Back to Chapter 27 - Please consider Tribute in these trying times
The carriage was hitched up, the wagon with the servants being loaded. Many tired faces were among those in the dark green, most of those also with smiles.
They were waiting for Laun and the babies. The common soldiers were not allowed onto the gravel surrounding the keeps black stone wall, but that did not mean there weren’t Rosemond military walking in the early day. Several of the officers who had been with the women strolled by, low voices thanking for the activities of the day and night before, some placing a coin or trinket extra to make the Officers feel better about what they knew would happen in two days. There were a few that stopped to nod at Verat or Franc, hands gripped in the warriors way, that left gifts for them, too.
Servants opened the gate before Erin escorted Laun out to the cleared area. Servants trailed behind, the men of the household watching Gem as she carried the basket with the babies. Hazalam carried a chest to the carriage and stepped in, the motion of it showing he was settling the luggage before himself. Grace was being held loosely by the reins waiting for Laun to mount.
Erin held Laun’s hand to his lips and murmured something to her that made her blush, but also made her grin widely. She waved a dark feathered fan at her self to try to cool off on that hot morning, the red and black dress drawing heat seemingly from the air.
The only one who saw Derrik and his attitude as he went around the group of servants was hidden in the treeline, close to where Laun had been a month and a year before. There was nothing he could do, but he signaled to the others hiding in the underbrush to keep watch.
Ash started to cry. Ash hardly ever cried. Gem picked her up and tried to comfort her, but that was her undoing. She did not see the face of the council as he rounded on her. She did not hear the quickening footsteps as he rushed for her. She had just enough time to try to draw the blade from her belt, but the crying baby was in the way.
“Mos’ta shaalo’ Derrik! What are you doing?” Erin dropped Laun’s hand and stepped towards his council.
There was quiet in the crowd, many of the servants backing up and away from the man holding the crying baby at knife point. Gem had her blade drawn, poised for the signal to take the man down from her Mistress. All of the Salam-Dir people, suddenly had weapons, mass and bladed, in their hands. The only one who did not was Laun.
She was calm. Her back was straight and she held the front of her skirt as she turned to face the man with her child. She saw desperation in his face, in his stance. She also saw that he had hastily pulled on his tunic, the collar pulled so she could see the side of his neck. She nodded, but most saw it as her bowing her head.
Erin was screaming, “What the fuck are you doing?”
Derrik held the child badly, making her scream even more, but putting her close to the blade in the older mans’ hand. “You will not take advantage of the situation, you coward. You have her right here and we could take her land without having to waste any of the troops before going to the border.”
Erin looked at Laun and saw her calmness as she looked at the ground. “Derrik, you fool. She did not have to know anything about it!”
“You think she came here just for a visit? You horny bastard! She came here to beg you to not take her lands by letting you take her. She is a cold, tongueless whore who will stop at nothing to get what she wants.”
“She has said nothing about our pl- No! It is not my plan. It never was. It was her plan and she can do it without me. I will not go through with what Lady Engrid has led me to. Now put down the baby!”
Derrik turned and held the knife closer to Ash. “Your Highness, whore of the Midlands. If you want to keep your child safe, surrender yourself and your lands. You do not deserve the choice, but I am letting you decide.”
There was a birdcall over the nervous noises of the servants. The Salam-Dir people moved slowly, making a clearing amongst them. A few touched shoulders of the men of the Nestwood and drew them back with them.
Laun looked up at Derrik. She breathed in and blew out through her nose. She held out her hands, palm sides up and took a step towards the man, and a little to one side. “Your Mistress gave you bad information, Derrik.” Grace threw her head, tossing her mane and tried to step towards Laun, feeling the tension in the humans around her.
He shook his head, sweat flying off as he moved. “She told me everything I needed to know, whore.”
Laun stepped towards him and to the side again, her hands still out to him, palm side up. “Threatening my child will not give you what you wish.”
“Yes it will.” There were gasps as he pressed the knife blade into the swaddling. “Surrender and Lady Engrid will let you keep your precious bastards.”
Laun stepped one more step, raising her arms above her head. “The Captain came to me with concerns of why I was here, which I answered. I also told him something that you should know.”
“What, bitch.”
Laun made a fist, two fingers pointed up out of it. “I do not bring my children anyplace I do not feel safe.” Laun heard birdcalls and tapped her other raised arm with the two fingers.
They could have been better shots. Two arrows struck the man, one sticking through the arm holding Ash, the other in a leg. The baby hit the ground before Derrik, crying as Gem picked her up and rolled away from the screaming man.
Soldiers started to run towards where the shots came from. Erin called out and then Captain Hinds called out and the soldiers stopped in their tracks. There was some confusion, but the soldiers stepped back as Silar came out of the shade of the trees, wearing the same dark green of the others with Laun, the same cut as the other assassins.
The council stopped screaming when he saw Silar. He rolled partially over and saw Hazalam at Laun’s side, recognition in his face as he started trembling. He sucked in air several times, turning pale and then fainting. Several of the Nestwood servants approached him, but did not do anything for the bleeding man.
