the Leathermines

Back to Chapter 39

 

It must have been the middle of the night.  It had to be the middle of the night.  There was only moonlight coming through the bed chamber, the silvery light washing everything to light and shadow, no colors or depth.

Laun lay on her side for a few minutes, looking at the way the light changed how things looked.  Her eyes had opened and she knew she was awake, but the night made it surreal around her.

There was a slight sound of wind coming in from outside.  A sound that said to Laun that there were storms coming.  Storms and rain meant the soldiers would be unhappy to be outside.  The troupe would most likely want to all be inside, too.  There were going to be tensions and it was going to break badly if the rain lasted too long.

But that would be when others were awake.

Laun moved, pushing the covers back to get some fresh air.  She heard movement near the floor and there was a soldier standing at the bedside.

He had taken her by surprise.  She had been looking at exactly where he had been sitting, but the moonlight and shadow had masked him.  He was just standing there, waiting at a relaxed attention.

Laun’s voice was low as she asked, “What bells is it?”

She thought she saw his face scrunch up.  “I think about 3 bells, Lady.”

Laun sighed.  Her head was awake and rushing around even though her body could not.  She started to push herself up and around on the bed.

“Do you need to use the privy?”

Laun nodded and then said, “Yes, please.”

His hands went out and she found that he had her in his arms.  The towel that had been clinging to her leg dropped partway off the bed as she was taken through the air and to the hidden door.  Laun was able to limp onto and off of the wooden seat, though there still wasn’t anything to wipe herself with.  She felt odd having the man carry her again to the bed and not even a look down at her.  It also felt comfortable knowing that she did not have to have her seductive mask on.  Or her innocent mask.

  Laun knew she was going to be awake for a while.  She needed something to do.  The cascading lists of things made her focus on one project she had not been able to finish.  And it was just down the corridor in the Library.

The long, dark purple skirt was draped over one of the chests.  She had the soldier bring it to her as she sat on the edge of the bed.  It had a tie to keep it together and she tied it above her breasts.

It took a little maneuvering, but he was able to carry her into the library and set her at the desk.  There was only one light flickering as they entered, but as Laun found her supplies, she watched as he found and lit the various lanterns around the room.  She saw him pause at one section, but she could not remember what type of book was on those shelves.

Nothing had been moved on the desk.  The book she had the burned documents in was still there, the transcribed letter in with it’s original.  She carefully took out the next document in the book and looked at it.  Lady Engrid to Bregnan.

There was a less complete letter, but it seemed nastier than the one Ithian signed.  Her excellency had specific instructions for Bregnan for disposing of certain rivals and heirs.  Lady Hellon might have been mentioned, but the damage was too extensive to get a good idea who she really had been talking about.  There was also a small section where it looked like a plan was to be put in place to keep Falmir in line, but that also was very incomplete.  Laun had been able to save the Blue Master’s signature, though.

Laun’s eyes and hands were tired by the time she was satisfied that she had gotten as much information from the original onto the new pulp paper as she could.  Her foot was hurting and her shoulders were cold.  Her mind was still awake.

She put down the third crow quill she had used and stretched, looking at the ink stains on her wrist and thumb in the lantern’s glow.  She glanced over and saw that the soldier had taken a book from one of the shelves and was standing against the stack, reading in the warm light of one of the lanterns.

He looked up and closed the book, straightening up to attention.  “Do you need help, Lady?”

Laun shook her head, feeling her braid down her back.  “Resting.  What did you take to occupy yourself?”  Laun indicated the book in his hand.

There was a slight twitch along his jaw before he said, “A story from a King’s concubine.”

Laun’s eyebrow went up.  “If I didn’t have these documents to save, I would be interested in taking a look.  Much more interesting than accounting or books on plants.”

There was another twitch and a partial smile.  “Yes, Lady.”

Laun stood, waiving him off when it looked like he wanted to come to help her.  She stood, feeling blood go back into portions of her backside.  She turned and limped to the shelf with the accounting books.  She carefully pulled the last book out and opened it.  The pages were still there, no new information and no responding note.  Laun was certain that Del would have torn the last pages out by then, but she had been keeping things busy.  Laun put the book back and blew the dust back over where she had just touched.

The soldier’s head came up and he watched her limp back to the desk.  He watched as she carefully took the old document supported by the parchment and put it in the back of the book, the new paper placed over it.  He looked back down to the book in his hand, but his eye went back up to see her carefully take another burned document on parchment out of the book and look at it.  Her face was full of anger for a moment as she looked at it.  She sighed and started transcribing onto a clean sheet of pulp paper.

There was a slight swearing from Laun after a while.  He looked up and saw her looking at the tip of the quill.  It had split and she was trying to make the ink that was in it drip back in the glass inkwell, not on the desk.  He saw her look around the desktop, and then put the quill into a small casket with the other quills she had used.  She leaned back in the creaking chair, her hands going over her belly and rubbing in small circles.    She was still looking at the papers on the desk, but not focusing on them.

It took her a few minutes, but she sat up straight and stretched, the skirt tied around her chest slipping slightly.  Her hand went to her breast to keep it from sliding further and he saw her have a shocked look on her face.  Her hand came off the fabric and she looked between her palm and the darker patch that had started on the almost modest covering.  He heard more swearing, but did not step forward to offer assistance.

She sighed again and wiped her palm on the skirt further down.  She carefully put the old and new documents in the back of the book as she had the other one and closed the book.  He saw a pain go across her face, but not like when he had bumped her foot into the doorframe.  It was an emotional pain, but it slipped out for just a flash.

Laun looked around the library.  So much information in the room, and it all seemed ready to be delved into.  Since she had just split the last of the quills, she was not going to be able to get anything else from the burned documents right then.  It was breaking her heart to read and reread what was in the letters.  But, she needed to do it.  It was information and some of it was going to have to be used to her household’s advantage sometime.

