Mrs. Shin led Mahrree outside and right up to the waiting general.
She changed her mind about her first evaluation—he was tall.
“Relf, this is Mahrree,” Mrs. Shin announced, “your soon-to-be daughter-in-law. Since it’s such a fine day I think it most appropriate that you should walk her to the fort for the inspection. This will give me some time to spend with my son. We won’t be far behind you. We’ll send the coach on ahead.”
Perrin and Mahrree’s eyes grew large as they stared at each other. Perrin opened his mouth to say something but his father was faster.
“Miss?” he offered his arm to Mahrree and she took it without thinking. “Shall we go, my dear? You may lead the way.” But the general stepped first anyway.
Mahrree glanced back to see Perrin’s face contort in concern. His mother took his arm and patted it gently as his future bride was led away by his father.
The general’s voice brought her back around, not allowing her any time to panic that she was now walking with the most powerful and terrifying soldier in the world.
“I was told in the coach ride from Idumea that I’m to make my acquaintance with you today, because my wife needs to speak to her son about his marriage. Apparently there are things she knows that a man who has been married for thirty years simply doesn’t know to tell his son.”
His tone was formal but Mahrree thought she heard just a bit of Perrin’s sense of humor in it. Mahrree laughed gently, stopped, and glanced at the general to see if that was appropriate.
He didn’t look angry or make any movements towards his sword, so she took that as a good sign.
She desperately tried to think of something to say, but it was if the shelves of her mind marked “conversation starters” were filled only with cobwebs and a surprised spider who never expected to see someone there. She’d never imagined this scenario, hanging on the arm of the High General of Idumea trying desperately to think of how to impress him by not sounding like an idiot.
There seemed to be an unusually high amount of traffic on the main road to the fort. Word of the massive black coach must have gotten around. It was as if every soldier, villager and supplier of goods was coming or going to catch a glimpse of the High General and the very uncomfortable younger woman with him. She’d never noticed how often someone like him had to return a salute or tip his cap, and she wondered if his right arm was stronger than his left from how often it went up and down. She opened her mouth hoping something suitable would find its way out, when the general spoke.
“I understand you’re a teacher.” His deep voice sounded like gravel when a herd of cattle stampeded across it.
He likely caused stampedes, Mahrree mused, merely by walking past a ranch and muttering, “Puts me in mind for steak.”
“Yes, sir,” she answered, relieved for a topic. “I’ve been teaching for seven years now. Two different ages.”
“And you enjoy this work?”
“Yes, very much. I find it most rewarding.”
“Then you’re not the kind that’s interested in cloth or decorating?”
Mahrree chuckled. “No, sir. Do you think Perrin would want to marry a woman who was? All you need to do is look at my garden to see how little I care about such things.”
“Yes, I’m sorry about your yard. It looks as if someone’s sheep was carelessly let into it. I’m sure it usually looks . . . lovely.” The way he stumbled on that last word made it clear that it was not part of the general’s regular vocabulary.
“Truly sir, it is never ‘lovely.’ And it was a goat. I love books and ideas. The person in my family interested in decorating is my mother.”
The general nodded. “Yes, I’m aware of that. She sent me a letter recently.”
If words could hang suspended in the air like thick black clouds, these words did.
“No!” Mahrree whispered, louder than she intended. She glanced up again at the general.
He wore a barely discernible smile. “Yes, apparently Captain Shin told her that forts aren’t in need of decorating, and any changes to the plans would have to be approved by me. Hence the letter.”
Mahrree closed her eyes in agony.
“She sent me a sample of cloth with a new pattern called ‘plaid’ that she claims is ‘very masculine’ and she believes would be appropriate for the barracks and Captain Shin’s office.”
Mahrree opened her eyes. The fort was still torturously far away. This was the longest quarter mile she had ever walked.
But there was still more. “Mrs. Peto is under the impression that the large observation windows should have the option of being covered. And pillows for troops should be . . . ‘attractive,’ is how I think she phrased it.”
Mahrree had an image of her mother trying to teach dirty and exhausted soldiers how to place their tasseled pillows so they looked ‘gently lived in.’
“Oh General, please say no more! I can’t even begin to tell you how sorry I am. I, I . . .” she stammered.
“As long as I know I needn’t be concerned that you will attempt to carry on her efforts?”
“Never, sir! And I will do my best to keep my mother in check.”
The general actually smiled—barely.
“Miss Mahrree, I don’t know that we can ever keep our parents in check, nor our children.”
Sensing they now shared a tiny bit of common ground, she confessed, “My mother actually wanted you and Mrs. Shin to stay with her during your visit. She has a nice home, just a little crowded—”
And Mahrree couldn’t, in any situation, imagine the High General of Idumea agreeing to sleep under a blanket painted with daisies that coordinated with the daisy rug, daisy curtains, and daisy pillows.
“—I told her you will be staying at the guest quarters at the fort, but she’s insisting on having you over for dinner one evening. She’s a most creative cook, but if that doesn’t fit into your schedule . . .” Mahrree held her breath, waiting for the answer.
