Savior

by Loren K. Jones

  “We’ll work something out. Why such a large force? Java doesn’t normally like making a show,” he asked, looking at the two hundred women who were standing beside their horses.

  “We still have a contract with Hiddendell for border protection. We,” she indicated the Firewalkers behind her, “are that force.”

  Stephen nodded. “You won’t be staying then. Well, we should be able to find you beds for a few nights at least. I’m going to assume that Duke Arten doesn’t have any objections to you entering the city. If you would care to follow me, I’ll see you to Lady Robin’s manor. Please have all your women leave their weapons there until you leave.”

  Stephen led the Firewalkers through the streets and up to Robin’s manor, past other manors that had servants hastily slamming gates as they passed. Maren noticed, as did Stephen, but said nothing. At Robin’s, the first person to see them was Lothar Morrisdale. Seeing the uniforms, he rushed out to greet them.

  “Lady Robin?” he asked, looking around.

  “At the palace, Lothar. This is Maren Kelven. She and her command are going to be staying for a day or two. I want them to leave their weapons here while they’re in the city,” Stephen said by way of introduction and explanation.

  Lothar nodded, snapping a salute to Maren. “Lieutenant, welcome. I’m Lothar Morrisdale, late of the Thunderfeet, and Lady Robin’s stableman. The stable will only hold twenty horses, but the paddock and yard should be able to accommodate the rest. Any that we can’t handle,” he looked at Stephen and received a nod, “the Guard can put up.”

  “Thank you. So you’re the mysterious Lothar?” She looked him over critically. “Merrit should have kept you.”

  Her bold, bare comment made Lothar blush while the women who were close enough to hear burst out laughing. Barnum walked out to find out what the commotion was. Seeing the Firewalkers with Captain Corban gave him a good idea. “Is Lady Robin at the palace, Captain?”

  “Yes.” Turning to Maren, he bowed a little and smiled. “I’ll see you later, Lieutenant, and get the rest of Emmy’s message.”

  Maren laughed and bowed in return, then turned to Barnum. “Lady Robin has offered twenty of us lodging for the time that we’re here. Is there any problem with that?”

  “None at all,” Barnum assured her, looking about. “Let’s get your horses settled and see how many the Guard will be stabling for you. Then we can see about arranging inns for the rest of your women.” He was looking about, trying to count, and Maren tapped his shoulder.

  “Two hundred for two nights.”

  “That shouldn’t be hard to arrange,” Lothar said with a grin.

  * * *

  Arten and Naria were waiting at the bottom of the palace steps when Java and her friends entered the gate. The sight of her adoptive parents caused Java to tear up, and she ran into Arten’s arms, kissing his cheeks repeatedly. Naria wrapped her arms around both of them, squeezing as hard as she could to welcome her daughter home.

  Marta stood back, watching Java hug Arten and Naria. Her last doubts about Java’s feelings faded and she joined Robin in a large grin. Java was truly home. Jah’Moke watched from slightly behind Marta, still unsure of himself. Naria looked up, noticing the rest of Java’s party for the first time.

  “Marta?” she whispered, grinning. “What are you doing here?”

  Marta grinned back. “Retiring.”

  Arten and Naria both stood gaping at their friend for a moment. “That’s not funny, Marta,” Naria said sternly, but Java’s squeeze made her look at her instead.

  “We have a few things to discuss, Mother. Marta is the first.”

  Naria looked into Java’s eyes, surprised by her calling Marta by her given name. “Later. Inside now. We have a lot to catch up on.” Dragging Java up the steps, Naria headed for the royal suite.

  Marta and Robin led Jah’Moke a discreet distance behind Arten and Naria as they sandwiched Java between them, grinning broadly at Java’s obvious joy at returning to Whitehall. She and Robin kept Jah’Moke close between them, leading him through the palace. He was so overwhelmed that all he could do was look at the floor.

  In the royal suite, they found Java wedged between Arten and Naria on a loveseat. She was snuggling into both of them, smiling broadly and obviously happy about everything in her life. Seeing her friends, she simply grinned wider.

  Marta returned the grin and let Robin guide Jah’Moke to a sofa while she found her favorite chair, which happened to be Arten’s. “Well, you look comfortable, Java. Glad to be back?”

