by Trish Mercer
Mahrree shook her head as she put another dish in the wash basin. “Now they’ve got him pressuring us, and they barely sent the invitation—”
“Mother, you don’t understand. He wants me to go to Idumea. With him. Alone.”
Jaytsy had never seen a mother bear before. But she’d heard stories about what they look like when someone steps between them and their cubs. Mahrree Shin must have worn the exact same look.
“WHO DOES HE THINK HE IS?” she bellowed.
Jaytsy put a finger in her ear and wiggled it dramatically. “A little louder, Mother, and he can probably hear you. He’s on his way to the fort now—”
Mahrree threw down her washing cloth and started for the door.
Jaytsy leaped in front of her. “No! Mother! Stay! Stop!”
Mahrree stopped reluctantly and put her hands on her hips. “How dare he assume he can take my daughter, alone, to Idumea!”
Jaytsy took her mother’s shoulders and gently steered her back into the kitchen. “So I’m guessing the answer is no? I was really hoping you’d say yes—”
Mahrree’s mouth fell open.
Jaytsy shook her head. “I’m joking, only joking!”
“You have just as bad timing as your father!” Mahrree sat down resolutely on a chair, but she eyed the door with some level of planning in her furious eyes. “What did you say to him?”
Jaytsy moved to block her mother’s view of the door and to keep her from rushing up to the fort with the butcher knife lying on the work table. “He wants us to go because he thinks Father needs to make a good impression. Sounds like he’s not too fond of his own father and doesn’t have much confidence in him as a future High General. But if you don’t want to go, he said he’ll just take me. I told him I’d talk to you. So I’m talking.”
“And I’m NOT agreeing!” Mahrree was nearly purple.
“I knew you wouldn’t.” She sat next to Mahrree and put a heavy hand on her leg to keep her in the chair. Jaytsy thought briefly what her mother’s reaction would have been had she known what Thorne tried to do to her nine moons ago in the barn. She pictured bits of Lemuel Thorne scattered over several square miles of Idumea.
“Jaytsy, I thought he had forgotten about you since The Dinner two years ago. He hasn’t tried courting you or anything. But I guess he was just waiting.” Mahrree paused before asking, “It’s really none of my business but . . . well, yes it is! You are my daughter after all—do you have any feelings for him?”
Jaytsy laughed softly. “Only the worst, Mother.”
Mahrree sighed. “That’s what I thought, but I figured I better ask.” She paused again, some of her fury draining away. “So, speaking of young men, when does Deck come back from Mountseen?”
“Any day now, I suppose. He didn’t think his aunt and uncle would want him to stay away from his cows too long, but he was hoping to fix up their house a bit. They had problems with their windows leaking, and he wanted to spend some time with his cousin Atlee. They used to be as close as brothers in Moorland.”
“He’s such a good boy. Man. Umm—”
Jaytsy leaned against her mother. “I’ll agree with that.”
---
That evening Perrin sent Mahrree a message with a corporal that he wouldn’t be home for dinner, and it wasn’t until nearly bed time that he came through the door.
Mahrree was waiting for him on the sofa—Jaytsy and Peto already in their rooms for the night—antsy to tell him about Jaytsy’s run-in with Lemuel Thorne.
“Everything all right at the fort?”
“What? Oh, yes. Well, I wasn’t at the fort, really, for much of the time,” he said distractedly as he came into the gathering room, his face suspiciously cheerful.
“So where were you?”
“Doesn’t matter,” he brushed it off. “You look concerned.”
“I am. Perrin, we have a problem. Thorne wants to take Jaytsy to Idumea for The Dinner, even if we don’t go! Alone!”
For the past several hours she had been anticipating his response. When Colonel Perrin Shin was enraged—at others, not at his family or during a nightmare—it was a powerfully terrifying thing, and also a bit thrilling, she had to admit.
She’d pictured him roaring, marching to the eating table, retrieving the long knife he stashed in the secret drawer—the sword would be too obvious, he’d decide—and charging up to the fort.
