This chapter was actually written before the rest of the story was written. It's a bit melodramatic, but I'm a melodramatic person. This chapter is also a bit choppy, but I wanted to get the plot moving, so I concentrated on making certain events happen. It was inspired by the music listed below. I ask that you don't picture "Titanic" in one of the scenes, you'll know which one. It was in no way inspired by that…movie. It is also time to see who can put two and two together to get the bad guy. Yes, "'Ana cow" is an important part of the plot, however, it is not Ancar.
Written to "The Mermaid's Song" and "The Old Maid of the Mill Dust", Traditional, performed by the Boston Consort on the album "Tunes from the Attic".
Additional disclaimer: the baby ambush scene came from Linda Howards Game of Chance, at least the part with the knees. When she starts climbing, that's all mine. Sorry, didn't come up with that one on my own. Never been ambushed by a baby before, unless it was by baby puke. That's always interesting.
Chapter 10
The next few days passed in peace for them. The mage did not attack during those days, which made Kero begin to believe their mage was not as good as they thought he was. Kero was joined in her evening workouts by the older girls, and the workouts turned into lessons in self-defense. She was planning on eventually turning the self-defense lessons into weapons lessons, but for now, she was just concentrating on the basics and what the girls needed most at the moment. Acacia, as expected, picked up everything Kero taught her without any trouble. Surprisingly enough, Caia also had an aptitude for weapons. Ianthe was interested on a purely intellectual level and seemed fascinated by tactics, strategy, logistics and supply, which she was beginning to pester Kero about after dinner, during the girls' homework time.
Their mornings were beginning to get easier, as well. The girls had adapted to Eldan's presence, resulting in a household that ran much smoother than Kero had managed alone. The baby accompanied Eldan wherever he went during the day, riding in her Shin'a'in style carrier, so she was the last to get ready. All of the girls helped Damini to get ready while Kero rounded up school books and assignments and a gown for Acacia to wear during her etiquette class, laying everything out in organized piles on the table and got ready herself. Then Damini was passed off to Eldan while Kero helped the other girls to get ready. Eventually, they would all be ready to go. Kero would lead them out the door, drop them off at their classes, then go about her own daily routine.
Today was a bit different from other days, however. Several of Kero's Bolts were due to arrive today, bringing with them reports and news of the company. None of the girls had ever met any of the Bolts, and she knew the Bolts were just as anxious to meet the girls. Kero was relatively certain the bets on handfasting had been renewed with the addition of the girls. Apparently the Bolts believed the girls would cause Eldan and Kero to fling themselves into matrimonial bliss; meanwhile, Kero and Eldan merely pushed back the date for their theoretical wedding. By their way of thinking, they had been together this long without the benefit of vows and clergy, so a few more days, months or years would not harm them and have the added benefits of annoying her troops and providing great entertainment for the two of them.
"Where are the little demons?" Shallan pushed open the door to Kero's office, grinning broadly. "I want to meet the munchkins who brought our fearsome Captain to her knees."
Kero grinned back and pointed under her desk, where Dami had stationed herself when the outer door of the salle opened. Her latest antic was ambushing anyone who came through the door. "Don't let Acacia hear you say that. She might have to re-educate you on the principle that size does not matter."
The other lieutenants were entering behind her, but took a back seat to Shallan, who was now the senior of the lieutenants and would most likely assume command of the Company whenever Kero retired. As Shallan approached the desk, Dami darted out with her own version of a Shin'a'in warcry and flung herself at Shallan's legs. She firmly anchored herself there, then froze, casting a panicky look at Kero.
"Don't look at me like that. You got yourself into that situation, now get yourself out of it." Kero raised her eyes to Shallan's face. The lieutenant appeared to be fighting back a laugh in an effort to save the toddler's dignity. "She hasn't figured out what to do beyond the scream and attack phase, yet."
Dami abruptly made up her mind and began scaling Shallan's legs. Shallan's eyes widened at the evidence of Dami's climbing talents, then abruptly realized her arms would be needed when the toddler plopped herself onto Shallan's hip. Then Dami turned her head and grinned at Kero.
