“Where did you get this?” she asked quietly. “Lawless said something about your dad’s sword.”

Terry sighed. He didn’t want to go over all of it. There was too much. He decided to tell the better part of the story.

“My father was on the Natchez Trace trying to track down some yokels from Smith County. They’d been finding elven caravans that used the Trace and robbing or looting them.”

He looked at her.

“They don’t like the interstate, ya know?”

She nodded so he continued.

“Well, when he found them they’d already killed one of the guards. I say guards, but they were just custodians. They were unarmed and complete pacifists.”

It was Terry’s turn to watch the rain as it fell behind Delores. He tried to picture the scene in his mind’s eye. He’d heard it enough that it wasn’t that hard for him. The autumn leaves, the wooden cart and horse. The red blood of an elf on pavement. A beat up Dodge blocking them, the road full of hillbillies. His father standing there with just his old steel broad sword.

“My dad managed to subdue the yokels and bind them. He was calling for a van to come pick them up when one of the elves approached him.”

Terry smiled but he felt sad. He’d never gotten to hear these from his dad or his mom. Tonight it was hitting him harder than usual. Probably Lawless's casual mentions of people he'd never known.

“They wanted to reward him for saving them. He refused. He’d let one of them die, he said. He didn’t deserve it. But they insisted and gave him this sword. He was mesmerized by the blade and the jewels in the hilt. It looked just like it does now.”

He looked at Delores and she had her elbows on the table with her chin in her palms. She seemed very interested.

“When he looked up to thank them they had vanished. You know how elves are.”

He shrugged.

“All we know is the sword is enchanted. It tends to surprise me when I least expect it. Like today with the gargouille. I think it’s done that once before in the eleven years I’ve had it.”

He leaned with his forearms on the table and hung his head between his shoulders. He closed his eyes. The energy he'd felt from the healing fled from him and he felt worn.

“I am so tired, D.”

He felt her hand on his forearm, but didn’t look up.

“You really are something, you know that? Forget the physical feats. YOU are something.” she said.

His head whipped up as he heard the sound of a scooter motor through the rain. He saw a headlight snap off in the darkness and in a second he was standing. The grip on the sword extended to fit both his hands. He caught the movement of Delores jumping up and taking on a weird battle stance.

“I WARNED YOU!” Terry shouted over the rain at the shape he saw running toward them.

As soon as it hit the light Terry slammed his sword blade into the ground. Elton Beasley stopped dead at the sight. Terry looked down at it, and realized he’d plunged the blade into the concrete foundation. Elton snapped his gaze back to Terry.

“Found you! Finally!” he said as he unstrapped something from his back.

“What are you doing here, Elton.” Terry asked in exasperation. His muscles burned from the sudden movements.

Elton pulled the object around so Terry could get a good look at it. The pudgy bard smiled.

“You didn’t even take any spoils!”

Terry looked warily at the shield. It was a medium sized kite shield, he thought. It was a deep red with a white cross on it. The inverse of his own tabard and the colors of Robert Lawless. There was a round section cut in the center of the top.

“I don’t want ‘spoils’ Elton. I don’t want anything from that town or that man.”

He looked out at the rain and sighed.

“I’m not going to send you back out into that tonight, but as soon as it slacks up you need to go.”

Elton had a smile on his face as he laid the shield on one of the picnic tables. He dropped down to one knee and placed his right hand to his chest. As he spoke, Terry’s eyebrows tried to climb into his hairline.

“Terry Lingal. I, Elton Beasley, vow to follow you on your journey. I will chronicle your deeds and share your tales as a hero. From this day forth I am your humble servant and retainer by the Order of St. George the Dragon Slayer, from this day forth, I am your Troubadour.”

Neither Terry nor Delores said anything for quite a while. Terry just stared down at Elton who looked up at him looking satisfied. Delores looked between both of them. She broke the silence first.

“We can ditch him in Petal.”

Terry strode forward and, grabbing Elton under the arm, dragged him to his feet.

“Up. Get UP! NEVER kneel before me. Do you understand?”

Once he was on his feet, Elton stepped back from him.

“Uh, sure. N-not a problem.”

Terry walked back to the picnic table by Delores and sat down hard. He hung his head and shook it.

“I can’t ditch him now.”

“What?” she asked. “Why not?”

He looked up at her, trying to tamp down his anger. He was too tired to hang onto it now anyway. He was too tired to fight this.

“As a knight,” he said slowly, “I can’t force him to break that oath. Only if my vows are broken or one of us is excommunicated.”

Delores stared daggers at Elton.

“He told me to choose my knights better. Sue me.” He said.

“That,” she said, “was a dirty trick. Especially for someone that let a bunch of knights terrorize a town.”

Elton’s smile finally dropped. A pained expression crossed his face. He looked at Terry.

“Do you want to tell her or should I?”

Terry nodded.

“D, a Troubadour is to follow a knight and write their chronicles. They are NOT to interfere unless the public is directly in danger. Even then they are sworn to pacifism. All they can do is watch.”

Elton nodded.

“What I COULD do though, is write a bizarrely specific invitation to Hilochita hoping that an idealistic young knight would show up and hopefully get rid of Robert Lawless. I’d say my plan paid off in spades.”

Terry smirked.

“I’m not going to lie. That was pretty smart. Working around your oaths and limitations like that.”

“Thank you!”

Terry’s face became serious. He knew the effect it had on people sometimes.

“Elton, can I trust you?”

Elton placed his hand back on his chest. His expression suddenly pained.

“I know I’m not the greatest guy in the world or anything. I'm a coward at heart, but I hold to my vows.”

He grinned again. This time an open one.

“Besides. You’re the first Errant Apprentice or Knight Errant I’ve met that might actually deserve to be chronicled. If I can help in any way, I will.”

Terry felt like he was going to fall asleep right there. He looked up to Delores who met his gaze and shrugged.

“As long as we don’t have to pay for his food.”

“OH! I have sooooo got that covered!” Elton said. “Let me go get my stuff.”

With that he ran back into the pouring rain to bring his scooter under the awning.

Still looking at Delores, Terry sighed.

“It hasn’t even been twenty minutes and I already wish it was just you and me again.”