the Leathermines

Back to Chapter 36

It had already been a long day.  Some intrigue, some sex, some good things, some bad things.  But it was almost time for evening meal and Laun could not back out of it.

A servant had scratched on the door and had come in when Laun called, “Enter.”

He was not surprised that Laun was in bed, but he was taken aback when there was someone in the bed with her.  He delivered the message that evening meal would be in the Great Hall in about an hour.  He left, closing the door quietly.

Laun found the privy again after some searching for the hidden door.  She would need more supplies soon in there and she found where the moisture had come from.  She looked up and saw that there was a small water stain on the ceiling of the small room right above where the paper had been.  That was something to be dealt with, later.

Laun tried to brush her hair out with the small brush and comb that was on the vanity in the bedroom.  It was not the set from Ithian, which she both liked and didn’t like.  It did not want to go through her hair and her arms were getting tired trying to make it work.  She untied the thong from around her wrist and wrapped it around her hair, making a low tail that at least kept it out of her face.

Gem had been looking at the clothing from the wardrobe before she had followed after the medic.  Many of the dresses looked like they were just a little too small for Laun, but there was a shapeless tunic and longer skirt that were draped over one of the smaller chest of drawers in the room.  They were darker colors, a dark purple and a dark green.  Not colors that Laun would have put together, but the garments seemed to fit, and that was what counted right then.

Laun found the leg sheath and strapped it on, trying to make it a little looser than earlier.  It did not move, so she was happy.  She found a new set of slippers, at least new to her, and put them on after shaking a little dust off of them.  There were a few belts Laun saw, but she did not think this was a good time to try to show off her raised waistline.

Her man had recovered and was putting his own clothing back on.  Laun could see that he was happy under his bland expression, but there was also something else about his attitude, his posture, that was not so happy.

Laun waited until he had his boots on before clicking her tongue.  He was at her feet looking up at her and waiting before she turned around completely to face him.

“I wanted to thank you.  You are performing better and better.  I think that the time away did you some good.”

He smiled and said, “Thank you, Mistress.”

She put her hand on the top of his head and petted him a little.  He half closed his eyes and pushed into her hand.  It was as usual, but still...

“What troubles you?”

His eyes opened wide.  There was a moment where Laun could tell he was weighing his options.  His face relaxed and he said, “I am worried for your health, Mistress.”

She tilted her head and said, “I am too.  There is little that can be done at this point.  But that isn’t all of it.”  She had seen him wince sightly as her head went to the side.  “Tell me.”

“I-”  He stopped and had to swallow.  His mouth had gone dry and Laun knew he did not want to say what he was about to say.  “I don’t want you to be with other men.  I want you to...stop.”

“I am glad you told me.”  His face became slightly pinched at her tone.  “I will not be stopping my own urges and not using my talents.”  There was a flash of something hateful that went through her, the need of the men who had been in her life trying to control her making her act without truly thinking.  She took a handful of his hair and pulled, making him go to all fours.

“Mistress, I’m sorry!”

The feeling did not cool, but changed.  Her hand went from grasping to petting as he was down before her.  “It is good that you know and can voice your feelings.  I do not want you to hide them or force them down to fester.”  Laun stepped around to face him as he stayed in his subjugated position.  “Stand.”

He was on his feet, his legs slightly wobbly under him.  Laun stepped closer and put her hand lightly on his chest right below his throat.  She leaned in and breathed, seeing the hairs on his neck move both from the air movement and the reaction inside him.  She lightly traced his windpipe with her fingers and thumb and stopped.  She felt his heartbeat race under her fingers.

Softly, she said, “What am I going to ask you?”

He swallowed, her fingers pressing into him as he did so.  “If I wish to live, Mistress.”

She nodded.  “Why do I ask this of you?”

His eyes went from side to side as if he were searching for something.  “I...  Because you gave me a choice.”

Laun smiled.  “Yes.  Good boy.  There is always a choice.  It is sometimes not an easy one, or the one we want to make.  What choice do you make today, my quail?”

His eyes fluttered slightly and he swallowed again.  “I choose to live, Mistress.”