"You have her now. Now for the death blow."
Dami nodded, turned her head and gave Shallan a smacking kiss on the cheek.
"I wove you!"
Kero winced. "Dami, that's for Uncle Eldan to get new toys out of him. Remember that? We worked on that one."
Dami concentrated for a minute, scrunching her face, then realization dawned and she nodded. "Kiss, wove you, toys from Unc'Eldan."
"That's right."
Shallan chuckled. "You're mean, Captain."
"He's bound to teach her how to get to me, so I figured I might as well do a pre-emptive strike."
"Uh-huh. And how many years do think it will be before she's using that to get new weapons out of Eldan?"
Kero shuddered. The thought of a full grown Dami with weapons frightened her enough to give her nightmares.
"She won't need weapons. She's going to be a mage, aren't you Dami?"
"Fwowers pwetty." Then she straightened from her slouch against Shallan's shoulder. "No fwowers inside. Only when 'Speth and Dawkwind there."
"Very good."
Dami wriggled, and Shallan obligingly set her down. The toddler scampered around Kero's desk, then climbed in her lap. She settled herself comfortably and went to work "sharpening" her wooden dagger with a river rock Kero had given her, then polishing it with a rag.
"Well, on to business. What have you go for me?" Kero's lieutenants settled themselves comfortably around her desk and began their reports.
- - - - - - -
"Ah, Herald-Captain Kerowyn. Thank you for coming on such short notice."
Minister Cabot rose from behind his desk and gestured Kero to have a seat in one of his hard wooden guest chairs. The cherubic old man preferred his paperwork to most people, but he had a soft spot in his heart for children. The toddler slumped in an exhausted slumber against the Captain's shoulder tugged at his heart strings and pulled an unwilling smile of amusement to his face. Her tiny face was smudged with dirt and what looked like the remnants of warpaint. Her clothes were liberally decorated with grass-stains, while actual grass was sticking out of her hair under her black kerchief. The wooden dagger that was tucked into her matching sash looked like it had seen hard use recently. Kero noticed his examination of Dami and grinned sheepishly.
"Sorry. Dami gets pretty wild when she isn't entertained. Since it was such a beautiful day, I decided to take the Trainees outside to play wargames. Dami decided she wanted to participate. For her it mostly consisted of tackling anyone with legs, two or four, it didn't matter."
Cabot chuckled. "I remember when my children were that age. I always felt guilty when I left them with my wife, but then I'd remember that I would have a few quiet hours and would rejoice."
Kero chuckled also. "I think Eldan would agree with you. This one mostly follows me around."
Cabot laughed some more, then sobered. "Captain, the reason I called you here is quite distressing."
Kero raised an eyebrow in question.
"You understand that as Minister of the People, I am in charge of the census, as well as child welfare."
She nodded.
"Now, I understand that the children claim to be related to you, but we have no proof. Now, according to the law, we have to post notice that these children have been found and wait for their true parents to lay claim to them. We have done that for your gaggle of girls, here, as well as sending messages to the people they claim as their parents, and no one has claimed them. They've been here a few moons now with no one claiming them. That is good for you, however, I fear that we are reaching a decision point."
"And that decision would be?"
"Whether or not you and Herald Eldan will be adopting the girls."
"I'm not letting them go back to their parents."
"I understand that, Captain. However, as you and Eldan are not formally recognized by Valdemar as foster parents, the children cannot remain with you if you and Eldan do not adopt them."
"Then bring out the papers. We'll get it all done today."
"It's not that easy, Captain." Minister Cabot appeared distinctly uncomfortable.
"Why not?"
"According to Valdemar law, any who would like to adopt a child must be wed."
Kero raised her eyebrow again, this time in disbelief. "Is this some kind of joke, Minister?"
"I'm afraid not, Captain. In order to adopt the children, you and Herald Eldan must be husband and wife."
"I don't believe this."
"Believe it or not, Captain, but if you want the children, you and Herald Eldan will have to finally settle down and swear vows."
