When she didn't speak again, Anala had asked, "Why?"
"Adventure, travel, a chance to die doing something worthwhile. That was before things got so bad -- only five years ago."
Anala had sensed a block had been loosened, that Molly was saying what she'd not been able to for years. "They wouldn't take me, though," she continued. "My leg -- it'd never get better, they said, and they couldn't waste their time training one so unfit -- not even as a medic."
"Have ye some healing ability then?"
"To be sure...at one time. I'd apprenticed to a healer when I was quite young, but she left town a year after Duchess Danika's ascension." She laid a nasty emphasis on the honorific. "Went to Nucalif, probably hoping things would be better there. I never got a chance to join her. She's most likely dead now."
Anala had flinched inwardly, reminded that the price of obeying orders was a heavy tax on one's soul.
Molly talked on, oblivious to the reactions to her story. "So it was up to me to be town healer, meager as my training was." She laughed bitterly. "By some cruel twist of fate, had she not left I would not have needed her services two years hence, and so would not be so deformed. The Goddesses make cruel jests on us indeed...." She trailed off and stared into her mug of ale, as if looking for an explanation to the workings of the universe in its depths. Anala hadn't known what to say.
After a time Molly seemed to collect herself and turned her attention back to the bellica and major. "So the question still stands -- what would you want with an old cripple such as myself?"
"Information and support," Anala had said simply, glad to be able to reply.
Molly gave a half-smile. "Of what sort? You should know from our conversation I'll not help the empress, lead though it may to my death."
Anala had returned the smile. "I'd be pleased to know we'd be of a like mind."
"Then," Molly said, allowing the smile to spread to the other side of her face, "let us speak of our business and tarry no more."
Working in a tavern made her privy to all sorts of information, and Molly told them everything they wanted to know: Duchess Danika's habits of ruling, a list of people discontented enough to fight back, how the town would react to a coup. More than half the town would support a rebellion, she figured, and almost all of those people willing and able to fight. Of the other half of the town, she didn't think many would openly work against the rebellion and those who did would be dispatched with easily.
A few hours passed before Molly asked a few questions of her own.
"Who are you, really?"
A valid question, Anala had thought. Why had Molly not asked it earlier? Knowing she couldn't answer with the truth, no matter how much she liked and wanted to trust Molly as much as the girl had trusted them, she had deliberated, not knowing what to say.
Sensing her discomfort, Aro took the liberty of a diplomatic reply. "Residents of Atherton and frequenters of Court, though we are far from courtiers."
Molly stared, first at Aro; then Anala, working it out. Then her eyes widened in recognition.
Oh, feck. Found out.
Molly laughed, low and guttural. "Of course. I don't know why I didn't recognise you before, Ma'am. And I shall continue as if I haven't. You remain Selina deMaya and Evan deKama to me, come torture or death." She raised her left palm, her right hand over her wrist. "I swear by Her who waits in the Last Hall."
"And I'd hold ye to it, lest death be too kind to those who'd be forsworn," Anala had said a bit harshly, though relieved. An oath on the name of Bellona was not taken lightly.
Molly smiled, unperturbed, and asked her next question as if nothing of import had transpired. "When do you plan to revolt?"
"We plan nothing," Aro said, deciding to handle this one as well. "We act as allies with whoever leads us to freedom."
Anala had looked at him with surprise. She'd never heard such passion in his voice.
Molly's eyebrows shot up past her bangs. "You're taking an awfully big risk for a rebellion that's not yet been planned. But I respect your bravery, and I'll ask you no more questions. It nears the midnight hour; we'd best quit our meeting before suspicions are raised. Stay you another night?"
Anala had shaken her head. "We'd be needing to head to Two-Sides in the morning, but we'd be grateful for yer hospitality, and we'll be keeping in touch, I reckon."
Molly nodded. Her slight look of disappointment had not gone unnoticed by Anala. She'd felt her heart twist for this girl to whom she felt so akin in so short a time but allowed herself to be led by Aro to their shared room. There had been nothing they could do about it; there was more work to do yet and Two-Sides was a long ride away.
