Author's Note: At long last, the return of Bow and Rand! It just took about twenty chapters (approximately 90 pages of single-spaced, 10-point-font text) to get here. Whew!
Yeah, the ending was expected, I'm sure. But you know what they say about happy endings.
I also found a picture of Yua. Apparently she has green eyes. So much for the "soft blue eyes" thing.
And why do all the female members of Ryu's family (and I mean all of the different Ryus) look really, really hot?
Waf'ling: (v) To go on about something without reaching a conclusive end; (n) the batting sandwiched between two casings; (n) a grain-rich breakfast product.
Chapter Twenty: Home Again, Home AgainWind swept down Mount Fubi, carrying with it the first flakes of winter. The white star-shaped flakes danced across treetops, only to rest against the tiled roofs of the new village of Township. Half a year ago, there was only a single, solitary old building, ruined by age and neglect. But now there were over a score of houses, all in the latest styles, and the foundations of more homes were scattered at the edges of the village.
People walked the rough dirt streets with cheerful grins on their faces and well-wishes upon their lips. There were country maidens carrying bales of grain from the stores. Children chased the falling snowflakes, trying to catch them on their outstretched tongues. Men pounded away with hammers on nails, carried lumber on their shoulders, and sought to finish just one more house before the snows came in force.
The Shell Clansman, Rand Marks, was among those men. He alone hefted enough timber for four men upon his broad shoulders. Though others had turned out the winter cloaks and fur jerkins, he still wore the simple purple toga he favored. It was not so much a fashion statement as the simple fact that he was too big to wear any other garment.
A boy ran up, bearing a large leather skin of wine. Rand knew him to be the son of the head carpenter, Donnelley. The Donnelley boy handed the skin to the Shell, who accepted it with a broad grin. "Thank you, young man," he said graciously. Rand upended the wineskin and drew a long, deep draught, sighed contentedly, and returned it to the boy. "Be sure the other workers get some, too," he said, patting the boy on the head.
When the child ran off, Rand went back to his own task. He fired up the forge before him and took out two long iron rods. Braces would need to be made for the next house; though he was no smith, Rand was one of the few who were strong enough to turn out that kind of work in a short amount of time. Rand lifted the smith's hammer and set to work.
But something caught his attention. Figures approached, strangers in trail-worn garments…but some were not strangers at all. They stared at the town with wide, surprised eyes and they moved like they were in a dream. But there was no mistaking one traveler's steady, methodical, confident stride…and there was definitely no mistaking another's girlish, bombastic sway, as if daring the world to do its damnedest without a care.
Only one woman could walk that way, a woman Rand had not seen half a year.
The smith's hammer fell on his foot; he did not feel the pain.
He said only one word, a name: "Katt…."
The traveler with the daring gait turned to him at the sound of her name. Green, childlike eyes glowed with joy and humor, accented by a toothy grin. Katt Chuan barreled into Rand Marks, throwing her arms around the giant.
"I'm glad you are both safe," Rand said to Ryu after putting the Woren down. "When the season began to turn, Bow and I started to wonder what had become of you."
Ryu clapped the Shell on the shoulder, genuinely glad to see the massive fighter. "The search for the thief took a little longer than expected," he explained. "We had to travel across the straits in order to catch her in Simafort."
Rand raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Sounds like quite an adventure." He saw a girl with bat-like wings. "And it seems you've accomplished what you set out to do."
The ranger's smile faded instantly. "In more ways than one," he said enigmatically.
Katt cut in suddenly, "Rand, I want you to meet some friends of ours!" The feisty Woren took Nina's hands in her own and pulled her forward. "This is Nina Windia—she's an exiled princess and my very best friend!"
Nina blushed at being identified as Windia's forgotten heir-apparent—it was not a title she was proud of—but Katt had assured her on their trip that Rand Marks was as tactful and decent and understanding as they come. She curtsied shyly. "A pleasure to meet you, Mister Marks."
