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His skill at arms has remained as well, though nothing like it had been while the Fire had taken control. He practices with Illan and the rest, and they say he’s one of the best swordsmen they’ve ever crossed blades with.

It wasn’t long after he recovered that the Fire had gone into hiding. He purchased a small iron chest and had Miko place the Fire within. Now, only James knows exactly where it’s hidden. He snuck out one night with the chest and buried it.

After swallowing a piece of the tuber, he asks Jiron, “How soon will Delia be back? I used the last of the crystals.” Delia, with the funds the ten gems Jiron acquired back in the underground complex, had bought a couple wagons and begun the life of a trader.

Having had a taste of it during their sojourn through the Empire, she decided that’s what she wants to do now that they’re back. Unable to gainsay her, he handed over the gems. The pit fighters had all agreed to hire on with her as caravan guards, once Jiron had finished talking with them about it.

“Should be any day,” he replies. “She had to go all the way to Cardri to get your money from Thelonius.”

“I know,” he says. He gave her a letter from Alexander, the money lender here in Trendle, for his brother asking him to relinquish James’ money. Only way he could’ve done it without the letter was to go all the way there himself. And Delia was more than happy to do it, for a small fee of course.

Alexander had been more than happy to advance him some money to set up The Ranch and to begin construction. Which brings him to his next problem, he needs to somehow generate a steady flow of income for The Ranch. All these mouths to feed, not to mention any and all supplies he’s going to need, will cost many golds. Plus he understands there’s a property tax due to the town at the beginning of the year. How is he going to afford all this?

One thing at a time. He needs to get the crystals to hold magic. Where the Fire lies now is not going to be good enough forever and for what he has planned, he needs the crystals to secure the Fire forever.

Tasting the fried chicken, he turns to Ezra and says, “Perfect, as always.” She beams as the others at the table offer their appreciation as well. James has realized that she needs him to make some comment about every meal to her. It was during the second dinner she had fixed that he failed to say whether it was good or not. The next day, she was more subdued and he could see that she was troubled by something. He asked Roland what was wrong and he said that she felt he didn’t like her cooking. Of course, he immediately went to her and told her he did, which improved her mood immensely.

“It’s just that she’s insecure and wants to please,” Roland told him. “After a while, she’ll know you like it and it won’t matter if you say anything. Just try to make some comment during every meal, no matter how small, for the next week or so.”

He had no problem with that, she really was a great cook.

Outside, a rooster crows from the makeshift coop they threw together out back. Ezra now has dozens of hens and two roosters she has to keep separated or they’ll fight each other. Fresh eggs in the morning and fried chicken once a week is reward enough for putting up with them.

“What do you plan to do now?” Illan asks.

“I still have the crystal I originally found,” he replies. “I’ll probably just study it until Delia shows up with more, though I don’t want to risk it. There may be something about it that I’m not seeing, which makes it different than the others.”

“Could be,” he says. “By the way, I’m going to take the boys out and do some hunting in the forest. See if we can’t lay in some supplies.”

“Not a bad idea,” agrees James.

The sound of a rider approaching the house can be heard before they finish their meal. Illan gestures for Yern to go and see who it is.

From the front room, they hear him call out, “It’s Shorty.”

James gets up and heads for the front door. As he enters the front room he asks, “Is he by himself?