by Sandra Elsa
Conall stood and followed Bella into the cottage. She changed into her sleeping shift and as she pulled it over her head, she smiled to see him sitting there with his head turned away, a perfect gentleman. She got into bed and he curled up beside it, tucking his nose into his tail.
Much too soon she heard a pounding on the door and Robin yelled, “Rise and shine sleepy head," as she busted through the door. “Get dressed, everybody else is headed down to the mess hall already.”
Bella stumbled to the washbasin and splashed some of the cold water in her face, wide-awake, she hurried into her uniform. As she was changing she glanced around and saw Conall's tail sticking out from beside the bed. "Just stay there,” she thought at him, "I'll introduce you when I'm not in a hurry.”
"Yes dear,” he thought back at her and she knew he was grinning. "We haven't even lived together for twenty four hours and you're already giving orders.”
"Keep it up. I have not yet begun to nag you.”
Robin looked around the apparently empty room. "Your friend didn't get in last night?"
"Oh, he's here. I'll introduce you after breakfast."
They hurried down and met the last of the women coming out of the barracks. Robin hailed her, "Bethany!"
The woman stopped, "I thought everybody left me."
"I just had to go get Bella.”
Bethany took one look at Bella and said, “She’s the one Captain Torel decided to test isn’t she?” Bethany laughed. “The entire Guard, and every RA soldier garrisoned here is talking about that duel. Rumor claims there wasn’t enough of her for him to connect with.“ Twinkling eyes settled on Bella’s slight form. “Glad to see, sometimes rumors are true.”
Robin laughed, then said, “Bella, this is Bethany. She had duty yesterday so you didn’t get to meet her, but she's the one I told you would be the person to go to, to talk about history." With a roll of her eyes she continued, “And apparently she’s the one to see about the latest rumors as well.”
“I got it from the best source.” Bethany’s eyes sparkled with glee.
“You won’t be happy ‘til you tell us, so you might as well go ahead. How does somebody on Palace duty hear the latest gossip?”
“Well I did hear something already before I went to pull duty, but I heard the tale straight from the Royals’ mouths as they ate supper. Colin brought it up in a snide remark. His Majesty trounced him. Told him he was sure that if she beat Torel, Colin wouldn’t last beyond the first exchange.”
Bella was mortified to find she’d been the topic of discussion at the Royal dinner table.
Bethany wasn’t about to be put off by Bella’s horrified look. “Young Colin then had a comment about Torel taking food to his cottage. Asked him, if he couldn’t beat her was he going to bed her. I’ve never seen Torel turn on Colin for his stupid remarks before. Everybody knows Colin’s a wastrel. Nobody takes him serious.”
Excitement shown in Bethany’s face. “But this time, I thought Torel was going to kill Colin for that remark. Swore he would never consider bedding someone in his command.” As an aside Bethany said, “Not that many of us would argue if he looked our way. Unfortunately, Torel is far too professional for that.”
Not about to stray from her story she continued, “Colin choked. He didn’t know Corporal Gunter had been assigned to the King’s Guard, he was just making trouble as usual. He was doubly trounced when His Majesty spoke up again. ‘Colin‘ he says, ‘What you don‘t know certainly makes you a danger to yourself. Your brother has asked permission to carry a meal to the young corporal’s weapons instructor. A man he’s been anxious to meet since yesterday morning. The person in question has spent a good deal of time as a recluse because of some physical abnormality.’”
Bethany paused as they passed another cluster of Guards. “Torel colored up a bit at that, so I‘m guessing something wasn‘t quite square there, but when his Majesty continued and said ‘Perhaps if you can’t learn manners, Colin, it‘s time you visit your brother at the end of the world.’ That boy turned white as a sheet. Stammered out an apology for his rudeness and begged to be excused. He never did get along with Dradin. Dradin was the only one who ever tried to make something out of him.”
Robin turned to Bella, “So how about it? What didn’t Torel tell his father about your weapons instructor. Or is there a weapons instructor?”
Wide eyes and eager ears awaited anything she might pass to them as gossip. One thing Bella had been set straight on right away had been the fact that any gossip gathered on duty stayed within the Guard. It only took one Guard returning to the RA to convince the rest that this was a rule Torel meant to not be broken. She didn’t know if the rule applied to other things best kept within the Guard so until she had time to check with Torel she decided not to tell the two sergeants anything. She did not want the whole city gossiping about Conall. Trying to keep her tone light she said, “You’ll learn about him soon enough. He’s the one staying with me, and he wishes to meet other Guards, but I need to talk to Torel first.”
