“Have you made arrangements for the village of Boyds?” I asked.

  The smile faded from the mayor’s face at the mention of the ruined village. “Aye, my lord. The chief constable has arranged a party of volunteers. They will leave in the morning and bury the dead when they arrive at the village.”

  I nodded, and then Monica and I headed to the inn. The inn’s great room was a large rectangular space with a long bar along the far wall and round tables filling the rest of the floor. Although it was early, people filled the place.

  The room was buzzing with conversation and laughter. When the patrons noticed me, the place quickly fell silent, and the people rose to their feet from their tables and barstools.

  A heavyset man wearing an apron hurried over and bowed to me. “My king! You honor my establishment with your presence!”

  “We were going to ask for a table, but I see you are filled to capacity,” Monica said as she glanced around the dining room.

  “No worries, my lady! Bard Kashko told me to expect you. There is room for you at his table!” The innkeeper bowed to us and headed towards a table near the fireplace. Monica and I followed him.

  The elven bard was standing next to the table. I hadn’t noticed him in the crowd.

  “Welcome, King Roman and …. I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name earlier.” Kashko bowed and then smiled at Monica.

  “This is Lady Monica,” I said.

  “Well met, Lady Monica.” Kashko gave her a genuine smile. Monica nodded her head.

  “Your finest bottle of wine, good innkeep,” the bard said to the innkeeper as we sat down.

  “Certainly, certainly!” The innkeeper smiled broadly as he hurried off.

  “He seems pleased.” Monica watched the innkeeper disappear into a back room.

  The elf grinned. “Nothing pleases an innkeeper more than a patron ordering his most expensive bottle of wine!”

  The innkeeper returned with a bottle of red wine, and a serving girl brought us three glasses. He popped the cork and poured some for each of us.

  The elf stood up and raised his glass high. “A toast to King Roman. May his reign be long and prosperous.”

  The other customers chimed in as they raised their drinks. “Long and prosperous!” I nodded and took a sip of the wine. It had a tart flavor that reminded me of cherries.

  Once I had taken a drink, the others all drank from their cups and glasses. The bard sat down again, and I noticed the other patrons relax as they took their seats. The room began buzzing with conversation again.

  “Tonight’s special is braised beef ribs, my lord. If that is not to your liking, Cook can prepare something else.” The innkeeper looked at me anxiously.

  “The special will be fine,” I reassured the man. Monica and the bard agreed. In a few moments, serving girls brought us three plates piled high with beef ribs. There were also plates of green beans, boiled turnips, and a large loaf of brown bread.

  “The portions are quite generous at this inn,” Monica said as the serving girls departed. I too was surprised by how many ribs the serving girls placed on our plates. I was hungry, but there was no way I was finishing all this food.

  The elf grinned. “I may have mentioned to the innkeeper that King Roman has an enormous appetite and that he has a quick temper when he is hungry.”

  I couldn’t help but chuckle at the bard’s words. I was starting to like the old elf.

  “Why did you do such a thing?” Monica asked as she gave the bard and then me a puzzled look.

  “I believe the bard wanted to make sure he was given plenty of food,” I explained.

  The bard's voice was serious but I could see his eyes were smiling. “You see, Lady Monica, your king is wise despite his youthful appearance.”

  We sat and ate in quiet as was the custom, though I was curious about the white-haired elf. They coated the ribs in a tangy sauce, and the meat literally fell off the bone due to its tenderness.

  “Where did the coach bring you from, Bard Kashko?” I asked once we had finished.

  “I was recently in Crossroads,” the elf explained.

  “How far is that?”

  The elf's bushy eyebrows raised, and he gave me a sly smile. “Is geography not your strong suit, my lord? Have you not studied the lands around your kingdom? I was under the impression that Crossroads was a city of Avalon. Though the current Countess of Mersylvan disputes the claim.”

  I shrugged. “I am from Earth and not that familiar with the geography of Avalon.”

