the Leathermines

Back to Chapter 11 - Have you seen the Jackie and Mark series?  Give it a try.

 

Four rooms.  There was now an office created for Laun from one of the Sergeant’s rooms next to the room she had slept in.  It was being stocked as Laun sat in the reasonably comfortable chair, watching when she was not reading.  Verat stood at her side for some of it, mentioning a few things she may wish to requisition from the compound’s stores.

Laun was liking the word requisition.  It meant she could get almost anything she wished almost instantly.  She did not push it, but had thoughts of going with the men who were sent for things to see what else was available.  But, she did not really need much.

She had the small sheaf of invitations to answer, which she did herself.  One of the men was a scribe, his look not as well covered as he might have wanted as she asked to sit at the desk herself.  Gem had taken the invites when they were sent over and had sorted them as well as she could, not knowing most of the people, but understanding the coded language of the nobles.

Laun said no to each of the invitations.  Each was slightly different as each referenced the missive that had originally been sent.  Laun had the scribe read them over to make sure she had not made horrible mistakes and getting a few small smiles from him as he read her wording to the different nobles.  He left with the messages in hand, intent on delivering them himself.

The swirl of setting up the office, having the men in her staff introduce themselves to have Laun look them up and down, and then the small influx of officers coming in to introduce themselves calmed down.  Laun was tired and starting to become hungry, but did not know if she wanted to make the small journey to the mess hall or not.

The babies made up her mind.  They insisted that they spend time with her and she did not want to haul them around the compound.  They sat in the sun on the tiled deck, the ocean waves filling the air with salted moisture and loud noises.  Gem took the opportunity to take a nap, Hazalam and Verat sitting with Laun and the children.

Verat had been briefed as much as possible on what had happened on the ‘Midnight Hour’.  Laun did not go much more into things, but insisted that nothing Liam did to her was against her will.  She did have a small pang of guilt thinking of him laying in the ward at the medical building, the shadow obvious to both the men.

“Mistress, I heard of Flint’s plans and left as soon as I could to try to find you and warn you.”  He looked at his clasped hands between his knees.  “I am sorry I was too late.”

Laun was holding Ash up-side down by her legs, the child giggling and clapping her hands together.  “The timing was not the greatest, but it was not as bad as it could have been.”  Laun looked up at Hazalam and her smile faded slightly.  “I am so glad you went against my orders and followed.”

“I had a feeling in my stomach, Mistress,” the assassin said.

Laun put Ash down, letting the child hold herself up for a moment with her hands before landing gently on her back on the tile.  “I knew Flint was behind the kidnapping attempt.  How pissed off at me is he to try that?”

Verat did not say anything to start, a repeated clearing of his throat before words came out.  “Mistress, he is bringing you up on charges within the Guild.  You have some time since his plan to bring you back to the Capitol City failed, but you have to face the charges.”

Sable was holding herself up by holding onto the tunic hem of the assassin.  She stood, bouncing in place before falling backwards, Hazalam catching her before she landed on her butt.  “How is he going to do that?  We know that more than just Sand is no longer with us.  There isn’t a full Bell Council... Is there?”  Hazalam looked over to the man next to him.

Verat brought his head up and a flash of hatred went through his eye.  “There is a quorum, and if I claim Sand’s place, you will have at least one voice on your side, Mistress.”

Laun shook her head slightly.  “You are too close.  I know that I would not take your word at full value if I was another on the council.  It will seem as though you have been seduced to be at my side.”

There were a few chuckles.  “Mistress, you have a point.  Most of the Bell Council do not know of my likes and Love.”  Laun saw a small wistfulness and wanted to ask about how Franc was doing, but this was not the time.

A knock on one of the doors leading to the deck was answered and Laun’s runner brought out a tray filled with things to eat.  It was well past nooning and Laun was hungry.  The tray was set down and Laun smiled and nodded to the Corporal before he backed out and closed the door, leaving them alone on the deck again.

It was similar to what she had for first meal, and the babies started to crawl into the tray to get to the bread and fruit.  Both babies were held and fed as the adults ate as they would.

“Mistress, part of the charges are that you claim to be Guild and you are not.”

“That is true, for both.”