Now Anala turned over and tried to quiet her mind enough to sleep. Thoughts of Molly had stayed with her the rest of the journey, and probably would for a while yet, but there was no use wasting her sleeping time thinking of the girl. She willed her thoughts to turn to her usual pre-sleep jumble, and slowly drifted off to the rocking of the wagon.
Jules
It had been midday when Anala and Aro had joined them. Jules noted by the movement of the sun that about two hours had passed since then.
He rode beside Aro in somewhat companionable silence. Anala had disappeared into the wagon about an hour earlier for a nap after nearly falling off her horse with exhaustion. Aro had caught her and forced her to rest up. Jules found it amusing that Aro could command someone like Anala without a fight. I guess years of familiarity grant certain benefits.
Presently, Jules himself felt the strain of the road. He wasn't tired by any means but they'd been riding since dawn at a rather slow pace and the lack of activity made his muscles twitch. The mail caravans rode slowly, but they rode hard, since they had to cover as much ground as possible during the few winter daylight hours. Only in summer was it safe enough to ride through the night.
Still, there were no complaints from the people about Athering's communication system. Jules had heard that Suncoast didn't even have the same level of literacy, let alone a public means of sending letters efficiently. He didn't know how true that rumour was, as Ambassadors from Athering's neighbour nations had been few and far between in court of recent years and trade had been stifled. The Embassies of Nighttide and Suncoast might as well have been abandoned buildings for all the life they showed. Jules wouldn't be surprised if the next war erupted with either nation -- or even with the Jasmine Isles, coveted for their strategic location and warm climate. The Jasmine Isles, unofficially dubbed the Pirate Isles, had won independence from their vassalhood with Suncoast a few centuries back, and now were ruled by an economic cooperative, if Jules remembered aright from his childhood history lessons. They were also a haven for fugitives and exiles from the other three nations, while they remained a neutral country in cases of wars, trade embargoes, and the like. They did little fair trade themselves, preferring their own pirate navy to raid towns and merchant ships instead. Jules supposed this industry was driven by an old grudge against their former ruling nation, which had treated them none too kindly. Or so the history books said.
He turned his thoughts back to the present when he heard his name spoken. Aro was trying to make conversation. Surprised, Jules responded with a polite "Yes?"
"It would be terribly rude of me to ride absorbed in my own thoughts and not ask how your vacation went, so at the risk of overstepping the bounds of acquaintances...."
Jules smiled and laughed. "Not at all, Aro. And I would that we could be friends, if you're agreeable to the idea."
Jules was gratified to note that Aro smiled in return. This was the most they'd spoken since basic training. "Seems as though the higher we get in rank, the fewer friends we have, doesn't it?"
Jules nodded ruefully. "Some days I'd give anything to be a priva again: camaraderie, good pay, and the simplicity of just obeying orders."
"Ah, to turn back time...it seems I have a constant headache now from the thinking I must do as second-in-command. I envy our bellicas not a bit."
"Well-spoken, Friend," Jules agreed. Aro easily accepted the term. "Shall I talk of my visit with my family, or would it bore you?"
"I wouldn't be much of a friend if it did,"
Grinning, Jules related the past month of family bonding: his nephew was now walking, and a right handful; Alanea and Nathan continued to try to persuade Jules that it was time to find a wife or husband and settle down; his father's memory was wandering to the point he'd called for Tania, not remembering she'd passed years before.
"I'm sorry," Aro said awkwardly. Jules shook his head.
"It happens to all of us. I'm just grateful he'll spend the rest of his life with family who love and take care of him." Unlike me, he added to himself, bitterly.
There was a silence in which Jules brooded a bit and Aro shifted uncomfortably on his saddle, until the medic shook himself out of it. "I apologise. I haven't had much time to adjust. What about your leave? I heard there was some indecision as to where you would go."
