the Leathermines

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.

She was pulled back to the present.  She breathed through the pain of a needle being pushed through the edges of the bottom of her foot.  Hunter was pressing down on her leg to keep her from jerking as the healer closed the wound.  It was more painful than when the glass had slid in.

Laun had not screamed.  She had not fainted.  She had leaned against the wall watching the blood pool under her foot.  She had called out for help.  She had felt a little faint and called out for help again.  Hazalam and Hunter had gotten to her at the same time, both in the same state of undress.  Her man had instantly held her belly, but it was not her water that had broken.  Hunter had picked her up in his arms and brought her to the leather couch.

Gem had put her own tunic over the wound before they knew it had glass in it.  It would not stop bleeding.  Hunter and Hazalam had both rushed to get clothing on and went in search of someone to help.  Gem kept Laun talking as she kept the leg above Laun’s head, holding the ankle as if she were strangling an enemy.

Laun had grayed out several times before the healer had come.  The others who had come with her were forcibly kept out of the room, the doors closed in their faces.

The grayness was closing in again as the pain was washing over her.  She heard herself say something and tried to breathe.  The rushing in her ears was loud and she knew that she was going under.  The voices around her were both loud and far away and she tried to concentrate on them.  The darkness did not come to her as she expected.  It had not shown it’s self for a while again.  She did have the feeling of looking at herself from both inside and above as Kell was sewing her foot.

Water was being brushed across her lips by a finger.  The saltiness that Laun tasted was from the blood still clinging to the finger, not the water.  More water dropped on her lips and she opened her eyes.

“There she is.  Welcome back, Lady.”  Kell was holding a mug of water, her fingers poised above it and drops of water falling back in.

Laun licked her lips and found that her mouth was gummy.  She tried to sit up but the angle that her leg was at would not allow her to move much.  The mug of water was pressed to Laun’s lips and she took in a mouthful.

There were more people in the room than she had expected.  She smiled a small smile and said, “I hope I didn’t say anything too silly.”

Kell shook her head.  “A few names, but that isn’t unusual.  How are you feeling?”

Laun did not say the first quip that came to her lips.  She closed her eyes and listened to her body.  “Except for a throbbing in my foot, I am well.”

Kell put the mug to the Lady’s lips again and said, “You lost a bit of blood, Lady.  You will be light headed for a while until your body builds things up again.”

Laun nodded and drank until the mug was empty.  She opened her eyes and wanly smiled at those around the couch.  “I hope that I didn’t stain things too bad.”

Del shook his head and turned slightly away.  The Lieutenant put his arms crossed on his chest.  Adelmar held his hat as though it would protect him from the people around him.

Laun saw that someone had draped a sheet over her.  At least some modesty was preserved, until she moved her arm to a more comfortable position and the sheet started to side off.  Several hands went to catch it and Laun laughed.

“Well, I don’t think I will be going out to see any riding demonstrations today.  I am sorry.”  Hunter nodded and backed up slightly as Lieutenant Senri came forward.

“I hope that this unfortunate event will keep you out of trouble, Lady.”

Laun smiled and did feel just a little light headed as she said, “You don’t know me very well.”  She wiggled a little in her hips and stretched a little.  “I think I am going back to sleep for a while.  I hope I don’t miss much.”

Laun let her eyes close and was intending to listen to people around her, but did indeed fall asleep.

It was not a dreamless sleep, but what had danced through her head faded when she opened her eyes again.  She was still on the couch, her legs propped up to be above her head.  The light was from outside, through the tall windows, and it looked like she had been asleep for several hours.  Her back and hips were telling her that she had not moved in a very long time.  Her bladder and bowels insisting that she move, soon.

Laun looked around from where she was.  She listened.  She could not hear anyone.  She did not see anyone.  She was alone.

Laun started to slowly move, starting with pushing back the blankets that had been put on her.  A flower fell to the floor from between the blankets.  It was wilted, but it lay there after having been close to her heart.  Laun smiled.

