by Pwyll Duggan
"Or even better yet, just eat breakfast in peace, with quiet company not bothering you." Sara's eyes look at Tessa. Tessa taps a chair, pushing it out with a foot. She sits cautiously, eating her fruit. Tessa leans in.
"Don't fret, I don't bite. Not so sure about him thou." I poke my tongue out at her and get a slap from Jane for my efforts. I begin to pout, and she pushes some fruit in my mouth.
"Now now, be a good little boy." I can't ever win.
I see Thomas approaching, followed by a man with a slouch hat in his hand.
And so, the day truly begins.
Chapter 24
Baron Laird is a Farmer through and through. Living only ten miles away means he travels back and forth every day, lending staff to the Duke for this week's occasion. And that's what is scaring him. That and the Night Ones attacking the farms. Wolves don't rip open barn doors and break fences with their claws to get to cows and sheep. So, either he has a Night One problem, or the Trolls forgot about handles again. Trolls are like that they tell me.
"Those things have hit six farms so far. We can replace the animals, but four people are dead, two barns destroyed, and one farm is lost. That will hurt the whole valley." Thomas has returned to work after introducing us. The Laird Barony supplies all the grains, fruits and vegetables for the Stables and Palace.
"Okay, sure. I cannot go tonight, but tomorrow seems to be in schedule with their strikes. I need a map of the area, with the times of the attacks on it and their locations. Some farm animals you can afford to lose and get everyone out and away from there. I'll get some Cavalry from Captain St James, try and set a trap or just hunt them down." He's head is nodding up and down, agreeing to everything.
"Any survivors I'll need to get their stories as I enter your lands. There's a new road thru the Duke's Wood?"
"Yes. A new trade road is being cut around the lake. That's the new land the Duke is opening up for his staff. It's a dirt track at the moment, but work will restart after the Peerage is over. It's great for everyone."
"I'll need that map tonight, and I will see you tomorrow as soon as we can. I'll leave early, before dawn. Gives me more time to look around." I hold out my hand and he shakes it, too vigorously and overjoyed at the help. He bows many times as he walks off, Jane popping something small and sweet in my mouth. I glare, and she giggles. I so cannot win.
Sara comments, picking at her food as she does so.
"Those night ones picked the right time to strike. With the Peerage on, all the Dukes troops are busy here. In a week when this charade is over, not so good for them." I nod. More good things coming from the East. Maybe my paranoia's playing up. As they say, just because your paranoid, doesn't mean they aren't out to get you.
During my little conversation the Gaggle has started to appear. Dawn has struck and it's pushing 7am and the field is getting full, fast. Seems most of the girls got dressed up, encouraged by their Noble parents, who all seem to have come as well. I glance at Tessa and she starts organizing it all for me, ordering more tables and chairs. The food doesn't seem to stop, even with the lines winding around the staff kitchen. Seems the wager payment is going out, from all the laughter and cheers.
While I was eating the guards have set up targets and training dummies for us, leaving the wheelbarrows close. A few are sparring in the next square on, testing out the spear as I asked them too. Seems there are few too many guards. Another lot for our protection I see. I excuse myself from Jane's clutches before Gabby gets over to us. She's dressed mostly practically, but with thigh high boots, mini-shirt with petticoats (and panties thank god - I can see that from here). Short top with leather corset. Trouble has truly arrived. Practical trouble I can deal with.
Sara's bouncing on her heels, waiting for me as we start slowly sparring. She's picks out my form and length before she stands by me, teaching strikes and kicks and introducing me to her beginning kata. Very basic kicks and punches in a small circle. She taps and slaps me into positions, giggles coming from the Gaggle all on the first table, parents moved to the second. Sara stops and glares at them.
"You can all join in or be quiet." Without missing a beat Jane is up and by my side. Gabby gets up and soon I have a line of girls behind me, with Jane next to me.
Sara uses Jane to show and teach, with me being the punching dummy. Rocky at first, Sara really takes to it as the girls don't mess around. Flash and Bangers start adding little flames at the ends of kicks or punches and we have a square of benders throwing elements around in no time. Tiny little elements, but it is what it reminds me of.
