Page 21 of Tusks & Saddles

Chapter Fourteen

Boone

B oone was taking a deep gulp of water out of his canteen, the sun barely rising above the horizon when he felt the distinct tingle up his spine of a sending spell. What the?

“Hey, Boone! It’s me! Welborn! Not sure if you could tell. This is new magic from the All Seer. I need some brotherly advice about women a—”

He spat the water out into the air past Willamina’s face. She froze, her shoulders up to her ears.

“Shit…sorry,” he murmured, wiping his lips.

“Don’t tell me there’s a fuckin’ worm in there,” she huffed.

“No…uh…” He took a moment to replay the spell while he had access to it.

Welby’s voice was so much older than he was expecting.

He couldn’t remember what his mother sounded like, much less his stepmother or Welby’s voice.

However, he always imagined it soft and squeaky.

That was the sound of an adult. Right, cause he’s not a kid you left in the past anymore.

“Boone?” She finally glanced over her shoulder.

“Uh, my brother, he just reached out,” he choked on his own tongue, scrambling to explain and also clearing the water from his nose.

Fuck, I already ruined the response…how do I?

He’d have to look up how to respond. Messages were never his specialty.

Hit stuff, sure. Purify water? You bet cha.

Frou-frou fancy magics that send messages? Not a chance.

However, before he could elaborate more, the massive pillars within the stronghold broke over the horizon.

His breath caught in his throat as Will leaned back into his chest, both of them giving a low whistle.

Even from across the herd, Boone heard Roger give a little whistle.

Parandor Stronghold was a massive, sprawling castle.

Large cream and silver stone climbed up into the sky, with large orange and red banners whipping in the breeze.

The Parandor crest, a shield with a rising sun over a mountain top while a phoenix cuts through the middle of it, was made in glittering gold with dark ruby accents on the side of the wall. A nod to his lady The Sun Bringer.

“Never gets old,” Will murmured as she twisted to glance at Boone over her shoulder. “You too?”

“It’s been a while since I’ve been back.

” His voice came out low, deep in his chest, as he studied the thrumming hub of life.

Carts were being let in and out of the gate, the stone bridge that connected to the road leading out into the forest stomped on by all their moving hooves and wagon wheels.

They were headed to the bridge known for cattle.

At the front were metal barriers that forced the herd to slowly move across in lines of five, allowing each creature to be accounted for and quickly inspected.

The cattle would be led into the southern end of the stronghold, straight to the butchers and barns.

“You know, I don’t think Jacobus ever told me why you were a Paladin.

” Will slowed their gallop to a slow trot, the cattle being lined up to the bridge.

Roger leading, was holding the papers necessary to allow the cattle in.

A guard and several ranch hands filtered out of the stronghold upon spotting them coming .

“I never told him.” Boone shifted to look around.

The last time he helped with a push, there were six of them and over a couple thousand heads of cattle.

Normally the stronghold buzzed with farmers and their yields, forcing everyone to line up accordingly.

This was the first time coming late in the season…

and being the only herd descending upon the gate.

“Why not?” Will tugged him back out of his thoughts.

“It may surprise you, but Jacobus doesn’t ask enough questions. Specifically ‘why’. Might have helped us if he did,” Boone chuckled.

“Fair,” Will huffed. She peeked at him over her shoulder quickly. Boone shrugged, taking up his flask of water. He swallowed down a heavy gulp before handing her the frosty metal. Will took it, sipping from it slowly. “Well then, why did you become a Paladin?”

Boone snickered, “Are you asking if I felt a higher calling from our Lady Sun Bringer?”

“Did you?” Will grinned, capping the flask and tucking it away in their bags.

“No, no, nothing like that.” Boone shifted, settling into the saddle for their slow descent.

Roger hopped off Killer, handing over the papers to the guard.

Their herd meandering even slower. Boone continued, “When I was younger, not a kid, but not quite an adult, Welby’s mom was killed.

Kid got hurt, my stepmom was suddenly gone, and my dad was lost to grief.

He’d lost my mom when I was almost seven and thought for sure he’d never fall in love again.

Then he met Miss Daisy and it was like he was my dad again.

When he lost Daisy, I think a piece of him broke that he never got back.

And Welby was just a kid; he needed food in his belly and a dad more than he needed a big brother.

So, I went into town and asked the local Paladins to take me in as an apprentice.

I would sweep up after them, clean their swords, fasten their horses, polish armor, the works.

When they returned to Parandor, they took me with them to become an initiate.

And I would send money home. More than half of anything I made went back home. ”

Will stiffened, but before she could turn, Boone wrapped his arms around her and squeezed. Head on her shoulder, he chuckled lightly, “Don’t do that, Baby.”

“Do what?” she whispered hoarsely.

“Pity me.” He kissed the top of her shoulder. “I don’t regret what I did. I do sometimes wonder if the kid and I would still be close if I had stayed, but I know that kid survived because of me. I know he had a good dad who was there for him because of me. So don’t think ‘poor ole’ Boone’.”

Will shook her head. Wrapping the reins around one hand, she spared the other to put a hand over his, rubbing his knuckles with the pads of her thumbs. She spoke so softly he almost didn’t hear it at first. “You do that a lot.”

“What? Tell you not to do stuff?” he teased.

“That too,” she snorted before patting his hands. She took up the reins in both her hands again. “No, you sacrifice yourself for others. You’re a good man, Boone.”

“I try to be.” Boone nuzzled his face against her shoulder before sitting up straight again. “Now, let’s get these cattle counted before either of us gets misty eyed.”

