by K. F. Breene
Marc shivered as he glanced at the open window in time to see Eloise’s large bust. His legs went limp, dropping him down to the dirt. She had been bending to put another pie in the window. If he had been in sight, she would’ve noticed him. The woman was too observant by half.
How the hell were they going to do this?
Marc rose up again, finding Leilius across the yard looking in his direction.
He lifted his eyebrows and widened his eyes. Well? What should we do now?
Leilius lifted his eyebrows, brought an open hand up, and shook everything.
That wasn’t even sign language. It was gobbledygook. Couldn’t Marc have been paired with Xavier or someone who always took charge? It would’ve made things so much easier.
Marc shook his head and mouthed, “What?”
Leilius stared at him. He scrunched his brow and put a hand to his ear.
“I can’t yell it, you freaking idiot,” Marc muttered. He glanced at the window. Empty apart from the two pies. They needed to hurry. Eloise only let her baked goods rest for a short time before she took them away in anticipation of serving them to the ladies’ luncheon.
Marc waved Leilius toward the open window before he dropped back down and started creeping closer. He’d follow the hedge until it met the wall, then he’d climb over, out of sight, and continue close to the ground until he was under the window. After that, it was lift, snatch, and run. Easy.
A queasy feeling swirled Marc’s stomach. He hoped timing was going to be on his side.
At the wall he peered over the hedge again. Seeing the way was clear, he scrambled over as quickly and quietly as possible. The branches bent and cracked. What was once a trimmed rectangle turned into a haphazard spray of green, the ends at all different angles.
Now he really couldn’t get caught.
A large thump came from the other side of the yard. Leilius scrambled toward the wall before bending down to check his leg. He must’ve caught it on the wooden fence.
He was their best spy?
Staying low, Marc half crawled before hunching under the window. Leilius met him there a moment later before nodding in acknowledgement and sliding down to his butt. Leilius put his palms toward the air and shrugged in a now what? type of way.
Marc pointed at him then pointed upward. You go.
Leilius waved his hands in front of him while vehemently shaking his head. He pointed to his eyes, and then ran his finger through the air, indicating he’d be lookout.
Of course he would, the coward.
Knowing they didn’t have time to debate it, and also that Leilius was as stubborn as a mule, Marc took a deep breath and turned so he was facing the house. Slowly, a fraction at a time, he rose. His legs started to burn almost immediately. Sweat dribbled down his forehead. He neared the ledge and paused, his knees shaking. Now or never.
As his eyes cleared the ledge, he saw a round face in the window staring at him.
“What are you doing, Marc?” Eloise asked in a deceptively calm voice. It was the voice someone who had a blade to his throat might use.
“Oh shit!”
Without thinking, only knowing he needed to complete the mission, he snatched the pie off the ledge and spun around. His legs pumped of their own volition, his feet slapping the ground in a harmony with Leilius’ panicked, harried breathing.
He reached the hedge and dove over, clearing it with room to spare. He landed on his side. The pie bounced out of his hands and tumbled onto the ground.
Leilius jumped over the hedge after him as Marc scrambled up and scraped the pie contents back into the ceramic dish.
“It’s ruined!” Leilius accused.
“No one said it had to be edible. We just had to get it.”
“We weren’t supposed to get caught. She said your name!”
“I panicked. What was I supposed to do?” Clumps of dirt and apples piled high in his wake, Marc took off at a jog. Looking back, he saw the blank face of someone that would soon make his life a living hell. “I should’ve left it there. S’am’s punishment only hurts for a few hours. Lord only knows what Eloise will do to us.”
“Those boys!”
Shanti stifled her smile, feeling Marc and Leilius scamper away from the house in terror as Eloise bustled into the living room with one pie and a surly expression. The older woman, the loudest voice in the Women’s Circle, looked around the room with thunder in her eyes. Her gaze settled on Shanti. She pursed her lips, obviously suspecting Shanti of putting the boys up to their mischief.
