Chapter 45:

  Among friends

  My foes were relentless. Our blades clashed again and again, and as the battle raged my stamina slowly drained, and my vision darkened as I faced three mighty heroes wielding swords forged of ancient stone.

  One cast fire that burned hotter than the stars above. Another summoned winds that whipped into a frenzy and barred any path of escape. The most fearsome of the three, the mage known throughout the land as KENNETH, LORD OF DARKNESS, unleashed his most powerful spell, which began to drag me slowly into the pits of the abyss itself.

  I staggered back in defeat, breathing heavily as I spoke my final words to the three heroes.

  “I will have my revenge! My carrot armies will rise once again, after my spirit returns from the cursed Sea of Souls!”

  With a final, dramatic flourish, I collapsed to the ground, utterly defeated.

  “LET’S GET HIM!”

  Just when I thought I was safe, the three boys dogpiled onto me, wrestling me into the grass while Halius stood nearby, offering absolutely no help at all.

  As we wrestled, a voice called out from inside the house, carrying the unmistakable authority of a frustrated mother.

  “BOYS! What did I tell you about getting dirty before heading into the city?”

  The three boys, Allen, Christopher, and Kenneth, froze in place. They looked at one another, then turned to face me. I couldn’t help but notice the mischievous glint in their eyes as they called back toward the door.

  “Mom! It was Carrot Man’s fault,” one of them said. “He challenged us to glorious battle!”

  The boys’ mother, Silvia, stepped outside with a face full of motherly fury, wielding a wooden spoon firmly in her right hand. My instincts took over as memories of my own mother’s discipline flooded my mind. I panicked, and did the only sensible thing I could think of. I ran away with the boys, who cackled wildly as I joined them in their flight from the heavy hand of justice.

  Halius smiled warmly at the scene in front of him, and despite my desire to introduce him to the family, I determined he would simply have to wait, as I was currently running for my life alongside the heroes who had vanquished me just moments before.

  As the thrill of the chase slowly wore off, the boys eventually submitted to the indomitable will of their mother and made their way back inside to clean up for the second time that day.

  Silvia smiled warmly at me once she had finally herded her sons indoors.

  “It’s good to see you, Sam. The boys missed you. They’ve been asking about you constantly… and so has Ariel, by the way, though she’s tried to be sneaky about it,” she said with a wink.

  Her last comment sent a flush creeping up my cheeks, which I did my best to temper.

  Silvia, clearly pleased with the reaction, continued speaking as she turned back toward the house. “Hershel and the others are getting cleaned up downstairs. They’ll be up in a moment. You and your friend come in and make yourselves comfortable while you wait.”

  She paused, then eyed Halius, taking in the full measure of his armor.

  “On second thought, it might be best if he waits outside,” she said with a smile. “Granny Claybrook would be furious if he scuffed her furniture in all that. Let’s save the introductions for when everyone’s gathered and spare you from having to explain things more than once.”

  Once again, Halius and I were left alone outside, and I invited him to come sit on the porch with me while we waited.

  “They’re certainly a lively bunch,” Halius said warmly. “Those boys remind me of my own siblings.”

  I realized then that I had never once thought to ask Halius anything about his family.

  “Halius, how many siblings do you have?” I asked curiously.

  He raised a finger to his forehead and thought deeply for a moment, which struck me as strange. It didn’t seem like the sort of question that required much thought.

  “Well…” he began slowly, “among my father’s concubines, I believe I have… twelve? Or was it thirteen?”

  He paused, then nodded to himself.

  “Two sisters and one brother born of the same mother, and a mixed collection of boys and girls among the others. I’m the oldest by ten years, so there’s a bit of an age gap.”

  I couldn’t help but gape in disbelief.

  A concubine? Concubines? As in more than one. Plural. Insanity.

  Where I was raised, a man bound his path to one woman, and that was considered a holy thing. The idea of having multiple women bearing your children felt utterly foreign to me.

  “Halius,” I said carefully, “why does your father keep concubines? Is that normal in the valley?”

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  Halius laughed loudly upon seeing my discomfort at the idea, and once he calmed himself, he began to explain.

  “Well, I wouldn’t say it’s a common practice,” Halius said, “but my father is something of an exception, socially speaking. Our bloodline holds direct ties to the heart of the valley, which you’ve seen with your own eyes.”

  He paused before continuing.

  “It’s important that we have plenty of heirs, just in case one of us falls before our time to inherit the stone. And as you’ve no doubt noticed,” he added with a embarassed chuckle, “I have a tendency to get in over my head. So it’s a comfort to know there are siblings who can carry the torch, should I no longer be here to do so.”

  I considered what he said for a moment, trying to imagine what it must be like to manage a home with that many personalities under one roof.

  “That sounds… challenging,” I said simply.

  Halius nodded and leaned back onto his hands, settling himself more comfortably.

  “Yep. It’s why he’s always out fishing,” he said with a laugh. “The drama at home can get a bit overwhelming.”

  He glanced up at the sky for a moment before continuing.

  “If I ever manage to find a wife, I plan to keep it simple and devote myself to one rather than many. Life seems sweeter that way.”

  As we continued talking while we waited for the others, I shared with Halius how I had come to know the Claybrooks, and what had happened during my trip to Salt Brine while traveling with Hershel and Neil.

  When I mentioned Thindle Mayberry, the Merchant Guildmaster, and everything surrounding his attempted murder, Halius visibly stiffened. His jaw tightened, and for a moment I honestly thought he might explode with rage on my behalf.

