Battle Mage: Winds of Change (The High King: A Tale of Alus Book 11) (26 page)

While Olan ranted and swung over the heads of the girls wanting to force Elzen to fight him, the younger falcon held his ground but merely swatted away any attacks close enough to actually hit him without any defense. He also deflected a few that would have hit Naoromi, who was directly in front of him trying to shield the smaller mage to keep a fight from happening.

"What is going on here?!" Sebastian called out bringing the attention of the restaurant to him as he stepped from the hallway. Though his mission was over, Olan had been serving him for months. His voice and will might sway the drunken mage, if they were lucky, the falcon hoped in the moment.

"He'sh trying ta make out wif Naoromi and I can' let 'im. She'sh Yaroma's sishter," the big man babbled swaying slightly.

"You are not my brother!" Naoromi snapped at the man turning away from Elzen just enough to look at the falcon. "If I like Elzen, what is it to you? Go be with Yaroma and stay out of it!"

Her words only served to set Olan off again. "I'm hur to protec' you two. I won' allow it!"

Naoromi looked to Elzen and said, "Don't fight him. He is drunk. Why don't you just take me to my room?"

She hadn't lowered her voice and everyone there winced knowing such words would only excite the drunken man again. Olan surged towards the two snarling unintelligibly except for the words 'forbid it' mixed in the mumbled message to the younger falcon.

"Olan, stop it!" Sebastian ordered sliding through the crowd as they parted for the mage. His commanding tone was enough to master the dancers, who just wanted to get back to their fun anyway. If Sebastian could bring a quick end to the situation, they were more than willing to let the young man deal with the big battle mage. "You are going to hurt, Yaroma, if you're not careful," he warned as the mermaid stumbled back into her sister and would have fallen if she hadn't had a grip on Olan in front of her.

Olan's eyes widened with terror at the idea and he looked down on the dark haired woman trying to restrain the much stronger man. "Nooo!" he cried out, "I'd never hurt her!"

"Naoromi will be fine with Elzen. I know him well. You just calm down and we'll get some kaffe into you to settle your mind," he said calmly mentioning the Southwall version of coffee. Made from a local plant, it was a known stimulant as well as a good counter to alcohol.

Olan looked ready to push towards Elzen again, but his new worry over hurting the girl he was in love with prevented him from doing so.

When he was in arm's reach a moment later, Sebastian quietly called on a spell, "Sleep."

His touch on Olan's arm transferred the healer's spell. While he could shoot the magic further, this wasn't a full strength version of the magic. Meant only to make him tired and dull his mind, Sebastian didn't want to try moving the man if he was unconscious since the other falcon outweighed him significantly as well.

Olan's shoulders drooped and he stopped trying to pursue Elzen or Naoromi, depending on whether he still planned on trying to prevent the girl from leaving. His knees suddenly looked shaky and Sebastian had to help Yaroma in supporting the man. They worked him towards a table beyond the crowd and, with Elzen's help; Olan sat looking a bit dazed.

Looking at Naoromi, Sebastian asked the girl to bring some of the drink he had mentioned, though knowing Hilda it was likely already on the way.

"What brought this on?" he asked looking directly at Elzen. Though his friend could be a bit of a troublemaker in school, he was a falcon now, a position attained by character as well as talent. If his mentors didn't believe Elzen had outgrown his childishness, Sebastian doubted he would have made falcon.

Sighing, Elzen remained standing looking ready to dodge the larger man if he should return to his antagonistic, drunken way. "I saw Naoromi and asked her to dance. We kissed and all of a sudden the big oaf was trying to take my head off!"

Yaroma turned on the mage frowning at him. "You two did more than just a single innocent kiss. Olan said you were touching her inappropriately. My sister is young and still innocent in the ways of men. We didn't have a lot of boys our age living on the island and the pirates didn't exactly want us together. They made a few of the older girls 'breed' as they called it. They were taken away and some would get pregnant.

"It was barbaric!" she finished looking disgusted.

The mermaids had been raised in slavery on an island among a small chain. Their magic had also been enslaved. Built into their necklaces, the young women could use their siren song to call crews into the water where many died. Those who survived were sold along with their ships' wealth for the pirates to continue making their fortunes. With their families held captive on land to keep the mermaids in line, they did as they were told until their throats could no longer sing.

It was amazing that Yaroma and Naoromi could even think of loving anyone after being in that environment, though being forced as a slave wasn't the same as choosing someone.

Elzen looked annoyed at the accusation and retorted, "I like Naoromi and she likes me. It was just a little extra petting and she started it anyway."

Frowning at his friend, Sebastian warned, "We're falcons, Elzen. Try to maintain a proper appearance in public, man. It's bad enough so many dislike magic and think mages are inferior. Don't give them more to hate."

Crossing his arms defensively, the younger mage looked like some petulant child and complained, "It wasn't that bad for crying out loud."

Hilda arrived trailed by Naoromi. Holding a tray with a pot of kaffe and a couple cups just in case more than Olan needed the drink, the inn keeper placed it on the table and asked Sebastian, "Will they be all right now or do I need to send for a couple of the city guards?"

Shaking his head Sebastian answered the second part first, "No, there's no need to call them, but do you have an extra room I can rent for the night? It would probably be better if he could sleep it off here, rather than taking him to the mage barracks. Being drunk would just get him into trouble needlessly."

The woman nodded looking a bit apprehensive at the idea, but Sebastian had been a good customer for long enough to give him the benefit of the doubt. Olan had stayed in the inn during the tournament and been there many times as a guest with the girls since returning to Hala also. "There is one on the second floor next to yours. Maybe it will help you keep an eye on him. If he gets sick, you lot will be cleaning up after him though."

He nodded and with a slight smile to the woman. Though they had been warned, Sebastian doubted that such a thing would be necessary.

