The sun blazed brightly the next morning as the last of the soldiers filed back out of the cavern and rode away.
Barbara watched them go.
"So," said Roderick, "I guess this is going to make quite a story, eh?"
Barbara smiled. "It sure is," she agreed. She watched Erik and Peggy Jean ride off arm in arm, followed by Gisella and Calvin the Not-So-Bold as Noel the Bold. They were the last.
"Okay," she said. "Let's push this door closed."
She, Roderick, Stan, and Johnson all put their shoulders to the huge door and pushed it firmly closed. It came to with a resounding clang. As they backed away, the air shimmered, and the door vanished behind the image of a huge rockslide.
"So we're just leaving the Paladin Sword there?" Stan said, disappointed.
Barbara laughed. "You wouldn't be able to use it anyway, you know," she said.
"I know," he said. "But a pay grade 7 sure would've been nice."
Roderick grimaced as Barbara looked his way. "Guess I was a screw-up, huh?" he said. "Thought I was going to become a Paladin, and all that."
Barbara shrugged. "Ah well," she said. "It's okay. You're only human." She stepped closer to him. "And you are pretty sweet. Thank you for coming after me when I followed Darwin."
"Ah," he said, flushing slightly, "it was nothing."
"I disagree," she said softly, putting her arms around him.
He stammered incoherently for a moment, then managed a goofy grin. "So, uh, you're saying that I did something right?"
She smiled. "Yes," she said. "Now do another and kiss me."
He grinned, gulped, took a deep breath, and obeyed.
"Hey, you guys," called Gisella from farther down the trail, "get a room."
Roderick and Barbara broke into a fit of giggles at that. Then they turned and, walking arm in arm, walked back to their horses and headed home.
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