An hour passes quickly, and the girls get tired. I whisper to Jane.
"Show time?" and she grins, gathering the Gaggle in a group huddle. I motion Sara away to the table with me, sitting and drinking. As the girls are setting up, I get a tap on my shoulder. Sonya's standing there, light chain mail on over leathers. Head bare, with twin Kukri on her hip. Nice.
"My Lord. The King's Own are looking for you. They appear not to be amused." I barely nod.
"Protect the girls if you need to."
They come Friend. Six, armed.
"Thanks Princess." Sara shoots me a look. "Different Princess. And we have company. The Bad kind."
I stand and get on the square. Sara moves to the side and covers the nobles as people notice somethings up. Sonya stands in front of the Gaggle, hands on hips, right next to hilts.
"SHIELDER WALSH. Surrender and come with us."
The first Knight comes up, all dressed up and shiny. The others are in a loose 2x3 formation. Sword and board with three spearmen behind. Wow, basic tactics for the basic, it seems.
I answer.
"Why?"
"You know why!"
"No, I don't. Hence the reason I asked. Are your ears okay?"
"You attacked one of the King's Own and must pay the price!" he's getting rattled and his troops have yet to get into tight formation.
"You mean the little boy who attacked me and the Princess last night, earning two death penalties? By the way have they done that yet, just wondering?" He's red now, moving forward, shouting at me.
"Surrender NOW!" Calm on my face, I can't resist.
"I don't do requests." He's hand grips his hilt, going to draw his weapon and a calm voice covers the field of battle.
"These men are mine to kill Lord Shielder - stand down."
The Duchess is standing there, covered in a robe, body hidden, like she's just gotten out of bed. I back away, hands open at my side. A few steps back and I bow to the Duchess as the Knight turns to her, furious.
"Duke Wil..." a gauntleted fist slams him in the face, throwing him back, almost as far as the tree trunk. He's doesn't stir. She turns, robe open revealing full plate and weapons galore.
"Duke William does not command the King's Own, the KING does. Therefore, you are imposters. What says you my husband, fellow Nobles of the Realm?"
Baroness Tessa is the first to speak.
"As the Duchess commanded. Stand down or die. We will not ask again."
The Duke is near the nobles, spinning a plain wand around in his fingers, grinning like an idiot. He's whispering.
"I love watching my wife work."
The King's Own drop weapons and raise their arms up high.
"Captain, Strip them down and put them in the dungeon. We will see what the King thinks of this treason. As he's down at the Southern Campaigns, it may take some time." She waves them off as her husband comes up, taking her arm.
"And here I was thinking of joining the lessons, they look like so much fun."
The Duchess pouts and is lead away by her husband.
"Our meetings in an hour Lord Walsh." Shouts the Duke. "Make that two hours," too many chuckles happen around us for this to be a new occurrence. My heart finally stops trying to leave my throat as the guards are taking the Knights away. I flex my knuckles and breath deep, trying for that calm centre, to no avail.
Tessa touches my arm and moves past me.
"Sorry girls. Seems today's display is off. You can practice for when the Shielder returns in two days. You'll see him tonight, but he needs to prepare for his meeting."
I walk past her, mouthing 'Thank you' and put my arm out, summoning Princess, to more gasps and ohhs from the crowd. Sonya follows in my wake as I leave.
Getting to my room and shutting the door, I lay Princess down against the wall and head to the bath, stripping as I go. I do a quick wash and then soak in the hot tub, Sonya leaving me in peace and quiet, leaving a drink as she leaves. I have no idea why that affected me so much, getting so angry. I lean back and slide under the water as a knock sounds on the door to the bathing room. Sonya pokes her head in.
"Lady Jane and a friend are here. Do you wish them to enter?" I wave inwards.
"Sure, why not."
Jane and Gabby enter the steamy room. I have my back to them in the tub. I hear rustling and Gabby's intake of breath as Jane speak.