“We dine with her tomorrow. That was in the last letter she sent.”
“Oh, sir,” Mahrree murmured wretchedly, “how many letters has she sent you?”
“I think eleven. I may have lost count.”
Mahrree checked the distance to the fort again. If she made it there alive without dying from absolute humiliation, she could handle just about anything.
“I suppose I should tell you,” the general continued quietly, “that I was rather startled when my son wrote that he wanted to marry. I didn’t think there was someone who could ever be considered his equal, especially not someone raised in Edge.”
Mahrree squinted, trying to figure out if she had just been complimented or insulted. It felt like both.
“Of course, his mother said the fact that he found someone who would put up with his obnoxiousness only signified that miracles are still occurring in the world.”
She looked at him sidelong and saw another faint smile.
Compliment.
Maybe.
“I assure you, sir, ever since we announced our engagement many in Edge now also have a greater belief in the Creator. My mother, for one. All the girls I grew up with, the men I’ve insulted over the years . . .”
The High General smiled more distinctly. “He’s an exceptional man, Miss Peto. In many ways.”
“I’m discovering that he is, sir. I’m very fond of him.”
“And apparently he thinks highly of you, as well.”
“I hope he does, sir.”
The High General nodded once. “Well. Then. I suppose that’s that, then.”
Mahrree wondered what ‘that’ was all the rest of the way to the fort.
---
Captain Shin stood at attention with the rest of his soldiers, facing High General Shin. Their backs were to the forest, the tall timbers of the fort providing an impenetrable shield. For the past fifteen minutes the men had stood with their chests out, chins up, and eyes focused on a distant nothing while General Shin walked up and dow
n the line inspecting each man, questioning a few on tactics, and seeing just how long a slight private could endure the large officer’s hard gaze before swallowing nervously.
Two minutes.
Very commendable.
“But know that Guarders will stare at you for far longer than that!” the High General shouted at the soldiers. “But you are the might and strength of the Army of Idumea!” He stepped away from the line and turned to face the northeast gates, thrown wide open to reveal the forest behind.
Perrin smiled inwardly. He knew what was coming next, and he was going to enjoy watching the effect.
In a voice louder than any man should possess, High General Shin bellowed to the forest as he paced slowly before the assembled men.
“Guarder spies: I know you’re out there! I know you’ve watched this fort rise from the ground at a remarkable speed and with meticulous care. I know you’ve watched these exemplary soldiers march into it and now realize that the Army of Idumea is a fearsome and powerful force, not to be lightly reckoned with! We have no quarrel with you. Our ancestors are dead and gone, as are yours. We have no desire to raid your lands, as you raid ours. We have no desire to steal away your people, as you have stolen ours. We have no desire to fill your women and children with terror, as you fill ours. But we desire to protect all that we love, and I assure you, we will kill every man who stands in our way! We stand here ready. Strong. Trained. Armed. Organized. Not to attack, but to defend. Defend our land, our people, our freedom from your terror. You want a fight? We’ll give you a fight. You want a surrender? We’ll accept your surrender. You want to destroy us? We’ll destroy you first! We don’t fear you. We’re prepared. It’s you who should fear, for today I stand before the greatest fighting force the world has ever produced. Soldiers of the Army of Idumea, let the Guarders hear you roar!”
Perrin received reports later that the residents of Edge came running out of their houses and shops when they heard the tremendous noise from the north.
Captain Shin, standing in the middle of it, heard nothing, because the sound was completely deafening.
He winked at his father as the soldiers cheered and chanted and taunted any Guarders that might be within earshot. The general’s speech wasn’t for them, though. It was for the soldiers of Edge.
Relf Shin winked back at his son. Inspection passed.
---
In the forest about thirty paces in, but in view of the open northeast gates, two men dressed in mottled green and brown clothing sat in the middle of a stand of scrubby oaks.
“Nice speech,” one said as the yelling finally subsided.
“I’ve heard it before. At Grasses.”
---
That evening as Mahrree washed her plates at the basin she tried not to think about her walk with the general. Although it started uncomfortably, she had to admit that it turned out fine when he said it would be agreeable to call her daughter-in-law, then told her how the desert village of Sands has rock gardens. Mahrree looked up from her chore. Through the thick wavy glass she saw the blue smudge of Perrin hop over the low back fence along the alley and come to the back door.
He walked in and looked at her blankly before announcing, “Passed inspection—both of us!”
“So that’s what that shouting meant? I was starting to run for the long knife in the table.”
He grinned, took her arm, and led her to the eating room where they both sat down. “And now,” he said, “I want to know what my father said to you. I had no idea that was coming. I don’t think he ever spent time alone with any other woman besides his mother and his wife. He looked more uncomfortable than you did. But whatever you said made a good impression on him. He approves of you whole heartedly. So . . . what did you talk about?”
“About my not making window coverings for the fort,” she related soberly. “Apparently my mother has become quite the letter writer.”
Perrin’s face distorted as if he smelled something nasty. “Oh. Well. That’s a promise easily kept. Anything else? Any deep dark secrets from my past that he shared?” He smiled in anticipation.
