A MAN OF IRON
It turned out that the highway-men who were robbing us were actually highway-women.
There were three of them: young, lean, and dangerous. They were wearing simple studded-leather armor, face-concealing helmets, and had the very white claws of young Blood. The members of our three-wagon caravan were obviously outmatched, so nobody even bothered to grab for their weapons. Our caravan was captured with no resistance.
I honestly can't say I blamed my fellow travelers. After all, I was surreptitiously armed, yet had decided not to fight. Hopefully, the bandits would take what they wanted - the caravan didn't have much - and then be on their way.
The eldest, who I estimated to be perhaps 20 years old, gave me a long and curious look.
"Are you rich?" she asked as her eyes wandered up and down my frame. I'm pretty sure she was examining the cut of my clothes. And that was a problem.
I keep telling my superiors that I and my colleagues should dress unobtrusively while traveling but those damned fools - excuse me, I mean 'those damned honored superiors' - insist that we should wear something finer in order to convey the impression of unworldly scholars. That was foolish and I was already trying to figure out a way to tell them that when I got home.
But that was if I got home. I didn't think blood-letting was imminent but you should never underestimate the willingness of some Blood to cut your throat and then cheerfully walk away, whistling a jaunty tune as you die. Again, I would defend myself if necessary, but there are no guarantees in that kind of fight.
"I'm a scholar," I replied carefully. "And I am not personally wealthy. The pouch on my belt is all I have - and it isn't much. Take it."
The woman talking to me took off her helmet and tucked it into the crook of her arm. Actually, she was a pretty blonde who wore her hair in a long braid that she kept tucked into the back of her jerkin. She was slender and had a thin face that was rather ascetic-looking. Some might describe her kind of woman as "scrawny", but I think the term 'athletic' is more fair.
The other two bandits were busily shaking down the other travelers in the caravan and they were getting depressingly little for their efforts. I hoped frustration wouldn't spur them to violence.
"Crap," the younger of the two growled as a trembling mother handed her a few poor coppers. The youngest thief was dark-skinned, but I couldn't make out anything else about her because of her helm. And the helm itself seemed too big for her. I found myself wondering if she was really old enough for her chosen career.
"This is ridiculous," the middling thief added in an upset tone.
"Search 'em," the blonde ordered. She still had her eyes on me - I had the impression she was looking for something. "And then check their gear."
Then she looked me in the eye. "Okay. Take off all your clothes, bend over, and spread your legs."
I think I winced. "Is that really necessary?" I asked.
She grinned. "No, but the expression on your face just now was worth it. And, honestly, if you are hiding something that way, then I don't want it."
I was about to inform her that some couriers were known to transport jewels that way. Then I decided it would be best to keep my mouth shut.
"However, I am going to search you," she continued. "Would you please blush and stammer weak and frightened protests as I shamelessly abuse your modesty?"
"I'll try. But please understand that I don't do well under pressure."
"Just do your best. I won't be too judgmental."
She was thorough but I just didn't have much in the way of recognizable wealth on me. She did take the small pouch of traveling money from my belt. It was intended for meals and other minor expenses, so it didn't amount to much. Even worse, it looked like my pouch was actually the big haul of the robbery.
"Dammit," the blonde sighed as she shook her head in frustration.
I cleared my throat. She had patted me down, looking for hidden pockets, and there was still a hand intimately on my person.
She smiled and gave me a squeeze that under other circumstances I might have enjoyed. I took no offense - the Blood are ridiculously forward about that sort of thing.
"Double-check the wagon," the leader ordered her companions briskly. "And then we better get going."
The two younger Blood hastened to obey.
Then the eldest Blood looked back at me. "You're coming with us."
"May I ask why?" I asked nervously.
"You might be worth a ransom," the blonde told me.
"Are we going to use him for sex?" the youngest woman - just a girl actually - asked. She was trying to act nonchalant.
"No," the two older girls replied simultaneously. Then the next-eldest rapped her knuckles on the back of the youngest girl's helmet.
"Stop it with that kind of talk," she scolded the youngest Blood. She actually sounded upset.
Then the leader picked out a pair of traveling packs from the wagon and quickly examined them. She hefted one over her shoulder and handed me the other one. I didn't think it wise to complain. Judging from the size-to-weight ratio, the pack was mostly filled with clothing. In fact, a silk sleeve was protruding from a poorly-secured flap. I tucked it back inside before putting the pack on my back.
"What's your name?" The woman asked me as she fiddled with our pack straps.
"Tony," I told her.
She nodded and then slapped me on my butt.
"Let's get going, Tony," she ordered with easy authority.
Over the shoulders of the two older bandits, I saw the youngest thief glance both ways and then give the frightened mother her money back.