"They ruined our fun and it sucks. So, it's up to me to make you smile. I need to remind you most of us like you." She slips in the tub next to me, Gabby stuttering behind us. Jane sits next to me, head leaning on my shoulder.
"This is really warm. It's nice." She sits up, letting water drip down her cleavage as she turns to her friend.
"I've watched what you've done with your suitors, so this is up to you. Stay or go. See what happens either way." She sits back down, makes me move so she's more comfortable and leans on me again. I disturb everything by putting an arm around her and kissing her forehead.
"You sure you're only 18? You are one smart kid."
"Shut up and rest."
"Yes, my Jane."
I lean back, close my eyes and enjoy the closeness. Gabby slips into the tub and I open my other arm up, eyes still closed. She's stiff as she leans into me, my arm going over her shoulder. She's a tad stiff and whispers.
"This is so strange." Jane comments.
"You can have him later, after his meeting. He needs to get his focus back. People to save tomorrow, balls to dance and Dukes to meet." Gabby giggles.
"And a Duchess that might just smash him to pieces." I continue. "If this world had swimsuits, this would not be as tense at all."
"Why swim in a suit, this is soo much better. Cosying on a Shielder." Jane whispers. So much better indeed.
Chapter 25
Sonya joins us after 30 minutes and I lay back and hear them chat, slowly at first and then into a full-on conversation. About me, sitting in-between them. She gets some extra drinks, comes back and strips off, plopping in to continue a natural discussion. I stay safe with my eyes closed, regardless of naked body parts brushing up against me. Their talking gets more animated and somewhat sexual on what I can do, or should do, due to my 'abilities' when a clock gongs out in the main room.
Sonya casually goes.
"Clothes on the bed, My lord. See you when you return." And they keep going.
Jane starts on about her Ben Wa eggs and I choose it as a time to leave. I step out, with the girls stop talking until I get a towel, then they continue as I leave the room. Life is strange indeed.
She's laid out a nice suit and I just go with it. Dressed and ready I head out of the room to my waiting guards who escort me to the third floor of the lodge. One side of the hallway has huge double doors and lots of guards, including a Gecko station. Command and control centre at a glance. The guards let me past into the room and remain standing behind. A huge table dominates the room with a map covering its whole surface. Smaller scale maps, plans, rulers, shuffle sticks and tokens are strewn on top of it. It's like those underground bunkers in WW2 films, staff pushing armies across on maps. Apart from no staff and tokens all over the place.
The walls are lined either with maps or bookcases. Small tables and chairs spread out near all of those. The back area has a conference table, twin small thrones and more small tables. Gerald, Lord Ottoman is arguing with his daughter Marylou. Captain St James, Rose, is seated at the conference table, head rising as I enter. I ignore them all, looking at what I can see on the map.
Kawaba is just a small dot on the running line of black wood marking the site of the Wall, all across the tabletop from where I enter. From the way the words are I am looking at it all upside-down. Beyond the Wall is where I am standing. And the first thing I notice it is wrong, very very wrong. There’re no roads beyond the wall, no Ring Road, no Roadway. None of the towns, forests or mines. It's listed as desert, up until the western towns, the hill towns not in the Duke's control.
Lord Smythe enters behind me, smiling at my presence then turning sour at seeing the far argument. Ignoring them he turns to me, shaking his head, and whispers.
"How do you leave three women alone in your rooms? That will just cause you more trouble." He slaps my shoulder and walks around the table and tries to stop the hushed fight. Rose sinks her head into a book, peering over it now and then to look in my direction, so I just go back to the map.
I spot the maps legend and scale, giving me an idea. I grab one of the rulers as it has markings on it. I knock a shuffle stick, used to push tokens around, seeing it has the same distance markers on it. I swap to that and drag a token box my way. There are tokens to represent soldiers, guards, heavy troops, siege engines and cavalry. I pick out some boats, some monster units and start placing them in my area. I also pull out ones that are for Vy King troops and mercs. A grab a lot of horses and use them first, something niggling in the back of my brain.