Rand returned the gesture with a fair imitation of a courtly bow. "The pleasure is mine, Princess. I used to work in Windia for a brief time as a farmhand. I know well the rumor of the lost princess and how she is one of the kindest and most beautiful souls to walk the continent; it seems the tales are far from the realm of fiction, though they do not do you justice."
The Windian was pleasantly surprised by the Shell's worldliness and politeness; Katt had not been exaggerating. "You flatter me, Mister Marks."
"Rand will do," the Shell said. "I've little use for formalities; I am a simple man." He then saw the Highlander hanging at the back of the party. The scars on the wiry body and the missing ear caught Rand's attention, but he tried not to stare. "And you are?"
"Sten Legacy," the Highlander replied curtly. "A traveling magician and knife fighter."
"He's more a fighter than a trickster," Ryu clarified with the confidence of a trained warrior. "He can outfight ten men with just those two blades of his." Sten said nothing at the praise. Indeed, he seemed to grow only more standoffish.
But Rand had focused on the Highlander's name. "Sten Legacy?" he repeated. "As in Stenanil Legacy, the captain of—?" The Shell stopped in mid-sentence when the Highlander flashed him a deadly glare. "Erm, I must be mistaken; the man I'm thinking of supposedly died ten years ago." Rand noticed that Ryu was giving both him and Sten a questioning and interested look; it seemed that the ranger also harbored some deep-seated curiosity about the Highlander. Rand made a note to talk to Ryu later.
But Katt, ever passionate and exuberant, did not notice the exchange. "Hey, Rand! We're not done with introductions yet! There's someone else you should meet." The Woren literally dragged the girl with bat-like wings over. "This is the thief we were trying to catch to clear Bow's name—her name's Yua. And get this—she's Ryu's little sister!"
Rand blinked and mulled over that statement again. Finally, the shock reached his lips: "What?"
Bow embraced his old friend with enough strength to knock the air out of the ranger's lungs. "Ryu…you're back," Bow breathed when the party arrived at the mayoral villa. Once the crumbling ruin that he and Niro used as a hideout, it had been converted into a beautiful three-story manse complete with a private fishpond and garden. Bow himself had changed as well: he now wore the fineries and pendant of office of Township's mayor.
Ryu broke the embrace and held his friend at arms' length. He was smirking. "Who's idea was it to make you a mayor?" he said laughingly. More seriously, he said, "It's good to see you again, Bow."
"I'm glad to see that you made the journey safely," the Grass Runner said. He clapped the ranger on the shoulder and looked at the gathered party. "Come, come! All of you, come! Niro and I will prepare you a fine feast to celebrate new friendships and safe returns! It'll be a hell of a party, ha, ha!"
Nina, walking up, curtsied politely. "Thank you, Mayor," she said serenely.
"Don't worry about formalities here, Princess," Bow said. "What? Surprised I know about your lineage? I have an ear for information these days, Miss Nina. At any rate, let's dispense with titles; you and the others are Ryu's friends."
Then Bow saw the bat-like wings. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "So you found the thief who framed me, Ryu. What's she doing here?"
The ranger rested a hand on the thief's shoulder. "Bow, I'd like you to meet Yua…Yua Bateson, my sister."
"What?"
"That's quite the adventure you've all had," Rand said with a touch of humor. He, Bow, Niro, and the party sat around a long banquet table in the villa: Bow at the head, Ryu and Niro at either hand, and the rest along the sides. Nina and Katt took positions conspicuously close to the ranger. Yua sat as close to her brother as she could, with the Windian and Woren in the way; she played with her food with that ever-present impish grin on her face.
"I'll say," agreed Bow. "There's a saying for adventures involving everything from demons to conspiracies: lions, and tigers, and bears—oh, my!" He laughed at his own joke, his chubby jowls jiggling with mirth. With still-laughing eyes, he surveyed his friends, both new and old. "The wonders you've all seen. I've been busy just doing the paperwork in town; I can't imagine what it must've been like fighting something like Kuwadora!"
"Nor would you want to," Sten said in such grinding tones that it was almost a growl. He absently rubbed the scarred side of his face.
But the Highlander spoke softly; Bow did not hear the dark pain in his voice. "And what's more," continued Bow, "to think that my best buddy here's one of the legendary Dragons! It certainly explains a lot of things."
