The World Which Is

Chapter 25

Dutches is a muscular woman with a kind smile and mischievous gray eyes. The whole time she looks over my damaged armor, she talks when Herbert in a way that makes me think they are together, but then she looks at me.

"So," she says, grinning as she stretches the word. "How are you going to pay for the work?" she looks me up and down, licks her lips hungrily and I step back, cheeks burning.

"Dutches," Herbert says in annoyance.

She laughs. "Look at him blush. Sasha was right. You have a virgin on your hands."

"Can we not talk about if I have or haven't done it?" I ask, then swallow.

"Relax, I'm not going to eat you." She grins. "Unless you're into that?"

Is everyone out here obsessed with sex?

"I'll cover—"

"I can pay," I cut off Herbert. "With money, I mean," I add at her grin. And my cheeks burn again. I mean, she is good looking, but she has to be at least twice my age. And I'm not staying with the caravan, so...

"Money's good," she says.

"Are you sure?" Herbert asks. "The adventurer's life isn't cheap, and unlike what the stories say, money doesn't just show up around every tree."

"I...received some as part of this." I look for a way to explain it that won't involve lying, and can't think of one.

"Then I'll give you the friends and family discount," Dutches says.

"We aren't family," I point out.

"But we're friends."

"We just met."

"You do know it's an expression, right?"

"Oh. Okay, how much?"

"Adding on top of that, you got hurt defending the caravan—"

"I wasn't—"

"Let her excuse the low price however she wants," Herbert says. "You have to learn to take people's gratitude. It's going to be rare enough in Toronto."

I'm not even sure where the reticence is from. I mean, she is clearly nice, if too forward for my liking. She reminds me a little of Rich and Daz that way, although not as... slimy.

"Let's make it a double treen and be happy with that."

I look at Herbert.

"Ouch," she exclaims, hand to her ample breast. "And I thought you trusted me."

"It's a good deal," Herbert says with a chuckle. "But if you have the money, you're going to want to get yourself an enchanted repair kit until your skill's good enough."

I hand her the money.

"I'll have it for you in the morning," she says, standing and turning to her wagon. She pauses. "You know, I am going to be done with it at some point tonight, if you're interested in waiting for it here."

"I'll be back in the morning," I hurry to say as the smile she gives me leaves no doubt what she'll want to do while I'm there. "Bye." I head toward the cooking fire I see in the distance by our carts.

I don't know if someone made the clearing, or if it's something the system put in place along the road, but there's enough flat ground without trees here all the carts and wagons can get off the road for the night. They're arranged in arcs between the fires and the forest, making impromptu defensive walls.

"You into guys or girls?" Herbert asks, falling into step with me, and my ears burn. "Sorry, I don't normally pry, but the way you reacted there, and I kind of thought you were looking at Josie..."