She pulled him down to her with her fingers on his throat and said, “Good boy,” into his mouth before kissing him.  She kept her fingers on him, her nails biting into him slightly, as their tongues danced.  She pulled away and moved her hand back to his chest, putting her hand over his heart.

Laun heard the footsteps before there were knocks on the door.  She pointed to the floor and her man was kneeling behind her as she called, “Enter.”

It had been a knock, so Laun expected a soldier, not a servant.  Her posture was upright, her hands clasped over her stomach as she faced the door into the bedroom.  Several scenarios went through her mind before the door opened, and it was one she did not want to deal with that came in to her room.

The Lieutenant looked worried and angry.  He was slightly winded and Laun could see one of the household servants still in the hall after having escorted him to Laun’s current room.  Senri saluted and Laun saluted back before he closed the door behind him.

“Lady, your servant...”

Laun nodded once and said, “Gem is under my orders.  The Corporal was despondent when I last saw him and I was concerned.”

Senri stepped forward and seemed to be exasperated.  “She took a knife from him and then bound him with his own belt before the other soldiers could stop her.  She knelt and did not resist when they tried to take her...”

Laun smiled.  “She had orders.  You should know that Aloen is going to need to be watched for several days until he finds his path again.”

“That’s the thing, when he was released, he grabbed the knife and tried to hurt himself.  It took four men to get him back in restraints before he stopped struggling.”  He started to pace while saying, “She is being held in our camp, but if it hadn’t been for her, we would not have known until we had lost him.”

Laun tried to be as still as possible to contrast with the nervous energy of the Lieutenant.  “I know she attacked your officer, but, please, can you release her?”

It was as if he had not heard her, though he nodded at her request.  He continued to pace along the rug edge in the bedroom, talking things out as he did so.  “I have known him for five years.  I have never known him to be suicidal.  And being a medic, I know he would do a final job on himself.  But we need him.  But how could I not see it?”  He stood and looked at Laun for a moment before starting to pace again.  Laun stayed quiet and watched.  “You saw it.  I have no idea how you do what you do.  But you saw it and kept him from hurting himself.  He was never one to be like this, though.”

Senri stopped again and faced Laun.  “One of my officers just tried to kill himself and you are too damned calm, Lady.”

Laun stepped a pace closer and said, “One of your officers did not kill himself and has a chance to live, Lieutenant.”  She stood tall and calm and waited with a small smile on her face.

The Lieutenant looked like he wanted to yell or hit her.  Instead, he turned and paced some more.  It took several moments before he slowed and stood.  He was only partially facing her and his pose was defensive, adversarial.

“Lady, thank you for keeping him from harming himself.  I will have your servant released.  I don’t know where you find them, but I wish my men had the moves I was told about.”  He turned towards Laun and held out his hand.  “Lady.”

She held out her hand and he took it, pressing it to his lips.  He turned and left, leaving the door open behind him.  The servant was still at the door outside and went to close the door.  Laun motioned and he stopped.

Laun held her hand to the side and Hazalam stood and took it.  She went through the door first and he supported her hand as they went to the Great Hall in the Hawkwell manor.  Gem met up with them partway there, her hair slightly mussed, but looking pleased with herself.  Laun wanted to talk with her, but they had several people following.

It was still a little musty, but there were small fires going in the two fireplaces drawing air in and through the room.  Tables had been set in ranks with enough seating for easily about thirty people, with space being taken up around the sides of the room with more.  The banners were down as Laun asked.  Nothing was up in their place, but the Great Hall did not feel empty.

Along with cleaning and setting, someone had gone out to the fields and found fresh rushes and sweetgrass to put on the floor.  A place that Laun was being motioned to by one of the fireplaces had a tall backed chair, not a bench, and the chair had flowers tied to it.  Laun wanted to hide her face, but kept walking and smiled at the few people who were in the room.

The steward Del came in from another door looking a little hurried.  “Lady.  It is not quite time, yet.” 

“I know, but I do not like to be late, and with how my back and feet sometimes are, I wanted to allow myself time.”  Laun sat in the garlanded chair and smiled at Del.  It was not the time or place to confront him about the accounts, but she was not feeling the smile she had on her face.