Laun was kneeling with Gem, holding Ash and checking her out. The slash had only hurt the blanket, though Laun was sad for that piece of Lady Hellons’ quilt to have been ruined so. Hazalam was kneeling a pace away, facing away from Laun, Evan mirroring him on the other side. Silar knelt on the gravel when he reached Laun and bowed his head.
There were tears on Laun’s face, but a small smile, too. “Thank you.”
“Mistress. The squads await your word.”
Erin was stunned. He watched as Laun made a few motions with her hand, the dark man not the only one reacting to her silent commands. Silar stood and motioned, two full squads including several figures with bows came out of the shadowed trees. The servants became another squad, a formation to protect their Princess obvious.
The Baron stepped towards Laun, feeling the menace from Laun’s people. Laun looked up and smiled at his outstretched hand. She raised her hand and the tension lessened. He helped her up and took the baby as his arm went around Laun. Ash was no longer crying but looking around at everyone behind Erin.
“Are you well? He did not do that on my orders. He-”
Laun put her head on the mans chest and sobbed. It was only one sob, an uncontrolled gasp for air. It told Erin much. He held her tightly, moreso when the baby was taken by one of the Salam-Dir women. Laun did not say anything but listened to his heart and breathing and tried to calm her own.
He kissed her forehead and said into her hair, “I will have nothing to do with my Aunts plans. It is not my King’s wish and it is not my own. I will send these men away and back home, never to bother you or yours again.”
Laun looked up, brushing her face along his chin. “Thank you, Erin. You did not have to-”
He dropped his arms from her and stepped back. He took her hand and knelt. “Princess Laun. Please accept my apologies for the actions of my man. He will be punished for causing you any duress and harming your child.” He held her hand to his lips and then pressed her hand to his forehead.
Many of the servants around them went to their knees. Soldiers stood at attention. Laun gathered herself together and looked down at Erin. She smiled when he looked back up at her.
The smile he gave her back showed her that she had treated him right, had chosen the approach well. She raised her other hand slightly with the palm up and said, “Please rise. I thank you for your attendance and your honor. I wish we could have been parting under better circumstances, but now I know I will be able to come back. Thank you.”
He stood, keeping her hand in his. The men around him stood, the Captain stepping forward to come to a crisp attention and salute.
Laun turned to the officer and had to drop Erins hand to properly salute back. She was strong with her motions, dropping her arm quickly before offering her hand, not to be kissed, but as a warriors grip. He took it, placing his hand on her shoulder before stepping back and keeping at parade rest.
One last embrace and kiss from Erin and Laun stepped away. She motioned and clicked her tongue, Grace coming to her and going to the ground. Laun straddled and mounted, sitting as comfortably as she could after having had Erin several times in the night, once in the morning before she bathed. She squeezed the signal to Grace and Laun was up in the air. She held her hand out to Erin who kissed it before stepping back.
A call from Silar and the protectors and soldiers from within the woods who had stepped out formed ranks alongside the path to the beach. The wagon and carriage had people in them, the horses pulling away almost before everyone who was to ride was in. Laun waited until she could hear her people were far down the path before raising her hand and saluting sloppily to the people around her.
Erin wanted to talk more, hold her more. He stepped forward and put his hand on her leg, feeling the weapons straps around her thighs. He looked at his hand and back up to Laun. He nodded and said, “Knowing you could... At any time.”
Laun nodded, her hand over his. “One last thing, Baron Bedral. You should find a knife in the possession of your council. It has an onyx pommel with a carving in it. If you do find this knife, be aware that he was sent by none other than the Blue Master. I should have recognized him for what he was before this had gotten so out of hand. But then again, I am still learning.”
Erin looked at the bleeding man on the gravel and back to Laun. “He was placed with me when I arrived in the Midlands. This has been a long thought plan, hasn’t it?”
Laun nodded. “I will miss you.”
He bowed slightly. “As I miss you, Highness.”
Laun turned Grace without using the reins and called over her shoulder, “Tell your Aunt that I still appreciate her gift.”
Erin was confused, but could only wave after her. He could not see her after she went down the path, but he waited in the hot morning sun until he could hear a call from the guards at the bridge.
Captain Hinds came to the Baron’s side and waited. Erin turned and looked at the officer and sighed. “Tell the men they will be moving out. Same planned time. Different direction.”
The Captain nodded. “As you wish, sir.” He saluted and stepped back but did not leave.
“Yes? Something else?”
“Sir, was she that good in bed?”
Erin smiled a crooked smile and nodded. “But... It wasn’t that. She treated me as a man, Norwel. Not an object. Not a Stick to be played. Always with that calm... nobility. I never see that in any of the Rosemond Ladies.” He rubbed his clean shaven chin and looked back to the path to the beach. “She only ever asked for tea or the privy. Never looking to stop anything we were doing.”
“Sir... I have a feeling we would have lost.”
Erin nodded as he turned and looked at Derrik. “I think we had quite a while ago, Norwel.”
The Salam-Dir household celebrate the harvest in Chapter 29
Comments (0)