"What are you smiling about?" the second thief asked me suddenly.
"Nothing," I replied.
I think the Blood were surprised at how well I kept up with them. By nightfall we were miles down a half-abandoned side-trail. We stopped next to a copse of trees and built a fire in an outcrop of concealing boulders. The youngest girl did the cooking. It was simple fare - fried vegetables with some bacon and cornbread - but it was hot and filling and the youngest girl was actually pretty competent with a frying pan. Also, my captors made sure that I got a fair share of food. I was actually eating better than when I was with the caravan. The Blood can be oddly generous that way. They are a surprising people when they aren't being terrible.
After the youngest girl handed me a wooden bowl and spoon, I bowed my head and silently gave thanks to the miracle of Photosynthesis.
The girls watched me curiously, but said nothing. Blood religion is a little odd since it incorporates three goddesses and also their great ancestral spirit. I think that makes them less inclined to be belligerent about other systems of faith. Or perhaps they're simply uncaring.
"Did you steal this food?" I asked after I finished my bowl.
All three of my captors looked at me for a long moment. Then the eldest answered.
"Yes," she said.
I nodded. "Are you sure the nobody will go hungry because of this?"
"No," the middle-girl - she had curly dark hair and brown eyes - answered immediately. Her town was slightly defensive. "We took it from a rich Holder's store-house. He had plenty."
"A rich man?" I said slowly. "A Holder, you say?"
They all nodded.
"So he obviously has family... does he also have vassals and servants who depend on him?" I asked.
They didn't answer. The two youngest seemed troubled - as if unbidden thoughts had suddenly come to them. Meanwhile the oldest girl looked at me with eyes that glittered in the firelight. She didn't seem bothered by what I was saying.
"Is there any more cornbread?" I asked. The youngest girl took the last piece out of a cloth bundle and handed it to me. Then, after a moment's hesitation, she took a piece that was still in her bowl and gave that to me as well. I broke it in half and gave the bigger portion back to her.
"Thank you," I said to her.
The middle girl was on watch, which meant she was out somewhere in the darkness, roving a perimeter. The youngest was sound asleep, wrapped innocently in the oldest girl's arms. The older girl was stroking her hair.
I used my chin to indicate the youngest girl. "How old is she?" I asked the oldest bandit.
"Too young for this," she told me with a sigh.
I nodded. "How did you three happen to become road pirates?"
The blonde let out a rueful snort. "There was a Blood named Theresa who recruited us off the streets of Palmra. It was a good deal for a couple of months. Then a few weeks back we took on a lone wagon. There were two horsemen with the wagon who turned out to be Blood. They were old enough that Theresa and I didn't think they were guards, but I'm pretty sure they were actually Yojimbo. Looking back on it, we should have realized that what with all the fighting against the Creed, some oldster guardians would come out of retirement and go back to work. Those guys... they... well, they made short work of Theresa and the rest of us just took off running. We had no choice. I think the only reason we got away was because those gray bastards didn't want to chase us too far away from their wagon."
She was being startlingly frank.
"So what are your plans now?" I asked.
"We'll get what we can for what we've stolen," she continued. "Then I'll join the army and go fight the Creed - I think that would be a good place to hide. I'll try to talk Gayle and Linda into something else. I hear there are some new lumbering camps opening up out east. Gayle can lumber-jane while Linda does camp work."
"Not interested in working the woods yourself?"
She shook her head. "No. I killed a man for Theresa, so I have to get away from these hills. Gayle and Linda never did anything like that. I think they can take their share and go do something normal if they just keep their mouths shut."
"What's your name?" I asked.
"Billy."
"Is that your real name?"
She grinned at me. "No."
Of course not.
As the sun rose, I said a morning prayer to the mystery of Fusion. We breakfasted on bread and a roughly-cooked range chicken that Gayle had picked off the night before. I noticed that the two older girls didn't have the youngest girl - Linda - pulling a guard shift.
"You're going to see a front-man, aren't you?" I asked as I tossed greasy chicken bones into the brush.
'Front-man' is criminal argot for a person who sells stolen goods. They are an interface between thieves and legitimate markets. There's not a lot of point to being a full-time thief if you don't know one.
Billy gave me an askance look. "How did you know that?"
"You told me that you were getting out of this," I reminded her. "So you have to sell your ill-gotten goods. You can't exactly show up in a local marketplace and start hawking women's clothes and cosmetics. That would look suspicious."
The middle girl - curly-haired Gayle - looked at me suspiciously. "How do you know what we have to sell?"
I tried not to sound exasperated. "I carried one of your packs yesterday. Remember? I could tell what was in them."
Then a thought occurred to me. "This front-man... have you ever dealt with him when Theresa wasn't around?"
