the Leathermines

Back to Chapter 31

 

“I want it unlocked.”

Laun was not raising her voice.  She was not being threatening.  She was being firm in her request.

The servant was several steps away from Laun and had his eyes on the ground.  “Lady, I have my orders-”

“And you are going to make a pregnant woman sit on her ass with nothing to do day in and day out?”

He opened his mouth and closed it again.  He nodded and had the keyring under his tabard.  He unlocked the door to the courtyard and opened the door.  It took a little effort as it had not been opened for a while.  A wave of outside heat came in and Laun could smell the dust from the courtyard.

Laun smiled.  “Thank you.”

He bowed slightly, looking nervous.  “My duty, Lady.”

Laun stood with a little help from Gem.  She went to the doorway and saw the condition of the courtyard.  Stepping through, she found that her slippers were instantly coated with a fine layer of dust and she coughed as a wayward breeze came through.

There had been living trees in the courtyard.  They had not been taken care of after the coup and the container of at least one of them was cracked, the dead tree listing towards the spilled dirt.  There were other containers, large ceramic ones, small wooden ones, that all had held living plants at one point.  The only thing that seemed to have survived was a scraggly ramble rose that was growing in the path.  Everything else was dirt and dust and neglect.

Laun turned and caught the eye of the servant.  “You.  You are the lead servant, the seneschal or steward of the household.”

He nodded.  “I am Del, the steward, Lady.”

Her hand went out to sweep the courtyard into her statement of, “You let this happen?”

He had a slight shock go through his system.  “...Lady?”

She turned and walked to a bench close to the door.  She kicked at it slightly and the metal support gave way, the wood of the seat falling to the dusty ground with a clatter.  “I know that you have orders to keep an eye on me.  To keep me safe and to keep me from running away.”  She turned back and held her tunic close to under her belly.  “How far do you think I am going to be able to go?”

He made a small shrug.  “My orders...”

Laun sighed.  “Lord Falmir wanted to send me away to keep me safe from someone who wants to kill me.  Which is odd since he wanted to kill me before he knew I was his daughter.”

Laun saw the shock that went through the servants face.  He stepped into the courtyard and looked around and then back to Laun.  Gem slipped out and was against the wall, her eyes sweeping around the area.

“Del.  You have been left in a bad position.  I am very strong willed, so I have been told, but I get things done.  You have been told to keep me safe.  How do you propose to do that?”

“Lady, I...”

Laun waited five breaths before saying, “Guess what.  You have had your easy days.  I’m here, and unless you think there is someone on this estate with more rank than me, I’m now running things.”

He made a motion as if he was going to step forward.  “Lady!  I can’t-”  The look on Laun’s face was not hard or sharp.  Gem smiled as the cold but bland look on Laun’s face stopped the steward in step and lip.

Laun turned away and looked at the courtyard.  She saw the other windows with glass, one broken.  She saw the other doors, probably locked.  She looked up and looked at the roof that slightly overhung the ground.  She turned back and looked at the steward, her head tilted and her fingers tapping on her leg.

Del felt like a trapped animal under the Lady’s gaze.  He had orders, but they had been weirdly specific yet not definite in how to follow them.  He needed to keep her from running away.  That was basically it.  With her in front of him, and knowing what she did with her body servant from the screams and the way the girl held herself, he was frightened of what the Lady may do with him.

Laun stepped forward, her head straightening up.  Del tried to move back but hit the doorframe.  “Three things.  I want to meet all the staff.  I want a tour of the manor and grounds.  I want milk.”  Laun smiled and caught a slight smirk that did not get stopped by the mask Del tried to have on his expressions.

“Yes, Lady.  I will see what I can do.”

Laun was able to walk around the courtyard, looking in all the windows and checking all the doors before Del came back.  Except for the broken window, there wasn’t any way out of the courtyard other then through the room she had been put in.  Laun asked for a chair as she saw the servants trudge through her room and into the courtyard.