He bowed slightly and said, “It will be a few minutes, Lady.”

She tilted her head to the side and looked at him.  His hair was slightly mussed and he had a flush fading on his cheeks.  She glanced down and saw a stripe of dirt on his tabard at about knee level.  There was also a smear of dirt on one of his palms.

“Take the time that is needed, steward.  I would not want you to rush anything just because of me.”  Laun heard the forced sweetness in her quiet voice and saw a rise in the flush on his cheeks, but he bowed again and left.

Laun looked around at the people in the room.  She was the only one sitting, though it looked like some sort of ranking was happening for the soldiers' places on the tables.  A few of the entertainers were there, either talking amongst themselves or looking like they were feeding the fire on the other end of the room.

Laun motioned to Gem.  “Make sure all my correspondence is brought to the new room, and the blasted brush set from Ithian.  Take him with you to show him the layout.”

They were gone before most people knew they had moved.

Laun leaned back in the chair and smelled the flowers around her.  It was a nice thought.  She touched one of the flowers, a daisy with pink petals and a brown eye.  One of the petals fell and Laun caught it before it landed on her sleeve.  She rubbed the soft thing between her fingers and it stained slightly.  It was not a brilliant color on her fingers, and when she sniffed, it just smelled of plants.  She reached up again and she heard a shuffle of a footstep a few paces away.

Flower in hand, Laun turned to the noise.  One of the entertainers was there, looking like she wanted to say something, but was being shy.  Laun held out the flower to her.

There was a bench next to the chair.  The woman straddled it and took the flower.  She was the one who had pinned the trinket to Laun.  She was still dressed in the brown dress she had been wearing earlier and Laun recognized her from her eyes.  The hair had been a different color, the costume brighter at the reception.  The eyes had not changed.

“You are very good.”  Laun had a pleasant, low voice and a small smile.

The woman nodded.  “Adelmar said that you were able to bump him and he didn’t feel it.”

Laun shrugged.  “Luck.  I was trying to make a point about using people.”

She held the flower to her nose and then looked at it with a wash of disappointment.  “Are you trained?”

Laun smiled broadly.  “In many things.  But not directly by a broken key.”

She looked around and saw no one was close enough to hear their low conversation.  “Everyone thinks we are all thieves, Lady.  We’re not.”

“And you are not all red scarves and you are not all broken locks and you are not all clapperless bells...  I know.  And I understand.”

“Lady, I am Verna.  Thank you for letting us stay here for a bit.”

“Verna, I am pleased that you and your troupe decided to come.  Destiny is working his feet off recently.”

A few more soldiers and a few more of the entertainers came into the Great Hall.  They were keeping distances.  There were a few soldiers who seemed to be keeping a strong eye on the entertainers.  Most of the entertainers were keeping an eye on the soldiers, but in a much more low key way.

“Verna, are you Adelmar’s partner?”

She looked sideways across the room at the other entertainers and then to Laun.  “Lady, I am his sister.  He runs most of the things in the troupe, but what he can’t do, I have to.  Sometimes it doesn’t work out so well.”

Laun nodded.  “Loose leaderships can do that.  I was wondering, because...  Would you and he like to sit with me at the table tonight?”

Verna had a smirk of a smile.  “If that is allowed, Lady.”

Laun leaned forward and had one of her not so nice smiles as she said, “Until I am told otherwise, My lands, My table.”

Verna had a small reaction that was part surprise which led to a small smile.  “I know I would be honored, Lady.  I’ll go get Adi.”  She pulled up her brown skirt to get off the bench and Laun could see riding boots and long pants beneath.

Laun scanned the room and read the reactions and relationships between people.  Some of the soldiers were allies, some were adversaries.  Laun could see where there was one group, sergeants mostly with one corporal, that was posturing against a few either privates or unranked soldiers.  Laun did not want to interfere, yet.  Sometimes things in a strong hierarchy were there for a reason.