Billy and Gayle exchanged a look.
"You're not sure if you can trust him," I said flatly. I could see that in their eyes.
"Tony, there's nobody we can trust," Billy replied with a shrug.
She had a point.
"May I make a suggestion?" I asked.
"No," Billy said flatly. Her body language suggested that she was approaching the end of her patience with me, so I shut up. In a close-quarters confrontation, any of those three girls could quite possibly kill me. Even Linda.
"I want to hear him," Linda said quietly. That was interesting. She wasn't demanding, but she also wasn't asking.
Billy and Gayle exchanged looks once again. Then Gayle nodded towards Linda.
It looked like Billy was out-voted. As a system, I don't think much of democracy but in this case it might save lives.
"Okay, let's hear it," Billy told me irritably.
"Forget this," I said flatly. "Throw away what you've stolen and head east. Billy, you have a plan for finding work out there. Nothing's guaranteed but it's at least a plan. Every second you live as bandits is a terrible risk."
Gayle laughed. "You're just hoping that we'll let you go."
"That's true." I replied. "But I also don't want to see you three get killed - and perhaps drag me along with you. And right now you're headed in that direction."
"We can take care of ourselves!" Linda flared at me indignantly.
It took effort not to laugh. "As far as I'm concerned, you're definitely a dangerous bunch. But a while back there were four of you. Then you ran into a pair of elderly Yojimbo and now there's three of you. And the woman you lost was your most experienced fighter. That scared you so much that you're now picking off the most defenseless targets you can find. What part of what I just said is untrue?"
I'd gone too far. Billy and Gayle's pride was injured. Linda was scared at how my words laid out facts she didn't want to think about. And none of them were inclined to take my advice.
Even worse, I could tell that Billy and Gayle were thinking about killing me. It looked like I might just get into that fight I'd wanted to avoid.
Fortunately, right about then yet another group of bandits appeared.
Really, the lack of local law enforcement was appalling.
There were four of them. Three rough-looking Toronto lizard-folk and a skinny, sallow man who was clad in ragged clothes and a tattered leather cloak. I took him to be some kind of Wilder. I like dealing with Wilder even less than dealing with Blood. All too often, you just don't know what a Wilder can do. And they range in power level from meaningless to 'burn the city down'.
The three girls were flabbergasted. The possibility that someone could actually sneak up on them was a foreign concept.
Of course, the fact the new group of bandits had done just that - despite the powerful senses of three Blood - was wearisomely suggestive.
To her credit, Billy bounced back quickly. "Hello, Ian," she said calmly. "We were looking for you. We have goods to sell. And a fancy fellow who might be worth a ransom."
Ian gave me a look that suggested he didn't think much of what he was looking at.
"I hear Theresa's dead," Ian rasped out. His voice sounded odd and sickly.
"Yeah, that's right," Billy said after a brief pause. Even after just those few exchanges, she didn't like how the conversation was going.
I felt the same way.
"My deal was with her, not you," Ian said coldly. Then he negligently waved his hand and we all collapsed.
I didn't think Ian was an actual telepath. But he was definitely a powerful mind-scrambler. A low level application of his power was how he and his reptilian creatures were able to approach us unnoticed. A higher level of that same power was what knocked us flat. All of us were on the ground, unable to rise and in a lot of pain. Ian and his thugs would be able to kill us at their leisure.
However, the thugs weren't immediately interested in me. They were interested in the girls. A pair of them flipped Billy onto her back and began fumbling with the straps on her armor. However, the third one was also fondling Linda in an all too eager way.
None of that was acceptable.
There was a woven leather bracelet on my left forearm. It was so negligible that Billy hadn't bothered to take it from me. She - and anyone else who saw it - would probably have considered it to be a bit of unlikely vanity on my part.
Actually, it was more than that. Much more. There were complex metal constructs intertwined into the bracelet's leather straps.
As everyone else considered the impending mass rape and our eventual murders, I managed to focus through the pain of Ian's psychic attack, point a finger at him, and invoke the power built into the bracelet. And since I was really angry, I took it all the way to full power.
That wasn't just anger. If we were to have any chance of survival, Ian had to go.
Ian's head exploded in an eruption of blood, bone, and brains. Then the device on my wrist promptly failed and turned red-hot as the power-supply overloaded. I used a verbal command to unlock it. Then I shook it off my wrist, but by then my forearm and hand were badly burned and my jacket was on fire.
Remarkably, Linda recovered first from the shock of what was happening. She put both sets of her hand claws into the snout-like face of the thing that was attacking her. Then she slashed wide, ripping the eyes out of its face. Meanwhile her foot claws were slicing open its legs. The creature had underestimated her and was paying the price.