There were about twenty people in front of her.  Most had the mask all of the Falmir grey and blue servants had, some had a mixture of fear and interest.  They lined up in the dust of the dead courtyard and waited.  It was hot in the courtyard as the sun came down on them without any plants to absorb the summer light.

“I am Lady Laun.  I was sent here by Falmir.  You have orders to keep me safe and keep me from running away.  I am not on Falmir’s side in the coup.  He has not killed me or imprisoned me further than this,” Laun’s hand swept to the side to include the manor, “because I am his daughter.”

Some of the servants reacted.  “Yes.  If you knew Lady Tressa, I do look like her.  It is not a secret, and I do not dwell on it.  I do dwell on the neglect I have seen in the manor of my family.  I have only been here for less than a day and I am very... displeased.”

Laun stood, Gem stepping forward to offer help.  Laun smiled and shook her head.  “I have run a household.  It disturbs me that this household, though small of people, has been left to ruin.  It has had many people in it, and I hope will have many again.”  Laun rubbed her belly.  “If I have to provide them myself.”

She saw smiles and smirks from some of the staff.  Laun folded her hands together in front of her belly and looked at each of the servants before her.  It was a long quiet time and they started to show signs of nervousness and boredom.

“Do any of you have any questions?  I will answer anything you ask, squarely and without reservation.”  It looked like several wanted to say something, but none raised their voice.  Laun nodded.  “Then, Del, introduce me to these people.”

The steward blinked.  “Yes, Lady.”

Laun knew she was not going to remember the names at first.  But she knew it was good for the morale.  It felt odd, though, because the underlayment of them thinking Laun beat Gem did not entirely feel good inside Laun’s brain.  It was going to color everything that the servants around her saw and did.  But...it had been done, and Gem was going to be able to use it to advantage.

Laun smiled at each of the servants who stepped forward.  Dell said the name of the person and where in the manor they worked.  Several of them had been with her in the trip from the Palace, had been given duties immediately.  Laun had a deepening brow as the last few people were introduced.  Del was not sure what he had done to displease her and did not know what to do.

Laun looked at each of the servants again.  “These are all the servants from inside the manor.  What about the stables?  Henyard?  Groundskeeper?”  Del looked at the ground.  “You...  Don’t have any of those?”

“No, Lady.”

Laun started to pace.  It was a slow pacing, the dust around her feet moving with the hem of her skirt along the ground.  She turned, looked at the assembled people in the hot sun, and went back in her own footsteps.

Laun was in front of Del and looked him in the face.  She wanted to look him in the eye, but he had not looked up yet.  Laun snapped her fingers and Del looked at her.  “Who is your messenger?”

He had a slight confused cast to his mask.  “Lady?  I’m not sure what you are asking.”

“Who takes your messages back to Falmir?”  Still nothing.  “How did you expect to bring him news of my...visit?”

There was a slight shrug.  “There was nothing-”

“Do. Not. Lie.”  Launs emphasis quieted the steward, and stilled the servants starting to shuffle their feet.  “You were told to keep eyes on me.  How were you to report back if there isn’t a messenger?”

“In a few weeks...”

Laun tilted her head.  Her eyes narrowed and the look on her face was not nice.  “Well, you will need to pick someone.  Or, if the soldiers are still here, send their officer to me.  This is unacceptable on so many levels.”  There was a pause of several breaths.

The Lady turned and went into the room and then out into the corridor.  Gem followed, her eyes on the ground but a smile dancing on her lips.  Del’s eyes went wide and he looked at the other servants before rushing after Laun.

Laun was standing, leaning against the opposite wall from the door into the winter-painted room.  She was waiting.  It was much cooler inside, out of the sun.

“Del, You have provided me with the first of the three things I asked for.  It looks like the tour will be focused.  Tell me, are the soldiers still on the grounds?”

He nodded.  “A...a squad was left.  They took up one of the guest houses.”