What books in the library could help her even more?  The history books were good for base things, but did not appeal to her any more.  The travel journals were about places and people who did not exist any longer.  Story books, though fun, were not helpful.  Laun looked around and remembered the other library.  Bregnan’s library.  It was far away in the manor at that point, but she wanted to go through what he had, see if he had any more information that was about the lead up to the coup.

Not right then.  She was starting to become chilly and the shoulder that she had dislocated started to hurt.  Her hands were also hurting from the use and effort of writing, but there was something a bit more to the sensation.  Whatever Kell had slipped to her had worn off and she was feeling all of her aches and pains fully.

Laun leaned on the desk, her elbows on the wood, her hands on the side of her face.  She felt a small wetness and looked.  She had just wiped some of the ink onto her cheek.  She closed her eyes and mentally screamed.  All that came out was a little sob.

“Lady?”

She wanted to scream at him.  She wanted to tell him to fuck off.  She wanted to tell him not to call her Lady.

“I think it is time for me to go back to bed.  The weather change is not going to be pleasant.”

He put the book on top of the others in the section he was leaning against and came forward.  “Weather?”

Laun looked at him with a slightly pained expression.  “I can feel it.  A storm, possibly thunderstorm.  It will hit soon.”

He clenched his jaw and nodded.  Laun got up off the chair and leaned on the desk for a moment.  She felt more dampness in the fabric around her nipples and disliked this part of her pregnancy.  She tied the skirt a little tighter and lifted her arms to make sure it wouldn’t slip.

“Back to your room, Lady?”  She nodded and he picked her up.  She was not the heaviest person he had ever carried, but with her belly, it was a different balance.  She grabbed the end of her braid and held it to her chest as they went back down the corridor.  The little silver ribbon was partway down the unbraided tail and he could see a charm of some sort tied to it.  A delicate thing to be tied onto a braid, he thought to himself.

He had her to the bed and stopped before he put her down.  He backed up and looked around, the Lady in his arms being quiet and watchful.  Her head went to the side and looked at the curtain in the archway.  It was moving slightly, a breeze from the other side catching the hem and moving it.  She used a signal he did not recognize and he saw her face scrunch up when she felt he didn’t understand.

Laun put her hand on his cheek and looked into his eyes.  The moonlight took some of the expression from her, but she knew he understood when she mouthed, “open door to walkway”.  He nodded and put her down next to the bed.

The flower had been put on her pillow, possibly as a gesture of goodwill, but it showed that someone had been there while they were gone.  The soldier looked around the bathing chamber and then the bedroom before going to the archway.  He had a knife pulled from somewhere she had not seen and paused before slowly pushing the curtain back and going through.  Only moonlight came through the other way until the curtains closed behind him.

It took a few moments, but Laun heard the scrape of the doorway being closed.  More time passed before he came back.

“All clear, Lady.”  He was putting his knife back in the sheath in the seam of his uniform leather pants.

Laun nodded to him and said in a low voice, “I have an admirer in the entertainers.”

He came over and held out an arm and steadied her until she was next to the crumpled covers.  She picked up the flower and smelled the outside scent to it.  It was another daisy, that seemed to be what was in season right then.  She tossed it back onto the bed and was about to try to scramble on when he stopped her.  He ran his arms under the covers, feeling if anything else had been left behind.

He stood back and Laun was helped into bed.  She moved and scrunched up the skirt until it was no longer under her.  She untied it and dropped it on the floor next to the bed.  The soldier did not turn away, did not glance down.  Laun pulled the covers over her and was suddenly very tired.  She was also a bit chilly.

“Thank you.  I know you were assigned to this, but I really appreciate your service.”

“My honor, Lady.”

Laun’s mind was slowing down, the hours she had been awake and concentrating taking its toll, the pain in her body sapping her strength.  She could see that the moon was not the only light source coming from outside, but it was a watery grey light of morning.  She had a flash of several grey mornings back in Salam-Dir, her people and Loves around her.  She missed the bodies, the heat and companionship.

She sighed.  “Lady?”

She looked up to him and could not even smile.  “It’s too bad.”

“Lady?” his voice showed his concern and confusion, even if his face did not.

“I’m used to having people beside me in bed.  It’s too bad I am not a man...”

He felt his stomach drop slightly.  “Um, Lady?”

“...or that you’re not a woman.  But that would take you away from your duties, wouldn’t it?”  There was a small smile on her lips as she said that.

He watched her lean back in the bedding, the pillows under her head light around her dark hair.  The covers were pulled up past her shoulders and she seemed very comfortable.

He stepped back slightly and watched as her eyes closed, but he felt like he was still being watched by her.  Her breathing deepened as the light from outside changed.  He heard a footstep in the hall and went to the door before the relief could knock and disturb the just resting Lady.

There was a changing of duty report that they went through in the corridor.  The Lady being up for several hours at the desk in the library, the flower on the pillow and the open door into the sitting room were all mentioned.  His feeling as though she had somehow seen through him to one of the things he had tried to keep secret from his fellow soldiers was not mentioned.  He hoped that the other soldier had a quiet watch.

Laun was indeed asleep when the other soldier came into the room.  He closed the door quietly and inspected the rooms to see what, and possibly who, was there.  One of the servants was coming out of the hidden room, her tunic covering just enough to make her decent if not modest.  She made a sleepy salute to him as she went to the privy.  She came back through the bed chamber, stopped and then crawled into bed with her mistress.

There were a few low words he could not catch and then a little giggle floated out.  He heard a sigh from one of them and then quiet.

 

Onto a salacious morning in Chapter 41