Free Warden (Book 2: Lure of the Lamia) by Kevin Hardman

as she returned his kiss with passion and abandon.
    “You are really a mystery to me, Errol Magnus,” she said, when they separated a few moments later. “Earlier, when I’m at my prettiest, I almost have to force myself on you. Now, while I’m covered in grime, you insist on kissing me. I suppose if I fall into the pigpen and come up covered in muck, you’ll ask me to marry you.”
    “Assuming I can pick you out from the other denizens of the pen.”
    She punched him playfully in the stomach, and he danced away laughing as she menacingly picked up her shovel.
    “Go,” she said. “Get back to the Station House before it gets too dark. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
    Despite the threat of the shovel, he managed to steal one more kiss before departing with a huge grin on his face. He was halfway back to the Station House before he realized that he’d been happily whistling since leaving the Beverly farm.

 
    Chapter 10
     
    Errol went through his typical routine the next morning, trying to ignore the palpable sensation of excitement in the air. Everyone was keyed up over the fact that the troupe would begin performances that day.
    Naturally, however – being a farming community – chores still came first in Stanchion. Thus, even with visitors coming in from nearby wards, not a lot was expected to happen before early evening. But that still didn’t keep everyone from talking about it.
    Nevertheless, after completing his rounds, Errol meandered slowly back to the area that had been designated for the troupe’s use; as usual, when people were in a celebratory mood, there was always the potential for things to get out of hand: jealous rages, drunken brawls, etc. Thus, he’d be serving in a peacekeeping capacity for the most part, making sure things stayed civil. However, it meant that this would be a long day for him; although he wouldn’t have to stay until the last performance, he would be here well after the time he’d normally have turned in for the night.
    Fortunately, the evening progressed without anything untoward happening. Although there were lots of unfamiliar faces – visitors from neighboring communities – everyone proved to be on their best behavior.
    The area provided for the troupe’s use was a flat, open area often used for community picnics. Although very much near the center of town, it wasn’t too far from the river (so there was a source of fresh water) and sat on the edge of the forest.
    Anru and Miabi’s performers were lively and engaging. Anru, for instance, put on an amazing display of strength – lifting extreme weights, bending metal bars barehanded, and the like. Sharn showed rare skill with the bow, shooting arrows through tiny rings, using them to snuff out candles, etc. All in all, the entertainment was everything the crowd could have hoped for.
    In addition, the male members of the troupe tried to charm the local girls with flowers and sleight-of-hand involving cheap jewelry. Likewise, their female counterparts flirted brazenly with the Stanchion boys, trying to get them to participate in games of skill. (In fact, Errol saw Miabi’s daughter Sharn – when she wasn’t performing – chatting animatedly with various guys on no less than three different occasions, including the mayor’s son, Chad Sterillo).
    Things went so smoothly that Errol even had time to spend a few minutes with Gale. Sadly, she was having a “girls’ night” with about a half-dozen of her friends, and refused to let him pry her away from them for long. However, she did let Errol sneak a kiss, and made sure to let him see that she was wearing the bracelet he’d given her.
    There were actually only two instances that Errol found noteworthy through the course of the evening. The first was when he found Baro conducting his knife-throwing game. Immediately furious, Errol had stomped over to the man’s booth, practically ready to throttle him. Surprisingly, Baro had greeted him with a smile and asked