the Leathermines

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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

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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

Bak to Chapter 10

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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