She would have to stop him at that point, since there really wasn’t any basis for killing Captain Thorne just because he had inappropriate plans.
But once again all of her imagining and speculating as to how Perrin would react to someone wanting to take his daughter was all for naught.
He just smiled at his wife. “I don’t think we have a problem.”
That was it.
Not even a “He wants to do what?!” to begin his tirade, which didn’t occur. He just blinked several times and grinned.
“How can you say that?” she wailed. Just when she wanted him to lose his temper, he wouldn’t!
He looked around to make sure the bedroom doors were closed, and turned back to his wife, his eyes nearly on fire with excitement. “Time for you to learn some more of my and Shem’s signals.”
---
Jaytsy woke up extra early the next morning, the 51st Day of Raining Season. The sun wouldn’t be up for a while, but her father had knocked on her door late last night as he was going to bed. He told her that he noticed Deckett had come back, so he had stopped to check on him. Since it was so late, Deck didn’t want to come by the house and bother Jaytsy, but she would have stayed up all night to see him, had he asked. He wanted her to drop by to see him on her way to school, if she had the time.
She’d laughed at that. She’d give him all her time. Her final year of school wasn’t important anyway. She’d already passed the Final Administrative Competency Test last year with the highest marks, and just went for something to do since she wasn’t old enough for any women’s college.
When Jaytsy went to the washroom she was surprised to see her parents already up, and both wearing slightly unnatural smiles.
“Why are you up so early?”
They shrugged in unison.
“Felt like getting up early,” Mahrree said. “Needed to catch up on some grading.”
“Me too,” her father added lamely.
Her mother gave him a look that Jaytsy couldn’t define. It must have been one of Shem and Father’s silly codes. Jaytsy couldn’t understand why she encouraged their behavior by learning their game. Most of the time they looked like they were trying to wriggle itches off their faces.
When she came out of the washroom a few minutes later, her father snatched some of her mother’s papers and began reading them. Jaytsy just shook her head on her way to her bedroom and came back out in her thickest woolen dress and warm cloak.
“Going somewhere this early?” her mother asked, her voice a little high.
“Yes, remember? I was going to check on . . . Deck’s oldest cow. She seemed a little down lately. I think she misses him.”
Mahrree’s smile twisted. “Yes, yes. Deckett is most likely still asleep since he got in so late, so she doesn’t know he’s back. You go talk to that cow. Cheer her up.”
Perrin coughed into his mug and Mahrree slapped him on the back.
A loud knock at the back door surprised Jaytsy.
But Perrin stood up automatically, almost as if he was expecting it, and headed for the kitchen.
“Why, Deckett Briter! What a surprise. Yes, of course Jaytsy’s up. I think she was on her way to see your old cow.”
Jaytsy ran to the kitchen door and clenched her fists to keep from throwing her arms around Deck in front of her father. Five days had felt like five years.
Deck beamed at her. “Care to take a walk?”
The thought of taking a walk in the freezing cold of the dark early morning didn’t strike her as an unusual request at all. “Of course!” She gave her father a quick go
odbye kiss on the cheek. “I’ll be back before school, Mother.”
“Give my regards to the cow,” she called back.
---
Mahrree heard the door close and Perrin came back to the table. He sat down across from his wife with a spark in his eyes, and leaned in.
She leaned toward him as well, expecting one of his morning ‘greetings.’
She was not, however, expecting what he said next, in his low, dreamy voice, just as she began to pucker.
“So, how long do you think it’ll be until I get to start calling you grandmother?”
---
Jaytsy came home an hour later marching through the back door while holding firmly on to Deck’s hand—the rest of him following happily—and stopped at the table in the eating room where her parents still sat.
Peto looked up from his breakfast and groggily stared at them.
Beaming, Jaytsy shook Deck’s hand, as if some kind of signal.
Deckett cleared his throat. “Colonel Shin, Mrs. Shin? Jaytsy would like to tell you something,” and he smiled at Perrin.
