the Leathermines

Back to Chapter 31

It was close to two bells in the morning when the horses were being walked in a cool down circle on the green next to the Inn.  They were trying to be quiet, but Markle heard the horses and went to see what was going on.  He quietly welcomed the tired riders and brought them inside when the horses had been unburdened and partially brushed down.

Marie held a shawl around her, a long, loose night dress on her the only other clothing.  She stood in the main room of the Inn and greeted the late night travelers.  The shutters were pulled over the windows and lights were brought to full flame to light the room.

Laun was leaning against the wall, trying to keep upright until she knew where she would be sleeping that night.  She was too tired to talk to the couple who ran the Inn, the people who had been so important to her when she was on the road over the last year.  She wanted to give them the messages, but decided to wait until the next morning.

The others were also very tired, most leaning on benches and tables and not sitting.  The saddles were good, but they had been riding hard to get there.  The way everyone walked showed how much it would take to get their hips and backs to work properly again.

Marie had water for all of them as Markle cleared out a few things from the alcoves and opened the private rooms.  No one else was there that night, much to the relief of the group.  Markle motioned to Laun and she started to follow to the room she was used to, several of the men trying to follow.

Before she knew what was gong on, Laun was surrounded by men, all vying to be her companion that night.

“I have been on the road for the household and Kingdom and have not been able to spend time with Laun,” Hunter growled.

Edgar stepped back, but said in a vicious tone, “If duty was the way to her bed, I would have never left her alone.”

“My Lady knows I am the one she wants to have with her,” Erin said, many snickers aimed at him starting up.

Laun was too tired to say anything.  She listened to the men bickering and posturing, surprised when even Senri and her dark Silar jumped into the mix.  She looked around at the men and saw only two of them were not actively joining in.  Klemner had excused himself to the privy and Evan taking his bed in the stable, leaving Verat and Dougal both at the back of the group and not saying anything.

One was closer than the other and she grabbed the sleeves of Dougal and Gem and started to walk away.  The others became quiet and watched as Laun just dragged the two with her, not saying a word and not acknowledging those who had been arguing.

A mat was placed on the floor and Laun pulled at her clothing as her cousin stood and seemed confused.  Laun only said one thing before climbing into the bed, her tunic and knives still on her.  “Breeches on.”

Laun was mostly asleep when she felt her cousin slide in behind her, the covers going over both of them.  Laun’s face was to the wall, Dougal’s arm going over her to keep him from falling off the edge of the bed.  It was warm and comfortable and Laun fell into a deep sleep.

A hand was moving on her skin.  It was on her stomach, just below her breasts.  Laun felt the sensation and smiled.  Then she remembered who was in bed with her.

Laun had turned onto her back while sleeping, Dougals’ leg over one of hers and his hand up under her tunic.  She put her hand over his, the fabric between them.  He was not awake in the early morning grayness and she could see his face was slack.  She tried to push his hand down, to get him to stop, but that just put his hand at her crotch.  He continued to move his hand, Laun feeling slightly flustered as to what to do.

She had dragged him to her bed to make the point that she was her own person, she made her own choices.  She was starting to think that it had been a bad choice.  Though, as Laun lay with her cousin wrapped around her, she thought that his sleep mind was pretty talented.  She pulled on his arm and his hand started to massage her breast as his fingertips landed under the tunic again.

It felt good.  She had not nursed, her breasts were full and the gripping of his sleep movements made her want to-

Laun put her hand on his cheek.  She stroked his slightly stubbly skin until his eyes flew open.  He took in a deep breath and looked at her in the dim morning light coming from the glassed in window.  Laun was not sure what to do.  They did not talk, but when Dougal felt his hand on her breast, he did not pull back.

He propped his head up on his arm and looked up at his cousin.  He started to slowly stroke Laun’s breast until he had her nipple between his fingers.  He rolled it in between his fingers, an involuntary groan coming from her as well as a few drops of her milk.  His head went to the side of her breast through the tunic, his breath warm as he nuzzled into her.  Laun felt a shock go through her, a mixture of desire and shame.

