The Winds of the Past [Rune Factory 4]

Chapter 29

We spent many of the next several days going out on training missions, preparing the most able-bodied townsfolk in case they were needed to help defend Selphia. Arthur kept his word, investing in better quality armor and weapons the day after Avani's scolding. She also took greater care from then on to check what gear her trainees had before taking them out—and supplying them as best she could with what they lacked if they were unable to arm themselves.

Before their falling out, she had intended to ask Dylas to help her with those townsfolk who needed close combat training rather than magical, but he'd all but disappeared since their conditional reconciliation. Even Porcoline said he'd hardly seen him at all recently. He returned to his room late at night and went straight to bed, then he'd be gone again long before Porcoline himself awoke. Avani looked concerned but said nothing, leaving him to take care of his business in his own time and fashion. Meanwhile, I helped her out in his stead, which didn't do me any harm, either.

After more than two weeks of intensive training with only a few days of rest, Avani felt satisfied with the results. Everyone still had a ways to go, but they'd improved dramatically. If they could manage to continue training on their own, she told Arthur and Forte, they'd soon find themselves a force to be reckoned with. The only one who didn't make any substantial progress was Amber—but Avani gave her up as a lost cause after a couple more outings. She was just too sweet and innocent to be an effective fighter, so she asked Doug to please take special care of her as well as Granny Blossom if anything happened.

She met with Arthur the day after she declared the initial phase of training to be over and found that he'd finally managed to secure a drop point on the far side of the destroyed bridge. It had not been easy, he said, because they needed a place that was secluded enough not to attract unwanted attention, and that was sheltered from the extreme winds and rock slides that were a constant danger along the Maya Road—particularly important now that the winter snows had arrived. But at last he found a place that seemed ideal, near an unoccupied farmhouse not far from the trailhead.

Meanwhile, he'd asked Volkanon to see to repairing the bridge, as that was apparently one of his areas of expertise. He refused to leave Venti's side, however, so instead he trained Clorica to complete the task on his behalf—with a little help.

One morning shortly after she'd completed Volkanon's training, Clorica approached Avani as we broke our fast and asked for her assistance with the bridge repairs—she had the knowledge to construct the bridge, she said, but not the strength to carry and place the heavy stones. Avani agreed, and the two soon departed. Bereft of my companion, I settled down to spend the day on my translation work.

Avani returned home just past sunset, exhausted and grimy from the day's work. As I came down the stairs leading to her study, she dropped down into one of her chairs, saying wearily, "It's finished. I swear there isn't a muscle in my body that doesn't ache."

I smiled at my lover, thinking to myself that all the sweat and dust and grime in the world couldn't dim her beauty in my eyes. I gathered her up in my arms and kissed her, tasting and smelling the salty tang of sweat and the earthiness of soil and stone and timber. "Would you like a long soak in a hot bath, My Lady?" 

"More than anything," she replied fervently, wrapping her arms around my neck.

"Then you shall have one," I said, carrying her out the back door.

She let out a sharp exclamation when she realized that I intended to carry her the whole way there, but I refused to set her down. "You're much too tired to walk there," I murmured into her ear, "and besides, I rather enjoy holding you close to me. I'll leave you to Xiao's tender care and fetch you some clean clothing while you enjoy a good soak. Take as long as you like."