Rohnan leaned away from Shanti with a grim expression.
“Hmm.” Slowing down, her expression turning contemplative, Eloise put the pie on the small table between the couches amid the half-dozen gathered women and Rohnan. She straightened back up, eyeing the small plates and utensils placed strategically on the surface for the sake of appearances. “Molly, we need the tea.”
“Yes, of course.” Molly bustled into the kitchen.
“Which boys?” Valencia, the women who was equally skilled at killing pigs and Graygual, glowered. “Because yesterday my gardening equipment went missing and I had to pull weeds with my bare hands. If I find out who was messing with my things…”
“But yesterday was your gardening day,” Tabby said with a furrowed brow. “I can’t imagine someone could’ve grabbed them out from under your nose. Maybe they’re just under the leaf pile. You know you tend to let your mind drift and—”
“I checked under the leaf pile!” Valencia glowered at the room in general. “I remember distinctly.” She ticked off a finger. “I cleared away the petunias.” Another finger. “I planted that pretty, leafy plant—I can’t remember the name, but you remember, the one that blooms that pretty pink flower in the spring?” The ladies nodded and murmured. “I went to get the watering can, and when I came back, they were gone. Vanished. Someone must’ve taken them!”
Shanti’s lips tweaked upward and her eyes sparkled. That would’ve been Xavier and Gracas. Impressive. They were really coming along.
“I think you should check the leaf pile again.” Tabby got up to help Molly set the tray of tea items on the table amid the baked goods.
“What went missing, Eloise?” Valencia asked, ignoring Tabby.
“Nothing.” Eloise lowered down into her chair. Her fingers tapped on the arm for a moment, making a steady rhythm. “Nothing. I’ll take care of it.” Her gaze skewered Shanti. “On to important matters. Our enlisted women have grown more than twice since the battle. I’ve given orders for them to be supplied with bows, as you’ve suggested, but now what?”
“I have someone helping them with training,” Shanti said, kicking away her bulbous skirt from around her legs.
She’d been invited to attend this meeting under the condition that she wore a dress, as befitted Cayan’s wife. Since she was not Cayan’s wife, and didn’t want to go, she’d refused.
The invitation had been amended. As the woman giving commands alongside Cayan, she was required to go, for the good of the city. But she would still need to wear the dress.
She’d then amended her refusal: wearing a dress would prevent her from reacting quickly if anything should go wrong during the hourlong meeting.
If it hadn’t been for Molly shadowing her for two days, explaining the importance of meeting with the Women’s Circle and how her refusal would look on Cayan, Shanti would’ve ignored Eloise’s assurances that in no way would the dress interfere with anything that could possibly happen.
The woman was as tenacious as mold on old cheese.
“Yes. I heard about Mela’s instruction.” Eloise pursed her lips again. “Even so, she is a great resource.”
“It got me out of messing around with bows and arrows.” Fabienne looked down at her splayed hands. “I have blisters.”
“That’s because you don’t do anything,” Valencia said with a sniff.
“Is that right?” Fabienne leaned to the side enough to put a fist to her hip. “You don’
t think I work my tail off to—”
“Ladies, enough!” Eloise took a cup of tea from Molly. She looked at Shanti. “We all want to make sure the women who want to be trained will be.”
“I cannot make that guarantee,” Shanti said matter-of-factly.
The room fell silent. Rohnan shifted uncomfortably.
“Please explain,” Eloise said in a level voice.
A shiver raced up Shanti’s spine. She now realized why Sanders gave these women a wide berth. An enemy running at her with a knife was much more appealing than this near-silent threat.
Shanti matched Eloise’s tone. “We will only train those with potential. Just like with the men in the army, those who don’t have sufficient ability to learn will be given a different task.”
