the Leathermines

Back to Chapter 9 - Check out the other writings on the site, from FAQ to other Novels

 

 

The linen beneath her moved with her, stuck to the outside of the tunic as her wounds were stuck on the inside.  The bruises along her ribs were painful to breathe through, the general ache through her body keeping her from forcing herself back into sleep, again.

The small window in the room looking onto the ocean showed that there was a clear sun rising that morning.  A shifting shadow from the guard outside let Laun know that it had been a calm night for the watchers, even as she had been riding her deamons through her dreams.

Laun shifted and peeled herself from the bedding.  She was surprised that she hadn’t been disturbed several times in the night by the medics on staff in the compound.  She would need to get her wounds treated and bandaged again.  But first, there was trying to wake enough to find the privy.

The door into her room opened outward to the morning on the deck, the guard stepping forward around it to see who was there.  “Ma’am?”

“Is there a latrine in the building or do I have to go somewhere else?”

He relaxed a little from his attention stance and motioned into the building.  “Ma’am, if I may-”  She proceeded him into the corridor and to the privy at one end of the building.  He stepped in, chasing out two men before coming out and motioning her in.

It was not fancy, but it had individual benches with some privacy with half-height walls between.  Laun was able to sit and do her business, but her legs refused to work properly for a moment when she tried to get back up.  She had to pull with the wall to steady herself.  She washed her hands in one of the basins, drawing across her face with her wet hands.  She looked in the mirror, cringing at the tired, older face that looked back at her.

Laun led the way back to the room, thanking the men who had been chased out and were still waiting in the corridor.  Laun felt the need for some normalcy and stepped out into the growing morning sunlight to do some morning exercise.

The guards watched as Laun did gentle motions at first, warming up her aching and stiff muscles.  She was trying to find the line between movement and utter pain.  It was surprisingly high, except for the tunic ripping from her wounds a few times.  The most painful part of her body were her nipples, the movement pulling the gold rings through the crusty scab and making her stop moving for a moment as she held her breasts.

Laun stopped halfway through the second go-through of one of the open hand katas.  She felt her body was warm, but also very sore.  And the wounds catching on her tunic was annoying her, beyond the pains and wetness she had from them.

Turning to one of the guards, Laun asked, “The beach is down here?”

The closest soldier blinked and nodded.  “It is unsecured right now, Ma’am.”

Laun motioned for them to follow and said, “Come with me and it will be.”

The path down was little more than a worn cut in the sandy cliff.  There were salt grasses helping to keep the sand from eroding, shells and some remaining posts from an old handrail the only other notable things along the shifting path.  The wind was steady off of the ocean, the roar of the waves as they came up the sand and shell beach, loud as they pushed foam and seaweed up and back.  It was brighter on the beach than above.  The flat horizon to the East showed the sun as it came up in it’s full glory.

Laun was still tired, but she was awake and enjoying the morning.  Her guards looked around, seeing only the few beachcombers down towards where the harbor began at the mouth of the river.  There were a few ships and fishing boats going out with the tide, but not much else that early in the morning.

The sand was cold and wet under Laun’s feet, the sticky foam covering her toes as she stood at the verge of dry land and the beginning of the ocean.  The waves came up and touched her toes, drawing her in just a little each time the wave drew back.  It was cold in the water, but it felt good to Laun.

One of the soldiers understood that Laun was going to walk into the surf.  He stepped forward, ignoring the water that was going to get into his boots, and held an arm out for her.  “The undertow can be deadly, Ma’am.  I wouldn’t want you to get sucked down and out.”

Laun smiled at him.  “Thank you.  I have never been in the ocean before and I did not know that.”  She turned and walked more into the surf, the waves reaching her knees.  She could feel what he had warned her about as the wave started to pull back out and she felt it try to take her with it.  Her hand gripped tighter on his arm and she giggled.

There was something calming about standing there in the loud waves, the wind rushing past her ears.  She closed her eyes and felt the sun on one side of her face, the other feeling slightly scoured by the ocean salt-laden air.  The waves brushed the hem of the tunic, making it start to get heavy.  She pulled slightly on the arm supporting her and he stood strong as she knelt in the water.

It did not take long for the salt water to get through and to her wounds.  Laun let go of her guard’s arm and let everything from the neck down soak in the surge.  She knew that the sting she was feeling was cleaning her, the salt killing anything that could make the scars become infected.  Laun’s hands went to her breasts, the rings in her nipples obvious to her fingers.

