Hands clasped his shoulders, friendly and forward alike, and some even reached for his belt-pouch. “Oooh, look at the scout badge there!”
That puffed Dagan up a little. He swatted the hand away, which happened to belong to the blacksmith’s daughter, Mina, who was always good fun. “Darling Mina, you can tell your mother her finest blade will be in service to the Heart Wood officially starting next week,” he announced. The grin that followed felt less forced as he slipped into character. It was like a pair of leathers that used to fit but felt just a little too snug in the waist after a long and well-fed winter. Dagan could squeeze into it; it just wasn’t as comfortable as it used to be.
“Drinks for Dagan!” Mina cheered.
Dagan opened his mouth to tell her he was dead on his feet, but it was too late; a small crowd of good friends and other well-wishers had gathered in front of the winery to meet him. Not that he was a hero just because he’d finally finished years of training: learning how to fight, how to hide, how to interpret, how to lifecast, and all of it for the general health and wellbeing of their beloved and eternally peaceful Heart Wood. But it was so kind of them to want to welcome him back like one, Dagan didn’t have the heart to tell them no.
Maybe just one drink, then. To show he appreciated the sentiment.
Four drinks later, Dagan was regaling the small and drunken crowd with tales of his scouting trials. “And then, she came up behind me, thinking she could take out my knees. But I whirled on her!” He demonstrated without swaying on his feet at all, thank you very much. “Got her into a lock, like this! And then—”
“And then you kissed her!” someone shouted.
Dagan sighed and tried to look annoyed. “No. Unfortunately, that wasn’t part of the trial, whoever said—” But a real smile spread across his face when he saw who’d been speaking. “Thad! What are you doing here?”
“Came to see the newest scout from my conservancy off on his first mission.” Thad, a short, handsome man with rugged features and a perpetual stubble about his sharp jawline, came forward with his hand over his heart. “You’ve grown up, Dagan.”
Dagan returned the gesture as the little party, which had been at rapt attention throughout his impromptu oration, finally broke up. Dagan’s shoulders slumped with relief as he returned Thad’s greeting, thumping his own knuckles over his heart twice to let him know how sincerely it was felt. He grabbed his mug of inferior wine and rounded the bar.
Thad met him halfway and pulled him into a one-armed hug, which Dagan returned happily. Dagan asked, “Aren’t you supposed to be with the Council in the Paw Paw Grove Conservancy for the Buck Moon?”
“Yes, but it’s not every day we get a new scout, so I got special dispensation,” Thad said.
Dagan frowned. Wait, had he been serious? “Really?”
“Yes.” Thad laughed and clapped him on the back once more before letting him go. “Damnation, Dagan, it doesn’t happen every day.”
“Well, no, but—thanks.” Dagan blinked a few times. It was one thing for his friends at the winery, who’d spent many a long evening trading stories and drinks and kisses with him, to want to intercept him. But for the conservancy’s representative to the Grand Council of the Heart Wood to come to see him… “I’m honored.”
Thad was young for a councilor, young enough that Dagan considered flirting with him. It was usually what people expected, especially in this party atmosphere. But before he could get too in his head about it, Thad took his arm and pulled him back around the bar and into a quiet corner. “I hear there’s going to be a real party the night before you leave.”
“Tiber and Helen arranged it, I think,” Dagan said with a laugh. Two of his older siblings, they were the most socially active in the family—after him—in very different ways.
“And I hear Alonza’s coming back for it.”
“Is he?” Dagan raised his eyebrows at that, heart in his throat. His oldest brother was usually far too self-important to visit the Black Walnut grove. “Will we finally get to meet his new partner, too?”
“Jessica said as much, anyhow.”
As Head Verder of the Heart Wood, and Alonza’s master, she would know. “I had no idea my name was talked about in such high circles,” Dagan joked weakly.
“I’ll let him tell you the details, but I wanted to invite you to the Wildcrafter Settlement after the New Grain Moon,” Thad said quietly, as if confiding a secret. “The Council will be there, and we’ll want to know what you and the other scouts see out there. First-hand.”
“Something’s going on?” Dagan guessed. Bartolo and the others hadn’t mentioned it at the trials.
Thad nodded and opened his mouth to reply, but someone threw their arms around Dagan from behind. “Come on, Dagan!” said a low, rumbling voice that belonged to his favorite burly forester, Marsh. “Drinking contest, and you’re the judge!”
Dagan shot Thad an apologetic look, but Thad was grinning, chin up. He waved Dagan off. “I’ll see you at the party, if not before.”
“Love to the family,” Dagan said, wishing he could stay and talk quietly with Thad, who, come to think of it, had never once tried to flirt with him. The age difference was there, of course, but it was nothing to signify now that Dagan was old enough to go scouting. Maybe he wasn’t into boys?
“They’ll be delighted,” Thad assured him before turning back to a small cluster of older folks at the bar.
Dagan fought down disappointment that the elderly contingent hadn’t shown any interest in keeping his company, since that felt more his speed right then. Alas, he had a drinking contest to judge.
To get him through this arduous task, Dagan drank a few more mugs of wine himself and nearly fell asleep in his chair until Mina brought him a plate of dried venison with berry compote and walnut bread to fortify him. As if he hadn’t been gone for weeks, the usual rhythms of the winery at night swept Dagan away, lulling him into a haze of drink and amiable companionship. By the time he tripped out into the market square again, orange light had begun to filter through the breaks in the forest canopy, heralding a new morning. His foot caught awkwardly on the step.
Thad grabbed his arm before Dagan could go ass-over-teapot. His moonlight-silver eyes shone in the morning light, squinting with affection. “Need help home, then?” he asked.
“Are you flirting with me?” Dagan asked, resting a hand against Thad’s forearm.
“With you half passed-out? I wouldn’t,” Thad said agreeably.
“Ah, I see you recognize a fellow weary traveler,” Dagan joked, suddenly feeling foolish for asking. Of course, Thad, member of the Great Council, wasn’t flirting with him. By all the forest gods, what had he been thinking? Just because everyone else did…
Thad shook his head, smiling hugely. “Even if I was, I’ve had far too much to drink to follow through.”
Dagan leaned over and whispered, “If you want the truth, me too.”
“Oh, good, then!” Thad chuckled and handed Dagan his pack. “You left that on the bench.”
Dagan stared at it for a moment, amazed. “Some scout I am.”
Thad patted his back. “You’ve earned some celebration. And that was a long walk. Just made it myself.”
“They don’t give councilors ponies?”
“Oh, no, not the junior ones like me, anyhow.” Thad chuckled. “Come on, I’ll get you back to your mother. She’ll be worried by now.”