“But your Honor Guard, as you call them, were nearly sent to the mines.” Eloise sipped her tea calmly. “If it hadn’t been for you, we would never have seen their skill. Yet you are not training the women. What if they are passed over because a blind man judged their worth? Or worse, a man who only saw a woman…”
“Sanders doesn’t just see women.” Shanti sipped her tea. Then grimaced. It was awful stuff. “But since he is too easily pushed around by your city’s women, I’ve put my people on it. They are great judges of talent.”
“Why are you training them out in the middle of nowhere?” Valencia asked.
“We need to pick those who have potential, train them to a reasonable level, then move them over to the larger army. I didn’t want grown women learning beside boys. That would reflect poorly on the women.”
“Most of the army is okay with women learning to fight,” Rohnan said in his musical voice. It had the pleasing benefit of defusing the growing tension. “They understand that they need as much help as possible to protect the city. Those that object are doing so loudly, however. It’s best to bring the women into the fold only when they can make the loudest statement.”
“What about when you leave?” Tabby asked from the back of the room. “What happens to us?”
Shanti kicked at her dress again. “We’re not sure who’s going yet, but a few commanders as well as some of the Shadow will be left behind. As Rohnan said, everyone understands how valuable capable fighters are when it comes to defending the city. Women as well as men. When needed, the women will be used. I guarantee it.”
“Fine, fine.” Eloise stretched out her leg with a pained expression. She settled back and took a sip of her tea. “Let’s move on to other matters. We’ve had some problems with nudity in the city.” Eloise looked at Shanti over the rim of her cup.
“I apologize.” Shanti shook her head at Molly’s proffered piece of pie. “They know the rules, but occasionally they forget.”
“Now, I don’t mind an attractive, nude male body—let’s get that right,” Fabienne said. “The issue is, we have to maintain some sort of decorum or else everyone will think nudity is the way to go. And we have more unattractive bodies in this city than attractive ones…”
“I think you’re focusing on the wrong part of this problem,” Eloise said.
“The problem is, the men are going to be standing around, gawking, and grabbing themselves,” Molly offered. “You know, if it’s a woman who’s naked.”
“No— Well, partially, yes, but that still isn’t exactly…” Eloise scratched her head.
“Young girls don’t need to see saggy balls.” Fabienne nodded at Shanti. “It could traumatize them.”
“That’s not—” Eloise stared at Fabienne.
“It’s just not our custom, is that what you’re trying to say, Eloise?” Tabby asked.
“Having women in the army isn’t our custom, but we’re pushing for that,” someone in the rear of the living room said. “I say let the attractive young men be naked. Old farts like my mister wouldn’t wander around with his tackle out. I don’t think we need to worry about that.”
“It isn’t just the men who go around with their bits uncovered, though.” Valencia turned on the couch to look back at the speaker.
“I don’t mind getting a little air under my dress,” someone else said quietly. “I’d try going nude. It would be liberating.”
“You’d sag to the floor!”
“So?”
“Think of the children!” someone else shouted.
“Ladies, ladies!” Eloise rolled her eyes. “You are completely missing the point.”
“Until you resolve this, I’ll have a word with them,” Shanti said, trying to hide her smile. She would laugh in Sanders’ face if these women decided nudity should be more freely expressed.
“Fine—”
“Put this on the table for discussion, though,” someone cut off Eloise.
“You are too old for running around without a top.”
“Ladies!” Eloise scoffed. “Of all the things to get worked up about.” She took a deep breath as the room filled with the sound of shifting fabric and heavy breathing. “Now,” Eloise said when things had settled. “The next order of business is the Captain’s proposal. Where do you stand on that?”
“So romantic,” someone sighed.
“It’s not romantic to bring it up at a Circle meeting,” Valencia said with raised eyebrows.
“Did she refuse him?” someone asked from the back.
Shanti shifted, feeling something niggle at her awareness. Suddenly a blast of warning ripped through her mind. One of the Shadow sentries was sounding the alarm.
“I have to go!” Shanti jumped up and immediately stepped on the hem of her dress. She staggered, clutching Rohnan, who was there in a moment. “Get me out of this thing.”