The ranger raised an eyebrow in puzzlement. "I…don't understand," he said. "How does it explain anything?"
"Well, for one thing," Bow began sagely, raising a finger, "the reason why you're such a stone statue is because you're part-lizard. You know, cold blood and all."
Katt and Yua giggled. The mayor eyed the young thief and waggled his eyebrows suggestively; Yua stuck out her tongue at him. "Ryu, why didn't you ever tell me you had a sister?" Bow asked.
The ranger seemed more languid, more relaxed than he had ever been around his traveling companions. Amiably, yet with a touch of seriousness, he said, "Because I know you're a skirt-chaser. Touch a hair on her head, and I'll neuter you with a spoon."
The table laughed uproariously and everyone looked at Ryu as if he had grown an extra head; the laconic ranger never made jokes!
"It seems you've finally gained a sense of humor," Bow said after wiping away tears of mirth, "I'm glad you're not serious. Right? Eh…right?" Ryu just looked at him; Bow paled visibly, earning more howls from the rest of his guests.
Ryu brought the conversation to a more serious course. "Bow, there's still the matter of your innocence to deal with. I will take Yua to Hometown and have the matter cleared up; my sister and I already discussed how we will go about securing both your innocence and her freedom."
"You'll have to talk to Kilgore as well," said Bow. "He can arrange safe passage for me into Hometown; I want to be there when you clear my name. And I have a score to settle with that bastard, Trout."
Yua blinked in surprise. "Wait—did you just say Trout? I was hired to steal from him! That's why I was at his house that night."
Bow stared incredulously and then laughed. "Oh, for the love of…ha, ha! One of the nobles, Kilgore, wanted me to steal a magic hood from Trout; apparently, Trout stole it from Kilgore first."
Yua nodded. "Yes, yes! I was told much the same thing. It was actually one of Kilgore's sons who made me the offer."
The mayor could not stop laughing at the irony of it all.
It again fell to Ryu to bring the mirth down. "What's so special about this hood?" he asked. Bow did not know. But Yua did.
"Kilgore's son told me that it's a relic from an era when deception was as common as the air we breathe," Yua explained. "The hood has an enchantment that lets the wearer see past false images and disguises."
Upon speaking those words, Yua stiffened with sudden understanding; Ryu, Sten, Nina, and Katt wore hardened expressions. All knew the implications of the hood's powers. Ryu voiced them. "With that hood, we could see through a demon's disguise. And Trout wants it. Could he be an enemy of the demons?"
"Or maybe he's a demon himself, trying to hide or destroy a tool that could be turned against him?" Sten added darkly.
The table was somber as everyone brooded over the possibilities. Bow decided to try his hand at lightening the pall that swept over his guests. He produced a bottle of wine and popped the cork. "These ill tidings make me thirsty," he declared, filling a glass. "Let us vanquish these dark spirits with ones of more potent vintage!"
Much later, after dinner and several rounds of Township's ale—most of which went down Katt's seemingly bottomless stomach—Ryu and Bow stepped out of the villa and onto the balcony for some fresh air. The night was chill, with the snows coming in, so they brought their cloaks and mugs of mulled wine to drink.
"That Woren's going to drink my cellars dry," Bow complained, yet with a touch of admiration.
"An innkeeper in Capitan said much the same thing," said the ranger, his expression thoughtful and fond with the memory. "She's quite a sight when she's drunk; the fun never stops with her."
"You sound rather taken with her," Bow noted with a wide grin. "Could it be that you've finally picked up a girlfriend?"
Ryu chuckled, leaned over the balcony rail, and sipped idly. "Don't get me wrong—I like Katt." I kissed her, after all…though now I'm wondering if that was a mistake. "But I don't love her. I think I'd know it if I did."
She wants to help me deal…with this thing inside me. With the Dragon. She was so confident about it, so sure. Hell, I'm not even sure if there's a way to break past a Dragon's destiny.
"Anyway," the ranger continued, "it's a bit more complicated than that. Nina's part of the equation, too."
