Chapter Thirteen #2
"That is genuinely impressive. I've known mates who were incapacitated for days, even a couple of weeks, after the full transformation, even when it's done slowly.
Your body is undergoing many changes, absorbing my power, altering to live for countless centuries.
That is the part people find hardest, in the end. "
"Yeah, I can see where that would be the greatest burden, having to watch people you love, friends and family, all die, over and over. But we'll have each other, and anyway, it's done, right? I've passed the blood-drinking test?"
Euclid laughed, then pulled him in and kissed him. Oh. That was new. Dipak could feel him, like an extra rush of joy in his mind. Nothing explicit, not the telepathy that was so rare a magic it may as well be legend, but definitely a whole new level of awareness.
"You'll have to tell me about the changes in full detail later," he said when they drew apart, and pulled them to their feet. They both swayed, but Euclid far more than him. "Go sleep. I'll speak with Abhishek and take care of everything. No further harm will come to our forest, I promise."
"I know," Euclid said with a smile, and kissed him one last time, hugged him tightly, before vanishing.
Shoving all his aches and pains to the back of his mind, Dipak headed into the remains of the camp. His wounds were gone, a product of the change or something Euclid had done during the process, leaving behind only trivial aches.
Abhishek's voice was loud and strident as he gave orders, making it easy to find him. He stood in the middle of the broken circle that had failed to contain the ogre, handing out orders and answering questions, sending soldiers scurrying back and forth all around him.
He saw Dipak, wrapped up his latest batch of orders, and then strode over to him.
"You're awake! Euclid said you'd be out until morning, likely.
Wouldn't tell me what was going on, only that it was important you be left undisturbed.
Is he all right? He looked ready for a nap himself, but stubbornly refused to admit it or leave your side until you woke. "
"He went to sleep, but that means it's just you and me for now."
"I don't need anyone's help in bossing soldiers around," Abhishek said with a smirk. "Well done, the two of you killing His Majesty." He clapped Dipak on the shoulder. "You really are Kingslayer, aren't you? Feisty little bastard."
"Ugh. Hopefully that's the last one."
Abhishek laughed. "So my plan was to return the soldiers and bodies to the royal steward and then wash my hands of the matter.
Euclid said I could remain here in the forest if I so desired, and that I could even have that old mill house.
Thought it would make a useful guard station, being close to the eastern edge of the woods but still well within its bounds.
Though I need to figure out his nifty little travel trick. "
Dipak smiled. "It's definitely a useful trick.
I think we do need to contrive a way to travel quickly through the woods, at least in times of emergency if nothing else.
This whole mess has proven that. Matter for later, though.
I'm going to write some letters. Can you pin down a soldier you think could handle delivering them directly into the hands of the recipients? "
"Leave it to me. The healer's tent will have the supplies you need; I commandeered them earlier to write letters of my own, since I hadn't planned on living here when I came to warn you."
"All right." Dipak had all kinds of questions for Abhishek, but they were the kind that could wait. The healer's tent was always bright yellow with thin blue stripes widely spaced, easy to mark out, even in a camp filled with colorful tents.
It was also currently empty, save for a couple of grunts packing things up, who gave him a cursory glance before looking away again, clearly deciding he either wasn't a threat, or he wasn't a threat they felt like handling themselves.
Probably, though, they'd already learned he had helped kill the ogre.
Once his letters were written and addressed, he sealed them with wax, then put them into larger envelopes that he then wrapped in thick, sturdy string and marked with wax seals at multiple points.
It wasn't entirely foolproof, but it significantly lessened the likelihood anyone would try to tamper with them at all.
He then returned to Abhishek, who had a tall, slender woman in the markings of a sergeant standing beside him. "There you are," Abhishek said. "I've secured your messenger."
"Thank you, and you, for doing this," Dipak replied. "You are to deliver these directly into the hands of the recipients. Not assistants or anyone else. Only the royal steward, General Bachchan, and General Misra. Understood?"