She moved, her hand going to his under her tunic.  They both paused until Laun pushed the tunic up and Dougal’s mouth was on her nipple.  Laun gasped, her head turning towards the wall.  He propped himself up further and went from breast to breast, nipple to nipple licking and sucking and fondling.

He started to get bolder, kissing her cleavage and up her throat.  She did not have her head turned to be able to kiss, so his lips went to her neck and below her ear.  Laun felt herself start to squirm slightly as his talents started to make themselves known.  At one of the stops on the way to the Inn, she had found she had stopped bleeding, so the slickness she felt between her legs was not because of her monthly bleed.

Laun tried to sit up.  She did not want to go through with anything with her cousin.  She had thought of it in the past, but she had come to the thought that they were too close in blood.  Her urges had to be changed, suppressed for the good of the Kingdom, and her own internal balance.  Dougal’s hand on her, his mouth, would not let her move more than a handswidth before she felt a wave of sensation from him that made her fall back into the bedding.

His mouth was on her nipple, taking in the milk the babies should have been having, distracting her from where his hand was going.  She gasped and closed her legs around his hand when he found her womanhood, wet and ready.  Her hips bucked as his fingers went past her nub and parted her lower lips, fingers going in where cousins’ desires should not have gone.  She opened her legs as her thinking mind forgot who owned the hand and mouth pleasuring her.

His leg had been on hers.  Now it was between hers and he was rolling on top of her.  He held himself above her, one hand at the headboard supporting him as his other hand worked in and out of her womanhood.  Laun sighed and gasped and put her hand on his to try to stop him, but it only encouraged him.  She could not voice her objection, could not tell him to stop.  She both did and did not want him to stop.

His hand went from her to himself, his breeches keeping him from pushing into her.  She felt the change, his hand moving from her and she breathed a sigh, but it was not of relief when she found the hand had released her cousin’s manhood.

He started to rub on her and Laun’s mind clicked.  She tightened her legs around the one between hers and put her hands on his chest.  Her thumbs were in the right place to make him hurt and possibly not be able to breathe properly for a while.  “Dougal.  No.”

“Fucking tease.  You have wanted me for months.  I’ve wanted you.  We are going to do this.”  He started to push in and Laun twisted under him and he missed his mark.

“What I want is not what is at stake here.  We are cousins, Dougal!  We shouldn’t-”

He leaned on her and his mouth silenced her.  She started to press into his neck and his head went back, a pained gasp stopping him.  Laun pushed and was partially sitting against the headboard as Dougal’s coughing woke Gem.

“Mistress?”  The blonde saw the situation and put her hand on Laun’s leg.  “May I take your place?”

Before Laun could say anything, Gem was up on the bed and was laying herself between Dougal and Laun.  She had her legs open to the Prince, her head between Laun’s breasts.  Dougal glanced at the girl and then back up to Laun.  He kept his eyes on Laun in the dim morning light as he thrust into Gem and then lay on top of the girl, smothering her slightly to get to Laun’s breasts.

She felt the motion of her cousin in and out of her girl as Gem’s back pressed into Laun’s groin.  She was very aroused, but did not want to have the chance of Dougal having a bastard with her.  That shocked her.  Laun had rarely thought of Sable and Ash as bastards.  But, if the Prince Heir of the Midlands begat a child with her, it would be a bastard.  Laun had a sick thrill go through her at the thought as his teeth scraped on her sensitive nipple.

She was able to work her way out from under Gem and to the mat on the floor.  She lay there where she fell and gasped.  She was very hot to her own touch and watched Dougal fuck Gem.  The assassin’s noises were getting louder, the noise making Laun wish she had not backed out of the ill thought out situation.  She found her hand on herself, but she closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on calming her desires.