Bow looked stunned. He was silent for a long while, but then he slapped the ranger hard across the back, almost hard enough to knock the mug from his hand. Bow bellowed merrily, "By my stars and fur! You're in a love triangle! I was always worried you'd never get a girl, and you got two!" He affected a tearful face and wiped away imaginary wetness from his eyes. "Ryu, my boy, I'm so proud of you!" He moved to embrace his fellow skirt-chaser.
"Hug me, and I'll neuter you with a spoon," the ranger replied dryly. "I like them both, Bow," he explained in all seriousness, "but I don't love them. I'd be doing them a great wrong if I pursued a relationship with them when I don't return their feelings."
"You need to seize the opportunity when you get it," Bow said, also dead serious. "I mean, it's one thing for me to hop from girl to girl—I think they expect that from someone like me. But you…I can tell you mean what you say, and it's admirable to want to be sure of your feelings before getting into a relationship, but…."
"I won't go into this just because everyone else has some strange, romantic notion in their heads!" Ryu retorted sternly. "Must a man always be with a woman near him? Can they not be friends?"
Bow was subdued beneath those words and the force with which they were delivered. "Sure, they can be. But those girls feel something for you that's more than friendship. Hell, you can see it at dinner, Ryu. They were practically fawning over you."
Ryu sighed. "And that just makes it worse. I don't want to take advantage of them."
"And so you deny yourself a little happiness?" Bow huffed in disappointment.
"I'm a Dragon, Bow. Happiness doesn't come my way."
Bow just shook his head. "You're still an idiot after all. Starting a relationship isn't taking advantage of anyone."
"But I don't…."
"Love them?" Bow finished. "Is that you're only excuse? Ryu, relationships aren't permanent. Even marriage, sad to say. I'm probably not the best person to go to for this sort of thing, but I've seen people in love and that's the next best thing—so listen up. These relationships take time to form. Hell, a lot of people back in the Ranger's Guild hook up. They don't know if they love each other or if it's just passion. But if you stay with them long enough, learn enough about them, then you figure it out."
Ryu stared into his mug and watched the dark herbs dance in the liquid within. "And in that kind of relationship, sometimes people get their feelings hurt," he said darkly. "I don't want that to happen to them. Nina and Kat…are fragile when it comes to emotions. Did you know they started a friendly rivalry over me? They'll stay best friends no matter what, but they agreed to do whatever they have to get one over the other until I choose between them." He sighed and shook his head sadly. "And I can't even choose either."
Bow suddenly understood why his friend was being so evasive about the two women. "You…don't want to hurt their feelings by choosing one over the other," he murmured. "Not only that, but choosing one when you don't love her would be an insult even beyond just breaking their hearts. And being a Dragon just adds another layer of trouble on top of it."
The ranger nodded. "Finally got it, did you?"
Then Bow bopped him on the head. This time, Ryu did drop the mug so that he could rub his bruised scalp. "Idiot," growled Bow. "If you care about them enough to want to avoid hurting them, then why don't you just admit it to yourself?" He grabbed the ranger's lapels and showed him up against the wall and said right into his face, "Admit it—you're just afraid to admit that you actually fell in love!"
Stunned by his friends actions as well as his proclamation, Ryu stammered, "I…I…."
Bow did not relent. "It's the only thing that makes sense. Use that logic of yours, Ryu! Figure it out, detective! You're in love with them." He released Ryu, who slid onto unsteady feet. Clearly, the revelation, brought out so abruptly and harshly, had disoriented him.
Bow led his friend to a guest bedroom, for he believed that Ryu could best come to terms with his feelings in privacy.
"You always did do a good job of hiding your emotions," Bow said mirthlessly as he went out the door, "you're so good that you managed to hide them from yourself."
The women got their own guestroom. Katt and Nina shared a bunked set, while Yua sat on a single. The thief was sharpening her knives and humming to herself. But then her gaze went from her work to the two women in the bunk; Nina was reading a spellbook. Yua harrumphed. Those two…I told Nina-neesan to help Ryu-niisan, and all she's doing is reading books. She needs some good old fashioned prodding, that's what. A wickedly impish grin formed on her young face. "So," she said suddenly, "when are you two going to trip my brother into a bed, huh?"