Robin and Bethany looked disappointed but they accepted her statement with good grace. “As long as we get to be the first ones to meet him. Do you suppose he’ll instruct some of us while he’s here.”
Bella shook her head remembering the burning slice of teeth through her calves. “I’m not sure you’d like his methods.”
Bethany's eyes lit up as her mind changed tracks. She seemed perpetually happy. “Didn’t Robin say something about history way back there by the barracks?”
At Bella’s next words Bethany absolutely glowed.
"I'm interested, but my friend will want to talk to you."
"Introduce me then, I'll rattle his ears off. Start me talking about history and you'll have to force me to stop. Nice to meet you by the way,” Bethany said, extending her hand in greeting. “What's your friend’s name and why didn't he come to breakfast?"
Bella grinned. "His name is Conall, and when you meet him you'll understand why he's not with us. Maybe once he gets to know everybody."
"The shy type then?" Bethany questioned.
"I'll say!" Robin exclaimed. "I busted through the door this morning and he was nowhere to be seen. She assures me he was there. Not too many places he could have been hiding unless he was beside the bed, lying on the floor. He must be a real dog if he doesn't even dare to show his face."
It was just an expression, but it made Bella laugh out loud.
Robin and Bethany both looked at her as though she'd lost her mind. She gave them a crooked grin and said, “When you meet him, you'll understand why that’s so funny.”
Now they were really curious but Bella refused to answer any more questions about him. "You'll meet him as soon as I talk to Torel. Just you two to start. Robin, since it looks like you'll be coming and going quite a bit in my quarters you get to be one of the first to meet him. And Bethany he'll want to listen to anything you have to say about history. Two new faces should be plenty for now. He hasn't mixed with people in a long time, we’ll start him off slowly."
"How long is a long time? We’re not talking like he's old enough to be your Grandpa, are we?" Robin laughed, expecting Bella to laugh as well. When she didn't, Robin turned and looked at her oddly. "You did say you weren’t lovers didn't you? We just figured that was a lie, so we wouldn't harass you."
When Bella didn't answer, she continued, "All right, I get it, I have to wait 'til after you talk to Torel. You'd better eat fast and then go find the Captain though, 'cause I'm dying to know now.”
The mess hall was filled when they got there and they waited at the back of the line, the sweet smell of maple syrup made Bella‘s mouth water and Conall bemoaned the unfairness of life as he shared Bella‘s senses. She found it odd that with him in her head she could identify every scent. Bacon, sausage and ham became separate aromas not simply a swirling tantalizing conglomeration. By the time Bella, Robin, and Bethany were done eating the rest of the soldiers had disappeared. From
outside she heard orders being given and she caught a glimpse of the Guard moving in formation out towards the gate. First Sergeant Corwin was in command of the formation.
"You don't have to go with them?" she asked Robin and Bethany.
"I've got special detail, riding herd on you so I get out of weapons practice today, unless you want to do some one on one," Robin said.
"And I just got off duty at the palace, so I'm leaving here in a bit, going to talk to your mysterious friend, and then hitting my rack," Bethany added.
"Hitting your what?" Bella asked, it sounded like Bethany was speaking gibberish.
"Rack," Bethany repeated. "Don't worry you'll catch on to the slang pretty quick. Gods know we use enough of it. There's even a manual on it, ‘Acronyms and Slang of the Military’, anyway your rack is your bed."
"Hmm. I believe that's the book Captain Torel told me to read first," Bella said.
"A very good suggestion," Bethany told her.
They finished eating and walked back to the row of cottages. Bella knocked on Torel’s door and he met her, carrying a new set of silver trays. She took them from him and asked, “Concerning gossip, Sir…”
“Is somebody giving you a hard time, Corporal?”
“No Sir. I was just thinking, Conall wishes to meet other Guards but I don’t think he needs his tale spread throughout the city. That kind of gossip would probably attract all manner of folk trying to see him. What are the rules concerning gossip among the Guards?”
Torel looked past Bella to Robin and Bethany. “As long as it’s not gathered while on duty or there isn’t an order to keep it within the Guard, everything is fair game. I see your point in this case.” Raising his voice to carry to the two sergeants Torel said, “Consider this an order that will be disseminated at Drill and Ceremony formation. If Conall consents to see you, you will not discuss him, outside the Guard.”