"Understood, Sir!" the woman replied. "It will be done.
Thank you for stopping that ogre. We all knew it was a bad idea to bring one along, but the general insisted.
" She hesitated, then added, "Didn't want to come at all, if I can be honest. Messing with the Forbidden Forest always brings bad fortune, and there's a lot of soldiers who remember you, told us what happened, that you tried to stop it.
When they heard you killed His Majesty, they said it was probably something similar to what happened back then.
Nobody listens to us grunts, though, you know? "
"All too well. Wait one moment." He went to the remains of the general's tent and dug through the mess until he found the lockbox he'd been seeking.
Breaking it open, which was never as hard as it should be, he withdrew several coins and gave them to her.
Closing the box again, he handed it off to a delighted-looking Abhishek.
The woman beamed, saluted, and then went to the horse waiting nearby, and was gone seconds later.
Abhishek gave him a questioning look.
"I wrote letters to two generals and the royal steward explaining all that transpired, everything we know or had solid theories on.
Also warned them that if they tried to mess with this forest ever again, I would seek the problem out at the roots and destroy them completely.
The forest might reside in this kingdom, but it doesn't belong to them. "
"Who does it belong to then?" Abhishek asked in amusement. "You and your pretty, mysterious little thing?"
"The Exiled," Dipak replied. To Euclid and his exiled that nobody else wanted or cared about, and Dipak would help him protect it until the forest ceased to exist, and then he'd protect whatever came next.
Abhishek smiled faintly, the most genuine smile Dipak had seen from him. "The Exiled. I like that. Fits me in a peculiar way. All right, I'll be sure to convey that myself when I'm speaking to the royal steward. Not sure how long I'll be stuck in the city. I'll send you word if I'm able."
Dipak stepped in close and hugged him tightly, which made Abhishek freeze in surprise before awkwardly returning it.
"Thank you. If you had not risked your own life and livelihood to help us, we would not have found victory today, or the cost of that victory would have been much greater.
It will be good to have such a highly skilled soldier in the forest."
"You're a soldier."
"I was a scout. My skill is hunting, not fighting. Be careful. If you don't return or send a message in ten days, I'll come find you."
"Thank you."
Dipak bid him farewell, then stepped behind a tent and into the main chamber of Euclid's caves. He headed immediately into the bedroom, which was dark and cool. Between the two of them, they never really needed light, but Euclid usually had one on anyway just for the 'warmth' it added.
Euclid was fast asleep on what had become his side of the bed, so still that Dipak had to place a hand on his chest to feel that he was breathing.
His skin was cooler than usual, though not alarmingly so.
Given how long he was going to be asleep, that made sense.
Many animals were the same when they went to sleep for the winter.
Though he'd love to climb into bed and go to sleep himself, there was still far too much work to be done.
So he settled for the quickest possible scrubbing he could manage, fresh clothes, and a quick meal of bread, cheese, and olives before he went first to Pitambar's house, and then Minali's to tell them that all was well, though Euclid was injured and exhausted from defending the forest and would be resting for several days.
After that, he went to the fairgrounds, where everyone had gathered after he'd discovered the flame ogre. If the worst had come to pass, Euclid would have come here and whisked everyone away to his caves.
Though they were all alarmed to hear that Euclid had been so wounded he'd be resting for several days, most of them seemed relieved to hear that Dipak was his second-in-command and capable of managing everything in his absence.
Though he never said anything about being Euclid's lover, he could see on many faces they'd picked it up for themselves.
Once he'd arranged for food, bedding, and everything else they needed, with promises he'd see they all made it safely home the next day, he finally was able to return home.
Taking a more leisurely bath, soaking a bit to ease his soreness, he shrugged into a robe but didn't bother to belt it.
He made a better meal from the offerings in Euclid's extensive pantry, then at long last climbed into bed, settled against Euclid's side, and almost immediately fell asleep.