Billy snapped back to normal and took the opportunity to gut one of the creatures who was hanging on to her. Then she and the other one got into a claw-flailing wrestling match that featured not the slightest sign of finesse.
Gayle landed on the thug who had designs on Linda and severed its spine at the back of the neck with a single expert blow. After that, Linda seemed to turn into a blur of activity and her victim, unable to fight back, hooted and screamed helplessly as she and Gayle carved it like a roast.
I finally managed to ditch my burning jacket. Then, ignoring the pain of my arm, I picked up a really big rock and hit the reptile-man who was fighting Billy on the back of its head. There was a crunch and the creature fell forward. Before it could recover and kill me, Billy finished it off.
Suddenly, our now blood-splattered campsite was strangely silent. Billy - covered with lizard-blood and with a length of intestine tangled in her hair - was giving me an odd look. Gayle and Linda were helping each other up.
"Ouch?" I said to nobody in particular as I swayed uncertainly. Then I collapsed.
I drifted in and out of awareness as the the girls hauled me to a village. Before we entered, they washed up and changed their clothes into something less martial - they ended up looking like the innocent daughters of a local free-holder.
The village didn't have a true healer, but the local wise-woman applied a salve to my burned arm that was intended to accelerate healing. Then she had me choke down an awful-tasting pain-killing potion.
Linda carefully put my half-melted bracelet on the rough table next to my cot. She didn't need to be so careful. The bracelet was ruined and the master-of-the-forge would have words with me for that. In fact, I was sure he would have a lot to say. None-the-less, I took the bracelet in my good hand and gasped out a few words to assuage it's burnt spirit and thank it for its help. It had faithfully served me to the limits of its design and saved all of our lives.
A few days passed. I stayed in a walled-off lean-to that was attached to the side of the wise-woman's stone hut. The girls were camped somewhere nearby. Linda stayed next to me in the noon and evening, but vanished to somewhere else in the mornings. Billy and Gayle checked in every now and then. I didn't know what those three were up to, but I hoped it was honest and wouldn't attract attention.
Whatever it was the wise-woman had in her salve, it worked. Very quickly, the sear marks on my arm were scabbing over and I could even walk again. I made a point if taking a sample of her healing solution. Further research was required.
"How are we paying for this?" I asked one evening. Billy and Gayle had stopped by with a pot of rabbit and potato stew.
I was a little scared with what the answer to my question might be. My impression was that the girls were not terribly good thieves and the care I was getting couldn't have been inexpensive.
Billy rolled her eyes while Gayle tried not to laugh.
"They're sucking cock," Linda told me brightly. "Lots and lots of cock. Cock all day and cock all night long." Her eyes were pure innocence. All she was doing was answering a question.
"I wish these damn farm-boys would take a bath every now and then," Gayle growled.
I gave Linda a long and stormy look. "I haven't done anything!" Linda told me hurriedly. "Billy won't let me!"
"She's too young," Billy told me as she licked her spoon clean and put it and her bowl off to the side. Gayle nodded in placid agreement. "Perhaps in a year or so. She should pull in a lot of money."
It was then I noticed that they were all trying not to laugh.
"I'm being teased, aren't I?" I said stiffly.
"Pretty much," Billy agreed. "You Folk are so strange about sex. Actually we did think about whoring, but there's a pair of pros in this village and they said the Guild would get all over us if we tried. I'm willing to fight just about anyone, but the guild is something else all together."
"Nasty bunch of bitches," Gayle agreed grumpily.
"And you won't believe what their dues are," Gayle added with an amazed shake of her head. "We asked. I don't see how those women make any money considering their overhead."
"We're actually milking cows," Linda told me eagerly. "The ones I milk are Sadie, Coventry, Sherry, Betty, and Lisa. They're really nice. Well, except for Lisa. She can be grumpy."
I considered that. "Well... I suppose there are some mechanical parallels between milking cows and being a prostitute..."
That made Billy chuckle. "And since you're asking questions. Here's one for you... what the hell are you?"
I hesitated. It wasn't exactly a secret, but I'm not used to talking about my work.
"As I told you, I'm a man of learning - a wandering scholar," I answered carefully.
"Let me guess," Gayle said as she scraped her bowl with her spoon. "You're with the Iron-Men. It's the only way to explain that thing you had on your wrist."
Ah, the dangers of assuming that Blood are all muscle-bound dunces. They have a habit of surprising you.
"Yes, I am with the House of Iron." I replied.
Eyebrows went up all around me. "So what kind of scholarship do you do?" Billy asked.
"I search for historical artifacts. There was a time when I would have been called an archaeologist or perhaps an antiquarian."
"But what are you looking for?" Linda asked curiously. Then she paused, "Or can't you tell anyone?"