Verat blinked.  “I...  I can give you some of the training that I have gone through.  You are quick, and I know what they usually look for at these meetings.”

Laun nodded as she chewed on a piece of meat.  “I hope I am quick enough.”

Verat had fright open on his face.  “Mistress, I don’t want to loose you so soon after loosing Sand.”

That made Laun stop eating.  She turned to him and went to her knees, rising up to be closer to his eye level.  “What do you mean?”

“If the charges are not refuted and the council votes against you, they will have you killed.”

Laun sat back on her heels and looked at the babies.  “I hope that does not happen.  Though I know that the Midlands and Salam-Dir are in good hands, now.”

“Mistress!  How can you be so calm about death hovering over your head?”

Laun looked back at Verat.  “I have had death not just over my head but in my face more times than I wish to count.  I am not afraid of it and welcome it if it is for a just reason.”

The men were both quiet, the girls feeling the tension and trying to get the men to pay attention to them, Ash patting Verat on the leg and Sable giving her mewling cry.  Paying attention to the children gave them all something else to focus on, and time to collect thoughts before the conversation went on.

“Mistress,” Verat slowly said, “how did you come to have your first clapperless bell?”

Laun smiled and looked at Hazalam.  “It was a small charm that had been sent to Geralk by one of his people, used as part of a message and sewn onto a grey ribbon.  I used it, tied to my hair for the first time when I broke my first assassin.”

Hazalam looked down and blushed.  His voice was soft as he said, “Yes, Mistress.”  He had other things going through his mind, thinking of the weeks he had spent in the Chamber of Death, Laun working on him and bringing him to her side.

“You were not presented it.  It did not go from someone else’s hand to yours?”

Laun shook her head and reached over to drag Sable out of the food tray again.  “It was in my Lady’s journal as a place holder.  Why?”

“It was silver from the start?  You did not have brass or copper before the silver?”

“Always silver, and never the solid one before I was in the Capitol City and met Lucas.  Why?”

Verat nodded, mostly to himself.  “I am trying to see how you started to call yourself of the guild, and how to go against the charges.”

Hazalam moved forward in his chair slightly and said, “I did not hear her say she was in the guild until after she was being held in the Palace, Verat.  I assumed she was because of her talents.  I saw the bell and fell on my face at her feet.  I thought she was elite from the first.”

“Assumptions.”  Verat’s hand went around Ash’s as the child stood and patted his leg.  “Mistress, you had others see the bell and assume you were guild before you said you were.  That is actually a distinction that many of the Masters may understand.”

Laun shrugged.  “Saying you are before or after someone else thinks you are anyway means little if it is still all a lie.  Though...  Geralk did say that he had taught me all he could.  He is brass level, but that counts as having some official training, doesn’t it?”

Verat half shrugged, half shook his head.  “I don’t think so, since you don’t know much of the history and common knowledge the Bell Council may ask of you.”

Laun nodded to herself and looked at the clapperless bell.  “Then you shall have to teach me what you think I need to know.”

“Yes, Mistress.”

Verat was left with Laun on the deck when Hazalam took the children inside with him.  Verat started to outline what he needed to teach her, going roughly over the basics, which still took almost until evening meal.  Laun’s head was aching from all the information.

“...with the ascension of the first Green Master in the Sword and Crow, his brother rose to become the first Rock Master to counter him.”  Verat stopped talking, watching Laun.  She was still sitting on the sandy tile, her knees up and her forehead resting on her knees.  With the angle of the sun, he could just see the profile of her face.

Laun took a moment before she raised her head from her knees and looked at Verat.  He thought she had fallen asleep, but her eyes were bright as she said, “Their sister being killed while in the bed of a noble drove them both to revenge, but one rose to grayworld power to kill the noble while the other rose in power to be able to use the noble.”

Verat nodded.  “I haven’t even gotten to that part of the history.  I told you that you were quick.”  He saw the flash of pain through Laun and stood, holding his hand to her.  “I think I heard the mess hall bell, Mistress.”

She blinked and looked at his hand.  “I do need a break.  My mind is buzzing and I’m not sure if it is going to settle down any time soon.”