The blankets were off and to the floor.  She could see her foot wrapped in bandages, thickly and perhaps a few too many, easily doubling the size of her foot.  A traveling chest was under her legs, a pillow beneath to lend some comfort.  Laun started to move her legs and found that there was a strap around her ankles.

“Hey!  No fair...”  She could not bend to get to the buckle to undo herself.  “Is anyone there?  I need help getting to the privy.”

There wasn’t an answer.  Laun was getting annoyed.  The one time she did not want to be alone, no one was around.

Laun lay back down and thought.  The strap made sense to keep her foot raised.  The pillow was probably put under before the strap.  If the pillow came out, the strap may be loose enough to get out of.

Laun had a plan.  It worked, after a fashion.  The pillow was out from under her calves.  The uninjured foot was freed from the straps.  The problem was the bandage on the foot made it difficult to get the foot out from under the leather.  Laun looked again and saw that the strap was just around the chest.  She rested for a moment and then contorted herself so that she could reach the chest, pushing it away.

The strap worked it’s self along the chest until both the chest and her foot were free from the strap.  Laun had to rest for a moment before she moved.

She sat up and looked around.  Her foot started to throb as soon as it was below her head, but other things needed attention.  She saw the robe on the floor under the blankets and fished for it, dragging it on before kicking the blankets away from the couch with her good foot.

She had a plan and a way to get to the privy.  It was a very long way away.  Around the couch, she would be able to support herself, but beyond that, it was going to be painful and difficult.

Laun stood, the throbbing getting worse and her back giving her small warnings.  She used the arm and back of the wood and leather couch to support her.  She leaned against the couch and took a survey of the room before her.  Some rug, some wooden floor.  Then the curtained arch.

She tried to put little pressure on the bottom of the injured foot, the heel was getting most of the weight on that leg.  Laun made it to the archway, leaning against it as the throbbing turned to pain.  The curtain was a thick cotton and it was heavy to push out of the way.  She looked at the bedroom and knew that if she made it back from the privy, the bed was going to be as far as she got.

She supported herself on the wall as she hobbled around to the bathing chamber door.  She rested on it’s upright before doing the same around to the hidden privy door.  She did not bother to close it as Laun thought that since no one was around, having to have private time would be a good way to bring them.

Laun had a layer of sweat on most of her body after having made it to the privy seat.  She rested against the tiles, knowing she had a fever from how good the cold felt against her face.  She used the last of the wilted paper flowers to clean herself and rested for just a moment more.

The pain was about the same as when her feet had been healing from her walking and fighting the year before.  Though, more and concentrated in one place.

Laun took in a deep breath in preparation to stand.  She stopped, tasting a familiar lingering elixir under her uncleaned teeth.  The brown stuff that Pillar only used in extreme circumstances.  It was the sleeping draught that Silar had slipped her when he had kidnapped her.

So, Laun thought to herself as she levered herself to her good foot, they thought she was going to be asleep for another few hours.  There was little Laun could really use that to advantage.

Laun made it to the little vanity in the bedroom and sat on the stool.  She looked at herself in the mirror and saw that her braid had started to pull oddly.  The ribbon and thong were still on her hair, holding the plait together, but it was also keeping it messy.

The combs and brushes were there.  A set of mirrors on the wall and on the vanity showed Laun how ragged she looked.  Her eyes were red and puffy.  The color of her skin was slightly gray where it wasn’t a splotchy red.  Generally unappealing.

The braid was undone and being combed out when she heard something from the other room.  A small sound, a scraping sound, that suddenly stopped.  Laun continued to run the comb through her hair as she used one of the hand mirrors to look at the curtain in the archway.  She leaned it at an angle and used both of her hands to look like she was concentrating on just her hair.

A movement.  Laun saw the curtain pushed slightly until the person on the other side found the center.  Fingertips went through the slit and pulled the thick cotton curtain back slightly.  Laun could not see who it was, but they were watching her.  She continued to run the comb through her hair, waiting for something to happen.  It didn’t.