“Ummm...  Ma’am?”

Laun looked up into the concerned face of the soldier.  “Yes?”

“You are bleeding into the water.”

Laun looked at the water around her between the waves.  Yes, there was a tint to the greenish water right around her that was darker, redder.  “I am.  These are not bad, just a little painful.  Unless there is something around here that is drawn by blood?”

He shook his head.  “Do you need a medic?”

Laun nodded and said, “After we get back to the barracks.”  Laun looked out and saw a bigger wave coming for them, raising herself up slightly before it came through and hit them.

The spray of the wave seemed colder on her face than the water she was kneeling in.  Laun gasped at the sensation.  She felt a hand on her shoulder, the soldier supporting her without holding tight.

Laun looked up at him after a few more waves came in.  “I am about to do something that may shock you.”

“Ma’am?”

Laun wiggled below the surface of the water and pulled the tunic up and off.  The soldier caught it and then tossed it as far onto the beach as he could.  She still had her halter on, some of the bandages still trying to cling on with their wrappings.  Laun moved her hands around to her back, trying to get to the halter’s tie, but not being able to make her arms quite reach.  She felt the soldier kneel behind her, his body warming the water as he untied the halter.  She felt his hand on her shoulder as she pulled the sodden fabric off her breasts, seeing the blood stain on the linen.  He took the halter from her and she heard it land on the sand over the sound of the next wave as it came in.

There were more little pains from the salt water.  The freeness of her breasts floating helped to balance the weights on her nipples.  She played with the gold rings, moving them through her nipples and seeing some clear and then not so clear fluid come out.  She worked it out, pushing on her breast as though she was milking herself until nothing else came out.  It was washed away by the water, becoming part of the ocean.

She felt the cold line of a knife on her back.  She held still as the soldier cut off the bandages, freeing her from the last layer between she and the water.  She felt the wet gauze being pulled from around her, some of the cuts still trying to hold on to them.  She heard a low whistle from the man as he saw the precise line of needle piercings down her back and the bruising around them.

Laun did not have on a loincloth.  It had not been something she had packed and it was not something the sailors had offered as she had been dressed the day before.  She felt better, cleaner, without the tunic and bandages on, but also slightly bad for being naked in front of the men stationed to guard her.

She knelt there in the water for some time.  Laun was not sure how much time.  It felt good to just exist in the water, a form of a nature catra going through her mind as she listened to the waves and birds and wind.  The soldier was still behind her, hands lightly on her shoulders to let her know that he was there if she needed her.  The sun was warm on her skin and made the cool waves an almost delicious feeling on her skin as they moved up and past her.  The waves had lowered as they had been coming in, no longer topping her shoulders.  The foam pushed to shore was now sticking to her breasts and drawing back and down to reveal her thighs.

Laun heard the commotion, but did not turn or acknowledge the people coming down the path.  The soldier behind her in the water almost jumped up to stand at attention, forcing Laun to say a quiet, “Stay.”

There was shuffling on the sand as the group came closer to the waterline.  “What the hell do you think you are doing?”

Laun did not know which one of the people on the beach the Commander was talking to, so she ignored the question.  The hands on her shoulders twitched and Laun knew the soldier wanted to move, to stand at attention for the compound Commander.  She had in effect ordered him not to, and he was taking her calm word above his Commander’s fury.

“Highness!  The whole garrison could see you down here!”  There was a splash and hesitation and then the soldier behind her was bodily pulled away, almost tipping Laun into the ocean.

After getting her balance back, Laun bent her head down and sighed.  “Commander, what do you need from me?”  She did not stand, she did not turn.  She faced the ocean and felt her calm moving away with the receding water.

“I need you to act like a Princess and get some clothes on!”  His hand was almost touching her, the need to get her out of the surf and into clothing battling inside him with the need to keep the Princess untouchable, unobtainable.

Laun looked up from the wave that had just rolled up, splashing her almost clean from the ocean’s foam.  She saw birds on the wind, gliding along the strong air current.  The sun caught on the tips of the waves, the foam and other things floating in the water changing and glinting.  It was beautiful.

“Commander, thank you for your concern.  I believe that if your men have not seen a naked woman before, that you have not given them enough leave.”

Laun heard the giggle of Gem over the surf before she felt the strong hand of Commander Listas on her shoulder, the fingers digging in to pull her from the water.  Laun could feel that they were going to add to the bruises already all over her body, but it did not matter to her.  She stood, still facing the ocean, as Listas tried to pull her onto the beach.