  The bard's mouth dropped open in surprise, then a shrewd look came over his eyes. “Ah, I see you are not only wise, you are also adept with jokes, my lord.”

  “King Roman is serious. He is from beyond the Veil,” Monica’s voice was deadly serious as she looked at the bard.

  The bard looked at me, then Monica, before turning his gaze back to me. “You are serious.”

  Then he leaned back in his chair and stroked his goatee. “This is truly a fascinating event. I don’t believe anyone has crossed the Veil in many generations. Yet here you are.”

  Then the bard leaned forward again before adding, “And somehow you have become King of Avalon.”

  “So, how far is Crossroads?” I asked again.

  The elf waved his finger at me. “Ahhh, see, I forget and get easily distracted, my lord. It is three days' journey from here by coach.”

  “Crossroads is the second principal city of the territory of Mersylvan, my lord,” Monica added.

  “Are there any dragons there?”

  “Dragons?” the bard gave me a puzzled look. “Only Lord Simon and his blue dragon.”

  “What can you tell me about Lord Simon?”

  “Lord Simon is the Baron of Crossroads. The food he serves is simple, but adequate. The baron does keep a very fine wine cellar, with some nice reds from Arcadia. He seems to be an eager young man. My songs of heroes and great battles brought him great enjoyment.”

  “Are you from Avalon, Kashko?” I asked.

  The bard shook his head. “Oh, no, my lord. I hail from the Kingdom of Walthwen. My spirit is restless. I travel the length and breadth of Faewyn as I hunt for new songs to sing and stories to tell.”

  The bard looked at the crowded room. “And speaking of songs, I promised our good host that I would entertain his guests in exchange for lodging. If you excuse me, King Roman.”

  I nodded, and the bard stood up. His lute was leaning against the wall behind his chair. Kashko positioned his chair in front of the fireplace. Taking up his lute, he sat down, and the room quieted.

  Kashko began playing a jaunty air, and soon the crowd was clapping along. He sang a song about a milkmaid and the farmer who loved her. Then he sang a song about a blacksmith who forged magical swords.

  The elf had a strong, clear voice. He entertained the room for about half an hour before taking a break. He leaned his lute against the wall and moved his chair back to our table. I yawned as he sat down.

  Kashko frowned and shook his head sadly. “I see my music is putting you to sleep, my lord.”

  I could see the laughter in his eyes even though he was pretending to be offended. “I am very tired from the events of the last few days. We haven’t slept much.”

  The bard glanced at Monica before giving me a wink. “If I had such a beautiful travelling companion, I don’t think I would have slept much either.”

  I chuckled at his unexpected response. I glanced at Monica. The brunette had a puzzled look as she tried to understand his meaning. The elf was quite the character.

  Monica and I made our way back to the town hall. One of the servants led us up to our rooms.

  I opened the door and saw that a couch had been placed near my bed. “Where did that come from?” I asked the servant.

  The woman nodded. “Lady Monica asked the mayor to have a couch brought into your room so she could sleep here, my lord.”

  I glanced at Monica. She raised her chin as she met my eyes. “Your safety is my responsibility.”

  “Blackbird Forks is one of our cities.”

  “One can never be too careful, my lord.”

  “Will you be needing anything else, my lord?” the servant asked.

  “No, thank you.”

  The woman smiled at my response before bowing and leaving.

  The couch looked rather small. “Are you sure you will be comfortable there?”

  “Of course,” Monica replied as she closed the door.

  I stripped off my clothes and laid them on a nearby chair.

  Monica blushed as she tried not to stare at my crotch. “What are you doing, my lord?”

  I gave her a grin. “We don’t have many clothes with us. I will sleep naked and keep the clothes fresher. Feel free to get naked, too.”

  She deliberately looked away. “I am fine, my lord. I must be ready in case assassins come.”

  I shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

  I climbed into bed and pulled the blanket over me. Monica turned down the lamp and lay down on the couch.

