Table of Contents – (spoilers)
At the barracks, Choke, Peep, Pinch, and Knuckle grabbed tankards of ale and their chairs from the small dining room to set up their spot outside in the shade. With an hour of free time granted by Choke, a good number of the men had chosen to lay down or lounge around in their bunks. Others were sitting around the edge of the courtyard, playing dice, bantering, or just snoozing in the sun. Of course, when Choke and the others came out to take their leisure, the men moved away from them to give them their space. Before the Pekot squad could sit down to toast, Peep went back inside to bring out a stool. She put this in the middle of them before setting Butters’ money satchel down on it.
“Alright,” Choke said, raising up his tankard. “So, first of all: thank all you for your good work these last few days. It has been a busy, trying time, but we have all managed everything very well. I appreciate it. So, cheers to you!”
They all brought their tankards together with a call of, “cheers!” and took a good sip.
“Now, as to what we have to discuss. I am open to hearing what any of you have to say at this point. But, before we get to that, it looks like you have a notion to get into this money from Butters, is that right, Peep?” Choke said.
“Yeah. Now, first off, by rights of the deal I came into this group with, this money is Pinch and mine,” Peep said.
Knuckle issued a short, but deep, growl of displeasure at this.
“But!” Peep went on, holding her hand up. “I understand that aint the way we look at things so much anymore, and I’m willing to let it go. In this case, at least. So we can share this out four ways. Right Pinch?”
Pinch nodded his assent to this.
“Ahm. I appreciate the sentiment, Peep. But…” Choke interjected, looking worried as he did.
“What?” Peep asked, her voice low.
“Well, I’m not sure that’s how things work now that we’re in the army. Butters was a fugitive. That money, most likely, he got through swindling the King’s taxes and treasury through his Outfit business.”
“Yeah? So?” Peep said, looking disgusted. “We killed him. And for all the higher ups know, he just as easy coulda had no money on him. It’s ours. Don’t fuck us around on this, man. We’re playing everything else straight; we aint skimming shit. But we keep what we kill man. And if ye think all them fancypants officers don’t do the same, yar dreaming. How d’ye think their types got rich in the first place?”
“Alright, I grant you that this is probably how this works. But I don’t know for a fact that it does. And neither do you, Peep. So, in this case, with everything else being what it is, I don’t mind us splitting up this money. Especially since it will mostly be put towards doing our duty anyway,” Choke said.
“Speak for yarself, man,” Pinch said quietly.
Knuckle guffawed at this and moved to give Pinch a friendly elbow, before he remembered that he was mad at him and left off.
Choke gave Pinch a disapproving look, but carried on speaking to Peep:
“I’m just saying that, moving forward, I don’t want this to become a habit for us. Particularly when dealing with bandits whose coin we know has been stollen from their victims.”
“Yeah, yeah. Okay. We’ll deal with that when it comes up. But this coin is ours. But…” Peep drifted off significantly as she looked at each of them in turn.
“What? What now?” Knuckle said with a deep sigh.
“Well, it aint like this is some big score or something. For him being, what, the number four Outfit cat in Spitzer? It’s a pretty piss-poor bag for him to have been holding, is all I’m saying.”
“So, what? The guy was broke?” Knuckle whined.
“Not like that, but he weren’t loaded. Here, ye can check it out,” Peep said, opening up the satchel.
She pulled out the four smaller coin purses that were inside and proceeded to dump them out on the stool. It was immediately clear what she was talking about. It was almost all copper coins, albeit some of them being larger ones. There was only a handful of silver in the mix.
“So, yeah, there’s just over fifty silver worth here,” Peep said. “I counted it earlier.
“Well, split four ways, that’s almost two week’s pay each. For us sergeants, at least. That’s better than a kick in the teeth,” Pinch said.
“Says you!” Knuckle griped. “Ye already got yar bonus from the girls!”
“Yeah, well, I paid for that fair and square. You can, too, ye know,” Pinch returned.