I smiled. "My job isn't that much of a secret. I look for tools and weapons. Things left over from the ancient days of the Folk Ascendancy. Things that will allow ordinary people to do extraordinary things. The Folk need a way to defend themselves from threats."
Linda looked fascinated. "What kind of threats?" she asked innocently.
I reached over and brushed a lock of hair away from Linda's face.
"You, sweetheart," I told her with a gentle smile. "You and everyone like you."
Gayle and Linda left once we were done with dinner. They were planning on getting in a little hunting before they went to bed. Apparently Gayle knew the watering pattern of the local herd of deer.
Billy was kind enough to paint my hand and arm with the wise-woman's healing solution.
"You look a lot better," she said casually.
My every sense went defensive. Billy was up to something.
"Remember back when I was robbing you and I had my hand in your pants?" Billy continued.
I nodded warily.
"I'm thinking we should try something like that again," Billy suggested.
I really didn't want to offend Billy, but... "Billy, I prefer the company of other men."
She nodded. "I sorta figured. But that's fine. Me and Gayle like to take the edge off every now and then with each other. Look, you're a man of learning, right?"
"Yes," I said slowly.
"There's a word for when your sort tries something new. They're looking to see how something works and hope to learn from it?"
It took me a moment to see where she was going. "Do you mean 'experiment'?" I asked.
She gave me a pleased smile. "That's it! So let's experiment. And let's do it naked. Don't worry, I'll show you how it works with a woman."
"Billy, I've been with women before. The process is not that different and you should know that."
Her smile turned into a grin. "Tony, you've never been with anyone like me before."
It turns out she wasn't bragging.
"Are you done?" Linda yelled from outside the lean-to.
I cursed softly. Of course it was about time for Linda to return. But I'd been distracted.
"We're done," I called back.
"No, we're not," Billy called out. We were both on the cot and she was half on-top of me. She was trying to be careful with my burned arm.
"So how was it?" Linda asked curiously. At the top of her lungs.
Billy looked like she was about to answer. I stopped her by grabbing her by the back of her head and sticking my tongue in her mouth. She returned the favor. But then it went on and on.
"Okay, I'm gonna go stay with Gayle tonight," Linda announced.
Billy and I didn't respond. We were busy.
"Make sure Tony finishes his dinner," Linda added loudly. "He hasn't had much of an appetite lately. And there's that potion he's supposed to drink but it tastes bad and he keeps trying to skip it. And he won't let me give him a bath, but I'm thinking you'll have more luck with that."
There was a tiny lantern in the lean-to. I lit it and a dirty yellow flame provided some poor light. Billy was getting dressed so she could go to work. Her stirring was what woke me up.
"That was fun," Billy said as she pulled on her boots. "You're okay in bed - especially for a Folk - but the part where you told me those stories about you and your boyfriend... wow!"
I smiled. "Women tend to like that. But honestly, I was a bit surprised you reacted so strongly."
Billy nodded her head. "I like to touch myself while someone else watches - I guess I'm a showoff. And you really made that work! I mean... I've met people with talented mouths, but you have a completely different approach to that. The part about you and Don in the headmaster's office was great! Did you really do it in his chair?"
"Honest truth," I said in a resigned tone. "We're so lucky we didn't get caught."
Billy leaned over and kissed me.
"When I get back, I'll give you that bath," she promised.
The girls were still at work and the wise-woman was tending her small herd of goats when my rescue finally arrived.
There's a tracking chip embedded in the mastoid process of my skull, which makes it easy for those I serve to find me. Since I was otherwise out of communication, that was handy.
In a roar of boot jets, and kicking up a whirling cloud of dust, a man in green and blue armor dropped out of the sky and landed next to me. He was named Ernst and he was equipped with a suit of Guardsman armor. That armor is nowhere near as robust as our true Iron-Men or War-Machine suits, and only a few survive. In terms of combat, they're considered to be under-powered but still effective against our most likely foes. However, a Guardsman suit that's in repair can fly and that's always useful.
I could tell it was Ernst's suit since it was adorned with his family heraldry. Ernst's ancestors have worn that armor for generations, and their names and honors are proudly engraved on plates running up and down his armor's right arm. Some of the heraldry was so worn that it was only barely readable. However, that didn't matter to Ernst. He can recite his full family lineage without hesitation. I've heard him do it.
"About time," I called out in mock outrage as I entered my lean-to and gathered up the bag containing my few personal items.
Standing outside the door-way, Ernst pulled off his helmet and grinned at me. "How's it going, Tony? That arm looks nasty."
"It's not as bad as it looks," I replied with a shrug. "The local herbalist did a good job. Thanks for the pick up."
