Page 11 of The Timeless Vigilante

Hiker nodded. “Yes, it will be in three days, on the morning of the new moon. That gives you just enough time to prepare, doing the standard Dragon Elite trainings. Sophia will take the lead on that.” He turned to his second-in-command. “Run her through the combat and mental exercises. Get her equipped with proper armor and a weapon. Ensure that she’s ready when her dragon hatches so that they can start rider training promptly.”

Gen’s heart raced, making her feel it might explode. She coughed on a breath. “I can’t believe this is happening…”

Hiker looked directly at her, a serious expression in his wise, timeless eyes. “Believe it. You’re one of us now. Welcome to the Dragon Elite.”

CHAPTER NINE

THE HOUSEKEEPER’S TALE

Dining Hall, The Castle, The Gullington, Scotland, United Kingdom

The long table in the dining hall of the Castle was set with plates, cutlery, napkins and goblets for at least two dozen people. However, only Gen, Quiet and Mahkah sat at the far end. There were several covered dishes sitting in the middle of the table, but Gen didn’t make for them, even though the savory aromas were very inviting.

Quiet was seated, ironically very silent, simply glaring at his empty plate, like willing food to magically appear. Mahkah seemed nervous, checking over his shoulder at the large double doors of the dining hall, looking for Sophia. She’d had to stay back in Hiker’s office to have a meeting with him—apparently about this Commissioner of Los Angeles. The three sat quite awkwardly, none of them very good at small talk.

They were stationed in the huge dining hall which was as grand as every part of the Castle that Gen had seen thus far. The ceiling was over thirty feet high with wrought-iron chandeliers. The old stone walls were adorned with armor and weapons, each with a story to tell from the history books. The room seemed to hold the ghost of festive dinners and parties through the centuries, but currently the huge space was still and mostly unoccupied.

“Oh, good, you’re all sitting around in uncomfortable silence. I’m more than happy to join you and make things even more tense. I love a good awkward moment,” a woman said, breezing in through the large doors. She had a thick Irish accent and long red hair that flowed down her slender back. Over her bony frame, she wore a beautiful blue dress that brushed the stone floors as she made her way for the far side of the table, where the three sat.

The woman who Gen realized at once was an elf, based on her pointy ears and features, paused beside her, smiling elegantly. “You must be the reason that my husband is stomping around and raving mad. I’m so very happy to make your acquaintance. You’ve started off on the right note, in my book.”

Gen blinked at the strange woman who seemed a little wacky but then also very refined. It was a bizarre combination. “Your husband is Hiker Wallace? And you’re glad that I’ve made him angry?”

“Very much so,” the woman said, pulling out the chair next to Gen and taking a seat. “It’s not a hard job to make that man mad, but you seem really well equipped for it. I haven’t seen him this angry…well, since S. Beaufont showed up.” She threw her head back, laughing. “He was expecting a Shawn or a Steven when he heard an S. Beaufont was joining the Dragon Elite. There hadn’t been a rider in a century. And in pops this sweet and beautiful woman named Sophia. He nearly lost his mind. It was devilishly brilliant to watch.”

Gen glanced across the table at Mahkah and then Quiet, her expression begging the question on her mind, which was, “What the hell is going on here?”

Quiet glanced up from his plate, looking straight at the woman. He muttered something, but again Gen couldn’t make it out.

The woman laughed. “Oh, I remember how you rearranged his office, downsizing him due to his bad attitude. That was also incredibly entertaining to watch.”

Mahkah cleared his throat, offering Gen a polite smile. “This is Ainsley and as she said, she’s Hiker’s wife and lives here at the Gullington.”

“Oh, are you a dragonrider?” Gen asked.

Ainsley laughed, again seeming amused by all of this. “Heavens no. I was the housekeeper for the Castle for the better part of two hundred years.”

Quiet mumbled something, his eyes intently on the covered dish with steam seeping out the side, like begging to be let loose.

Ainsley nodded at him. “I was a great housekeeper because I knew how to handle you and your moods. A bit like how I can handle the angry leader of the Dragon Elite.” She glanced at Gen. “And before I lost my memory and my mind and was reduced to menial labor and babysitting a grumpy man and his dirty crew of dragonriders, I was a diplomat for the Elfin Council. I’ve since returned to that job, but only part time since the Dragon Elite has evolved under the encouragement of S. Beaufont, also known as Sophia. If it were up to my husband, we’d still be living in the dark ages.”

Quiet spoke, his mouth moving but no sounds coming out.

Ainsley nodded. “It is because of Soph that we have electricity in the Castle. That woman brought us into the twenty-first century.” The elf glanced at Gen. “Speaking of which, I understand you’re from the medieval era. When’s about?”

“If you can believe it, I left there last week and it was 1426,” Gen answered.

“I can believe it,” Ainsley sang good naturedly. “Time is a funny, little thing with doors all over the place.”

“Right,” Gen said, glad that this wasn’t confusing to the woman. “Anyway, I was born in 1406.”

Ainsley nodded. “A bit before my time. I, like Hiker, was born in the 16th century. I’m from Ireland, of course. He’s from, well, the wrong side of the bed.” She laughed again.

“Oh, I don’t mean to pry, but that makes you both well over five hundred years old?—”

“Five hundred and fifty something to be exact,” Ainsley interrupted Gen with a snicker.

“Right,” Gen said, drawing out the word, thinking that the housekeeper sniffed too many chemicals during her time cleaning the Castle. She knew about these pungent chemical cleaning aids since her time living in the shiny and squeaky clean Beaufont condominium.

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