Back to Chapter 53 - Beginning Chapter of this novel, The Slave Lady - Beginning chapter of The Midlands Chronicle: The Slave Warrior - Please consider Tribute to keep the Web Mistress in Coffee and Chocolate.
There was a small Midlands tent that had been left alongside the road that went to the Salam-Dir lands. Three men were there, left to keep an eye on the people on the other side of the barricade. That, and to have someone there to welcome the royals they were told were to be there a few days after the cease and withdraw.
The sunburnt man half standing, half leaning on the one tree near the tent was not sure what he was looking at when he saw a squad of Midlands soldiers with a few wagons and a carriage travel towards him. It was not the soldiers that was confusing him. It was the woman on the huge charger.
She pulled up next to him and she seemed to be waiting for something. The Captain pulled his horse next to hers and the unranked soldier came to attention and saluted. The salute was returned.
“How far to the Salam-Dir border?” the Captain asked brusquely.
“Sir, less than five minutes in the way you are going. Sir.”
The officer looked at the woman and she smiled. The Captain said, “At ease,” and the mounted woman started forward without seeming to do anything with the horse.
Laun knew where she was. Soon, the huts that had been turned into the trading post should be coming up. And the fields. And the apple trees. And...
There were huge, sharpened logs and boulders where a road should have been. Laun looked and saw that the obvious place to try to get by had a crap pit through it. She smiled.
It had been a while, so Laun licked her lips and tried to whistle. It did not come out right the first time. She tried again and the ‘help’ bird call came out.
There was an answering call in the distance. Laun tried to whistle again, trying for ‘attention’, but failing miserably. The answering call was closer and asking, ‘who?’
Laun giggled. She whistled a third time, this time getting her own signal out. There was a whoop from the other side of the barrier. And the alert call was sounded, her signal part of the passed message. And repeated a ways away. And then further still until it could have been the wind, not a person.
Laun thought she saw movement. She put her hands out, empty with her palms towards the barricade. She saw arrow tips slide through gaps and aim for her and the men behind her.
The Captain was being nervous and itchy to actually talk with someone. He tried to come forward and an arrow landed in the road in front of his horse. Laun saw and laughed.
Her arms were getting tired holding them like she was. She had to keep them up, to show that she was unarmed... Laun smiled to herself. She still had weapons on her, and the people on the other side should know that she would not be led to them as a prisoner.
Laun thought she heard horses. There were horses in the distance that were coming towards the barrier. Laun could see dust in the air and then voices and she laughed as she heard certain voices.
“Who are you?” It was Edgar. He would be able to see her, but he had to make sure.
Laun called out, “I am Laun Dresden, Lady Salam-Dir, Princess of the Realm of the Kingdom of the Midlands.”
There were a few light cheers, but also a few hard, negative voices.
“Our Lady was taken from us. How do we know you are her?”
Laun took in a deep breath, but had to put her hand on her belly for a moment when the babies kicked. She smiled and took in another breath and held her hands out again. “Ask a question.”
“Our Lady’s thighs-”
“Damnit, Edgar. A question, not a call and response!”
“How do we know you were not turned? That this isn’t a trap?”
“You can’t know. But Bett’s husband would probably like to see his son, who is three days behind me.”
There were surprised sounds. “What do you mean?”
“I have an agreement with him, and I have a plan that I think the family will like.”
There were sounds on both sides of the barricade. Laun’s arms were tired. She signaled for Thunder to kneel and Laun got off the large horse. She took a moment to stretch out and regain feeling in her one foot.
“By the gods! You are huge!”
“Thank you for noticing, Silar.” Laun paced slightly and the soldiers who could dismount behind her did.
“Laun! If you are not being used to force them in here, why do you have a bunch of the Midlands soldiers with you?”
She tried not to laugh as she said, “I had to keep warm some how.”
There were chortles from the Salam-Dir side of the barrier and a few embarrassed noises from behind Laun.
“Now, are you going to let me and my escort in or are you going to let a pregnant woman just stand here all day?”
Laun heard more horses coming towards them on the other side of the barrier. She heard Fount’s voice and Edgar’s voice arguing. A few others were chiming in.