“Yes, ye can, Knuckle,” Peep interjected. “The girls are staying on here in town, and are planning on keeping up their trade. I guess they’ll be throwing up their shingle someplace soon.”
Knuckle’s scowl softened just a little. “Okay, so let’s split this up, then.”
Peep nodded and counted the coins out into four piles. She then chose the nicest of the coin purses and swept her pile into it. Pinch and Knuckle did likewise. Choke took his time before following.
“Just so you all know,” he said as he did, “I will be donating most of this to the Church.”
“Well, that’s yar call, sir. Yar a better man than me,” Pinch said with a smirk.
“Yes, I know that. Now, with that distasteful business out of the way, does anyone have anything they would like to raise?” Choke asked.
“Yeah, I do,” Knuckle said, his voice hard as he leaned forward, thumping his fist down on his thigh.
“Alright, then. Go ahead, Knuckle,” Choke said, his tone cautious.
“I know I’m meant to know my place, and all. And I aint complaining. But sometimes the three of ye act like yar shit don’t stink, and ye sit there in judgment and make smart at me as if I’m the one that’s always stinking up the joint. But I aint. Yar shit stinks, too. That’s all I’m saying.”
Choke nodded calmly at this. Pinch snorted and leaned back to stare at Knuckle disbelievingly. Peep nodded in agreement with a grin.
“Alright, I can only suppose you have more to say, Knuckle. So let’s hear it. How is it that our shit stinks?” asked Choke.
“Well, ye got that hoor killed, for one.”
Choke blinked at this. Pinch looked confused for a moment and then sighed. Peep continued nodding, although her grin faded.
“How do you figure that, Knuckle? And keep your voice down,” Choke said, his voice hard now, as well.
Knuckle nodded and looked around before dropping his voice low to continue:
“Ye knew where Butters was holed up. Ye knew that Monday night. The hoor and what’s-his-name got killed on Tuesday. If we’d a moved like I wanted to back when we hear about it, we woulda stopped them murders. That’s all.”
“That’s a pretty fast turnaround, man,” Pinch said.
“Yeah? Does that make me wrong?” Knuckle snapped, glaring hard at Pinch.
“No,” Pinch conceded. He then turned away and muttered under his breath: “just an asshole.”
“What was that?” Knuckle flared.
“Knuckle!” Choke interjected. “I hear what you’re saying. But we had our reasons for holding off. We explained all that to you.”
“Yes, ye did, Choke. And we held off because of it, and them two got killed on account of it. That’s all.”
“So what’s your point?” Peep asked.
“Just that ye made that choice and bad shit happened. So, whatever. I don’t give a shit. But ye all just move on like it didn’t happen. Like yar shit don’t stink. But, I crossbow one stupid bandit bitch by accident, and I gotta hear about it for a fuckin month, like it was my fuckin plan to kill her, or something. That’s all.”
Knuckle glared at each of the other three, in turn. Then he crossed his arms and sat back in his chair with a scowl. The others let the moment breathe and did not say anything in response. After a long pause, Knuckle uncrossed his arms and stabbed his finger down on his knee to continue:
“So, yeah, I’ll do yar fuckin shit work. Ye don’t tell me shit. Fine! I’ll beat up the men, and drag corpses through fuckin cricks and shove em down holes and get their shit on me so’s the rest of ye can keep yarselves looking clean. I’ll do it!” Knuckle thumped himself in the chest. “But don’t ye think that just because I’m the one doing it, that ye aint getting dirty from it, too. That’s all. Okay, I’m fuckin done talking about it. Thank ye!”
Choke sat for a while thinking. Finally, he leaned forward:
“Knuckle, I understand that you are emotional about all this right now. But you are not making any sense. You are the one who embraced being the authoritarian for the men. You have shown no interest in anything but that. In fact, you told me yourself that you usually don’t pay attention when we are discussing our plans. So your role with us is precisely what you made it. Further, and more in general: you embrace being an asshole. You seem to make it a point of pride. Yet now you seem hurt that you are regarded as such.”