Laun had several thoughts.  Most of them having to do with being able to beat most of the soldiers that she had seen along with Captain Leon, and not in Sticks.  A squad, about 10 to 20 men, to stay to protect her, and make sure she did not run away. But not garrisoned in the Manor House it's self.  Laun had a smirk on her face as she said, “Del, send one of your people to get the squad leader and bring him here.  Do not let them say ‘no’.”

Del turned and looked at the people with him.  “Mar, go get him.”  One of the smaller servants bowed slightly to Del and then to Laun before rushing off down the corridor.  Del turned back and was caught by Laun’s smile.

She was smiling widely and it disturbed the servants because they both liked her smile and wondered what was beneath it.

“Now.  The heart of every household is the kitchen.  You,” Laun motioned, “are the kitchen staff.  Show me.”

It took a while to get to the kitchen.  It wasn’t just the length of the halls and the number of stairs.  Laun would stop and look at each new hallway or staircase and ask something about it.  When it was added on.  What would it take to fix an obvious problem.  Who was the last person to stay in that room.  By the time the group had found their way to the kitchen, Del was preemptively commenting on where they were.

“The kitchen here is one of three in the manor.  This is the central one.  There is what used to be called the summer kitchen that has been used for harvest time in years past and then the private kitchen that has not been used in years by the household.”  Dell motioned and a bench was cleared for Laun to sit on.

“Thank you.”  Laun sat and sighed as her feet throbbed.  “Thank you for the tour, and for the seat.”  Laun closed her eyes and breathed for a few heartbeats.

When she opened her eyes, Laun looked around at what she could see.  There was one hearth going, one oven propped open letting the heat out.  Lots of dirt and dust on everything.  She had to turn her head to the side sightly to be able to see that the oven held a cooking vessel with a leg of something poking out of it.  With the leg, it was too large to fit into the oven.  The hearth had a pot boiling on it and several pans set to the side.  She could not see if there was anything in the pans, and if the boiling was water or stock or something else.

Her sensitive nose wrinkled and she turned, trying to find the source of the rotten oder.  Several storage barrels were there a few paces from her.  They looked like they were all open, and that was where the smell was coming from.  She looked past and saw a bucket with scraps in it, flies above meaning maggots within.

The lighting was not dismal, but the few windows that the kitchen did have were crusted over with grease and soot. A yellow light came through them.  Most of the light in the room was provided by several tall lanterns.  They were bright, but should not have been used in the middle of the day if the windows had been clean.

Laun turned to the kitchen staff.  “Before I ask anything, do you two have anything you would like to say?”

Both of them shook their heads and tried to look at the floor.

Her tone was sharp, but her voice was quiet as Laun said, “When I am talking, you will look at me.  When you are talking to me, you will look at me.  Do you understand?”  There were nods, not just from the kitchen staff but from most of the servants.

Laun stood.  It was obvious that she was in pain, but she stood and took a deep breath before saying, “You have been working in bad conditions.  Not just in this kitchen, and I understand how things have been very...difficult over the last year.”

She moved towards one of the cold hearths.  She saw ash that had been left far too long and had solidified with the moisture and grease that had been in the air.  She reached in and pulled out what used to be an animal bone.  She heard a few of the servants suck in air and the nervousness rose perceptibly in the room.

“What was last cooked on this hearth?”  No answer.  “This had meat on it before it was tossed into the coals.  That is not just wasteful, it is bad for the kitchen.”

Laun tossed the bone in the general direction of the kitchen staff and heard it clatter to the floor as she turned and walked to the hearth with the boiling pot on it.  It looked like it was just water until a vegetable of some sort bounced to the surface and showed it’s self.  Laun looked for a spoon or something and could not see one.  She waited until she saw the object come to the surface again and swiftly moved her hand to grab it.  She heard gasps from behind her.

