As he exited the room he was met by Stewart who was lounging against the wall across from his door, “Morning, Alburet. A word, if you please.”
Alburet stopped short, “Can it wait a moment, Stewart? I need to check on Stacia.”
“That is why I am asking for a word with you,” Stewart’s voice went rough as his eyes began to glow. “Or would you rather do this the hard way?”
Briefly considering his chances against Stewart, he shook his head, “Not unless I have to. Where would you like to talk?”
“Private dining room downstairs. Others are waiting for us,” Stewart replied, the fire in his eyes fading.
Alburet followed Stewart’s directions to the private dining room, almost feeling like an inmate again. When he entered the room he found Stacia, her dad Alistern, and Grimgar waiting. The table was set with breakfast along with coffee. They all looked up as he entered. Grimgar gave him a polite nod, Alistern glowered at him, while Stacia gave him a hopeful smile that was undercut by the fear he could see in her eyes.
Taking a seat across from Stacia, he nodded to the others, “Morning. I do hope I’m not interrupting. I was invited by Stewart.” He couldn’t help himself, his voice sounding flippant even though he knew he shouldn’t. “Did everyone sleep well?”
Alistern growled, his hands clenching on the table, “What is this about ya taking me girl into the orc fields?”
“Ah, so you object then,” Alburet said as he helped himself to some of the food. “As I told her last night, I would take her only if you agreed. It seems you do not, which would end the discussion there.”
“I want to go,” Stacia said firmly, though her voice was a touch petulant. “I be of age to go iffin I want.”
“I object,” Alistern said firmly.
“Ma said it was okay,” Stacia cut in, “said ya should let me spread me wings, she did.”
Taking a bite of bacon and eggs, Alburet looked to Stewart for clarification. Sighing, Stewart filled him in, “You were asleep and didn’t answer your door last night. Stacia woke her mother to ask about going with you. Lilith agreed readily, seemingly quite happy with the idea. When Stacia came out to tell Alistern things kind of went south. I happen to side with him, by the way. You want to take her into a very risky area for her, since for us normal folk there is no guarantee that we will come back. So you’d be putting her into a position where she might die her final death.”
Finishing his bite, Alburet nodded, “I see, and understand the concerns. Why is Grimgar here?”
“Back in the day Alistern, Stew and meself used to adventure together. It seemed a stalemate with Lilith siding with Stacia while these two were opposed, so they asked me to break the tie. I told them to wait til ye woke. Can ye promise to do ye very best to make sure no harm comes to her?” Alistern and Stewart both got to their feet yelling, only to be shouted down by Grimgar. “Knock it the frack off, both of ye. Ye asked me to break this tie and I am goin’ to, now sit down and abide.”
Alburet met Grimgar’s eyes, “I will move heaven and hell if need be to keep her safe, Grimgar. I will put her life before mine and my other companions, if need be I will have her Homestone away if things look grave.”
“Aye, as I thought ye would. Fine. I side with the lass and Lilith, let her go with him. Iffin he fails we kin gut him a dozen times to drive the point home.” Grimgar said as the other two sat there silently seething, Alistern more than Stewart.
“Thank ya, Unca Grim,” Stacia said, jumping to her feet and hugging the dwarf.
“Aich enough o’ tha’. Eat ye food then get ye goin’,” Grimgar chuckled, pushing her away gently before turning to Alburet, his eyes going flat. “Iffin she dies and does nay come back, I will hunt ye to the last of days.”
Raising a brow, Alburet nodded, “If it comes to that, Grimgar you won’t have to hunt me, I will come to you. One of the reasons I’m here in Alpha World is that I avenged my friend’s daughter when she was raped then broken in mind and body. I would gladly hand my soul over to you if I fail.” He spoke with such conviction that the trio of men at the table looked at each other before standing.
“Aye, I will hold ye to tha’,” Grimgar said, slapping Alburet hard on the back as he left.
“If my god daughter speaks ill of you I will set the world ablaze to find you,” Stewart added, then he also left the room.
Alistern just glowered, snorting as he turned and left the room. Stacia watched them all go with wide shining eyes. “I believe in ya, master.”
Alburet met her eyes with a small smile on his lips, “I meant every word. So your mom liked the idea?”
Stacia got up and came around the table, taking the seat next to him as she also grabbed some food. Alburet saw that she was dressed in pants and shirt, completely unlike her normal apparel. “Aye, she was very happy ta hear of the plan. Did ya want to meet her before we go?”
“I don’t know if I should,” Alburet chuckled, “if she’s anything like you it might go badly for me. Goodness knows I don’t need your father wanting to kill me because I lusted after his wife.”
Stacia giggled, “I take after her just a touch. We will wait until later then, for ya to meet her.”
“Why did you fight so hard for this chance, Stacia?” he asked as he polished off his eggs.
“As I said, I want to be with ya more, master. When I went shoppin’ with Ma the other day she was thrilled at what I told her about ya. She was practically giddy tha’ maybe I found someone worth bein’ with. I tried to tell her it be nay like tha’, but she did nay want to hear tha’ part.”
“Parents are always like that,” Alburet said, thinking of his own mother. His voice dulled as the ache of his mother not talking to him flared momentarily.
“I need to grab the gear Ma said I could use for today. I be right back,” Stacia rushed out of the room.
Alburet finished his coffee before going out to the tap room. Alistern glowered at him silently from behind the bar as he waited for Stacia near the door. A few minutes later Stacia came out of the back dressed in leather. Alburet would have called it armor, but it clearly wasn’t designed with protection in mind so much as distraction. The knee high boots lacked high heels, but they did hug her legs. The leather skirt had extra leather strips sewn to it, giving it a pleated look. The chest piece was horrible for protection as it was contoured to her impressive bust, with an opening over the breast bone giving ample view of her cleavage. She also had upper arm guards and bracers strapped to her arms, along with a collar around her neck. She was also not wearing the clothing she had on a moment ago either wearing just the leather.
She came over to him with a bounce in her step that threatened to distract him before they’d even set out, “I be ready to go.”
Shaking his head, he caught Alistern glowering blackly at them. Offering his arm to Stacia, which she took with a smile, Alburet said, “We’ll be back late Alistern. I will protect her with my life.”
As they walked down the street he was aware of the many men who paused as they passed to admire the sight of Stacia in the leather. “Stacia, where did you get that wardrobe?” he finally asked.
“It was Ma’s when she adventured with Da’, Unca Grim and Stewart. She thought it would fit me as we’re built much alike. After she said I could go I put it on. Maybe I should nay have been wearin’ it when I went to ask Da’.”
Resisting the urge to face palm, Alburet agreed, “Yeah, might have been better. He probably thought that I would just ravish you as soon as I saw you in it. Besides, while it looks fantastic it isn’t the best for protection.”
“I understand tha’, but Ma never got hit really when she was adventurin’.”