After Hilda went back to her desk with a locked box holding the room keys, Yaroma said, "I can stay with him to take care of him, Sebastian. It is kind of my fault. I should have stopped him from drinking so much at the pub before we came here. Olan probably didn't even realize that he had drunk so many ales. He is big and can usually absorb more than what he did tonight."

Her sister said, "You can use our room or the new one. Maybe Elzen can keep me company so I feel safe?"

Yaroma leveled a finger at her younger sister, "That would be inappropriate by their standards and I don't think mother would approve either."

The younger girl glanced to Elzen longingly as she frowned and adopted his crossed arms in defiance of her sister. "I am old enough to choose what I want."

Sebastian interjected, "I know that I am not your brother or parent, but I am responsible for you being here. Elzen can stay with Olan, in case he gets sick. It would only be fair since he is at least partly at fault for this incident."

Jaw dropping slightly, Elzen complained, "Why do I have to look after him? I didn't get him drunk or start the fight!"

"You know the sleep spell too. If you had just dulled his senses a little more, Olan would have calmed down."

Elzen shook his head and retorted, "I'm not you, Bas. I wouldn't have thought of the spell like that."

"You can heal like me and the ravens are debating on creating a special position for our small group. Start thinking like an owl. You're smart enough to be better than this."

Chastised at the same time as he was complimented by the mage's words, Elzen was left unsure of what to say.

By the time Olan had downed half the carafe, the crowd of dancers was beginning to thin out. The musicians called for suggestions for their last songs and Sebastian, with Elzen to assist, helped the big man climb the stairs. The mermaids followed close behind and Ashleen brought up the rear.

With the new key from Hilda, they opened the door and helped Olan onto the bed. His boots were removed and the mage lay down offering thanks to his former leader. Herding the mermaids ahead of him towards their room, he noticed Ashleen had already opened their door waiting for them to be through.

He went to his room after watching the girls reluctantly close their door, Ashleen removed the belt holding her outfit in position. The Kardorian styled garment was attractive and drew a man's eyes, especially Southwall men unaccustomed to such daring finery. Sebastian could still remember seeing her blue dress of multiple layers that revealed her legs when she had sat beside him and crossed them the first day at Falcon's Keep.

Noticing the silver anklet with its blue stones on her ankle again this night, the mage watched Ashleen remove the dress and hang it up. She removed her bra and drew out a lightweight night dress cut to the length of most tunics. It was short, but would cover her more than she had been during the heat of summer.

She turned to face him bare save for her panties and noted his look. Smiling coyly, the girl said, "It's a little cooler tonight. Are you going to miss being able to touch my bare skin now?"

Though they had pushed the boundaries more than Elzen and Naoromi, he was sure, Sebastian hadn't let it go the last step. Their relationship was beyond simple friendship and she excited him, but the loss of Yara kept him in check. Unfortunately he had to admit, the man would miss being able to hold Ashleen's nude or nearly nude body.

"I suppose if it becomes too much of a problem, your night dress isn't that much of a barrier; but I am pretty sure that I control myself."

"Well, pooh," she complained with a slight smile on her lips. Pulling the night dress over her head into position, the pretty little blonde tilted her head coyly and asked, "Are you just going to stand there or are you coming to bed?"

Ashleen pulled back the covers on the bed they usually shared now. Meanwhile he sat on the other bed removing his boots and stood to remove his pants. The girl's eyes strayed inappropriately, but glanced back to his face as she knelt on the mattress of the bed. It made her nearly look at him from the same height.

"I am surprised that you made Elzen take care of Olan. Yaroma really wants to be with him. I think that they are truly in love."

"So I should let Naoromi and Elzen sleep in the same room?" he queried in confusion.

A door opened and closed near enough to be heard in their room. Someone sensitive enough could have felt the door close, but there was a second door which echoed it a moment later. A quick exchange of opening and closing doors made Ashleen shake her head and smile, "Well, never mind. I think that they took care of what they wanted in spite of you."

Rolling his eyes at the girl, Sebastian threw his shirt on top of his pants on the bed that would stay made. "I'm not their father or brother or whatever. They're all grown up enough to make up their own minds.

"If Yaroma wants to be with Olan enough to let Elzen sleep with her sister, that's between them. I gave them the proper room assignment and it is on them to choose now."

He joined Ashleen to slide beneath the sheet. The girl kept the lightweight blanket pulled up her legs as she rolled against him. Her breath was on his shoulder as Ashleen sighed, "Well, that was mighty big of you then. We wouldn't want people to think that we are improper or anything."

The lights were extinguished, but the couple didn't try to sleep too quickly, though the next day was likely to be long.

Chapter 14- Sharing Thoughts

Sebastian and Ashleen stood behind the inn waiting for the others to join them. Elzen had shown up for breakfast on time with Naoromi, but Yaroma and Olan remained noticeably absent. No words were spoken about the previous night or whether the four had shifted places after he had entered his room. They were all adults, even if Elzen was more on the cusp of being a child it seemed like at times.

Being neither his older brother nor a leader who believed his soldiers should exist at his command; Sebastian wanted to stay out of their love lives. So long as they didn't draw him into it, he had no intention of meddling. Ashleen on the other hand seemed more willing to make him try.

"They came down together. You don't think that they...?" She left off insinuating something Ashleen wished Sebastian would do with her. Perhaps being mostly denied the experience, the girl didn't want the others to do something she wasn't doing herself.

"Does it matter? As long as Elzen is ready when I tell him to be, it isn't any of my business. Yaroma and Olan are older than I am besides, so who am I to tell them what they can or cannot do?"

Blowing out air in an exasperated little puff, Ashleen complained, "But aren't you the noble leader who gets to be their moral compass or something?"