Mahrree’s eyebrows rose. “You have deep dark secrets? I think I may get more information from your mother. But no, nothing very interesting transpired between us. Just civil conversation.”
Perrin looked disappointed.
“But what about you and your mother?” she asked.
He took her hands in his and seemed to consider if he should tell her. “My mother told me how to be a good husband,” he finally said.
“She talked to me as well, about what it’s like to be married to an officer,” she hinted.
Perrin nodded to affirm the same conversation. “Have you thought about what she said?” His face showed even more concern than before his parents arrived.
She glanced down at the table. When no answers could be seen in the grain of the wood she looked up at him. “Really, Perrin—how bad could it ever be?”
He attempted a smile. “My parents have lasted this long and not killed each other.”
She returned the smile. “Yet.”
He sat up straight and put on a mock serious face. “I’ve got it: I promise you Mahrree Peto-soon-to-be-Shin, I will never kill you. How’s that?”
She sat up straight too and mimicked his look. “And I promise I will probably never try to kill you either, Perrin Shin. Maybe we could get Hogal to add that to our vows?”
---
The next morning Mrs. Shin arrived to check on Mahrree. “Well?” she asked hesitantly as she stood at the front door.
“Since I am about to become his wife, I think it best that you start telling me all of his deep dark secrets. He confessed he has a few.”
A smile grew on Mrs. Shin’s face. “Maybe after you hear about what kind of a troublesome boy he was, how he got all his nicks and scars, you may still want to reconsider. Your chances of having a son like him may be very great. But then again,” her voice warmed considerably, “he is also a great son!”
After the first three stories Mahrree grabbed some paper and a quill. The details were fascinating and worth recording.
That evening she prayed for daughters.
Chapter 16 ~ “Expectations? I didn’t
expect this!”
Two and a half weeks later, two men sat in a dark office of an unlit building.
“Question,” began the first man, “now that the fort in Edge is fully operational, the wolf has secured his mate, and the Grasses situation finally ended with a—what was the description? ‘A heart-wrenching burial’—”
“The letter from Chairman Mal to the officers expressing sorrow about the circumstances was a lovely touch,” the second man nodded.
The older man held up his finger. “That was considerate, wasn’t it? As I was saying, I believe it’s now time to propose a new question: Is Shin too comfortable with his little successes in Edge? First the fort, then the woman . . . seems like he needs a challenge.”
The second man smiled. “Comfort is never a good thing. People become complacent, which would be terrible for the captain. So here’s a supplementary question: Does growth come from discomfort?”
“Ah, intriguing!” The first man rubbed his hands together. “Growth or failure? My speculation: When faced with discomfort he will fail, and magnificently! How could any man fulfill the expectations of a father like Relf Shin?”
His partner rubbed the closely-trimmed beard on his chin. “Then I speculate opposite of you, since Shin always surprises you. I believe he will prove to be a most protective, and even aggressive, wolf to protect his new pack.”
The older man cocked his head. “Oh, really? You don’t know Shin like I do.”
The second man chuckled. “And I don’t think you know him as well you think you do.”
The first man’s eyebrows went up. “And I think you’ve heard one too many stories about the great young Perrin Shin!”
The second man sat back, startled by his partner’s adamanc
y. “Are you sure you’re not taking this a little too personally? Nicko, one could surmise you’re not entirely objective about—”
“Objective? I assure you that no one has more objectivity than I do!” Nicko Mal shouted. “I have a point to prove to Captain Shin, so I’m setting things in motion. Perrin’s going to learn about discomfort!”
---
“This is the last crate, right?” Mahrree asked as she eyed the large wooden box that was placed—dropped—in her front garden.
“No ma’am, sorry,” the sergeant first class said as he went back to the wagon. “This one,” he grunted as he pulled it out, “is the last crate. Where do you want it?”
Mahrree gestured to the other three crates already on the dirt.
“Right there. My husband will move them in.” She tried not to grin when she said “my husband.” After two weeks of marriage, the newness of it all was still so delicious.
The sergeant dropped the smaller, heavier crate on top of the larger one. “Hope you like books, Mrs. Shin, because I think that’s all that’s in this one.”
“And I thought I already had every good book printed in the world.”
“You can use the crates to make new bookshelves,” the sergeant suggested as he brushed down his uniform.
“Want to stay and help build them?” Mahrree smirked.
“No, ma’am!” the sergeant shook his head. “I need to be getting back to Idumea.”
“What an excuse! Tell Mrs. Shin thanks for packing all of this. I think.” She glanced behind her and looked at the new study that had just been completed earlier that week. Maybe it wasn’t big enough.
The sergeant tipped his cap and chuckled as he went back to the wagon he spent the last three days driving to Edge.
“Again, congratulations on the marriage, Mrs. Shin. Hope you find wedded bliss to be all that you imagined.”
“It has been for the past two weeks,” she grinned. “Until now.”
The sergeant just laughed. “I’ve known Captain Shin for many years—you’re a perfect match for him, Mrs. Shin. Good day to you!”
The Forest at the Edge of the World Page 26