Table of Contents – (spoilers)
After lunch, Peep saddled up Gorgeous Boy and rode down to Babs and Balan’s place. She had planned on going to talk to Mariola at the Wilson property first, but realized as she was leaving that she did not know where it was. Gabe had not been at the base that day, so she hoped he was at his parents’ home. Either way, she needed to speak with Babs.
Gabe was not at the house, and Babs did not have any idea where he was. The visit was not fruitless, though. Babs had a fairly good notion of the more prominent lumberjacks in town who would possibly be favorably inclined towards the Stronian faction. She thought that she might be able to reach out to some of them through their wives, but expected that it might be better for Balan to go to the men directly. Balan and his caravan were overdue, however. They should have returned from Spitzer the night before. This kind of delay was not unusual, though, and Babs was not worried. She promised to task Balan with rounding up the lumberjacks as soon as he and their boys were home.
Finally, Babs was able to give Peep good directions to the Wilson property, which was only a few hundred meters from her place.
The Wilson property that Mariola and the Holy Fire Wailers had been given to redeem was to the east of Babs and Balan’s place, not so far from Theon the goatfucker’s place and the Tanglefoot trailhead. As Peep approached, it was immediately clear to her why it had been abandoned. The terrain was uneven, with the surrounding forest pressing close on the small field that had been cleared next the farmhouse. The position of the hills around meant that the place would get only a fraction of the sun needed for healthy crops.
The small farmhouse was a further issue: it lacked a roof. The building itself was solid enough, though. It was one story and made of stone, with a narrow opening for an entrance without a wooden frame or door, and only one small window in its front face. The stones around the window and door were blackened with soot, leaving a solid clue as the reason for the lack of roof: the place had been burned out.
As bad as the place seemed, the Holy Fire Wailers had not been idle. A tattered wool blanket had been placed in the doorway, and they had reframed the roof, if roughly, with felled trees. They were now working on thatching it. Two of them were cutting the wild grass the field had become, and others bundling that for the roof. Mariola was up on the roof with one of the men, just starting to tie the grass bundles down on the frame.
Peep gave a shrill whistle as she approached. Her followers reacted predicably and stopped what they were doing to cluster around her excitedly as she dismounted near the farmhouse. She could now see that off to the side of the house was the charred remains of what must have once been a smaller, log barn.
“Alright, alright,” Peep said to her bobbing and swaying people, as she waved her hand over top of them haphazardly. “Stron bless ye for all yar good work. Now back up.”
Peep looked up at Mariola, who had stayed on the roof. She was still tying down a bundle of thatch, so Peep waited until she had finished. When Mariola had, she reached behind her to pick up another bundle and drop it into place, pointedly ignoring Peep as she did.
Peep gave a short, trilling whistle to get her attention.
“What is it?” Mariola asked sharply, finally raising up from her work to glare down at Peep.
“I need a word,” Peep said up at her.
“Oh, yar not here to help? What a surprise!” returned Mariola.
Peep snorted. She and Mariola spent a moment staring at each other.
“Alright, then. I’ll come up and give ye a hand. And we’ll talk,” Peep said. She then handed Gorgeous Boy’s reins off to the least inept-looking follower near her. “Let him graze a bit.”
“Yes, Miss Otilla!”
Peep took a second to settle her weaponbelt and shortbow shoulder rig into place. Then she easily clambered up the rough ladder leaning against the house to the roof.
“Alright. What’re we doing?” she asked, once she had reached Mariola.
“Thatching the fuckin roof. What does it look like?” Mariola said, quiet enough that the followers down below could not hear.
Peep gave an inhaled whistle of surprise. “Well, aint everyone just getting their spleen on today! First Knucklehead, and now you. You aint sore that ye couldn’t have a go at them hoors, too, are ye?”
“What? Who? No! What are you— oh, never mind. Why are you here, Peep? I suppose you have something else for me to do for you?”
“Well, yeah, now that ye mention it, I do. Or, did, I guess. What’s yar problem? I mean, it aint like I forced ye to follow me here. Ye can fuck off any time ye like. So if yar gonna get cunty about doing the little I’ve asked of ye, I guess ye can go ahead and do that.”
Mariola closed her eyes and sighed deeply. When she opened them, she was calmer.
“Look, Peep. It’s not that I don’t want to help you. But, this all is getting to me. It’s not as easy as you might think.”
“What, is Barrelmender getting weird with ye? Ye don’t have to help him out like ye are if ye don’t want to. What did he do?”