Laun looked over to the colorful people across the room at the other fire.  It was not as obvious, but there was ranking there, too.  It was men then women and within those groups there were smaller power struggles.  One of the men started to juggle some wooden balls, but one of the other men stopped him by bumping him.  The juggler had to chase his balls, making all groups of people laugh.  Laun could see where some of the lines were drawn.

There was a gong hit somewhere.  It startled her, but she tried to not let it go past the jump she made.  Several others also were startled, their reactions a little more pronounced.  More people started to come in and Laun was not sure what plan there was for the meal, if there was one.

It was nothing like Salam-Dir.  People there just sat where they pleased-noble, dancer, warrior-it just didn’t matter.  Laun saw that there was a way to be sat as far as the soldiers were concerned.  The higher the rank, the closer to the head table where Laun was.  And the unranked seemed to be staying close to the walls, not trying to sit at all.

The tension was starting to get to an unbearable level for Laun.  So, she did what she would do in her home Great Hall and stood to walk among the people.  Several of the closer Soldiers saluted and she knew she was going to be getting much more of that than she really wanted.  She graciously nodded once and motioned with one of her hands, palm up.  She stepped away from the head table and started a sunwise circuit of the room.

She was introduced to several of the officers, many of them saluting, some bowing over her hand.  She made a little small talk, noting how dry it was and how bright the moon would be, come night.  She kept her laugh light and her voice quiet.  She made a point of smiling and touching each of them lightly, on the hand or on the arm to make some sort of contact with them.

Laun moved around the room, insisting on being introduced to even the unranked men who were gathered along the walls.  She was a little kinder to them, asking how long they had been away from home and putting a hand on the cheek of several of the younger ones who seemed scared to be there, let alone talking with a noble Lady.

She came to the first of the entertainers and the mood changed.  Laun could feel and hear the bristling of the soldiers behind her.  She met musicians and dancers.  The incredible acrobat she remembered from the reception did a few turns and stretches, making Laun laugh and clap.  

She came to the juggler and shyly asked if he would play with his balls for her.  There was laughter and he turned several sunset colors as he did as she asked, his wooden balls making arcing patterns between them.  She winked and took one of the balls out of the air as it was about to reach his palm.  The rest of the balls fell to the floor and there was more laughter.

Laun leaned in, the chipped, red painted ball in her hand, and said, “Once you find the rest, come get his one.”  She winked again and continued on, a few hisses coming from behind her.

There were more soldiers and more formal introductions.  She was starting to be able to pick the noble born of the soldiers from the merchant or common born.  They were more likely to bow than to salute.  She also saw other signs of what the soldiers did, not by the rank insignia which she had learned while in the Palace, but by the little differences in the uniforms.

Thongs on belts were common, but not everyone had them.  The little leather fingertip protector that was like a partial glove held together with thong for the archers hung on some belts.  A skinning knife with the nasty barbed hook was on some of the belts.  A few of the men had ink stains on their hands, some looking like they were five or six layers deep.  Uniform the tunics and leathers might have been, but the men were quite individual.

There was both a hush and a raise in the volume.  Laun saw that the soldiers had mostly come to attention as Lieutenant Senri entered the room.  There was laughter and some jibing as Adelmar and his sister came in.  Laun had made it back to the head table and was standing with her back to the small fire as the two opposing groups greeted their leaders in their own ways.

Laun motioned to Senri and then to Adelmar.  Senri and a few of his men came to her left and Adelmar and Verna came to her right.  Laun did not want to make a preferential motion towards either of the men as they stood there.  She kept her hands clasped on her belly as both of them bowed to her.

“Thank you for attending me tonight,” Laun said, not to any one person.

The Lieutenant took the advantage and said, “It is right and proper that you be attended as a Lady should.”  He looked at the leaders of the troupe with a bit of a haughtiness.

Adelmar had his hat off and in his hands.  “I am not sure what is proper, Lady, but I hope you like this.”  A small bunch of flowers appeared and Laun smiled as he handed them to her.

“Thank you both.  Shall we sit?”  Laun motioned to either side of the tall backed chair for the two groups.

