Chapter 9

I reached out and grasped Matthew to me. I felt so tired; was it really morning? My bed felt wrong.

Then it all came back, the long day of preparation, the nursery, losing myself, Morgan. My eyes opened. It was Matthew I held. Where was Morgan?

“Ah there you are. I figured that would wake you. I think you’ve slept as long as you can.”

“What time is it? When did Morgan turn into you, and where is he?”

“It’s 4:45. I found him here with you a couple of hours ago. He said someone needed to watch you. I needed to get some sleep; he offered to take over for me.”

“Well, at least we have a web.” I reached out to it. “Actually, it’s surprisingly good.”

“What did you do last night? We just had the boundary together and then there was all this energy.”

“I let go and embraced something. I guess you could say there was slut in there somewhere.”

“I’ll say. You really had Lord Morgan worried.”

“What of Earth Freshly Turned?”

“Shadow touched. He was doing better when I last checked.”

I beamed. “So, my plan might work. If somehow we can get past the tragedy. Morgan told you?”

“Yes. He said not to look.”

“He’s right.”

“Telling the community will be difficult.”

“True,” I said. “Fuck! did you report in to Oak Leaf?”

“Morgan said he’d call in; I wanted to get your status but ended up staying here with you.”

“So, he didn’t declare an emergency?”

“Of course not, but he left an unofficial report.”

“That presumably no one has read yet.”

“True.”

“I think it’s time I declare.”

“Probably.”

“They’ll probably replace me. What a fuckless pile of shit this is turning into.”

Matthew made a noncommittal noise.

“I’ll go report.”

“Before you go, are you OK? Morgan was really worried.”

“You said that already. I’m tired, sore, filthy, sweaty, and soul weary, but I’ll manage.”

“Oak Leaf; this is Summer Sun from Oak Standing.”

“I am the Lady Riding Atop, Ashley, Third for Oak Leaf. I’m calling to declare an official emergency.”

“My Lady, what do I do?” Had he not been drilled with everyone else who staffed the office? I walked him through the checklist, confirmed my identity and asked him to have the seat stand ready as we would be sending reinforcements to Passion Mill.

“Please assemble the counsel and transfer my call.”

“My Lady, Lord Oak Leaf is with a lover and Lady Oak Leaf has been taken by the Lord Second for Rocky Point. They are indisposed.”

I discussed the meaning of ‘emergency’ and Summer went to call the meeting.

Minutes later, a sleepy Lord Oak Leaf called the meeting to order.

I described the situation up through first bell last evening. We discussed Dolphin’s idea that deep shadow touch could hurt someone more than they could heal on their own.

“Have you run across discussions of the village of Saltfisher’s Dock before?” Lady Elizabeth asked.

I only learned of Saltfisher’s Dock two days ago. It was frustrating that everyone else seemed to be aware of critical information that I had just recently found. Then I remember that Dolphin, Lord Morgan, and others had been organizing defense against shadows much longer than me. Until I had taken responsibility for Oak Leaf’s shadow defense, Lady Elizabeth had been heavily involved. Given her near 10 years of experience, it was unsurprising that she had many facts at recall. I was pleased that so far, I had not missed critical information.

“Yes. It sounded like we were fighting something similar, where our web mysteriously failed,” I said.

“And you are just now getting around to declaring an emergency?” Lord Oak Leaf said.

“What could Oak Leaf have done that our resources already at Passion Mill could not accomplish? On site, we had more information than the seat: we had Dolphin’s model and the help of Lord Morgan named at Brenhaven. The seat was occupied, and we did not have any request to make.”

“And now you do?” Lord Oak Leaf asked.

“yes, but first, I shall finish my report.

“Around midnight it came to Oak Leaf’s attention that fully a third of the children in the nursery were dead. The boundary and web had fragmented and were failing.”

“A third!” said Lady Celeste.

“Yes. I think reaction will be strong when the community learns.”

“How do they not know?”

“I elected to focus on shining forth in the light of passion sufficient to rebuild our web. I have not released the information about the children, although I imagine it will escape shortly.”

“How many dead?” Lady Elizabeth asked.

“I do not have a full count.”

“Who? How does this impact your team and key positions at Passion Mill?”

I had not even considered that my core team must had children or thought about how the losses would affect politics. “I have not evaluated that yet.”

“What have you been doing instead?” Lady Elizabeth asked.

“As I said, leading an effort to rebuild the web yet again and to strengthen the boundary.”

“So, knowing of Saltfisher’s Dock, Oak Leaf has elected to focus yet again on the web at Passion Mill. How fared that effort?”

“The web is stable, better than yesterday morning. We’ve seen signs of some touched by shadows healing.”

“But you have no understanding of the impact of the incident at the nursery? You don’t know whose children were there, or even exactly how many died.”

“Correct, my Lady Next for Oak Leaf.”

“Were you yourself effected by this disaster?”

“Yes, but I needed to find passion stronger than ever; ts’needed.”

“So you just did?”

“It required all my skill as slut, lover and shepherd, but yes.”

“Lady Ashley, are you in any way recovered. I think we can all remember last spring,” Lady Celeste asked. I wished that I could reach out and comfort my mother; wearing the noble lady proved trying for both of us at that moment.

“I’m tired, and this situation is still quite serious. I am however as fit to serve Oak Leaf as anyone might be given the circumstance.”

“I’m sure that counts for a lot,” Lord Oliver said. I did not appreciate his dry sarcasm as much as I might in other circumstances.

“Might I make my request of Oak Leaf?”

