Robin grinned at the guard. “Don’t let Java hear you say that. She’s the jealous type.” Distantly, Robin heard screaming and the sound of something like an ax hitting wood.
A guard on top of the gate looked down and grinned. “She’s trying to cut down the pells with a wooden sword.”
The guard on the ground looked up and grinned back. “Better the pells than one of us.”
Robin was almost frantic. “Please! I have to go to her.”
“Sorry, sweeting, but we have our orders. Java, she’s one of us, but you aren’t. Let her get it out of her system. In the meantime, what happened? We heard the commotion, but not the details.” The guard looked Robin in the eye, her face serious.
Robin told the story, not leaving out any detail. By the time she was finished, the guards were angry as well. “Damn, I know those boys. Worthless! But their pa? He’s a mean one. If Java sentenced those two to prison, there’s trouble brewing. Bad trouble.”
“Trouble for him. Java meant what she said, and she has the power to enforce it. She can throw him off his land if he tries to interfere. She might just call on the Guard to enforce it. Or on you, per your contract with Duke Arten.” Robin looked at the guards and watched them consider her words.
“She could at that. Oh, what a mess.” Looking up, she caught the attention of the other guard. “Is she still at it?”
“Yes, and she just broke her third sword. She seems to be slowing down.” The guard grinned as she looked down.
“Well, at least she’s not breaking anything important. Like her hands.” The guards laughed, and Robin scowled, but there was nothing she could do but wait. She’d never taken the oaths to become a Firewalker anymore than Sam or the triplets had.
Finally, after what seemed like hours, Java stalked out of the gate and into Robin’s waiting arms. “I want to kill those people,” she whispered.
“No, you don’t. You’re just upset, and angry. You are going down there and see to the welfare of your people, all of them. The immigrants are going to need your backing more than ever now.” Robin held Java’s hands.
“Robin, how could they do that to those people?” Java collapsed in Robin’s arms, crying softly.
“They just don’t understand. They don’t want to understand. They just want the problem to go away,” Robin said softly.
“Well, it won’t go away, and neither will I.” Java straightened herself up and wiped the tear streaks from her face. “Let’s go have a conference with the good mayor.”
Robin nodded and mounted Spice. Java slipped up on to Sugar’s bare back and led off, heading into town. Mayor Grendalstone was in his store when they found him.
“Princess Java, please, let me explain…” he began, but Java cut him off.
“No, let me explain,” she snarled through clenched teeth. “As of now, those people are my wards. Anyone who attacks them is attacking me and will be dealt with accordingly.” Her eyes were cold as she spoke, driving the mayor back. “Tell me, Mayor, how long have there been incidents like that?”
“Well, Princess Java, at first the people that came here were all right, just tired and frightened. Lord Darby put a lot to work on the estate. But we could only absorb so many. Then we ran out of things for them to do. But they just kept coming.” Mayor Grendalstone wrung his hands, staring at Java.
“So you let thugs like those two run them off? Where were they supposed to go?” Java asked in a slightly more restrained voice.
“We didn’t know. All we knew was that we didn’t have a place for them here. Princess Java, it may not have been a good thing to do, but most of them moved on without any trouble.” Mayor Grendalstone looked at the floor, obviously ashamed.
“Frander chased them out of their homes, and you chased them out of their refuge. Gods Below, Kellem! What are they supposed to do? He’s a blacksmith, she’s a seamstress. They’re skilled people. People who took years to learn their trades. Do you think Gordal likes living like this? Look at him, look into his eyes. He wants to work, but he can’t because no one will give him work to do. Cinsha as well. They’re proud people, people who want to make their own way, but all you can do is chase them away.” She shook her head and covered her face with her hands. Taking a deep breath, she again looked into the mayor’s eyes. “Mayor Grendalstone, I will be seeing to the welfare of Gordal and his family personally.” A disturbance outside the window drew all of them, and Mayor Grendalstone shook his head.
“That’s Hunter Massen, the boys’ father. Are you ready for a storm, Princess Java?” he asked, looking Java in the eye.