“Nothing. It’s not him. Or, well. I dunno. This morning he had me help put his armor on. That was weird. And the way he speaks, it’s all over the place. But that’s not it. He’s actually been very compassionate, at times… in his way. When he isn’t having a fit. But he’s fine. Or, I don’t mind helping him out, at least. It’s better than, well… this,” Mariola gestured at the followers who were still standing, staring slack-jawed up at them. Two of them noticed the attention and waved happily.
Peep and Mariola waved back. This caused some excitement.
“Yeah, I feel ye. They aint much in the way of company, huh?” Peep said quietly.
“Goats would be better. But it’s not just them. This place… really?” Mariola looked around in despair.
“Yeah, it’s rough. But yar getting it in order.” Peep looked around thoughtfully. Then she snapped her fingers and pointed up at Mariola. “Tents! We got them tents that Henri was keeping the hoors in. We’re not using them otherwise, so ye all can make use of them for now. That oughta help.”
“I suppose it will. But it’s not just that. This place is exposed out here. The neighbors are a little far, and they’ve been nice, and all. Bringing us some food and whatnot. But—”
“Oh, shit! Did ye meet Theon?” Peep laughed, interrupting Mariola.
“Well, yes. Him and his family. They seem… simple. They’d fit well with this bunch, I expect.”
“Oh, no doubt. Even more if they actually were goats!” Peep said, laughing even harder now.
“What are you talking about, Peep? Can you please take this seriously?”
“Oh… shit… yeah, sorry. It’s just, too good. Anyways, what are ye getting at here?”
“Well, this place is really exposed. I’m not wrong, am I? It was burned out. And we got the Tanglefoot Trail starting right up there, and there’s no telling who or what could come wandering down that.”
Peep nodded thoughtfully. “Yeah, I guess. But ye do got lots of neighbors around. And things are peaceful around here lately.”
“Are ye fuckin kidding me? All of ye are talking goblin invasion and the gates of Hell opening up. This doesn’t feel safe out here. And did ye forget what I told ye about where I come from? How I come to be in Splitrock? Our place wasn’t that different than this. Goldy and his men came and plucked us like chickens. I don’t feel safe out here.”
Peep thought about this for a while before responding: “Okay, I hear ye. But Barrelmender can’t abide that bunch staying at the church, and I don’t want you or them around the men that close. If yar really feeling that bad about it, we could find someplace for ye to sleep up in town. Ye can pop down here now and then and give the Wailers here some direction. But this is where they gotta be. They’re not taking any bigger risks than any of the other folk around.”
Mariola sighed and stared down at the earnest cretins and their children spread out beneath them. Eventually, something occurred to her, and she looked to Peep.
“Where is it that you sleep, Peep? With all the men?”
“Not so much. Choke’s got his own room, and Knuckle and Pinch sleep with the men. I’ve been laying my mat out in the little armory.”
Mariola nodded. “So, if I’m gonna sleep in town, where would that even be? I shouldn’t be in the church. Not if I’m the only one. Not with what everyone’s been saying about Barrelmender and the Shasta woman. It’s probably bad enough that I’m there every morning.”
“I dunno. Yeah, not the church. But if ye don’t wanna stay here, we’ll figure something out. Ye can think on it and make yar decision. Bottom line is, ye don’t have to live here with them if ye don’t want. Also, we need to start getting ye some fight training. I’ll start that with ye, one on one. Later this afternoon, if ye want. I’ll send someone down with the tents, and ye can come back up with him.”
“Well, thank ye, Peep. That sounds good. I’ll think about where I’m going to live. I dunno… I’m not sure. I just don’t feel safe out here.”
“I hear ye, woman. It’s yar call. But now that ye’ve mentioned it, this place being right at the trailhead, and just off the Bristlenook road, it’s not a bad spot to set up on proper. I’ll talk to Choke about maybe having a few men out here on watch from time to time. Once the men are settled in and the town’s secured, we should be out here.”
“Well, okay, then. I suppose that’s good,” Mariola said.
“Oh, and one other thing: how are ye on a bow?”
“Alright, I guess. We lived out in the wild, after all. I’m not going to say I can hit a bird on the wing, but I’ve bagged my fair share of rabbits and deer,” Mariola said, showing some pride.
“Oh, no shit? So ye can pull a proper deer bow? Fuck, woman! We gotta get one in yar hands, then. And speaking on that, once this thatching is done, have a couple of them keep at the mowing. We need some straw targets for shooting. I think we’re gonna set up an archery range here in the field. Get the roof done first, but as soon as it is, I want them on it. Alright?”