Knuckle glared hard at Choke, who met his eye squarely.
“So that’s all ye have to say to me, sir?” Knuckle asked.
“No, actually. But you spoke from the heart, so I have returned the favor. But that’s not all I have to say on it. I will add that I cannot think of a better person to handle the discipline of the men. You have done an excellent job of it. And, further, when in crisis, you have always handled yourself perfectly. You do what is necessary, without hesitation. I am grateful for you and everything you have done for us. So, thank you, Knuckle.”
Knuckle grunted and looked down at the ground.
“Well, okay. Thanks, Choke. Sorry. I just got mad, I guess.”
“You don’t need to explain yourself to me. We’ve known each other since before we can remember. And I understand that all these changes, so many changes, so quickly, has been a hard thing for all of us to adapt to,” Choke said, pausing to look earnestly to Pinch, and then to Peep.
“With the situation we are in,” Choke continued, “we cannot be as we were together. But that bond we share from our time before can continue to strengthen us as we go forward. It can strengthen what we are all to become. Let’s do this together, remembering who we are to each other. None of us have blood of our own in this world. So we must be that for each other. Do not forget it. And I will strive to remember it, too.”
With this Choke leaned forward and put his open palm out into the middle space between the four of them. Knuckle was the first to clasp it. Pinch followed, clapping his palm down on top of Knuckle’s hand. Finally Peep dropped her brand down upon Pinch’s hand. All four of them felt the spirit of the Holy Fire move through them as she did.
“Stron, bless us so that we can do what ye need done. Amen,” Peep said, her voice level.
“Amen, the three men followed, before they broke to lean back in their chairs.
The four sat quietly for a few minutes. No one said a word. Finally, Pinch broke the silence:
“That was good, Choke. Thank you.”
“Yeah, thanks, man,” Knuckle seconded.
“Yeah, that was something, all right. Real emotional. I think it shook something loose. I might hafta go have a shit about it,” Peep said with a grin.
“Yes, thank you, Peep,” Choke said.
Peep’s grin widened and she raised a leg and ripped a big fart.
“False alarm! That’s sorted it!” she proclaimed happily.
“Oh, dood! Really?” Pinch said as he waved his hand in front of his face.
Knuckle exploded in laughter as he let a noisy fart of his own go. Then he burp-talked, “Nice!”
When everyone had settled down, Choke said:
“Well, I am glad we all have been able to clear the air.”
This caused more laughter from the other three.
“If ye meant from their guts, then I guess so,” Pinch laughed. This set Peep and Knuckle off again, with Knuckle laughing obnoxiously loud.
Even Choke cracked a smile at this. Finally, when it was quiet again, Choke pushed on:
“Now, we’ve had our fun, but I think we need to talk about what we ought to do next. First of all, Pinch and Knuckle, just so you know: the women provided hard evidence to Brother Barrelmender about Thad Swallowtail. He is indeed a Solluna Union heretic. And he is known to cast spells, so that makes him a priest of it. Barrelmender is going to want to go after him. Now, with all that in mind, does anyone have anything they want to bring up?”
Knuckle shrugged. “Let’s go get him, then!”
“That is the short of it. However, we need to be cautious and think this through carefully. Whoever, or whatever, runs things in Bristlenook made it clear that we are not welcome there. We do not want to rush in blindly. We need to think this through,” Choke said.
“So Barrelmender got the evidence to send us after Thad, right?” Pinch asked.
“Yes.”
“And did he say we’re going after him?”
“Not in so many words. But he will. I’m sure of it. He has made it clear enough that he despises Swallowtail. And it is his duty to root out such heresy. He will rise to the occasion,” Choke said.
Pinch nodded grimly at this.
“What’s your concern, Pinch?” asked Choke.
“Well, when Barrelmender was a useless drunk, we could do things our way. Now he’s getting his shit together, right? We’ve seen how he’s being training the men the last couple of days. He’s doing it properly. Full on.”