She put the comb down and was not watching where she put her hand as she reached for the thong.  She tipped over a small stone bottle, a few drops of an oily substance dribbling to the wood vanity top before Laun stood it back up and replaced the stopper.  She now had some violet scented oil on her fingers, the age of it making it slightly sickly sweet.  She glanced back at the mirror and the gap in the curtain was wider, but she still could not see who’s hand it was holding the gap open.

Laun did not have to bring the fingers close to smell it, but she made a slight show of smelling and rubbing her fingers.  A cloth was on the table and Laun used it to clean up her fingers and the table, the cloth being dropped to the side on the floor.

She saw a flash of color from the other side of the curtain as the eyes had followed the cloth down, the fingers parting the curtains just a little more.  One of the troupe.

The bottle was placed away from Laun, other little pots and bottles just pushed to the back of the table to get them out of the way.  Laun picked up the comb again, putting it in her mouth as she reached for the thong.  Her fingers did not want to work well, a puffiness and stiffness keeping her from doing a smooth job of braiding.  The robe did not help, either.

Laun held the started braid in one hand as she pulled the neck of the robe off her shoulder.  There was another reaction from behind the curtain.  Laun pulled her arm from the robe’s sleeve and let it drop, the line of the robe showing part of her upper back and possibly the side of her breast to her watcher as she went back to braiding her hair, her arms going up and back.

The thong was part of the braid, helping Laun to keep it straight and fairly even.  She was almost to the end of the thong but still had hair to go.  Laun mentally shrugged and tied off the thong.  She had the braid around and to her chest, the hair going between her breasts as she did a wrap and tie with the thong.  The silver ribbon went around just under the thong, the tiny silver bell both hidden and in plain sight.

For effect, Laun pushed her braid back over her shoulder, slowly.  It flowed, undulating as it pulled against it’s own weight.  She let it go and it flipped down her back, a sigh coming from the man behind the curtain.

Her foot was throbbing.  Laun knew she should get over to the bed.  She was both having fun and being frightened with the unknown person behind the curtain.  She reached over her shoulder and pulled at the collar of the robe.  She put her arm back through the sleeve and felt warmer.  She had to remember that she was still unwell.  She did not want to push it too far and make herself sick by being uncovered just to give and get a thrill.

Laun looked at herself in the mirrors again.  There was a little bit of a blush covering the ashen color she had seen earlier.  It made her face look more even, though she still did not like the puffiness or blotches.  There was something that Lady Hellon would do when she was preparing for visitors that Laun remembered.  She looked at the pots of things in front of her and picked up something that looked like it was the right size.

She had chosen well as there was a little piece of lambs wool in some white powder inside.  It smelled slightly old, but Laun tapped the wool into it and then some onto the back of her hand.  It was a fine talc, no overwhelming scent and it evened out the color on her hand.  Laun flicked her eye to the mirror pointed at the curtain.  He was still there.

Light dabs into the talc and then onto her face brought the powder to her skin, and then she smoothed it with her hands, a shimmer spreading as she evened it up.  She continued down her throat and then she pushed back the robe, showing her shoulders as she spread some of the powder there.  It was not really needed, but while she was rubbing her hands on her shoulders and neck under the braid, the curtain parted more and she saw the juggler.

The powder was put away and Laun looked at herself.  It had worked.  The fine powder had evened out her color, lightening things and the small shimmer she saw as she moved was a nice effect.

The pain had started to come out of the throbbing.  She did not have to act as she turned away from the mirrors and pain showed.  Her hands clenched the side of the table and the robe, her eyes closed as she lifted the foot with the thick bandages.  She turned, trying to keep her back to the curtain.  She rested for a moment, trying to show vulnerability as she sat on the stool, her robe slightly down over her shoulders, her back curved as her head hung almost to her chest.  The injured foot was stretched out in front of her, the good leg bent under her and her hand closest the curtain held the edge of the stool.

What brought him out of his curtained hiding place was when Laun tried to stand, but fell back to the stool, a small moan coming from her.