  “You know I am, Captain. I think I missed Naria and Arten more this time than I ever missed my birth parents,” she said, grinning up at Arten’s face. “This is a real homecoming for me.”

  “I’m so glad you feel that way, Java. Now we know Marta and Robin, so this must be Jah’Moke,” Arten replied.

  Jah’Moke stood and bowed, then dropped to his knees and lowered his forehead to the floor. “Duke Arten, I am here to humbly ask for permission to marry Java, your daughter.”

  Arten was caught off guard by Jah’Moke’s sudden request and stood abruptly. “I, ah, I, Naria?” he stammered, looking to his wife for help.

  Naria looked at him, then Java. Java was nodding vigorously, and tugging at Arten’s sleeve. Naria looked into her eyes, then nodded to her husband. Java stood behind him on the love seat and whispered into his ear as she looked over his shoulder.

  Taking a deep breath, he replied with the formal phrases Java was whispering to him. “Why do you choose my daughter?” he asked, following the ritual, unfamiliar as it was.

  “I choose Java for love. I choose Java for life. I choose Java for the mother of my children,” Jah’Moke intoned.

  Arten looked over his shoulder at Java, smiling when he saw the gleam in her blue eyes. Nodding, he looked again at Jah’Moke. “Jah’Moke of the house of Cawfy, I grant you permission to marry Java, my daughter.” Then he had to stop talking because Java was choking him as she hugged him from behind.

  Naria stood and walked to where Jah’Moke was still kneeling. “I’m familiar with Latté custom, Jah’Moke. You still have to ask Ambros Mountainstand for Java as well.” Looking down at him, she grinned. “But wait a few days. We want Java home for a while.”

  “As you wish, Duchess Naria,” Jah’Moke said, bowing his head deeply.

  Java bounced to his side and hugged him as she pulled him to his feet. “Jah’Moke will be staying at Robin’s, for propriety’s sake,” she said, looking back at her parents.

  Arten nodded. “I’m a bit surprised by this.”

  “We wanted to get it over with as soon as possible. The suspense was killing us,” Marta said, laughing at her friends.

  “All right. Now it’s your turn to explain.” Naria said as she turned toward Marta, and scowled. “What the hells do you mean retire?” she all but shouted, startling Jah’Moke and Robin.

  “Exactly what I said, Naria. Klamath took over the Firewalkers nearly two months ago. Shair has retired as well. When Merrit and Anness went to Lender’s Dale, it occurred to us that we were getting old. The four of us were the last of the original Firewalkers. It was time.” Marta’s voice stayed soft, but Naria heard hurt that she was trying to hide.

  “What now, Marta? The Firewalkers were your life,” Arten asked, walking over to hold her hand.

  “Link County,” Java said, causing Arten and Naria to snap their heads around to look at her. “That’s what we need to discuss.”

  Arten and Naria were looking back and forth in a comical fashion that almost made Java laugh. Walking over to Marta’s chair, she dropped to one knee. “I wish to formally request that you name Marta Freeholm to be Lady Marta Freeholm, that I may install her as my Lady High Chatelaine of Link County.”

  Naria’s mouth opened and closed several times while Arten simply gaped at his daughter and friend, stunned beyond words. Finally, Naria found her voice.

  “What?” she shouted, making Robin grab Jah’Moke’s hand.
“After all the times I tried to give you a title of some kind, here you are ready to accept a title now?” She looked at Marta, surprised to see the fond smile on her face as she looked at Java. “Java?”

  “Yes, Naria,” Marta answered, ruffling Java’s hair. “Java. When I decided to retire, she came to me and asked me to administer Link County for her. I think you know what this means to me.”

  “And to me, Mother,” Java continued. “Marta has been such a part of my life that I couldn’t bear to lose her. When she retired, I saw the perfect person to administer Mountainstand County for me. But she said she had to be away from the Firewalkers so that Captain Rivers would be the only captain of the Firewalkers.”

  “So she asked me to administer Link County instead,” Marta continued seamlessly, then grinned. “Lady Skyhaven is Lady High Chatelaine for Mountainstand County.”

