by Taki Drake
Margot and Gerian took off at a run, with Gerian shouting instructions to the remaining guards as he ran. When Ruth attempted to follow them, one of those guards caught her arm in restraint. He said, “My Lady, please allow your guard to do their job. You undermine us when you act like we cannot perform our duties.”
Sighing, Ruth said, “You are correct, as much as I hate to admit it. I think I will go back to my office. I can wait there for either report or request for reinforcement.”
“Thank you, My Lady.”
“It’s a damn pain being a grown-up.”
Ruth didn’t have very long to wait. Less than a half hour later, Jenna came back with a report. She explained that the prisoners had overwhelmed the woman who brought them food and the two guards that were at the door. Taking the weapons from the guards, the escaping prisoners had killed the woman and one of the guards before attempting to flee the property. Avoiding the kitchen entirely, the escapees had first tried to steal a vehicle, which had been foiled by two of the men in the maintenance department. The fast thinking duo had grabbed all of the ignition controls and run quickly to the kitchen and located one of the new inner keep guards.
The guard, a retired Marine Cpl., had notified the duty watch officer and had taken the younger of the maintenance workers with him to provide additional terrain knowledge. Their pursuit had been only a short interval after the escape, so they had come across the sounds of battle within just a few minutes.
Ruth’s earlier meeting had borne fruit. When the inner keep guards who had terrorized the remainder of the staff attempted to flee, the gardeners formed an unofficial militia, attacking the fleeing men with a variety of yard tools and improvised weapons. The noise of their altercation had attracted the attention of the hunt master, who had in turn released his hunting animals. When the Marine guards had charged around the wall, expecting to see a bloody battle with the castle staff at a disadvantage, they were surprised to see many of the escapees lying sprawled on the ground with the hunting lizards ripping them to shreds and the gardeners wielding shovels and hoes holding their own against the former guards.
Jenna looked both surprised and disgruntled as she reported. Ruth tried to keep a straight face but lost the battle. An irrepressible bubble of laughter burst and the first Mage in five millennia dissolved into helpless giggles.
Ruth was wandering. It had taken her a while to get her amusement under control after the report from Jenna on the escapees. She felt relieved that she would not have to hold a formal Mage court today and felt guilty about that relief. Her guards were busy, Pawlik was in meetings with his steward, and the first wave of people from the Dragon Flame would not be arriving for a few hours. Feeling like a child playing hookey from school, she quietly escaped down the back stairs and out through the kitchen door.
Curiosity drove her. She had been over every inch of the castle now, multiple times. However, she had little sense of the rest of the keep, so it was about time that she did some exploration. The freedom to walk around after such a long period of confinement and hurry felt luxurious. Ruth wandered from place to place, no particular trajectory in mind, nothing specific she was looking for. It was simply a trip of exploration.
The castle was beautiful with flowers and gardens, stately trees and trimmed bushes. The beauty was alien, though. Ruth’s eyes kept looking for familiar shapes and colors. They were not there. Instead, the greens were bluer, and the combination of colors in the flowers was like nothing she’d ever seen before. There was a choice facing her. She could mourn and miss the colors of her life before now, or she could learn to appreciate the beauty in front of her. She knew which one she chose. So Ruth explored her new home and kept a mental list of all the things that she liked and loved.
Wandering through an area of trimmed high hedges and bushes carved into the shape of animals, Ruth rounded a corner in the garden and found herself looking at stables. Surprised, she walked over and looked in. The stables were fairly extensive, unexpected in such a mechanized society. She could see that many of the stalls were occupied. Counting rapidly, Ruth could identify eight horses. One was obviously an old stallion, cream-colored with a black mane and standing higher than her head. He was magnificent, perfect in symmetry and obviously well cared for.