Java’s smile was evil as she considered her course of action. “Oh, yes. Very ready,” she said softly, causing Mayor Grendalstone to shiver.
“Who in the hells tied up my boys!?” Hunter was shouting, waving his arms in the air. “Who did it? Come on out and take your lumps. You all know better than to mess with us.”
“I did, and I sentenced them to five years in the Duke’s Prison,” Java said from Mayor Grendalstone’s porch. “If you interfere, I’ll seize your land and jail you as well.”
“Just who in the hells are you?” Hunter looked Java up and down, sneering.
“I’m Princess Java.” She smiled as her name registered.
“I don’t care who you claim to be. No one messes with my boys, is that understood? No one.” He stuck his chin out belligerently as Java walked up.
“Oh? And why is that?” Java asked with a sweet and sincere smile.
“Because I’ll break any man who does in half,” Hunter answered, looking for fear in Java’s eyes, but not finding it.
“And what if it’s a woman? I sentenced them to prison. If you make any move to free them, you go too, and you forfeit your lands.” Java smiled again as her words registered with Hunter.
“Look you, I don’t care who you think…” he reached out and grabbed for Java’s collar as he spoke, but he never finished his sentence.
Java used her training in hand-to-hand combat and slammed Hunter’s face into the ground. “No, you look,” she hissed in his ear. “Look at the dirt beneath your nose, Hunter. If you don’t want to call the road your home, stand down.” She shoved his head down, banging his nose on the road. Standing, she stepped quickly back.
Hunter wiped blood from his face as he sat up. “You don’t mess with my family, bitch,” he said softly. “No one does.” Before he could say more, Java put a knife in the ground between his legs. As he sat and stared at it, she smiled.
“I’m a Firewalker Scout, and your overlord. You will address me with respect. Is that understood?” she asked softly, flipping a second knife in her hand. “One more word out of you, and you are dispossessed. One more incident between your family and any of the refugees, and you’re jailed.”
Hunter glared at her, then glanced at the knife. He’d lived in Linkville his entire life, and he’d seen the damage that a scout on a tear could do. Easing back away from the knife, he stood, glaring at her.
“Return to your farm, Hunter, while you still have one,” Mayor Grendalstone said from Java’s side. “I don’t think the lady is impressed or frightened by you.” Hunter turned and stomped away, pushing his way through the crowd. “Princess Java, I hate to say it, but that isn’t the last you’ll hear from Hunter Massen.”
Java smiled thinly. “No, I suppose not. But he’d better come prepared to die next time.” She turned away, ignoring the startled look in the mayor’s eyes. She picked up her knife, then left the mayor standing in the road and went to the inn to check on Gordal. She found him sitting in the same place she’d left him.
Kneeling at his side, she looked up into his face. “Gordal,” she asked softly, “would you like a beer?” At his nod, she signaled the serving girl for two beers.
“Lady, what am I going to do? My arm is broken, my wife and child hurt. What am I going to do?” Gordal’s voice was soft, but it carried his pain clearly to Java’s ears.
“You heal. Let me worry about everything else.
You heard what I told the innkeeper. You have that room indefinitely.” Glancing around, she saw Robin and waved her over. “Do you know a bone healing spell, Robin?”
Robin nodded and gently touched Gordal’s upper arm. He hissed as the spell wrapped his bones and held them together. Even accelerated healing took a long time for bones, but the magic would let him use his arm.
“There, that should help. It’ll still take a few weeks to fully heal, but you should be able to use it tomorrow. Just take it easy for a while.” Robin smiled as the pain faded and Gordal sighed.
“Thank you, Mage Robin. But what good does it do us? We have nowhere to go, and there’s nothing for us here. What are we to do?” He looked into Java’s eyes, his hopelessness plain to see.
Java looked at Robin, but she shrugged. Shaking her head, she patted his hand. “I don’t know, but we’ll think of something. There has to be a place that needs a blacksmith somewhere.”
CHAPTER 12: BUILDING ON ASHES
Never underestimate the resourcefulness of a good woman.
And don’t get in her way.