It did not work.  Laun pulled her tunic down and left the room, the door closing and blocking in a surprising amount of the noise.  The walls were thick and Laun had to remember that this was a household that catered to those who did not want others to know their business.

There were still tankards of water on tables in the main part of the first floor of the Inn.  Laun took one and drained it, finding she was thirsty for more.  She went to the water bucket and dipped more out, a noise behind her making her turn.

Edgar was standing in the curtained archway of the alcove, naked.  He looked at her and then turned, hearing the faint noises of Gem enjoying Dougal.  He raised an eyebrow when he turned back.

“I did not start it and I was damned if I was going to finish it.”  Laun drank more of the water and put the tankard back down.

Edgar went to her and held her.  “Are you well, my Lady Love?”

She shrugged, her head going to his chest.  “Damn the boy anyway.  I thought with clothes on, I would be safe.  I should have grabbed Verat.”

Laun felt a slight chortle through Edgar.  “We would have been safer, then.”

Laun shook her head and pulled away.  “Glad you had fun.”  She moved but Edgar would not let her go.  She stood still, her head turned away from him as he tried to pull her back to him.

“Do you need more sleep, Love?”  Edgar’s voice was on the edge of the rumble, but not as deep as he could go.  Laun was not a fool.  She knew that with Edgar, she was as safe as she wanted, or at least as safe as she needed.  She held out her hand and he took it, leading her into the alcove.

The mats that had been put down held three bodies, soon to be five.  Laun went between Edgar and Silar and found the warm, slightly sweaty mass of men comforting as she relaxed.  She did fall asleep, her first sworn’s arms around her, his leg between hers as he lay behind her.

She had some fleeting dreams, shreds caught on her waking mind.  There was movement around her, bodily sounds of many types.  Edgar clutched at her when she stretched her leg out, her foot moving against someone else’s leg.  A hand moved and fell against her and lay still.  There was a snore unfamiliar to Laun mixed in with the other men’s noises she knew well.

She had caught as much sleep as she really needed, the road and mission calling to her.  She felt warm and comfortable and safe right then.  She thought of Dougal and not stopping him when she should have.  The reactions of her body, part of her mind wanting it just because it was forbidden.  She sighed and felt Edgar’s arm tighten around her in his sleep.  All because these damned men were fighting over her.

Why had they been arguing, anyway?  Most all of them had been with her at some point.  It made no sense the posturing and the need to be in her bed as they were trying to get to the Capitol City.  She could take care of herself, so it was not security.  They all wanted something.  Laun searched in her almost awake mind and it caught on her titles.  Her body was no longer what it once was, her breasts were starting to sag from the weight of the milk, even with a halter.  Her strength was never going to be the same as before.  Her mind was cluttered with so much stuff that she was sure that everything led to sex because she couldn’t hold a decent conversation.

The darkness was subtle.  It was sending up small bubbles of doubt, of self loathing, and Laun was feeling them burst, but did not know where they were coming from.  It is hard to defend yourself from something that is nameless and comes sneaking at you from your own shadow.  She had tears running down her face and onto Edgar’s arm.

Silar moved and Laun was under him slightly.  He smelled of sweat and sex and leather.  She moved her hand to try to get it from it’s prison under him and he growled slightly in his sleep.  Laun had not heard him do that before.  His weight was not unbearable, but she felt that her body wished for her to find the privy before something bad happened.

Laun pulled her hand out from under Silar and he made the noise again, and it was a growl, not a snore.  His arm moved in his sleep and her breast was under his hand, a fold of the tunic caught against her skin pinching her.  Laun wondered for a moment what drew the men, even in their sleep, to her breasts.  Edgar’s arm pulled on her, trying to draw her in tighter though they were tight together, her back to his chest.  Silar’s hand gripped as a reaction to Edgar’s motion, Laun gasping out in pain.

