Table of Contents – (spoilers)
Peep and Choke left Father Morrenthall’s office and went to the church kitchen for their lunch. This took them from the left transverse, through the church proper, to access the right transverse. The worshipers were still there, although their number had thinned out somewhat. Of course, Peep’s worshipers were hard at it, and kicked up their usual ruckus as she passed in front of them under the altar. Rather than ignoring this, as she usually did, Peep stopped and raised her right palm high above her, granting them a view of her holy brand.
“Okay! All of ye’s! Listen up!” Peep barked.
Her flock instantly fell silent. There was about two-dozen of them there, mostly women, with almost ten children of all ages in tow. The members of the normal congregation maintained their respectful observation.
“Good! Now, Father Morrenthall told me that I’ve gotta put up with the lot of ye following me around now. So I guess that’s how it’s gotta be. But!” Peep paused for a long moment to glare at her followers, her palm still upraised above them. “This wailing and shrieking nonsense ye’ve been up to aint gonna work for me. So here’s how it’s gonna work: ye can follow me from place to place so long as ye stay put at home base wherever we are. When we’re in in Spitzer, ye stay at the church. When we’re in Bristlehump, ye stay at the church there, too. None of ye are to ever follow me around on my missions. I got important Stron work to do, and I can’t have ye messing that up. Clear?”
The followers seemed to accept this without too much confusion or hurt.
“When we’re at home base, ye can take care of the church and that. Keep it clean. Ye can also take care of us. Cook and clean and all that. Right? And if ye do all that without all the wailing and flapping around, then I’ll give ye all a special blessing from time to time. Right?”
The group seemed to accept this as a suitable state of affairs.
“Good. Okay, so come on one by one and I’ll touch ye up with some of that now.”
The followers, as well as the other members of the congregation that had been praying in the church, filed up to receive the blessing of Otilla of the Holy Fire. As she had done after Mass the previous Sunday, Peep traced the circle and X of the Wheel overtop of them, before pressing her palm down upon their foreheads. As with last time, the blessing was obviously pleasurable for Peep, and had a profound effect on those she blessed.
While this was going on, Knuckle came out from the right transverse. He was wearing a new tabard: a good, rugged one of hemp, dyed in a muted black and green of the Baron. On its left shoulder was stitched in white the three stripes of his rank of sergeant. Knuckle looked well pleased with himself as he ambled up to Choke, who was standing behind Peep at her work.
“Check it out! Mrs Dunn hooked me up with a tabard, too! And she gave me one to give Pinch. Said he might have to come in to have it fitted, since he’s just a little squirt,” Knuckle chuckled, holding out another bunched-up tabard to Choke.
“That’s good. You may as well give it to me, since I have to go and collect him and the three recruits at the tower. You had lunch?”
“Yes, sir!” Knuckle tossed Choke the tabard and snapped off a snappy salute with a stupid grin on his face.
Choke blinked, at first taken aback by the gesture. He soon realized, however, that it was now precisely correct for Knuckle to be saluting him thusly.
“I think, Knuckle, that when it’s just the four of us, you can relax that kind of thing. But, good thinking. We’re in the army now, and you will have to set the example for the men. Thank you.”
“Yes, sir!” Knuckle saluted again.
“I see you’ve decided to hang on to that cudgel of Billy’s,” Choke said, pointing out the stout bludgeon that Knuckle had stuck in his weaponbelt just in front of his warhammer.
“Yeah. Well, if I’m gonna be sergeanting a bunch of raw, bushrat recruits, I figured I should, sir,” Knuckle said.
“I understand. Just remember that they are meant to be our men. They are not prisoners. Don’t overdo it.”
“No, sir! Should I go and get onto the Father’s orders now?”
“Yes. Go ahead,” Choke said.
Knuckle saluted and then was on his way, going back into the right transverse to head for the stable. Choke observed to himself that while Knuckle had been the one to complain the most about their joining the army, he now seemed to be very excited about it.
When Peep was finally done blessing everyone, she and Choke went to the kitchen for lunch. Mrs Dunn served them and then left them alone to eat, heading to Father Morrenthall’s office with his lunch platter.
“So… Peep,” Choke said, once their eating had slowed a little.
“Yeah?”
“This special mission of Father Morrenthall’s…”
Peep glared at Choke for a long moment before speaking in a low, menacing tone:
“We aint supposed to talk about that.”
“Understood. We need not get into the nature of it. I was just wondering how you were going to manage the stealth. I mean, last time you went out dressed up as a boy, but I don’t know if that’s going to work again. Surely everyone in town would recognize you now, won’t they?”