Ernst looked around. The wise-woman was staring at us with her mouth hanging open. A pair of white-and-brown goats were nibbling at the grass around her feet.
"We'll be leaving now," I told her. "Thank you for your help."
She nodded her head - a single jerk. Then Ernst pulled out a generous-sized pouch and handed it to her.
"The Iron-Men thank you for your courtesy and assistance," he said after giving her a formal bow. Ernst can be quite the diplomat.
The wise-woman accepted the money. Then, with her eyes never leaving us, she returned the bow.
After that, Ernst sent a signal. There was a throbbing rumble from the sky above. Then an ancient five-engine jet dropped out of the heavens and landed at some distance from the wise-woman's hut. In a whirlwind of dust, I hiked over and boarded the rumbling jet. Once I was inside, the woman behind the controls stood up just long enough to give me a hug. Then she got back into the pilot's seat.
As we vanished into the sky, I glanced out a passenger window. I saw the forms of the three girls off in the distance, running towards the wise woman's hut.
I regretted leaving without saying goodbye. But I had responsibilities and it was time to report and get back to work.
That should have been the end of it, but it wasn't. A few months later, I ran into Billy again.
This time, Billy was wearing the armor and livery of a Samurai in the service of a Blood lord. And her armor looked like it had recently seen some hard use. I found her among a small troop that was guarding a position consisting of some roughly-assembled docks and a cluster of ramshackle store-houses and tents. Ships were anchored at the docks and just offshore, and piles of supplies were being unloaded by sweating laborers. It was a supply point for the northern half of the two forces that were clawing the regional Creed into oblivion.
"You..." Billy said slowly as she stared at me. She seemed taken aback.
"It's good to see you, Billy," I replied. And I meant that. I'd been worried about her and the others.
"Hungry?" I asked. "You and your friends fed me. I think it's only fair that I return the favor."
After another pause, Billy smiled at me and then nodded.
I bought two bowls of stew and some bread from a camp-following cook. Billy and I ended up sitting on the edge of a dock. Distance and a large pile of crates and barrels gave us some privacy.
The dock was already showing signs of decrepitude. It had been hastily built from green wood and the lake was beginning to break it apart. I hoped its misery would end soon.
After night fell, I stayed with Billy. No, it wasn't quite what you're thinking... we just wanted to be together. I guess that meant we were friends. Which in many ways is even better than being casual lovers.
"Can you tell me what you're looking for?" she asked me. It was a cool evening and we were laying together outside of Billy's tent, gazing up at the stars. When I told her that the bright wandering stars were actually the ships of alien creatures who called themselves "Shi'ar", she looked astounded but didn't call me a liar.
"A lot of interesting things come to light in a war," I told Billy. "People take up weapons that they normally keep secret but now feel are needed. Right now, I'm following rumors about pole-arms that fire burning beams of light."
Billy scratched her chin thoughtfully, "I heard something about that. How do you know it isn't just an exaggerated story about some Wilder?"
"I don't," I answered. "That's why I'm looking into it."
"What happens if you find them? Do you take them?"
"Maybe. Actually, my masters are more interested in knowing if there are more weapons like that and if someone is building them. So what have you heard?"
She shrugged. "Not much. Some Creed supposedly had weapons that were something like that and were using them in the fighting around Fort Oak. I hear that a company of free Rangers and merc War-Trolls jumped the Creed and captured their weapons."
I didn't know that. "Do you know where the weapons went?"
Billy shook her head. "From what I heard, the Red Priestesses got them."
I tried not to curse. I'm often in a race with the Graymalkin. They don't like it when humans - Folk - have access to weaponry from the Old Times.
Then Billy rolled onto her side and rested her head on my shoulder. The palm of one hand was on my stomach. I took it in my hand and squeezed gently.
"Enough talk," Billy said. Her breath was warm against the side of my face.
So we eventually did make love.
It was for the last time.
The moon rose, full and majestic. As we watched it ascend, I whispered a prayer to that ancient far traveler called Nasa. He's said to have once vaulted on a pillar for fire all the way to the moon's surface.
The night was cooling quickly. I pulled a tightly folded, thin, but very warm blanket out of a belt-pouch and draped it over us. It was a bit too small for two people, but Billy and I dealt with that by keeping close to each other.
"You're some kind of priest, aren't you?" Billy asked me.
I nodded my head. "Yes. I've taken Historian orders with the House of Iron."
Billy frowned. "Oh. Uh... are we breaking any rules when we bang? I know some Folk faiths are jealous about their priests and I don't want you to get in trouble. I mean... is it okay for you and Don, but not with me?"
"That's not a part of our beliefs," I reassured her. "My kind encompasses the world and its ways and seeks to know it better. And we can 'bang' all of the dangerous men or women that we want. Why are you asking?"