“Yes. This is good,” Choke said.
“Yeah, it is,” Pinch nodded. “But, as the magistrate, he is our superior, right? So if he starts taking his duty seriously, he will start giving us orders.”
“That is just as it should be,” Choke said, not sounding particularly confident.
“Sure. But it aint like he’s been really consistent and stable. All I’m saying is, Choke, that you need to be ready for getting an order from him that might be fucked up. That’s all. And, when he gets it in his head that we have to go and arrest Swallowtail right away, we’re gonna have to do it. Right away. So we need to be ready to do it.”
“Indeed. Thus this conversation,” Choke said.
“Barrelmender will be coming with us, right?” Knuckle asked.
“I expect so. If he has rekindled his spirit of duty, he will suit up and make a show of it. That is the Holy Stoner way,” Choke said.
“No doubt!” Knuckle exclaimed proudly.
“So we need to know everything we can about Bristlenook, and East Rock. Thad lives up that way, with Diya just a bit further up the holler. So Lucky said, anyways,” Peep said.
“Well, one thing is certain: we cannot got lightly into Bristlenook again. When we go back, it must be in full expectation of open conflict. With everyone there, potentially,” Choke said.
“Right. So we need info. Like, yesterday,” Peep said. “We gotta get back with the hoors, for one. They had an orgy up at Thad’s place, they said. They aint gonna have much, I reckon, on account of being hoors and probably getting high as fuck up there, but it’s better than nothing.”
Choke responded to this: “Good point. I think you and Pinch should talk to them, Peep. Track them down tomorrow morning and see what they can tell you. They deserve a rest from us this afternoon, at least.”
“So, why does Pinch get to go?” Knuckle asked.
Choke sighed. “This petty jealousy of yours is getting tiresome, Knuckle. You have coin. You can seek them out professionally. It is not as though they are unavailable to you. I am sending Pinch to speak to them because they seem to like him. Or, at least, they are comfortable with him. That’s all.”
“Well, okay, then. But, just so’s ye know, Choke, I am gonna go and have a time with them as soon as I can,” Knuckle said.
“I don’t care. That is your business. I am not your priest,” Choke said, glancing at Peep in acknowledgement as he did. “So, if that nonsense is put to rest, does anyone else have something to discuss?”
Pinch leaned forward. “Yeah, actually. We got that crossbow now, right? So we need to have that in the mix, I guess. How do we want to handle it?”
“That’s a good question, Pinch. In general, I suppose it should be equipped at the north gate. That’s a rotation, so we’ll need to see who is the best shot with it in each squad,” said Choke.
“So we’re gonna need a shooting range,” said Pinch.
“That’s right. Isdent there anywhere suitable out in front of the palisade near the north gate here?” Choke asked.
Pinch looked pained and shook his head. Peep aknoweledged his opinion with a small nod.
“Yeah, it’s all uneven,” Peep said. “The shits for that. This afternoon I wanna go check out the farm we’ve got Mariola and the Wailers in. I’ll see if there’s a good spot for one there. Oughta be, since it’s meant to be a farm, and all. Also, I’ll task them to cut some grass to make us some targets.”
“That sounds, good. Thank you,” Choke said.
“What’s wrong with just using the yard here?” Pinch asked.
Peep winced. “Well, it aint quite far enough, unless we’re shooting right across that way,” Peep gestured from the street at the north gate, across the courtyard, to the front of the stables. “And then, just barely. And ye want the boys shooting a crossbow for the first time in town here? And are they shooting at the stables, or the street?”
“Yes, good point,” Pinch conceded. “Also, while we’re on the topic of putting Butters’ gear to use, we have his chainmail. Also shortsword, but that’s less important.”
“Oh, shit, that’s right,” Peep said. “Well, the armor’s yars if ye want it, Pinch.”
“It’s gonna be way big on him,” Knuckle said.