The sounds of the other girls in Acacia's etiquette class echoed around the courtyard like being inside a giant bell as Kero strode toward it, intent on taking Acacia for an afternoon ride to discuss their options. She had found that getting Acacia to sit still for any length of time was impossible and it was simply easier to talk to her while they were moving. No one moved like a Companion, so the she figured a gallop with Sayvil would take enough energy out of the girl to get her to listen for a few minutes. Her eyes were scanning the enclosed courtyard when she heard it.
"Poor, Acacia! Her parents aren't even married! Do you know who they are?"
"Shut-up, Reeda, you don't even know who you're talking about!"
The little girl taunting Acacia smirked smugly and stuck her nose a little higher in the air. She was a few inches taller than Acacia with brown hair and a delicate gown on that Caia would have swooned over if Kero could get the little girl to pull her nose out of a textbook long enough to look. Reeda was an obviously well-born little girl and liked to parade her ranking in front of all the other girls.
"That mercenary and her lover are your parents, aren't they? They didn't even bother to get hand-fasted before you and your sisters came along, did they? You're not worth anything! They hid you from everyone until just now, so no one would find out that you even existed because you're such a disgrace!"
It did not matter that Lady Reeda Sonturin was spewing illogical non-sense. All that Acacia cared about was the pain those words abruptly brought to the surface, pain she had been fighting since the day she was born, pain that had been festering all these years. It raged to the surface and she felt her vision go red in fury and anguish.
"You aren't worth the—"
Reeda did not finish the sentence. Before Kero could bellow a command to stop, Acacia punched Reeda in the face with all the strength she had in her tiny frame, using all the skills Kero had taught her over the last few days to inflict the maximum amount of damage. Reeda flew off her feet and landed on her back, screaming in rage and pain and capturing the attention of their teacher, who came running as fast her plump body would carry her. Kero made it to the two little girls before the teacher and scooped Acacia into her arms. Acacia had broken into huge sobs, her delicate form shaking from the force, and she buried her face in the crook of Kero's neck, her hands clenching in Kero's dark grey tunic. Her pain reached out to Kero, and she pulled Acacia into her even tighter. She did not try to quiet the little girl, knowing that Acacia needed to rid herself of this infection more than she needed anything else at the moment.
Teacher Goodworth had pulled Reeda off the ground and was fussing over the girl, only occasionally glancing at Acacia, and only then to send angry glares at the girl. Kero was glad Acacia could not see her teacher and wished at the same time Acacia was not there so she could give Mrs. Goodworth a little of the treatment Reeda had received.
"Herald-Captain, that child is a hellion! I will not allow her in my class anymore! I advise you take her and give her a sound beating!"
Mrs. Goodworth's voice, strident and piercing, grated on Kero's nerves. The woman's face was pinched in disapproval and both of her chins were jiggling with the force of the woman's rage.
"This child is no hellion, woman. I think you need to look for the sniveling pile of spoiled child you are comforting for that. Acacia has received nothing but disdain from you and your child-posse from the moment she arrived. I applaud her. She has more patience than I ever did. I'd have done much more to you a long time ago if I had to put up with you every day. Tell Sonturin's parents that they can see me if they wish a taste of what their daughter received."
Kero's voice never rose in pitch or volume. It remained level with a cold certainty that froze Goodworth's heart and left the dawning realization that she was now in the disapproval of all the Heralds and what that could mean for her career.
"Perhaps, Captain, I acted too—"
"Good day, Mrs. Goodworth."
Kero turned and strode from the courtyard and back through the gate. Sayvil galloped to a stop in front of the gate, heedlessly trampling some flowers, and only waited long enough for Kero to vault onto her bare back with Acacia before she took off again.
Acacia continued to sob as Sayvil trotted through the city, heading for the countryside. Kero let her cry, occasionally whispering comforting nonsense to her in Shin'a'in, always holding as tight as she could without injuring the girl. The traffic-clogged streets emptied before them, allowing Sayvil to lope down them without pause, her hooves chiming in a strangely comforting way. By the time they emerged from the city traffic, her sobs had quieted and she lay mutely against Kero, exhausted by the emotional storm. Kero turned her so that she facing forward, then arranged Acacia's legs so the girl was kneeling, her knees braced on Kero's thighs and her legs tugged back behind Kero.