The juggler stepped through and stopped.  He had not meant to approach.  He had just wanted to look at her, to watch her.  Seeing her combing and plaiting her long brown hair, tying it with thong and ribbon enchanted him.  Seeing her bare shoulder and side had been exquisite.  Watching her pick out a cosmetic and daintily dabbing it on and then running her hands over her skin had made him want to touch her.  Seeing the pain and effort it took for her to try to stand...  He needed to help.

The Lady’s eyes opened and were not frightened.  She seemed welcoming and the smile on her lips spread to her eyes, brightening the room and putting the afternoon sun to shame.

Even through the pain, Laun smiled and tilted her head to the side, seeing the effect she had on the man in his posture and reflected smile.  “Is it time for a lesson, Charel?”

He took another step forward and then made a sweeping bow.  “Whatever the Lady wishes.”

She straightened on the stool and held her hand out.  He took it and bowed again, lightly putting his lips to the back of her hand.  “I am happy to have company.  Though...  I am not in a condition to do much.”  Her other hand looked like it was going to try to pull the robe closer to covering her, but instead just went across her belly.

He stood up and stepped back.  The pouches he always had on his belt were opened and things pulled out as he kept his eyes on hers.  “Let me show you a few things, and perhaps you will find inspiration.”

He had silk squares in vivid colors in his hand.  They hardly weighed anything and easily fit in the palm of his hand.  He started to shake them out, leaving them in the air to drift down as he opened and snapped each in turn.  There were five in the air and he started to pull them and throw them back up, the rainbow of silk moving and shifting with the prodding of his hands.

Laun smiled and put her hands together.  She laughed when he took one of the squares and held it up by the corners in front of his face, the other silks drifting down around his face.  He winked and started to speed up the tossing of the silks, grabbing them before they had drifted more than a few inches to the floor before tossing them back up again.

As a finish, he took each silk out of the air and loosely stuffed them into a space between his thumb and forefinger.  He knelt and presented the silks to her as if they were a flower.

“For you, Lady.”

She smiled and bowed her head, tilting it so that when she looked back up at him, the smile in her eyes was just a little naughty, but still clear and open.  “Thank you.  That was beautiful.”  She held out her hands and the silks drifted from his hand to hers.

They were so very light.  She pulled one off the pile and tossed it into the air.  “I think you have the idea, Lady.”

“Ah, but even if you do not need to practice, I know my hands are not used to such things.”  She caught the silk and held it to her chest.

She knew his eyes would follow.  He was very good at looking at just her eyes as he juggled, but Charel had been looking at the silk in the air as she spoke.  He paused as he took in the bright blue silk against her pale skin before he blinked and looked back to her face.

He flashed a smile and said, “It is not just the hand that has to be quick, Lady.  The mind needs to know where things are supposed to go before they get there.”

“Speaking of such things, may I ask for help to the bed?  I was able to make it this far, but...”

He stepped forward and offered an arm.  Laun took in a breath and stood, his arm used to pull herself up and steady her.  She felt a warm and then cold sensation go through her, her head spinning slightly.  She concentrated on her breathing and then started to hobble to the bed.

It was only five steps, but it took time and effort.  She felt more of the sweat under the robe and on her upper lip as she reached the bed.  She leaned on both the juggler and the bed for a moment.

“I have been hurt worse and this is annoying.”  There was no hiding the pain and frustration Laun had below the surface.

Charel moved and pulled back the neat bed covers, Laun noticing the linen was a different color than the night before.  “If I may, Lady.”  He knelt, his knee bent and held to make a step for her.

She smiled.  He supported her as she used his knee to step up to the bed.  She felt more ungainly than usual, but it worked.  She slid her good foot under the covers and then thought again.  Pillows were grabbed and put under the sheet to prop up the covers before her injured foot went under.  There was little weight on her foot and she was feeling warmer again.

Laun leaned back into the few pillows behind her.  She sighed and closed her eyes for a moment.  There was movement inside her, the babies shifting around each other.  Her foot was going down to just a throb.  Her hips and back were noticeable, but not painful.