Billy took a deep breath and let it out. "Well, as somebody with a connection to the beyond, I'd like to hear your opinion on something."
I nodded.
"Should I turn myself in?" Billy asked.
"Oh, hell no," I responded without hesitation.
She looked at me for a long time before responding. "I'm surprised by your answer."
I shrugged. "You don't understand what I am. We worry about the material more than the moral. And personally, I don't want to see you or anyone else hurt. I'm particularly worried that if you give yourself up to the local Lord back in the hills he might decide to pursue an investigation. Which means he could track down Gayle and Linda, and who knows what he might decide after that? I don't know all the details, but I'm pretty sure they don't deserve that."
Billy considered that. "Linda didn't kill anyone. But Gayle helped me get away with what I did. Yeah, you're right."
I nodded, "You're looking for a way out. In fact, you're praying for a way out. So here it is: live the rest of your life as best you can. Take guidance from your guilt and make amends for your misdeeds."
She didn't respond. I felt my stomach sink.
"How are Gayle and Linda?" I asked.
It was still cooling off. By then, Billy and I could see our breath when we talked, but there was no wind and it wasn't too unpleasant.
"Gayle's also in the army," Billy replied. "She's working as a huntress - feeding the troops and watching our flanks and rear at the same time. She's been talking about doing the rituals to become a Free Ranger."
That raised my eyebrows. Becoming an accepted ranger is not easy.
Billy caught the look on my face. "I think she'll make it."
"And Linda?"
Billy smiled wryly. "She wanted to go to war along with us but I reminded her that she owed me a debt for taking care of her after Theresa died. And then I called in that debt. Well, Linda's momma taught her right, so Linda grumbled a lot but went along. I sold her on a two-year indenture to a female-holder. The last time I saw Linda, she was working hard, well-fed, and had something going on with a boy her age. She seemed happy. More importantly, she was safe."
I trapped a bit of the chain-mail on Billy's armor - it was draped over a camp-stool next to us - between my thumb and forefinger and gave it a tug. "It looks like you've come up in the world."
Billy shook her head in amusement - or perhaps amazement. "I started off as a mercenary Ronin, selling my claws for a few coppers, a meal or two, and a place to sleep. Then, after we broke the siege of Fort Oak and the Creed tribes began retreating, I ended up in a series of running fights. Everything was crazy, our army was scattered all over the place, and nobody was running things. I eventually took charge of some other Ronin - I guess I got used to telling people what to do back when I was with Gayle and Linda. After a while, a Senior Samurai attached us to his band and I guess we did a good job. The next thing you know, I'm kneeling in front of Lord Medlaw himself, he's giving me the evil eye, and he's also telling me that I have the choice of becoming one of his Samurai or of getting my presumptuous ass crucified to the nearest tree. It seems that the Ronin I took over were some of his war-sworn. He had every right to kill me for that. Well, I took one look at the expression on his face and put my palms together. Best decision I've ever made."
"So... happy endings all around?"
Billy stared off into the lake for a few heartbeats. "Maybe. Someone might eventually recognize me or one of the other girls. I think Linda will be okay, but Gayle and I do have things we should answer for."
I cocked my head. "You told me that you killed somebody while you were a bandit?"
Billy nodded. "I... I told someone what they had to do. It wasn't much, but he wouldn't do it. Meanwhile, Theresa was yelling at me to quit screwing around and get it done. So I got mad and... and..."
Then Billy went silent. She was trying to tell me things she couldn't say to anyone else, but even then it wasn't easy.
"How will I face the Old One when I die?" she whispered. "I have the life of an old and stubborn Folk on my claws. He couldn't really defend himself from me. The Old One will cast me out. And then I'll be lost from my ancestors and never see them again."
Billy rested her head on my shoulder and hugged me.
After a while, I stood up, pulled on my clothes, and offered Billy my hand.
"When are you on duty?" I asked.
She seemed surprised, "I'm not required until morning."
"We need to find somewhere private," I told her. "Do you know a place with cold water? A well or spring?"
Billy looked puzzled, but she nodded and got to her feet.
"You won't need any clothes," I told her. Assuming I had some kind of sex-game in mind, she smiled.
"I know a place," she told me.
The moon lit up the landscape. I had no problem seeing around us. Billy, of course, could see even better.
There was a large, water-carved, rock outcropping a mile or so up-slope. A spring flowed out those rocks and into the lake. Billy and I worked our way into the rocks until we were at the head of the spring. The water formed a small pool and fell downhill through a minor channel. The moon's reflection was broken into a thousand pieces by the gentle flow of the water.
