Chapter Four: Varn

Why can't we sense her? Varn's dragon closed his eyes and strained his senses to their limit once more. Nothing! No wonder we could not find her!

It was an alien feeling being able to see someone, and their mate at that, right in front of them and not being able to sense them.

Stay calm , Varn warned him. There has to be an explanation.

And what if that explanation has something to do with Flint's father? Of that day back on Cairnnor when we were imprisoned for nothing, his dragon puffed out a plume of hot smoke. Of why we sensed our mate for only a moment in time.

A moment in time that had shaped their lives ever since.

Even now that he is long gone, he is still affecting our lives.

Varn grunted, audibly, and all eyes turned to him.

When he met Flint's eyes, he knew the dragon shifter was thinking the same thing, too. That moment in time had been the reason he'd tried to destroy Flint's relationship with Liselle.

The question he didn't want to ask, didn't even want to acknowledge, was would that moment, whatever his and Flint's father had done all that time ago, destroy his relationship with his mate even now?

Not if we don't let it , his dragon said fiercely.

But Varn knew there were things beyond their control.

"What the..." Varn stumbled forward, and Carys held out her arms to catch him.

"Oh, my!" Carys giggled as she held onto Varn while looking at whatever had bumped into Varn's calves and sent him into her arms. Which he was not complaining about. The feel of her hands on his arms sent thrills through his body.

"Oh, this is Brushworth!" Stan bounced off his bar stool and came to join them. "He's like one of the family."

"He's a sweeping brush," Varn said bluntly.

That would make him part of the furniture, not part of the family, Varn's dragon said, his mood lightening.

A part of the furniture with a spell cast on it . Varn's gaze drifted to the strange witch behind the bar. He suspected she was behind everything that went on in the tavern.

Which means she is responsible for us meeting our mate, his dragon reminded him. She did stall us with the sudden need to move heavy barrels.

True, Varn agreed. But how did she know?

"Brushworth is more than a sweeping brush," Stan retorted, as if Varn had insulted the brush in the worst way possible.

Brushworth seemed to think the same as it turned on the spot and swished away from them.

"He is?" Carys let go of Varn and crouched down, staring at the brush, which was now the center of the attention, and swayed a little from side to side.

Bashfully?

Could a brush be bashful?

Varn feared he was beginning to lose touch with reality.

But as long as this new reality contained his mate, he was okay with it. In fact, as long as his mate was in his life, he was okay with everything.

Everything? his dragon asked with a chuckle.

Yes. Varn sighed deeply.

"I think Brushworth was giving you a hint," Flint murmured to his friend.

"A hint?" Varn half turned to look at Flint.

"You have just met your mate. She is standing in front of you." Flint nodded toward the door. "Why don't you take her out somewhere? I won't mind if you'd prefer to spend time with her rather than go for lunch with me." Flint gave him a wink.

"Out somewhere?" Varn eyed the tavern door with some trepidation. He had dreamed of this moment for so long. Of meeting his mate, of holding her in his arms, knowing she was real, that he had found her at last.

But after that? He'd always thought he'd have to rescue her from some creature, some brigand, who had kidnapped her from Cairnnor and spirited her away. He'd always imagined that he'd impress her with his fighting skills, that she would fall into his arms and then they would live happily ever after, just like the tales of old.

He'd never planned a date.

"You look a little pale, old chap." Harry was by his side, guiding him toward a bar stool, as Liselle linked arms with Carys, and the two women talked quietly.

"He needs some advice," Burt whispered conspiratorially.

"Advice." Stan left Brushworth to his own devices and came to join them. "Well, sir, you have come to the right place."

"We are experts," Harry said. "In many fields, but especially dates."

Behind the bar, Morwenna, who had been silently watching the proceedings while polishing the same glass as earlier, huffed. "Now, you are in trouble."

"Don't listen to Morwenna," Stan said. "She's teasing you. We have a lot of experience in dating."

"Because you're old?" Varn asked, and Morwenna snorted loudly.

"No," Burt replied, not the least bit offended. "Because this is not our first rodeo."

"Rodeo?" Varn asked.

He's not expecting a rodeo to be our first date with our mate, is he? Varn's dragon asked.

"You and Carys are not the first couple that have needed a little help along the way..." Stan gave a knowing nod.