“Lady?”

She opened her eyes and saw things going through his face.  Concern, hope, perhaps fear.  “Just taking stock.  I have a damnedable habit of getting injured and I am a bit too used to it at this point.”  She held out her hand to him along the bed cover.  “I am still happy that you found me.”

He flushed.  “Lady...  Shall I leave you to rest?”

Laun shook her head.  “This is not ideal, but I was serious about you showing me some of your talents.”

He made another flourish of a bow.  “My talents are at your command.”  He reached into another pouch and came up with several small balls and started to juggle.  Laun still had the silks in hand and tried to mirror some of the things he was doing.  He showed her moves that worked with the floating fabric and they laughed together as she found patterns and rhythms that worked for her.

There were a few sexual innuendos that found their way into both the conversation and patterns, but Charel did not seem to want to push and Laun was happy to just learn to juggle.  It kept her busy and she was able to find out a few pieces of information about the troupe before she had to stop from fatigue.

She found out that the people in the group had been together for quite some time.  Adelmar’s father had been the strong force behind it, the promoter and magic man before his son.  The Festival on the Hawkwell lands the year before had been good for them, until the coup.  Once the fighting started, the group had scattered, some being killed.  It had taken months to find each other again.  It had surprised the troupe when Adelmar had declared that they were going back to the Hawkwell lands.  The stranger who had satisfied the women of the troupe had talked of it, and Adelmar wanted to see for himself.

There were other things, where people had been from before coming to the troupe or a few relationships between the entertainers.  It was all interesting, and had potential.  It also was just a distraction from her belly being as big as a cow and her foot throbbing when she even thought of walking.

Laun filed all the information away.  She was getting tired and was lightheaded.

“I am sorry I am not much fun, Charel.”  Laun had turned slightly onto her side and was fingering the fine hem on one of the silk squares.

He shook his head and put the balls away as he looked at her.  “You took to this quickly and I have to say that I don’t have many others that I can juggle with.”

Laun had a sad look as she said, “I understand.  The juggling is flashy, but once the people are drawn in, the others take the attention.”  She held out the silks to him.  “You are a strong part of the group, but you do not get the attention you deserve.”

He took her hand with the silks and kissed the knuckles.  “You do understand, Lady.  Thank you.”  He pulled the silks from her hand and stored them away while still looking at her.

Laun looked around a little and said, “I cannot remember where I put the ball.  I was a bit...distracted last night.”

She saw the hesitant way he pulled his eyes to the side.  No flush, but he was nervous about something.  He had watched her as she had been at the vanity.  It was possible he had watched while Hunter and she had been in the walkway.

“I would be glad to come back another time, Lady.”  His eyes went back to hers and she was not sure if what she saw was colored by her realization he had been watching her before, but it seemed a little forced, ingenuous.

She tilted her head to him and he backed up, bowing and pointing his toe in an exaggerated courtly style.  He turned and left through the curtain into the sitting room.  Laun heard the small scrape and decided that was the doorframe along the stone of the walkway.

Laun pulled on the covers and moved until there was an equilibrium between the pain in her body and the comfort the bed gave her.  She thought about the troupe and the soldiers and the household and then her Loves as she fell asleep.

There was a panicked voice.  Then several voices.  Moving furniture and scraping door frames.  A shout.

They had finally come back to check on her and she was missing.  Laun pulled herself up on the bed and had time to arrange herself and lay back down before anyone thought to look in the bedroom.

Laun had her eyes mostly closed as she lay on the pillow, her braid draped across her neck and down her chest, one arm up on the pillow, one down and over her belly.  The robe was holding her breasts just covered, the heavy brown quilt contrasting against her light skin.  The pillows under the covers were still propping up the weight from her foot, her other leg bent and the ankle under the straightened leg’s knee.

The Lieutenant breathed a heavy sigh that Laun could see if not hear.  He stood between the rooms, the curtain covering part of him.  He looked at her for a moment and then turned his head.  His voice was low as he said, “She’s in here.”