It took a moment for Laun to be able to move from the ground.  She had just stayed there after the children had been brought inside.  It seemed appropriate that she be at the feet of the person trying to teach her, but her butt was hurting and her back had used all the medicine in the balm that had been spread by the medics quite a while before.  Laun was finally standing, a few stretches and kata moves to make sure she could move without assistance.

The office had a few of her loaned staff in it, one man going through more messages for Laun, Gem overseeing the sort.  One of the men was putting books on a small shelf, the order seemingly important to him as he shook his head and switched two of them.  The soldiers stood and came to attention as Laun opened the door, walking in carefully to not make the twitch in her back worse.

“Is it time for evening meal?”

The closest soldier nodded, saying, “Ma’am, first seating is underway.  Shall I send ahead for seating for you?”

Laun shook her head.  “I’ll wait for second seating.  Have you men eaten, yet?”

There was a shake from both and Laun saw a small shake to Gem’s head, too.  “Second seating for all of us, then.”

“Ma’am?”

“I like to know the people I am working with, Sergeant.  I am not as formal as most around here and I would like to know from you who you are, not just the ink stains on your hands and the rips on your elbows.”

Laun saw that the man wanted to look where she had mentioned, but did not break eye contact with her.  “Thank you Ma’am.  I will send ahead to make sure there is a table...  But...”

“The main hall, Sergeant.  The food isn’t as good, but I think I like the room better.”  Laun smiled, seeing the slight relief in the soldier’s face.  “One question.”

“Ma’am?”

“Do you think I can sneak in some fruit from the Officer’s mess?”

There was a big smile on the Sergeant’s face.  “I will arrange it, Ma’am.”

Laun nodded to the men and headed for the latrine.  Verat was about to step in and clear it for her, but Laun didn’t really care.  She rapped her knuckles on the doorframe as she came in, calling out, “Eyes to the walls and floor, gentlemen.”

The men in the room jumped at the female voice, but the command tone had their eyes away from her as she walked past the occupied stalls and to one that she could use.  Verat stood, slightly askew from the stall, still feeling as though he needed to guard her.  Laun kept her eyes away from the men as a courtesy, too, though she had to glance a little while finding a clear stall.  She did not exactly have a flash of heat when she sat and let herself think of the men around her, and the few she had seen flesh of.  But she was curious, and she smiled.

Laun could almost feel the nervousness of the men around her.  She emptied herself and used the rag before standing and buckling herself back together on the way out.  “As you were.”  Laun heard an exaggerated sigh from one man and a wet sound before she was clear of the door.

Laun looked at the messages that had come in while she had been having her information gatherer’s guild lesson.  Many of them were replies to her replies, trying to get her to change her mind.  She put those to the side as Gem had before her to be answered the next day.  Laun had one small message from a local merchant that Gem had also kept out of the main pile.  It was interesting for he introduced himself, offered his goods and services, but did not mention anything about what he really sold.

There was time before the second seating.  Laun thought and wrote out a message in charcoal on pulp paper in preparation to send the actual message to the merchant out.  There was a small spot on the merchant’s paper that looked like oil or grease had been brushed against the message.  Laun touched it and saw there were more spots like that on the paper.

Laun went outside and looked at the paper with the sun behind it.  The message under the main message made things clearer.  This was someone who knew Marie and Markle, their names not mentioned, but the Inn at the Northern crossroads was.  Laun was concerned.  How did the person know about her and find her?  She shook her head and knew she was going to be seeing the merchant herself.  But first...

“My back is giving me troubles.  The Surgeon Captain I saw at the medical building, would he still be on duty?”

The soldier in the office shook his head.  “They usually only pull half-shifts, Ma’am.  But all medical staff is on call for all shifts.  That is standard.”

Laun nodded.  “If I could have a call out for Captain Maddoc, please?  It is not urgent, but he knows the salve that was used on my back and if I am going to get any sleep tonight, I’m going to need more.”

The soldier came to attention and saluted, Laun returning a slightly sloppy one.  Laun went outside to get to the room she had slept in the night before and smiled at the slight changes that had happened.  She strapped on two of the harnesses that had been laid out on the bed for her, the weight on her forearms making her feel more complete.  There was also a brush and comb with a small tray of cosmetics that had appeared.  Laun took a few minutes to brush out her hair and do a loose braid, a new thong wrapped around the end to secure it.  She twisted the braid up and secured it to the back of her head with two of the small hair sticks that were along with the cosmetics.