I lay the horse on their side, over the edges of the Duke's Wood at the lake, where this new road will go. I place a monster counter in Baron Laird's land, right nearby. Vy King mercs go where we were attacked, neat Crossing. I put boats there and where a branch goes around the Woods to the Barons area. And the access road the mercs could have used from the river.
I drop troops 300 miles away at Kawaba. I put guards on The Grove, with monsters. Cratertown I mark with a village counter. The Lamia village gets lots of monster troops, right above the Murdock zone. I add a wagon train from the Lamia to Murdock, piling a bunch of mercs East in Murdock territory. I see the point where the current military camp is near Kawaba, noticing the position is on roads and near the river 'highway'. I measure out distances and add cavalry and troops, estimating coverage and travel times.
My hand is playing with my beard, looking at the eastern paths, and all the roads that should have been built, but are not listed. Duke William's land are so close to jutting on all of them, a branch of the river highway system connecting his side rather well. I look at the palace I am standing in, and put a few troops there, some cavalry. Seems I have some onlookers now, but I ignore them.
Money ties William's lands with the Murdock’s. I assume the map of their lands is all wrong, and the roads are truly connected. Shit, she can sweep down the eastern flank, buttering up that idiot William for the slaughter and rolling on thru the Duke's central holdings, then onwards.
I dig thru the token box, dragging another one over and finding arrows of various colours. One matches the monsters and using those colours I plot a path from the Lamia village, over the wall and East and down. With one just going pure easterly. I add arrows for mercs / Vy Kings’ troops, and they follow a similar path. I find a villager token, who's holding a pig. I shrug and use those, with arrows from the major settlements in Duke William's lands. I stop and survey as a glass of water is placed in front of me. Rose smiles and stands back.
The villagers would flood south and West, hitting the Duke's lands and onwards. Shit. I put a few mercs inside the mass of villagers and see what they could do.
Shit Fuck.
She's had years to plan and organize this. And I am the wrench in the works, and she just flows around me, ignoring Kawaba now that the Wall is powered up... or does she. A quick easy victory there and a morale boost for her troops. Or not. That charm spell had to come from somewhere, especially with that rune circle to boost it. She doesn't just take control. She takes the Shielders. And with
what I could do with Mary, dragging her thru the wall. Take a few snotlings and let them multiply. Or gobbers. Or Ogres. Or even a deal with the Lamia's.
I stand back, noticing all is quiet. James and Gerald are comparing notes. The Duke and Duchess are there, looking at the map and their advisor's. Marylou and Rose are talking in hushed tones. Another man and woman are there, officers from the plate mail they are wearing. I salute the two casually, grab my glass and empty it. The silence stays in the air until the Duke finally speaks.
"Well I never thought my brother had the balls..." I cut him off.
"He doesn't. He has the money and influence, but he's a moron as the last two days proved. It's from the Murdock’s, or someone using them." Gerald pipes in.
"That's what you meant when you said Lamia's yesterday." I nod and place a hand over the map, dropping the smaller pile of spears on the table, straight from storage. As they bounce people go for weapons, then stop.
"Those are from the Lamia's. And they have made enough for an army or two." The Duke picks one up, passing it to his wife, hand waving over it as he does so.
"Magical" he says as he hands it on.
"Not very magical. Only last a few years from what I was told. But that's enough to buy yourself a blood merc army or three."
"When I appeared, the local Head Priestess tried to charm me. Make me her puppet. She had been doing that for three years. Three years and you never noticed, only the power on the Wall dropping. She had a damned runic circle to boost the charm! Where did that come from? She sold all the guides to help the new Shielders. There was little to no equipment and NO FUCKING TRAINING!"
My hand slams down on the table, tokens jumping.
"She's got at least three years of planning and preparation on you." I wave my hand around. "This place looks protected, but I have had two." Fingers go up, "count them two attempts on my life here. ONE AT THE BALL with every single Noble present! Including the Princess, I HAD TO GUARD! They waltzed right thru your security - because your Brother Let them. He was trying to BUY young ladies AT THE BALL. In front of you. NO ONE STOPPED HIM, and the Nobles involved were too scared to do anything. IF THEY CAN’T COME TO YOU, it too late."