the Leathermines

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Gem had woken around mid-day, the babies and her Mistress gone.  She found the privy and used it and then went to the deck to try to find her Mistress and take charge of the children.  The children were there, but her Mistress had not been.

A few raised words had come from Gem, but the sailor who had charge of the babies would not say where their mother was.  Sable had reacted badly to Gem yelling and had started to cry.  Ash took up the sound and Gem and the sailor both had a baby in their arms to comfort and quiet.

He had been competent.  They had been fed and cleaned, cloths around them but not the little tunics that had been brought.  Sable liked the sailor and would make her sharp cry if he went more than a pace away, Gem smiling at the sigh the man had.

Some food was brought to Gem by the sailor she had talked to before, a mug of hot tea and some sliced bread with a sweet jam already spread on it.  She smiled and thanked the man, catching that his name was Tom.  She took a sip and then looked at the mug and bread.

She had not tasted the aftertaste of the drug until the sip of tea.  It was subtle, but it was there.  The sailor with the babies avoided her eye.  Tom stepped away and into the shade of the lower decks.  They all knew that she and her Mistress had been drugged.  She put the offered food on the deck and stared at the man Sable had latched onto.

She did not have the patience Laun did.  “Where is my Mistress?  Now that I know we were drugged, how do I know she is still here, still alive and still well?”

He would not look at her, but she did see him thinking things over.  “Lord Liam is with your Mistress below.  They are not to be disturbed until he calls.”  It was all he would say, and it was all she could get.  Ash patted Gem’s arm and look worried.  Gem rubbed the girl’s head and Ash giggled.

It was mid afternoon before she saw her Mistress above decks.  They had sailed through and reached the far side of Hamlis, and was in the choppy water that was the Southern Ocean.  The wind had turned them to the East and the beach they were coming into was made of shells and small pebbles grinding together with each wave that foamed up onto land.  Gem was holding Ash and watching the gulls overhead when there was a little commotion.

Sailors were setting up a cot, pillows and blankets being placed as Liam and another of the men were helping Laun up the shallow stairs into the open air.  She was wrapped in blankets and Gem could tell her Mistress did not have clothing on underneath, except for the odd shoes they had been given.

Gem went to Laun’s side as she sat on the cot.  There was a brief set of hand gestures and Gem clenched her jaw, keeping her reactions as tight within her as possible.  She understood that Laun felt she was well, but her skin was pale and ashen, a streak of blood behind one ear going up into her hair.  The sign for cutting... Gem had to wait as Ash wanted her Mother and reached her little hands out, flapping like wounded birds.

Laun laid down and held out her hand to her child, cooing like the pigeons back home and making the girl laugh.  Laun made kiss sounds and Ash did the same, looking like a fish in air.  Sable was brought close and giggled as her mother lowed like the cows and made a sign for pretty that Sable repeated back.  Gem had seen this before, but it was telling that the children focused on their Mother and she in turn gave them what they wanted, with the subtle communications that Gem had not seen before.

Laun stopped moving for a moment and then smiled at her children.  She looked at Gem and nodded and then closed her eyes.  She was very tired, whatever had happened below decks taking much more out of her than Gem liked.  But, she was alive, and seemed content.

Gem had to wait, amusing the children when they were not sleeping.  Both of the babies were trying to stand and walk, the ropes hanging unsecured from the masts tempting them when the adults did not have eyes on them.  The ship had been anchored and the deck would rock with the waves, pushing it closer to the shore and then pulling it away with each wave.  It was easy to lay the children down and have them have naps with the deck moving like that, but they would not sleep for long as a strange noise would wake one or the other, and then both would be awake at the cry of the first.

The sailors would help Gem when the babies were awake.  Feeding them was easy as the babies would try to put almost anything into their mouths.  Keeping them in the area surrounded by crates was more difficult as it seemed as Ash was strong enough to wedge herself between the empty crates and push them apart.  Sable would do one of her sing-song calls and Ash would be on the open deck as the men were melting over Sable’s voice and smiling face.

Laun woke as the sun was getting close to the flat ocean horizon.  The winds were changing, the land smells taking over where the salt and sea smells had been.  She watched as Ash yet again was being cornered by one of the men, a threatening fist by him at her as she crawled away, but a gentle hand as she was scooped up and brought back to where her sister and Gem were.