Nina, who was studying her spells on the top bunk, fell over and hit the floor with a crash. "W-w-what?" she stammered, her face crimson. "I-I-I…."
Katt, who was, for once, more composed than her winged friend, said snidely, "Yua Bateson, master of the direct approach." She lay back on the bottom bunk as if the blunt inquiry had been a common occurrence. Nina, on the other hand, fumbled into a sitting position at the base of Katt's bed; the normally regal young woman looked very much like a giddy schoolgirl.
Yua's eyes with filled with mirth; she was enjoying every minute of this. "What?" she asked with grossly feigned innocence. "I mean, we've already established that you two are totally into Ryu-niisan and it's pretty obvious to anyone with a pulse besides. I just don't see why the three of you are waffling all the time. It's getting annoying."
Suddenly, the impish grin widened to devilish proportions. "I know!" said Yua gaily. "Why don't the two of you sneak into my brother's bedroom and do a little fanservice for him! And I know just the thing! We'll cut Nina-neesan's neckline down to about here…what's the matter, Nina-neesan? Don't like that idea? I'm sure Ryu-niisan would adore it!"
The Windian was so red that Katt was afraid the poor girl was going to burst something important. The Woren scratched at her hair in annoyance. "Look, Yua, you can just stop playing games, okay? Ryu's our problem, not yours."
The thief looked a bit put out, but she only managed to salvage more entertainment from it. "I'm just looking out for my older brother. It's not like he's got his best buddy to bunk with him like you two do; boys just don't share their secrets with each other like girls do," she said in a wry, singsong voice. "I mean, he must be really lonely!"
Then the thief hopped off the bed and started out the door. "Well, I'm going to go find a little midnight snack. You two want anything? No? Okay!" She waltzed out.
Nina grabbed a pillow off Katt's bed and threw it at the now-closed door. "Why that—" she seethed in irritation. The blush was still in her cheeks, but it was mostly from frustration. "How can someone so…so…so improper be Ryu's sister? The nerve! And to think she seemed so innocent before. She asked me to be there for Ryu when he needed me. And now she's like this! I just don't get it. Yua-chan seemed like such a nice and sincere girl before."
"It's like she's going out of her way to toy with our heads," Katt noted. "What I hate most is that's she's right. Let's face it, Nina. We both want this thing with Ryu to go further. And we are waffling around."
Nina grew quieter. "But we don't even know how he feels."
Now it was Katt's turn to redden. "Well…I…that is."
Nina turned a curious—and suspicious—eye at her friend. "What?"
"Well, a while ago, Ryu and I…kissed. It was a very…strong kiss."
At first, it seemed like the Windian would strike her friend out of envy, but then her face softened. "Did he kiss back?"
"Yes, but it wasn't like he admitted having feelings for me or anything." Katt grinned wryly. "So you're still in the game, Nina; I haven't won yet."
Nina chuckled. "That's good to hear, I guess." She picked up her spellbook, flipped through it absently, and then stopped at a page. "So what do you think?" she quipped lightly, seemingly back in control of her emotions. "Should we beat Ryu unconscious, tie him up to a bedpost, and torture him until he admits being in love with one of us?"
Katt laughed. "That's a bit out there for a prude like you, Nina."
The Windian shrugged. "You're right. How about an enchantment spell? Force all of his deep feelings and desires to bubble right over?"
"You can do that?"
Nina closed the book. "Nope. But I'm sure I could, if I practiced. I wouldn't do it, at any rate; that's cheating." Her face fell then. "But right now, I wouldn't mind a cheat or two. Like you said, Yua-chan's right about the waffling bit."
Suddenly, that dangerous, predatory gleam glowed in Katt's emerald eyes. "So let's stop waffling," she said enigmatically. "Why not do what Yua suggests? Ryu never does anything recklessly, not unless his back is to a wall, right?" A wide, feline grin, full of mischief, spread across her face. "So let's put his back to the wall and make him come to a decision."
