by D. H. Aire
“What? How do you accidently do…”
Lawson cleared his throat, “Nessa, she is not my wife.”
“But you’re their Papa? They just happened to bathe in front of you, when? After they’d learned our Sire was murdered! That’s—”
Ani’ya came down from the tower fast, going from platform to platform and suddenly dropped on all fours before Nessa. “You will not talk to Mother like that. It happened before we knew… and it was but provisionally… Like she is provisionally bonded to Papa.”
Nessa turned and walked off, shouted back, “Yel’ane, you’ve no idea what you’ve done.”
Yel’ane felt tears on her cheeks. “Yel’ane,” Lawson said.
“Uh, I’ve a very good idea as to what I’ve done, you know… She’s not wrong.”
Casber shook her head as all the girls bounced back down, landing on all fours and hurried to surround her in a group hug, all save Jen’yan, who was crying, sitting upon her tower.
Greth walked over to Jen’yan, reached out, carrying her down, only to place her in Lawson’s arms. “I will talk to Nessa. Casber, go practice, or something.”
“So, sorry, Papa.”
“Hush,” he replied, consoling her as the other girls sought to console Yel’ane.
#
Casber muttered riding the unicorn just out of sight of the camp, “You enchanted them, didn’t you?”
‘Not directly,’ the mare replied, halting.
The boy dismounted, moving to stand before her. “What do you mean by that?”
‘There is something that happens when I travel with the Hand,’ she shared. ‘You see fate always spins around me like a breeze. But when I am with the Hand, that fate sometimes inadvertently reaches out still further.”
He frowned. “You called the hounds.”
‘And made them more biddable. Or do suspect they were used to be ridden as their ancestors were? Or the girls such sure riders, so quickly?’
“But how does that explain…”
‘Rider and hound needed to understand each other more intuitively.’
“And it rubbed off on the girls.”
‘I had noticed they were silent when on the hunt, shall we say… and more sure of foot, but now able to scramble and climb as hounds might, I did not.’
“Uh, it will wear off, won’t it?”
The unicorn hesitated, ‘Most likely.’
“Most likely!”
The mare nodded.
Shaking his head, Casber blinked, “Uh, you haven’t enchanted me like that somehow?”
‘Certainly not,’ she replied, glancing back toward the camp. ‘Perhaps we should practice a bit more to give them time to…’
“Oh, all right,” he muttering, the jewel at his neck glowing ever so faintly. Glancing at the tree trunk, Casber ran to it barefoot, scampered up and back flipped onto the unicorn’s back, his blue cloak fluttering, then making a snapping sound as he landed, feet spread on her back.
She began walking, glancing back, ‘Do you want to practice the hand stand again?’
“Again?”
‘You need to work on your balance.’
“Oh, all right.” He jumped, flipping over and landed on his hands, legs spread. “But I told you this was too easy.”
‘I know. You told me herding sheep amid the crags was more challenging.’
He began balancing on one arm, clearly remembering how true that was as the jewel glowed all the brighter, as did his eyes.
Chapter 38 – Sprites in the Woods
As the sun set Nessa returned with Greth, looking less than happy, not looking at Yel’ane, at all. Casber returned with his cape drawn into a bag. “I picked apples. Anyone want any?”
The girls rushed over to him, and noticed that his arms seemed rather well-muscled in his way. “I picked more, but this greedy lass,” he said, glancing at the mare, “ate them all.”
‘I found the tree.’
“More likely made certain the seeds of its ancestors were dropped right there, to make that small grove… Yel’ane, don’t you want one?”
“No, thank you.”
“Nessa?”
She sighed, “No, thank you, I’m not hungry.”
Greth gave Lawson a despairing look and muttered, “Women.”
The draft horses were roped in a corral, amid a wide circle of trees, munching on their feedbags, looking recently groomed. The girls looked rather proud of themselves having helped Lawson manage to even create that corral.
Yel’ane glanced at Lawson, “Well, that wood En’sta and Thri’la brought is not going to light itself. Or is the plan for us to have to eat another cold dinner?”
Greth offered, “The large cooking pot. I will get it.”
“Girls, I know you found vegetables and salted fish. We’ll make a soup of them.”
“I know where the bread is!” Jen’yan said, scampering on all fours a moment, then bounding to the platforms and through a curtained window. The other girls chose to walk to the rear of the wagon, its gate down, before bending to all fours and leaping inside.
Casber sighed, glancing at the mare, who would not meet his gaze.
Ani’ya muttered, “We should include something like that in the act.”
“What?” Casber said, “You think folk are going to pay good coin to see you girls hop in and out of the wagon windows?”
The fire flared as Lawson put something back in his bag.
“Oh, and your riding what they think is a just a white mare is going to?” Vi’ya replied, hands on hips.
Jen’yan peered out a higher set window, “Three loaves all right?”
“How many do we have?” Yel’ane asked.
“Twelve.”
“Four, then.” Jen’yan vanished back inside as without being told several of the girls set up the pot’s stanchions which Greth also brought over and set in place as if their weight were negligible.