Bella thanked Torel and the three of them returned to Bella’s cottage. Bella balanced the trays and opened the door, sending, "We're coming in,” to Conall.
"I don't suppose you could ask them not to scream. Maybe prepare them a little. It hurts a guy’s feelings when the women run off screaming when they see him. And don't think I didn't catch that crack about a real dog. I'm much handsomer than any dog."
Turning to her friends she said, "He's asked me to beg you not to scream. He won't hurt anybody, he's just a bit different from your average old Guardsman. And he resents the crack about being a dog. He claims to be much more handsome."
"And when did he tell you all this?"
"I told you yesterday, we have a great mental connection."
"I didn't think you meant it quite literally," Robin said.
"So that you thoroughly understand,” Bella told them, “the only way to communicate with Conall is through mindspeech.”
Suddenly Robin and Bethany didn't look so anxious to meet her companion. She opened the door before they could back out. He would have to convince them he was harmless, by himself.
Conall was sitting perfectly still beside the bed. So still in fact that on the first sweep through the room, the eyes of both women missed him. Then suddenly Bethany’s eyes darted back to where he sat, followed shortly by Robin’s. They didn't scream, but they did stand very still as though hoping that if they didn't move, he wouldn't attack them.
Bella walked into the room and sat on the bed beside him. “This is Conall,” she said and laid a hand possessively on his head. “Now you see why your dog comment was so funny, even if he didn't appreciate it.”
Bethany recovered first, her bubbly personality coming to the rescue. "Why would a wolf be interested in the history of the King’s Guard?"
“You know all those rumors you’ve been discussing, about my first encounter with Captain Torel?”
"Yes…”
Bella turned to Robin. “Were you on the field that morning?”
“Yes, but unlike him, we didn't have the option to stop and watch. The Weaponsmaster would have made us pay dearly for that bit of leisure.” She rubbed at imaginary muscle strain. “I was close enough to see him challenge you with practice swords. Thought that was a bit peculiar, but when he picked you for the Guard, we decided he had his reasons."
"He did,” Bella said. “Apparently he was attracted to my style of swordsmanship, which was taught to me by this fine gentleman. Conall coached me for several months as we traveled.”
Conall leaned into her leg. She felt him tremble. He was afraid he would not be accepted.
“He used to be human. So long ago he can't remember anything about his past. But when Captain Torel told me that the style I'd been taught was that of the Guard--Conall, my brother, and I, came to the realization that he must have been a King’s Guard at one time. A wizard who died long ago, cursed him. We hope if we can figure out who he used to be, perhaps we'll be able to break his curse."
"And that would be why he's interested in history," Bethany chimed in.
"What a handsome fellow," Robin said, gathering her courage. "Not sure I want to run into him in the dark, but he is the best looking wolf I've ever seen. Be interesting to see if his human form matches."
"Now I'm blushing,” Conall thought, some of his usual confidence returning.
Bella smiled. "You're embarrassing him," she said.
"They don't have to stop though,” Conall sent to her with a laugh in his thoughts.
She laughed outright at that. "But he says you don't have to stop."
Both women rather hesitantly approached him and Conall sat very still while Robin gently put a hand on his head. “I’m not going to break,” Conall thought at Bella. “If she wants to touch me, she has to scratch where it itches.”
After Bella relayed this to her, Robin smiled and said, “I just didn’t want to make him mad. That is one big set of teeth he has. I didn’t know if he’d appreciate being touched and petted like a dog,”
“It’s better than them being afraid,” Conall thought sadly. “Besides, I get itches. You wouldn’t believe some of the insects that live around here. Tell her right behind the ear could use a good rub.”
When Bella told her this, Robin looked more positive, and started scratching where directed in earnest. The look of contentment on Conall’s face, removed any doubt the two women might still have had about his personality.
“What can you tell me about his story?” Bethany asked. “I’ve got to get some sleep, but when I wake up I can get started on research.”
“Unfortunately, the only things we know for certain are that it happened a long time ago and that the wizard who cursed him was named Dorang.”
“Well that narrows it down. Unfortunately that was a rather dark time for the Guard. I can tell you now that there will be a long list of candidates. On two separate occasions entire battle groups were lost. Their disappearances were all credited to Dorang. Several other Guards disappeared from battlefields mysteriously. The Guard policy is never leave a man behind, but in the case of the two Battle Groups there was no one left to report what had happened.” Bethany rummaged through the bits of knowledge in her head. “The ones that disappeared from the battlefields vanished before their swordtwin’s eyes. When dealing with a wizard whose specialty is transformation there is no telling what happened to any of them.” Looking at Conall she amended, “Well I guess we know what became of one. That will be nearly one hundred and sixty names to sort through. If he can remember anything else it would be a big help.”