It hurt.  Laun knew it was going to hurt.  She was glad her writing hand was the one covered with ash as she used the off hand to grab the vegetable.  It used to be a potato.  As Laun tossed it in the air to cool it, she saw that it had not been cleaned well before it had gone in, and it was rotten below the skin.  Her fingers went right into the grey, moldy center on one of the catches.

Laun tossed the potato at the kitchen staff.  She turned and went to the oven.  The Lady shook her head and turned back.

“Take that out.  Now.”  Laun stepped away and expected the servants to do as she had asked.  They looked at Dell and each other and did not move.

Laun waited for five breaths.  They were not slow breaths, but she did wait.  She held up her hands, palm towards the servants and said, “Ash and decay.  That is what you have been living in.  That is what you expect me to live in.  No.  I will not accept that.”

Gem was there with a damp cloth.  Laun smiled at the girl and wiped some of the grime off her hands.  She felt a small blister on one of her fingers.  She was amazed that she had not hurt herself more in the boiling water.  The cloth went back to Gem and Laun focused on Del.

He almost stepped back at the intensity of Launs gaze and body language.  Laun used her command voice and said, “When I ask for something to be done, I expect it to be done.  I do not always have time to explain why something needs to be done.”  She pointed at the open oven.  “The meat is burned.  Get it out of there.  Now.”

The two rushed over and pulled at the cooking vessel with shaped sticks and padded cloths.  The meat was indeed charred.  There was nothing else in the pot with it.    Laun took one of the padded cloths and pulled on the bony end over the edge.  The whole pot moved with the meat, the surfaces seared together.

“Where did you get the meat from?”

There was a pause before one of the men said, “There is a small farmstead that we get some of our food from.”  There was a nod from the other staff to confirm.

“You do not grow anything here?  Of course not, not enough staff...”  Laun poked at the meat.  She glanced around and found she was starting to feel an anger that was not just at the situation.  She was very angry at the people who had been left in charge of the manor, and at Falmir for letting it come to this.

“Del.  I am assuming that the whole manor is like this.  Things not working quite right or just broken.”  The steward nodded once.  “You have been here for the last year?”  He nodded again, his eyes dipping to the floor and then back up to Laun.

Laun walked back to the bench, looking at the faces lined up.  She sat and put her dirty hands on her knees as she leaned forward.  “I hold you responsible, Del.”

“Lady... I...”  He looked like he wanted to say something, but just couldn’t bring himself to do it.

Laun leaned back, stretching her back a little and siting up as straight as she could.  “This is going to take a while.  There is going to be some rearrangement of duties.  I know you thought hard about who would work well where, but there are more pressing needs than someone to dust the unoccupied chambers.”

That broke a small dam in Del’s mind.  “I am used to having a hundred servants here!  I have done the best I could...”

Laun smiled.  “Good.  I like passion.  But still, I am now in charge, and unless you give me a good reason, the servants who are supposed to be doing other things will now be assigned to the kitchen.  You said one person is the laundress...  You.  We will be going through clothes, and even though the blue and grey does not show much, I have a sensitive nose and do not like being around those who have not taken right care of themselves or their garments.  Pick one other person to be with you in the laundry.”

Del had wide eyes and Laun saw his jaw clenching.  He still had things he wanted to say, but just couldn’t bring it out.

“And, unless you have something more pressing, we are going to start.  Now.”  Laun turned to Gem and said, “I need an apron and a string or rope.”  Laun saw the slight eyebrow raised at the request but went to find what Laun asked for.

Del finally stepped forward and said, “No!  Lady, no!  I can’t let you work-”

Laun stood and said, “Why would I ask any of you to do something I am not willing to do myself?”

That stopped the steward cold.  “As... As you wish, Lady.”

The kitchen staff were prompted and more aprons were found.  Laun put one on, the string going around her shoulders to hold her sleeves up.  The wet sink was uncovered and several pots of water were put on to boil.  Rags were brought in from the laundry a hallway down the manor and several ladders were brought in.  Laun washed her hands properly with some of the lye soap and was the one to find the butcher block on one of the tables.