“You wish I was some misty-eyed maiden.” She scoffed so hard he could hear the eye roll even though she was focused on the herd. Betty took a sharp right to cut off a wandering cow, leading it back into the group.

No, no I don’t, Willamina Jones. I’ve always loved you like this.

He grinned to himself as he unhooked his rope and dismounted from her horse as best he could.

They were close enough, missing Kaffa didn’t change anything.

He was needed on one side, her on the other.

Boone put his arms out, whistling and calling to the disgruntled moos.

Encouraging 300 cows to march single file for a long period of time was not as easy as it seemed.

However, he managed to also pull out the compass he’d sniped from her back pocket. When he opened it, he saw it pointed…behind them. When he turned, glancing around, he couldn’t see a single person. Not a cow, not a horn, not a horse. If Simon was riding Kaffa, he was taking up the rear.

“Simon’s not here,” Roger panted for air as he came galloping up to Boone’s side.

“Handed over Two Toes; they’re putting him in the brig pending charges.

Kid’s probably gonna spend a year scooping up horse shit, but I don’t think they’re gonna do much.

Guard says we’re over a week early, and they haven’t had a herd show up in a month. ”

“Yeah, we beat him to the punch.” Boone clicked the compass shut and tucked it into his pocket.

“We should lay a trap for him.” Roger rounded Boone, Killer stomping his obsidian hooves into the ground with ire.

“If he’s smart, he’ll take his boy not showing back up as a bad sign and stay away.” Boone searched for Willamina, but she was standing with one of the ranch hands that joined them to help guide the cows in.

“Simon’s not that smart.” Roger hopped off his horse, dusting off his hands.

“Oh, I hope beyond hope that boy is smart. Because if not, I’m going to be cleaning his blood off my armor, and we’ve got two long weeks between us and home.

Long time to be riding in dirty armor.” Boone and Roger shared a knowing look before they broke away to finish up with the herd.

It was slow but steady. Soon the lead ranch hand scribbled a number against a parchment.

A wax seal was pressed to the bottom and both the guard, Will, and the counter signed off on the count.

We did it. Pushed a whole herd of cattle and didn’t lose a single cow. Thank you for the blessing, my lady.

The sun was bright over their heads, and he imagined it was his goddess smiling down at him.

She sprinkled the whole stronghold with her glittering affection, leaving the walls warm as they passed through it.

The first stop was the treasury to cash in their cattle bond.

The next was an inn for the night. Then the last stop was a real bed.

“I can’t wait to brush my teeth in a real sink again,” Will moaned, ruffling her hair with her fingers as the three walked through the massive gate.

“A shower that also doesn’t come with fish running into my ass would be nice,” Roger chortled, glancing back at Killer. The horse walked behind him with a swishing tail. “Though someone likes catching fish fresh.”

“Your horse part bear or somethin’?” Boone snickered.

They managed to break free of the crowd of people weaving through the southern end of the stronghold.

A main cobblestone road led up into the main portion of the stronghold, out of the stables and food storage.

While the southern end always smelled of apples, hay, and sunshine…

it also distinctly smelled of horse shit too.

Thankfully, only the horses for those working or living in the southern end stayed at those stables.

They were staying at one of the inns for Paladins, which came with nicer stables, good food, but also meant the climb from the gates to a nice bed was a bit of a trek.

“Killer got his name for a very specific reason,” Roger cackled, a hand to his belly as he leaned backward into the laugh.

People filled the streets, the smell of baked bread finally covering up the overwhelming stench of barn animal.

Soon they could hear the life that filled Parandor over the honking of geese or snorting of pigs.

They passed one of the few fabric shops and Boone glanced inside.

There was a mixture of ladies getting new dresses, or old pants repaired, and Paladins getting their uniforms pressed.

“He likes the thrill of the hunt.” Willamina smirked at Boone, stopping to also glance inside.

He saw her eyebrows furrow at the strange mix of floral fabric.

Times have changed at the Stronghold. Boone could recall bold, solid colors were the fashion the last time he visited.

When Roger stopped to check on the pair, Will continued her thought, “Though, Betty’s been known to eat a bird mid-flight. ”

“Mmm, nothing like feathers and tiny bones as a mid-flight snack.” Boone rolled his eyes.

“So, where’s this Paladin Inn you’re treating us too?” Roger beamed.

“The Admiral’s Arms, it’s up ahead,” Boone chuckled and nodded his chin to the right, taking a less traveled road. “It’s a street over from the treasury.”

They walked in relative silence, quipping about new shops that arose within the thick, fortified walls. Or they’d mention whatever they were smelling, making a note to grab some on the way back out. While Boone considered making them stay, hoping to catch Simon in the act…he couldn’t.

If Simon showed up at the stronghold, they’d arrest him for falsifying records and everything else Willamina told them he did.

If Willamina saw him first, before they arrested him, she’d kill him.

And while the other Paladins might understand her emotional response, she’d still be arrested.

Boone didn’t have the same pull here that he would have if he hadn’t spent seven years out in Irongarde.

The best course of action was to get a good night’s rest in, then the three of them hunt down Kaffa.

And prepare myself for the likelihood we go home without my best friend’s horse. If Simon was smart, a subject for which Boone was very biased, he wouldn’t show his face anywhere near the stronghold. If he was a fool, and continued on his way, they’d likely catch him pushing the cattle toward them.

Was it wrong to hope he arrives while we sleep? To hope he’s arrested before Willamina even sees him. If he was arrested, then Kaffa would be in the stables waiting for them as they left, and they’d be on their way home.

Boone didn’t imagine he would get that lucky, but a Paladin could pray, right?