Heart racing, fear tingling her fingers from memories of the past, she made herself stand still while Rohnan peeled her out of the expensive dress. Underneath she had a tight top and leggings, garments that would allow her to fight without being overly restrained under the dress.
“What’s happening?” Eloise asked as she heaved her body upward.
“Someone is in our lands.” Shanti kicked off the slippers and raced toward her sack at the door before ripping out her boots. “I should be halfway out there by now, not trying to get dressed.”
“Point made,” Eloise said somberly.
Rohnan, who had also been required to dress up, stripped off the silk top and pushed down his trousers.
“Now this I don’t mind,” one of the women said.
“Let’s go!” Shanti said through gritted teeth as another pop of warning blared through her mind. “There’s more than one.”
“I feel it.” Rohnan snatched up his sword and strapped it on as Shanti opened the door.
They raced out as Shanti pinpointed where everyone was. Her people were running toward whichever one of the city gates they were nearest to. Shadow did likewise, feeling the urgency and taking up their posts. She could feel Cayan’s anxiety, aware of what was happening but having to rely on speech to get his men in position.
Another warning blasted. “Flak!” Shanti said, veering right.
“Where are you going?” Rohnan kept pace.
“Horses…” Her breath came out in fast puffs. “They can…run faster…than we can.”
The first foreign mind solidified in Shanti’s consciousness as the cobblestone of the street ended and became torn-up dirt. The smell of horses assaulted her nose. She ripped open the stall to the Bloody Bastard as Sonson ran in behind her.
“Should we turn loose the beasts?” he asked, running toward his horse.
“Will they run rampant around the city?” Shanti launched a foot over her horse’s back and scrambled on. There was no time to saddle up.
“Tunston has been working diligently to train them where to exit the city. He’s confident.” Another gate squealed as Sonson went after his horse. “Those cats, though…”
Shanti locked on to the strange mind in her range, waited for more, and was immediately rewarded with another two. “The cats will wait for Cayan and I, I have no doubt.”
; She was lying. She had a lot of doubt.
“Leave the beasts for now. There are only three. We aim to capture, not kill.”
More Shadow, and now the army started to file in. Shanti felt others running outside of the city, getting into position to surround the intruders.
“This is not an attack,” Rohnan said for Sonson’s benefit as he climbed on his horse. “This is Xandre’s way of collecting information. He has no problem sending men in, even though, toward the end, he rarely received any back.”
“He’s talking about before the battle that ended our way of life,” Shanti said, clutching her horse’s mane. He pranced impatiently. “We waited for them to come with force. We cannot make that mistake again. We need to leave before it’s too late. Hopefully these men can give us information about Xandre’s plans.”
“They never have before,” Rohnan said quietly.
“Yaw!” Shanti dug her heels into the horse’s flank. The animal lurched into motion, his power and speed jolting Shanti backward.
“Bloody…hell.” She gripped with her knees and adjusted her balance, feeling the horse’s speed pick up to almost alarming levels. “No, no!” She clutched the coarse hair in her fists as she tried to steer around a corner. The horse’s hooves clattered and skidded, the animal stumbling before it righted again. “Too fast for— Look out!”
A woman screeched as she hustled out of the way. Others in the busy street ran to the sides, shock or disgruntlement on their faces. The Women’s Circle would no doubt put this on their agenda.
The open gate loomed in sight. Men stood around the chain, ready to close the doors and secure it if they received the command. “Now run, you bloody horse!” Shanti dug her heels into its flanks and leaned forward.
With a burst of speed, the horse rushed through the gates, stretching its legs and putting distance between it and those behind her. She held on for dear life, her jaw clenched tight, fighting for control.
Another mind came within her range. Like a vivid dream, Shanti clearly remembered the type of mind she felt. Cunning and analytical, he was a quick thinker but slow mover, plotting his way forward with careful steps. It was Xandre’s ideal type for recovering information—he was making plans. They were a lot closer to battle than she’d realized.