Laun ignored the rest of the things in the tray, but smiled at the extra pillows that had been placed along the wall side of the bed in the room.  They were still standard issue, but she had far more than one person should really need.

The babies were carried by two of the soldiers as the group headed out to the mess hall.  Laun was talking with the Lieutenant as they walked, soldiers saluting and both of them returning the salute as they went.  Laun needed to know if she was going to be able to get off the compound to see some of the city of Hamils, and to go to the ‘Midnight Hour’.

“I will escort you myself, Ma’am.  Not knowing what may be out there lying in wait, it is better to be secure at all times.”

Laun nodded as she said, “I understand, though just yourself would be preferable as the larger the group, the more likely it is to stand out.”

They were at the hall, one of the soldiers walking swiftly around to open the door and escort Laun to the reserved table.

There was a call to salute and the room rose and went quiet as Laun entered.  She saluted and made the at ease call.  The men all seemed to sit at once, the quiet eerie to her as she passed through the room to the table that was clear.  It was set with a few things the other tables did not have and Laun noted that none of the soldiers in the room had been served yet.

Laun made sure that everyone had a place, even the babies, before she sat.  The men around her sat and there was a small rumble through the hall.  It unnerved her that the men were paying attention to her but not looking at her.  Over three hundred people were in the room for that meal and they seemed to all be hanging on her actions.

Food started to come out of the kitchens, the unranked men with the duty starting with Laun’s table.  A covered tray was put in the middle of the table as the plates of beef and oat gruel were put in front of each person.  Laun kept her hands in her lap and continued to talk to the men around her about light things.  It took close to ten minutes before everyone in the room had food and Laun stayed herself from reaching for the spoon and knife several times until she started to see the servers look at her nervously.

All she had to do was touch her spoon and the whole room seemed to start eating.  They had waited for her, but she had waited to make sure everyone else was fed first.  It was a habit that Laun had picked up and it seemed to have power to it in the military.  She saw several reactions to it around the table, many not understanding her delay, some seeing the leadership in the action.

The food was not as bad as the evening before.  It was more greasy than burnt, and Laun thought she tasted the oil and vinegar that had been on the cold beef earlier in the day.  She appreciated that they used everything, but it seemed mean to make such a gruel from such a good piece of meat.  Laun looked around and knew that was how they were able to feed everyone.  The upper ranks had the best, but all were fed.

One of the soldiers lifted the cover from the tray part way through the meal, revealing what he had been able to get the officer’s mess to send over.  Laun speared one of the oranges with a knife and started to eat all of it, skin and all.  One of the men started to ask if he could peel it for her, but Laun’s smile quieted him.  Many of the soldiers at the table had some of the fruit and greens on the tray.  

Ash was holding a roll in one hand and a fistful of greens in the other as one of the men held a spoon of beef gruel to her lips.  She took the sloppy food and made exaggerated eating motions before she swallowed, bouncing slightly and making a ‘want’ noise for more.  Sable was sucking on a smallbread and was not interested in any of the rest of the food, but had the attention of several of the men at that end of the table as she would put her head to the side slightly and then coo like a pigeon, one hand making the ‘bird’ sign.  The soldiers softened and one started to make the bird sign and noise back to Sable, adding a chicken noise and the hand sign for that, to the delight of both the child and the men around him.

Laun and her staff were close to the middle of the room.  There were enough tables and military men around her to shield her from the officers that looked in to see where the Princess was.  Until there was a small set of noises at the doorway and a call to salute went through.  The men at Laun’s table stood and saluted with the rest of the soldiers and sailors, sitting again when the at ease was heard.

Gem’s smile was obvious when Laun looked over at the blonde.  Laun put her utensils down and stood, motioning for the people around her to stay seated.  She turned and waited for the General to get to her and held out her arm for a warriors grip.

He almost took the hand to his lips, but he saw the look on her face.  “Highness, I am glad you are well.”  The warriors grip was brief, the pat on the shoulder perhaps a little more of a caress.