The Lieutenant pulled her chair out slightly and she put a soft touch to his arm as she passed by him to sit.  His eye was steady on her as he helped to move the chair back closer to the table.  Laun stood for a moment, looking at the soldiers standing at the tables before she sat on her chair.  They all seemed to sit at once, at least the ranked soldiers did.

Del came to Laun’s side and whispered, “It isn’t a proper feast, Lady.  Should I announce the courses?”

Laun paused and thought.  She shook her head and said, “I think that may be a little formal for tonight.  Just bring food if it is ready.  I am sure we will have some entertainment if it is not.  Oh,” Laun motioned to the other end of the room, “make sure that they get a fair share of what is available.  Thank you for your diligence, Del.”

He nodded and backed away.  Laun looked across the table and smiled at the sergeant who had lucked out to have that space.  He nodded back, a slight tilt to one of his black eyebrows.  

Several large platters came from one of the doors carried by two servants each.  The unranked soldiers jumped to and started to serve the ranked soldiers and officers.  Gem and Hazalam reappeared and set several smaller plates in front of Laun.  One large platter was walked to the other end of the room, taken by the entertainers and cheered.

Laun smiled.  It seemed to be going well.  The food was not spectacular, but she knew how much they had to scrounge and make due with that day.  Several of the women from the entertainers came in from the kitchens, rolling their sleeves down and greeting their companions.

Laun saw soldier’s eyes following the women.  The late night entertainment looked like it might have been set already.

Laun looked at the plates that she had in front of her.  She tried not to wince.  The others at the table were given wooden trenchers and were being served from the large platter.  Laun waited until everyone she could see was served before picking up the amber handled knife that had been placed at her hand.

Fish.  It was good that they had been able to find fish in the water that she had seen on the way into the land.  But it turned her stomach.  She carefully cut some off and put it in her mouth.  She swallowed without chewing and smiled around her sudden nausea.  A glass of water had been put before her and she tried not to gulp it to clear the taste from her mouth.

Then there was something that used to be vegetables.  Of some sort.  It was blended and strained and fluffed to the point where she was not sure what it had started as.  She cut some of the stuff and again put it into her mouth.  The texture was hard and yet it was chewy.  She had to chew hard and all she tasted was onions.

Laun held her glass up and it was refilled.

She recognized rabbit, but she was not sure what the white sauce it was drenched in was.  She was able to take a rabbit hindquarter and hold it so that the sauce was mostly drained off before she bit into it.  The meat was a little tough, but edible.  As long as the sauce was not on it.  There was something bitter in the sauce and it just did not hit Laun’s palate right.

Laun looked around and saw that she was the only one to get those particular dishes.  She looked the sergeant across from her in the eye and said, “I will trade you some of this fish for some of your grilled vegetables.”

He started to smile and took the fish plate.  He scraped some onto his trencher and then speared a few of the early queenslace root and beetroot on his knife and slid the vegetables onto the plate with the rabbit.  Laun sighed as she tasted the grill-cooked rootstock, saluting slightly with her own knife to the sergeant.

Laun found that it was too quiet.  The soldiers were not talking, and because of that, the troupe were sitting and standing quietly, watching the soldiers.  It was a little too much, or perhaps a little too little, for Laun.

She turned to Lieutenant Senri and asked, “How is the Corporal doing?”

Senri swallowed and said, “The healer is with him and gave him something to sleep.  I wasn’t able to get anything out of him, but she said that he just needs to come out of it on his own.”

Laun nodded, a serious look on her face.  “I am sorry that he is unwell.  He has good hands and his skills will be missed until he is better.”

Senri paused, his knife in midair with a small piece of meat on it.  He was deciding how she meant what she had said.  He took the bite and chewed before saying, “It is lucky we have the healer to help take up the slack.”

“Kell also seems to have good hands, and a good supply of elixirs.”  Laun turned to her right and said to Adelmar, “I hope you do not mind that Kell is helping with the Companies’ medic.”

Adelmar shook his head.  He had a roll in one hand, a beet in the other and was happily chewing away.  “She has been itching to use her skills.  She has been tending to us for a while and sometimes to a noble or someone who may need it.  She had much more education than she uses with us.”

