the Leathermines

Missed something?  The First Chapter is here, and Chapter 52 is here.

 

 

There were a few people in the trading post.  The protector team that had drawn the lot for the duty for the next few days, a merchant who was on his way back from Myrned, a farmer from an hour’s walk away, and Laun.

It was the first time Laun had been able to get to the trading post.  It was crude, but she saw what they had done to it to make it useable.  It had been a stand of four huts to begin with.  They had built it out slightly, connecting three of the huts and making the fourth hut airier with cut windows.  The airier building was the trading post, the connected three storage and the ‘Inn’.

The weather was threatening to turn cold, but the sun was out and warming the land in a last attempt on summer before all the trees turned colors and lost their leaves.  A small wind was blowing, bringing the scent of a storm, though the horizon was clear.

Laun had ridden on the back of a mule with the protectors on the lead.  The last set of protectors loaded up a few things after unloading some supplies from the mule’s baskets and started back to the keep.  Laun was amazed at the things that were being displayed in the trading post, most she recognized from the keep, some she didn’t.

Her garb that day was drab, as bland as she could find.  The way Disa put it was, “The third sister to the eldest beauty in the county.”  She was not quite sure what that meant, but it was what she was going after.  The browns and beiges covered her from toe to head, even a dirty-tan snood to cover her hair.  She had made an addition as they left the tower room of one of the grey ribbons with the clapperless bell tied around her neck and under the high collar of the over tunic.

The merchant had a mule and cart next to the larger building, furs and other goods wrapped up against the weather.  Laun had glanced it over when he came up, thinking how nice some of the fur would be as cold weather gear, but was letting the protector team do their job.

She sat on a stool between the buildings and watched the merchant and the farmer.  It seemed like the farmer was looking for some companionship as well as supplies and was still talking to the man of the team after having made his transaction.  The merchant was looking at everything that was in the hut, looking for flaws and obviously finding them as he shook his head at what he saw.

“Well,” he said as he stood up from looking at a household made basket, “I may be able to use these to hold some of my things for transport, but they really aren’t worth much beyond that.”

Vespi tried to look offended as she said, “My mother made those!  You can see the quality in the workmanship.”

He rubbed his hands together as if what he had touched had been dirty.  “Well, perhaps there is a good weave, but the materials...”  He shook his head.

Laun watched the back and forth for a while, enjoying the banter and then focused on the farmer again.  He was still trying to string along Hamdal in conversation, and it was starting to itch at the back of her mind.

She got up and put a hand on Hamdal’s arm.  He turned and unthinkingly started to say, “Yes, Lady-”, but was able to change it to, “Ladlaun”.

She took it up and made her voice slightly nasally as she started babbling, “You know to call me LaLa, silly!  You know, my brother in law here has never been able to get my name right.  And we have been living in the same house for, what? Four years?”  Laun shot Hamdal a look and he nodded and started to back away.

Laun made a sloppy curtsey to the farmer and said, “I am LaLa Bedthorne.  And who are you?”

He was able to get out, “Ridrik.” before Laun started in again.

“Ridrik?  What a wonderful name!  Ridrik!  Oh, it has a ring to it, doesn’t it?”  She took his arm and started to walk him away from the post slightly, talking all the way.  “So!  Where did you grow up?  I am sure I have seen you before, I mean, I have lived here all my life!  Well, except for that one time I went to the Capitol City with my cousin.  Oh!  Now that was a time!  All the people!  And the noise!  I tell you, getting back home was the only way I got any sleep!”

The farmer was cringing as Laun held onto him, leaning into him and talking away at him.  She could feel that he suddenly wanted to leave, but she wasn’t done putting the icing on the act.

“Oh!  Now a strong fellow like you!  Are you married?  Because I have a cousin who would be perfect for you!”  He shook his head and then nodded furiously, trying to pull away.  “Well, which is it?  Are you married or aren’t you?  Because she has the widest hips!  She would give you great babies.  Think of it!  All those babies around you-”

They had gotten about twenty paces away from the trading post when the farmer finally was able to pull his arm from Laun’s grasp.  He ran back to his sack and then made an awkward bow to Laun as he went past, saying over his shoulder, “I am married, thank you!”

Laun called after him, “Remember, we are always here if you need something!”

