the Leathermines

Back to Chapter 12

“I think you are having what are called soft contractions, Laun.”

Kell and Lucaris were looming over Laun in the bed.  Laun had been feeling odd for most of the morning, as if she was in need to pee, but then it would just stop.  A few times, it felt like she was being brought towards an odd orgasm that never really made it.  She mentioned it to Gem and she had found the healers.

“It may just be your body getting ready because it is early, but you may be going into labor.  You are going to have to stay-”

Laun pushed her tunic down and struggled to push herself up off the bedding.  “No.  My back doesn’t hurt and I can walk on my own right now.  I am not staying in bed because you hens think I might pop at any moment.”

The women healers looked at each other.  Lucaris softly put her hand on Laun’s arm and said, “If you feel as though you can’t walk or your water breaks, yell.  Someone will hear you.”

Laun nodded.  “At least here, they will.”

Kell colored slightly.  “That was a miscalculation on how sturdy you were, Laun.”

Lucaris looked at the other healer and squinted slightly.  Not getting an answer that way, the small shaman bounced once and was off the side of the bed, missing the lounging form of one of the wrestlers on the far mat and bounding over him.  “Well, if you are going to be wandering about, I think I will go and see how my herb hunters are doing.”

Laun sat at the edge of the bed and looked up at Kell.  “Assumptions.”

Kell squinted at Laun as Lucaris grabbed the empty water pitcher and left with it.  “Laun, I don’t understand.”

Laun shrugged.  “Most of the time, I don’t either.  And then I start annoying people with my questions.  I cut through the assumptions.”

Kell sat on the bed next to Laun and put her hand on the bare leg of the Princess.  “What assumptions do you need to cut through?”

“Not me.  You.”  Laun looked at the healer.  “I feel you need to ask me things.” »Read More

Back to Chapter 11 - The start of the Chronicles of the Midlands starts with The Slave Warrior Chapter 1

This day was when Falmir and Dreng were leaving.  They had tried for several days in a row.  Something came up each day, including a storm that wet the road too much to move the barricade.

Two groups were leaving.  One for Dreng and one for Falmir.  Soldiers and servants and nobles were mixed for each group, many of them very sad to be leaving the Salam-Dir lands.

The older nobles were mostly going with Dreng and his wife.  Most of the younger nobles were going with Falmir.  The Officers and soldiers were split between the groups, leaving several squads from the Fourth stationed with their Princess.

Laun was on her cot in the Great Hall, still having problems moving on her own.  She said farewell to many of the people who were leaving, tears and kisses being given to nobles and officers alike.  Dougal stood next to Laun as the men went by to say their farewells, giving warriors grips and slaps on the arms and backs of those about to make the journey to the Capitol City.

The mass of people were out of the Great Hall.  The noise faded as they went through the different courtyards and out to the road.  The people who were left gathered together as if they needed the crowd to feel comfortable.  A few tables and benches were pulled over to near Laun’s cot, a sequestered small cask of hard cider opened and shared between them.  Even Laun had a sip as the tankard was passed.

The household was on it’s own again.  Changes were already being felt as the staff sat and just did nothing for the first time in almost a month.  The people who were staying were just a small fraction of those who had gathered there for a month, the household outnumbering them.

The troupe were staying for a bit.  Some of the men were taking to the training that the protectors were offering, some of the protectors learning some moves from the strongman and wrestlers.  Nan was up and starting on her forms between feeding the kid and sleeping.  She was already outpacing some of the sturdy men in the learning grove.  The other women protectors were also getting back into training, some with their newborns strapped to them. »Read More

Bak to Chapter 10

Please Visit the Tribute page to make sure the Web Mistress is well supplied with chocolates and other necessities.

Eight months.

Had it had been more? It was different with the twins.  Laun’s body had changed and grown and now was fighting her every time she wanted to do anything.

Anything.

Babies were not unusual for large households.  Having five babies born in a month was starting to put a strain on everyone’s nerves.  They had not lost any of the mothers, but it was close.  Blood loss was a fear for all the healers and they started asking for supplies.

As Laun lay on an improvised cot in the Great Hall during morning meeting, it was discussed how to get the supplies.  Some of the herbs they had on the land and Lucaris volunteered to teach anyone who wanted to learn how to recognize the plants they needed, her household apprentice smiling and nodding as the shaman talked.  The rest had to come from outside.

Outside was not as scary as it could have been.  More messengers and people were coming from the outside, most with good things.  The false King’s messengers had reached their people and had been sent back with more messages.  Neither claimant seemed to want to fight.  Something about seeing one of the messengers being thrown into the back of the wagon stark naked made both of the men emphatic about keeping the peace with Falmir and the Salam-Dir household.

Peace from Rosemond was also claimed by several messengers over a week’s period.  Individual nobles who had the Rosemond Mercs on their lands all said that they did not have good ways to send the men home and were using them to help with the first harvests.  Laun was not the only one to give it credence at arms length.  But the messenger from the Ambassador was back with a note saying that the Rosemond people were scheduled to leave at the end of the season and that any military action was not condoned by the Rosemond council or Monarch.

The Midlands’ Ambassador to Rosemond himself showed up at the barricade around Salam-Dir.  Launs uncle was left outside as others were brought in until Falmir could convince Laun that he was on Midlands business and needed to come in.  Laun was not happy, but she had some consolation when she saw how ragged he looked.  Heran bowed to her and then knelt to Falmir, pledging himself to his King and Kingdom.  Falmir and Dreng then took the man aside and talked with him as Launs medicine took ahold and let her rest without too much pain.

Falmir had surprised Laun with a Mason and his crew.  They came in and started to work immediately, claiming that the quarry that was on the land needed to be cleared for more stone cutting and that the silt from the volcano was perfect to make the mortar needed for the keep’s repairs.  Laun was not able to go and see what they were doing.  Laun assigned Ali to keep an eye on them, and told her about the peridot.  Ali was to gather any of the crystals she found as the masons’ people gathered silt and bring them to Laun. »Read More

Back to Chapter 6

The other two messenger teams came back, also with all their members and with extra supplies purchased.

The morning meeting was going on when the teams arrived.  A small cheer was led as they came in, their packs and cloaks dragging on the stone floor beside them.  The riders were tired and looked like they had all been riding hard through the night.  The meeting was opened to the reports of the messengers and it was mostly happy reports made.

There had been a road washed out for one of the teams which delayed them.  The other had been delayed after they had been stopped at the gate into the Capitol City, the guard suspicious when multiple teams had come through saying almost the same thing.  The soldier of the team was able to convince the commander of the watch that all had been real and that it was just a precaution because of weather and possible rebels. After most of a day.

The salt pigs that each of the messengers carried back to the keep were heartily accepted by Orgia, the few oils and spices brought back also with an open hand.  They had not taken much with them as far as monies went, but the salt and oils were going to help keep the household running for just a little bit longer.

One of the protector teams handed Laun a small pouch, a few baked goods inside.  Laun saw the grey ribbon and the claperless bell sewn on the end as the tie of the pouch.  Laun nibbled on one of Marie’s travel cakes and offered some to those around her until Geralk was able to take the last, and the pouch with the sewn coded message in it.  There was a finger under Laun’s bottom lip for a flash, a responding one back from Geralk, telling her he knew it was to be kept secret, whatever the message was. »Read More