“The blacksmith will be able to resize it,” Choke said. “He can take strips of links out easily enough.”
“Hell, maybe he can use it to make two suits, one for Pinch and another for that other little feller,” Knuckle laughed.
“Yeah, fuck you, too, Knuckle,” Pinch gave Knuckle the finger, who grinned and made a brushing off gesture on his arm. “I don’t think I wanna use it, though,” Pinch continued. “Chainmail’s so heavy, and I’m operating as a scout, mostly. That’s just gonna drag me down. So, I don’t think so.”
“Alright, then,” Choke said. “So we need to think about who to give it to. Corporal Dom is the most deserving, but he’s a scout type, too. After that, Lenny is next in line. But…”
“He aint shit for combat,” Knuckle said. “No sense armoring up a guy that aint gonna make a mark anyways. I think it needs to go to that bulldog-looking fucker. The guy that’s always hanging with Reece. He’s a good fighter. Armor him up and he can step into some shit.”
“Osgar,” Pinch said. “And, yeah, he’s the best prospect for frontline combat that we got. But, if he’s gonna step up that way, he probably should be corporal.”
“Sure. Fuckin rights. Barrelmender made him his sergeant when he’s training them,” said Knuckle.
Pinch shrugged.
“I agree he’s a natural choice on the physical front,” Choke said. “What concerns me is the company he keeps,” Choke said. “Reece is toxic. He’s subversive and a bully. At best. And Osgar is thick as thieves with him. I worry that by promoting Osgar, we’ll be developing our very own Corporal Butters situation with Reece.”
“Whad’ye mean?” Knuckle asked.
“Well, Osgar gets elevated in rank, but is probably beholden on some level to Reece, who is meant to be below him. We raise both up in status by raising up the one.”
“Something to think about, anyways,” Pinch said.
“Indeed. Let’s keep thinking on it for now. See how things develop,” Choke said.
“Well, for one, I just gotta ask: what are we doing out here, anyways?” said Knuckle. “We’re the army. We’re here to kill what needs killing. That’s it. It’s fuckin dumb to hold down a guy that’ll help us do that. And for what? Because his friend’s a piece of shit? I can fuckin handle them, corporal or not.”
“Alright. I hear you Knuckle. It’s a good point,” Choke said.
“Yeah, I’m with Knuckle,” Peep said. “That armor needs to be used, and it should be by a guy that can carry it, and make a dent out there. But we got a couple of days. Let’s just hold off for a day or two and see how things shake out.”
“Good. Anything else?” Choke asked.
“Yeah, just a couple other things,” Peep said. “For one, that fletcher was bringing the arrows to the church that we paid him for, right? That order aint done. We just got half of it.”
“That’s right,” Choke said thoughtfully. “Barrelmender said the fletcher was delivering the arrows every couple of days, I think? What was the fellow’s name?”
“Gotthilf,” both Peep and Pinch answered simultaneously. Peep then continued:
“Yeah, so he was delivering the order just like he said he would when we weren’t here. Then we come back and deliveries stopped. There aint been another one, right?”
“That’s right. Yes?” Choke asked Pinch, who nodded. “What are you thinking, Peep?”
“Well, we’ve been back four days, right? So, maybe he’ll bring the next delivery soon, but I doubt it. He’s in Bristlenook. That means that word went out there not to have dealings with us.”
“But yet he took our business in the first place,” Pinch said.
Peep shrugged. “Yeah, well, same shit as before. When we were here before, whoever runs shit out there wasn’t worried about us. Or, if they were, it wasn’t at a level where they put the word out on it. Now we’re back, and they’re taking us serious.”
“So what’s yar point?” Knuckle asked her.
“Just that if Gotthilf was honoring his commitment before, and then stopped doing that once we got back, it means that after we got back, someone came and got up in his shit about it. And he still owes us. It could be worthwhile creeping over to his place to pay him a visit. He don’t live right in the village, right? We should be able to creep up on his place without them all noticing.”