“Go on,” Lord Oak Leaf said.

“We need as many reinforcements as can be sent. Thirty or forty good lovers would be most helpful.”

“A full forty will be challenging, but the seat can certainly provide near thirty. Lord Oliver, will you accompany them?” Lord Oak Leaf said.

“I will. While the Lady Third has not encountered any trouble, I assume we travel prepared for that. Emotions are like to be high when the population learns of last night’s events,” Lord Oliver said.

“And Lady Ashley’s choices,” Lady Elizabeth added.

“That too of course.”

“So, to summarize,” Lady Elizabeth said, “Lady Ashley has found herself in a situation that we all believe resembles Saltfisher’s Dock. No one has ever found a solution. She decided to try. Based on a new model from a single defense manager supported by an unofficial, privately negotiated cooperation with Brenhaven, she elected against any sort of evacuation. Since we were busy she elected not to declare an emergency until after a third of the children were dead. The web has fallen apart twice already. She managed to put it together relying on techniques she learned in a small shepherd’s community that tend to be very hard on those who employ them. That’s worked well enough compared to Saltfisher’s Dock that we’re committing over 30 lovers, because we hope Lady Ashley has things in hand that supporting her efforts will heal the community. We’re hedging our bets in case when they arrive things are more angry than loving.”

I boiled inside hearing her description. I wanted to lash out, but my humiliation and disappointment were too strong. I had tried my best, and things were not going well at all. When she described it like that, my best seemed to involve a lot of risks and guesses. I would not accept the full humiliation of agreeing, but I needed to say something. “Lord Morgan is acting as an individual; there is nothing between Oak Leaf and Brenhaven.”

“Ah, I accept the Lady Third’s correction. Instead of a private cooperation with Brenhaven, she is supported by a young noble working without the backing of his house.”

I asked, “Shall we hold things stable here awaiting my replacement?”

“Replacement? I understood the Lady Third to be fit as anyone might in this situation. Do you wish to stand aside from your assigned role?” Lord Oak Leaf asked.

“I shall serve while my service is desired. I interpreted the council’s view of my performance critically.”

“We will review many things, including whether someone else is better positioned than the Lady Third for Oak Leaf to move things forward at Passion Mill. However, until you are replaced, act with the full confidence and support of Oak Leaf. Even should Oak Leaf replace its representative on-site, that simply indicates we believe a different approach would be good going forward and may not indicate a problem with past performance.”

“In that case, Lord Morgan and I may move forward on a very unconventional plan to try and better understand what is going on here. There may be some risk, especially politically. Would the council like to be briefed or shall I proceed as I think best?”

“By all means brief the council,” Lord Oak Leaf said.

“Hold,” Lady Elizabeth said. “Lord Oak Leaf, your next asserts the right of formal advice prior to moving forward on a course that may disadvantage the seat.”

“What game are you playing Lady Next?” lord Oak Leaf asked. “Have your say, but I see no harm that can come from hearing Ashley out and giving her any advice we can. Her position is hard enough; we should not withhold our help.”

“I can see harm to house and reputation easily. Do you know what she plans? I don’t. That’s the point though. Can you imagine the Lady Riding Atop, Ashley, doing something where we appreciate being as surprised as the rest of the world? I can. Unless we are actually going to stop her or have useful advice to offer, let us live in blissful ignorance.”

Lord Oliver said, “Lord Morgan? Didn’t he write an article six-seven years ago about a laborer who—”

“Yes, that Lord Morgan. Exactly that Lord Morgan. Can you imagine what two individuals so unconstrained by custom might do?” Lady Elizabeth said.

“What did he do?” Lady Celeste asked.

“O, my. Yes. Lord Oak Leaf, I think your next has a strong point. My Lady of Oak Leaf, I will show you the article after the meeting,” said Lord Oliver.

“Very well. Lady Ashley, it seems that the council is happy to allow you to proceed as you think best,” Lord Oak Leaf said.

Lady Elizabeth said, “Ashley, I wouldn’t want the council to second guess you. However, your father is right on one point: you have a hard enough task without help you need. If you need our advice, by all means tell us your plan. However we heard you ask whether you needed to brief us before striking out with a bold plan, not asking for advice. Did we hear correctly?”

“Ashley?” I couldn’t recall Lady Elizabeth ever being that informal since I became an adult. Perhaps I misunderstood her earlier. Reaching out probably would only hurt my pride but might help build a working relationship with the future Lady Oak Leaf. “No, I think I know what I have to try. However, I’m confused why you support and trust me now, having criticized me so with your summary.”

“Criticized you? Perhaps a little. However, do you think any of us could do better? If there is anything I resent it’s this. Yes, some day, Oak Leaf will have to bale you out when one of your more creative plans turns to shit. Perhaps it will be this one. However, even if I am the one stuck wiping your ass, I won’t even get to say ‘I told you so.’ You throw away traditions and propriety, and yet you get results the rest of us cannot. Even when I can see how you do it, I will never choose to adopt your methods. Still, when we hear you assert that you’ve chosen to defeat the legacy of Saltfisher’s Dock, we all hope, we are all behind you, because where we would have minimized damage, you might succeed.”

“Thank you my Lady Next. I am honored by your openness. You are right that someday I will need my mess cleaned; I will endeavor to contain the messes I create as much as possible.

“Is there anything else or shall we attend to our duties?”

“There seems to be nothing on this end. Lady Ashley, confirmed that given the uncertainty you are at all times armed,” Lord Oak Leaf said.