the Leathermines

Back to Chapter 23 - The beginning of the Chronicles of the Midlands starts with The Slave Warrior, Chapter 1

It was several days of sitting or standing still, reading and talking to people and planning things before Laun felt as though she could be out in the sun again.

She took time to go over every message she had ever been sent, making notes and making messages to some of the people in the Capitol City she wanted to keep track of.  Laun discussed with many people the messages that were sent to her from Dreng and Falmir before the caravan had arrived, discussed the message brought to her by Lieutenant Senri with far fewer.

Laun designed a few things that she wanted to be made, some for her, some for the babies and most for the household.  The carpenters and seamstresses and even the masons were given projects that would keep them busy for a while.  Laun was as open as she could be, but some of the projects were parts of a larger project she wanted do have done.

The peeling was bad once it started.  Jokes of Laun turning into a reptile were said, and used a few too many times.  Laun smiled as she could and nodded when she couldn’t.  Oils being spread on her skin and mineral baths were common for Laun, so much so that the escort teams started to leave a bench in the corridor outside the bathing chamber.

The day Laun ventured out into the sun, she had on a light tunic and one of the dancing skirts over her halter and loincloth and nothing else.  Even the burn on her feet was still tender enough to make sandals too much.  Her escort carried things for her, including a change of clothing.

She led the hand picked escort to the banks of the Grey Waters, a cart with baskets in the back of it following them.  Laun led the group into the marshy area along part of the bank of the stream and pointed.

“That is where we are going to be today.”  The people around her looked at each other and shrugged. »Read More

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The men were beaming.  There were a few cheers from the gathered household and the other soldiers present were all standing at attention behind the four.

Laun held up her hand and most of the noise subsided.  “And even though it was a game, it did show me that these men, thrown together to look after their defenseless Princess-”  There was loud laughter from many people.  Laun waited and put up her hand again for attention.  “To protect me, they worked well with each other, used their fellow company and, in the end, almost caught me before midnight.”

“I should have won that bet!”  There was laughter again.

Laun reached into the basket the growing babies were in and pulled out four small ribbons, looped and pinned.  “I have little to give you for recognizing your talents.  Please accept this token from my hand.”  Laun went to the Corporal at the end of the line and started with him, pinning the green ribbon onto his collar with one of the straight pins from her unused sewing chest.  He stood straight and saluted as Laun stepped back.  Laun saluted in return and stepped to the next man.  Each was pinned and saluted until Laun stepped back from the Private.

“Now...  You caught me.  We found out after that it was past time, but I think, for your tactics, you deserve my reward.”  Someone from the crowd hissed, quickly stopped, but laughter rolled through the room.

Laun turned and Hazalam came forward with a small folded cloth.  Laun took it and opened it in her palm.  The Private tried to not look down, but his curiosity betrayed him.  Before she held it up, he glimpsed a small green crystal wrapped with a piece of silver wire looped so it could be put on a thong or chain. »Read More

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“They what?”

Laun was on the back of Grace, loving the feeling of riding again.  A protector team had caught up with her in one of the back fields and told her that there were four squads from the 4th at the barricade wishing to come in.

Laun led the way back to the barrier across the main road, a gathering of Protectors and a few of the soldiers waiting on the inside for her.  Laun did not dismount from her palfrey as she talked in low tones to those on duty.

Fount was Laun’s voice as he called out her words, “You claim to be from the fourth.”

A voice from the other side returned with, “Yes.  We are here on leave for our Princess’ pleasure.”

Laun had an odd look to her face and tried not to laugh as she told Fount the next words she wanted.  “We are not a house of the Red Scarf.”

“Ah, shit!  No!  That’s not what I meant.” Laun laughed as she heard Lieutenant Senri try to backtrack with his words.  “Highness!  We took leave from the Company to escort a supply caravan to you.  We volunteered our leave time to do so to make sure it got here.”

Laun spoke up herself and said, “You came on your freed time to do so?”

“Yes, Highness!” »Read More

Back to Chapter 20

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

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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