Kell’s voice came through, not as quietly as Senri’s.  “How the hell did she do that?  Who is in there with her?”

The healer pushed through and into the bedroom and stopped.  Laun saw her look around and then go into the bathing chamber.  Laun’s assassins came in and went immediately to her bedside.  Gem put her hand on Launs’ head, Hazalam on her belly.  Laun stirred a little but did not open her eyes.

“No one in here.  That should have kept her out until tomorrow morning.”  Kell pushed through and to Laun’s side.  Her hand went to Laun’s head and neck and then to between her breasts, feeling and pressing into the Lady.

Laun sighed and opened her eyes.  She smiled, keeping her teeth behind a closed mouth.  The look in Kells’ eyes was one of interest, but there was also a hint of weariness.  Laun made a little show of stretching the arm that was on the pillow, her breast threatening to leave the robe at the motion.

“Did I miss anything?”  Laun’s voice was quiet.

Kell withdrew her hand from Laun’s chest and squinted at her.  “How did you get in here?  Who carried you?”

Laun put her hand down and played with the tail of the braid on her chest.  “It was not easy, but I walked.  No one carried me.”

Kell turned to Laun’s legs and pushed the covers away.  She saw the pillows and glanced back up at Laun.  The healer lifted Laun’s leg and looked at the bandage, seeing the wear on the bottom.

“There is a little blood showing.  I should change the bandage.”  Annoyance was the strongest in what Laun heard from Kell.  The healer did not show much emotion as she stared at Laun for what was supposed to be an uncomfortably long time before she turned away.

Laun was feeling waivery, lightheaded.  She turned and said, “I think I need something to eat.  I’m not feeling all well.”

Gem and Hazalam both nodded and went to the sitting area.  Laun closed her eyes and turned her head, feeling a slightly off delay in the sensations.  She took in several deep breaths and opened her eyes again.  More time had gone by than she had known as her people were at her bedside, a mug of water in Gem’s hand for her.  The healer was unwrapping the bandages and the Lieutenant was not the only other person in the room watching.

Laun pushed herself up slightly, a pillow being pushed in to help prop her up.  Laun took the mug and looked at it.  She looked back at Gem and tried to do a hand sign for poison, but her fingers were stiff and she couldn’t.  Gem’s eyebrows went together, her hands asking ‘what?’.  Laun looked intently at Kell, then the mug and back up to Gem.  Gem understood and shook her head slightly.

The water was good.  It was slightly cooler than the room’s air, soothing on Laun’s dry mouth and throat.  The water pitcher was being held by her man and he refilled as soon as he could get to the mug.  The second mug lasted longer, but still was gone quite quickly.

Her stomach was now rumbling with just the water in to awaken her full hunger.  Laun giggled at the loudness of the sound.  Gem went out the door to the corridor without any more prompting.  Hazalam moved to be at the head of the bed, still holding the pitcher in case Laun needed it, or him.

Laun saw guilt in her man.  It was very obvious to her as he was looking down at the floor, but his eyes were never off of her.  Laun tried to not show the flash of pleasure at his discomfort.  He did not know that she burned through medicines.  It seemed to be a bit of an advantage that Laun wished she had been able to actually use.

Kell was running a damp cloth over her foot around the wound.  Laun tried not to pull back, but it did tickle.  “If you stop moving, you won’t tear the stitches I put in you.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

Kell looked at Laun over the folded bandages and tried the stare again.  Laun smiled back and did not break eye contact.  The healer was the first to look away.

“I know it has not been too long, but how does it look?”

There was a tone in the healer’s voice that shouted to Laun of years of training and bedside experience, the smoothness of how she said, “One of the stitches had pulled slightly, but the way it was bound, and the way you walked, kept it from being quite nasty.  The clotting and scabbing is starting well, but your skin is being warm.  I am concerned about infection.”

Laun nodded.  “I am running a low fever.  Some of the bitter green stuff would help, though I hate it.”