“I had been wondering.  Formal educations are good for some professions, such as the healers and wisemen.  Sometimes I think it is a better thing to learn from life.”  Laun took a sip of water and leaned back slightly.

Adelmar nodded.  “Everyone has something to teach.  Not everyone can learn.”

Laun nodded and turned to Senri.  “Lieutenant, did you go through a formal education to become an officer?”

“I came up in the ranks, but when I hit Sergeant, I was lucky enough to catch someone’s eye.  My commission was paid for and I went to the academy in the South for a year.  So.  Yes, I have had a formal training, but most of what I have learned came from fighting my way up the ranks.”

Laun smiled.  “That is wonderful, Lieutenant.”  She leaned closer to him and said, “I wish Captain Leon had been so fortunate.”

She heard at least one cough because of food being in the way of a laugh.  Laun thought that the other commanding officer would be a safe foil as no one seemed to respect him.  The Sergeant across from her looked at his trencher and could not look up for a moment.  He had a glint in his dark eye and his short, straight black hair reminded her of both Fount and Silar in a way, though perhaps older than either of them.

“So, Sergeant Hun-Kan, what kind of horses do you prefer?”

He looked at her and then flicked his eye to his Lieutenant before saying, “I train the destriers for the company.”

Laun slightly tilted her head and said, “Ah!  I have a palfrey at Salam-Dir.  Loved her.  Couldn’t ride after my fourth month, though.  Center of balance and all that.”  Laun took a sip of water.  “She is a bay, good solid red and black with grey in her mane.  I would love to see a demonstration of your chargers, if the Lieutenant would permit.”

The Lieutenant looked at Laun sideways and said, “Not planning an escape, are you, Lady?”

Laun turned and looked at him squarely.  She openly said, “Always, but you should know by now that I can find comfort wherever I am.”  She smiled and raised her glass of water to him.

He nodded back and turned to the Sergeant.  “Maybe tomorrow.  The Lady would like to see how well trained our stallions are.”  His face slightly pinked as he went back to his food.

Laun turned back to the Sergeant and smiled.  “The Lieutenant is right.  There is nothing better than watching the flanks of a stallion when he is being worked hard.”  Laun heard several suppressed chuckles and was satisfied with her slight sexual push in the conversation.

The Sergeant looked at his commanding officer for a moment and kept chewing until he was able to clear his mouth.  He took a swallow from his tankard and ran his callused thumb around the rim of the metal vessel as he said, “Our stallions are not used to having mares around them, Lady, and can be hard to harness if not reined in immediately.”

Laun mentally ran through the language that Ali and Fount would use about the horses.  “I agree that a wild stallion may be difficult, but I have found that a tight grip and gentle strokes make it easier to mount if the beast has any training at all.”  

Hun-Kan put his hand to his stubbled chin and rubbed it as he said, “Most stallions come to the paddock without knowing the proper paces when led.”

Laun bit her lower lip before she said, “I am sure with harnessed guidance, even the unbroken stallions could be saddled.”

Senri cleared his throat.  “Lady, is this appropriate for evening meal?”

Laun turned yet again to the Lieutenant.  “I’m sorry?  I thought we were talking about the chargers your company brought in case of battle.”  She turned to the other side and saw the magician trying not to spew his half-chewed food back into his trencher.  “I have no idea what you gentles thought we were talking about...”  Laun winked at Verna past her brother’s bent shoulder.

Verna was a little red, but took up the conversation with, “I think we may want some music or juggling for our Lady’s entertainment.  Most of the mounts here seem to be geldings anyway.”

Laun smiled and heard a snort from the Sergeant across from her.  Some sort of a signal from one of the two entertainers at the head table started a stir at the other end of the room.  A few tin whistles started playing a dance tune and the great hall filled with a lightness of mood in just a few bars.

Laun turned back to the Sergeant.  He had a broad smile on his tanned face and raised his tankard to her.  “Lady.”

Laun tilted her head to him and raised her glass to him.  They drank at the same time and Laun knew that she had pulled the right strings with him.  It was not just that he was sitting across from her.  The Sergeant had a way about him that caught Laun, and he looked quite nice, even with the bit of scruff on his chin and the unpolished nature of many of his uniform pieces.  There was a nuance in his eyebrow as he looked at her that made her pink slightly as she wiped a little water from her lip with her thumb.