The officer in charge of the soldiers came into a scene of disorder being turned into order.  He saw Lady Laun in the middle of the room, knife in hand and directing the servants around her.

“Ah!  Sergeant Gres!  I am glad it is you.”

He saluted and watched as Laun was deftly cutting the char off of a leg of meat and recovering the edible beneath.  “You needed me, Lady?”

Laun smiled and finished a cut before putting the knife down and facing the Sergeant.  Her hands were wiping the grease and juices onto the apron as she said, “Yes.  I am told that a squad is now in one of the...no, it is rotten, just get it out of here... sorry.  That you are in one of the guest houses.”

“Yes, Lady.”

“What were your plans for the assignment?”

His head made a slight jerking motion and he said, “I don’t know what you mean, Lady.”

Laun shook her head.  “Were you going to just sit around the guest house, eating what the manor brought you, or were you going to patrol and work?”

He flushed.  “I was working on a patrol schedule, but since there hasn’t been any bandit or rebel activity in the area...”

Laun nodded.  “Good.  Rotate a third of your men through the manor each day.  I have need of them.  It will let them keep an eye on me.”  Laun smiled at his pursed lip reaction.

He bowed slightly.  “Anything else, Lady?”

“Yes.  I need to get a message back to Falmir.  I am assuming you have a fast rider in your squad.”

He nodded.  “What type of message?”

“Sergeant Gres, I will write one out and you can have it delivered.  It will not be sealed so you can read it.  I will insist that you read it.  And talk to Del, I am sure he will have a report to send back, too.”

Del was on his knees trying to clean out an ash catch under one of the hearths when he heard his name.  “Yes, Lady.  Thank you.”

Laun went back to the meat, picking up the slightly greasy knife and slicing a small hunk off.  “Gres!”  She used the knifepoint to fling the meat to Gres who caught it.  “Thank you.  I will have the message written before sundown.”

The Sergeant saluted, and turned, the meat in his mouth as he left.  Several of the servants looked after the soldier and then at the meat.  Laun had found a platter and was slicing the meat that had been cleaned of char and was putting it on the wooden surface.  She took a slice for herself and stepped back.

“Anyone who is hungry, get some while there is some.”

Laun went and sat down on the bench.  Gem was the first to select some of the meat and went to her mistress’ side.  Laun had tried to cut the pieces fairly and evenly, with a few to spare.  Del was the next to go and get a gobbet and after that, the rest of the servants followed.

It had been needed.  It was past mid day, and Laun knew all she had eaten was some of the bread and preserves from the night before for first meal.  She had looked around and she was not sure there had been any food for the rest of the staff that morning.  Everyone ate and looked relieved as they stood or squatted to rest.

Laun said in a low tone to Gem, “Cold water for everyone.”

Gem found and filled mugs and tankards and passed them around.  There were actual smiles on faces after a few minutes.  And just that much less nervousness.

Laun sighed, but got up and went back to the butcher table.  She cleaned and carved the rest of the meat off the bone.  “I need one more pot for this.”

“Why, Lady?”  The kitchen staff with the mole on his nose caught himself after he had spoken.

“You don’t really cook, do you?”  He shook his head.  “I would like enough water to cover the bone and then we are going to make stock out of it.  You do not waste any food, even if it looks like it is waste.”

“Yes, Lady.”

It was several hours later and Laun finally was exhausted and could not go on with the cleaning, organizing and the ordering around of the servants.  She sat again, looking at the partially done kitchen and was mostly pleased.

“I need to go write that missive.  Paper and ink?”

Gem nodded, but Del was the one to step forward.  “Lady, may I escort you to the library?  The best paper and ink is there.”

Laun nodded and held her hand up and he took it.  “Gem, stay here and make sure that the stock gets taken off the hearth and strained like I showed.  Cover it and put it in the cold cellar.”  They smiled at each other as Laun moved away.

