the Leathermines

Back to Chapter 23

Days.  Nights.  It didn’t matter.  They all were about the same.

There was now a routine to the time at the Palace.  Laun woke early in the morning, usually with bodies around her in the bed.  She would go relieve herself and then do her morning katas.  She was usually naked and usually alone.  Her girl and Hazalam sometimes would join her, if they were awake.  She would greet the sun with her stretches and be ready for the day before it was fully up over the horizon.

She would write the messages responding to those that had been sent to her.  She had a small pile of boxes with various gifts in them, many just looked at but not touched.  She would have the messages taken by one of the household servants without being sealed. 

She was enjoying the written conversations with Liam, the man with the boat who had traveled with such amazing adventures.  Most of the other messages were from those she saw while on the green, but Liam was one she looked forward to reading, and sending messages back.  It was odd, in a way.  He had invited her to his boat many times, but when she invited him to meet with her in the Palace, he graciously declined.

If there weren’t too many missives to sort through, she would read one of the books she had.  A few different ones came to her, gifts and ones Falmir dropped off with her, usually having to do with a conversation they had the day before.  She was learning more than she thought there was to learn.

Some sort of food would be brought up to her.  Sometimes, Falmir would be there to help her take first meal.  He was not as subtle as he would have liked to think he was.  He usually seemed frustrated with something as he entered, and left frustrated with her, but with a smile on his face.  He sounded her out about a few things and she normally told him exactly what she thought.  She didn’t bother to filter things or gild things.  He had stopped asking if she was going to pledge to him. »Read More

Back to Chapter 19.  Please consider sending Tribute to the Web Mistress to help her in chocolate and coffee.

The weather had indeed held.  The debris had been cleared and a small tent had been set up for Falmir and his guest.  There were servants scurrying about in the dark blue and grey under the bright and hot spring sun.

Laun could see what she thought was her room from where the tent had been set up.  She had watched the servants bring out the tent in the early morning, setting it up quickly.  There was a path made on the grass from the footfalls of the servants bringing the furniture out for placement under the tent.

Her escort had arrived after she had eaten some small fruited rolls with her milk.  She was in the linen dress again with the green caplet.  She had sent down a request for something else, but the only thing that came back up did not fit.  She had wanted something else as what she had needed to be cleaned, and the cut was starting to rip further on it’s own.

Falmir met Laun and her escort in the hall just inside the Palace entrance.  Falmir was dressed in lighter colors and had his crown on his head.  Their masses of servants and others melded and flowed as Falmir took Laun’s hand and helped her balance through the grass to the tent.

Laun liked the feeling of the sun on her and wished she did not have to wear clothing.  She wanted the sun on her skin, not the material covering it.  Part way to the tent, Laun stopped and kicked off the slippers.  She was able to reach down and get one before one of the servants was able to retrieve the other one.  She tossed the one she had to the servant and reveled in the cold and warm and damp feeling of the grass between her toes. »Read More

Last chapter is Chapter 18.  Start from the beginning of the full story with The Slave Warrior, Chapter 1

“He will not be allowed on this floor.  I have had guards posted.”

Falmir was taking yet another spoon full of the soured cream and fruit that had been sent up to Laun for her breakfast.  She had not eaten as much as she wanted, but she was willing to have him eat his fill.  It had been tasty.

“Thank you.  I am glad that I was awake when he came in.  I am not sure what would have happened...”

Falmir put his hand on her knee and was serious.  His thick brows came together as he said, “You are very well protected here.”

She had several comments she wanted to make, but said instead, “Thank you.  I am glad that the officer you had already assigned to me told you what happened.”

Falmir clenched his hand on her knee for a moment.  He narrowed his eyes and had a sour look on his face for a flash.  “Not much gets past you.”

Laun shook her head, smiling slightly.  “Many things go right past me, but someone with helmet length hair, the stride of someone used to a sword on his hip?  If he had just introduced himself, I would have been less bored last night.”

Falmir’s eye flicked to another of the male servants in the shadows.  Laun wondered if it was natural for him to check the people he had planted or if he was trying to lead her. »Read More

Back to Chapter 17

The storm had rolled in from the West with a blast of wind and a light show from inside the clouds.  The first lightning to hit the ground had a roll of thunder after it to begin the light and noise that went far into the night.

The rain hit the windows into the green guest room at an angle, carrying small birds and pieces of debris against and past in the wind.  It was loud without the thunder.  When the lightening lit the sky, the thunder shook the Palace.

Laun had put herself back to bed, first to sleep, then to have a warm place to watch the storm from.  She had not been able to luxuriate and watch a storm before.  Once she had woken up for the second time that day, she had just stayed under the covers and watched.

The young servant who had been asleep in the bed even as Falmir had been in the room finally woke in the mid afternoon.  She was next to Laun and had come up out of the bedding with a wide look on her face.  Laun ran a finger along the girls’ cheek and received a shy smile.

“I am not sure you have even been able to sleep that long since you have been in the employ of the Palace.  I hope it was worth it.”

“Lady...  How long have I been asleep?”

“It is past two bells in the afternoon.” »Read More

Back to Chapter 16

There were several messages and a box waiting for her when she awoke the next morning.  It was later than she was used to, the sun having been over the horizon for at least an hour.  She delayed looking at any of them until she had used the privy and did one of the open hand katas.

The screen was still across the door and allowed the male servants to be discreet as Laun was doing her morning routine naked.  Except for Hazalam.  He was kneeling by the bed watching her.  One of the women servants was still asleep herself, the comfort of the bed having drained all her willpower and ability to wake.  The other one had excused herself when the sun had come up, a frightened look on her face.  The men, except for her assassin, had been used and went away in the night, leaving Laun to play with the women.

Laun had to stop and start her kata over when she missed several moves because her mind was on the night before.  She forced focus, thought of killing Bregnan and did the kata swiftly and accurately.  Her legs were still a little sore from the night activities, but it told her that she needed to do more.

She wrapped a saddle blanket around her and sat at the table that had become her desk.  The food and plates had been taken away sometime while she had been playing with Ithian.  Her books and papers and the damnedable sewing was back on.

The envelopes were placed before her, one with the box under it.  Two of the envelopes had names of who they were from and she did not recognize them.  She put those to the side.  One had just her name on it.  She put that in it’s own pile.  The one with the box had the writing she recognized already as Ithian’s. »Read More