“Well, maybe. Maybe not. Most people aint that sharp. They see what they expect to see. When they’ve been looking at me, they see Otilla of the Holy Fire, right? I mean, there I am with Father Morrenthall and you and Pinch and Knuckle, and I’m in my Orcstabber wolf cloak, with my blade and bow, all armored up. So, all that kit is what they’re gonna be seeing more than they see my face. But… yeah… it only takes one clever fuck to spot me and that’s it. So, I dunno. I gotta be careful, that’s for sure. I mean, that freight depot aint no soft target, sitting out there in the middle of the lot as it does.”
“So, what are you going to do?” Choke asked, his deep anxiety showing plainly.
“Not so sure yet. Don’t worry, though, man. I’ll figure it out. I mean, that office of Wes’ aint set up for sleeping, so he’s gonna go home at night, wherever that is. So, best shot is picking him up in town going to and from work. Then I can hone in closer from that. Maybe catch him in the saddle with a bit of side pussy, or something.”
“Peep, you remember what Father said about involving others.”
“Yeah, I did. Don’t worry. I’m on it.”
“Okay. I’m sure you are,” Choke sighed.
They sat in silence for a while, lost in their thoughts, until something occurred to Choke:
“What about the tower?” he said. “You could sit up there on the roof and watch the crossroads. If he’s coming from the depot into town, that crossroads is the only way to go. Not unless he goes into the bush all the way around the fort.”
Peep snapped her fingers at Choke with a wide grin. “Shit, man! That’s a great fuckin idea. Good place to start, at least. Get a sense of the timing of his moves. Look at you with the shady thinking! I guess spending all this time with me is finally rubbing off on ye! D’ye think Srecko will put up a fuss letting me in and out of there?”
“I’ll tell him to give you free access. If he fusses, we’ll get Father to order it.”
“Cool. Okay, so yar gonna go and get Pinch and the three youngsters and bring them back here. Then what?” Peep asked.
“See what else Father might need. If there’s nothing, I suppose I’ll start putting them through their paces out in the yard. Start with seeing how well they ride.”
“Probably not great,” Peep answered. “They are bushrats, after all. Creeping around and backshooting pricks for their womenfolk is gonna be more their style, I reckon.”
“Well, I am sure you will figure out how to put them to good use, then. I’m off,” Choke said, standing up to collect their lunch dishes. “Are you coming to the tower with me?”
“Nah. It’s after lunch, and he aint gonna be coming by until quitting time, whenever that is. So I got a few hours, at least, before I gotta set up. I think I’m gonna start setting up my play for moving around town,” Peep eased back in her chair to nurse her mug of stugroot.
“What’s your plan there?”
“Never you mind, what. Father said we aint to talk about it. I’ll tell ye what ye need to know. Get Srecko correct for me, and then focus up on yar soldiering bullshit. Don’t worry. I got it, man!”
“Okay, then. Just… be careful.”
“Yeah, yeah. Ye worry too much! This is gonna be fun! Go on, get!” Peep laughed.
Choke stacked up their dishes on the counter and gave her a friendly wave as we went out the door to the stables.
Peep sat and nursed her stugroot, thinking through her next moves carefully. She was almost finished, when Mrs Dunn returned to her kitchen.
“A right mess that horrible sheriff made of the Father’s commode, I can tell you! What a disgusting man!” Mrs Dunn griped as she set about the washing up.
“Ye don’t know the half of it, Mrs Dunn!” Peep said happily. “So… did Father talk to ye about helping me out with my business for the next bit.”
“Yes, he did. And I don’t mind it. Outside of regular meal times, I leave what food that won’t spoil in the pantry there. You can help yourself. Then, there’s the perishables down in the ice cellar. That door there. He said you are to check in with me twice a day. When would be best for you?”
“Not so sure yet. Why don’t we say midway between breakfast and lunch, and as late after dinner as ye can manage.”
“Well, I go down early. Right after dinner’s washing up. So that won’t work for me,” Mrs Dunn said stiffly.
“Okay, then. So, let’s do before dinner. When things firm up, I may have to change this up, but it should work for now. That works for ye, Mrs Dunn?”
“Yes, that should be fine, Otilla. Thank you. If that’s all, I have much more to do.”
“Yeah, that’s it. Thanks!”
Peep stood up and handed Mrs Dunn her empty mug. Then she went back out to the church. Besides her followers, there were just a few townsfolk still at prayer. Her followers started up their usual performance, but Peep shut that down angrily:
“Hey! What did I say about this! No more! Quiet, I said! That’s it! Got it?”