"There was, at that, but Anala and I finally decided on Aeril," said Aro, relieved to be past the awkwardness.
Jules waited, but Aro remained silent. Respecting the major's privacy, Jules didn't ask.
A few minutes later something occurred to him.
"Aro, if you spent your month in Aeril, how came you by the Eastwood Trail? Would it not have been faster to ride directly to Atherton?"
Aro had the look of a mouse in a corner, facing a hungry cat, as he struggled to reply.
"Well, we didn't spend the whole month in Aeril...."
"But you came not to Atton," Jules said.
"No. We went and stayed in the wayfarer cabin by the Lake for a bit." Jules sensed Aro wished to leave it at that, but he couldn't believe that Anala, reputed for her rationality, would want to go camping in the winter, even if Thaw was already upon them.
"Why?"
Aro sighed, looking caught. "Because Anala needed to be away from people for a while, and it's safer by the Lake than anywhere else in the woods. Warmer, too."
That was true enough. The Lake was fed by hot springs far to the north, and so retained a pleasant temperature year-round.
He shrugged. There was something else Aro wasn't saying, but Jules respected his comrade too much to pry. "I can empathise. So long as you got a decent rest, then." Aro nodded, relieved.
Jules noticed the caravan was slowing to a stop. Spotting the sun in the sky, he saw they had about an hour of daylight left. Where had the afternoon gone?
"We're stopping to make camp?" Aro half-asked, half-stated, back to his usual stoic composure.
Jules nodded as Pazil led them to the side of the road, where a campsite was maintained specifically for the caravan's weekly trips. Grateful for the chance to stretch, he dismounted Suki and walked her to where the other horses were tethered. Aro did the same with his horse.
The caravan's crew quickly got to work setting up camp and building a fire. Jules stood to the side, remembering from the trip up that they neither required nor wanted help. Aro, looking as much a spare wheel as Jules felt, excused himself to go wake Anala.
Jules nodded and attended to the needs of his horse, who nuzzled him affectionately. "At least I have you, girl," he said, and she nickered softly in response.
Anala
Anala woke with a start and rolled onto her back, listening for a cause of her arousal. The wagon had stopped moving; the rocking no longer lulled her to sleep.
For as long as she could remember, the gentle rocking movement of a ship or wagon had always been relaxing. She did not know why. Her first extended ocean voyage had been to the Battle of Voco in 4015, as far as she could remember. She'd asked her parents about it, but as on so many other topics, they'd remained silent.
She heard a step outside the small room she occupied, and a soft knock on the door. Recognising Aro's knock, she merely waited. A moment later, he slid back the door and entered, crouching to avoid bumping his head on the ceiling.
"You're awake," he said with mild surprise. She smiled at him.
"Just now, ye ken. I reckon we've stopped to make camp?"
He nodded. She sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bunk. "Did ye get no rest?" She noted that he looked as tired as when they'd first joined the caravan.
He shook his head and sat beside her. "I spent the afternoon bonding with Jules, actually."
Anala looked at him sharply. Had he mentioned the details of their trip? How far could they trust anyone in the first regiment? Seeing her face, he gave a brisk shake of his head. "I told him nothing of import. Just said we tired of city living in Aeril and so went camping by the lake."
Anala nodded, mollified. That was both true and safe enough for Jules to know.
Aro looked at her sidelong. He could tell her thoughts. "I know it's foolish, but I want to feel we can trust Jules." Anala desperately wanted to agree but, with their lives hanging in the balance, she wanted no errors in judgment.
"I'll leave it to you to decide, Anala. I can't always follow my foolish feelings." He smiled, reached a hand up to cup her cheek gently, and let his lips meet hers in a tender kiss. "Even if they yield such rewards as this," he finished. Then Anala was wrapped up in his arms as he kissed her passionately. She yielded to the sensations of his exploratory hands on her back, to their entrained breathing, to the scent of him which remained sweet to her even after a few days on the road. Her senses overwhelmed her and she twined her arms around his neck to keep her balance.