"I've lost count of how many times we have set a romantic scene." Harry waved his hand across the room. "Candle-lit dinners... Trials... Trips to distant kingdoms... And even some Christmas festivities. Hey, Flint."

The Regulars all gave Flint a knowing look.

"It's a good thing all of those couples were fated mates," Morwenna began.

"Oh, come now, Morwenna," Harry retorted. "You've enjoyed every minute of it all. Besides, it's good for business."

"I would not say every minute," Morwenna countered. "Perhaps one in five."

"Morwenna is an old romantic at heart," Flint added. "And these guys are right. They are as much a part of bringing couples together as The Lonely Tavern itself."

"Now, that might be going too far," Burt said, but his chest puffed out with pride.

"So, tell us, oh wise ones, what should this new couple do on their first date?" Morwenna asked.

"Hm." The Regulars all looked at each other.

"You like traveling, right?" Burt called to Carys.

Carys tilted her head from side to side. "Well…I travel a lot for work."

"By water mostly, so we've heard." Stan nodded.

Carys watched them warily. "That is how people tend to travel across the ocean."

"And Varn, you lived on an island," Harry ventured.

Varn mirrored Carys's expression. "The dragon isles…"

"So you must like water, too!" Stan grinned. "So, how about a romantic picnic, taking a little boat out onto Lake Winnow."

"I don't…" Carys began.

"Oh, it'll be perfect," Stan said. "Cozy, forced proximity—"

"But you've also got something to do together, so it takes the pressure off you both a little," Burt continued

"And the setting." Burt puffed out his cheek. "Surrounded by the mountains, the reflection of the sunset on the water."

"I'm not so—" Varn tried to cut in.

"We could even cater for you." Stan's eyes lit up. "We're very proficient with a grill."

Morwenna scowled. "They're not going to want a barbecue for their first picnic."

"Perhaps Nyara can prepare you something more fitting," Liselle offered. "With her new catering company, it wouldn't take her long."

"I suppose." The Regulars looked a little crestfallen at not being able to cater.

"And I'm sure there'll be some to spare if anyone else wanted any. You know Nyara always bakes orc-sized pies. I hear her plum and almond cake is to die for." Flint looked at the Regulars, who perked up at the idea. "And you could give them a bottle of that new spiced mead you've been working on."

Liselle nodded. "That would be just perfect for this."

Varn held up his hands. This was getting out of hand. "I— we appreciate all this effort, but it really isn't necessary. I was thinking we would just go to a nice restaurant, perhaps."

"Nonsense." Stan waved him off. "It's no trouble at all. Who could resist an orc-sized plum and almond cake… And spiced mead… If that doesn't say Christmas, then I don't know what does."

Carys stepped forward. "I think Varn meant more…"

"I've got a good friend who rents out boats on the lakes around here. He'll get you in even though it's last minute." Harry already had his phone to his ear.

Varn's dragon grumbled. Once again, others are making decisions for us and our mate.

It appears so. But at least these folks seem to have our best interests at heart, Varn replied.

That's what our father said , his dragon growled.

Varn glanced sideways at Carys, only to catch her looking at him before glancing away and smothering a smile.

I think I'm of the opinion that I don't care what we do, as long as we do it with her , Varn said. If they insist on a picnic by boat, then so be it .

"I suppose if the experts in the field say that, this is a good idea." Carys looked back at him. "Especially if they're organizing everything for us."

Carys seems to think the same , Varn noted.

Of course, she does. We are one, his dragon said dreamily as they watched her.

"It does seem an offer too good to refuse." Varn nodded. He was simply not used to people doing things for him.

Without an ulterior motive, his dragon added.

But the only ulterior motive here seemed to be the promise of cake!

Morwenna chuckled and shook her head. "You three should start your own date-planning, match-making business. I don't know how anyone goes along with your ideas."

"Perhaps one day it will be us behind that bar." Burt's laugh was cut short by the most unamused expression Varn had ever seen anyone produce.

Morwenna is rather possessive over The Lonely Tavern, Varn's dragon mused.

"How about another round of drinks to celebrate?" Flint asked, to defuse the situation.

"On the house, perhaps?" Stan looked expectantly at Morwenna.

The witch gave them a shrewd look. "It can be on the house, if by that you mean I take it out of Flint's end-of-year bonus."

