CHAPTER 72 Born for Greatness and Biting People

CHAPTER 72

Born for Greatness and Biting People

Brownie

Brownie’s beautiful, sparkling, gloriously foolish mare had on more than a few occasions gotten into trouble after meeting other intelligent horses like herself. If Brownie had known Cassandra was going to be lodging there, she might have planned better and moved the mare.

Or not.

Donna was a very sociable horse, with a need for adventure. She was also very popular, and Cassandra was all too happy to get up to mischief with Donna. No one was ever really hurt in their antics, though one time, Donna had somehow shaved a picture of a stoneskin wombat’s butt on Cassandra’s flank. Brownie didn’t even want to know how the mare had handled a pair of trimming scissors.

“Bronwynn.” Rufus’ smooth voice immediately had the bard focusing on her travel companion. He’d thrown an arm up on the backrest and casually turned to face her. Slake was having a catnap in the back of the wagon, and they’d just exited the city gates with little to no fuss.

“Yes?” She smiled across at the beastman general. For a bare instant, she wondered if she might just cancel visiting her family and go find a place in the city where she could spend some time petting Rufus instead. Or talking to him. Or going to a festival …

Rufus leaned closer, his golden eyes searching hers. “May I court you? Officially?”

Brownie burst into a huge smile. She felt the rise of excitement, uncertainty, hope, and more build as she positively yelled out, “Yes! Of course!”

Brownie let go of a small fear that had been secretly worrying her since that morning; that Rufus had left last night because he wasn’t interested after all and he wasn’t going to let her pet him again anytime soon .

Rufus didn’t even flinch at her shout. Brownie, self-conscious of her outburst, tried to calm down. “What type of courting?”

“Well … how much do you know of beastfolk customs?”

“I know that the second Olen the bearman and Princess Penelope looked at each other, Olen practically carried the princess off to be wed,” she stated. “But other than that? Not much.”

“We are very … quick.” Rufus nodded. “When you know, you know.”

“And do you know?” Brownie asked, intrigued.

“I know.”

“Is this why you keep saying you love me more than I love you?” Brownie coughed, mortified at the slip. “ Like me more, I mean. That you like me more than I like you?”

The beastman stared at her long and hard. He stared at her until she was wondering if he wasn’t going to answer at all, then finally, he said, “Yes.”

Simply that.

“Does this also mean you want to get married, have kids, and settle down in the Dark Enchanted Forest together?” Brownie dropped the reins and folded her arms. She didn’t know how this was going to work beyond petting friends. Or maybe heavy -petting friends …

But he answered, “No.”

Again, no further discussion. That was, until he drew a breath.

“Your music is your soul, and you are not going to be happy settling down in one place for very long,” he stated matter-of-factly. “So, if this is going to work, we’ll have to get used to not seeing each other for a bit every month. If we marry, I can be the stay-at-home husband, and you can continue working across the continent.”

“You’d have to buy a house,” Brownie said, also calmly, like she wasn’t discussing her entire future and subsequent change in marital status. Pretending to be calm was helping, though she was actually a torrent of emotional damage on the inside as she continued the pretense.

“That I would …” Rufus stared out over the beautiful craggy path that led them down toward the western sea. A very gentle incline for hours.

She waited, knowing he was thinking about it. After everything she’d learned, she wondered if he was ready to move out of the Black Fortress?

It was his home. She just didn’t want it to be her home. There were few things Brownie had a strong opinion on, but home and family were up there with music and storytelling. If Rufus was offering to be her new home … then a temporary set of rooms in the Dark Lord’s castle wouldn’t do.

And he knew that she knew that he knew that. He also knew that she knew that he was still hiding something—or somethings. Maybe they were just about his current quest, but she was unsure .

At some point, she was going to need to demand an explanation. If nothing else … she was going to visit Henrietta in the Hollow after this, and she could interrogate her friend for answers then.

It would be nice if Rufus could tell her himself, though.

“Would you play me a song while I think about this?” Rufus asked.

She obliged. Donna knew the way just fine.

Vitol, the capital, sprawled out on both sides of the Gordan River before it reached the sea. The Emerald Palace was at the northern tip of the city, followed by the ministry and noble districts. The guild district was attached to the central market and the main heart of the city, closer to the water’s edge. The shores of the Gordan were lined with floating houses tied to docks on both sides, and the river was full of boats ferrying passengers. Two major bridges stretched across the river to the south side. The inland bridge led to the military district, where the mages college and the knights academy was surrounded by a fort and military housing. The bridge closest to the sea led to the merchant’s district, where her family lived. From her family home, it was fifteen minutes to cross the bridge north, and then another quarter hour to walk to the Assassin Assembly building in the guild district.

At some point, Slake rejoined them up front, and conversation turned to plans for performances and the meeting with the Continental Council. After a while, Slake went for another nap in the back of the wagon, and that was how they all rolled into her family’s estate a few hours later, leaving a shining rainbow of glitter and bedazzle in their wake.

The guard griffins at the front gate made a fuss as they approached, the pair of them looming over the wagon.

She waved to the griffins. “Hey, Ricco; hey, Oscar. How are things?”

Ricco fluttered his wings excitedly and flew down to land, gripping the back of her seat. He was large enough to cover the entire wagon width with his wingspan, but he was well-balanced, and leaned down to run his beak through her hair. A clear sign of welcome.

Oscar was busy eyeing Rufus.

“It’s alright, Oscar,” Brownie assured the griffin. Oscar was an amazing griffin guard, strong and powerful and instinctively observant. He was born for greatness … and biting people. He could always tell when someone had ulterior motives, and her family knew to listen to Oscar’s intuition.

“This is Rufus … my, um, suitor .”