Eventually Basil awoke and stretched slightly. His hand moved softly on her breast. “My dear,” he said.
Astrid breathed a sigh of relief at his first words.
“It didn’t seem right to mention it last night, but did you realise that, when you make love, you purr?”
“Do I? Really? Anyway, as you should know I have never made love before. I didn’t notice and I think that you are pulling my leg for biting you. Sorry.” She leant over and kissed one of the marks left by her sharp teeth. “Would you like to prove it to me?” she asked, with an innocent expression on her face.
Astrid found out two things. Firstly Basil still wanted her and secondly, she really did purr like a very large, and in Basil’s opinion, predatory, cat. Eventually Basil got out of bed, limping and making mock complaints of pain, and dressed to fetch Theodora’s breakfast.
“Can I help?” asked Astrid.
“No, you are the hunter, I am the servant. I might let you show me how well you can cook, but this is what I do and is a part of my job.”
~~~
Rani woke in a panic. She was lying on her bed naked in a tangle of arms and legs and hair. Had she just heard a knock? The door was opening and a tray was coming through it. She was sure that she had locked it last night when they entered.
“Good morning mistresses.”
It was the little man with the scaly skin on his arms. He seemed to be ignoring the fact that they were both unclothed and exposed and, although it was her room, he acted as if he was the one with the perfect right to be there. Was he Theodora’s servant? They had been introduced, and she was sure that she had been told his role, but she could not remember it now.
“Good morning Basil,” said a sleepy Theodora from beside her. She had not even raised her head, just waving a hand vaguely in the direction of the chair. “We are very exhausted and may not get up all day. Just put the tray on the chair beside the bed.”
“Yes mistress. I do not know Shri Rani’s tastes yet, but I brought both extra coffee and a pot of tea with both lemon and honey here and a jug of juice.” He looked at Rani. “I have also taken the liberty to add some fruit to the pastries, which I believe is the custom in your land, Milady. Will that be sufficient?”
Rani nodded silently. She was used to servants, but she was used to female ones. This was very new. She couldn’t even cover herself with bedclothes. For some reason the blankets were on the floor…oh, that is right…she remembered why that was. Theodora didn’t even seem to notice that he was male. Her hand stayed nestled across Rani’s groin as if they were alone.
“Stop worrying dear and give me a kiss,” said Theodora. At some stage during the night she had stopped worrying about whether she had made the right decision and had realised that she was feeling very happy. “Basil will look after us. He is now your servant as well. Let him know what you like and he will try and arrange things for you.”
Rani thought that she would like to arrange Basil not only out of the room but also far, far away. Was her lover always this flighty? She didn’t have much experience with this sort of thing, but Theodora seemed like a young girl showing off her first love to her friends by the way, and where, that she held her hand and not letting her move to cover herself. Basil moved over and removed the tray that was still on the chair that had been moved back against a wall from the night before. He replaced it with the one he carried, which gave off the aroma of fresh pastry and warm liquids, moved it closer to the bed and then busied himself in straightening the room and hanging things up from where they lay in disarray on the floor.
Before Rani realised it he was leaving, not only with the tray, but also some of her travel clothes that needed mending. The door locked itself. Did he have a key now? They broke their fast, feeding small portions to each other in the fashion of new lovers, before again becoming oblivious to the world.
~~~
Astrid was lying languid in the bed when there was a knock on the door. “Come in,” she said, making sure that she was covered. It was Basil with a tray of food and drink, some clothes and a small box. “You don’t need to knock,” she said and then, with a broad smile, added, “you have already entered.” Basil stuck out his tongue at her as he was putting things down and she returned the gesture.
“I have some mending to do,” said Basil “and, seeing that you have worn me out, you can feed me while I work.” He started to sew, but Astrid soon took over.
“You sew just like a man. You cannot let Theodora wear something that roughly sewn.” She started to unpick some stitches before a realisation came over her on whose clothes she was mending. “Oh, so they did it then? Does it look as if they just had one night?” Basil shook his head. “So you now have two ladies to work for. You poor man...now you can feed me while I do your servant work for you.”
Astrid sat cross-legged like a tailor but naked, sewing the rip in Rani’s clothes. As she worked they told each other about their homes, Basil revealing more than he had meant to. As it was he didn’t want to tell her the slightest lie so he eventually had to say that there were some things that he could not talk about. Astrid thought this odd, and gave him a look, but let it slide. When she had finished, Basil said, “I will get these back. I doubt that they have noticed that I have left them, but they may choose to emerge from their room today. Can I return? Should I bring more to eat?”
“If you do not come back to thank me properly for doing your sewing for you I will track you down. I am very good at that.” Changing the subject rapidly, and showing her curiosity again she went on, “so Theodora decided that Rani really meant it then?”
“Yes, and I think she may be starting to have feelings back. She certainly seemed very happy, and yes I seem to now have two mistresses.”
“Are you happy with me?” blurted out Astrid. She had a worried look on her face.