  “Hold it! Stop!” Arten shouted. “Lady Skyhaven? When did this happen?” Arten was staggered by the news and went to sit down again. “How did you get her to be a lady again?”

  “Love,” Jah’Moke said, causing Arten to look at him. “Java’s love is strong enough to overcome just about anything, Duke Arten.”

  “So I see,” Arten said with a grin, stroking his beard thoughtfully. “So Kaster named her Lady Skyhaven, did he? Well, I won’t be out done. Naria?”

  Naria grinned broadly as she looked into Marta’s eyes. “Marta Freeholm, we name you, on this day and in the presence of these witnesses, Lady Marta Freeholm.” Naria stepped forward and pulled Marta to her feet for a hug. “I’ve wanted to do that for so long.”

  “I know, but the time was never right. We need to talk privately,” she whispered into Naria’s ear. Naria’s slight nod, almost a caressing of cheeks, was all the reply needed between them.

  The rest of the day was full of news of the duchy and the end of the war. The news that Samantha had moved the capital to Morrisdale had made it to Whitehall, but not her reasons why.

  “I didn’t know Merrit was from Morrisdale. It makes sense though, Samantha making it her capital. Merrit means as much to Sammy as Marta does to you, Java,” Arten said, looking at his daughter.

  “Yes, she does. It also moves the capital as far from Frander and his army as she can get and still be in the duchy. Morrisdale is in the foothills of the mountains that form Mountainstand County.” Java was relaxing at last, snuggled back between Naria and Arten. “Sammy is happy now.”

  “And are you?” Naria asked, looking down into her daughter’s eyes.

  “Yes. Yes, I’m finally happy again.” She fingered the uniform she still wore. “Captain Rivers said I can continue to wear the uniform, even though she asked for my resignation. That hurt, but they were right. It was time that I accepted that I could never be Scout Java again,” she said, tilting her head to look up at Naria’s face. “Was it like this for you?”

  Naria shook her head. “No. I was never as deeply a part of the Dreadlocks as you were a part of the Firewalkers. Captain Cameron didn’t even blink when I resigned. He just nodded and mustered me out. Now, when I came back two years later as Duchess Naria, he made a fuss. But that was just butt kissing.”

  Marta laughed at that. “At least he didn’t curse you. When I left to form the Firewalkers, he cursed me to failure and starvation for stealing Merrit and the rest from him.” She sighed, looking at the floor. “Though I did shed a tear when we heard that he and half of the company had died in Lake Daylon when the ice broke while they were crossing it. For a warrior to die like that is always a tragedy.”

  “It was more of a tragedy that the Dreadlocks died with him. There wasn’t enough of the company left to reform into an effective force and they split up,” Naria said, filling the younger members of their party in on the fate of the company that she and Marta had started with.

  “I had not heard that before,” Jah’Moke said softly. “Unneeded loss of life is always a tragedy.”

  “The loss of a company like the Dreadlocks was also a tragedy,” Marta added, looking at Java as she spoke. “It was one of the most versatile companies that has ever existed. Where we had specialists, they had general mercs. All of the Archers were like the Archers in your patrol, Java. All of the Infantry doubled as Cavalry, and vice versa. The only real specialists were the Scouts. We had training that required special skills and abilities. Abilities that you and your friends developed in training.” Marta smiled as Java looked at Naria with wide eyes.

  “I wasn’t as good as Marta, but I held my own. But enough of this sentimentality. It’s been a long day, and we have an early morning planned. Java,” she paused until Java faced her, “you have a lot to catch up on. Robin too. We’ll see you in the morning.” Naria smiled as Java hugged her again, then stood to escort Robin and Jah’Moke out.

  Once the youngsters were gone, Naria went and hugged Marta again. “Gods, Marta, this is such a surprise. How did she talk you into it?”

  “She looked at me with those big blue eyes and my heart fell apart. After everything that’s happened between us, she wanted me to be there for her. She even wants me to stay in her manor. I don’t know what I did to deserve this, but I’ve been thanking every God I’ve ever heard of. I was on my way back to Freeholm, to Eldon’s farm. I was resigned to growing old watching his children, his grandchildren, his family. I would have died in a year. But Java has presented me with a purpose that I never thought to have.” Marta looked into Naria’s eyes and was surprised to see her grinning.

  “She’s ours, Marta. Though she seems to have made you and Shair hers.”

  * * *

  Robin found thirty Firewalkers crowded into her manor. Barnum explained, “We were not able to find enough beds, even with women doubling up in the inns. Lothar has given up his room and moved in with me, and Ivy and Heather have moved in with their mother. There are still three women in some rooms, but these beds are not the cots or beds of mercs. The Firewalkers are, as always, making do with what is available.”

  At Robin’s nod, he continued. “Eldora has sent Lothar with five Firewalkers to fetch provisions. She has recovered a great deal while you were gone, Lady Robin. She’s been running your house quite well, in spite of my help.” Barnum grinned as Robin reacted to his comment.

  “Her spirit is back? That’s good to hear. Has there been any other trouble? You wrote me about Lord Anlin trying to buy the place, but has there been anything else?” Robin asked, removing her riding robe and stretching.

  “No, Lady Robin. Duke Arten made it clear that this was your house, and that you were not going to be pressured into selling it,” Barnum said as he hung Robin’s robe for her. “Heather and Ivy have been receiving an unfortunate amount of attention in the market, though. We stopped sending them alone, then had to stop sending them at all. Lothar, Eldora, or I do the shopping now.”

  “They weren’t hurt, you would have told me about that. But what has been happening?” Robin asked, looking Barnum in the eye.

  “What you might expect. Younger sons out for some illicit fun. Men who should be old enough to know better trying to entice them off someplace quiet. Most people remember that they’re your servants, and that you and the princess are close, but for girls like that..?” He shrugged. “Some of them would risk death.” Barnum was watching Robin closely, waiting for her reaction.

  “They’d probably prefer death to what Java would do,” Robin said, grinning broadly as Barnum nodded. “Very well. Anything else?”

  “Nothing of substance. Lothar is going to make a request in the morning, and I think, personally, that you would do well to allow it.” Barnum was standing back now, knowing that he was crossing the line.

  “You obviously know what it is,” Robin said, looking into his eyes. Then she smiled. “Merrit.” Barnum’s eyes widened as he looked at her, obviously thinking she had read his mind. Robin laughed at his expression. “That’s the only thing Lothar would have to come to me for, Barnum. I hope he’s not planning to resign.”

  �
��Not if he doesn’t have to, though he is prepared to do exactly that if he must. His wife has been on his mind a great deal since word came of the duchess moving the capital to Morrisdale.” Barnum’s eyes were serious, but Robin could catch a hint of humor as well.

  “There’ll be some letters to send in the next week, informing Sammy and Merrit of the changes that have been happening. He can carry them for us. That way he won’t have to spend his own coin,” Robin said with a grin, and then smiled broadly when Barnum relaxed.

  “Thank you,” he said softly, then bowed and left Robin alone.

  Ivy entered moments later. “Lady Robin, the water is hot, but it isn’t going to last long with so many people wanting baths. The mercenaries are waiting for you to go first, Lady.”

  Robin nodded and quickly finished undressing. Grabbing her robe, she headed for the bathing room. The Firewalkers waiting for her was a surprise, but then, it was her house. She bathed quickly, not taking her accustomed long soak. That would wait. After her bath, it occurred to her that Jah’Moke might need some help. She needn’t have bothered. The Firewalkers all knew him and were teasing him like a little brother, even though he was older than a number of them. He was giving as good as he got, and the house rang with laughter late into the night.

  Morning found Eldora in her element, bossing Firewalkers around and seeing to the needs of everyone. Maren smiled and motioned Robin off to the side. “She would have made a good Infantry Sergeant.”

  Robin chuckled. “Probably.” Smiling she went over and stood beside Eldora until she was noticed.

  “Oh, Lady Robin, forgive me,” she said suddenly, blushing.

  “For what? You’re doing quite well. Come with me a moment,” she said, motioning Eldora to the library. When they were alone, she smiled. “Barnum told me what has been happening. It’s good to see that your spirit was bent but not broken. He also told me about the trouble with Ivy and Heather. Do you have any objections to sending them into town this morning? I got the impression that they were feeling a little stifled by being restricted to the manor.”