  “If the couch is too uncomfortable, there is plenty of room here in the bed with me.”

  “I AM FINE, my lord.”

  I chuckled softly. I loved teasing her.

  12

  Chapter Twelve

  After breakfast, we checked on Liam. He was sleeping soundly, but his breaths were shallow and his skin was cold and pale under the bruises.

  A serving woman poked her head into the room. “The doctor was by earlier, my lord. He will return after lunch to check on him again.”

  “Has Liam woken at all?” I asked.

  “No, my lord.”

  I hoped Yvette would arrive today. Without her magic, I worried that the injured man would succumb to his wounds.

  Monica and I walked outside. The dragons were still resting in the square.

  “Did you scare the children away?” I asked.

  Graxion raised one bony eyebrow ridge at my question. “The novelty of two dragons has worn off.”

  Bakaan let out a low laugh. “The children grew bored of watching the two of us loafing around. Even dragons can lose their interest if we aren’t doing anything exciting.”

  I felt restless and started pacing back and forth.

  Monica watched me for a minute. “Shall we practice with spears?”

  “That’s a good idea. I saw how handy your spear was when we were fighting the goblins.”

  Monica nodded. “A sword is useful, but a spear has its own advantages. You can use it in battle and you can throw it at enemies.”

  One of the constables retrieved a pair of practice spears for us and then showed us an open area behind the town hall where we could practice. Graxion and Bakann flew to the top of the building so they could watch us.

  “What is the role of the constables?” I asked when we took our first break.

  Monica took a drink from a waterskin and then passed it to me. “The constables maintain law and order in the towns and cities. They arrest criminals and bring them before judges. We have a small group in Avalon City, but the soldiers handle most of the duties there.”

  “I haven’t seen any soldiers here in Blackbird Forks.”

  The brunette nodded. “Because our army is small, the soldiers in this area are concentrated in the fortress at Nander’s Pass. The most likely threats will approach from the Gray Mountains. The constables handle the defense of the city.”

  “Can the constables be used as soldiers?”

  Monica shook her head. “The constables are mostly part time guards. If they wanted to be soldiers, they would join the army. They have basic training, but not to the extent that our soldiers do. It is a good way for them to earn extra coin while still being home.”

  I took a drink from the waterskin. The constables sounded like a local police force. “I hope your father has found success recruiting more soldiers.”

  Monica nodded and then stood up. “Break time is over.”

  She offered me her hand and pulled me to my feet. We practised for another long session before taking a break for lunch.

  ***

  The dragons watched me with curiosity as I sat down on the edge of the fountain. Monica, as usual, followed me. The afternoon was warming up.

  “I sense you are concerned,” Graxion said as he watched me.

  I crossed my arms. I looked at the dragons and at Monica. “The goblins are causing me worry. Goblin strategy is not something I know. I wanted your opinions.”

  Bakaan spoke first. “The goblins I have encountered were small raiding parties. Nothing like we faced at the fortress.”

  Monica sat down on the fountain wall next to me. “The records show that goblin raiders will fight until they face defeat. They then withdraw until they gather sufficient strength to strike again.”

  We all turned our attention to Graxion. He thought for a long moment before speaking. “This was an unusually large force. The addition of the four trolls speaks of a powerful goblin chief.”

  The red dragon paused before continuing. “The last time such a large force was gathered, the old castle at Nander’s Pass was overthrown. The goblins' advance was only halted here at Blackbird Forks by the arrival of myself and the dragons from Crossroads and Buckwood.”

  I tried to picture the scene. “What happened to the goblin army?”

  “The goblins fled. Many were slain.”

  “Did they attack again?”

  Graxion shook his head. “No. Perhaps their chief was slain in the battle. Or perhaps he lost the prestige needed to maintain the goblin army together. It was several years before goblin raids began again.”

  I rubbed my chin. “I have a feeling the goblin chief at our battle was the one that sounded the retreat.”