Basil smiled and came over and bent to kiss her where she sat on the bed, her feet on the floor. His left hand fondled her breast as he kissed her. She felt her nipple swiftly hardening again under his ministrations. “I am not sure that happy is the right word.” Astrid’s face fell. “More like being in grave danger of falling seriously in love for the first time in my life,” he said. “I now have three mistresses. As well I have a serious duty. Hopefully I will one day be able to tell you more about this, but as long as I can be I will be with you. Not just for the sex, although that is fairly good,” he smiled to show he was making a jest, “but for you. Is that what you wanted to hear with your fishing?”
Astrid smiled happily up at him. She had heard exactly what she wanted to hear. “Hurry back and we will see if I can increase the danger for you.” Basil, tugged his forelock in mockery at his order, picked up the tray and the clothes and hurriedly left the room.
~~~
This time when Basil entered the room with a new tray and mended clothes it was to find a circle marked on the floor with chalk and Rani and Theodora sitting on the bed. Both had their hair out and Theodora was brushing Rani’s long hair. He could not help noticing that Rani was now as naked on all her body parts as Theodora was naturally. Mages! thought Basil as he inched around the circle. Now he had two of them to care for...So much for him hoping that Rani would help him in his task.
Rani moved her hand to cover herself but Theodora stopped her. “At home,” she said, “that is regarded as being a great insult to your servant. You are saying to them that you do not trust them with such a small matter. I trust Basil and so should you.” Rani laid her hand down but, from the looks she was throwing in his direction, still looked nervous at being so very naked before a man.
She will learn, thought Basil. Besides, Astrid is so much more his type. Then he realised that, until last night, he had not thought that he had a ‘type’. He briefly suggested that the ladies might like to retire to the bath below while he attended to the room and received simultaneous and identical blank stares back. He quickly left with the breakfast tray muttering about returning later and, aft
er returning the tray to the kitchen and getting more food to take away with him; went back to Astrid.
~~~
The absence of four of the group was quickly noted at training. Father Christopher, who arrived late and who had also left early the night before, asked in all innocence where Astrid was. It happened that Bianca’s room was the one beside Astrid’s. She had not slept at all well last night, torn between resentment at being kept awake by the noise of such indecent behaviour and jealousy at the evident pleasure that was happening right next door to her. She realised that she was more than a little grumpy when she said, “Your girl is probably still in bed—with Basil. Last I heard they were still enjoying themselves.” She immediately felt guilty about being so catty about the Cat.
Father Christopher looked surprised at what she had said and replied, “She is not mine, even though it seems that she looks after me. You must not look down on her. In the north such activity is very common when people are facing danger and a high risk of death. Indeed, I believe that many of their marriages start out that way. I understand that your land is different, but in the hard lands of the north, that is the custom she is used to. I take it that the two mages are together as well?” As he looked around Bianca could see several embarrassed nods. “Your priests would be shocked. We are more tolerant. To us it is more important that there is love, the greatest of the virtues. I wonder if I will get to do some marriages.” He rubbed his hands together gleefully, then, with what had to be a twinkle in his eye and a barely suppressed smile he asked her, “do you have anyone lined up?” He waved his hand around those standing around. “There is still Hulagu, Thord, Stefan and myself left, even if you leave aside Ayesha.”
“Yourself Father? But you are a priest!” Bianca was shocked to her core at this idea. She realised that this was obvious to everyone.
“That is right. Unless they are a widower, our priests must marry. There is a clear direction from St Paul on this. ‘Choose your priests from among men with but one wife.’ Not only does this imply that others may have more than one, in the manner of Ayesha’s people, but it means that if I am to remain celibate, then I must become a monk.” She realised that he was smiling broadly at the horrified expression on her face. Was he telling the truth or is he making mock of me? “I am guessing that you have never been read that line.” She shook her head vigorously. “I wanted to become a monk, but my Metropolitan thinks that I should marry and go out in the world as a priest. He has sent me out of the monastery for two years to find my fate. I am already starting to realise that he knows me better than I know myself and he may well be right.” He paused before going on with a light tone, “You had better make up your mind if you decide that you want me. There are priests here who can perform the service but, once we are out in the wilds, I cannot perform a marriage on myself.” He tried to hide it, but it was easy to see that there was a smile on his face as he turned away. Bianca thought that perhaps he was joking, but she wasn’t sure. She had never met a priest with such a broad and earthy sense of humour before. Mind you, except for in the confessional, she had not really talked with all that many priests and never had she done so on such a friendly basis as if he were just a normal person.
~~~
The next time any of the four were seen was in the bath. Ayesha and Bianca entered, with Ayesha still talking to Bianca about knife throwing, to find the other three women already there. To Ayesha the body language was obvious. The Cat lay nearly submerged and her face was completely covered in a smile and, with her teeth showing, seemed the epitome of feline smugness and self-satisfaction. For the other two their nervousness of their first time that they had been beside each other in the bath had disappeared and now they sat together almost as one and both of them also looked very happy.
“So,” asked Ayesha with a smile to the mages, “do you two need a lady’s maid or is Basil or the Cat going to look after you both?” She was rewarded with a vivid blush from Theodora. It was hard to tell with Rani. The Cat’s grin grew broader, if that were possible. This jest obviously appealed to her sense of humour.