  Before I could explain further, the sound of excitement suddenly swelled from within the house. The front door flew open as Neil burst outside, followed closely by the rest of the family.

  “Sam!” Neil shouted excitedly. “It’s about time you came to visit. We were just talking about coming to check on you.”

  “It’s only been a little over two days since I saw you last,” I said with a laugh. “I told you I’d come back to visit soon.”

  “Aye, that’s true, lad,” Hershel said as he stepped out onto the porch. I had to look twice at him, as he was dressed in finer clothes than I was used to seeing him wear. “But we know you have a knack for getting into trouble, so we’ve all been worried about you.”

  “I do not have a knack for getting into trouble,” I protested. “I only get into trouble when I’m left alone with you Claybrooks.”

  Halius thought for a moment, then, to my disbelief, joined the assault that was steadily gaining ground against me.

  “Well, you did manage to stumble into a gnoll attack the very day you walked to the valley,” he said with a laugh. “You might actually be the problem.”

  “A damned gnoll attack?” Hershel hooted gleefully. “See, you are the problem, lad. I knew it was a mistake to send you out on your own. Now look at you. Had to hire a whole shield to follow you around.”

  Hershel spat off the porch, then extended a hand toward Halius.

  “Good to meet you, lad. I reckon you’re a friend of Sam’s?”

  Halius accepted the offered hand without hesitation, his grip firm but respectful.

  “Halius Fisher,” he said simply. “A friend, yes. And lately, something of a babysitter, it would seem.”

  That earned a bark of laughter from Hershel and I rolled my eyes at the two.

  “Good,” he said, clapping Halius on the shoulder. “Sam needs one. Anyone willing to put up with and keep him alive is welcome in our home anytime. He’s no different than one of my grandsons to me, so keep him safe, ya hear?”

  As the rest of the family gathered on the porch, Granny Claybrook made her way toward me and pulled me into a crushing hug.

  “Oh, Sam, it’s good to see you, dear. I hope your business in the valley went well.”

  I nodded with a smile, savoring the simple affection of someone who loved me like family.

  “Yes, ma’am. Everything’s sorted. And when the roads are a bit safer, I’d love to have you all come visit.”

  She smiled and cupped my cheek with a thick, warm hand before turning her attention toward Halius.

  “Granny, this is Halius Fisher,” I said, stepping aside to make the introduction. “He’s been keeping me out of trouble.”

  Halius straightened at once, offering a respectful bow. “It’s an honor to meet you, ma’am.”

  Granny Claybrook hummed thoughtfully as she looked him over, then nodded once.

  “Halius, dear, if you’re joining us into the city, you ought to change into something more comfortable,” Granny Claybrook said kindly. “That armor must be tiring and bless your hear, we won’t be fighting any monsters.”

  Halius attempted to protest, but it did him little good. He was swiftly swept away by Granny’s motherly authority as she recruited her sons to help him doff his armor and share a change of clothes with the man they had only just met.

  It seemed that simply being my friend was seal of approval enough for this family to adopt Halius outright and treat him with the same warmth and kindness they had shown me during my time with them.

  As I watched them drag him away, it was then that I noticed Ariel standing just inside the doorway. She hesitated when our eyes met, color rising to her cheeks before she quickly looked away, suddenly very interested in adjusting her sleeve.

  She was wearing the same green dress she’d worn the day we first attempted our walk through Salt Brine, and her smile grew all the brighter when she noticed I was wearing the shirt she had bought for me just the other day.

  Despite my plans of forgoing romance as I prepared myself for the future, I couldn’t help but be swayed in that moment by her simple beauty.

  I felt my face warm in response as we both lingered in the quiet connection that had appeared unbidden, but not unwelcome between us.

  Then the moment was abruptly shattered by Hershel’s impeccable sense of timing.

  “Well, look at that,” he said through a cheek full of salted reeds. “We might have some luck getting Sam into the family after all.”

  Laughter erupted from the rest of the family as Neil gagged theatrically, and the boys swarmed Ariel, darting around her as they teased her. Ariel’s cheeks burned red with embarrassment as she tried, and failed, to shoo them away.

  Neil, speaking as fast as ever, redirected and moved the conversation along while everyone busied themselves teasing Ariel.

  “Sam, we planned to do some shopping today and pick up a few things for dinner tonight,” Neil said excitedly. “You timed it pretty perfectly. We’ll give you a proper tour of the city, without all the… you know, getting stabbed part of the experience.”

  He paused, then grinned.

  “Well, actually, you are a bit of trouble. That part might still happen.”

  Hershel nodded in agreement as he spat off the porch once more.

  Ariel, finally regaining her composure, stepped into the conversation.

  “You’ll be staying for dinner tonight, right?” she asked. Despite framing it as a question, I could hear the command that her words implied.

  “Hells yes, they will,” Neil added. “I’ll make sure there’s a place for them to sleep.”

  I opened my mouth to protest, then quietly thought better of it. The past few days had been filled with tension and stress, even if much of it had come wrapped in excitement. Standing there now, surrounded by friends, by people who cared for me like family, I realized this was exactly what I needed.

  Despite inheriting all the wonders of the valley and the home that came with it, the bonds I had formed with the Claybrooks in such a short time felt like a far greater treasure than even the abilities I had gained from the Path.

  With that in mind, I let myself linger in the warmth of the moment, listening to the easy laughter around me and feeling, perhaps for the first time since leaving Wheat Hollow, that I was truly in a place I could call home.