Hamdal had his hand over his face trying not to laugh, but Vespi just couldn’t hold it in.  She was silently laughing, bent over the folds of cloth on the rickety table in front of her.  She took in a breath and the full force of the laugh came out.

The merchant was standing with his arms crossed over his dark wool tunic, a hand in his beard and a smile on his lips.  Laun came back to the stool and sat.  She looked up and shrugged.

“What?  He wasn’t going to leave on his own.”  Laun inclined her head to the merchant who made a half bow to her.

The merchant did not move from where he was, but his focus was all on her.  “I don’t think I have seen a better up-and-shove in years.  I am assuming your name is not LaLa.  Mine is Trent Mayweather, but many people call me Tim.”  He made another small bow to Laun.

Laun stayed on the stool and bowed her head, saying, “I am Laun.  It is a pleasure to meet you, Tim.”

He stepped forward and feigned pain in his foot.  He reached for his foot and said, “I have been carrying this pebble for a week.”

Laun tipped her head to the side and found she was saying, “Better than water.”  Her hand went to the ribbon at her throat and pulled the bell out of hiding.

He nodded, coming over to her and holding his hand out.  Laun took it and stood.  There was a look in his eye she could not read, but he took her hand to his lips and kissed the fingers.  Laun smiled, mostly because the beard tickled.

“A cousin of yours mentioned that it might be a good thing to try to find you when I came back from my trading to the West.”  He dropped her hand and put his arms across his chest again.

“Ah, I do have so many cousins.  When did you talk to him?”

“Two weeks ago, and she was pleased to be able to send you a pebble.”

Laun sat again, keeping an eye on him.  “I am assuming you are the pebble, Tim.”  He nodded.  “And how is her son?”

He smiled  “Her husband is fine, as is their new servant.”

Laun nodded.  “It seems I have gone through everything I have.  I hope your trip was profitable.”

Tim waved towards the cart.  “Half of that is yours, though I did take a cartage fee.”

Laun smiled, thinking of the banter between Geralk and Pillar when the merchant had caught up to them.  “As is right and proper.  Sir, shall you be staying the night?”

He shook his head.  “It is better that I keep moving.  I have people on the other end who are expecting me in a day or so.  Delaying them may cause a nose or two to twitch.”

Laun nodded.  “So, what did my cousin send us?”

The protectors helped to unload some barrels full of cooking oil, some dried fruit and other sundries that had been under the furs.  A small pouch with an embroidered trim was handed directly to Laun from the merchant.

“She was very strong in her wanting you to have this.”  He had an odd look pass over his eyes as he handed the pouch to Laun.

Laun knew that he had looked at whatever it was and was confused as to why Marie would send something to Laun.  “Oh!  I think I know...”  Laun tried to push the false happiness as she carefully opened up the pouch.

It was full of ribbons and hair things.  Laun had problems with the facade, until she realized the pouch was the message.  She smiled broadly at Tim and said, “I left this with her last time I was there!  My hair has been such a mess since.  Not being able to travel with the war and such.”  Laun tied the pouch back up.  “She is so thoughtful.”

He made a half-bow and started to tie up the remainder of the goods in his wagon.  Laun put a light hand on his arm and smiled, tilting her head towards some of the goods on the tables.

“I saw how you were looking at those baskets.  And the horseshoes. Is there still some time to try to do some trading?”

He smiled and said, “Yes!  There is always time for that.”

Laun smiled, a different, less light smile and his eyes went wide.  “I think I may be at a disadvantage, Laun.”

Laun was able to trade enough of the goods from the trading post to have him shifting out a bundle of the fox and sable furs in payment.  She knew she had made a good deal by how loudly he was complaining.  With a smile and a twinkle, of course.

The wind had started to blow a little harder, a little colder by the time Tim had finally secured the wagon.  Laun shook his hand and told him, “My cousin may want to know that my daughter and son are doing well and that her older brother is getting married.”  

His eye flicked down to her waist and made a slight sideways nod.  “When I see her, I will do so.  May your time be profitable.”

“And all information flow from the source.”  Laun knew she was pushing the whole information gatherer personae, but she had been around Geralk enough to catch many of the ways they seemed to talk.