Pain.  She had lived with pain for too long over the last two years.  She was not entirely uncomfortable.  There was a lingering rush that went through her as she thought of the blood on Liam’s lips, the design he had carved into her.  She felt the tingling in her legs and arms as if Silar had worked her for hours, and the soreness between her legs as if she had taken all of Salam-Dir.  She sighed, regretting that she had not been able to come to her peak, yet again.

She moved the blankets from her and sat on the cot.  The cooler air went over her bare body, a slight sting as the salt hit the still open cuts.  Her hand went to her breast and she felt carefully along the scar and fresh wounds, a heavy cold thing bringing her eyes down to herself.

She had glimpsed it before, but had not really seen it for what it was.  Yes, he had pierced her.  He had also pushed through gold rings, the heaviness pulling on her nipples and making the slightly crusty fresh wound ooze.

There was a call from one of the men and they all turned to look at Laun.  Gem’s head went up and she left the babies in the care of the sailors as she leapt the crates, and the men.  She was kneeling at Laun’s knee, hands touching all the places she saw bruises and scrapes, avoiding the cuts.

“Fuck!  Mistress, I will take him down and cut his-”

Laun put a shaking hand on Gem’s shoulder.  “It is no worse than when I Play with Silar.  I think I learned somethings, too.”

“But, Mistress!  He cut you.”  Gem was stating the obvious, but she could not get past Laun willingly being tortured.  It was not in her character, in her nature, to seek out pain after having such pain thrust on her.

Laun’s hand went to her breast and lightly traced the flower that had been carved there.  “It’s pretty, isn’t it.  Much nicer than just a sword cut.”

The assassin was not sure what to say.  She looked at Laun and saw the fatigue that was still there, the shock her body was fighting even hours after she had come to the deck.  She pulled one of the blankets over Laun’s shoulders, to keep her warm not to shelter her from the eyes around them.

A hand went to catch the blanket before it slipped back down and Laun seemed to panic.  Her hand went to her neck and then she turned, quickly and then paused, continuing her turn slowly as she seemed to look for something.  She lifted the blanket and looked on the cot and then bent over to look beneath on the clean deck.  One of the sailors had informed Liam that she was awake and was walking towards the women, Laun’s eyes showing panic, and some shame.

“I lost it.”  Laun’s eyes were big and Gem heard the tone that said Laun’s darkness was just below the surface.

Liam shook his head as he came to her.  “That was business, Laun.  The collar was for the moment, for that room.  Your Highness, Mistress Peach should not have such a collar on in public, anyway.”

Laun blinked and nodded a few times.  She focused on their host and said, “I did sign the one message to you as such, didn’t I.”

He nodded as he stood above them, the boat rocking with the next wave as he said, “And those stories have been growing, too.”

She shook her head and had a wistful smile.  “I need to learn to keep my mouth shut.”

He laughed a little.  “I hope not.  Cook has some excellent food for us to share this evening.”  He held out his hand and she accepted it, standing with only a slight tilt as the deck moved under them.

Gem knew her Mistress.  Laun had very little modesty, but it seemed unusual for her to be walking next to this man who had just assaulted her as if it were just another walk on deck.  Her own upbringing was rebelling against what was happening more than anything else her Mistress had brought Gem through.  Laun was naked for the men to see, and they could all see the blood down her one side and the welts and bruises all over her chest and ribs.

The table was being set up, the chairs already settled.  Gem grabbed one of the blankets and put it on the chair before Laun sat.  There was a smile to the blonde, and Gem finally saw a little glint of something under the vagueness.  Her Mistress was in there, but biding her time for something.

The food was brought up, plates and glasses set for the two nobles, a small plate for Gem and the children to share coming from the same tray as Liam’s food.  Gem had a nod from her Mistress and went to the children, ‘want’ noises coming from them as they saw Gem approach.

It was a good meal, and Laun made some appreciative sounds as she ate.  She would not be able to tell anyone the next day what she had eaten.  There was meat and a soup and a desert and she picked at it all, eating only a few bites of each as she could.

Laun looked at the sun setting and looked up to the sky as the stars started to come out.  The slight glow of Hamils to the West was like a continuing twilight as the quiet meal went on.  Laun did not feel like talking and Liam did not know how to bring anything innocuous up.

