Chapter 5

Hank walked Hunter to her tent, he had enjoyed her company, she was a very easy person to be around, when he was near her Hank had a feeling of calm, like a smooth sea surrounded by storm waves. Hank thanked her for joining him for the evening telling her how much he had enjoyed having her there, to his surprise she motioned him to bend down, when he did she kissed him on the cheek, then blushing she slipped inside her tent. Hank touched his cheek and smiled as he headed in the direction of his own tent, seeing Jacquilt sitting alone by the fire, Hank quietly sat down next to him, neither spoke for a long time.

"How much of a fool did I make of myself tonight?" asked Jacquilt quietly, "You didn't make a fool of yourself Jacquilt, everyone there has had a few bad times of their own, aren't you allowed to have the same?" Looking down at the fire Jacquilt sighed "I guess I am, and will whether I like it or not." Looking directly at Jacquilt Hank replied "why don't you tell Kim that you love her, wouldn't that make sense, you've wanted to for a long time. You forget that I was there that night with you when the sword returned you to the keep, I may have come back later but I was with you the whole time." Hank saw the look of shock and horror on Jacquilt's face.

"Your my friend Jacquilt, I care for you just like I do the others, we all have our faults and hidden secrets, it was years later that I even remembered that time and understood as a man what had been shown, as a young boy I was too frightened at first and then to confused to pay it any attention. Your thoughts are your own Jacquilt not mine, I would never even bring it up except that you're hurting inside."

Jacquilt remembered the time he had been caught in the swords vortex, the swirling black aloneness, he had been accused of having an affair with Natalie, his friend Rav's wife, when in reality he had been lusting in his heart for his friends Brand and Bitsy's daughter, Kim. It had seemed to compound the feelings of guilt, those feelings and thoughts had flashed in front of him over and over again, the laughing face of a baby Rav, the tiny fairy twins as little children, all his friends who had cared for him had swirled before his eyes, he remembered the terrible aloneness and had promised himself he would never do anything that would ever make him feel that way again. Yet here he was cast into his own sea of loneliness. Hank put his hand on Jacquilt's shoulder "only you can choose between being alone and being with the woman you love."

The dagger sang silently to Hank. A scroll appeared in Hanks hands "We can never repay all that you've given us, your friendship, your kindness, your caring, just know that we love you Jacquilt." Hank put the scroll in Jacquilt's hands "give yourself and Kim a chance you might be surprised at the outcome." Hank left the fire and went to his tent, laying down on his blanket Hank whispered "give love a chance my friend."

Jacquilt slowly unrolled the scroll and started to read, then more intently until he had read it four or five times. Carefully rolling up the scroll Jacquilt tucked it inside his shirt wondering if Hank had any idea of the gift he had just given. Not sure he had deciphered the contents properly Jacquilt went in search of Marti'en, he didn't want to do anything until he was sure.

Huffing and puffing Trink sat down on a tree stump and took a drink out of his tankard muttering to himself, he knew Chad had watched him walk around in circles, the boyo was probably laughing his wits out, well maybe not he wasn't in a very good temper when he went flying off muttered Trink. Chad flew down next to Trink "what do you want Trink? You're not just wandering around the forest for your pleasure." snapped Chad. "Welll now boyo that's true enough, happens I was lookin' for yea, thought to offer yea a drink and suggest yea go get a look see at that nose of yours seems a might off center to me at the moment." Chad would of snorted but it would probably make his nose start to bleed again "You know I don't drink, Trink" With a hurt look on his face Trink looked at Chad "I know that, but this is different it's what's called a medicinal drink boyo, somethin to ease the pain a might till yea get all fixed up like." Trink saw Chad waver and pulled a bottle out of his pocket offering it to Chad "a swig or two won't hurt yea none, give it a try, take a quick swallow yea not bein used to it at all."

Chad took a quick swallow and started to choke "that's terrible stuff, Trink how can you drink this?" Trink chortled "ever had anything medicinal that tasted good? sides it sorta grows on yea, try another one." Chad took a few more swallows "don't tell me you use this for medicinal purposes Trink, you just like to drink, hell soon Kim will be drinking as much as you." With a sad look on his face Trink glanced off into the forest and took another drink "ain't always easy being a Trink yea know, lots expected of yea that isn't always easy to live up too, sometimes I take a drink or two it takes the pressure off if yea know what I mean, sometimes ol' Trink gets an ache in his heart cuz nobody seems to understand him quite right." Chad took another drink and glared at Trink "you don't understand Trink, nobody does."

"Welll now boyo understand or not, ol Trink he tries too, ain't always easy, people they get set notions of what they want to see n we try to fill those notions even if it ain't right for us, now me I don't got no set notions so I see people like they are, don't matter to me cuz I just like um no matter what." Chad said quietly under his breath "you wouldn't like me if you knew the real Chad"

Trink chuckled "how's the nose feelin there boyo?" Chad took another drink "it's not so bad now." Trink helped himself to a drink "I gotta pretty good idea who the real Chad is yea know, me I'm a pretties man, weren't always that way, when I was a young elf I got curious about lots of things and tried them all, didn't make me bad or nuthin, just curious, well after a few years I figured out I was a pretties man, not the settling down type mind you, like to do me fair share of sampling. But it could have gone the other way if that had been what I found right for me, like you, so you're not a pretties man don't make no difference to me, won't make no difference to your mama and papa or any of the people that really count, the ones what loves yea."