Jaytsy gave Deckett the briefest of looks—apparently that wasn’t what they had rehearsed—before turning to her parents.
Their odd smiles from earlier were magnified on their faces. Mahrree squirmed with anticipation until she bounced in her chair.
Jaytsy’s mouth dropped open. “You already know! How could you already know? I just found out myself!”
“Know what?” Peto asked.
Deck glared, actually glared, at his future father-in-law. “Colonel Shin, you said last night you wouldn’t say a word.”
Perrin held up his hands. “I swear, I didn’t say a word.”
“Jaytsy, just say it!” Mahrree nearly screamed, her hands squeezing her cheeks in anticipation.
“We want to get married!” Jaytsy yelled.
“What!” Peto hollered. “Why?”
Mahrree was already on her feet rushing over to them. She couldn’t wait to hug her future son-in-law, who looked stunned as he put his arms around her and sent Perrin a look that said, Help?
Perrin laughed and went to hug his daughter instead.
But Peto just sat there, rubbing his eyes.
“That is, Father, if it’s all right with you and Mother?” Jaytsy remembered to say as she pulled out of his hug. “I mean, I’m not yet seventeen—”
Perrin kissed her on the cheek. “I told Deckett last night when we discussed this that I thought it’s an excellent idea. I’m sure your mother is happy as well.”
Mahrree finally released Deck. “Absolutely!”
“I told you they’d be all right with it,” Deck said shyly to Jaytsy.
She gave him a quick kiss on the lips and they both blushed.
That was too much for Peto. “Ah, no, NO! Come on! Deck, we were having fun. Even with her around. Why go and ruin it? I’m going back to bed,” and he started for his bedroom.
Deck chuckled. “I’m not ruining anything, Peto. How can becoming your brother ruin things?”
Peto stopped and sighed loudly. “Can you be my brother without kissing her in front of me?”
“I kind of like it. Sorry.”
Peto exhaled in resignation and held out his hand to Deck. “Whatever. Welcome to the family.”
Deck shook his hand and pulled him in for a hug.
“Don’t kiss me!” Peto yelled.
“Don’t worry!” Deck yelled back.
“Well at least someone’s surprised,” Jaytsy said, a little glumly, as her parents laughed.
Mahrree elbowed Perrin—he had spilled all the beans last night without saying a word—and he sent an apologetic glance to Jaytsy.
She brightened. “Uncle Shem! He doesn’t know! Right?” she glared at her father.
He shook his head.
“Deck, let’s go find him!”
“No, Jayts,” Perrin told her. “He’s been out all night training new recruits. Let him sleep. But I have an idea,” he smiled slyly. “We’ll invite him over for dinner so you can surprise him.”
“If you can keep it a secret, Colonel,” Deck teased.
Perrin pointed at him. “We have to stop that ‘colonel’ nonsense right now, Mr. Briter. My wife called my father General for as long as she knew him.”
“Almost as long,” Mahrree said.
Perrin gave her a questioning look, but she waved him off. “Anyway,” he continued, “I never cared for that. I’m not your colonel. Nor,” he said gently, “could I ever replace your father. I told you this before, but now I mean it: you’ll have to call me Perrin.”
Deckett cringed. “That may take me a while, sir. But I’ll try.”
“And no ‘sir’. And I’ll try to not to say anything to Shem.”
Mahrree had been bouncing in place for several minutes. “Do you have a date picked?”
Deck and Jaytsy looked at each other. “Day after my birthday, when I’m officially independent and seventeen,” Jaytsy said. “The 47th Day of Planting Season, 337.”
Mahrree sighed in relief. “Do you know what day that is?” she murmured loudly to Perrin.
“I do,” said Deckett, with uncharacteristic hotness. “And that captain can dance alone that night!”
“Deckett, Jaytsy,” Perrin said fighting down a mischievous grin as he thought about Lemuel Thorne looking vainly for Jaytsy at The Dinner when she was at her wedding instead, “perhaps we keep this news just to the family. Considering Thorne and everything—”
“We already talked about that too,” Jaytsy said. “We thought about getting married in Mountseen. Deck’s old rector moved there, and his aunt and uncle and cousin are there. And since you’re allowed to travel again, Father . . .”
“We could use the fort for the dinner,” Mahrree suggested. “I already know how to organize it! It’ll be nice organizing a dinner for uniforms again.” She didn’t add, Instead of feeding Edge.
Perrin grinned at her. “And why do I have the feeling there may be more uniforms in Mountseen than in Idumea that night?”
---
Knock-knock . . . knock-knock-knock.
Perrin really shouldn’t sigh so loudly, he knew. Someone might hear him.
Then again, maybe someone would and get the hint.
“Come in.”
The door opened and there was the toothy grin. “Sir, I just wanted to make sure that midday meal was satisfactory to you.”
Perrin sat back. “Midday meal, Thorne?”
“Yes, sir,” the captain stepped in. “I know you usually bring something from home. Mrs. Shin must be an excellent cook—”
Perrin’s chest began to puff up with another exasperated sigh.
“—but I noticed that today you ate in the mess hall.”
“I did.”
“With Lieutenant Offra and some other soldiers, sir?”
“Yes.” He slowly let out the breath or he would have exploded.
“So . . .” Thorne was hedging to know what they were talking about, but Perrin wasn’t about to bore him with his conversation with the young men about how to build their stamina. “You see,” Thorne continued when Perrin was silent, “we recently acquired a new supplier of beef—not Trum—and knowing how much you enjoy steak, I was hoping you found the beef to your satisfaction.”
“I had the leftover chicken stew.”
“Of course you would,” Thorne simpered. “Leaving the fresher meal to the men—”
“I like the chicken stew, Thorne, now without mushrooms.”
“Good, good! An army is only as happy as its stomach!”
“Came up with that all on your own, did you, Captain?”
Thorne swallowed. “Uh, yes sir? About the chicken . . . we’ve used the same chicken supplier for several years now, and—”
Perrin leaned forward and took up his quill again to suggest, I’m ready to get back to work, aren’t you? “The chicken supplier is fine. And the men seem to be enjoying the beef. If there’s nothing else?�
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Thorne shook his head. “Just making sure you’re completely satisfied, sir. That’s why I’m here.”
He shut the door behind him and Perrin exhaled.
“Of course that’s why you’re here. At least I’m satisfied you’re not about to become my son-in-law.”
And for the first time after a Thorney visit, Perrin chuckled.
Last night poor Deckett Briter had been more nervous than any man should have to be. He’d asked Perrin to sit down at the kitchen table, then paced around it. Because his hands didn’t know what to do without a hoe or an udder in them, they were everywhere gesturing stiffly, hiding themselves in Deckett’s pockets, and fumbling with his buttons.
“Sir, I need to speak to you about something very important. Rather, an important situation, I suppose . . .”
It always took him a few minutes to relax around Perrin. Until then Deckett treated his sentences like an indecisive farmer, cutting off bits here, pulling out something then burying it away again, and throwing weedy words everywhere.
Perrin settled in for the show.
“You see, sir . . . colonel, sir,” he said, even though Perrin reminded him yet again to call him by his first name, “I spoke to my uncle about this . . . Your daughter is an amazing young woman, who I respect greatly, and I believe we’ve formed a bit of a . . . I realize that I’m not exactly what you would have imagined for your daughter—”
Perrin had smiled at that. “You’re absolutely right.” But he stopped when he saw Deckett growing paler.
“Yes, sir. And I know I’m not as smart as she is . . . Did she tell you I had to take the Final Administrators’ exam twice to get into the university at Mountseen?”
“Deckett, you know how I feel about those exams. They don’t measure a person’s true worth—”
But Deckett had a speech prepared, and for a man not normally of many words, he had a lot he wanted to get out.
“I never could have got in to the University of Idumea like you. I’m not much of a speaker or talker or whatever, like you or Mrs. Shin.”