“Yes. Okay. I’ll see to it,” Mariola said, back to her resolved self.
“Good. So, are we good?” Peep asked.
“Yeah. I guess so. Sorry if I was too pushy earlier. It’s all just been a lot.”
“Fuck. Tell me about it. Okay, then. I’ll see ye up there later on this afternoon. Thank ye,” Peep said. She then held her fist up for Mariola, who gave it a good thump with her own.
Peep rode back up to town and put Gorgeous Boy away. Just as they had planned, Choke and Knuckle were training about half the men. They had their shields and practice spears and were doing one-on-one fighting drills. When there seemed a good break in the rhythm of this, Peep motioned for Choke to join her off to the side.
“Babs knows of some Stronian-leaning lumberjacks that oughta be friendly to us,” Peep said once he was with her. “She’s gonna task Balan with rounding them up for us to have a word with. But, the caravan from Spitzer is late. It shoulda been back last evening.”
Choke frowned. “Is that a concern?”
Peep shrugged. “I guess not. Babs said that happens all the time. Sometimes they get some work in the Spitzer yard. Or, their wagons need some work, or something. Anyways, she’s not worried, and her man and two boys are out there, so she’d be the one to fret.”
“Okay, good. Thank you. And how is the Wilson property?”
Peep winced. “Fuckin rough. The place was torched a while back. So they gotta put a new fuckin roof on it. But, it’s right by the Tanglefoot. Just by Theon’s place. And right by the Bristlenoook road. So we should think about setting up some men out there, now and again, to keep watch.”
“That’s a good idea. Once the men are ready for that kind of thing,” said Choke.
“Exactly. Also, with the place being as rough as it is, I told Mariola that we’d let them use them fuck tents of Henri’s. At least until they get a roof on the joint.”
“That’s fine,” Choke nodded.
“I know. I told her I’d send someone down with them in a bit. Then bring her back here so I can start training her for fighting. Actually, we probably should just throw her in the mix with the spearmen here. That’s a good place for her to start,” Peep said.
“Okay, then. Who do you want to send?”
“You, dipshit,” Peep grinned at Choke.
“What?” Choke asked indignantly. “Who do you want to send?”
“You, I said.”
“Me?”
“Yeah. We can’t spare anyone else that she’s gonna feel safe with. And it’ll give ye a chance to work on her with that charm of yars,” Peep said.
Choke flushed and looked away.
“Yeah. Don’t worry man, I’m looking out for ye. I got yar back. I’ll load up Betsy with the tents for ye, and he can bring them down to her and fetch her back. The place is in the bush up the hill a bit. Trail to it is just a little south of where the Tanglefoot branches of the Bristlenook road. Can’t miss it.”
“Okay, then. I’ll do it!” Choke said with fierce determination, as though he was about to embark on a difficult quest.
Peep laughed. “Well, don’t fuckin hurt yarself over it.”
Peep left Choke to continue the training, and joined Pinch and Dom out with the work party clearing the forest. She took the opportunity to skulk around the bush nearby, working it slow. There was no sign that anything was amiss. When it was almost time for the squads to switch between training and work detail, Peep went back in and loaded up their mule with the tents. Choke looked on the verge of panic as he rode out for the Wilson place, leading the mule.
It took only about twenty minutes for Choke to return with Mariola. She was riding on the mule, side by side with him on Nike. Once again they were awkwardly conversating. When they dismounted at the stable, Peep was waiting for them. She immediately noticed that Mariola now had on a weaponbelt with a shortsword.
“Shit, woman, where’d ye get the blade?” Peep asked.
“Father Morrenthall gave it to me before we left Spitzer. He said that if I was to come along to help you, then I should be armed.”
“Well, no shit. So why didn’t ye strap it on sooner?”
“I don’t know. I suppose I thought that if I did, people might assume I know how to use it. That I’m something that I’m not.”
“Well, I dunno about all that. Anyway, I’d keep it on, if I were you. Ye never can tell when someone might need a swat. Right? Okay, so, if ye don’t mind training with the men a little, I thought we’d start ye out on roundshield and spear. It’s the best way to keep yarself safe. We’ve got a good number of extra shields and spears here, from the shitheels that deserted under Dixon. So ye can take them along with ye,: Peep said.
“Oh… I… a spear and shield? Really? I had thought we might start with knives and maybe shortswords.”