Crestfallen, her followers bowed and scraped before her, murmuring their pleas for her forgiveness.
“Yeah, yeah. Just tone it all down already, would ye?”
Peep moved down the aisle, looking for the lad she had spotted earlier, during her blessings. He was not there. She did recognize the woman that had seemed to be his mother.
“You,” Peep snapped her fingers at the woman. “Where’s yar boy?”
“Oh! Oh!” the woman fluttered. “Miss Otilla of the Holy Fire! Thank ye! Thank ye!”
“No. Settle down. Where’s yar boy, I asked.”
“Oh! He’s not my boy, Miss Otilla! He’s, Hein, my nephew, with me on account of his mother, my sister—”
“I don’t care!” Peep interrupted. “Where is he?”
“Oh! I’m so sorry, Miss Otilla of the Holy Fire! I’m so sorry! He’s outside! I sent him out to play, on account of him getting so bored here in church! Forgive me! He should be here at my side, praying like a good Stronian boy! Forgive me! I’m horrible! I’m so sorry!”
“Shut up, woman! I don’t care what any of ye do, so long as yar quiet about it. I just wanna see the two of ye, private like. Go get him and bring him around the side of the church to the kitchen door. Can ye do that without making a big spectacle of it?”
“Yes, Miss Otilla of the Holy Fire! Right away, Miss Otilla of the Holy Fire!”
The woman ran, in near hysterics, from the church into the street, yelling, “Hein! Hein! Where are ye, boy! Heiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin!”
Peep sat down in a pew with her face between her knees, and did some hard breathing for a while. Finally, she sat up and spoke, quietly:
“All of ye’s… all of ye’s… ye listen to me good now. That kinda shit has to stop. No more. I can’t take it. And if yar gonna call me anything, it’s ‘Miss Otilla.’ Understood?”
“Yes, Miss Otilla,” murmured the rest of her flock.
“Good,” Peep stood up. “All of ye’s: look at me.”
Peep took a moment to look her flock in the eye, one by one, paying particular attention to the women. Most of them could not meet her eye. Of the few women that did, Peep chose four, and pointed to them in turn:
“You. You. You. And you. Come with me. I have a little something for ye to do, now. The rest of ye: not a word to anyone about this. Right? Ye never talk to outsiders about our business, no matter who they say they are. Got it?”
“Yes, Miss Otilla,” murmured her flock.
Peep glowered at the few remaining parishioners who were still at their prayers in the pews, kicking herself that she had neglected to consider them when she had started this business with her followers. Even so, she soon reckoned that after the burning of Billy that morning, and taking her blessing, it was highly unlikely that any of them might be an Outfit spy.
“Okay. Ye four: come with me.”
Peep led the women through to the right transverse and into her private cell. It was a bit close in there with all of them, but they fit.
“Now listen up. I need one of ye to give me a hand with something. And that’s gonna involve putting on a bit of a performance. That means ye gotta pretend to be someone ye aint, and talk to people like yar that person. So now I’m gonna test ye to see if yar any good at it. So, all of ye are now Princess Saphire of Alquinia. D’ye understand?”
Two of the women nodded. One stood frozen in terror. The last stared at Peep like a torpid cow and said:
“Uhhhhhh… what, Miss Otilla?”
“Okay, thank ye, woman. Ye can go,” Peep said, opening the door and grabbing the woman by the elbow to push her out into the hall.
“What?” the woman asked.
“Ye can go. Thank ye for yar help. Go back to the others. And remember: not a word about this to anybody. Right? Ye don’t talk about this. If ye do, I’m gonna be very disappointed in you. Understood?” Peep said with just a hint of edge in her voice now.
“But… but…” the woman said, looking like she was about to cry.
“What did I say?” Peep snapped, stepping out into the hall to give the woman a shove towards the transverse door. “Go! Get! Back to the others! And keep yar mouth shut! Fuck!”
Peep waited until the woman had stumbled, weeping, back into the church. Then, Peep rejoined the three remaining women.
“Okay. Now, who was it yar meant to be?”
“Princess Saphire of… ah…” one of them started.
“Princess Saphire of Alquinia,” another finished.
The frozen one stood and smiled at Peep as though she were deeply in love with her. Peep stared back at her for a while. The woman did not crack. Rather, she seemed happier by the second as she continued to stare deeply into Peep’s eyes.
“Okay. Thank ye. You can go, too. Back to the others. Remember what I said: ye don’t talk to anybody about this. Go on,” Peep opened the door for the woman, who shuffled out.
“Okay. Now ye two, yar Princess Saphire of Alquinia, right? And I’m one of the Baron’s soldiers. Right? Who wants to go first?”
