Adventures of Jessa

43

They both are welcomed, with relief from the elves that both the crown prince and his chosen are healthy once more, and from the other guests that the crown princess of the gold dragons in once more up and about.

After talking and reassuring all those around the table they manage to finish eating breakfast. Jessa finds that she is far more exhausted than she had expected to be. Dhiren ends up carrying her to her room. Well, apparently their room since Alaric has his things moved in with her. Dhiren just shrugs, he figures it's Alaric's way of making up for the trouble he caused, whether it was inadvertent or not.

After setting Jessa down he kisses her and then goes to look for Nathan. "Nathan," Dhiren is thankful that he was able to stop the young man from leaving. "Could I have a word with you?"

Nathan, confused as to why the elf prince would want to speak to him just nods and follows Dhiren into the living room.

"I would like you to consider working for me, rather than hiring out to another caravan any time soon." Dhiren had come across this idea and just hopes that both Nathan and Jessa will be okay with it. He knows that Jessa is terrified that she'll lose her friend before she has the chance to take out the bandits that are amassing around the pass.

Nathan stills and makes sure that he's facing the elven prince before he responds in an astonished voice, "You want me to work for you? Doing what? You already have a well trained corp of body guards. Far better than I would be. That is my only skill and they would not tolerate me becoming one of them."

Dhiren sighs out, "Forgive me, I didn't explain things well enough. Please sit, I'll explain myself," Dhiren motions over to Alaric's furniture and they both take a seat. "Jessa is beyond worried that she won't be able to deal with the problem at the pass before you accept work with another caravan that doesn't have her in it. She is sickened by the thought that she won't be able to protect you and will lose you. You are vital to her peace of mind and health, Nathan, that was part of the reason I gave you limited access to Silva. I am offering employment as Jessa's bodyguard for as long as you both will allow. I realize that she doesn't need one, but it will allow you to be near her. Also, I will allow you to also work as a guard for the caravan that she gets hired in, that way you both will be able to remain together. That is my main reason for hiring you."

"So you just want me to be by her side, be with her in the same caravan, that's what you are saying?"

"Basically, yes, Jessa would skin me alive if she thought I believed she needed a bodyguard. We both know that she is far better than even I am. But I also need to know that she will be looked after by someone that cares for her. I know you see her as a little sister and she looks to you as a big brother as well as her friend. Some of the guards have looked at and treated her inappropriately. She can and will deal with them, I just want someone that will make sure that there are no further problems when she does."

"Uhhuh, you want someone that will make sure that you are informed when she decides to go through the pass rather than through Silva." Nathan says guessing at the real reason for this generous offer.

Dhiren doesn't even look apologetic at this declaration. He looks Nathan in the eyes and nods, "That's a good part of it, but honestly, Jessa wouldn't do well if she found out that you are killed by the bandits and she wasn't able to do anything about it. Please, I know that we haven't known each other for long, but I'm asking you to take this offer of employment for Jessa's benefit if not your own."

"You really wouldn't mind me working for you and working as a caravan guard at the same time?" Double pay for doing the same work, not something he's likely to ever have offered again.

"Of course not. You would have to be hired as a guard in order to be at her side. She doesn't need guarding and would be upset if you got in her way trying to do your job for me. Just do the job you are hired to do by a caravan master and keep on eye on Jessa like you do when you are hired for the same caravan. That's all."

"And when she decides to go after the bandits?"

"Again, there is little you will be able to do, just do your best to stay alive. Jessa will be devastated if you are killed, but it will be your job to guard the caravan, you will have no choice but to fight." They both know that the likelihood of Nathan surviving isn't good, even with Jessa there.

"If Jessa will accept this arrangement, then I will accept it as well. The chances are that she'll go after the bandits when we are coming from Kyron to Castlerock."

"Yeah, I'll make sure that she doesn't leave here until I do so she'll be going through Silva at that time. My guess is that she'll want to take out the bandits sooner rather than later and so will target them on her return trip back here. When you get to Kyron or if you have time before, go to Frosnak's counting house and ask for her. Tell her you need her special message paper. That paper sends a message to whoever it is intended for and only that person can read the message. To all others it appears blank. As soon as you finish the  message it will come to me.

"I'll have my army waiting about half a day from the pass. If you get the message to me before you enter the pass, hopefully I'll be able to get there in time to help and not just bury the dead."

"You think that Jessa has a chance of actually pulling it off?"

Dhiren looks down at this question, "I don't know. It will depend on a lot of things. How many there are being a huge part of the equation. The other part being what they are."

That makes Nathan confused. "What they are?"

"Not all bandits are the same. For the most part they are human and easily dealt with. But the ones that Jessa has been coming across and the ones that set out to assassinate me or her, we still aren't clear on that one, have been half bloods. Half human and half chromatic dragons. Like the ones she fought just before she made it to Silva that last time. She had fought blue dragon kin. She found it easy, said there was only twenty or so. Had they been human it would have been easy even for the humans to fight, but dragon kin are generally harder to kill, stronger and faster than most humans. There is an army of bandits being made up, are they made up of dragon kin or just humans? 

"A great deal rests on that answer." Dhiren says and looks dejected when he does.

"I'll talk to Jessa before I head out, please, don't go to the hiring court until I have her answer?" Dhiren is all but pleading with Nathan at this time. He knows that if Nathan leaves then Jessa will leave before she's healthy enough to do so as well.

Nathan takes his time to think about it before he nods, "Yes, I don't like her working other caravans. She still doesn't know the reputations of the masters well enough to pass on working with the wrong one. I'll stay with her if she is willing to accept the arrangement, and prince, she will need to know the entire arrangement, that I'll be coming as her guard."

Dhiren sighs in relief, "Of course, if I don't give full disclosure then she'll have my head when she finds out. I won't cause you trouble, Nathan. I will make sure she understands fully what I want to do."

"Very well then, upon her acceptance I accept. Now, I'm just heading out to buy some of the sweet rolls, would you like me to get you one as well?"

Dhiren's eyes light up, "I'd love one, thank you." Dhiren says enthusiastically before the two head off in opposite directions. One to get sweet bread and the other to talk to his sweetheart and hopes that she doesn't get upset with him.