“General, I am glad you were able to come in from the field.”  A place was suddenly created next to Laun at the table for General Alsen, another plate of gruel placed after they had both sat.

Some food went into Alsen before he turned back to Laun.  “Fuck it if this isn’t better than what I have been getting on the road.”

Laun smiled.  “No wonder they make everyone go through this.  Makes you appreciate the good stuff.”  Laun took a sip of her tea and felt his hand go to her thigh as he continued to eat.

He nodded, barely swallowing before saying, “If you can eat here, you are ready for any duty.”  He smiled at Laun.  “I hear you brought in a squad of the Rosewhores, Laun.”

She shrugged.  She put her hand on her thigh over his and said, “They were on a mission, which I will tell you about later, sir.”

He heard the delay, thought there was a different meaning behind it.  “You will have to brief me later.”  There was a glint in his eye which Laun could not say anything about right then.  “You brought the children on your mission?”

Laun looked at the different ends of the table, the girls entertaining and being entertained.  “It was an interrupted journey up and down the River, Alsen.  You know I don’t bring my children into a situation I don’t feel safe in.”

He nodded.  “They’re so big.  I’m sorry I haven’t been up to Salam-Dir to see you and they.  How are your men?”

Laun smiled at the slight squeeze he had given her thigh.  “Most are well.  The change over you insist on the Fourth’s squads every few weeks keeps them on their toes, but the rotation actually did us some good during the Winter.”

There was a slight shake to his head as he lowered his voice.  “I meant your husbands.”

Laun smiled.  “I knew what you meant, sir.”  She squoose his hand under hers and withdrew so she could use both hands on her mug of tea.  “Edgar is well.  Fount hates that I came down the river without him.  Hunter is bouncing from Nestwood to Salam-Dir and back trying to get his families’ land up and running again.  And then there is-”

Alsen held up a hand.  “Laun, I need a roster for all of them.”  He eyed the fruit and greens in the middle of the table.  “That is new.”

Laun blushed slightly and looked at the soldier who had arranged for the extra food.  “You know how the growing season is up North and I love my oranges.”

Alsen was done and the plate was cleared.  “I need to talk to the Commander.  Just brought in a few Rosemonds who gave us troubles.  I’ll find you later.”

Laun put a hand on his arm as he rose.  “I did not bring my bag of Sticks, sir, so perhaps some conversation over first meal?”

His eyebrow went up and he nodded to her.  He looked around the table and nodded to the men who looked up.  Alsen walked through the room and out, not turning around to look.

Lieutenant Beau slid closer again and said, “We have Sticks in the rec area, Ma’am.”

Laun sighed.  She turned to him and had her hands below the table so only he and perhaps a few contortionists could see her hands.  “Not needed.  We have an ongoing game of Sticks we started a while ago,” Laun said with her voice and her hands said, “Horney bastard wants my bed.”

He almost spat out the tea he had in his mouth.  The Lieutenant was able to get the tea down and said, “I understand, Ma’am,” before turning and firmly holding the mug in front of his face as he regained his composure.

There was a rustling and movement in the men around Laun that caught her attention as she talked with the men at her table.  They were all done with their food, but waiting, again, for her.  Laun stood and took ahold of the oranges that were left on the tray.  She motioned to the people around her, none of them accepting the fruit.

“Heads up!”  Laun lobbed the fruit in different directions around her, the hands that caught the oranges easily taking the fruit from the air.  There was some laughter and some tension broke in the mess hall.

The babies were gathered up and her group went through, the men at the other tables standing and coming to attention, but not saluting.  Laun watched the men come out of the mess hall behind them.  She stopped her group and was looking up into the darkened sky, commenting on the brightness of the city around them blocking much of the early stars from showing.  Many of the men who had been in the hall purposely went past Laun’s group, Laun placing herself so she could easily look at and salute the men as they saluted her.

Several of the men caught her eye as fine figures in uniforms, their attitudes and features pleasing her.  She just did not have the energy or the embers in her to be enflamed.  She knew that the explanation of the general orders about her was spreading through the compound, and that was both exciting in a way, and annoying.