He acknowledged her and started the mule and cart down the road.  Laun sat and watched as the merchant went away and was thinking.

“Now that is done with, how do we send word that we need a cart?”

Hamdal turned and made bird sounds, but they seemed to be caught in the wind.  He shrugged and started up the road.

Where Laun was sitting was mostly out of the wind and the sun was still warm on her.  It was a relaxing thing to just sit there in the sun, not having to do anything for a while.  Her mind was still working, but her body was taking in the sunshine, being nourished and warm.

She heard horses and looked up.  She could not see them and Vespi seemed unconcerned.  Laun stood and stretched, catching an eddy of the wind and suddenly feeling the chill in it.  She looked around and saw horses from the keep coming up, a mule cart a ways behind them.  Edgar was leading Grace and Laun could see that he was not entirely happy.

He dismounted, looked at the empty road around them and then embraced her.  They kissed, but Laun could feel some tension she did not like.  She put her hand on his cheek and he almost pulled away.

A flash of anger went through her and she was not sure why.  She calmed herself and just looked at Edgar’s eyes until he turned his head.

“Are you unwell, my Love?”

Edgar shook his head and turned back to her.  “I did not know you were coming here today.  You left and I did not know where you were.  Disa said you were out in the land, but it wasn’t until the word came about the need for a cart...”  He wrapped his arms around her firmly.  “I was worried.”

Laun felt him relax as he spoke and knew that he truly had been worried.  Edgar was one to hold things in.  She felt that his expression of his worry showed how concerned he had been.  She leaned into him, feeling his heart racing, the heat under his cloak.

“I am well.  We have supplies and news from Marie.”

“You have the luck, don’t you.”  He kissed her on the forehead once more before they separated.

Laun helped with shifting things from the storage area into the cart, though Edgar had his eye on her.  She was feeling a need to help, and as she could, she did.  She kept ahold of the pouch and mounted Grace.  The horse stepped sideways for a few steps until Laun had settled.  Laun was comfortable in the saddle and Grace took the nudge and started as the cart groaned forward behind her.

Edgar and Laun escorted the wagon until the turn to the keep.  There were enough people in the road to the keep to help it along.  Edgar motioned to Laun and she nudged Grace alongside his horse.

They rode in the sun and wind, the trees starting to let go of their leaves.  The colors were not as bright as some autumns, but it was still a swirl of reds and yellows in the green.  They were able to get to the Grey waters on that part of the land and started to pick their way along it’s banks.  There was a washout in the bank which seemed to have disturbed some of the river rocks that commonly spread through out the area.  Laun started to move Grace around when she thought she saw a flash in the water.

Grace was not pleased, but they found a dry area and she went down on her knees for Laun to get off.  Edgar had to almost throw himself off his horse to catch up with her.  Laun was settled on her feet but holding her knees while looking down into a less thick eddy of the Gray Waters.  The scrubby grasses were turning yellow and had a slight sharpness to them as Edgar knelt by his Lady.

“I’m not really into stuff like this, but...  Is that valuable?”  The water was about five inches below the bank Laun was perched on.  Edgar looked over and saw a glint that looked like it was right below the surface, a slight green under the grey.

Edgar pulled his sleeve back and reached into the murky water.  He scooped under what Laun had seen and brought it out into the air.  His hand held a black rock that had green crystals coming out of it.

“It looks like the river rocks all through here, but-”  Laun turned to Edgar.  “Are those emeralds?

Edgar shook his head.  “I don’t think so.  I don’t know.”

Laun put her hand into the water and puled out a smaller rock, but still with large, green crystals coming out of it.  “It looks like the rocks that were in Lady Hellon’s room.”

“The luck.”  Edgar stood and looked around the area.  More glints showed in the washout.  “We need to remember this place.  And take these to...”  He looked concerned.

“Do we have anyone who knows gems?”  Laun stood and looked at the rock in her hand, the silt starting to dry and crust on it.

“Well, the first one I would go to is Geralk.  He is a merchant, after all.”

“We may be able to get these to Marie and see if they can get something for them.”  Laun took the skirt of her over-tunic and folded it up around her stone, tying it in.