There was a flash in the sky and Laun looked at the yellow trail that glittered in the dark sky for a few seconds.  There was another, Laun turning to look at it.  She pulled the blanket around herself and silently cried as she watched the falling stars that a year before she had been kidnapped by.  They did not bode well to Laun.

Liam saw that Laun was not eating and her face glistened in the torchlight.  He watched the yellow streaks, some that burst into small flowers of light before they disappeared.  “Last year, ShipFall was bright and had the red flares.”

Laun nodded and wiped her face on the blanket.  “I remember.  I was out under the stars for the first night of it last year.”  Laun did not want to go on, could not say anything else as the betrayal of her dark Prince washed through her again, the strongest it had been for months.  She sipped on her thick, sweet wine in her glass and tried not to dwell on it, though she had little else to think about.

Gem took the babies belowdecks when they fell asleep and stayed that way for more than five minutes.  Laun touched her girls on their foreheads and grasped Gem’s hand, letting her know she was appreciated.  Many of the men went to various duties and after a while, it was just Liam and Laun on the deck of the ‘Midnight Hour’.

Laun looked at Liam and caught his attention.  She just looked at him, a tired stare in the flashing lights from above, the fuller moon raising in the East.

“You slept well after our session.  Are you tired enough to go to your cabin for the night?”  Liam’s own voice seemed tired.

Laun leaned forward slightly, the blanket falling from her shoulder.  “You are staying up to keep me company, aren’t you.”

He nodded.  “A host does not leave a guest, especially such a beautiful one, alone on a night like this.”

Laun smiled, her teeth reflecting the flashes from above.  “You have a strange sense of beauty, Liam.  You are right, I should get to bed.  You need to finish what you started, after all.”

She saw him blink as he put his glass down on the table.  “Will you be up for another session so soon?  We will be heading back up the river tomorrow.  Let yourself rest.”

She shook her head.  “You only did my front.  What about my back?”

He smiled and she saw the need behind it.  “If you are up to it, I will gladly continue on your back.  I have an idea of what to use on you, and it will be magnificent, Bella.”  He reached for her hand and she found he was pressing his lips into her knuckles firmly, and more than he had before on the trip.  He turned her hand over and kissed her palm, his fingers running over the thickened scars that even then were there.

He stood and she followed, steadying herself on the table before stepping away.  His hand was under hers, his forearm straight and strong to help her balance.  He helped her to the small corridor that led to the cabin she was sharing with the babies and Gem.  He stopped and pulled her to him, his hand going under her messy braid and his lips going to hers.  It looked like he was going to say something but just looked into her eyes.  He trailed his hand down her front, going around the cuts and piercings until his hand was at her waist.  He pulled her close again and licked at a dried trail of blood on her neck for a moment.

“I don’t usually ask, but, may I have the honor of having you in my bed tonight?  I promise to let you sleep.”  His smile had a little playfulness in it, a twinkle in his eye.

“If you wish.  I do not want to be a bad guest by going against my host.”

Her hand was to his lips and he led the way to his private cabin, at least one of the sailors they squeezed past with a look to her body and a question on their brow.

It was well appointed, the large writing desk Gem had mentioned taking up most of one wall in the space.  His bunk was outfitted with good sheets, a small chair hanging on a hook above the head of the bed.  Liam took the chair down and had Laun sit in it as he brought out a small casket, bottles and clean cloths inside.

“Before sleep, I should tend to your wounds, Highness.”  He opened several of the bottles and administered slightly pine scented lotions to her skin on the bruises.  A floral scent came from the bottle that held what he pressed into the open wounds, Laun hissing as some of them stung, but were clean after.

He helped her into the bunk and then undressed down to a tunic himself before sliding between the sheets.  Laun rolled so that her back was to him, the side with the cuts under her.  His arm slid around her and lightly touched her breasts.  She could feel a finger touching the gold jewelry, but it was light and almost comforting.  His face went into the back of her neck and she could feel the tingle of the cold and then warm on her skin.

Laun relaxed and steadied her breathing.  She was tired and knew she would be asleep in this man’s arms.  She needed to listen to his breathing, feel him as he fell asleep.  It took some time, but his breathing changed and his arm around her tightened.  Laun fell asleep feeling secure.  On many levels.

 

Onto Chapter 8 - Liam has to do the front, too, after all