Silar rolled further and Laun felt his manhood against her, the ring untethered and pulling it down across her stomach, catching on the hem of the tunic.  Laun heard his breathing change and his hand moved.  It slid over Laun to Edgar, going from cloth to skin and stopped.  His face was close to the top of her head and he breathed in, smelling her feminine musk and flowers in among the masculine sex and sweat.

“Laun?” he whispered.  She nodded and found him sliding down the mat so that his face was more even to hers.  She could feel his breath, his hand going to her face to hold it for a moment.  “Have you been crying?”

“Sweating.”  They both knew it was a lie, but Silar had to accept it.  He found her forehead and kissed it and then kissed her eyes, the salt still clinging in the dampness on her skin.  He did not go for her mouth which Laun had been expecting.  His head went back slightly and he gasped.

A hand had come around and had found Silars morning stiffness.  Laun pushed her butt back into Edgar as the ring and head of Silar’s cock was rubbed against her fur, the shock of the warm metal connecting with her nub making her react.  Edgar woke, his usual tightening of his arms changing to his hand going up her tunic and grasping her breast as his mouth found it’s way to her neck.

The others on the mat did not know she was there.  The hand on Silar started to stroke, the actions causing Laun to wiggle against Edgar as things brushed against her.  She put her hand over her mouth to keep the sounds she knew she could make down, but then Silar moved her hand and put his own mouth on hers.

Edgar’s manhood was between her legs and before she could do anything, he was in her.  She drew a breath through Silar’s mouth.  He pressed closer to her and she could feel the hand that was on his manhood as it stroked up and down, the knuckles sometimes brushing against her, sometimes pushing Silar against her.

Laun felt the heat, the passion, building in her.  She wanted the sensations, the closeness, but she still had the reactions from her cousin clinging to her, her own self doubt.  She reacted to the hands on her, the lips on her, the skin sliding on her and pushing the tunic up to expose more of her.  She wanted to just be of the moment.

Silar turned and was on his back, a head going to his groin.  Laun reached out and pressed the head down on Silar and heard a gasp from the dark man, and a slight strangling noise from the man taking the large, ringed member into his mouth.  It felt like a type of power Laun had not experienced, as she was getting fucked from behind, her hand was forcing someone to mouth-fuck her assassin.

Everyone was awake in the alcove.  Hands and mouths and cocks were all moving about.  Laun felt that Edgar was not going to be slowing down, but also not getting to his peak soon.  Silar reached for Laun again and they kissed, each muffling the other’s sounds.  Laun’s hand on the head on Silar grasped hair that was short and fine, not Fount’s.  Laun heard Fount, his grunt telling everyone in there that he had just pushed himself into Verat.

There was light coming from around the thick curtain drawn across the window in the alcove.  Laun could see the form of Fount behind Verat, moving slowly, his hands on the hips of the man he had mounted.  The apprentice was gasping around Silar, but other noises showed that he was still very happy to be in that position.  Silar’s breathing was getting ragged and Laun knew the sound, even muffled, when he was getting to the point of no return.  Laun pushed Verat’s head down, hearing a choking sound and Silar’s head went back.  She tried to move, to keep her mouth on Silars, but couldn’t as Edgar’s hands were holding her hips to him.

Laun moved her hand and put it over her assassin’s mouth, his own attempt to be quiet less than successful.  He groaned and growled through her hand and then started to pant as his body relaxed.  Verat’s head came up and then rested on Silar’s stomach as Fount strengthened the strokes into Verat’s ass.

The sounds pushed Edgar and she could feel that he was quickening.  Laun could feel that it was going to take a while for herself, but he did not have that time.  She was slightly disappointed, but felt Edgar’s peak coming as the sound of Fount slapping against Verat sped up.

A hand reached out and found Laun, her womanhood slick and being pounded from behind.  Verat lifted his head and she could see confusion when he did not find a cock to hold.  He was still skilled with women, having had the training for his Master’s wishes, and his fingers started to play with her, forcing a stride for her peak she was not expecting.