“I want to hold off on that for now, as it can make things bleed, and with both your foot and your babies, you don’t need that.”  Kell started to pad and re-wrap the foot without looking back up at Laun.

“Thank you.  I am happy that you were here.  Not just for me, but for Corporal Aloen and the others.”

Kells head did go up and look at Laun, a narrowing of her eyes.  She looked around at the other people in the room and seemed to want to say something other than what she did.  “Unease of the mind is harder to treat than illness of the body, Lady.  I think that you may help with his recovery-but not right now.”

Laun felt herself flush slightly.  “If I can, I will.”

Kell nodded once and went back to wrapping the foot with the clean lengths of cloth.

Laun focused on the soldiers who were standing in the room.  The Lieutenant had been talking to them in low tones, the soldiers at a loose attention as they were being given instructions.  One of the men looked up and saw that Laun was looking in their general direction.  Lieutenant Senri saw a motion by the man and turned.

He stepped towards the bed, but only by a step to separate himself from the men behind him.  “Lady, how are you feeling?”

Laun shrugged.  “Weak, hungry, in pain, defenseless...”

His eyebrow went up.  “I can not think of you as defenseless, Lady.”  He turned and motioned to the men behind him.  “These men will be your runners and support.  I know you have your servants, but they need to sleep sometime.”

Laun looked at the men and nodded at each.  Laun recognized one as the man Del had been looking at after the burial grounds.  She wondered if the men had been hand picked by Senri to not be tempted by her.  With the way she felt, it was more than good to not have people who wanted to get into bed with her.

“Your assistance is welcome.  I do work them a little too hard.”  Laun motioned to her man beside her.

Senri nodded.  “With your disappearance today, I thought it would be a good precaution.”  Laun saw a slight smugness in Senri’s face.

Laun smiled back, knowing that it was going to be an interesting few days before she would be able to try to walk, or more to the point, be let to try.

“There.  Now, Lady, do not walk on your own.”  Kell pulled the covers back over Laun and tried to seem very stern.

“Your hands were so delicate, Kell, that I hardly knew you were touching me.  There is hardly any pain at all.”  Laun was thinking that the healer had put something on the wound as she had rewrapped to deaden the pain.

The healer narrowed her eyes.  “Just because it does not hurt does not mean it is healed.  Ask for help.”

Laun nodded.  “Now that I have more people around me, I will be able to.”  Laun wanted to say more, but stopped herself and just smiled and looked at the healer unwaveringly.  There was a moment where they just stared at each other, but again, Kell turned first.

There was a scratch at the door and the closest soldier answered.  There were a few low tones and then the soldier shrugged and turned.  He seemed unsure what to do.

The Lieutenant said, “Unless it is food for our Lady, send them away-”

Laun cleared her throat.  Lieutenant Senri and several of the soldiers turned and looked at Laun.  She looked at Senri, using the unflinching, unblinking stare that Kell had been trying to use on her, but to better effect.  Senri knew the look, knew the stone core that Laun had, even without her saying anything.

“Um...”  The Lieutenant had to change what he said.  He did not want to.  “Perhaps knowing who it is first so the Lady can decide...”

Laun smiled at the frustrated commander.  “Thank you.”

The soldier at the door opened it and some of the troupe came in unbidden.  A tumbler came in and rolled before standing up at the feet of one of the soldiers, a stricken look on the soldier’s face as the woman poked his nose and then jumped away.  Adelmar came in, the slightly doddering way he used when he was in his magician’s character.  Several others, including the juggler, came in behind him and were all over the room, creating noise and chaos.

Laun clapped her hands together and had a big grin.  “I think I will take these visitors.”

The Lieutenant suppressed his temper, something he was having to do more and more since he had become responsible for her and not just a lover.  He bowed to her and left, about half of the team he had assembled for her use leaving with him.

The bed chamber was large, but with the entertainers bouncing around, it seemed to be a very close and crowded place.  Laun liked it.  She was tired, but she was also easily bored.  

The soldiers backed up to near the walls to give the colorful entertainers room, trying to stay out of the way.  Laun watched the antics of the group for a while as Adelmar came through them and stood near the head of the bed.

