness made Grafton’s face go red, then white. Ferlis, too, was suddenly very, very still. I knew the wendigo was a much nicer person than her husband, and her gratitude had been touching, but I wouldn’t put up with Grafton’s nonsense just for her.
“Agreed.” I glared at the human. “If you really are an archmage, then there is plenty you can do for Swiftband. Start by making Kiri’s job easier: actually set up some security around the town’s perimeter. Right now, any number of creatures could slip right into town and carry off victims. Kiri’s efforts are all that stands between townsfolk and the dangers of the frontier.”
The supposed archmage developed a tic in his jaw, but said nothing. From a brief spark of something in his eyes, I would almost say he agreed with our critique, if he wasn’t such an unpleasant individual.
When he forced himself to nod, there was only one point left to discuss.
I glanced at Alys, eyebrows raised. A grin spread across her features.
“Finally, there is another announcement we need you to make,” I said. “And this time, I expect you to do so properly from the start.”
“We will,” Hyel promised hastily, eyes searching our group as if he could divine what was so important.
Alys did not keep him waiting for long.
“I am pregnant.”
Arandel choked. Kiri actually dropped the drink she’d been trying to hide behind while watching us tear into the elders. Ritsu slipped and almost fell out of his chair at a nearby table.
The elders reeled, Hyel in particular. His eyes briefly snapped over to Alys’ stomach. Then he went as white as chalk.
I couldn’t guess precisely what he was thinking, but I could make educated assumptions. If he really did have some knowledge of The Molten Expanse and her motivations, then that was the right face for him to pull. It was the face of a man realizing that his failures were potentially endangering The Molten Expanse’s granddaughter. The granddaughter who was now extra ‘vulnerable’ due to a pregnancy.
It was a good thing for Hyel that Shaessath had declined to accompany us. If I’d told her just what I intended to do, she might have, but I wasn’t quite at the point where I wanted the Hall burned down.
“C-Congratulations,” the elf managed to wheeze, being the first to recover from his shock.
Then Arandel was swiftly on us, laughing and squeezing both Alys and me and in a hug. “Oh, congratulations, you two! I’m so excited for you!”
Her exuberance wilted somewhat as she pulled away, a frown marring her happiness.
“You shouldn’t need to worry about nonsense while pregnant…” Her eyes moved over to her grandfather. “Fix this. I didn’t even notice things had gotten this bad, busy as I am, but just… fix this.”
Alys and I had ripped into the elf. We had leveled both the threat of our leaving and the threat of The Molten Expanse at him. Yet it was Arandel’s request that seemed to hit Hyel the hardest. He aged further, right in front of our eyes, before managing a short nod at his granddaughter.
“Congratulations,” Kiri finally offered from the side. She looked both happy and terrified for us, all at the same time. I could definitely understand that sentiment, seeing as she was one of the few people who actually knew the full truth of my identity.
“We should mark this occasion!” Ritsu exclaimed with a grin, his tails moving more erratically than usual. “I have some special sweets I’ve been saving, but I would love to share if you would like to partake.”
The sincerity on the fox’s face was startling. Despite my annoyance with him, I couldn’t deny that he had been nothing but cordial and helpful since the Summer cooking incident. I strongly suspected this was because he realized he would actually be sticking around longer than anticipated, but… it was a day for overlooking personal insults.
“We would be delighted.”
My acceptance of his offer made the fox’s face light up. He nodded, then hurried off, vanishing in a blur of tails.
“We have made mistakes, yes,” Yora said suddenly, her voice determined. “But we will do everything we can to correct them and assist you to the best of our ability. Not just because the town needs the two of you, but because you put your trust in us when you joined Swiftband.”
She was addressing Alys more than me, but I didn’t mind, and I could tell that my dragoness appreciated the sincerity ringing in the hawk beastkin’s words. I knew how much Alys cared for the town. I also knew that she had once possessed a certain respect for the elders, which I lacked. I would be happy if they managed to win that respect back.
Alys nodded at Yora. “Thank you.”
“I truly do hope that we can continue to call Swiftband home.” I sighed, giving into the nicer emotions coursing through me rather than continuing to hold onto my anger. “I think I can safely say we are both fond of the town and the people living in it. So long as none of the issues we’ve already experienced continue to compound, then I do not think we’ll have anything to complain about.”
Alys squeezed my hand tightly. Everyone seemed to relax, though Grafton definitely grumbled something under his breath.
“You have our promise,” Hyel affirmed. “I understand how important it is to ensure your home is a safe place to raise your children.”
A flash of sorrow crossed his face. I glanced at Arandel to see the emotion mirrored there, too.
“Thank you,” Alys said again, answering for both of us. “Now… I think we could use some lighter subjects, and maybe some food?”
She directed the last comment at Arandel teasingly. The elf’s eyes widened, and she spun away from us towards her kitchen.
“Your meal! Oh no!”
She was gone, rushing to check on whatever she’d left cooking for us before she got distracted by our clash with the elders.
As the mood lightened further, all I could do was smile, enjoying the sensation of Alys’ rumbly laugh reverberating through me where her side was pressed against mine.
get a free ebook copy of the first book over on Patreon!
