Author's Notes:
The Wood Knot Warrior Part 3 is my contribution to the third Tales of Leinyere Story Event... that never happened.
Continuing the story of Dell du Krane, Eryllis Harrowane, and Kharza.
All characters engaging in sexual relationships or activities are 18 years old or older.
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Tales of Leinyere - The Wood Knot Warrior Part 3
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Chapter 1
Karter du Krane blinked his eyes open as his body clock told him it was time to get up. He'd developed this discipline from years of being the manager of the Wood Knot Inn. He was responsible for keeping the inn and restaurant businesses running smoothly and maintaining the inn's status as a neutral and protected territory for arbitrating territorial or cultural disputes. With Humans, Wood Elves, Dwarves, and Orcs living close to each other, the need for his skills to prevent bloodshed kept him busy.
Thankfully, nobody had been on the warpath in the last month.
He was more relaxed today than six months earlier as his son, Dell, was back in the kitchen. After being abducted by Pixies, then off galivanting to bring justice to the wicked, he'd finally settled back into his favorite role of being their chef.
A smile appeared on his face as he thought of how much of their success was due to his son's incredible talent in the kitchen. Their reputation for delicious meals exceeded most of the high-end culinary establishments in Grennesh. The inn's rustic setting and comfortable atmosphere would never outclass the fine dining restaurants with their glamor. Still, the Wood Knot Inn couldn't be beat for pure satisfaction from an excellent meal.
It tickled him that his competitors up there inside the city's walls were grinding their teeth in frustration as, time after time, they failed to lure Dell away with promises of riches and fame. They'd even tried to poach Dell's team, but Karter paid them well, ensured their families were taken care of, and they loved the atmosphere.
The only issue they faced now was they had more business than tables! The dining room was twice as large as it once had been, but their reputation was attracting even more customers! Thankfully, Dell had the kitchen working like precision-engineered clockwork. His team was brilliant at preparing and serving the meals Dell created. He also had ingredients prepared in advance in the cold cellar should he need to take some time away from the inn. The team was trained to make a wide variety of favorites, so this eased Karter's worries when Dell was away.
The latest addition to their family, Tawna the Pixie Princess, hadn't returned from the Tanglewood yet but Dell said he received the occasional mental touch from her, so she was well. Her connection to his son was another impressive bit of magic. Thankfully, it seemed to do no harm.
He had some appointments in Grennesh, so he pushed himself out of bed to start his day.
It felt good to have his family back.
-=-
"Diced cucumbers would give it a satisfying crunch," Dell said.
"But it has the lettuce and grated carrot for that," Maggie argued. "Does it need more spicy sauce?"
Dell examined the folds, but they seemed to contain the filling without leaks... so far.
He shook his head. "There's enough to enhance the flavor of the chicken pieces without it becoming a drippy mess when eaten."
He'd been trying to teach Maggie his skills as she was his senior assistant in the kitchen, but she seemed to have a block in the creativity side of cooking. She could follow Dell's instructions which made her a good backup for when he was away, but she wouldn't be creating any culinary masterpieces on her own.
"Dell! We have a courier in the lobby looking for a signature! Karter's in the city."
The chef looked toward the kitchen doorway at Hildy, who grinned in delight at seeing him so absorbed in a new creation.
Dell smiled and nodded. "Yes! An impartial test subject!" he said to Maggie, who rolled her eyes.
He quickly tucked his experiment into a paper sleeve and walked to the Inn entrance, where a tall, slim man in a courier's vest stood waiting. The man's cheeks were pink from the late fall cold air.
"Hi, I'm Dell du Krane. You have a delivery?" Dell asked, and the man nodded.
The man pulled an envelope and a clipboard from his pack and looked at the front. "Does a Maevria Stormguard reside at this address?"
"She does," Dell confirmed.
The man held out the board with a sheet of paper on it. "Please add your signature on line ten."
Dell signed the form, and the board went back into the courier's pouch as he handed Dell the envelope.
As the man turned to leave, Dell caught his eye. "Could I ask you for your honest opinion on a new dish I'm contemplating adding to the menu?"
The man looked at Dell in surprise. "My opinion? Uh, I'm on a delivery run, so I don't have much time...."
Dell could see the man was torn as his interest had been piqued by the wonderful scents coming from the kitchen but he was on a deadline.
"Then you're in luck, as this is meant to be eaten while on the go! It will only take a moment," Dell said with a smile and handed the paper sleeve to the man to accept.