Edgar felt the movements on the outside of Laun and tried to slow himself.  He wanted her to come to her peak, to enjoy herself as he was enjoying her.  She moved and he felt small tightenings on her insides.  It was too much and he pushed in and held himself there, his pulses telling Laun that he was releasing his seed in her.  She had wanted it and the first few pulses pushed her own sensations further.  

Then her mind screamed at her and she moved her hips, squirmed to try to get him out.  Her own bodies’ peak was not to happen.  Her body went cold, the reactions stopping and the hands on her manipulating things that were not reacting right.

Silar felt it as she moved her hand from his mouth and she started to make panicked sounds.  He was pinned down by Verat’s body and arm, the motion of Fount making it hard to turn over.  Silar pushed himself up and turned, seeing the ecstatic and pained look of Edgar.

There was nothing that could be undone.  He felt Fount’s push into Verat, a hand going around to stroke the man as Fount peaked.  Edgar was starting to relax, his face nuzzling into Laun’s hair as his arms tried to wrap around her.  Laun’s hand made a fist and the yelp from Edgar as she hit his hip was loud.

Laun made it from the mass of men and through the curtain, her tunic being pulled down as she went.  Fount released into Verat and Verat’s own peak was soon after that, spurting onto the linen and Silar’s side.  The smell of sex and shit was thick in the alcove as the men collapsed next to each other.

Silar wanted to follow Laun, talk to her and see why she was upset.  He looked at Edgar and saw that he had put his hands over his face in fists, an angry breathing coming from him.  Edgar started swearing, cursing himself and Laun.  Silar understood, a boundary that had been set had been crossed, had been violated.  Edgar’s breath was becoming more regular, even as his swearing was getting louder.

The dark man went to his knees and was about to search for breeches or a tunic when Edgar grabbed his arm.  “Don’t go after her.  The next man she sees she will most likely kill.  I hope it is the Baron.”

The men chuckled and started to talk in low tones, regaining their senses and breath.  They stayed away from what had just happened, sexually and emotionally, talking about the rest of the journey to the Capitol City.

A loud step and the placement of a tray of something on the table outside of the curtain quieted the men.  Marie had no qualms about pulling the curtain aside, her eye casting about until she saw Edgar.  “It is a good thing we put the black banner out.  I don’t want to have to pay the red scarves dues to stay open.  There will be hot water for cleaning soon and I expect you all to use it.”

She was not pleased.  The four men knew it.  She left the curtain pulled open and turned from the scene in the alcove.  A pitcher and tankards were on the table, a refreshment that all of them wanted, but none of them reached for, yet.

Outside, the sun had been up for at least two hours and Laun was sitting in the small shade of some bushes along the edge of the green.  She had used the bushes a little ways away to relieve herself in, not having anything to wipe her fluids as well as the ones from Edgar from the inside of her thighs.  She was upset, crying and sobbing as the heat of the day started to creep into her.

She had not been strong.  She had not been clear.  She had let things happen that should not have happened.  The people around her did not respect her wishes.

Laun felt violated.  She could not release the sorrow she had, the depression that was welling up in her.  Her body had betrayed her and her mind had not wanted it to stop.  Any of it.

Her face was between her knees, her arms pulling her legs tight to her.  She knew the tunic was not covering her, but the stable shed was between her and the road, little consolation for feeling as though the whole world just wanted to fuck her.  She didn’t even really know why any more.  Once that part of her life started, nothing seemed to go right.  Jealousy that caused Silar to kidnap her.  Ithian being killed when she wouldn’t marry him.  Sibling rivalry, from several brothers.  The confusion she felt when she tried to be open about how she felt about anybody and the reactions she saw, even from people she thought she knew.

Laun sobbed and tried not to be loud.  She was loud to her own ears and tried to bring her breathing under control.  It was not working.  She would calm down and another dark bubble would come to the surface of her mind and burst, tears following.