Laun could not eat any more of what had been placed for her.  She tried to give some of it to the people around her, not even asking for tidbits in return.  When that failed, she had the dishes cleared.  Gem had seen that her Mistress was not happy with the food and had gone back to the kitchen to find something else.  She had come out with a few rolls and a pitcher of milk.

The milk filled what had been the water glass and Laun could not hide her relief.  Just a few months before, she hated milk.  Now, it was her food savior.  She tore the rolls apart and ate between the conversation.  Lieutenant Senri had started to dominate the talk to keep Laun from leading more of his men astray.  He kept the subjects to things he thought she would not be able to turn, but within a few moments, he had to struggle to get back to something that could not be used in sexual innuendo.

Senri was struggling hard and becoming frustrated with his efforts.  Laun saw that he was fighting to keep his composure.  She let up on finding ways that what he said could be misinterpreted.  The Sergeant, on the other hand, was not letting up and had Laun grinning with most of his comments.  Laun had to turn to Adelmar several times to include him in the conversation just to try to keep the Lieutenant from glaring too much at her.

The troupe started to wander the room more, one of the musicians centering on the end of one of the tables and several of the women gathering to sing to the tune his tin whistle was playing.  On the other side of the room, the acrobats started to do bending and tumbling in the space between the unranked men and the tables of officers.  There were many things to watch and listen to, though one performer caught Laun’s eye.

The juggler started towards the head table, only one hand juggling the three balls he had.  The red ball was behind her in the corner of the chairs’ seat.  She reached behind her and found it while looking at Senri, who was trying to not say something with multiple meanings about a mountain pass he had been stuck in several years before.  The Lieutenant was failing and kept catching what he had just said.  Laun was no longer poking him verbally, but the others around him were, and he kept making his blunders worse by charging ahead and saying more that could be misconstrued.

Laun turned to Adelmar and said under her breath, “I didn’t know I was going to have this much fun.”  She winked and held up the ball so he could see it.  “Now for another type of fun.”  He smiled and graciously motioned towards the approaching juggler.

Laun turned back to the Lieutenant and said, “Please excuse me.  It seems I am holding someone’s hard, red ball and I need to release it.”

Speechless.  Lieutenant Senri’s mouth was open and moving slightly, but nothing was coming out.  Laun was holding the juggler’s ball up for the men around her to see.  Some turned away so that they would not laugh.  Sergeant Hun-Kan put his hand over his mouth and squeezed his eyes shut, but the laughter would not be contained.  Laun started to stand and the chair was pulled out some so she could move past the bench Adelmar and his sister were on.

The juggler was good.  He stood near the fireplace, keeping the balls he had traveling in the air as he watched Laun approach with his equipment in her hand.

“Lady, I do believe that is mine.”

Laun stood a pace from him and loosely held the ball at about chest level.  “It is yours for the taking, Charel.  I wouldn’t want you to have to chase about more than you have to.”  Laun felt her back and butt twinge slightly from having been siting on the flat wooden chair and put her other hand on her lower back to help support herself.

He kept the other balls in the air as he reached for the one Laun supported.  He pushed down slightly.  Laun felt the direction and lowered the hand and gripped the ball a little tighter.  She glanced from the ball to his face and saw that he was still looking directly at her eyes.

She kept eye contact as she felt his hand slide down the ball.  His fingers slid between hers and under the ball, slowly until his fingertips were lightly on the palm of her hand.  Her fingers were drawing across his palm and she saw a slight twitch at the corner of one of his eyes.  She loosened her grip on the ball but did not lower her hand.  She smiled, parting her lips to show her tongue pressed against the backs of her teeth.

He tilted his hand and rolled the ball out of her grip and onto the back of his hand.  He popped the ball up and it was making another pattern with the other balls following.  His hands were quick and Laun had not felt his hand move from hers until the cool air moved across her palm.