Master Scholar Prince Stavin Zel’Andral, “Errant Thoughts”
JAVA AND ROBIN WERE IN CONFERENCE with Mayor Grendalstone and the town council until late that night. No one could come up with a solution to the problem of Gordal and the other refugees, but several suggestions were made. Morning found Java sending a message to Duke Arten.
Arten, I have found things in Link County to be very different from what I expected. There are problems here involving the refugees. They are problems that I believe we, as caretakers of the duchy, must address. I would like to institute a survey of refugees and the towns of the duchy to see if we can match skills to needs. Presently, I am seeing to the welfare of a blacksmith and his wife, a seamstress. It would be a shame to see such skills wasted.
On a personal note, Robin and I have been having a grand time, for the most part. I’ve never traveled for pleasure before, and I’m finding the duchy more beautiful than I expected. We will be back in Whitehall as soon as we finish our business in Linkville.
With my respects,
Java
Duke Arten read Java’s note through a second time. “Well, this is a surprise. I didn’t think she’d become so quickly involved.”
Naria snorted and took the note. “And why not? She’s a scout. She’s used to looking at the big picture. I think she has a good idea, and we shouldn’t wait for her to get back before we start looking into it.”
“No, there I disagree. She needs to be involved in this, and it’s a way to turn her excess energies to a good purpose. I think, with your approval of course,” he smiled at Naria’s scowl, “we should let Java handle this as much on her own as she can.”
“Can she?” Naria asked, tilting her head to the side.
“Perhaps so, perhaps not. It’s a harmless enough task for her to try her hand at. She may very well surprise both of us.” Arten smiled as Naria considered his comment. And it is exactly what you would want if you were in her position. Mother and daughter indeed.
*
Java and Robin used some of their time to explore Java’s manor and estate. They found the manor house all but abandoned, with only a few people there. “I’ve never been up here before, Java. Lord Darby was a very private man and didn’t encourage people to come up.”
A man stepped from the shadows where he had been eavesdropping on Robin and Java. “Princess Java? I am Harran Lamb, Lord Darby’s butler. And yours, should you desire it.” Harran smiled and bowed to Java.
Java bowed back. “Thank you for staying on, Harran. Who else is still here?” she asked, looking about.
“Oh, most of the staff. There were never very many of us. My wife, Dora. She’s the cook.” He patted his ample belly and smiled. “And a good cook she is. Brandon Carstairs, the stableman, and his wife Annett, the maid. Oran Kelber, the groundskeeper, his wife Gale, also a maid, with their two sons, Will and Pel. Canin Pairsion, the shepherd. Are you staying, Princess Java? If so, we need to prepare your rooms.”
“Oh, no. Not for long at least. We came here to see Robin’s parents, and meet everyone on the estate. I like the estate, and I’m pleased by the way you’ve taken care of things.” She looked around and sighed. “I won’t be able to spend much time here. Not for a while at least. Don’t go to any fuss on our account.”
“Princess, you said Robin’s parents? This isn’t Barris and Terri’s girl Robin, is it?” he was looking curiously at Robin and she smiled.
“Yes, it’s me, Harran. How are you?” Robin smiled and came forward to claim a hug.
“But, Robin, you ran off to be a mage? What are you doing back, and with Princess Java?” Harran asked, disbelief clear in his tone.
Robin laughed again. “I am a mage, Harran. A Master Mage. Java was my patrol leader in Greencastle, and we’re friends. I’m staying here with her to help her try and adjust to being a lady.”
Harran’s eyebrows contracted. “I don’t understand.”
Java stepped forward, placing a hand on Harran’s arm. “My father is Lord Ahern’s butler at an estate called Equintain, up in Hillsboro County.”
Harran looked at Java, regarding her closely. “Your father is a butler, Princess Java? But, how? I’m afraid I still don’t understand.”
Robin took Harran by the arm and led him over to a chair. “Java was ennobled because she rescued Duchess Samantha of Lender’s Dale and became her guardian. Before that she was a Firewalker Scout, and still prefers to be treated as one. We’re staying with my parents, so there’s no need to go to any fuss for us. It would be wasted.”