Grace was shading her, the soft nose pushing against her head.  The large teeth started to nibble and pull on Laun’s messy hair, the braid more twists than straight.  Launs hand went up and the horse took the fingers into her mouth, the rough tongue wrapping around and the teeth scraping.  Grace pulled back and walked away, Laun never looking up to her palfrey.

There was more sobbing and the wet spots from Laun grew.  Her hand went over the top of her head, feeling the horse spit left there and making her cry even harder.  Laun could not find solace in anything she tried to think of, anything she tried to remember and the physical discomfort and general grossness of how she felt was keeping her mind tilted from calm and sanity.

Grace was back, shading Laun again.  Another horse had followed her.  Grace went down to her knees and rolled onto her side until she was almost touching Laun.  The other horse did the same thing, making a V around Laun.  There were snorts and tails flicking as Laun was within herself along the green of the Inn.

There were voices but Laun could not bring herself to look up.  She did not want to see anyone and she knew that, even though she really should have been on the road, it didn’t really matter what she did.  She felt it deep in her that nothing she could do would bring any peace to the Kingdom, or her self.

Thunder made a loud snort and rolled slightly away from Laun but did not get up.  Grace whinnied and tossed her head.  Then Laun had to look up as Thunder made a challenge bray that frightened her.

Hunter, Edgar and Silar were several paces away from the horses and were trying to get the mounts to move.  The ears of the horses were back, their teeth bared at the men.  Laun was being protected by the horses, both of which she had befriended and treated well.  Smart, protective and mean.

Laun watched as the men held out their hands trying to be as gentle as possible with the huge, powerful beasts.  The bared teeth would snap, making the men jump away.  Laun started to laugh.  Grace’s head tossed her black and grey mane and looked back at the human between the horses.  Thunder still was watching the men and sounded another challenge as the men tried to come close.

“Laun!  How the fuck did you get them to do that?” Hunter yelled, Grace whinnying and snapping as Silar tried to get close.

The first thing that came to Launs mind was what she said, the cutting tone making the men wince as if the horses had tried to bite again.  “Respect.”

“Love!  Please!  Let us-”

Laun found a rock beside her and threw it, smacking Edgar in the chest.  Thunder’s snort and whinny almost sounded like the horse was laughing.  Laun moved, going to her knees and putting a hand on the rumps of the horses.  “I have let things go too far.  I should have stopped it, but I didn’t and that is on me.”

Silar went to one knee.  “Mistress, we need to get on the road.”

Laun sat back and leaned on Grace, her head going down and another sob went through her.  “What’s the point?  Why are we going since she already has most of the kingdom under her thumb.”  Laun started crying again, Thunder turning and snorting at her knees.

The men backed off and talked amongst themselves, Marie joining them, Erin staying back and watching.  Laun did not care what they were saying.  The moment of anger she had, giving her strength, had faded.  She cried, the gasps for breath making her lungs burn as if she had been running from the keep to the barrier and back again.

“My Lady?  May I bring you some tea?”

Laun looked up and saw Erin.  He was a pace away from Grace, his hands clasped behind his back and his head bowed slightly.  He was very still and did not make any motions as Grace tried to snap at him.  Laun wiped her face on her sleeve and looked at the man.  It took courage to do that.  Perhaps he was not as useless as he seemed.

“Yes, please.  With some honey, if it’s available.  Thank you.”

He limped backwards and then turned towards the amazed group of people, Marie going to him.  They went inside and Laun put her head back down on the warm hide of the bay.  It only took a few minutes, but a tray was being held by Erin, Marie standing behind the Baron.

Laun moved slightly and clicked her tongue.  Grace rolled to her knees and then stood, moving away towards the front of the stable.  Thunder snorted and rolled away from Laun slightly but did not get up.  He kept his head moving so that he could keep his eyes on the people around him.

Erin put the tray on the ground by Laun, kneeling some and then falling onto his hip to keep his bad leg as straight as he could.  He poured the tea from the blackened kettle into a mug and turned the handle of the ceramic mug towards Laun.

