Beyond The Stone

Chapter 22

Rowan stared at Tristan with bemusement.

"So you would away first?" he asked.

"Aye, Sir Rowan. I hath a quest of mine own which must needs be seen to ere I can settle here," Tristan replied.

'What are you talking about?' Ava asked.

"Please understand how indebted I am to thee for thy most generous offer," Tristan added anxiously. "I would not wish to lose thy favor. I wish only to return knowing that I can supply the task granted to me with my fullest devotion."

He did not want to lose out on Rowan's kind offer, but the more he thought about it, the more he knew that he just had to try. His mind would not know peace again unless he did.

'Try what?' Ava asked.

Tristan ignored her. He could be infuriatingly good at blocking her out when he wanted to.

Rowan unlocked the metal brace that had been encasing Tristava's arm for the past few days. Tristan rubbed the skin beneath it with relief.

"You would be gone many days?" Rowan asked.

"Nay, just a few, I should think," Tristan replied speculatively, "but there is, perhaps, some uncertainty surrounding the matter. I... I would ask that thee wouldst take on mine squire if any sort of tragedy befalls me. He hath proven to me his worth, and he doth not deserve to be thrown back to dogs."

A little smile unfurled over Rowan's lips.

"If you had taken the time to discover who his previous master was, you would know why I am now smiling," he told Tristan. "Very well. It shall take little more than a week for me to arrange matters with King through carrier pigeon. Return after that, if you are able, and we shall consider the matter settled once and for all," Rowan decided.

"Thy generosity is boundless," Tristan told him with a low bow of appreciation.

"It most certainly isn't. I am simply able to discern that there is disquiet in your mind, and I have a good estimation of your character. I am prepared to give you this final opportunity to settle your business. After all, I assume something must have brought you to this place in the first instance. It is only right that you see that matter to its conclusion first."

"I thank thee most earnestly," Tristan replied with a second bow of gratitude.

He knew he was asking for a lot. Taking a leave of absence before even taking a post that he shouldn't have been lucky enough to get in the first place was sufficient cause for dismissal for most. But he'd judged correctly that Rowan was a judicious man, and he'd felt that the risk was worth it.

Rowan watched him rise speculatively.

"Did the witch really touch your spindle?" he asked curiously.

"Aye, Sir, she did," Tristan answered truthfully with some discomfort.

"And it still stays firmly attached?" Rowan prodded with morbid curiosity.

"It doth," he confirmed with some concern.

He was somewhat worried about the fact that it had been very many hours since he'd felt some life in his organ. Though it was not always so active as it had been since arriving in that cursed land, he'd always sensed its readiness to awaken up until till that point.

'You had a massive erection for like four hours straight, and you got flat drunk last night. What do you expect? Just give it a little time to recover,' Ava suggested.

'Thy doth not understand how taxing such a thing is for a man,' Tristan shot back.

'Yeah I know you guys have a live or die by your 'sword' code, but trust me, it's going to be fine,' she reassured him.