“Can we afford it?” stammered Rani.
“We haven’t thought,” said Theodora.
Astrid laughed. “I am already doing their sewing,” she said. The two looked at her as if they were one. This they didn’t know. She explained, “Basil can sew a little, but only enough for rough repairs, and he was making a mess of it. I can sew new clothes and so I took over from him before he made a muddle of it.” She looked at Rani. “I like sewing silk. It is so much nicer that the rough wool and leather I am used to.”
“So,” said Ayesha, turning to Astrid, “and how is the little man?”
“More than large enough where it counts,” said Astrid archly and with a broad smile as she stretched in the water, “and he is so well muscled and athletic. He was my first,” she concluded proudly. She turned to Bianca contritely. “I am sorry if we were a little too noisy last night. It is hard to stop crying out at times...so, so hard. Tonight you must take Basil’s room. It is further away. I had not realised how much fun this making love is. It is better than whipped cream with berries. Apparently I purr,” she said innocently. Once again she sat back and looked smug. Ayesha realised everyone was still looking at Astrid, almost in shock at her innocent honesty. Astrid looked around at them all and continued. “Anyway, I am not the only one to discover new things to do with their body—am I Rani?” This time the mage had to be blushing. Knowing about her culture it was unlikely that she was used to being addressed like this. Astrid was looking at her with a raised eyebrow and a smile. Ayesha just looked at the mages waiting for an explanation. Rani eventually gave up, sighed, disengaged herself from her lover and stood up.
“How did you do that?” asked Ayesha. “Can whichever of you did it do it to just legs and underarms or is it the whole thing? How long does it last? I need to be smooth on the legs for dancing and I hate using wax. You can have me free as your lady’s maid for a month if it is permanent.”
“It is a new spell that I made to thank Rani,” said Theodora. “I hadn’t thought of that sort of thing before. I guess that we could do other spells like that. How about you, Cat? Would you like it done for you? If you are going to sew for us we will have to pay you somehow.”
“No thank you,” said Astrid. “My body hair is very fine and pale anyway, so I do not touch it and I think that Basil likes the rest the way it is. He says that it is like stroking a little kitten. I will gladly sew for you to give Basil more time with me.”
The conversation rapidly moved off into a discussion of the cosmetic use of magic and a negotiation for Ayesha’s services. Good, she thought as she haggled, another excuse to stay close.
~~~
In the men’s room Basil’s bite marks were the occasion of much ribaldry. He sat there smugly and let the jokes flow around him. “You are all very jealous,” he said. “The hunting cat is now my little kitten.” He refused to give details or to be drawn on the two other women, beyond saying that they seemed very happy. “If you want to know any more you must ask them yourselves—if you dare.”
~~~
That night’s entertainment went very well. The songs were predictably about love and the dancing was, somehow, more sensual. Everyone was excited. Rani wished that she were not almost tone deaf, so that she could appreciate better the songs that were obviously directed at her. No one else had arrived to join them that day and so, in the breaks, it was decided that tonight would be their last night in town. It looked to her like Basil and Astrid were going to stay very close as well.
During the night Rani asked if Bianca still had any of the brigand’s items in her possession. Bianca said that she did. “Good,” said Rani, “keep it safe. Neither of us is the right sign to be very good at location spells, and we might need all the help that we can get once we are in the mountains to find them.”
During breaks in the acts, conversation, in a variety of tongues, depending on who was speaking
to whom, but most usually in Hindi, revolved around who should lead them and who should give orders when needed. Rani naturally thought that it should be her.
“My prophecy implied that I would take the lead and, anyway, I am a trained battle mage and so am used to giving orders to direct soldiers and thinking about how to fight as a group.”
Astrid would be the only one on foot. Even Father Christopher could ride if he had to.
Astrid refused to even consider getting a horse. “I cannot ride at all, but I can run. If I were on a horse I could not use my bow or my spear and would be useless to everyone. On foot I am a stalker and a hunter. On a horse I am baggage. If someone can take my pack,” she looked directly at Basil, “I will keep up with you. In fact, you should let me go first. At home, if I am in the forest then I am mostly a scout. If I go first out in front so that I can look for tracks and things that you people that sit up high and have to rely on horse’s feet will not see—and I can do it quietly.”
Every force needed a scout, so Rani nodded quickly. “That is good. It is best to have someone reconnoitre in a strange area. If you are fast enough—”
Astrid snorted somewhat derisively, but Rani just continued, ignoring the annoying lack of respect that the girl showed all of the time. “Then this will work. We need to look for signs anyway. From what I have been told there are quite a few of these brigands. However careful they are, going in and out many times must leave some trace of their passage—even with magic to help them. If their village is in the Southern Mountains, then somehow they are getting past Evilhalt. Since this town is at the first ford that means they are fording the Rhastaputra River somewhere to the north, bypassing Kharlsbane and the Gap and not being noticed by the Darkreach watchtowers—or at least not being recognised by them for what they are. However they are probably still using some of the main trails for at least a little way, so we can hope that they should leave some trace of their passing.”
Intimations of Evil (Warriors of Vhast Book 1) Page 34
