Jack Campbell - The Hidden Masters of Marandur

“The first dragon was smaller,” Mari said, mollified.

“If I may say so, Lady, it is strange to hear a member of your Guild speaking of dragons. Whether or not the first was smaller, I’ve never met any dragon I wished to encounter again.” Flyn waved toward the carcass. “You have my thanks for the slaying of this, your second dragon.” He looked at Alain and stepped closer, speaking quietly. “Nonetheless, Sir Mage, we owe you much for your service to us, and I must be certain that you willingly choose to be with this Mechanic, strange though that seems to me.”

Alain nodded to Flyn and spoke equally quietly. “I am safe in the company of this Mechanic. This Mechanic is my friend.”

The general stared back at Alain in disbelief, then at Mari, then back at Alain. “This is your friend? The one you spoke of?”

“Yes.”

“A Mechanic?”

“Yes.”

“I never thought to see the day. I had wondered how to describe these events to others, but now I see no need for it. No one will believe a word.” Flyn stepped back again, trying to regain his composure. “Then I will no longer attempt to defend you from her, Sir Mage. But, Lady Mechanic, there is one thing I yet need to know. You have done a great deed here, and done us a great service. Now I would know what that deed will cost us.”

“Cost you?” Mari lowered her head, sighing loud enough for Alain to hear. “Of course, because I am a Mechanic, and Mechanics never do a deed for free, instead charging the maximum that they can get.”

“You said this, Lady, not me.”

“Then here is my price, General.” Mari looked up again, meeting his eyes. “You and your soldiers are to forget they ever saw me, no matter who asks.”

Flyn regarded her for a long moment. “No matter who? Including members of your own Guild, Lady?”

“Especially including members of my own Guild.”

Another long pause, then Flyn nodded. “That part of the price we can pay. And?”

“Oh, you want to pay more?” Mari asked. “My horse. The poor beast has been ridden hard for a few days and needs proper treatment. I’m neither experienced nor good at handling horses, so if someone else would take care of her now it would be to the horse’s benefit and mine.”

Flyn nodded again. “And?”

Mari gestured. “And a private campsite, fire and food for myself and the Mage.”

“The Mage has already earned that for himself, Lady. We can do that for you as well, but I must tell you that after our reversal and retreat our provisions are neither extensive nor of great quality.”

Alain saw Mari run her eyes across the beat-up soldiers. Alain wondered if the commons could see the sympathy in those eyes. “As long as I get the equivalent of what your own soldiers receive I’ll be content, general.”

“Lady? Perhaps I was not clear as to how limited our means are at the moment-”

“I will not eat better than men and women who have been through what these soldiers obviously have recently,” Mari snapped. “I will have the same as them, General, nothing more.”

Flyn regarded Mari once more with outright astonishment. “Very well. And?”

Mari narrowed her eyes at Flynn. “ And , General, you will immediately cease to ask me ‘and?’. If you say that word one more time, my price will go up dramatically.”

The general gazed at her, then nodded. “Very well, Lady Mechanic. I accept your price, ridiculously small though it is. I do have one other question.”

“Which is?” Mari asked.

“Am I allowed to use that prohibited word in other contexts?”

Mari kept her hard look for a moment longer, then grinned at him. “Certainly, General. Use the word ‘and’ in as many other contexts as you desire. It appears to be your favorite word and I’d hate to deny you the use of it.”

Flyn barked out laughter. “A most unusual Mechanic and a most unusual Mage, and both are here with me this day. Sir Mage, if you, and the Lady Mechanic can but wait a short time, we will attend to your camp as soon as possible.”

Mari shook her head. “Ensure that your injured are looked to first, General. There are some medical supplies in my saddlebags. Not a lot, but all I could carry. Since this Mage has no need of them, you may take what you require.”

“Medical supplies?” Flyn paused, looking at her.

“Don’t say it,” Mari added before he could speak. “There’s no charge.”

Flyn watched her again before replying. “Lady Mechanic, you have my thanks, and I say that this time not because I must but because you have truly earned it.” General Flyn looked east, toward the Empire. “I sent some scouts back down the pass a little ways, but they haven’t signaled any warnings. No Imperial forces are following close upon that monster.”

Alain nodded. “The dragon could too easily have turned upon them. Any Imperials continuing their pursuit into these mountains would be far behind to ensure their own safety. More likely the Imperials left the destruction of the rest of this force to the dragon.”

“A good estimate, Sir Mage, and a reasonable assumption by the Imperials if not for the arrival of a Lady Mechanic whose name I shall honor.” He bowed toward Mari. “I’ll post sentries down the pass and we’ll camp here.” His gaze went to his battered force, and Flyn’s smile vanished. “We paid a high price and have little to show for it but our lives. I need to send someone back to check on that forlorn hope we left behind as well, in case the dragon passed them by and left some alive. The medical supplies we have been so graciously given might serve to save even those hurt as badly as they are. By your leave, Sir Mage and Lady Mechanic, I must see to my soldiers.” This time Flyn saluted them, then walked off, calling out orders.

As the general and his surviving officers directed their remaining soldiers in setting up a camp, everyone moving away from Mari and Alain, she turned to Alain and smiled broadly. “I’ve missed you so much. Did you miss me?”

“Every moment we were apart,” Alain replied. “But how did you come to be here? It is not that I am not very…very…”

“Happy?”

“Is that the right word for what I feel?”

“I hope it is,” Mari said.

“Then that is what I feel,” Alain assured her. “But I thought we were agreed that it was not safe for us to be together. You are in danger when you are with me.”

“I was in danger when we were apart, Alain.” She looked at the nearby, immense carcass of the dragon. “And you were supposed to stay away from me to keep yourself safe, and that obviously didn’t work either. I’ll explain it all later. You’re obviously very tired, and I don’t want to talk when some passing common might overhear.” She bit her lip, gazing at him. “I really want to hug you, but that’ll have to wait, too. Seeing a Mage and a Mechanic embrace might be too much for these soldiers to handle.”

After everything else, after having her appear, her last words were almost too much. Feelings nearly overwhelmed Alain. “You wish to embrace? You still feel as you did in Dorcastle?”

“I never stopped feeling it, not for instant, my dear Mage.” Mari grinned. “I’ll whisper it so no common will hear. I love you.”

He stared at her, trying not to smile here where the commons could see. “You said it again. I had feared you had changed your mind, that you must have changed your mind.”

“I don’t say ‘I love you’ lightly, Sir Mage,” Mari said, looking severe for a moment but then smiling again. “I meant it then and I mean it now. I’m hoping you still feel the same way.” Even though Mari was trying to appear casual, Alain could see her gaze on him turn anxious.