A lot of what I was about to do was simply for show. But Blood react positively to the natural world and have an appreciation for that kind of beauty. I couldn't have asked for a better location.
It was a shame that I was about to mar that beauty with ugliness.
"Get into the center of the pool," I told Billy.
A Folk, Scatter, or Wilder woman would have almost surely been nervous - or perhaps flirtatious - about the situation. Billy simply waded into the water. The pool wasn't that big and the deepest part only came up to her breasts. Of course, the water was damn cold.
I said nothing else. We waited until Billy began to shiver.
"What's your real name?" I finally asked.
Ask Billy to take a naked walk with you and she immediately complies. Ask her to tell you her real name and she hesitates. But she finally did tell me her personal name and the place-name of her now-lost home. I won't repeat them here.
"Your family is gone?" I asked. "All of them?"
Billy - I'll keep calling her that - didn't say anything, but she nodded.
I entered the water with her. That wasn't as mad as it sounds. My clothing has properties that make them more protective than what almost everyone else wears. Oh, hypothermia would eventually kill me, but it would take a long time.
If all of this sounds silly, remember this: I had to make Billy vulnerable. I had to make what was about to happen a fearful thing that would mark her for life.
She deserved that.
"I do not share your faith," I said to her. "But I believe you have made it plain that you will heed my words. Is that true?"
Billy nodded. Her arms were now wrapped tightly around her bare and shadowed body.
"You unjustly killed someone," I continued softly. "Not as a matter of war, feud, duel, or defense. Rather, it was because of arrogant pride. You slew a simple Folk who could not really defend himself from you. I am not of the Old One, but I know his words. I know that you violated his will."
Still holding herself, Billy looked away. There were tears in her eyes.
Then I slapped Billy so hard that she floundered a step backwards. Even in the moonlight, the mark of my hand was visible on her face. Blood trickled from a split lip. Her eyes were wide with astonishment.
I was taking the biggest chance of my life.
"Can you control yourself, Blood?" I demanded harshly.
Then I slapped Billy again. She staggered and fell. After that, she stumbled to the surface, soaked to the bone, her yellow hair streaming icy water.
"Can you control yourself?" I repeated. "If not, then kill me and let's get this over with."
Crouched in the water, her chin awash, shivering like a leaf in mid-storm, Billy shook her head.
"No. I won't kill you," she gasped out. I could barely hear what she was saying because of the way her teeth were chattering.
I let the moment drag on before finally speaking.
"You must pay for your deed," I added quietly. "The old name you once had? The one your parents gave you? It is gone and you will be Billy forevermore. Your family? You are never speak of them again. The place you and your family called home? You are never to visit there. You are not even to remember any of those things. You chose to throw all of that away. So be it."
Then Billy began to sob. It was gut-wrenching and convulsive. She'd been holding it in for so long.
I grabbed her by the hair and shoved her head underwater. Of course, it would be no problem for her to break free. And I would probably die in the process.
But Billy didn't fight me. Instead, she went limp, surrendering to what was being done to her.
I let her go when it became obvious that she was willing to die.
I dragged Billy out of the pool, dried her off as best I could, and then wrapped her in my cloak. Then I built a fire. She was silent as she sat near me and stared into the flames.
I used a simple cantrip to warm her inner core. I'm not much of a mage, but that trick is a life-saver.
After a while, I helped her up and we walked back to the camp.
I couldn't stay. And Billy had to report for duty eventually. So I packed up my gear and got ready to go.
Before I left, Billy thanked me. Then, after a long pause, she took my hands in hers and kissed them. She couldn't kiss me otherwise, of course. Everything was different between us now.
And I was sorry for that. I had to throw that away so Billy could live again. That was the right decision, but I was allowed regrets.
"What's your name?" Billy asked.
"It really is Tony," I told her.
She nodded. "But it's not all of your name, right? You Folk usually have two or three names. And isn't the name you use usually a short version of your common-name?"
Ah. Names had become very important to Billy. Well, I'd done that to her so it was only fair that I respond.
"My birth name in Anthony Valerian von Doom." I told her.
After that, I took a moment to look deep into Billy's pale-blue eyes. "Billy, I'm going to be a king someday," I told her softly. "When that day comes, I would be pleased if you were one of my subjects. I can think of nobody more worthy."
The lexicon of the Blood is rigorously detailed in some ways and oddly incomplete in others. So Billy probably didn't completely understand the word 'king'. But she is quite intelligent and she quickly pieced together the gist of what I was saying.
As I walked away, I glanced back at Billy. The ghost of dawn was rising behind her as she returned my gaze. Her face was expressionless, but the palms of her hands were pressed together in front of her body. That's a way the Blood express fealty to a new Lord.
That was just the start of my ultimate journey. But it was a good start.