The night had come to the Southern part of the Midlands while they had been eating.  A few of the yellow flashes went across the sky, the glow of the city and the face of the full moon both making the paler lights hard to see.  Laun was escorted back to the non-com’s barracks, most of the men dismissed for the night as Laun sat in the chair at the office desk.  Laun had a reading lantern lit and she sat at the desk with several of the military manuals open before her.

Most of the way through the Naval guide, there was a knock on her door.  She called to enter and the Surgeon Captain came in, closing the door behind him.  “Ma’am, I wanted to let your food settle before coming to you.  Sometimes the medicines can disrupt the stomach.”

Laun watched as he took a few things from a covered basket, opening one of them and placing it on the desk beside her reading.  “I know I will not be able to get it to where it needs to be by my self.  Shall I get my girl or-”

“I would be happy to, Ma’am.”  He stood back, turning slightly away as Laun pulled on her tunic.  He reflexively smiled when he saw the weapons strapped to her forearms.  She stood to get to the straps on the undergarment and moved to a chair without arms, turning it so that she could straddle it.

Several of the bandages fell to the floor when the metal and leather undergarment was no longer there to hold them in place.  Laun straddled the chair and rubbed her breasts, carefully moving the rings in her nipples.

“Ma’am, lean forward?”  She heard another chair scrape along the floor behind her.  Her arms went around her chair, the cold of the wood warming against her chest.  His hands were not cold but were cooler than Laun’s skin, the salve on his fingers warming quickly as he spread it on the twingey area of her back.  She pulled herself into the wooden back of the chair and leaned her chin on the plain edge.  He was going around the holes left by the needles, but pressing firmly on the rest of her back.

Laun grunted several times as the bruises became painful under the medics hands.  She breathed and relaxed as some of the pain became strong, the massage and the salve loosening things and making some of the pain go away that she had been suppressing.  Laun’s head went to the side slightly and she let the tears that were in her come out.

Maddoc stopped, his hands going to her shoulders.  “Ma’am?  Am I hurting you?”

She shook her head and said, “The pain is from the wounds that you are trying to heal.  And from wounds I haven’t been able to heal for two years.”  She looked over her shoulder, only seeing the shape of the man, not the man himself.  “It is tiring being strong all the time.”

She saw him nod.  His hands continued to massage the salve into her.  There was quiet and then the medic started to talk in low tones.  “Ma’am, I had chance to talk to another of my Brothers in the compound.  I did not mention you, but he was holding a message from one of the Bell Council for another.  That is all he said about the message, but he did say that there looks like the grayworld is having a bit of an upheaval.”

Laun nodded.  “Brother, I tell you this so someone else knows.  Flint Master is bringing Mistress Peach up on charges.  If the charges are given full merit, she will have a warrant on her head.”

He stopped his hands.  “Ma’am?”

Laun stretched and felt the lessened pain from the attentions of the medic.  “There are claims from both sides, and much of it is true.  It is a hard lesson for me to learn, and I hope I have learned it well.”  She turned so she could see the Captain.  “But that is in the future.  I do have something to ask about, and I hope you do not mind.”

His hands rubbed together, the lingering salve going into his skin.  “Sister, what do you need?”

Laun stood and went to the messages.  She handed the message from the merchant to the medic.  “Do you know this person?”

He looked at the bottom of the page before reading the message.  “I think I have heard of him.  Has a little curio shop near the North Harbor.”

“He claims friendship with my cousin who owns an Inn.”  Laun pulled the paper around so the reading lamp was behind it.  “I am thinking of going to see him tomorrow, see who he is.”

Maddoc read the grease-coded message and looked at Laun.  “This is a simple message.  Anyone could have read it, Sister.  I would not trust going there.”

Laun took the page and looked at it again before putting it back on the desk.  She crossed her arms under her breasts and leaned against the desk, a small creak coming from it.  “It would be more unexpected than just sending another message back.  I like keeping people on their toes.”

He nodded.  His head turned slightly before the footsteps could be heard by Laun.  She sat again on the chair, the medic pausing before reaching for the salve again and continuing on her back.

The expected knock came and Laun called out, “Enter.”

Alsen strode in, his step cut short and his face falling as he saw the hands of another man on Laun’s back.  He then recognized the red sleeves of the medic and relaxed a little.

“Laun, I wanted to talk to you.”  The door closed behind him and he leaned against the door, watching the medic’s hands with a touch of envy.

