Four soldiers sat in front of a tent, playing dice.
Maladict threw the dice. They gave her a total of 20 points. She grinned. The game was going well.
Beside her, private Godsend shivered, disliking the sight of a vampire grin so close to her jugular, black ribbon or no. Maladict was fairly certain Godsend was female. The private had fooled everyone else. She was big and burly, she had a moustache she shaved every morning, and generally her fellow soldiers called her 'Burt'. Godsend was a slow thinker, but she got there eventually. But there was a certain softness about her shape, and a definite lack of adam's apple that gave her feminity away.
Private Shale, a troll, probably male, threw the dice next. They landed at 24 points – perfect score. Maladict groaned. She handed over the piece of paper that said on it that it was her month's wages – the pay was late again.
'Not so fast, corporal. I haven't thrown the dice yet.' The voice belonged to lieutenant von Bazoukin. He was a werewolf. Normally, a werewolf would feel uncomfortable in a vampire's presence, but with von Bazoukin and Maladict, the tables were turned. Von Bazoukin was a lieutenant, and he delighted in rubbing it in. And worse, he knew Maladict's secret. There was no fooling a werewolf's nose. To the rest of the company, Maladict was male. Von Bazoukin was an arrogant bastard who played the war game for personal gain. Maladict would rather have had nothing to do with the likes of him. But she'd die before asking for a transfer. Polly served as sergeant in this company. And Maladict… had come to realize she depended on Polly for many things.
Von Bazoukin tossed the dice. They landed at 23. He swore.
'A pity… I looked forward to winning a share in your wages, meagre though they are, corporal. Oh well. Another payday, another game.'
'I really wish you would not encourage the troops to gambling, sir.' The voice belonged to Polly, or rather, sergeant Perks at her most official.
Von Bazoukin tipped his hat to her. 'I do apologize, sergeant. We are done for tonight. Perhaps you'd like a little walk by the moonlight?' He suggested, grinning.
Maladict groaned. Another frustrating thing about von Bazoukin – he'd been sniffing around Polly a lot lately. She found herself wishing full moon would hurry along already.
'No thank you. I have work to do.' Polly walked off, rather hastily.
'There walks a fine form of a woman. I wouldn't mind getting more familiar with her…' von Bazoukin admitted, following her with his eyes. 'Beautiful wench for a sergeant, but damn is she cold as ice!'
Maladict knew he was baiting her. She remained silent as she collected the dice into their pouch.
'Hey, corporal bloodsucker, I'm talking to you! Wouldn't you like to get your hands on that lissome body of hers?' Von Bazoukin grinned, amiably on the surface. He reminded Maladict a lot of Strappi.
'My name is Maladict. I do not drink…the B-word. You know this. Why do you insult me, sir?' The 'sir' was spat out with some vehemence.
'Alright then… Mal. What do you think? Is the sergeant hot or is she even hotter? Too hot to handle?' von Bazoukin persisted.
'I find it is not my place to comment on the sergeant's appearance. It would not be appropriate.' Maladict put the dice in her pocket.
Private Godsend felt like expressing her profound insight at this moment: 'I think the corporal fancies her. He's always watching her.' She offered, with what might have been a giggle if it had come from a smaller person, but was more of a guffaw from someone her size.
Von Bazoukin laughed out loud. 'But of course! Maladict, don't deny it! You desire to profess your love kneeling down at her feet. You desire to make sweet love to her till sunrise.' He had found what he thought was a grand joke only he could get.
Maladict stood up. 'Thank you for the game.' She saluted, and walked away.
From behind her came the voice of Private Shale:
'Hit her onna head with a rock! Works for trolls!'
Maladict shook her head. This time von Bazoukin had truly hit a nerve. She would have to do something.
She spotted Polly talking to some of the new recruits. She walked over.
'What is it, Mal?' Polly asked, her voice puzzled.
'Come with me, sir.' Maladict reached out her hand towards Polly.
Surprised, Polly took the offered hand.
The next thing she knew, Maladict was holding her. They were rising high into the air. Maladict somehow made them both weightless. She finally landed them on a ledge in the mountain wall. There was no way up or down.
'What are you doing? Mal?' Polly asked.
'Sorry, sir. I needed privacy.' Maladict explained.
'For what?'
'I love you. There, I've said it, now you can yell at me.'
There were tears in Polly's eyes. 'Mal… oh, Mal…'
Maladict kissed the tears away. 'Polly, don't cry.' She hugged her tight.
'Mal… I love you too. I thought… I thought you weren't interested.' Polly wrapped her hands around Maladict's body.
'I was afraid… of being rejected.' Maladict kissed her sweetly. They lost themselves in a passionate exploration of each others' bodies.
Much later, as they lay on the mountain ledge wrapped in Maladict's cloak, Polly asked Maladict:
'Why now? I mean, what made you overcome your fear of being rejected?' As she spoke, she ran her finger down Mal's spine in a particularly thrilling soft movement.
Maladict looked at her, eyes full of a peculiar softness. 'I had to tell you, before someone else told you. The men know. Worse, von Bazoukin suspects.'
Polly shivered. 'Don't talk to me about von Bazoukin. He gives me the creeps.' She kissed Maladict again, softly, suggestively. Maladict allowed herself to be seduced.
It was well into the early morning hours when they returned to camp. Von Bazoukin waited at Polly's tent.
'Where have you been, Sergeant Perks?' He roared in his worst angered officer voice.
'I considered your suggestion and decided I would indeed like a little walk in the moonlight, sir. I took corporal Maladict with me.'
Maladict seemed to materialize from the shadows behind Polly. She flashed von Bazoukin a very pointy grin.
Von Bazoukin's nostrils widened as he caught the scent that hung thick in the air between the two females. He actually growled.
'Corporal, you're on guard duty starting now. Sergeant – I am disappointed in you.'
'Yes, sir. Permission to take my guard position, sir?' Maladict inquired, saluting smartly.
'Go!' It was plain von Bazoukin thought he would attempt tearing Maladict to shreds if she stayed any longer, so Maladict made her escape. It wasn't only black ribboner vampires who had to fight their nature. Maladict had seen von Bazoukin cut a man's head off, but he had done it with a sword, not his jaws, and for that kind of self-discipline, if nothing else, the werewolf was owed some respect.
Polly stood nervously in front of von Bazoukin. She knew, of course, what this was about. The werewolf had convinced himself he loved her, or at least wanted her. His clumsy flirting had been torturous to witness.
'Sir?' Polly asked, when von Bazoukin made no move to speak.
'Sergeant Perks… you have been with us three months now, correct?' von Bazoukin asked, sounding like any old Rupert.
'Yes, sir.'
'You do understand that our life on the move has its limitations. I understand the female sex is weak and emotional, but you have to control your… urges. You are supposed to be an example to the men.'
'Yes, sir.' Polly tried not to laugh at his choice of words.
'If I catch you again, you both will be reprimanded officially.' Von Bazoukin continued with the stiff, formal language.
'And speaking as a man… you could have chosen better.' he suddenly pulled Polly close, breathing in her face.
'Sir! Unhand me! This kind of behaviour is against the regulations.'
Von Bazoukin let go of her. 'Indeed. Make sure the corporal understands that, also.' With that, von Bazoukin walked off.
Polly entered her tent. She pulled off her boots and jacket and wrapped herself in the thin military issue blanket. She was sure she would be awake all night, but within moments, she drifted off to dreams filled with secret meanings.