There were four mares and two young colts in a common paddock. The inheritance from the old stallion was apparent in the lines and the markings of the colts. In another stall, she could see a horse, younger than the old stallion but still mature. Hearing voices from his stall, Ruth decided to wander over and see what was going on. There are two people in what appeared to be the gelding’s stall.
One was an older man who had all of the signs of someone who worked daily with horses. He was exactly the sort of person that Ruth would expect to see in a stable. He had a kind face and worn hands, wearing what appeared to be this culture’s equivalent to bluejeans. It was the second person that surprised Ruth. Instead of seeing another ‘horsey’ person, Ruth’s astonished eyes showed her someone who looked more like a clerk. It was a woman wearing rumpled clothes. One with extensively ink-stained hands. The hands were very noticeable because she was holding a sketchbook that appeared to be filled with drawings of horses in various positions. From what Ruth could see of the pictures, they were very well done.
The Mage must have made some movement that startled the gelding because he shifted and pricked his ears toward her. Both people spun around and stared in astonishment at Ruth. The man spoke first, “May I help you, my lady?”
“Not really, since I was just trying to familiarize myself with the buildings. However, I do have a question for you. I have not seen anyone hunt here on horseback. Most of the travel around here is highly mechanized. So why stables and why horses?”
The smaller woman gave a low laugh and raised her eyes to Ruth’s face. Her eyes were wise and somehow had the look of ancients in them. Brandishing her sketchbook, she said, “Some of the former inhabitants used to ride the horses for show. They have long been a tradition in the family, and even Lord Pawlik rides well. Not frequently, but well.”
“Okay, that makes sense. By the way, I’m Ruth. Might I know both of your names?”
The woman responded, “I am Miriam Archion, one of the clerks and notaries that works for the steward. My horsey friend here is Jacob, the stable master. We have been friends for quite a few years, and he is kind enough to allow me to sketch horses when I have time.”
Jacob uttered a gravelly laugh and patted Miriam on one shoulder. “There’s nothing kind about it. This young lady is down here every spare minute of time that she has and it’s nice to have someone to talk horses with. So she puts up with me, and I put up with her.”
“There are worse definitions of friendship. It is evident that you both love the horses and that you, Jacob, have been doing a wonderful job in caring for them. I’ll have to make sure to come down and visit for longer. My son loves to ride, and I know that you are absolutely going to be a favorite person for my grandchildren.”
Both Jacob and Miriam look pleased with her comments, promising to look for the children and her son. Ruth waved to them and headed back to the main house.
It had been a fairly long day, and Ruth was getting weary. She had returned from her walkabout about an hour before and was looking over reports in her sitting room. There was a knock on the connecting door to Pawlik’s rooms. Looking up, Ruth called out, “Come in.” Pawlik walked in and smiled in greeting. Before he could speak, Ruth looked him in the face and told him with a frown, “I really do find it offensive when you knock coming into this room. You are always welcome here, so why knock?”
Pawlik’s face had a strange expression on it. Only God I forgot the cultures are different, and I’m not too sure what sort of landmine I just stepped on! thought Ruth. Pawlik must’ve seen the panic and worry that she felt because he rushed into speech and reassurance, “There’s nothing wrong. I just never thought that I would be lucky enough to find someone who w
ould be that open with me.”
While they were talking another knock sounded, but this time on the outer door to the hallway. The guard that had quietly been standing on the inside of the sitting room door turned and opened the massive wood door with a hand on his weapon. Waiting to come in were two women holding trays. They curtsied slightly to both Pawlik and Ruth, and the older woman said, “We thought that the two of you might like to eat in the room until everything was settled out. Cook told me to tell you that all of the food had been prepared carefully and guarded while it was fixed. Allison and I made sure to bring it directly from Cook to you.”