“He has lived in the Rortag Mountains as long as he can remember,” Bella added, trying to remember anything else that might be helpful.
“Good enough then, I’m off to bed, I should at least have a start on that list tonight.”
She scratched Conall firmly on the head and said directly to him, “Don’t worry we’ll figure this out.”
When she left, Robin said, “We’ve got to go pick up your uniforms. If I let you run around looking like that again today, the Captain will have my h
ead.”
They arrived at the seamstress’s shop just as she was opening the door for business. She greeted them with a smile and went immediately to get the altered uniforms. Bella tried one on before leaving and carried the one she had been wearing back to her cottage. “I guess I need to wash this before I take it back to be altered.”
“No you don’t,” Robin assured her. “Every Friday, Quartermaster Company picks up dirty uniforms. One of the perks of being in the military. You still get to wash any civilian clothes you may wear. But between drill, duty, weapons practice, and horsemanship lessons, about the only time you’ll have to wear civilian clothes is when you’re fast asleep or on leave. “Right now let’s hit the books. If we do this as a question and answer session it shouldn’t be quite as monotonous as trying to read it.”
The rest of the morning was spent trying to learn all the baffling acronyms and terms that everybody else seemed to take for granted. Afternoon found them in the stables, where Angel managed to make her look competent. She already felt more confidence in her ability to stick with him. But not enough that she was ready to try any other horse. That would still be awhile in coming, but she felt as though she was better able to stay with Angel without him having to put effort into keeping her there.
That evening Bella assembled with the rest of the Guard members in formation for the first time. She had her first lesson in drill and ceremony. Captain Torel appeared before the exercise began. He called Bella out of formation. She stood in front of the battle group of Guardsmen and he said, “For those of you who haven’t yet figured it out, this is Corporal Gunter. She joined our ranks yesterday on the merit of her swordsmanship skills.” Snickers erupted from multiple places within the formation. Captain Torel rolled his eyes. “As I’m sure you all know, yes she did get first strike on me. And that with only six months of swordsmanship training.”
Bella cleared her throat and squeaked out, “Four, Sir.”
Captain Torel grimaced. “Her instructor is staying in cottage number two with her. You will all eventually get to meet him, and you may consider this an order. The gentleman in question, currently is wearing the form of a large silver and tan wolf. He is not target practice, and he is not to be gossiped about outside this compound.”
Complete silence greeted his words. Except for one of the sergeants that pulled gate duty the night Conall arrived, every pair of eyes searched the ground, reluctant to let Torel see the doubt in them. But when Torel said, “Does everybody clearly understand?” to a man they responded, “Yes Sir.”
Torel turned the formation over to Fist Sergeant Corwin. Drill was very important for the soldiers that pulled duty in and around the palace, and she gathered that would be including her shortly.
She was completely incompetent and managed to cause some major problems in the drill but the others accepted her problems with good-natured jokes. She decided as time went on, this too would become easier.
Captain Torel spoke to Rull and during the evening meal Rull brought her several trays; all carefully wrapped to be carried back to her room.
“This is for your friend, the Captain was telling me about. For this favor he has put you on the duty roster for my kitchen for the noon meal, everyday for two weeks beginning one week from now.” He smiled when he said this. “There are worse duties you could pull, even if nobody else will admit that to you. Robin tells me you're familiar with kitchens, I admit I used this favor to get some skilled help for a change.”
“I don’t mind working in the kitchen. Did he say why I wouldn’t start until next week?”
The dark eyes sparkled at her willingness to work for him. “You must speak to him. He said only that he had something else in mind for you this week.”
Sitting beside her, Robin shook her head. “Probably just giving you time to get settled in. I assume if you pull duty this week, I’ll be there as well. And I haven't received any orders yet.”
They finished eating and Bella returned to her cottage to find Conall anxiously waiting for her. She put the food down for him and he grumped about the unadorned brass trays. She laughed and scratched his ears, then went for a shower while he ate. As she was returning Captain Torel called out to her. “See me tomorrow morning for your duty assignment.”
She saluted him. “Yes Sir,” and continued on to bed.
Chapter 34