Laun reached for the mug and then pulled back.  “Thank you, but I don’t deserve this.  I am acting like a brat.”

“My Lady, I do not know why you are upset, but I have no doubt that you have reason.  A brat would have a temper without a reason.”

Laun had a sniff and wiped her nose on her shoulder, turning her head away from Erin and keeping it there as she said quietly, “I made a bad decision and it led to several more this morning.  My mind and my body are not acting together.  I am... I don’t know why...”  Laun took in a breath and could not speak again because of the pain that had crept into her throat.

Erin held the mug of tea out and touched Laun’s leg with it.  “Please.  Drink some, at least.  You need to keep your strength up.”

Her voice was quiet.  “Why?  So you can rip me apart with your manhood again?”

Laun did not see the sideways grin as he said, “No, my Lady.  You have a mission, and you need to speak with your father, the King”

Laun looked at Erin.  She took the mug and sipped at it.  Mint and orange and honey...

Erin struggled but he stood and left Laun to drink her tea in peace.  It was not enough to get her completely out of the black space her mind had fallen into, but it was a start.  It wasn’t just about her.  It was the household.  It was the Kingdom.  She was responsible for more than what she felt and saw, and it scared her.

She poured a second mug for herself.  It was good and the honey and mint and orange helped her to have some energy, pointing out to her that she was overreacting because of lack of food.  She sat cross-legged for a while, drinking the tea and trying to think of the mission.  She had delayed them.  They needed to get on the road.  Laun looked at the dirt that had clung to the streaks of Edgar’s seed on her legs and knew she would need to clean before dressing for the road.

The mug went on the tray and Laun pushed herself up.  Thunder’s head snapped up and he was on his feet, coming over and pushing at her with his nose.

Laun put her hand on his nose and blew into it, the charger snorting at her.  “Yes, I know you don’t like oranges.  Deal with it.”  She put her head along his nose and said, “Thank you.”

Laun let go and Thunder walked away, but he kept himself between Laun and the group of men as she went to the back door of the Inn.

Gem was kneeling on the floor in the room as Laun came in.  The blonde was meditating and did not react to Laun’s presence at first.  Laun grabbed the scroll case and the pouch she wanted and turned.  She heard a small sound and looked back and saw Gem’s eyes, open and looking up.

“Thank you for protecting me.  I am sorry you could not protect me from myself.”

Gem stood.  “May I help you prepare for the road?”

Laun’s voice dropped low and she heard herself say, “If you think I am worth it.”  Laun stopped and took a breath.  Her voice was not as low and a little louder as she said, “Yes.  I would like that.”

Scroll case and pouch in hand, Gem following close behind, Laun found Markle in the main room of the Inn talking with Verat.  She sat, listening for a moment as Markle was subtly not answering the questions Verat asked, the apprentice clapperless bell trying to get at least some information from the veteran broken lock across the table from him.

Laun put the pouch on the table between the men and then placed the scroll container in front of herself as the conversation stopped.  “Markle, keep these or sell these.  It is up to you.”  His hand went to the clean, unadorned linen pouch and opened it, spilling the mix of small crystals and old coins on the wood.  “I have used you and Marie badly over the last year and you both deserve more than this.”

“Thank you, Laun.  I am sure we can put this to some use.”  The innkeeper pushed the jewels and coins back into the pouch and tied it onto his belt.  “And the scroll case?”

Laun pulled out several pieces of paper and parchment, sorting them and putting most back.  “This one is a message to you from Geralk.  Have not read it.  This is an accounting of everything we have traded with you thru Gyrip, just in case.  This is an accounting of everything I know about the troop movements and skirmishes that have flared up.  I even had him do a brief story of our time in Nestwood.”

Markle took the papers and looked at the coding, nodding at several places.  “Why the stuff about the battles?”

Laun put her hand on Markle’s arm and said, “To make sure that the greyworld knows that it is not Rosemond sanctioned.  It is being a push, a...power play by Blue Master.”

