the Leathermines

Back to Chapter 56.

Just a few steps from the door to the Chamber of Death, Silar held out his hand to Laun.  She stopped and took it.  He drew her to him, gently, and wrapped his arms around her, bringing her to his lips.  Before he kissed her, he said, “My Lady.”

She could feel, even with the restraint in his touch, and on his manhood, what she had done to him in the interrogation had inflamed him.  She was pleased.  Knowing that she had left her mark on that shoulder, and that he had not gone to get it looked at, she took a chance that it was still tender.  And it was.

And she was finding out how he responded to pain.  She was enjoying the thought of finding out how far she could push him.

Her breath was hot on his mouth as she breathed his name to him, “Silar.”  They parted, Silar bowing over her hand as she started to move off again.

The timing was good.  Not every one had gathered for the evening meal yet.  Space was still available at many of the tables.  Laun did not want to be at the head table.  She left that for Dreng and his favorites.  Laun greeted people along the way to a table that had few people at it and sat, surrounded by the men who had accompanied her into the interrogation.

Geralk was still bright red from the collar up.  He was embarrassed about what he had seen in some ways, but also feeling a rush he had not known for quite some time.  He had thought of Laun as an apprentice in his guild since he had found her on the road, her quick mind learning by observing far more than his attempt to teach had done.  She had shown that she was closer to being a Journeyman information gatherer than her mild outside would seem, perhaps flowing towards a Master in her own right before too long. »Read More

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. »Read More