Pawlik looked astonished, but Ruth was pleased with the resilience of the inner keep staff. Thanking the women, she allowed them to set the food out on the table and to arrange a pleasant dinner for two. Once the women left, she placed the poison detector gems onto the table and moved the plates closer. There was no warning light. Relieved, Ruth and Pawlik finally had the leisure to sit down to a comfortable dinner. Ruth could feel the tension in her own body releasing as the two of them enjoyed casual conversation and a bottle of wine. She could see similar relaxation in Pawlik. They were both very tired and found themselves unable to conceal their yawns.
Ruth stretched slightly and stood up. Looking at Pawlik, she smiled and said, “I think it’s time for bed.”
Pawlik looked indecisive, embarrassed, and resolute by turn. “Would you prefer that I slept in my own room and gave you some privacy?”
“Absolutely not. After the days that we’ve had and the problems that we have had to resolve I really have been looking forward to the comfort of your body, even though comfort is all I am up to at this point.”
Pawlik blushed profusely. Ruth found it adorable.
They motioned the light off and headed toward the bedroom, the way lit only by the fire in the fireplace. Entering the bedroom, Pawlik stopped in astonishment at the change in decoration. The changes Ruth had made in the walls and floors were impressive by the day. At night they were spectacular. The ceiling, with its sections of the starry nighttime sky, glowed softly, illuminating the room with a soft light. The floral vines that had been created to run up the walls seem to emit a subtle perfume. Ruth moved toward the bed dropping items of clothing along the way. She was just so tired. About half of her clothes had been abandoned before the exhausted Mage had reached the edge of the bed. She had just reached for the fastener of her uniform shirt when she heard a sound behind her that reminded her of a zipper slowly opening.
She turned to see Pawlik unlatching the fastening of his jacket. Its closure was secured with many interlocking little teeth. She watched in appreciation as his body was revealed, a sculpture of large muscled chest, with an inviting texture of thick and curly chest hair. Unaware of her appreciative gaze, he placed his jacket carefully on a chair and bent over to remove his boots. She was treated to an unencumbered view of tightly molded pants on a taut and muscled back and ass. He removed the rest of his clothing and turned toward the bed to find her perched on the bed, knees up against her chest, watching him with a smile on her face. Even in the dim light, she could see the blush as it ran over his face and neck, and down over his chest. She moved her knees down, exposing her own chest and breasts. His body rose in response, and he quickly joined her on the bed.
The light in the room was snuffed out with a wordless hand wave. Only the soft sounds of comfort and pleasure disturbed the quiet.
Chapter 20 – Death Gift Meeting
I hate it when I’m running late, Ruth thought as she hurried down the hallway toward the kitchen, Margot, and Gerian trailing her at a fast walk. After the drama the previous day, Ruth wanted to make absolutely sure that the kitchen was under control. Pawlik was nervously reviewing his arrangements for the Death Gift Meeting that would be held the next day. The preparations for that traditional Arkken ceremony had been explained to Ruth during the previous evening. It appeared that Death Gift Meeting was a tradition that combined a gift of money to help bereaved family members survive the demise of a breadwinner with something that shared aspects of a wake and funeral meal. Ruth couldn’t really think of a direct correlation to Earth rituals, but she understood that this was an important part of Pawlik’s culture.
Her concern this morning was that whoever had taken over the kitchen would be able to produce the banquet portion of tomorrow’s meeting in a manner that did not embarrass Pawlik. She actually had high hopes for a good outcome since the previous evening’s meal had been well cooked and flavorful.
Barreling into the kitchen unceremoniously, Ruth came to a screeching halt in surprise. It looked like a different kitchen than she had seen the day before. It was spotlessly clean. No random spoiled food odors tainted the air. Rather than clusters of lackadaisical kitchen personnel performing inefficient tasks, the kitchen almost hummed with productivity. A table full of kitchen helpers were preparing vegetables for a later meal, while a totally separate group butchered chickens for the pot.
There was no yelling, no screaming. The tension of the previous day was noticeably absent. Ruth almost walked back out of the room and reentered because she felt as if she was in an entirely different environment. Glancing over at Margot and Gerian, she saw her confusion echoed in their faces.