Kell was there and seemed to be split between protecting the foot and letting Laun have the distraction of the troupe.  The healer almost launched herself onto the bed when one of the acrobats flew onto the bed, tumbling and landing next to Laun to present her with a flower.

Laun took the flower, the acrobat doing an amazing spinning contortion in place and then leaping off the bed again.

The troupes’ leader caught her attention.  Laun turned slightly in the bed, a small wave of lightheadedness and pain going through her.  Her hand went to her head and she laid down a little more.  Her eyes were on Adelmar and his were on her.

“Lady Laun, we hope that our small entertainments will help you feel better.”

She nodded and said, “It already has.”

He took his pointy hat off and bowed slightly.  “So, if I may...”

He took some time to go through much of the same routine that he had done at the reception.  It still delighted Laun, though she was seeing some of the misdirections and catching some of the slight of hand during the routine.  Laun laughed at appropriate places.  She ‘ooohhh’ed a few times.  She clapped when he finished and bowed.

Gem came in with a platter in hand, one of the soldiers trying to take it from her but backing off when she gave him a look.  Hazalam walked through the moving bodies of the tumblers and acrobats to take the pitcher of milk off the platter, the troupes skills keeping them out of the way as the servants moved back to the bed.

The platter was set on the bed next to Laun.  She was happy to see that there wasn’t anything drenched in sauce, overly fussy or just odd.  There was gruel and fresh vegetables.  Some fruited bread and fresh butter.  Some cold sliced meat and no fish.

Laun ate.  She had been very hungry for most of the times she was awake.  Laun tried to slow down her eating, but almost everything was gone before her stomach told her it was full.  She looked at what was left and felt somehow ashamed.

“There are just a few bites left.  I know it is left from my plate, but would anyone want it?”  Laun looked around and several of the entertainers perked up.  “It must be close to evening meal, I am sorry if this has taken you away from it...”

Adelmar brushed her concern away with a motion of his hand.  “Your graciousness has filled us with something better than food, Lady.”

“Speak for yourself, I’m hungry!” came from one of the acrobats.  There was laughter and the platter was removed from the bed, the morsels still left descended upon by many of the entertainers.  Laun still had an unbuttered piece of fruited roll in her hand and caught Charel’s attention.  He was still juggling his smaller balls and she threw the bread to him.  He caught it and used the bread as part of the pattern, biting the roll some as it came to his hand.

A tired smile was on Laun’s lips, though it was not on the rest of her face.  Gem saw the fatigue that had suddenly taken her Mistress and motioned to Adelmar for them to leave.  The magician nodded slightly and turned to his people.

“It is getting late and we still need to entertain the soldiers in the food hall.”

There were bows and flips and a few other things from the entertainers before they noisily went out the door.  Laun was happy, but since her body had food, it was getting hard for her to stay awake.

Laun made the sign for privy and her people were helping her out from under the covers.  The soldiers stepped forward, but did not know how to help.  Laun let Gem and Hazalam coordinate things and she was carried into the bathing chamber.  There still wasn’t paper, but a cool, wet cloth was used to wipe and clean her.  Seeing how her Mistress felt relief with the cool cloth, she had Hazalam help hold Laun standing as she ran a cool towel over the sweaty skin that had been held under the robe all day.

Only one of the soldiers did not turn away when the robe was finally just dropped to the floor.  Gem motioned to where there was still a small pile of large looped cloth towels as she was finishing up.  He went and got one and waited.  The cloth was wrapped around Laun before she was picked up again and carried back to bed.

Laun was only partially aware of what was going on by then.  She was very tired and suspected she had yet again been drugged some how.  Or it just could have been that she was just crashing from having pushed herself the day before along with the wound on her foot.  Either way, she had to fight to keep conscious until she was under the covers.

She tried to ask for someone to sleep with her, just to have a body next to her, but it was not coming out right.  Laun stopped trying and just let the sleep take her down.

 

Into the night with Chapter 40 .