Their bodies were pressed together, heat and urgency rising in both of them. Aro's mouth moved to her neck and then slowly and gently down to the tiny hollow at the base, where he lingered for a moment. His hands moved to her front and his skilled fingers caressed her through her shirt, the texture of the fabric adding pleasure as it rubbed against her skin. Anala closed her eyes and bit her lip, not knowing if she could take much more before yielding completely.
Loud footsteps up the wagon ladder signalled the end of their privacy. In one smooth movement Aro was on his feet and helping her to rise. She straightened her hair and shirt and stepped out of the cabin into the wagon's main area, where she came face to face with Jules.
"Oh!" he said, smiling. "You're up. I trust you slept well?" She sensed various meanings behind his words: more than a medic's concern, there was a desire for friendship in his tone. Anala nodded and smiled back at him, keeping Aro's suggestion about trusting Jules close at heart. It was too early to decide but she sensed honesty and knew it was worth considering. "Well camp's been made; so whenever you're ready to join us...."
"Out of curiosity, what are the camp sleeping arrangements?" Behind her, Aro stepped out of the sleeping cabin.
"They've pitched a few two-woman tents at the edge of the shelter, or you can throw your sleep sack down by the fire. Your choice," the medic said as he exited the wagon.
Aro shrugged and looked down at Anala lovingly. "Shall we, Sweet?"
Anala, her hand in his, smiled beatifically up at him. Making sure no one could see them, she kissed him briefly and sweetly before squeezing his hand and leaving the wagon.
Aro
There were three tents set up at the edge of the shelter, where it would be colder and unprotected from possible rain, and space for several sleeping sacks close to the warmth of the blaze. The protection of the shelter's high roof kept the ground mercifully dry.
Aro went to their horses and relieved them of their equipment before giving each horse a quick rubdown and some feed and water. He noticed Jules' mare was missing from the group, and looked around to see Suki reclining peacefully some distance from the fire, Jules' sleeping sack laid out beside her.
That was one way to keep warm on a winter's night. But I prefer my own personal method, he thought, spotting Anala.
After their somewhat longer stay in Two-Sides, Anala had grown weary of cities and wanted to disappear. Aro had agreed wholeheartedly. They decided to venture to the Lake and the cabin there, heading west before
entering Eastwood and traveling close to the Blood Mountains, where the trees grew thinner. It was safer from treecats. They didn't rest much and so made good time to the Lake, and found time enough to sleep once there.
~
The cabin was dusty, but in good repair, much to Aro and Anala's delight. Well past sunset, the last thing they wanted to do after the long day's ride was fix up an old, unused cabin.
A stable around the side held feed for horses. Aro rubbed down their mounts while Anala took their packs inside to set up their sleeping sacks and get a fire going. A minute later she exited the cabin. "There'd be only the one bed, Aro."
Aro shrugged. "I'll sleep on the floor."
Anala shook her head and Aro could see exactly where the conversation was going. He ended the argument before it began. "I know you think a bellica is bound to take care of her troops, especially her second, even if it means compromising her own care, but the flip side is that the major makes sure the bellica doesn't over-extend herself. Either you take the bed or we share but you're not sleeping on the floor." He gave her a stern glare.
She rolled her eyes and disappeared back into the cabin.
Aro shook his head and concentrated on finishing his task in the darkness outside before rejoining Anala inside. A fire was roaring and both sleeping sacks were set up on the bed. Aro smiled inwardly. They'd had the same argument in both Aeril and Two-sides, and he'd won both of those as well. Anala's stubbornness endeared her to him all the more, no matter how vexing it could be.
She was going through their food pack. Their supplies looked really low. He stretched and sighed. "Looks like tomorrow is reserved for hunting," Anala agreed silently. She was already in her sleeping clothes, he noticed, and swaying on her feet. "Alright, Sleepy deSleepera, time for bed." He gestured to the bunk. She gave him a look he couldn't decipher (but figured it meant she thought him crazy) and crawled into her sleep-sack willingly.
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