The women exchanged a look. The one that had remembered “Alquinia” deferred to the other, who raised her hand.
“Okay, you wait out in the hall,” Peep again opened the door to let out the woman who had deferred. Then she shut the door and whirled on the remaining woman:
“You! What’s yar name?” Peep barked.
“Ah! It’s Princess! Princess Saphire! Of… of… of Alquinian! Princess Saphire of Alquinia, Miss Otilla?”
“Miss Otilla? Are ye calling me a woman?” Peep stepped up in the woman’s face to shout at her.
“Ahhh! Oh! Oh, no! Mis Otilla, I’m sorry. Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…” the woman broke down into tears as she collapsed onto Peep’s cot.
“Yeah. Okay. That’s enough. Get up. Ye can go,” Peep said, pinching the bridge of her nose in disgust.
The woman, however, was hearing none of it. She lay face down on Peep’s cot and bawled.
“Fuck,” Peep said. “Okay. Go back to the others when yar ready. Sorry.”
Peep went out into the hall and took the last woman down to the bigger cell that the boys had shared. Then she whirled suddenly on her just as she had to the last:
“What’s yar name!”
“Princess Saphire of Alquinia, sir!” the woman said smartly, standing almost at attention.
“Sir, huh? Were ye listening at the door just now when I was interrogating yar friend?”
“Well, just a little, sir. But ye were pretty loud about it.”
“Clever bitch. And a princess to boot. What are ye doing here in Spitzer if yar a princess?”
“Well, sir, I was brought here by a man,” Princess Saphire of Alquinian answered.
“A man? Who?”
“He’s my father, the King of Alquinia’s man, sir. A knight. Sir Brightblade.”
“Oh really? And where is he now?”
“He had to leave to make sure we weren’t followed.”
“And why would he bring you to this fuckin place in the middle of nowhere?” Peep asked, stepping in close to the woman with as much menace as she could muster, being significantly shorter than her as she was.
“Because we’re on the run, sir. On account of my father, the King, being assassinated, and all. And his enemies want to catch me to breed me to their prince. So, we have to hide out here in the middle of nowheres. And that’s the truth, sir!” Princess Saphire of Alquinia said, looking down to meet Peep’s eye squarely.
“Huh!” Peep said with a grin, dropping her act. “Well, no shit. That’s enough. Ye’ll do. What’s yar name?”
“My real name, sir?”
“Yes, we’re done with that bullshit now. And ye can call me Otilla.”
“Thank you, Miss Otilla. My name’s Mariola.”
“Okay. Mariola. Ye got some sand in ye, woman. And ye can think and bluff just fine. So what the fuck are ye doing following the likes of me around?”
“Ah… uh…” Mariola gaped.
“Ye don’t need to answer that. So, Mariola, are ye willing to help me out on a special mission?”
“Yes, Miss Otilla!”
“Just Otilla is fine. Ye can drop the Miss.”
“Thank you. I would be honored to help you, Otilla.”
“Good. Okay, let’s have a look at ye,” Peep walked around Mariola looking her over carefully.
The woman was tall and of a sturdy frame, with clear eyes and a sharp look about her. Her attractiveness was muted by a hard set to her features that suggested heavy trauma borne. Her peasant dress and shoes were of above-average quality and suited her well.
“Ye look strong. Can ye fight?” Peep asked.
“I have. I don’t think I’m any good at it.”
“Well, ye don’t look busted up, and yar alive, so ye can’t be that bad. Have ye killed before?”
“Yes. A few goblins, here and there. And… one man,” Mariola said, her features twisting into a grimace. She then looked at Peep as though a flood was set to break within her.
“Yeah, okay. I don’t need to hear about all that. Sorry. I just don’t got time for it. Not now. Maybe later, when we’re done with this shit. Alright?”
“Yes, Otilla,” Mariola said, regaining her composure.
“Yar not local, though, are ye?”
“No, Otilla.”
“Good. Ye got a blade on ye?”
“Yes, Otilla.”
Mariola raised up the top of her dress that was draped loose over the sash cinching it in at her waist. In the sash, across her belly, was an antler-handled buck knife.
“Yeah, okay. That’ll do. Now, with what we’re gonna get up to, there shouldn’t be any fighting. But ye never know,” Peep said.
“That’s right, Otilla. Ye never do know,” Mariola said, looking Peep dead in the eye with all her gravity.
“Fuckin A, woman,” Peep said, reaching up to give Mariola a friendly clap on the shoulder. “Okay! Let’s go out back of the kitchen and see if that spastic has wrangled up her nephew for me.”
Muse Vassal 