The Fort: Lions first roar

Chapter Seventeen

"Having fun?" he asked Nebula.

"More than in ages" she laughed. She drank ale as it was water and watched Conrad juggle with empty cups.

"What made you left your Coffin? Is Twig there now?"

"Do you really think I would leave Twig and Penny alone in there? I gave them the day off and closed it. Don't worry, I will open again in the evening."

"Hal!" Cher showed up, waving and smiling. She looked like she had done something naughty.

"Hello" he hugged her. Nebula smiled.

"Milady". Cher glowed at her.

"Don't call me that. Call me Cher. It's more cheerful."

"I'm just kidding Cher. Where is the Adela?"

"She's looking at gems. She didn't notice I disappeared."

Nebula laughed and Hal grinned. "She won't be happy when she finds out."

"No, because I am a proper lady, and proper noble ladies don't play in the mud" she imitated Adela and made a funny face.

"First of all I kind of feel offended, second of all, are you a proper lady?"

Cher looked at him. "I'm drinking ale from a chipped wooden cup at a market and I'm covered in dust. No, I'm not. That's why Adela is trying to teach me to behave."

"It looks like you're a bad student" Cher hit his forearm and he laughed. Nebula looked satisfied.

"I'm so glad there are other people in this world who wants to hit you!"

"Yeah and I saw him first so back of!" Cher hugged him possessively. "Get your own knight!"

"You can have him" Nebula shrugged. "I don't need one."

"Liar!"

"Sure" Nebula meandered away out in the baking-hot afternoon sun. He talked with Cher for some minutes before they were joined by the others when they searched cover from the relentless sun.

"How...can...you...be...alive?" Lizzie was dripping of sweat when she sat down. Cae smirked. Dragonborns didn't sweat. Owena made her way around the table to give him a friendly slap on the arm and then hug Cher.

"Oh, come on, it's not that bad". Lizzie looked up on Cae, with a made glace.

"It's....not...so bad..."

"...The savior is here!" Aeric placed six cups of cold ale on the table and Lizzie grabbed one like it was vital for her existent. Saga drank in deep gulps.

"Mortals are pretty useless at much" she said. "But you invented ale, so I am you forever grateful."

"It was actually the dwarves that invented ale" Owena said haughty. They snickered.

"To the dear lord...!" Talroze said.

"... and all those laughs he have given us!" Bruno finished and they toasted laughing in honor of hundreds of bad jokes.