Verat held up two fingers to interrupt.  Laun gestured to him and he said, “You know for certain it is Blue?”

“As certain as I can be about anything.  Though this morning has put my mind floating on turbulent waters.”  Verat nodded.  “She has been trying to get this Kingdom for herself since she had a forced love affair with Dreng years ago, possibly even before then.”

Markle shook his head.  “Wait, an assassin Master wants to have control of a Kingdom?  That does not make sense.”

“It does if you know she was passed over for her younger brother forty years ago.”  Laun leaned back and said, “Lady Engrid became an assassin to become Queen, but could not become that of her own Kingdom.  So-”

“She used us to get the Midlands.”  Erin was leaning against the doorframe.  “You were trying to save me from knowing.  It makes more sense... Everything makes more sense… now that I know.”  Erin bowed his head in sadness and turned, leaving the three in the room.

“Harsh way to find out, Laun.”

She nodded to Verat.  “I am surprised that he had not figured it out from the clues I gave him.”  She wiped her hand along her forehead and knew she had just streaked something there.  “You two need to talk more, and without veils.  Markle and Marie have been indispensable to me, and Verat is the apprentice to Sand Master.  You have much to know of each other.”

Laun pushed herself up off the bench and handed the scroll case to Gem.  She made her way through to the kitchen and saw that they were going to have a good amount of food to bring with them, once they were really on the road.  Marie nodded to her and Laun was escorted to the bath, hot, clean water already steaming in the small copper tub.

The tunic came off, the straps undone, the braid taken out.  Laun could not face getting on the road with the horse and man smears all over her.  She was wet down, lathered and then rinsed in the tub.  Her hair was not going to have the fine brushing she had grown to love, but a tight, wet braid would keep it up and out of the way for the next hard part of the ride.

The same tunic was put on, her scent and the scent of the men she had lain with not as heavy on it as she had feared, the clean loincloth and halter under it.  Knives were strapped on, leathers buckled.  Boots were pushed onto her feet and Laun felt much more ready for the road.

Laun was buckling her sword belt on as she came out of the bathing room, the small sword at her hip giving her confidence.  Everyone else was in the common room, food being eaten, water and cider being drunk.  Silar and Evan stood, a place having been set for Laun.  She sat and started eating, motioning them to sit back down when they had not for a moment or two.  It was good.  Laun was hungry and had not let herself feel it, helping to push her reactions badly.  She could feel her body rebalancing as she ate and drank.

The room was quiet as people ate.  Laun noticed it and knew it was because they did not want to upset her.  At least that was what she thought at first flush.  She looked into her bread and knew that it was not all about her, that they had their own lives.  They were just so intertwined with her own that it was hard to extract herself from them.

Laun finished and was just looking at the metal plate.  They were already getting close to mid day.  They could push and get perhaps a third of the remaining way, not a half.  They had to start to do it.  She stood, Silar, Evan and Gem standing with her.  Hunter and Fount turned and stood, facing her.  Edgar bowed his head slightly and then stood.  Klemner stood and held his hand out to Markle, low words between the men showing appreciation from a chef to a host.  Erin stood and leaned against the table.  The last to stand was Dougal.

“If you wish to go back to the household, I understand.  If you wish to strike out on your own, I will not stop you.  If you wish to follow me to Falmir, I am leaving now.”  No apologies, and Laun did not think any were needed, not in the group setting.  If there were talks later, then she would tell people how much she was sorry.  She went through the group to Markle, giving him a warriors grip and then having a rib-bruising hug from Marie.

The horses were already saddled when Laun went to the stable.  She led Grace to outside and used a bale of straw to help her get up on the palfrey’s back.  Everyone else mounted and Laun waited, expecting to see Edgar turning back for Salam-Dir.  No one turned away as Laun asked Hunter to take the lead, to point the way to the Capitol City.

In Chapter 33, they don't make it all the way to the Capitol, so they make a camp under the stars.