She took a couple more steps into the room before she was intercepted by a young woman wrapped in a clean but mended apron. The woman, a girl really, was slight of build and of moderate height. Her whiskey-colored curls were confined partially by a band that kept her hair out of her eyes and off her face. Looking nervously at Ruth, the girl dropped a partial curtsy and said, “My Lady Mage, may I help you?”
“What an incredible improvement! Is this your doing?”
“Somewhat, Lady Mage, although everyone in the kitchen pitched in to get things cleaned up and working properly.”
“What is your name?”
“My name is Andrea, Lady Mage.”
“Andrea, you have done an amazing job. If you can handle the next few days as well as you have handled this, I would be pleased to confirm you as Cook. Is the banquet something you think you can do?”
The girl stammered, straightened her back, and nodded her head speechlessly. Laughing, Ruth waved her hand in farewell and headed off for the next thing needing her attention. At least it looks like one thing is going well, she thought to herself.
The morning was consumed by meetings with various groups of staff. The keep was very short on warm bodies. The issues of how to find and hire trustworthy people was raised multiple times during Ruth’s morning. After agreeing to the concept of a hiring fair, Ruth requested that everyone help out wherever they could. One of the first urgent hires would have to be a replacement butler. Without someone in that position, Ruth had to deal with the minutia of the keep operation. Unfortunately, no one had an idea on how to find a butler. Ruth hoped that Pawlik would have some suggestions.
One of the least pleasant meetings of Ruth’s day was the one where she had to deal with the former housekeeper and butler. They had been victims, but still betrayed a position of trust and Ruth would not accept any continued service from them within the household. Unable to be as severe in her treatment of them when faced with the horror of their experience, Ruth simply pensioned them off and told them that they would be relocated to places of their choice.
There was no more time between the end of that meeting and the start of the next than five minutes, but Ruth needed a cup of tea and a few moments to herself. Feeling slightly rejuvenated, she told Jenna to let the next group in. It turned out to be a pleasant surprise. A contingent from Borachland Village had come to offer services or inquire about employment. Ruth happily turned them over to a hastily formed group from the kitchen, garden, and other areas. There were even a couple of possible candidates for the guard.
It was time to finalize the Death Gift Meeting. Notices had been sent to the next of kin of all the deceased members of Pawlik’s crew. The meeting was set for the following day, and Ruth ho
ped that the kitchen could respond.
She also hoped that Pawlik could come through it without too many painful memories.
The next day was sunny and slightly warm. A perfect day for walking in the garden, picnics, and other outdoor activities. Unfortunately, it was the day of the Death Gift Meeting. It would be the first such meeting that Ruth had ever been involved in and she was not looking forward to it.
Cal, Troyer, Techla and Mary had just come down from the ship on the shuttle, along with some supplemental guards. A few of the newly hired Marines were being rotated onto the ship and over to the castle to provide security and logistics support. They were also learning how to deal with their new bosses, especially Ruth. Most of them were not really sure what to expect from a Mage.
The children were ecstatic to see Ruth and Pawlik, hugging them repeatedly and talking excitedly about everything that happened since they had last seen their grandparents. At Cal’s request, Pawlik took some time to explain exactly what was entailed in a Death Gift Meeting. After listening intently, Cal said, “So what you’re telling me is this is effectively where you pay a blood price for the loss of husbands, brothers, or fathers.”
Pawlik agreed but stated that it was also a chance to celebrate their life and mourn their passing.
One of the large ballrooms had been set up for the Death Gift Meeting. People had started to arrive in the last hour, traveling to the keep by a variety of land transport and shuttles. Pawlik had lost 167 crew members in the betrayal that put him into the hands of the slavers. From his previous experience, he had told Ruth to expect approximately 500-600 people at this meeting. She could tell that he was dreading the occasion and every second of the time leading up to it increased that sick anticipation.