Harran sighed and shook his head. “No one told us, princess. All we knew of you was that you were from up north, and had been given the county as a reward for bravery. I’m afraid I didn’t know what to expect.”
Java laughed, looking around. “Don’t expect much. I’m much more the merc than the lady. I’ll probably be back in the spring, if they don’t send me back to Greencastle before then. I have lands there to administer as well.”
“Yes, Princess Java. Princess Java, I don’t know what to say. I am pleased to meet you, of course, but you’re not anything like what I expected.” Harran was sitting in the chair looking bewildered when his wife came in.
“Harran, who’s this? You’re supposed to be preparing for Princess Java to arrive,” Dora Lamb scolded her husband.
“Dora, this is Princess Java. And young Robin, Barris and Terri’s girl.” Harran levered himself out of the chair and took his wife by the arm. “Princess Java, this is my wife, Dora.”
Dora looked closely at Java, then Robin, then at her husband. “Really?” she asked softly.
Java laughed. “Really. Robin and I came up to see the manor, but we won’t be staying. We’re probably going to head back to Whitehall in a day or three. We really only came here to see Robin’s parents.”
Harran led Java and Robin on a guided tour of the manor. Java was awed by her suite, and shared a giggle with Robin over the size of the bed. Lord Darby had had a reputation for being something of a lecher. The rest of the staff were all pleased to meet Princess Java, but obviously not prepared to meet Scout Java. Robin and Java told their story time and time again, finally reaching all her people.
*
Duke Arten’s reply reached them after fifteen days. Java had spent her time learning everything she could about her estate, and instituting some minor changes. Mayor Grendalstone approved of the changes and agreed to continue running things until she could stay and take over. He confessed that there really wasn’t much to it. Java’s estate ran itself, and all he had to do was act as judge occasionally and collect and pay the taxes.
Java, you have a good idea. Take your time getting back and have fun. There are letters for you from Samantha and Marta, plus a few from people with names we don’t recognize.
When you get back, you may institute your idea with any help you need. In any case, you must be back before
Mid-Winter. You have an obligation to attend the celebration as heir.
Love,
Arten & Naria
Java read Duke Arten’s note and smiled, handing it to Robin. Robin’s grin grew as she read it. “Well, they like your idea. We already have a list for Link County. I can’t believe no one did this before. To think that Millington has been in need of a blacksmith and Gordal was sitting here idle.” Robin shook her head.
“Yes, and Mayor Grendalstone won’t let that sort of mistake happen again.” Java laughed. It had only taken three days to find a place where Gordal was needed, even if Cinsha wasn’t. At least he was supporting his family again, and in the future a seamstress might be needed. Java had provided money and transportation to get them there, and a purse to get them started, and she had already received a letter of thanks from Millington’s mayor.
“Are we ready to move on?” Robin asked, looking at Java.
“Are you ready?” Java asked back, looking at Robin closely. “We came here to see your parents and home. Have you seen enough?”
“Yes,” Robin said softly. “I’m afraid I’ve changed too much to ever be happy here again.”
“Then we’ll leave tomorrow. Tonight, I have my own plans.” Java’s grin was echoed by Robin. Robin’s parents might not approve of their sexuality, but they had put them up together.
Morning was full of tears and kisses all around. Robin hugged her parents hard, kissing them both dozens of times. Java got her fair share of hugs and kisses, though Barris was more restrained with her than with Robin.
“You two be careful out there. It’s winter, and there are still bandits on the road.”
“We know, Daddy. We’ll be careful. Our next stop is Covingham. It’s only two days’ ride.” Robin grinned and kissed her father one more time.
As they rode out, Robin kept looking back and waving. “Gods, Java, it felt good to be home again, but it feels good to be on the move again too. I don’t know what it is about you, but you make me want to get going all the time.”
“It isn’t me, Robin: It’s the idea. We have something to do now, something that needs our attention. We’re needed again. Gods Above, I need to be needed. I didn’t realize it before, not until Gordal needed me to be there for him. The way the command needed me, the way Sam and the triplets needed me. I need that.” She was staring up into the sky, watching a hawk circle, so she missed Robin’s hurt look.
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