“How much of the fish do you want, Yel’ane?” Fil’iah asked, “We’ve six warded boxes of the stuff.”
“The boxes are about this big each, yes?” Yel’ane asked.
“No, that’s the black warded boxes, these are the brown ones.”
“Then what’s in the black ones?”
En’sta replied, “Blocks of cheeses.”
“How big are the brown ones?” Yel’ane asked.
The girl spread her hands, “About this.”
“Must be three or four good sized fish in those, which should be fine.”
“Uh, potatoes?”
“Clean a dozen, Greth will scarf down at least four, himself.”
“Do not begrudge me,” he said.
“I’m not, just thinking how horrified the Keep’s cook looked when you kept eating and eating,” Yel’ane replied.
“I had gone without food for days.”
“Troll metabolism?”
“We eat when we can in the Waste.”
“Sometimes below it, too,” Lawson added.
“Are you nails clean, Milord,” Yel’ane asked.
“Uh, why?”
“You can peel all those potatoes more quickly with any of us can with a knife.”
“You are not poking fun at my nails, are you?”
“Definitely not, as dainty as they are. Wash them in that pot Greth added there, the other one we’ll use to boil the potatoes.”
At the tail end of dinner, Nessa approached the edge of the group eating their fill. “Still not hungry?” Yel’ane said.
“You?”
“No.”
“Me, neither,” Nessa replied, stalking behind Greth, who held a hand behind his back. She grabbed the piece of fish he had squirrelled away along with one of the potatoes. In his shadow, Nessa stuffed the fish in her mouth, then ate the potato.
Yel’ane grimaced, muttering to Lawson, “I bet you she’s eating right out of his hand.”
Shaking his head, “You know Nessa better than that, you Cathartans live for table manners.”
>
“Your right, she’s not eating.” Her stomach growled.
He slipped his own partially eaten second bowl of fish soup behind him. She knelt and drank down its contents wolfishly. The girls had a hard time pretending not to notice.
After they put everything away, Yel’ane told the girls to get their bed clothes on and get ready to bed down in the rear wagon.
Nessa looked at her, “Where are you planning to sleep?”
“Beneath one of the wagons with Lawson. You?”
“With Greth and Casber, over by the fire should do… where I can watch you two.”
Yel’ane grimaced.
The girls were soon clamoring for Lawson to tuck them in. He ended up peering in through what Lawson thought looked more like a giant mouse trap back home. “Over here, Papa! Don’t forget me.”
“How could I?” he chuckled ducking back out after getting quick kisses on the cheeks.
The curtains on the other side of the wagon were pushed aside and Lawson bent lower to peer in, “Hey, Jen’yan! Back under your blankets.”
“But it’s too crowded.”
“So, well, find a sturdy shelf, if that would make you happier.”
The girl blinked, then sprung to one on his right, “This should work. Pass me up my blanket.”
Two others did the same and the girls seemed happier as Lawson saw them all settle, Jen’yan paused to look over the end of the shelf, eyes twinkling, “Good night, Papa.”
“Good night, now go to sleep.” Backing away, he moved clear of the wagon, then glanced up at the darkening sky, wondering how he was going to explain all this to Mother. He turned and stopped, staring.
“What?”
His communications rig was set up. He went around the wagon and said to Yel’ane, “Did you go into my pack?”
“No, why?”
He glanced at Casber, then shook her head, gestured. Yel’ane followed, saw the skeletal box. “What’s that?”
“My link to Mother.”
“Huh?”
“Why haven’t I seen it before?”
“Because I keep it disassembled when not in use… and, well, it was broken.”
“So, someone assembled it?”
He swallowed, retrieved his pack from the lead wagon, rummaged through it, “Uh, you haven’t seen our dragon scale friend, have you?”
“No.”
He bent to examine the device on the ground. “I think it fixed it.”
“It did what?” she half-whispered.
He was looking around, “Come out, come out, wherever you are.”
Yel’ane looked around, “See it?”
“No.”
#
The tendril drew back. :.:
:><:
:.:
They were agreed. Further repairs were required.
Chapter 39 – Repairs
Greth stood watch, sat, actually, as Casber returned having taken a break before bed. Nessa climbed down in a white gown. “You really want to wear that to sleep?”
“I was not going to wear the halter to sleep and I do not want to wrinkle the skirt,” she replied, walking up to the fire and her folded up bedroll, which she rolled out next to his. “You keeping your dagger handy?”
He frowned, “Yeah.”
She showed him hers in the bedroll. “Me, too, you never know about snakes.”
“You’re afraid of snakes.”
“Didn’t used to be, but I’ve seen a rather big one; and I don’t want to have to worry about any little ones poking around.”
Glancing around, “You think they’re going to be attracted to the fire.”
“Something like that.”
He lay down, “Lawson said he’d wake me after second moonrise. I’ll try not to make too much noise. I’m taking the next watch before Lawson’s.”
“Good to know.”
Greth had listened to the exchange and shook his head. “I plan to sleep right there, so don’t mistake me for… anything needing you to knife it.”
“I won’t,” she smiled.
“Good night, Nessa.”
