Chapter 35: Matchmaking

 Augustine: Song weaver, self-proclaimed Life Skiller. Brings people together with the power of good food. 

After we showed Ariknol the picture of Dru, he got this gobsmacked look on his face, that I can only describe as dreamy. So, we managed to get him to her cave. He is strutting around like someone half, no, three times younger than what he is. I can see that he is righting his trimmed beard every so often, and taking the time to slick back his hair. 

"I think they'll hit it off," I say, and Dean nods. 

"Yes, well, he could have taught us a thing or two," I swat him over the head. Ariknol turns to look our way. 

"Using violence is never the answer," he says, and all nod along. He is just about to begin telling us about the good old days, for the nth time this evening, when Dru comes running out of her chamber.

She is wearing a lovely fluffy white dress with enough lace to pass off as a wedding dress. Her white hair is held up by a red ribbon. When she sees Ariknol, she bats her eyelashes. 

"Hello, there, handsome. You are just in time for dinner," she says, loud enough for the old man to hear her. Then, she turns towards me. "Tine, with me. You will be a kitchen helper tonight." 

I get her plan then, and think it is a good one. If there is anything that can get Ariknol to fall even more head over heels for Dru, it is good food. 

"I have this lovely recipe..." I begin, but she narrows her eyes at me. 

"Kitchen helper, Tine. I already have the recipe," she tells me, as she moves to me, and takes a hold of my elbow. "Come on." 

Dru tugs me towards the kitchen, and I don't argue. This is her chance to get someone to warm her bed, not my chance to shine. 

There are potatoes on the table, and I take a peeler, and begin to peel them. 

"Oh, how do I look?" Dru asks, as she puts on an apron. 

"Like you are ready to marry the man. Do you like him, Dru?" I ask her, as I place a potato in the bowl. 

"Where did you find someone this muscular, at his age?" She asks, as she takes a rack of pork ribs, and begins to rub them in marinate. 

"The bowling arena," I say, and wonder just what is she going to cook up. "It was Dean's idea." 

"Oh, I love bowling. Do you think that, if I make an arena in my cave, we can play together?" She asks, and I nod energetically. 

"We will come by between the quests. You can count on that. Now, focus, Dru. You have a man to enchant," I tell her, as I go back to peeling the potatoes. 

Dru's idea for a meal is grilled pork ribs, and mashed potatoes with fresh green onions and sour cream with mushrooms. All in all, something that won't require that much of chewing. When we are done with the food, I go out of the kitchen, and wave the rest of my party over. 

"Come on, we have to set the table," I tell them. Ariknol gets up too. "Not you, sir. All of us will..." 

"What, are you calling me old now?" The man asks, scrunching up his nose. "I can't let the lovely woman serve me a meal, all by herself!" 

"Ah, the things he could have taught us," Dean sighs again. Atha does us all a favor, and tugs at the incubus's ear. 

"We are telling you on Dru, if you make one more remark about this," Atha tells him with an evil grin. 

"I meant respect and manners. He is already the grandpa of the family," Dean says, but no one buys it. Well, except for Ariknol. He just nods, and pats himself on the chest. 

"Yes, I'll take you all under my wings. Don't you worry. Now, let us make a good impression, ok?" The old man says, and, with an agility his white hair doesn't hint at, he makes it into the kitchen. 

Dru and Ariknol levitate around each other, so they brush around each other. Every time that Dru would pass through the door, Ariknol would step to the side, and, if his hands are free, would make a sweeping motion that doesn't fail to make her giggle. 

We all sit down at the table, with enough food in our plates to feed at least three more of us, and dig in. Ariknol takes a bite from the mashed potatoes, after dipping them in the mushroom sauce, and then sighs heavily. 

"Beauty, brains, and now good in the kitchen. Be still, my heart," he says, and Dru giggles at that. 

"Ari, what do you do for a living?" Dru asks him. 

"I used to be a stone mason, but I am retired," he says, as he takes a pork rib. His eyes don't leave hers, as he takes a bite out of it. I decide to busy myself with the food, and not think about what the grandmother and grandfather of the party will do tonight. The only thing I hope for them, is that Ariknol has been to the apothecary recently.  

When the dinner is eaten, Dru shoos us out of her dungeon in a hurry, and we gather before the entrance. 

"So," Vincent says. I can see that he is slightly confused, and more than a little disturbed. 

"They hit it off," Dean proclaims, as he takes Allan into his arms. "Allan, I do believe that we owe you a date." 

"How did you go from Dru, to Allan?" Atha asks. 

"Allan is constantly on my mind," Dean says, as he kisses Allan's forehead. 

"We need to take a quest tomorrow," Atha reminds him. Huh, is he jealous about the closeness between Dean and Allan? To me, it is something normal. But what of him? 

"Tine, come on, we need to go to sleep, before your parents begin to worry," Allan says. Mentally, I do a whoop of joy. Allan might be flustered, and this could be the only reason for the slip up, but he is calling me by a pet name, and not Dean. I smirk at Dean, whose eyes narrow at me.