She gasped and grabbed onto Kero's head, frightened by the seeming lack of support from behind, then relaxed when she realized Kero would not let her fall. Sayvil wordlessly surged into a full gallop, stretching her legs and running as fast as she could, savoring the feel of muscles warming and loosening and the expenditure of stored up energy from over the long winter. The spring sunlight tumbled over them, warm, bright and golden. Wind generated from the speed they were traveling whipped Sayvil's mane and their hair alike, drying the tears on Acacia's face as the sheer exuberance of traveling at such speeds began to seep through her emotional exhaustion.
"Like this," Kero whispered in her ear, and pried the girl's fingers out of her tunic, letting them wrap around her own callused hands. Then she stretched Acacia's arms wide. Acacia seemed to throw herself into the experience, leaning back against Kero and tipping her face back into the sunlight, her heart pounding and a joyous scream beginning to rise in her chest. Seeing Acacia let go caused warmth to surge into Kero's heart, erasing the lingering traces of fury. She drew a deep breath, breathing in the liquid sunshine, while she felt Sayvil's muscles surging underneath them, adrenaline flooding all three of them. Then she exhaled her remaining frustrations on a screaming Shin'a'in war cry, echoing Acacia's scream of defiance.
Back in Haven, Talia glanced up from her paperwork as she felt the emotions flooding down the light link she had maintained with Kero and Acacia for the last few weeks. The sheer exhiliration engulfed her, and the trust and love rolling through Kero, Sayvil and Acacia brought tears to her eyes. She tipped her chair back into the sunlight pouring in through the window, closed her eyes, and allowed herself to recharge, feeling the stress melt off in the face of the joy of a Herald, her Companion, and the child of her heart flying through the countryside.
---------------------
"So, are you going to tell me the truth?"
Acacia looked up from where she was observing the little fish in the creek she was standing in, dressed only in a shift and giggling when they nibbled at her toes. Her gown had been pulled off long ago and was now crumpled on the grass next to Kero, who had rolled her breeches up and was sitting on a rock, dangling her own feet in the sun-dappled water. Sayvil was off in the clearing next to the creek, have a roll in the grass and generally making a nuisance of herself, occasionally sneaking up on Kero to snort in her ear.
The way station they had stopped at was a long ways from Haven and would mean another full fledged gallop on Sayvil's part to get them back to Haven in time to gather up the rest of the girls from their classes for dinner. For now, however, the startling warmth of early spring and the quietness of the forest seemed to isolate them from the stress of the real world, making confessions easier for both of them.
"You have to answer a question first." Acacia's caution caused Kero's heart to ache, and she absently rubbed a hand over her heart.
"All right. I'll answer your question, then you answer mine."
The little girl moved some stones around with toes and watched as the fish scattered, then bit her lip. After a few more seconds, she drew a deep breath and looked Kero straight in the eyes.
"No matter what I say, no matter what happens, will you keep us?"
Kero hooked her hands over her right knee and rocked back on her tailbone, regarding Acacia through level eyes, then abruptly nodded to herself as she came to a decision. "Absolutely. No matter what you say, no matter what happens, I am keeping you and your sisters."
Acacia raised an eyebrow, a quirk that, Kero realized belatedly, she got from Kero. "Took you long enough to decide."
"A serious question merits serious thought, you know that." Then she broke her mask and grinned. "Acacia, I decided I was keeping the lot of from the time Ianthe lit my hair on fire. Any group of little girls who can cause that much trouble has to be related to me."
Acacia looked down. "That's just it. We aren't."
Kero was regarding her levely again. "Would you like to explain that?"
Acacia seemed to melt under Kero's regard, and a little girl Kero had never met took her place. Her shoulders hunched, her face turned downward and she began to nervously chew a fingernail.
"Acacia?"