“I was hoping for tomorrow, Alsen.  I am still recovering from the ship and bandits.”  She looked the General in the eye and said, “I am not feeling well enough to entertain.”

The older man stepped to her and put his hand on her bare shoulder, seeing the bruises and line of piercings.  “I see where that would make you cranky.”

“Fucking annoyed is more like it, Alsen.”  Both men heard the sharp tone in the quiet voice.  “Captain Maddoc, that is good for now.  Thank you.  If you could take the rest of the salves to my people and explain them?  Oh, and make sure you talk to Verat.  About your Brother.  He would be interested in hearing, if you can.”

The medic stood from the chair and gathered up the things he had brought with him.  “Ma’am, make sure you have a clean set of bandages put on before you lay down to rest.”

Laun nodded and the medic was gone.  Alsen sat in the chair behind Laun and put his hand on her back over the lines of small holes.  His hand was not light or gentle, but there was both concern and need in the touch.

“What the fuck happened?”

Laun turned around and he saw the other fresh wounds, his eyes catching on her nipples for longer than the flower cut into her breast.  “I was paying a debt, Alsen.  Then the Rosemond mercs took me and wounded my host.  They are in holding at this point.  Most of them.”

“Good girl.”  His hand had moved to her breast, his thumb weighing the gold ring and nipple as he cupped her flesh.

Laun let her wince show.  “Sir, please.”

He heard and saw the pain.  He leaned forward and presented himself for a kiss, pausing before saying, “I have to leave in the morning.  I was hoping...”

Laun put her hand between his and her breast.  “Not this time.  For many reasons, but mostly because I just don’t feel well enough.”

He leaned back and took another look at the skin in front of him.  “Shit.  I have seen you push through crap before and still be an animal in bed.  I’ll let you be, Highness.”

Laun sighed as he stood.  “I know you want what I will not give right now.  Thank you for wanting it, Alsen.  It feels like I have no idea why people want to fuck me any more.”  Her eyes went down to her nipples and she covered herself with her hands, partially to guard her nipples against the cold.

He sat again and took her face in his hands.  He did not wait and pressed his lips to hers.  She gave some back, but broke off the kiss far before he wanted to.  “I guess that will have to do, but I want you to know that I have thought often of not just fucking you, Laun, but having you beside me.  This old warhorse would love to have a filly like you around.  You give me energy I didn’t think I would ever have again.”

Laun smiled.  “Thank you, Alsen.  Now get out of here while you can still walk.”

He laughed and did have to adjust himself some before he opened the door and let himself out.  Laun looked at the closed door for a few minutes before she decided what she was going to do next.

The moon was making a strong pool of light on the floor in the office.  She felt the need to be in the ocean again, to rinse off the day and to clear her mind.  She opened the door onto the deck, the moon flowing over her as she stood in the doorway.  A figure came forward and a soldier stood at attention, waiting for her.

“I wish to be in the ocean.  The Commander has ordered me to make sure the beach is secure before I do so.”

There was a salute and Laun heard a, “Ma’am,” before he turned and went to the edge of the cliff at the path.  The moonlight was strong enough that he waved his arm and saw a return wave from the man stationed on the beach below.  He turned back to Laun and said, “Secure, Ma’am.”

She left the door open and sat back down inside.  She pulled off her boots and took everything from the waist down off, pulling the few bandages free that had not already come off and rested for a moment before she stood and pulled her tunic back over her nakedness.

The soldier stayed at the deck, the soldier on the beach below waiting at the path for her.  He came to attention and held out a hand to help her balance when she approached.  His hand was below hers as she walked towards the surf, the moonlight rounding all of the shadows and waves as the water was coming slightly higher onto the beach.  She stopped a pace from the water and turned to the man.

“Hold this for me,” she said quietly, the tunic getting pulled off, leaving just the weapons holsters on her arms.  The tunic went over his arm and the moonlight masked some of the confusion he had as the woman he was assigned to backed up slightly, tilted her head and smiled at him.  She went into the water and knelt, facing the incoming waves.  She raised her arms and her head went back, the smile on her face still there as the beauty of the moonlit cold waves going over her warm skin made her happy.