They walked beside the horses until they came to one of the trails.  Edgar helped Laun up before mounting himself.  They made their way through the Salam-Dir lands, seeing several patrols between the defense points.  They came to the keep as the winds started to get storm-fast, but without clouds yet in the sky.  The last barrel of oil was being wrestled into the keep when Laun was helped down from her palfrey.

Ali took the leads from them, Laun lingering with a hand on her boy’s cheek.  Edgar escorted Laun into the Great Hall, greetings and shoulder touches along the way.  They made their way to the library where Geralk was going over several of the old kitchen lists he had been able to find, comparing it with one he had been working on.

“May we interrupt?”  Laun pushed open the door further than it had been left.

Geralk put down the papers and said, “Never an interruption, Laun.”

Edgar stood at the door and Laun took one of the other chairs.  “We found something and I was hoping you may be able to help us in identifying it.  And if you can’t, I’m sure you know who can.”  Laun saw the curious eyebrow go up and she unwrapped the stone from her tunic.

The merchant took the stone and looked at it, putting a candle behind it.  He licked his finger and ran it across a facet of crystal.  Geralk had an amazed look on his face as he turned to them and quietly said, “Where did you find this?”

“On the land.”  That was all Laun was willing to say, even to one of her most trusted people.

Geralk, putting his hand to his chin, leaned back and kept looking at the crystal in the black stone.  “This is quite a find, Lady.  It is uncut and unmounted, but I would estimate, and this is rough without a jeweler...”

Laun leaned forward, “Yes?”

Geralk nodded to himself and looked Laun in the eye.  “This would be worth about fifty gold if we could get it to someone to cut and mount it.”

Laun smiled.  She held out her hand and Edgar took the other stone out of his pouch and placed it in her palm.  “So this one, with the crystals being bigger, and at least one whole, unbroken crystal, should be worth at least two hundred.  Right?”

Geralk almost dropped the rock in his hand at the sight of the larger stone.  He nodded and carefully took the larger stone.  “I haven’t seen this color peridot in several years.”  Laun did not say anything, just smiled and looked at her list master.  She did see several flashes of pure greed go through his eyes, but he settled on just slightly greedy.

Edgar motioned generally and said, “Would Marie be able to find someone?”

Geralk looked at the wardsman and became concerned.  “That explains this.”

He held out several of the lists and pointed at incoming and outgoing.  “The household was sending out some shipments of basic things, like apples or grain, and then getting back goods four to five times the cost of what was sent out.”

Laun nodded.  “I was just wondering what she was smuggling.”

Geralk turned on her.  “You knew your Lady was a smuggler?”

“Not until recently.  But no, she was not a smuggler.  She was an assassin.”

Both of the men stopped breathing for a moment.  “Love?  Is that where you...”

Laun turned to her man and held out her hand.  He took it and kept standing near the door.  “I don’t think she had been active for quite some time.  But I think I figured out the code of the tapestry because of the prisoner...”  She had a flash that she had to go see the prisoner, but continued.  “She was keeping lists of the Hawkwells and other nobles and how many people they were from the throne.  I am three.”

Geralk remembered glancing over the papers Gismar had made for his Lady and closed his eyes trying to remember.  “So, the whole lineage is on there.  Including you.”

Laun nodded.  “She knew.”  She stood and held her hand to Geralk.  “Many things to discuss.  The gems are the most important, if any coin from them can help the household.”

Geralk took the hand offered and kissed it lightly.  “I will see what I can do.”

“Oh!”  Laun untied the pouch from Marie and handed it to Geralk.  “And see what Marie has sent us.”

Geralk looked at Edgar and then at his Lady.  “Yes, Lady.”

Laun led the way out.  She stopped at the top of the stairs and turned to Edgar.  “I am going to go see the prisoner.”

“Do you want me there?”

Laun thought for a moment.  “Yes.  As a shadow at the door.”  She held her hand out to him and he took it.  “You put up with me...why?”

Edgar shook his head.  “Sometimes...  But then there are times like this morning...”  He smiled widely.

Laun pulled him to her and said, “See if I do that again.”

Edgar looked down into her eyes and said, “I couldn’t see anything when you were doing that.”  They kissed and embraced for a moment.

They went to the door of the prisoner’s chamber together.  Laun did not know that there had been a...problem.  The protectors briefed her and she thought.

Laun stepped into the light.  A chair was set behind her and she sat.  There was someone behind her that stayed in the shadows.  She was still in the head to toe drab garb, the bell hanging around her neck.  She had a very, very sad face.

“Quail.”

He sat bolt upright.  He had been lying on a corner of the blanket, as much on as little of the blanket as possible.  Laun could smell why.

When he had peaked, his seed was not the only thing to come out.  He had tried to stop, but once his body started to expel, he could not stop.  He had used the cloth to clean himself.  The blanket was completely soaked and caked with his piss and shit.

He kneeled on the bare floor and would not look up.  He looked at the floor between his knees.  He was shaking, but not from the cold.

Laun just sat.  She watched him, his whole body shaking.  He was avoiding looking at her.  He had done something that she had implied he not do.  She looked over and saw the offal bucket within reach of him.  It looked as though he had used it since it was put in, but not in time.

She sighed.  He flinched.

Laun waited and watched him.  It was taking too long.  She sighed again.  She started to get up and leave.

“No!”  He went onto all fours.  He sobbed and his head was down.

Laun stopped, but did not turn back to him.  “You... You disappointed me.”

Tears fell to the stone.  He fell to the floor and sobbed.  “Lady...  Please...”

“You are in no position to ask for anything.”

“Lady-I’m sorry!  I’m so sorry!  I couldn’t stop it.  Please!!!”

Laun turned and saw him spread on the floor, shaking and sobbing.  Pitiful.

She stepped close to him and heard Edgar step forward.  She kept her voice low and calm as she said, “I do not like being disappointed.”

The prisoner inched his hand towards Laun’s foot.  She saw and waited until he was too close for her comfort and stepped back.  She saw him freeze and then pull his hand back.

She went and sat again.  She paused until she could see that he was starting to look up at her through the hair over his eyes.  “I do not know how you can make it up to me.”

He raised his head.  “The Green Master is the one who gave me the commission-”

Laun softly said, “I told you I did not want information from you.”

He pushed his shoulders off the ground.  “Lady!  Please!”

She sighed and waved her hand at him.  “If you must, tell me.  I will see if I like any of it.”

Laun did like it.  All of it.  The information was good.  He had been involved with several of the landed noble’s assassinations in the East before the actual coup.  He knew the people who were paying the greyworlders were not from the Midlands.  It was more than rumor that all of the greyworlders had been paid with coin of Rosemond.  He had a stash in a safehouse himself of over 200 gold with the Rosemond crest on it.  People from other kingdoms had been brought in to boost the numbers on Falmir’s side: not all of them stayed on his side.

There were names that he knew, both from the greyworld and the nobility.  Others who had been paid to take out those against Falmir.  Contacts and codewords and drop sites...  He was hoarse before Laun got up off the chair.

She went to him and knelt on one knee.  She tried not to grimace at the smell.  Softly, she said, “Little quail, that is good.”  She touched his head and ran her fingers through his hair.

He pushed up into her hand and was sobbing again.  “Thank you, Lady.  Thank you.”

“I will reward you.  You have made me happy.”  Laun let her hand lower and go to in front of his face.  He went to grab it, but then just leaned in and kissed it.  “Good boy.”

Laun stood, wiping the hand on the back of the tunic.  “I will send you some clean things and perhaps some food.  I wish for you to be clean and fed next time I see you.”  Laun stopped and went back down.  “That is, if you wish to live today?”

He pushed himself up and looked into her eyes.  He still saw sadness, but he had disappointed her so greatly by making a mess.  There was a concern that he saw, too.  But no smile.  He needed to see her smile again.  If he could do as she asked...

“I wish to live for you, Lady.”

Her eyebrow went up.  “You have another day.”

Laun left and had the door closed before she outwardly reacted.  She shivered and felt as though she needed to take a bath.  She took the protectors away from the door, Edgar at her back.  “I am going to be sending people down with things to clean him up with, and food.  Let him clean himself, but do not leave anything in there that is not a blanket, the water bowl and the offal bucket.”

“Yes, Lady.”

Edgar and Laun walked up the stairs, Edgar’s arm around her.  They walked slowly, discussing the information that the prisoner had given.  Geralk was still in the library and the three of them started to discuss some things behind the closed door.

 

Next, Chapter 54.