"My mama died when I was five. She was a peasant, under your great-neice and her husband. I had no one, so your great-neice took me in. But, since I wasn't hers or her husbands, I wasn't treated like the other children were treated. Then Ianthe, Damini and Caia's daddy died, and they came. We swore we would be sisters and that we would always stay together. Everything we told you that happened to us was true. All of it. We were planning to run away. Then, one day, this woman showed up. She had an army."
Kero had been steadily creeping off her rock and stealthily moving toward the little girl. Now she sat on the grass inches away from her, and Acacia did not notice. She continued on in her story in a dead voice, her arms now wrapped around herself and rocking on her tiny feet.
"She said she would destroy the manor and the village if she wasn't give what she wanted." Now she did look at Kero. "She wanted you. She said you ruined her life and now she was going to ruin yours. Your great-niece told her that we were really yours and that you had sent us to live with her because you thought we would be safe there. She took us, dragged us halfway across the country. The entire way, she drank and made us listen to her while she said the most horrible things about you, how you stole her company from her, how you made her the way she is. One night, her army destroyed a village. It was burning and people were screaming. It smelled so bad." Even now, so far away from the village, the smells and sounds overwhelmed her. Acacia fell to her knees, gagging, and Kero lunged forward wrapping the girl in her arms. When she quieted, Kero settled back with the shaking girl tucked tightly against her. Acacia closed her eyes and leaned, breathing in the smells of leather, outdoors and the oil Kero used on her armor and weapons. It was a comforting scent by now, and Kero felt her relax even more.
"I snuck away from the camp and went into the village. There was a baby crying, so weak I could barely hear her. I followed the sounds and found her. She was under her mama. Her mama had protected her from the soldiers, covering her with her own body. Even when she died, she protected her baby. I can't really remember my mama, but I figured any mama who would do that must love her baby something fierce and want her to live. So I picked her up and brought her back to camp with me. That night, the cow was so drunk that she passed out. The girls and I packed up and snuck off. We agreed that anyone the cow hated so much that she would destroy hundreds of lives to punish had to be good, so we stuck with the story that we belonged to you. We walked forever. Then we found a merchant heading to Valdemar who was real nice and took us in. Then we found a Herald and told him we belonged to you. You know the rest."
Kero drew a deep breath and forced her tense muscles to relax for Acacia's benefit. The little girl was completely limp against her now, exhausted from her emotional day.
:You there, hayburner?:
:Always, Chosen.:
Soft steps and velvet soft white nose nuzzling Kero, then Acacia, announced the comforting presence of Sayvil.
:Pass along to Daren that we're going to need to talk later, and to bring Elspeth so we can hook in his favorite brother.:
:Cleaning up some family business?:
:I think so.:
Kero stared into the distance for a second, making mental plans and fitting the last pieces of the puzzle into place.
"Kero?" The soft voice drew her out of her mental meanderings.
"Hm?"
"You promised you would keep us."
"Damn right I did. But you know what?"
"No. What?"
"I was planning on keeping you all along, no matter what you said, no matter what happened. You know why?"
Acacia's eyes glittered with fresh tears and she took a shaky breath.
"No. Why?"
"Because I love every one of you. I figure any group of little girls who have the courage to run away from a bunch of sick soldiers and make their way over mountains to get to me have to be pretty special, and none of you have ever made me think otherwise. I figure the gods figured I needed some pretty special little girls to look after me and for me to love. And you know what?"
"No, what?"
"If there is one thing a shin'a'in learns, it's don't look a gift horse in the mouth."
"Huh?"
"Yeah, that's what the Bolts say."
The mention of her mercenaries reminded her of the army that Acacia had mentioned, and their leader.
"Did the cow have a name, by any chance?"
Acacia frowned for a second, then shook her head. "No."
"What did she look like?"
"Scary. She had these eyes, grey, like flint. They give me the shivers."
At the mention of the eyes, Kero felt herself go still.
"Kero? Are you all right?"
She shook herself, then forced herself to smile down at Acacia. "Yeah. You ready to head back?"
Acacia regarded her for a few moments, then nodded her head. "I'm hungry."
"You're always hungry."
With that, Kero rose and hoisted herself and Acacia up to Sayvil's back. Then they began the journey back to Haven.