the Leathermines

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She was tired.  She was hungry.  She felt as though her mind had been passed through a fishing net, all the sanity clinging to the string, leaving her with the chaos and darkness.

There were still the people who wished to talk with her as she went back to her room.  She despised them.

The blue and grey servants were clustered in the hallway, trying to look indifferent to the world.  She saw right through them.

Laun went to the bedroom, leaving all doors she passed through open.  She went to the two level bed and looked at it.  It had not been made that day, the household servants staying outside, and the people inside the rooms having been distracted.  She cared, and yet she did not.  The skirt was off, the tunic was off.  She left the halter on and crawled into the bed, going to one side of the top level.

The men came in, many of them shucking off their boots and belts before crawling up into the bed around Laun.  She held her eyes closed, her hand over her face, as she lay under the thin blanket. »Read More

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“I was out in the city, Father.”

Laun had an irate King in her quarters when she arrived back at the Palace at close to eleven bells.  Several others were also there, hiding in the bed chamber or in the bathing chamber.  They did not want to witness what was going to happen, but they wanted to be there to support their Princess.

“Why the fuck are you getting in now?”

Laun pulled the leather jerkin off and started to unwind the yellow silk from around her middle.  “Because I got lost.  If you would have let me see some of the Capitol City from anything other than a window before, that wouldn’t have been a problem.”

Falmir’s face pulled into it’s self, showing an even grumpier face.  “You went out without an escort!”  He stood and pulled her to him.  “Anything could have happened to you!” »Read More

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The beginning of the Midlands Chronicles starts with Chapter one of The Slave Warrior

Laun’s stomach was growling.  It was almost as loud as Alsen’s snore. »Read More

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It was so different than her home city in Rosemond.  Not just because she was not wearing Lady Engrid’s livery.  It wasn’t the few calls to her to sell her wares, from the basket and elsewhere.  It wasn’t even that she was wearing her Mistress’ clothing as a disguise.

It was that she was alone.

Gem had not been alone for more than a few minutes for most of her life.  She did not see anyone she recognized as she went through the streets of the Capitol City of the Midlands.  She had left Evan at the side entrance of the Palace she knew from when Ithian had come to get Laun.  She had her training and her blades, but she felt naked and alone.

She went the route she thought she knew to the harbor, almost a straight shot from the Palace to the water.  It was the almost that caught her up.  She went left when she should have gone right and walked into a warehouse district cull-de-sac that should have been closing up for the night.

Gem did sell a few of the smallbreads to some of the workers, pocketing the copper coins as she tried to look like she was just trying to make sales as she circled back.  The fruit was looked at, but most of the men wanted a different fruit from her.  She did not have as much experience in saying no as she could have, but she had seen the women of Salam-Dir put off the men without saying no. »Read More

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“Mistress?” the whisper flowed into her dreams.

Laun opened her eyes and saw Gem next to her in the bed.  Pale light was coming through the windows and there was only one lantern still left burning in the room.  She turned her head and saw Evan and Silar coming onto the bed, tired smiles on all three of them.

The cover was pulled back and Gem snuggled in with her Mistress.  The blonde was in Laun’s armpit, smiling and almost purring.  Silar and Evan lay down with Laun too, surrounding the women and embracing them.

“Looks like you three had a good night.”  Laun’s voice was soft but they could hear the slight odd tone.

Other servants were in the room, clearing the old candles and food away.  Silar glanced outside the bed and then lay his head on the pillow he was sharing with Laun.  “Your father has good tastes in red scarves.  She was worth everything she was paid,” he whispered over her ear from in back.

Laun smiled and turned her head slightly, a lip touch of a kiss on her cheek from her dark man.  “I heard all the party had such visitors.”

Evan reached over Gem and touched Laun on the shoulder.  “Mistress, I hope you do not want us to do much today.  She wore us out more than even you do.” »Read More