“Right. Still a big scary fucker though. And this is just the plains now. We ain’t supposed to call it neutral. I suppose you’re claiming this place as your own then?”
Dorian looked as bewildered as Hadrian felt. Maybe this was some kind of rebel shorthand he just didn’t understand. But why were they talking about the general? The men behind Ash seemed to be losing interest in their conversation and were now staring out across the field and talking quietly about places by the river.
“Ash,” Dorian said slowly. “What is going on?”
“Whatya mean?”
“I mean, I just told you I was healed by a mage and you are not attacking me or the mage. Why?”
“Well that would be a stupid reason to attack ya in the first place, Dorian. But Valen would have our heads if we attacked a mage out here for nothin’. Said so last night when he gave his big speech with Markious about the war being over. He’s lettin’ us take over the old farms if we keep peaceful, though. So I’m keepin’ peaceful.”
Dorian looked like he’d been hit in the head. Hadrian felt like he was having as much trouble keeping up as poor Ash.
“The war’s over?” Hadrian finally asked in wonder. Ash spared him a look—a dirty look—but didn’t answer.
“Ash?” Dorian said.
“What?”
“Is the war over?”
“I done said that. Didn’t you hear the speeches last night?”
“I’ve been here, Ash. I’ve been here for days.”
“Oh, yeah. Well, that makes sense. You missed all the fun. Half of Eldora has been drunk since the sun went down. Not us though. We wanted to get here and find something good.”
“You’re only up because I threw a bucket on you, Ash,” one of the men said.
“Shut up,” Ash said without turning away. “So does that mean you aren’t taking this place then?” The other men perked up at that and started to walk back.
“I am,” Dorian said loudly. “It is already claimed.”
“Pfft. Figures,” Ash waved a hand at the other men. “What’s the point in gettin’ up early if all the good stuff’s already taken? I told you we should have taken that place up north, but nooo. You idiots wanted a better barn.” He stopped and turned back to Dorian. “You outta let Leeam know you ain’t dead. He’s been real torn up about it since he got back to town. Wouldn’t even come out and claim a farm or nothin’.”
Dorian nodded, and the men made their way down the dirt path away from the house.
“I don’t understand,” Hadrian said as he watched them disappear at the end of the field. He felt like he was going crazy.
“The war is over,” Dorian said quietly.
“But it can’t be. Can it?”
“Ashfin is one of the simplest men I have ever met, but he is a rule follower. If the war wasn’t over, he never would have stood there with a mage in his sights and done nothing. The others too. I… believe them,” he said in wonder. “The war is over.” He turned back to look at Hadrian and smiled. Then he looked at the house. “And I think I just claimed this farm.”
“Did you…” Hadrian stopped and tried to sort out his thoughts. He was having trouble holding on to anything, standing there looking at Dorian smiling at him. He felt lightheaded. “Do you want to stay here?” he finally managed.
Dorian laughed. “Yes.”
“Do you want to stay here with me? Do you want me to stay here? Us, I mean. Do you want us?”
“What? Of course I do—”
“I just thought maybe now that there was an option… I mean you could go home now, right? It’s all different now. Youcould have a farm, just like your family. You could do anything really now—”
Dorian cupped his face in both of his big hands and pulled his eyes up to meet his.
“Hadrian,” he said softly, still smiling. “I want to live on this stupid little farm. I want to plant stupid carrots and harvest stupid apples and fix the stupid roof. I want that so much my heart sings for it. But none of this is worth a damn without you. I would burn it all to the ground for the chance to have a future with you in a mud hole. Any future. Anywhere. As long as you are there.”