Ryu sighed as he lay back on his bed, resting his head against his forearms. Snow was beginning to pile up outside his window; the morning would bring the first dreadful chill of the season. But the ranger's mind was far from the weather. Instead, his pensiveness was centered on a blonde and a redhead.
I…love them…do I? Do I really?
I kissed Katt, and I know Nina thinks resuscitating her in Capitan was a kiss…but a kiss is just an action, a movement. Does it mean I love them?
They're beautiful, yes. Both are strong, in their own ways. Both are loyal, stalwart friends. I'd give my life for them and they for me. But I would do the same for Sten and Bow as well. Is that love?
Bow's just messing with my head. He's full of such romantic ideas as this. But…what if he's right? It's not like I've ever been in love before; I have no idea how it feels, what form it could take. I only know that I love Yua—I know what a brother's love feels like. I know what a sister's love feels like. What does a lover's love feel like?
And I can't rule out the possibility that I'm thinking about this sort of thing just because Bow mentioned it. Are these feelings my own, or are they just a result of everyone's expectations of how I should feel? If it's just a facsimile, a passion, then I don't want it. I wouldn't hurt my friends like that.
But what if it isn't? What if…what if I do…love…them. I can't have them both; that's just…lecherous, improper. Nina would probably have a fit. Can a man even love two women at once?
And that's just talking about Ryu the ranger, never mind Ryu the Dragon. How can I let myself love them? I'd just put them in danger. "Misfortune follows in a Dragon's footsteps," after all. Hell, I'm putting all my friends in jeopardy by simply being here!
I only know one thing for sure: Life just got a whole lot more complicated. I'd really rather spend another week under Kuwadora's tender mercies than think about this.
His thoughts were interrupted by voices outside his door. "I can't believe you talked me into this! This is so…well, not right!"
"Oh hush you! You were all excited about it before."
"I never was!"
Ryu blinked and sat up, puzzled. "Nina? Katt?" The fact the voices abruptly died down was answer enough. Now what are they up to? He opened the door and saw the two women looking up at him sheepishly; Nina was about ready to fall over from embarrassment.
"Why are you huddling outside my door?" he asked bluntly. The girls only looked more sheepish.
But Katt recovered first. She suddenly became smolderingly beautiful; she pressed herself up against him and threw her slender arms around his neck. Her breath, warm and low-toned, tickled his flesh. Ryu could not suppress the shiver that coursed down his spine.
"Ryu," she breathed huskily, in such a way that the ranger thought he was going to melt, "Nina and I were wondering…if you liked us."
"What?" He had not expected this. He was stunned enough to actually admit feelings for the women to himself, much less to their faces. But just as he was collecting his thoughts to give an evasive answer, an unexpected attack was launched: Nina also recovered her wits and, with surprising grace for a self-avowed prude, draped herself over Ryu's other arm.
Affecting a vulnerable and imploring look that stole his breath away, Nina murmured with a pinkish blush, "That isn't a nice way to answer that question, Ryu. You could hurt a girl's feelings."
"I didn't mean…."
Katt took over. "Then what do you mean? You like us?"
"I, that is to say…."
Nina pouted and threw a wide-eyed gaze. "So you don't like us?"
"I didn't say that—"
Katt was grinning like a cat that just dipped into the catnip. "You're very bad with words, Ryu. Maybe actions would suffice." And then she kissed him with all the passion she could muster. That was when the ranger noted her perfume, a scent that she just recently applied. It was intoxicating, mind-numbing, dazzling.
And then he felt the Woren's lips leave his, only to be replaced by Nina's gentle, unsure ones. He returned her kiss eagerly, pulling the slender Windian to him. Puzzles pieces started to fall into place: Nina's uncharacteristic behavior, Katt's over-the-top boldness, the perfume…Ryu suddenly realized that this was a set-up; the girls planned this out, every action and every word.
Not that he minded at all.
He returned their affections with his own, equally intense and equally passionate. And he came to a decision. The audacity of it shocked him to the core, but he could not help it. He chose both.