“Okay, look. Pissing around with knives and shortswords aint fighting. If there’s a knife fight going on, it means someone fucked up. Knives are for killing. For murder. And a shortsword’s nothing more than a big knife. So, when it comes to that, it aint no different than slaughtering any other animal. Stick it in and twist. Repeat until they stop.
“But, if yar gonna be in a fight, ye wanna keep yarself as safe as ye can. Spear gives ye reach. Shield protects ye. Start figuring that out, and yar in much better shape. So, let’s get ye some gear, and ye can fall in with the lads. Ye aint gonna be any worse at it than most of them, anyways,” Peep chuckled.
Peep took Mariola through to the armory. There, they got her a roundshield painted in the Baron’s colors, and a spear. Back outside, Mariola leaned the spear against the wall and chose a practice spear for herself. She then tied up her dress between her legs to gird her loins and fell in with the men who were still assembling for training.
The men were clearly surprised by this, but with Peep, Choke, and Knuckle right there, they knew better than to say anything about it.
For the training, Choke and Knuckle armed themselves with roundshields and practice spears as well. They went one-on-one with the men in turn for a minute or two each, going through a basic fighting drill: simple footwork with thrust, lunge, and parry. When the men had the basic rhythm of it, they were paired off with each other to continue working.
Mariola waited until the end, when all the soldiers had finished their one-on-one time with Choke or Knuckle. When it was finally her turn, Knuckle stepped aside with a morose air, and Choke partnered with her. Knuckle moved through the paired off men, jabbing at them with his own practice spear as he criticized them.
Mariola and Choke squared off and he began with her just as he had with everyone else. Peep had indeed been right: she was no worse than most of the men, and a fair bit better than some. As they trained, they drifted away from the others, until they were off to the side by themselves. As they warmed up in the physical exercise, so too did Choke. He lost his inhibition and moved with her as though they were in a dance.
When everything was well underway, Peep slipped away and went back outside the wall on foot to where the others were clearing the forest. They were continuing to make good time of it. Indeed, it seemed as though it might only be a couple more days to finish the task. Peep signaled to Pinch as she approached, and he stepped away from the men a little more. Of course, Pinch and Dom were not laboring themselves, being on watch with their bows. The atmosphere of the unit had relaxed, and it no longer felt as though they were primarily guarding against the men running off. Of course, the men were all armed now, never more than a few meters from their shields and spears.
“Hey, what’s up?” Pinch asked.
“Just a quick question, man. We’re getting Mariola fixed up for fighting. She’s out in the bush a bit with the Wailers, and with everything that’s fixing to happen, she needs to be kitted up and ready. She’s training shield and spear with Choke now.”
“Oh, yeah,” Pinch said with a smirk. “Lucky him. So yar just spreading gossip here?”
“Sure. But, also, she said she’s okay on a deer bow. So, that got me thinking. Ye still got yar old short bow, right?”
Pinch was, of course, now using a deer bow that he had claimed during their raid of Goldy’s bandit hideout.
“Yeah. It’s in all our gear,” Pinch answered.
“Thought so. Yar old quiver, too. So, d’ye mind letting her use it?”
“Sure. No problem. It’s a good idea to get it into use. But, are ye sure that we don’t want one of the men on it? That might serve us better.”
“Yeah, I’m sure. I know she’s solid in general, and if she says she can shoot, I trust that, too. That’s more than I can say for any of the men,” Peep said.
“Okay, then. Go ahead,” said Pinch.
“Cool. Thank ye,” Peep said, giving Pinch a friendly swat as she left.
By the time Peep got the bow and its quiver together, the training in the yard had moved on to five-on-five combat. This was more sparring with full intention, as the fighters clashed in line as units. However, it was still being supervised by Knuckle alone, as Choke and Mariola were continuing their private training together away from the rest.
Peep left them to it and clambered up the watchtower to have a look around. This was just a little taller than the roof of the church, from which they had surveilled things just after first arriving. She could see both the Bristle and Cowslip valleys, for a little ways, at least. As well, she could just make out the declivity of Bristlenook up the way. The haze of cookfires hung above it. Staring at it, she again had the feeling, deep within her, that something there needed to be resolved. However, when she had articulated this before, she had thought it was the Holy Fire within her telling her someone needed to burn. Now, she was not so sure. Something there was pulling at her still, but she could not tell to what end.
When the training began winding down in the late afternoon, Peep came back down the watchtower. Whatever it was out there in the woods was there still, calling to her like a wolf in the night. Whether it was searching for a hunting partner, or putting its prey on notice, Peep did not yet know.
Muse Vassal 