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The journey into the Rosemond kingdom was hot and dry. The higher they went up the plateau’s side, the hotter it seemed to get.
Many of those from the Midlands were used to the plains. Some had been in the Silver Spire Mountain foothills on a mission or on the sides of the old volcano in the North. This was not like the foothills or the gentle slope of the volcano. There were resting inns every few miles on the ups and downs, the switchbacks, and just steep places. They were needed.
The horses were unhitched from the carriages and walked some to keep them from cramping up before letting them have water and feed. The people also needed to move, both the ones who had been on the horses and the ones who had been confined to the carriages. Blood was encouraged to flow to places that had been compressed, no one talked to try to keep the pressure headaches at bay.
It wasn’t just the Midlanders who were having problems. Many of the military escort were used to being at sea level. The thinner air and the hotter temperatures were hitting them hard with the formal armor and helmets they all wore. Laun did not envy them.
Laun had been able to take the horse she had spotted at the first inn and had been able to ride him. Lieutenant Beau had tried to explain to the Rosemond Lieutenant that she was going to do it, without his opposite listening. Laun kept her military clothing on, looks from the Rosemond Regulars changing from patronizing and haughty to amazed and accepting when Laun rode amongst them without complaint, and without taking the rein of the horse. She had picked out one of the dark hides that showed lineage from the other continent, and had seen the reaction to a subtle click and hand signal showing it was Kells Arena trained.
Edgar had been offered a horse and he accepted it on the first leg of the trip. Gems girl started to fuss with the pressure changes and Edgar was the only one who could comfort the child enough to keep her quiet, making it almost impossible for him to ride. He stepped out of the carriage with the child in his arms, Gem right behind him when the group stopped at the next inn. The carriage next to theirs was the one with Lady Engrid which was unloading at the same time.
The gurney was being handled by several of her attendants, not smoothly but smoother than the trip up to this small craggy peak of a stop. The once grand Lady stirred and looked over at Gem and Edgar. She blinked. “You are doing well, whelp...” Her voice faded and her eyes closed again.
Gem looked away, embarrassed. She motioned for the child and walked away without saying anything. Edgar saw the flush of embarrassment but did not have time to ask, or to comfort.
This was one of the smaller of the inns, but it had a magnificent view of a short part of a river that then plunged into the ravine below. It was a constant noise, loud, but people became used to it as it was ever there. Laun was looking at the mist coming up out of the ravine, watching swallows darting about catching insects in mid air that were heavy from the moisture.
“Love...”
Laun turned and Edgar could see that she was in pain. Her arms had not been crossed on her chest. Her hands had been holding her breasts and gently working the rings in her nipples through the black tunic and halter.
She let a sob out, but her face only showed a little of the pain the rubbed raw nipples were giving her. “It is beautiful here...isn’t it?”
Edgar nodded and offered his arms to her. She reached up and took her military cap off and leaned into his embrace. Her back hurt, her nipples hurt and she was not sure she would be able to get her feet out of her boots without the use of a sharp blade, one way or another. She was more than glad that he had insisted on coming. He had never wanted to come on a mission before, even though he was part of the planning and training for many over the last two years.
There was a purposeful shuffling of feet. Laun moved her head on Edgar’s chest and looked. Edgar was the one who said, “What is it?”
Wanda, tall and lanky as ever a fourteen year old girl could be, was standing with a tray of tankards and a bowl of a fruit confection in her hands as she moved slightly to keep the pain in her side at bay. She had grown quickly over the last year and being cramped in the carriage over the bumpy road had not gone well, as far as her body was concerned.
“Silar and Fridis are taking care of the others. The Lady’s escort seems to be having some infighting about something. The Rosemond military are looking at maps and the Lieutenant is concerned that we may be going into a trap.” The girl lifted the tray, swaying slightly until Edgar and Laun had drinks and Edgar had taken the bowl of the sweets off the tray. She made a reasonable curtsey and turned, taking the remainder of what was on the tray to another small group of Peaches who were stretching each other out on a large, gnarled oak.
Laun nodded into Edgar’s chest and stood upright. “She is good.”
Edgar offered some of the sweets to Laun while saying, “She wants to impress you.”
There was a nod. “She isn’t waiting much longer. She has been much more forward... I wish she would not focus on me so much. I know that Les has been heading off a few of the younger Peaches and Salam-Dir wards from her.”
There was a short laugh until Edgar had to catch his breath in the thinner air. “I know what that job is like.”
Laun smiled and they kissed gently before turning towards the waterfall and saying little things between them as they ate the honey and fruit sweet.
The call to mount up again came and Laun felt like screaming. Or having a temper tantrum. She did neither and put her cap back on, Edgar pulling it slightly to be sharply positioned on her head. Wanda came and took the dirty things away as Edgar and Laun just stood looking into each other’s eyes. Laun’s smile changed slightly as she glanced over and saw Silar.
It was not Silar that caught her, it was Girl. The broken assassin was still being led by the leash, though a fair amount of slack was on it between the pale Girl and the dark Silar. They had to walk past Lady Engrid as she was being loaded into her carriage. Laun saw that Girl at first did not want to look towards her old Master. But, that was difficult. She raised her head and Laun saw Girls’ shoulders squared and go back for the first time in...ever. Girl walked past with some dignity, even though she was leashed as a pet would be.
Edgar had turned to see Girl’s attitude change and made a questioning sound. Laun smiled and squose her Lord’s arm before walking slowly towards the loose corral of horses.
The Marquis stepped beside Laun and offered his arm to escort her the short distance to the horses. Laun placed her hand over his forearm and walked with him. He did not say anything, but there was more to the formal action than just companionship. Laun turned and nodded to him before she mounted. He had been looking at her neck and his eyes snapped up to hers just a moment too late to cover the fact.
She was able to wait until everyone was mounted and the caravan was moving down the next slope of the road before putting her hand to her neck, trying to see if there was something wrong. Nothing seemed to be there, nothing wiped off onto her fingers other than her sweat. It was one of the only places that she did not have a lasting mark on her skin. She did smile as she remembered several bite marks that had been placed almost there in the last few years, the ones that lasted the most being from Silar.
Silar was in one of the carriages with other Peaches. Laun depended on him. As her trainer and martial arts teacher. For his knowledge of other cultures. For his strength. And for his hand leading hers in knowing how exquisite pain could be. Wanda might be the best rope handler and rigger in the Peaches, even just at fourteen, but Silar knew how to show her how to use the rope, the blades, the flogs...
The horse beneath her sensed that she was not paying attention and tried to slow down, to balk. Laun did not see anything in the road to make the horse nervous and knew he had sensed her mind wandering. Laun kneed in and shifted, the charger cantering for a few minutes, changing his own focus. One of the soldiers in the shiny metal chest pieces had a sideways smile at her and Laun nodded at him when she noticed.
Her hands still had not held the reins of the large horse.
Onto Chapter 4 The Marquis is seen for who he is
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