Laun resisted slightly, but she knew she did not have the energy or willingness to fully do so.  She turned, facing about twenty people on the beach.  Medics and her assassins and the Commander’s aides and another set of soldiers in back of Commander Listas.  She noted all and looked the Commanding officer in the eye.  And waited.

His hand was still on her shoulder.  He was expecting her to struggle or protest or try to cover herself up in shame.  Standing there, just looking at him, she made him pause.  She blinked slowly, her eyes not leaving his.  He swallowed and said, “Highness, please.  This is an unsecured beach and you are naked.”

She blinked slowly again.  “Because it has brought you obvious discomfort, I will do as you ask.  I have been more of a problem than intended and I apologize to you for that,” Laun said quietly.  Her head bowed slightly to him.

Listas dropped his hand and backed up a step.  “Ma’am...”

Gem held a cloth and a tunic draped over her arms out to her Mistress.  Laun stepped towards Gem, knowing that most eyes were on her as she slowly dried herself with the cloth.  She scanned the assembled group, noting rank and things on belts as well as the postures and looks in their eyes.  Laun squose her braid in the cloth to get some of the ocean water out, looking one of the medics in the eye after catching him counting her scars.

The tunic went over Laun, covering her from the eyes on the beach and above on the cliff.  She saw about a score of figures, just a little too far away to have been able to see much more than shapes and colors in the water.  Laun turned to the Commander who had the guards that had escorted Laun at attention, low angry words from Listas making the men cringe as much as they dared.

Laun stepped silently to behind the Commander and listened as he was reaming the men new assholes.  She cleared her throat after one of his aides had unsuccessfully tried to get his attention several times.  Listas rounded on Laun, yelling at the top of his voice, “What?” before seeing who it was, assuming it was one of his aides.

Laun blinked and felt her body tremble at the ferocity of his bellow.  The look on his face changed from fury to fright.  He took a step towards her and put his hand out to her, saying, “Highness!  Please, I didn’t know it was you.”

Laun took his hand as she stepped closer.  “You are forgiven.  And, please, my name is Laun.  Highness is for formal events and ambassadors.  You are my countryman, you do not need to call me Highness all the time, Commander.”

He did not know how to respond, other than to bend over and kiss the hand in his.  “You are as infuriating as Alsen said, but gracious, Laun.”

Her head tilted slightly to the side and she smiled.  “Thank you, Listas.”  She glanced at the two soldiers still at attention and back to Listas.  “Please go easy on them, sir.  I ordered them to follow.  Be kind to the Causican.  He kept me from getting taken by the undertow.”

Laun saw the wet soldier turn slightly and then snap back to attention.  Commander Listas dropped her hand and turned to the soldiers.  “Causican?  Him?”

Laun stepped to the soldier who had not flinched when she had taken her tunic off and had used the carved bone handled knife behind his military issued pouch to cut the bandages free from her.  She put her hand on his stomach and looked into his eyes when he glanced down to her.  “You will have to tell me the story of the kill.”

He nodded, a flutter under her hand as he said, “It would be an honor, Ma’am.”  He went back to full attention, eyes straight ahead.

Laun turned back to the Commander and folded her hands in front of her, looking as small and demure as Gem had ever seen her.  “Commander, if you do not need my attention, may I be attended by the medics?”

There was a low growl that came out before Listas said, “That would be best.  If you want food, second seating at the mess hall starts at the bell, about twenty minutes.”  He watched her curtsey to him as if she were in a full royal gathering, the sand and thigh-length tunic not mattering for her presence.  She smiled and turned to the medics who had been waiting, letting herself be pulled back up the cliff path to the barracks.

The Commander turned back to the men who had been with Laun and looked at them.  “Causican, huh?  You have been in the garrison for three years and I never knew, Sergeant Shiesen.  You tell her Highness the moment you see her?”

There was a shiver of a shake to the man’s head as he said, “Sir, no sir!  I escorted her to the latrine and warned her of the undertow when she started to walk into the surf, sir.”

Listas glanced up the cliff, the last of the group following Laun being the blonde servant carrying the wet things from her Mistress.  “Alsen warned me about that, too.  I wonder if the old fart meant it when he said she was skilled...”  The commander looked back at his men.  “Skilled in Sticks.”  All of them knew that was not what he was going to say.

Onto Chapter 11 Laun feels  good enough to check on Liam in the medical building