“He has dogs,” Pinch said. “And then there’s the magpie spies.”
“Yeah. I aint saying it aint without risks. But it could be worth it. We have business with him, and every right to push him about it. And Balan told us his hunting bows are good. So long as we’re testing the boys out on the crossbow, couldn’t hurt to buy a couple of deer bows to see who’s worth a shit on them while we’re at it.”
Choke thought about this. “If he has ceased delivery of the arrows he owes us, he’s not going to be willing to sell us bows.”
“Well, it aint like were gonna give him a fuckin choice, man,” said Peep with a grin. “He’s the one that broke our deal. We get our arrows from him, assuming he made them, and pay him for a couple bows that we’re taking anyways. And, we press him on who it was that leaned on him.”
“It’s not bad,” Pinch said. “Also, if it’s a smaller group of us creeping up on the hump side, we might slip through without detection. And if we are detected, we’ll find out what the next level of ‘fuck off’ is out there.”
“Yeah, like a probe of their defense,” Peep said. “I’m warming up on this.”
“I agree. It could be worth the risk,” Choke said. “It’s worth thinking about, anyway. Let me think about it. Okay?”
Peep nodded.
“Alright. Anything else?” Choke asked, looking around.
Peep nodded. “Yeah. I been thinking about something else. So, we’re dealing with the teamsters a lot, one way or another. But their whole deal is just hauling the freight. What about all them lumberjacks out there cutting them trees down? What’s their deal? Are they organized? Are they getting leaned on by the Outfit, like the teamsters?”
“I don’t know. That’s a good question,” Choke said, as Pinch nodded.
“Yeah. No shit, it is,” Peep grinned. “And them guys are the ones out in the woods all day. They would be the ones to talk about Sneed, if he’s skulking around. Or that white stag. And if Bristlenook fucks with them. I mean, right now they’re clearing the hump about halfway to Bristlenook. But Lucky was talking all that shit about the sacred forest protecting them from outsiders and whatever. So there’s gotta be some kinda borderline out there. I think we need to start talking to some of them lumberjacks. I mean, they would know about that shit, right? Ye gotta think so, anyways.”
“Yes, I agree. That is a very good point. How do you think we should approach that, Peep?”
“Babs and Balan would know how that’s all set up. So I’ll go talk to them this afternoon, too. Or, Babs, I guess. Balan’s still off to Spitzer, right?”
“I think so,” Pinch said. “I don’t think that caravan’s returned yet.”
“Cool. So, I’ll go piss in Babs’ ear about the lumberjacks and see who she thinks we should talk to. Knowing her, she can probably set up a meeting,” Peep said.
“That is an excellent idea, Peep. Thank you!” Choke said.
Peep tipped her temple in a casual salute his way.
“Okay, so, does anyone have anything else to discuss? Any other ideas?” Choke asked
Everyone shook their heads.
“Okay, then. This has been productive. Thank you, all. So, Peep, after lunch, you’re going to go and check on your people at the Wilson place. Then, you’ll go seek out Babs. Do you want anyone to go with you?” Choke asked.
“Nah. I’ll go on foot and be creepy about it. So, solo is better for that, anyways. I can have a bit of a sniff around the bush here while I’m at it.”
Pinch raised his eyebrow at Peep’s turn of phrase, but let it pass without comment.
“Okay, good,” Choke said. “Thank you. Now, Knuckle and Pinch: for us this afternoon, we’ll have the men in two groups, like I told them. Pinch, I want you and Dom outside supervising and on lookout for the work crew. Knuckle, you and I are going to start working on one-on-one sparring with the men with their practice spears. And let’s watch out for any of them that might be an alternative to Osgar for that chainmail.”
“Fuckin A!” Knuckle said with a grin.
“No problem,” Pinch said.
“Good. Then, I think we’ve all got a few minutes to relax before lunch. Do as you see fit. Thank you,” Choke said.
Muse Vassal 