The juggler backed up slightly and made several arcing patterns with his complete set of balls.  Laun smiled, watching the skill.  She clapped her hands together at several points as he turned and caught the balls falling or some other flashy trick.

Charel had a line of sweat on his brow as he caught all the balls as they fell from the air and bowed to Laun.  She applauded and many of the soldiers also showed their appreciation by clapping or knocking on the tables.

“Thank you!  I hope you didn’t wear yourself out.”  Laun reached out and drew her fingertips across his forehead and then down his cheek as he stood.

He did have a slight breathiness as he said, “It was an honor to make you smile, Lady.”  He glanced down at the balls in his hands and presented one to her.  “Would you hold this for me?  It does seem to fit well in your hand...”

She blushed slightly.  “I would not want to deprive you of some thing you need to practice with.”

He bowed again, holding the ball between them.  “I am far past the need to practice, Lady.”

Laun held out her hand and he rolled the ball into her palm.  “Perhaps you could show me how to use this, later?”

“As you wish, Lady.”  He did a flourish and started to juggle again while walking back to the other end of the room, stopping at the different tables to do a few tricks.

Laun turned, thanking the Gods that the object she had in her hand was not a studded fruit.  The eyes of the soldiers around her were blazing in her direction.  She strode back to her chair and sat, her butt unhappy to be on the hard chair again.

Lieutenant Senri leaned over and quietly said, “I should put a muzzle on you.”

Laun looked at him while she was sipping on some milk.  Several comments came to mind.  She could have told him it was not his place.  She could have quipped that she didn’t know he was into such play.  What she said was, “I apologize for creating a scene, Lieutenant.”

He blinked, expecting more of a jab from her.  “Well...  You were.  I need to keep decorum in the ranks and you are creating chaos.”

She nodded and looked at her milk.  “Then, since evening meal seems to be over, perhaps I should find my way back to my room.  I did get up quite early.”  Her eyes went back to his and she quietly said, “I’m glad I could wake you.”

Senri’s face was red.  Laun motioned that she was standing again and the chair was pulled back for her.  She put her hand out to the soldiers’ commanding officer and said in a light but carrying tone, “Thank you for your companionship this evening, Lieutenant.”

He had to stand to take her hand.  He straddled the bench and bowed over her hand.  “I hope you get some rest, Lady Laun.”

She kept her eyes on his and lowered her voice.  “I hope not.”  She made a slight curtsey and turned towards Adelmar.

The magician was standing and took her hand, kissing it.  “This has been a good evening, Lady.  Thank you.”

Laun tilted her head to him and said, “I wish that tomorrow is better.  We should talk.”

“Yes, Lady.”  He glanced down the room, saying, “Should I have him oiled for you?”

Laun smiled and shyly glanced down at the ball she held in her other hand before saying, “It is his choice.  Though… perhaps not tonight.”

He nodded and dropped her hand.  There was a glance over to the Sergeant, a slight chin lift and eyebrow movement from her to him.  She saw a slight nod before she turned.  Laun stepped away from the chair and started to make her way through and to the door she knew would lead to the rooms she was now supposed to be in.  Several of the soldiers stood, saluting or bowing to her as she went by.  She smiled and nodded to them as she passed.  

Several of the acrobats made a pile of themselves as she paused, bowing and climbing over each other to make fun of the men she had passed.  Laun made a small curtsey to them and there was laughter from the troupe.  She rolled the ball between her hands and smiled at the juggler, a few back slaps from his companions putting him off balance as he bowed to her.

Her two shadows were at her sides as they walked down the corridor away from the evening gathering.  Laun slowed and took a breath.  They offered support by putting their hands on her arms.  She shook her head, but kept to a slow pace, holding their hands in hers.

“If it is possible, I would like to have a bath.  At the least, my beautiful, talented Gem, I need my hair brushed.”

“Yes, Mistress.”

“And my handsome, strong Hazalam, one of your foot massages would make me feel so good once we are back in that room.”

“Yes, Mistress.”

“Thank you both.”

The two assassins looked at each other and nodded to each other before walking hand in hand in hand with their Mistress back to the room.

The moonlight awaits in Chapter 38