  Monica nodded. “Probably.”

  I glanced at each of them. “Do you think the goblins will attack the fortress again?”

  Bakaan tilted his head. “The goblins do not have the stomach for another defeat.”

  Monica frowned. “The pattern of their past attacks suggests they will hesitate before mounting another large assault. Your strategy of attacking the goblins instead of the trolls has shaken their confidence.”

  The red dragon nodded. “My instinct is they will not attack again soon. They lost only one troll, but many goblins. Even if the goblin chief is a mighty leader, it will take time for him to gather more soldiers.”

  I nodded. “That will give us time to make repairs to the fortress.”

  “The goblins may seek easier prey elsewhere,” Graxion added.

  Monica turned her attention to the dragon. “What do you mean?”

  Graxion eyed the brunette for a moment before speaking. “The goblins lost many soldiers. There is no need for them to soon attack Avalon again. There are many goblin tribes in the Grey Mountains. The goblin chief may sate his bloodlust by conquering more tribes.”

  Monica nodded thoughtfully. “And in doing so, he will grow his army.”

  I rubbed my chin in thought. “What other lands would the goblins target?”

  The red dragon turned his head to me again. “Having suffered defeat here, he may test the strength of the Wild Men to the east or the dwarves to the west.”

  I didn’t know anything about either of those lands. “Which direction do you think would be most likely?”

  Bakaan spoke before Graxion could answer. “The dwarves, no doubt. The goblins and dwarves are fierce rivals. Both love their caves and fight fiercely over territory.”

  The red dragon gave Bakaan a long stare. “The young and impatient dragon is correct.”

  Bakaan grinned. “I may not be as old or wise as you, Graxion, but even I know that dwarves and goblins hate each other.”

  Graxion was about to respond when our attention was distracted by a flapping of wings. We all turned our attention towards the eastern gate of the town as a green dragon flew over the wall.

  “Queen Yvette!” Monica smiled broadly as Garryn and the queen landed next to us.

  I stood up and jogged over to Garryn. I could see the green dragon was breathing heavily from her efforts.

  Yvette quickly unstrapped her safety belts as Garryn knelt. The beautiful blonde jumped out of the saddle and into my waiting arms. My spirits were instantly lifted with her in my arms. Yvette wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me into a fierce kiss.

  “Roman, I was so worried about you!” she gasped as she broke off the kiss and searched my face with her cornflower blue eyes.

  “I told you they would be safe!” The green dragon stretched her wings and let out a sigh.

  “I was so worried about you and Monica!” Yvette kissed me again before turning to give Monica a smile.

  I gave my wife a grin. “No need to worry; we are safe.”

  Yvette’s expression turned from relief to worry. “What about the goblins and the fortress?”

  I unstrapped her leather helmet and lifted it off her head. “The fortress sustained some damage, but we were able to force the goblin army to retreat.”

  “Did our soldiers suffer many casualties?” The Queen’s face was concerned. I was proud that she worried about our troops.

  “Only a few soldiers were killed. But a goblin raiding party got through and destroyed the village of Boyds.”

  “Did the people escape.,” she asked.

  I shook my head. “No, the goblins slaughtered them.”

  Her eyes flashed angrily. “Curse those monsters.”

  “There is one survivor, my lady. He is sorely wounded,” Monica reminded me of Liam’s injuries.

  Yvette nodded. “Take me to him.”

  I took her hand and pulled her towards the town hall. “Where are Baron Marco and the others?”

  Yvette’s hand squeezed mine. “They should arrive in a few hours. When I saw Blackbird Forks in the distance, I had to fly ahead to see if you were alright.”

  Liam was still unconscious on the bed. Yvette’s hands began to glow green as she sat on the chair next to the bed. “What happened to him?”

  “He made a last stand against the goblins?” Monica explained.

  Yvette concentrated as she ran her hands over the man’s head and chest. After a couple of minutes, the glow from her hands faded.