"What is it?" the slim man said as he looked closer at the tubular meal in his hand.
"I'm calling it a wrap! The outer layer is unleavened flatbread wrapped and folded around the filling. This one has roast chicken in a spicy sauce with greens. Take a bite and let me know what you think," Dell explained.
The man lifted it to his mouth and took a bite.
His eyebrows rose at the chewy-crispy texture then the spicy sauce reached his tongue, quickly followed by the tangy roast chicken. His eyes closed as his chewing slowed.
Dell grinned as he already knew it was a hit.
When the man finally finished his first bite, his eyes opened, and he looked at Dell. "That's delicious! It conveniently fits in the hand, and the taste is incredible. It's crunchy and tangy, and the outer layer is soft and chewy!"
Dell smiled at the man and saw him reluctantly passing the wrap back.
"No, no! You can have it as thanks for your participation," Dell insisted, watching the courier's face light up. The man raised the treat in his hand in salute and rushed out the door. Dell saw him taking another big bite as he hustled away. Obviously, it would be going on the menu.
He spotted Opphai walk in from the dining room. She'd quickly become an integral part of the team, and her endless cheer lightened the mood of any room she entered. While she was taller and more muscular than Dell, there was no intimidation factor with her as she looked so soft with her fluffy, pointed cat's ears and long, thick braid of hair hanging down her back. Her server's dress lifted her significant breasts to expose the white skin of her cleavage while clinging to her extra generous curves.
"Opphai, could I ask you to bring this upstairs to Maevria!" Dell asked, and the tall, white-skinned female skipped over to Dell to take the envelope with a smile and rushed away.
Dell took a moment to recover from witnessing her chest bouncing so dramatically then walked back into his kitchen with a sigh of satisfaction.
Time to prep for the lunch rush!
-=-
Eryllis was almost back to the inn from her foraging task. Dell mentioned he needed some star crescent mushrooms for a new pasta dish he wanted to try. He said they needed to have a strong umami. This would give the sauce its rich and meaty flavor but distinctly different from his rich meat sauce.
She pulled her coat a little tighter around her as the morning's chill tried to slip inside. Winter seemed to be hurrying to push the last nice fall days away.
She smiled as she recalled something Geneviere Warrick mentioned to her in her last letter regarding the bitter bite of winter. While they hadn't had the opportunity to meet face to face yet, they'd become pen pals, writing letters to each other. That began with her thank you note for the two-wheeled cart the woman gifted her as compensation for her late brother's false claim against them. She'd been surprised by the letter that returned a week later from the woman, but she'd been charmed by the sincerity of her words and responded in kind with her own letter.
They'd tried to find an opportunity to meet in person, but their individual schedules kept this from happening. Geneviere was now the head of the Warrick household, and as such, the first families of Grennesh pulled her into their not-so-secret cabal. They were the unofficial rulers of society in the city, and the Warricks maintained a vote in this council. While her elder brother lusted for this, Geneviere found it most tedious.
Luckily, Geneviere had a brilliant mind and navigated these meetings without becoming entangled in their intrigue. She also managed to redirect their efforts toward more beneficial goals when their thirst for control led them toward darker paths.
On the few occasions Geneviere had been available, Eryllis was pulled away to handle some crisis.
She sighed, and her breath steamed.
She shifted the heavy basket on her arm. It was late in the season, so she was lucky to find what she did. Being such an expert forager, she'd filled the basket, but she was certain those were the last for the year.
As she climbed up the steps and walked in the front door, she inhaled the wonderous scents from the kitchen, and her stomach grumbled at being empty. She smiled as Dell was back where he belonged.
She'd recovered from his abduction, and they'd reaffirmed their love many times since then, so her mood was much lighter. Her temper was taking a well-deserved vacation.
She wondered how Kharza was enjoying her wilderness training with Ket. She shook her head with wonder as the idea of trying that with her two-year-old, Jessa, was ridiculous. Orc children grew up so much quicker.
Eryllis was crossing the bar and saw Dell leaving the kitchen in haste.
"What's wrong?" she asked as she moved to join him.
He smiled and kissed her, and this eased her worry. He took the basket from her and set it on a nearby table as he guided her towards the stairs.
"Nothing's wrong. I just got a touch from Tawna. She's coming for a visit. There was a sense of... anticipation?" he explained.
They climbed the stairs and walked into their bedroom.
