Chapter 18

"Look out, Von!" shouted Coven.

With a fluid motion I pushed forward and swung my staff above my head in a threatening spin, causing the two remaining marines to pull up short rather than collide with the swirling wood. The marine on the ground started to back away and get up slowly, picking up his staff to join his partners.

"Hold," I shouted. All the men stepped back, lowering their staffs. "That is how you can hold off multiple opponents for a few moments. However, I'd have to kill you in the next set of moves to finish you. Otherwise one of you would lay me low."

The cheering spectators went quiet when Grim shouted, "Final run to the beach!" and we finished up our final training session for the day.

"Tharin, hold up. We aren't going on this run," I insisted.

Turning back to the stream, we cupped the mineral water to our dry mouths, drinking the refreshing water down. I leaned over and washed my face to get rid of the sweat, then heaved my staff on to the pile of practice weapons, which a few boys collected up and took to store until the next practice session. Another couple swallows of the cold Juniper water and we walked towards dinner.

"I cannot overstate the importance of the scouting mission you are leading Tharin." He gave me one of his disarming smiles. We had covered this numerous times over the last week.

"Your team of four is to only watch for the week; then I will rotate Grimm's team in for the next week. We cannot alert them to our presence and cause them to break their routine." I stressed to him. His grin made me laugh at myself, "O.K., I have done enough of repeating myself, I agree."

Tharin straightens up and stopped, putting his hand on my shoulder. He said, "I know you are worried about our safety, Von. We will just watch, and if anything wrong happens, the group's designated messenger will run to warn the village with everything she has."

"You leave tomorrow," I said weakly. "I am glad your huntress is going along, but please focus on the job."

He laughed, "We will get our passion put to bed tonight." Slapping his shoulder we moved to dine in the tower.

As we walked, we talked about the progress in the wood shop over the last week and my decision to allow a healer on the mission. This had then bloomed to others going along. A couple more regular pups had been finished in the workshop and the second prototype boat was set out for the three weeks it needed to dry. Once it was ready, we would be using all the boats in our assault on the slave camp.

I had taken the precaution of making four travois for our mule ambulance team. Our plan was to put the weakened or lightly wounded combatants on the drags for the journey over the beach, using the tide to wash away our tracks. The basic construction of a travois consists of a netting mounted on two long poles, lashed in the shape of an elongated triangle. A mule could drag a heavy load on the frame.

Palus and Swarta had talked me into letting them lead the mule team with Tassim and Sparrow. We couldn't spare more than one female warrior to protect the ambulance team, so I'd added Tassim for security. Since I'd decided it was safe enough for my ladies, Sparrow would go with his short bow as another set of eyes. Grimm would be the one warrior. She was really unhappy about not going into the fight, but once I reminded her she was an armswoman now, the argument ended. She knew her first responsibility was Swarta and Palus's safety.

Coven and Tharin, with both of their ladies, attended dinner with my family. As usual, Celine was the center of attention with her jokes and laughter lightening the mood around the table. After the fish soup was finished, Celine swirled around a stool and stumbled to her knees, pretending it was all planned and graceful and we all broke out laughing. The main meal was a succulent roast boar which Tassim had trapped and dressed earlier today. During the main meal I made sure to thank each man for their loyal service and fuss enough to make their women feel proud of their partners. It was all so strange to look at us now compared to when we had started on a river bank fighting each other.

Preparing for the eventual outcome of our raid was on my mind and we needed to talk about it. "Coven, start the workshop men and the young pavilion builders on making a female barracks next to the women's center," I said.

Grimm had been strangely quiet most of the meal, but she said, "That is a wonderful idea. Somewhere to put the slave women." Laudus groaned. Grimm corrected herself, saying, "Sorry Laudus, the captured free women." Laudus patted her hand, expressing her forgiveness to her friend.

Palus chimed in saying, "Don't you think it would be appropriate for the noble captives to live in the tower with us Von?"

Laudus looked at me saying, "Only my sisters are nobles. The rest of the camp's women were born in Caldav and they know only slavery." Turning to Grimm she said with sadness in her voice, "So I suppose calling them slave women really isn't really that far from the truth." Turning back to me she said "I fear Lord Solon, that they will not know how to be free women. It is likely those women will be overwhelmed and intoxicated with freedom, and probably will act completely out of control."

None of us had really thought about the slaves and the change in society we represented. "Once again Lady Laudus you have given an insight into an issue not considered," Swarta said.

"Please don't call me lady, just Laudus. That life is gone for me." We collectively sighed at Laudus. We all thought of her a noble woman.

"Any thoughts on how we can structure a welcome so they can learn to become free women?" Palus asked.

Laudus rose from her stool and ventured an answer, "Give them a choice between living out in the Great Marsh with that free life style and living here under your rules. Construct the rules to provide structure, compliance, security and ultimately freedom. But not freedom immediately." Laudus dragged her gaze around the room, refusing to be embarrassed at the suggestion.

Cautiously I inquired, "Can you clarify your recommendation and break it down further for me?"

She nodded, trying to keep her composure and anger in check. "A slave's life is obedience. Do what you are told. Do not think. You better not ask anything unless it is very important or clearly helpful to your master. It is not an indentured's life of accountability-- but --respect. A slave feels safe when controlled and guided. These women must be controlled and guided for a time, letting them observe normal village life and the roles of free women. They will be scared to death of making mistakes, but they will live in absolute terror if you just free them and become very disruptive to your village life."

Celine tossed her hair over her shoulders and said, "That is so very sad." We all agreed with her.

All I could say was, "We will give careful consideration to your words Laudus."

The party broke up in a less than upbeat mood and Celine took Laudus's hand and escorted her upstairs. We bid our guest good night. The fisherwomen who had been serving us took care of the mess, as the rest of us made our own way to bed.

Grimm cornered me after my mates had gone upstairs. "Von you will think of something to do with those women. We are all here to help you."

She forced me against the wall, planting her hands on the wall on each side of my head. She laughed at my obvious discomfort. "What does she want from me?"

Grimm obviously a mind reader, said, "Men are so unaware sometimes."

Her scent surrounded me the smell of wild honeysuckle was on her hair. All that I could think was to blurt out, "Your hair smells wonderful."

Heat simmered in my cheeks as Grimm planted a long wet kiss on my lips. When I didn't stop her she pressed her body completely into mine, sandwiching me against the wall. Images of her golden skin sliding against my naked body filled me with lust as I cupped her breast in our kiss, gently rubbing it. A brief moment of clarity reminded me what I was doing and I ducked under her arm and rushed upstairs. Grimm watched me flee and seemed amused, not angry as I expected. The fisherwomen acted like they hadn't see anything.

Coven and Tharin weren't at unarmed combat practice the rest of the week, Tharin away on his mission and Coven working on the accommodation for our soon to be guests. Grimm however, worked as hard as any of the men in practicing the techniques I'd taught them. She was friendly and never mentioned her pass at me, but I did have the occasional mental picture of her naked and in my arms. Sometimes when I looked at her too long she would turn and grin at me. "Mind reader."