Dart's mind reeled and he scrambled to find an answer for the red headed girl who was practically begging him to travel with her. His heart pounded in his chest, screaming at him for not immediately accepting the offer she put forth. The offer to travel the world was something he had been dreaming about since he was a young boy. His head, however, still had reservations. Leaving meant leaving his mother alone, and it meant leaving everything he knew quite suddenly. 

But this is the daughter of the Mother, D'Artagnan. She would be able to provide for mother better than you ever could working in a dockside tavern… 

"W-we could g-g-go s-s-see M-mother t-t-tonight," he stuttered, hardly believing what his lips were saying when his mind was still not sure if this was the best plan of action. His heart rabbited a thousand leagues a minute. "I t-think if w-w-we explain it t-t-to her t-t-together that she w-w-will be m-m-more understanding," he replied. 

He looked around and realized that the crowd was beginning to disperse and there was still quite the mess to clean up. "I-I m-m-must g-g-get this all c-c-cleaned up f-f-for closing. I'll a-a-apply f-f-for my m-month's w-w-wages and then w-w-we will go," he told her as he stood up again, a massive grin on his face. 

He was practically skipping about the bar as he wiped down tables and collected mugs and plates with the other servers, correcting chairs as he went. He was tasked with the dish washing while the girls all tended to the sweeping, and Dart washed with vigor, his hands red from the hot sudsy water, practically soaking his sleeves as he plunged to his elbows in the suds. Once or twice he nearly cut his hands open from the knives in the wash basin in his rush to leave the platters and utensils sparkling. 

He could hardly wrap his mind around the fact that in the morning he was going to be traveling around the realm as the protector of one of the Daughters of Earth. He glanced out of the kitchen at the girl who was still waiting for him at the bar, and felt himself blush again. Of all the people she could have chosen as her companion that had been there in the tavern that night, she chose him. He felt both honored and humbled. Surely she could have picked a great champion, someone who had been out in the world and completed many great deeds. But she had picked him. 

He was still thinking this as he emptied the dish basin and leaned it against the fire place to dry for the night, and went to hang up his apron. His wages were pressed into his hand by his employer, and he faltering explained that he would not be returning the next night to work, that he would be in fact, traveling starting the next morning, and he apologized for the suddenness of his leaving. The man merely laughed, clapped Dart on the back and heartily said he would be glad to take Dart on again when he was done with this bout of foolishness and wished him a good night. 

He was used to these kinds of remarks, but they still stung a bit. All was forgotten, however, when he went back out into the dining room and approached Foxglove. 
"All r-r-ready. Sh-shall w-w-we?" he asked, offering her his arm as he turned towards the door.

If it was alright to scream and dance around a tavern like a moron she would have. His words brought happiness to her as her ivy green eyes light up like bright wisp lights. “Don’t worry I can help explain it! I’m sure if I explain that I am her daughter that everything will be fine. She will be well taken care of I promise.” She was trying to stop herself from bounding around the room as she fiercely bounced on her toes with excitement. 

The redhead continued to bounce around on her toes as she watched for young Dart to finish up. She talked with the tavern owner who was all too familiar with the redhead’s mother. He even went as far as to ask the girl to tell Angela to pay up on her daughters’ tavern bill but it just made him laugh. She nodded and told him that she would make sure that the Mother would find out.

She squealed a bit as she bounded to him and took his arm. “Yes! I am ready! I am so happy that I get to do this with you!” Her voice was full of squeals and excitement as she almost snuggled into his shoulder. Blushing she looked up at him and smirked. “We’ll have to explain this to my mother in person.” She blushed a bit and looked away. “I.. I have something to tell you in private and it has to be in absolute private. I mean it! No one can know this but you.” He would be the one who guarded her mother’s most kept secret, her.

Dart couldn't help but laugh slightly at her excitement and exuberance to be traveling with him. He hoped that she didn't change her mind about him in a couple days. He already felt dizzy with the idea of traveling with her, but in a good way. His face turned red again as she practically snuggled against his harm as they walked out of the tavern and down the darkening streets. Lamp lighters were about their duty, bringing to life the street sentinels  that lit the pathways after dark. He was grateful it was so dark, however, for she couldn't see the full range of his blush when she mentioned going and tell her mother their plan personally. She was certainly putting him on the spot fast. 

She certainly isn't giving me the opportunity to bug out… he thought. Not that I would though…

"I'll t-t-try to b-b-be on m-my b-best behavior," he said sheepishly. The nervousness of coming face to face with a Goddess was evident in his stumbling speech. He looked at her curiously though when she mentioned that she had something incredibly private to tell him, and the need for it to be absolutely between only them. His mind churned to come up with a place where they would have the privacy she required. 

"We could t-t-talk in the b-barn. I am the on-only one wh-who uses-s-s it," he told her with a smile. "B-but I'll l-let y-y-you d-decide if that w-w-will be s-s-suitable," he told her as their shoes shuffled over the cobblestone road as they walked towards the outskirts of the city.