So he settled for the quickest possible scrubbing he could manage, fresh clothes, and a quick meal of bread, cheese, and olives before he went first to Pitambar's house, and then Minali's to tell them that all was well, though Euclid was injured and exhausted from defending the forest and would be resting for several days.
After that, he went to the fairgrounds, where everyone had gathered after he'd discovered the flame ogre.If the worst had come to pass, Euclid would have come here and whisked everyone away to his caves.
Though they were all alarmed to hear that Euclid had been so wounded he'd be resting for several days, most of them seemed relieved to hear that Dipak was his second-in-command and capable of managing everything in his absence.Though he never said anything about being Euclid's lover, he could see on many faces they'd picked it up for themselves.
Once he'd arranged for food, bedding, and everything else they needed, with promises he'd see they all made it safely home the next day, hefinallywas able to return home.Taking a more leisurely bath, soaking a bit to ease his soreness, he shrugged into a robe but didn't bother to belt it.He made a better meal from the offerings in Euclid's extensive pantry, then at long last climbed into bed, settled against Euclid's side, and almost immediately fell asleep.
Chapter Fourteen
So far, Euclid had slept five days.Given that he hadn't slept properly for years, and had just fought a fucking ogre, breaking a leg in the process, and then bonded Dipak immediately after… Well, if he slept for less than two weeks, Dipak would be astonished.
Being mated to a dragon was…strange, but not unpleasant.He'd cut himself preparing fish the other day, and the wound had healed all on its own.He could feel Euclid's presence in his mind, a soft awareness at the back of his thoughts, ebbing and flowing as Euclid occasionally dreamed.
He was stronger, faster, all his senses were improved.He was hungrier and ate a great deal more, which might be a problem long term as he definitely had not built his winter stores with that in mind, but it also might ease again as the changes fully settled.
Best of all, perhaps, he could see colors better.Still not as brightly as before he'd changed his eyes, but definitely brighter.It was easy to forget, most of the time, just how vivid and beautiful the world could be.
Across the forest, everyone had settled back into their day-to-day lives, the entire nightmare barely more than a few days of being scared and disrupted, the best possible outcome for such a problem.He'd received a note from Abhishek that all was well and people were still yammering at him incessantly, but it seemed as though the forest would indeed be left alone from now on.
So all that remained were the ordinary matters and odd problems of the forest.He divided his time between cleaning up the old mill place for Abhishek, hunting for whatever people needed, and managing all the trading as best he could.Thankfully, most people were content to wait for anything not urgent until Euclid was awake.It would take Dipak a long time to learn all the nuances of his system.
He also fielded many,manycurious questions about how he'd become Euclid's lover when he had always been rather clear about preferring his solitude.Dipak wasn't remotely surprised that Pitambar wasn't the only one to have tried for a deeper relationship.
All he could offer was the truth: he was more surprised than anyone that Euclid would settle for him.
When he wasn't working at nearly all hours, he was resting.Sometimes with Euclid, but often he stayed in the front room, buried in a pile of pillows and blankets in front of the large stove.
On the sixth day, Euclid muttered in his sleep, the only sound he'd made in all that time.Maybe he'd wake sooner than the two week mark after all.Stubborn dragon.
Dipak retrieved and delivered various goods, then had lunch with Minali."I think we'll have snow before the day is out."
"I agree," she said, setting a bowl of rabbit stew and a large mug of spiced wine in front of him before taking her seat with the same."I'm glad we don't have to worry about rebuilding homes or anything, because I think it will be a long, especially bitter winter.The last few have been mild, and autumn passed by rather quickly."
"Yes, I think you have the right of it.Truly fortunate that the problem was resolved quickly, if not easily, though more easily honestly than I ever dared hope.Despite everything, we seem even better off than when we started."
"Better than ever with you here," she said quietly."I never felt as though we were lacking, our strange little scattered family of the forest, but then you arrived, and suddenly many things improved.The forest definitely wants you here."
Dipak lifted one shoulder."I'm glad to hear it, though I don't think I do anything terribly remarkable.Hunting is no small skill, I've learned that over the years, though I was cavalier about it growing up, but I wouldn't say it's terribly remarkable either."
"It's more than that, though.Yes, I enjoy that I can now have rabbit or deer or whatever else I want just by asking," Minali said with a smile."Euclid is different with you here, in all the best ways.Also you've somehow got all of us communicating more, when before we were perfectly content to speak almost exclusively with and through Euclid.But I've exchanged multiple letters lately, and I'm looking forward to spring when you and Euclid set to work devising easier ways for all of us to safely travel.I'm not sure any of us would have thought of that before you came along.The forest is dangerous, we stay where we are, with rare exception for the meetups.Yet now we talk of walking all about."
"I think that's circumstance more than me, but if everyone thinks my presence is a good thing, then I'm content.Thank you for lunch.It's nice to sit down to something I didn't have to make first.This stew is delicious."
Minali laughed, looking pleased."Always nice to have someone else enjoy my cooking.I stopped being impressed by it a long time ago."
They lapsed into more idle conversation about the forest and trading, and he was just helping tidy up after lunch when the snow began to fall.A gentle, almost lazy fall, thankfully."You're good on firewood?"
"Oh, yes, I take care of that the very second everything thaws out, so I get it done all the sooner each spring, give it plenty of time to dry out.Been chopping my own wood since my father thought I was old enough to manage it safely," Minali replied."He would have loved this forest, and my mother too.Died in the plague, unfortunately."
"I'm sorry."
Minali smiled softly."Thank you.Anything you need from me, before you get on with your day, Hunter?Food for the hunt?I've plenty of stew left over."
Dipak hesitated, then made himself ask before he lost his nerve."Actually, I have an unusual and…rather personal request, or at least question."
Her brows rose."Intriguing."
"Your piercings, did you do those yourself?"