Flint laughed and pulled Liselle in close. "How about as a gift to keep good relations with your best drinks supplier?"

Liselle gave a charming smile as Morwenna turned her basilisk gaze onto her. "Fine, but only because your wonderful wife's drinks are the patrons' favorite."

Ducking behind the bar, Morwenna seemed to disappear entirely, except for her distinctive mop of gray curls still visible.

"I can't tell if I should be excited or scared of what she's searching for." Carys laughed nervously as she stepped closer to Varn.

Varn stiffened.

Relax. She's not going to disappear if you don't keep focusing. His dragon chuckled.

I'm still not convinced , Varn replied, but he took a breath and let some of the tension go. He watched Carys from the corner of his eye, scared that if he watched her too closely, she might evaporate like a hazy dream.

"With The Lonely Tavern, you can never be too sure," Varn said. "This place is quite…infamous."

"So I've heard," Carys said. "I've heard a surprising amount about this place. And not just from family and friends."

"Really?" Varn finally allowed himself to turn to face Carys and bask in her beauty. "I heard you traveled a lot."

"From Stan just now?" Carys raised an eyebrow and the corners of her mouth. "Then you'd have also heard from me that it's almost entirely for work. There seems to be very little time for sightseeing. When I am not sailing the ocean to a port town or traveling with a caravan over land toward some distant city, I am shut away with various guilds or councils."

"Have you ever flown?" Varn asked.

"Once or twice." Carys looked up at him. "Though I'll never say no when I get the opportunity to do so again."

"Then perhaps an opportunity will soon arise." Varn grinned. "What is it you do that means you must travel so much?"

"I'm a diplomatic envoy…but I'm sort of freelance for now," Carys said. "I travel from place-to-place negotiating trade deals, brokering truces between kingdoms, carrying messages. Things of that nature."

"Now I see why you have such a natural charisma about you," Varn said, feeling suddenly bashful in the presence of his mate.

And perhaps a little unworthy.

Carys smiled bashfully and looked away. "And what is it you do, since you don't seem at all bothered by my occupation?"

Varn tried not to let his expression turn too serious. "For now, I don't really do anything. Professionally, I mean. But when I lived in Cairnnor, I spent my life as a…well, my father was a well-respected nobleman under the old dragon lord. So, I mostly did his bidding. Not always by choice. It's my biggest regret, really."

"You don't say." Carys looked back up at him, this time with more curiosity. "I have been to the dragon isles once or twice before… I had some…trouble. But surely, we would have moved in some of the same circles. I'm surprised we never met."

She really doesn't know how close we were, or what happened that day , his dragon said.

Varn took a deep breath. "I may be able to offer some explanation as to why…"

"All right then!" Harry clapped his hands together. "I've managed to get you the perfect boat for tonight just before sunset. It'll be moored on the south shore of Lake Winnow, which isn't that far from here."

"That gives us enough time to get everything ready," Burt said.

"Aha!" Morwenna reappeared from the bar, a small bucket in one hand, and a large bottle, covered in gold leaf in the other.

"What on earth is that?" Harry asked.

"Is it one of your brews?" Stan looked toward Liselle, who shook her head.

"Definitely not. My style is a little bit…understated, in comparison to that."

"No, this is a little something I've been saving for this exact occasion." Morwenna placed the bottle in the bucket, from which poured a white vapor as if filled with liquid nitrogen.

"This occasion?" Flint asked.

"Varn and Carys meeting each other, of course." Morwenna clicked her tongue as if it were obvious.

"You mean to say you saved that for when Varn found his mate?" Burt asked.

"Oop!" Morwenna froze for a second. "Why, yes, of course, that's what I meant. Even if he had found her in some faraway land, this would have been here waiting for him."

"You really are full of mystery, Morwenna," Liselle giggled.

"Of course I am. Someone's got to keep things interesting around here." Morwenna flicked her finger at the bottle top and the cork popped out with a loud sound, sending gold sparkling particles up into the air, eliciting ooh's and ahh's from everyone gathered in the tavern as they slowly floated down.

Varn looked down from the display at his mate, the soft glow from the sprites making her sun-kissed skin look like it was glowing.

He never thought this moment would ever come, but now that it was here, he didn't ever want it to end.