Del took Laun through the manor, describing the household when he first got there ten years before, showing her a few alcoves that were there because of the continuing construction and telling her of a few lovebirds that kept getting caught in them.  Laun smiled and nodded at him, liking the story but wondering about the appropriateness of it.

They came to the library door and Laun was impressed with the description Gem had given her.  It really was as well fortified of a room as she had said.  Laun looked around and focused on the shelf near the desk that Gem had said he had tried to obscure.

“The paper and such?  Over here?”  Laun turned her back on the shelf and looked at the desk.

“Yes, Lady.  If I may...”  He pulled out a leather case with a ragstock paper and then opened a case with cut quills and a little pot of the same blue ink like she had used in the Palace.

“Why is it blue?”

“Wha- oh.  It is only made for their majesties.  It has special gemstones and such in it that makes the ink last for decades.  And the blue is very distinctive.”

“I should have known that.”  Laun took a piece of paper and looked at it.  She closed her eyes and thought about the message.

“Lady? Do you wish me to leave?”  He stood upright and looked away from the desk and paper.

“No.  I just like to write in my head before I put it down.  I am not used to being able to use so much paper.”  She smiled and said, “Do you need to write your own?  I will gladly move-”

“Thank you, Lady, but I just need to do a small update on what I have.”

“Alright.  I think I know how I will phrase things.”

Laun started to write, being careful to pause after every other word or so to make sure she was saying what she wanted to.

“Father,

“I know you have read the message I left.  I also know you have been informed of Bregnan’s attempt on my life and his death.  My servant was just protecting me.

“The Hawkwell estate is in shambles.  It is obvious that almost all of the staff was transported to the Palace.  There are broken windows.  Plants are dying.  There are no food stores.  There aren’t enough staff to even tend to chickens or other things, if there were such at the estate.

“I commend Del for not letting the manor burn down.  That is about it.  Your steward needs actual staff to be able to maintain this estate.  I suggest giving it to him.

“At least 5 of Klemner’s kitchen staff - General kitchen, a butcher and a baker.

“At least 3 stable staff.

“Three laundry and seamstress staff.

“Several people who know how to deal with the wilderness that the estate has become, greens people and such.

“I am sure there are more that we could use, but that is what comes to mind at the moment.

“Thank you for leaving a squad here.  I am sure that the safest estate in the Midlands is now even safer with them here.  Oh, wait, that would be my lands with my people.  I hope Captain Leon does not suffer too much at the hands of my people.

“I hope that this has found you well and that her excellency has not driven you completely to distraction.

“Your Thorn,

“Lady Laun Dresden.”

Laun sat back and blew slightly on the ink as she reread it.  There was one quip she thought of that she could have used, but it was too late.  She was not going to redo it.  She turned to Del and handed it to him.

“Read it.  Know what it says.  Your report will have very little in it because I and my one servant have only been here for a day.  Tell him everything you know, have seen and heard.  I would expect no less from one of my own.”

He bowed slightly and took the paper.  He stood, reading and then turned to Laun.  “Lady, thank you.”

Laun nodded.  “I know what it is like trying to do things without enough.  I hope that Falmir pays attention and does what I ask.  We are very much alike, he and I, and we butt heads.  He has learned that running the kingdom is harder than he thought it would be, and he is also finding that the household around him is not easy, too.”

Laun pushed herself up and winced.  Del held out his hand and she took it.  “Thank you.  I really should not have been on my feet for that long.”  She looked at the steward and said, “There is a small bathing chamber in the room.  Does it need water brought in, or is there a place to heat water there?”

“Water needs to be brought in, Lady.  I can send word for water if you wish for me to escort you back to that room.”

Laun smiled in a tired way and nodded.  “Such a great Lady.  Stinky and exhausted."

 

Onto Chapter 33

 

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