“Good night… Old Man.”
“Ah, I appreciate your not calling me ‘Milord.’”
Frowning, she tucked herself in, thinking, Better than calling you ‘Papa.’
‘I think he would actually like that.’
Nessa winced, shutting her eyes tight, doing her best to keep her thoughts private.
‘Keep trying, child. You may just get the hang of it.’
#
Yel’ane left Lawson’s side as he peered around.
Greth rose and crossed the encampment, “Lose something?”
“Uh, the device is fixed.”
“What? I thought you said…”
“I didn’t repair it.”
“It repaired itself?”
Lawson gestured took him behind the wagons, “No, and I don’t think it assembled itself, either.”
“Then how?”
“You remember the girls shooting of the scales on the dragon’s arm?”
“Yes.”
“One turned into a bot.”
Greth’s eyes widened. “A bot? As in mentioned in the Holy Manuals?”
“Different type, not in the Writ of Engineering Repair, at least.”
“A dragon scale.”
“Flat black disk. Floats, can extrude tendrils, excellent for wrapping around a goblin’s neck to aid in suffocating them.”
“So, that’s what happened.”
“It helped let the girls get their sleep with a goblin preparing to kill Yel’ane.”
“It really saved her?”
“Oh, it twigged my implant, recognizing you and me, Casber, as crew, too.”
“You’re sure.”
“Fairly, which would explain it’s repairing that.”
“So, I should leave it alone, if I see it, uh, floating around?”
“That would prevent any misunderstandings.”
“Enjoy Third Watch.”
Yel’ane stepped down from the lead wagon in her white gown, carrying her bedroll. Lawson’s was already spread out. She spread hers over it as a blanket for them both beneath the wagon. “Lawson.”
“Be there in a moment.”
“Get some rest before Second’s rise and chatting with Mother.”
“Let Casber know I won’t be calling on him for help.”
“As if he remembers he’s been any help.”
“True enough. You know…”
“Believe me; it has occurred to me, him being an Assistant Engineer and all.”
“Good night, Greth.”
“Don’t forget Nessa will be watching.”
“It is going to be a boring night.”
“I bet you think that every night these days.”
“One can wish.”
#
Ani’ya listened quietly, an ear pressed close to the wagon window. She almost attempted peering out past the curtain, but remembered that Papa Lawson and Greth saw too well in the darkness.
She laid her head back down and smiled thinly. So, the Dragon Scale could be very helpful. It also could float. I wonder if it could float one of us up off the ground? Now, would that prove Papa magician enough to restrain the big bad terrible troll? Then she felt angry, The Seeress would have everyone thinking Greth really was a big bad terrible thing, when he wasn’t at all.
‘One day they will learn otherwise, little hound.’
Ani’ya blinked, gasped, “Milady?”
‘Is there some reason I should share thoughts with you?’
“Uh, no,” she whispered, thinking, except that I’m not that important. Not like Nessa and Yel’ane, or Casber, Lawson and Greth.
‘Why? Because Nessa and Yel’ane are Goblinslayers? You are more important than you know. Fate hinges on you.’
“What?”
‘You have made a friend –– a very unusual one. Someone you may never actually meet without a great deal of luck.
’
“Huh?”
‘She understands even if you do not. Sleep now.’
Ani’ya took a deep breath and was instantly asleep.
A tendril descended down the side of the window curtain near her head. It scanned her; saw that she was, indeed, asleep as now were all the other females in the wagon. The dragon shell floated inside. :..: Standing by.
#
The Second Moon rose. The stealthed satellite unit locked on to the mobile communications computer relay. :Report, Assistant Engineer, Lawson.:
His implant made him twitch.
:No, it is not supposed to do that,: Mother stated. :That it works as intended is miracle enough that such idiosyncrasies are to be expected… Bots?:
:.:
:.:
:.:
:.:
:.:
:.:
:.:
:.:
:Excellent. You will continue repairs and serve to aid and protect the Assistant Engineers, Commander of Marines, and their apprentice crew members.:
:?:
Beep.
:.: Orders acknowledged.
“Uh, Mother.”
:Yes, Lawson.:
“About… well, everything.”
:My parameters do not normally include concerns for the sex lives of my ship’s crew. However, circumstances require that you produce children, who will have a high probability, with proper training, to serve as Engineers to effect core system repairs.:
“Mother?”
‘Breeding with someone of child bearing age who is of human norms is imperative.’
“Um, of course, Mother, someone of child bearing age.”
‘Subject Yel’ane, while immature, will be of child bearing age in six months, the oldest of the younger subjects now looking at you with amorous hopes will be of suitable child bearing age beginning in four years according to the scans the bots have just completed. I encourage you to recruit suitable mates in the meantime.’
“What, Mother?”
‘I understand this priority order may be difficult for human females to accept, which is why you will begin training said subjects as apprentice ship’s engineers. The bots will nanotag them for recognition purposes as they have just completed doing to your selected future mates… Loss of signal in three, two, one.’
Lawson lurched to his feet, muttering, ‘Tagged?’
A bot floated out of the wagon window and over to him. :.:
