the Leathermines

Back to Chapter 43

The afternoon breeze was hot and the sun did not have any clouds to soften it as it beat down on the gathered people.

It had been close to an hour since the sentry with the fast horse had come with word of the group from the Capitol City.  He said there were at least two hundred people in the group, servants included.  Del looked like he wanted to panic, but his mask went over his emotions and he set about opening all the rooms that Laun had insisted be readied.

The soldiers were in loose ranks along the roadway to the manor.  Until attention was called, they did not want to spend too much time with their black leathers in the sun, but they could not stray from their positions in case their commander called them to readiness.  The men next to the horses were dealing with the heat for themselves as well as the mounts and the horses were getting antsy.

The performers lounged.  They found shade and kept their energy for when they needed it.  Laun was amongst them, exchanging quips and barbs as well as the belled twine.  It was a way to pass time, but it also made the entertainers feel more comfortable around her.  She was not above sitting with them or learning from them, her rank in the nobles meaning little to the troupe.  Charel was trying to teach the Lady without being made fun of by the others.

Laun was in a loose, light colored linen tunic and skirt, the natural color to the fabric good for reflecting the heat of the sun.  She had a belt with a pouch and a few other things on, the first she had worn since she had gotten there.  She needed a place to put the few extra keys that Del had given her over the last few days, in case there was need as the people with Falmir were put into the manor.  It was the pouch that kept getting fingers almost into it with the bell on the twine, but Laun had put another bell just inside the flap, and that caught most of the sleight of hand entertainers. »Read More

Ready for this chapter?  Wait, where did you start?  If you need to, go back to Chapter 42.  If you need to go back further, look at the The Slave Lady chapter list or the Novels Page (please register) to see where everything started in The Slave Warrior.

The message from Falmir noted that a few people would be coming with him.  Laun forced herself into the role of making sure that as many of the guest quarters were open and aired and stocked as possible, much to Del’s annoyance.  She moved things around, made plans depending on who came with her father and generally made people understand that while she was there, she was in charge.

The troupe tried to move out of the Manor.  Laun would not hear of it.  With the extra hands to help, it made setting the manor for the visit easier, and Laun planned entertainments with them, but that was not all.  The acrobats were put to the roof above the privy in Laun’s room to find the roof leak when there was another short shower and the leak had destroyed more of the cleansing paper.  Del gave them access to a storage area that had repair supplies and it was done in less than a day after Laun had been asking Del and Senri to get it accomplished for over a week.

The soldiers took time each day to mend and polish their uniforms.  It was fun for Laun to walk by lines of the men with needle and thread or wax and cloth.  There was a man with a knife shaving many of the men who did not have their own shaving kits.  Not all of them got away without seeing their own blood.

Laun made a point of visiting the medic every day.  He was unresponsive the first two times she went to see him, just laying with his back to her in the tent.  She would not talk of anything much, just the plans for the upcoming visit, the weather, and the state of her foot.  The second day, as Laun was leaving, he rolled over and looked at her.  The third day, he was sitting up on his cot while she was there.  Still, not talking back or being active, but he smiled as Laun stood to leave. »Read More

Back to Chapter 41.

It had been several days of Laun recovering before Kell decided she could try to walk on her own.  The healer did not know that Laun had been doing her morning routine while the soldiers had been sent off to the kitchen for first meal.  She also did not know that the sleeping elixirs that had been in the milk were starting to not work.

Laun had a cane in hand as she walked to the receiving hall of the manor.  She was happy and was surrounded by many of the troupe.  They said they had an entertainment they wanted to show her and Laun was happy to be out of the rooms.

A small tightrope had been set up.  It was about head high off the ground strung between two sturdy looking poles.  A sitting place had been created by the troupe for Laun by putting hay bales together and draping cloth they had borrowed from the laundry over it.  Laun sat and found that it was more comfortable than it had looked to begin with.

Adelmar did a few tricks, including pulling several bunches of flowers from various places and handing them to Laun.  His last trick involved flower petals that were pulled from his hat and scattered into the air to float down around Laun.

Laun applauded as the troupe around her jeered and whistled at him.  Several of the acrobats started to tumble and twist and contort while the tin whistles played happy tunes.  One of the acrobats climbed one of the guide ropes to the tight rope.  He stood on the top of the pole for a moment, making it look like he was going to fall off. »Read More

Back to Chapter 38, for those who are of a weak stomach.

“Well, that is a way to get you some bedrest, Lady.”

Laun’s foot was up on the table, bloody cloths scattered about as Kell looked at the wound.  The robe was draped over Laun, not actually around her as the healer checked to make sure the foot was ready to be sewn up.

Gem held one of Launs hands, Hazalam the other.  Laun closed her eyes and started to breathe deeply.  She knew what getting stitches was like, but on her foot was different.  She thought of the cold morning after getting out of the warm bed.  She had still been fuzzy in the head, but she could not go back to sleep.  She had looked around the rooms and found that there really wasn’t a good place to do her morning routine.  The bathing room was a little slick on it’s tile.  The bedroom still had a sleeping soldier in the bed.  The sitting room was full of furniture.

Laun had stepped outside the sitting room onto the walkway.  The early morning was beautiful in the walkway.  There was a strip of green outside of the arched glass and the morning smelled sweet through the broken window.  Laun started to stretch and limber up when she felt something on the bottom of her foot. »Read More

back to Chapter 37

There was moonlight coming in through the tall windows.  It was reflected and blocked a little by the walkway outside the room, but there was enough light that only a few candles were lit as Gem finished up braiding Laun’s hair.

Water had been heating while the evening meal had been held.  Laun was happy and relaxed and felt clean as she sat on one of the couches in the sitting room.  Her hair had not been tended to in several days and it took time for Gem to be able to work the brush and comb through before she could go from root to tip without a snag.  The thong that had held the hair up and back was used again to wind around and tie up the end of the braid.

Her man was sitting on the floor, working on Laun’s feet and legs.  She had on the robe from the Palace, one of the things that had really fit while she was there.  It was almost not big enough around and he was staring at the shadow he knew held her womanhood.  Laun enjoyed knowing that he was so focused on her.  She also knew that his jealousy was going to become a problem.

“Gem, do you know where my little bell is?”  She nodded and went to get it.  “Tie it on the end of the braid, please.” »Read More

Back to Chapter 36

It had already been a long day.  Some intrigue, some sex, some good things, some bad things.  But it was almost time for evening meal and Laun could not back out of it.

A servant had scratched on the door and had come in when Laun called, “Enter.”

He was not surprised that Laun was in bed, but he was taken aback when there was someone in the bed with her.  He delivered the message that evening meal would be in the Great Hall in about an hour.  He left, closing the door quietly.

Laun found the privy again after some searching for the hidden door.  She would need more supplies soon in there and she found where the moisture had come from.  She looked up and saw that there was a small water stain on the ceiling of the small room right above where the paper had been.  That was something to be dealt with, later.

Laun tried to brush her hair out with the small brush and comb that was on the vanity in the bedroom.  It was not the set from Ithian, which she both liked and didn’t like.  It did not want to go through her hair and her arms were getting tired trying to make it work.  She untied the thong from around her wrist and wrapped it around her hair, making a low tail that at least kept it out of her face. »Read More

Back to Chapter 35

Music now was echoing through the halls.  Laughter and joy bounced around in voice and in bodies as the troupe ran and tumbled and sang in the long halls of the manor.

Laun had asked Del if there was some sort of a great hall or feast hall somewhere in the maze of the Hawkwell manor.  He nodded and, with the medic and healer and their people trailing behind discussing Laun’s pigheadedness, Dell escorted Laun and her people into a place close to the middle of the manor.

It was a space that was almost as big as the Great Hall back in Salam-Dir.  It had not been opened for over a year and the dust and cobwebs showed quite well in the afternoon light streaming through the high windows.  There were tables stacked on one side of the room, benches and a few chairs on the other.  The Midlands and Hawkwell banners hung at either end of the room above small fireplaces that had been large at one time.  There were remnants of fire-logs in the ash, evidence that the flue had not been pulled closed on one of the chimneys with the dried arc of ash and char on the polished stone floor, bird tracks in trails pointing towards the fireplace.

A bench was brought over for Laun and she sat, happy to be off her feet.  She sneezed, putting the too long sleeve over her nose and mouth.

“This is good.  I know I keep asking for more from you, but I am tired of not having a central place to meet people.” »Read More