“Well, I came back to tell you all that the war was over, but if you don’t want me back, I’ll just go and take the reins of my Kingdom again.”
Dreng tipped his stack and called out, “Your kingdom?”
Laun shook her head and she knew that several of the soldiers recognized the voice. “It’s amazing what one can accomplish when one is bored, Grandfather.”
There were some heated words on the other side and then Laun heard, “Pull it back, you stubborn...”
Laun turned and saw that many of the soldiers were readying for battle. Laun would not stop them for there was a chance it would happen. Gem and Hazalam were there and flanked her as Laun stepped towards the barricade. She held her hands out to the barricade and said, “You have two archers for every soldier along the barricade. I think you have us outnumbered.”
Laun heard scraping. Several of the sharpened logs moved and there was enough space for someone to step through. Edgar. She did not have to see him fully to know it was him. She had tears and stepped forward. She saw him hesitate. Then she was in his arms.
He smelled of horses and grain and Orgia’s cooking. His arms were strong and she felt him talking to her as much as she heard him. “My Lady Love. I thought you were gone for ever. I missed you...” He rumbled into her ear for several minutes as she sobbed into his armored tunic.
She looked into his face and saw a haunted look that had not been there when she had last seen him. She put her hand to his cheek and he turned his head to kiss her palm. Then he was kissing her and she knew that it was going to be better.
There was another small cheer that went up. The household was already celebrating. Laun saw Fount on the other side of the opening and turned to him, her hand out. He stepped through, looking at her belly, but his grey eyes were on hers as he stepped in and held her. His hands went under her arms and she let him lift her slightly as he kissed her, his tears mingling with her own.
There were more people. More hugs. Some pats on her belly. More kisses. Silar down on his knee, followed by several others.
She was home.
Laun turned to the soldiers. She had one piece of business that she needed to do. “Sergeant!” Laun motioned and he came running to her.
She stepped back and saw the brothers together before they saw each other. Hunter was a good head taller than Fount, but Fount’s head had the full black hair that had grown long enough to be tied back in a tail. Laun felt Edgar’s head swivel, looking at them both.
There was a guttural cry from Fount and a swing from nowhere. Laun held out her hand to the squad to keep them from coming to the rescue. Hunter had not had time to duck and was on the road.
“That was for leaving me with Father!” Fount yelled at his brother at his feet. There was a moment and then Fount held out his hand.
Hunter took the hand and he was pulled up and into the embrace of his brother, his jaw working back and forth to see if anything was broken. “You little rat.” Their arms were around each other and both sides relaxed.
Laun leaned back into Edgar and put his hands on where the babies were kicking. She looked up and said, “Twins.” He got a slightly odd expression on his face and kissed the side of her face gently.
There was quiet as Dreng came through the crowd. Laun straightened and saw the healing wound on the side of his face. His remaining eye went to the three pointed crown she was wearing and he smiled. “I gave that to Tressa years ago. She refused to wear it. Oh, Sweeting.” His arms went to her and she leaned into his embrace.
The Captain at least had the sense to wait until the King and the Princess had fallen back from each other before speaking. “Highness, I have to arrest him...”
Laun smiled as she delicately touched around the red scar on Dreng’s face. “Captain, the agreement said any one of my household had amnesty. All past forgiven for going against Falmir.” Laun turned and looked at the officer. “Who are you to say that he is not part of my household?”
His lip twitched and there was a momentary grimace. “Yes, Princess.” The Captain stepped back and tried to do parade rest, but kept looking at the arrows still pointed at he and his men.
Laun’s back gave a twinge. “So, are we allowed in or not?”
Edgar did not have a chance to signal before more of the wall was moved and there was enough room to get the wagons and carts down the road. The soldiers mounted and went through first with several of the Salam-Dir people surrounding them as escort, the wagons and carriage going next. Laun did not want to leave the embrace of her Love, but she needed to find someplace to rest.
“There is much to discuss, my Love. But I think it will take some time to sort out getting in and settled before being able to talk.” Laun was holding Edgar’s arm around her.
He got another odd look on his face and grinned. “We have much more to talk about than you may think.”
Next, and last chapter... Chapter 55
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