the Leathermines

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It was later in the morning than she normally would wake.  It was the hushing of voices that brought her fully from sleep, though she tried not to move.  She had slept in the chair by the fire in the Great Hall, a blanket and small sheep hide placed on her at some point.  The fire was being stoked, logs being brought past her quietly, though it was hard to keep the clunk of wood on stone quiet.

Laun opened her eyes and watched the people around her as they worked.  She felt something odd in her neck with the angle she had been in for a while and could not suppress a slight groan as she tried to move her head.

“Mornin’, Laun.”  Several others greeted her and voices raised when they knew she was awake.  There were shuffles around her as the people who woke the keep’s fires for the morning went about their duties.  Lucaris came to Laun, a tired look on her face and a wide awake baby in her hands.  Sable was plugged into a nipple and Laun kept watching those around her as she nursed.

Sable grabbed at Laun’s hair, pulling it strongly.  It took several tries to get the hair out of the baby’s hand and out of range.  Laun felt a little crabby but could not hold something like that against the baby.  She was testing herself, her limits, as well as those around her.  Exactly what Laun was doing every day.

Sable pulled away and started fussing.  She was done nursing and wanted away from the breast.  Laun put her on her shoulder and the baby calmed, looking around a bit with Laun’s hand supporting her.  There was a small burp.  Sable kicked through the swaddling and made a few plaintive mewling cries. »Read More

Back to Chapter 17

The storm had come as Laun’s body had told her it would.  The workmen had put up some barriers across the hole left in the tower, but some of the rain had been able to get in, wetting the floor some and leading to a small drip into Laun’s room below.

Laun slept the best she had been able to in a week before the storm, waking to the dark sky and wind sounds against the windows.  The drip was not obvious, yet, as it was hitting the rug, but she thought she heard something.

There was a little bit of fussing from the babies, but Laun ignored them and they settled down again.  She would have to feed and change them soon, but she wanted to enjoy the feeling of arms around her, Silar’s breath steady against the back of her neck as he lay behind her.  She saw the flash of lightning and started to count, the roll of thunder coming after a count of four.

Silar stirred and then Laun felt other things stirring and pressing against her.  She smiled, but did not feel as though she wanted to do anything with him.  At least not right then.  His lips started to press against her shoulder, his nose and then tongue tracing the back of her ear.

Laun knew Silar could feel the shiver that went through her.  She reached back and put her hand on his hip.

“Love...  Thank you.” »Read More

Back to Chapter 15

Her body was almost doing what she wanted.  Her body was once again hers, but the baby on her breast made her rethink that thought.

It was early in the morning and she had woken to Sable’s cries for food and attention.  She rolled out of bed and started to do a dance along the window as Sable was held against her side and Laun moved to keep her back and legs happier.  She was relearning her balance, her strength almost completely gone in the last month of the pregnancy.

Sable was putting a strain on Laun’s arm, but not any more than a shield would have.  Laun moved her other arm as if she had a sword in her hand.

She stopped.  Why should she pretend to be something she wasn’t?  She held the baby to her and looked out the window.  The grayness was brightening, but it was still way too early in the day.  She had not had anyone in the bed or room with her, again.  A part of her was hurt that even her assassins chose to stay out of the room.  It had been several days since the scouts had left with the Mason and the Troupe had left, Hunter among them.  Wanda had cried on Laun’s shoulder for a while right after, but had seemed to be holding up well since then.

Laun started to move again, her right leg feeling as though it wanted to go to sleep as she stood there.  She did a few bends, not too deep, and lunged, Sable still nursing though the movement.  Her foot swept to behind her and she turned, almost stumbling when she saw someone kneeling on the floor at the end of the bed.

“Please, don’t stop, Mistress.” »Read More

Back to Chapter 14 - Tribute always accepted.

The first baby did not want to suckle.  The second...  She would not stop until a finger was pushed between her lips and Laun’s nipple.

Laun was still having problems with the second baby out of her not being the second baby in her arms.  She did not love the child any less, but it was still a shock to Laun’s system that she was expecting two babies and had two, though she had given birth to three.

Laun was helped to nurse for the first time by some of the old hands in the household, Nan showing her by example with the huge baby she had.  Sable and Ash together did not make up even a half of what Tiss was.

Sable would nurse, but it was tenuous at best if Laun did not keep attention on her.  Ash would nurse even if Laun fell asleep with the baby in her arms, making it easy to nod off until Sable’s little cry would wake Laun for her feeding.

Laun felt very tired all the time.  She could not truly sleep.  She caught some rest here and there between feedings and changing the cloths on the babies, but she would start awake at the smallest sound, even if it was not from one of the babies.  The healers had been right, she did not want to move and walk, but she had to.  When she was awake, her back and legs needed to have motion to keep the pain at bay.  She paced when she was not nursing or trying to sleep herself. »Read More

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