table of contents – (spoilers)
Choke rode out the south gate and around the west side of the palisade by the Cowslip Creek to the unconsecrated graveyard. He was relieved to see that Dom was sitting by a fresh grave mound. As he reined up nearby, Choke was annoyed to see that Dom had a small potato wine jug in his lap. Dom looked up, his face slack with drink.
“Oh, it’s you, sir. Howdy.”
Choke sat in the saddle staring down at Lenny in the dirt by his friend’s grave. He searched for something to say, but stopped short of speaking several times. Finally, he gave up any thought of attempting empathy, realizing it would only ring hollow.
“It’s about time to come back, I think, Corporal,” he said.
“Yes, sir. Not even sure why I’m still here.”
“It’s good that you saw your friend off. It was the right thing to do.”
Dom snorted. “No doubt. I suppose. Funny thing is, I never really liked the guy.”
“Well… umm… You’ve done right by him, at least.”
“Is that what I did?” Dom chuckled darkly. “Whatever. Ye know, he was just such a fuckin soggy biscuit. Never anything to say. Never a fuckin idea of his own. And then he goes and hatches that scheme that got him hanged. Right? If he’d just run off without fuckin around with the watch, ye’d a just flogged him, right?”
“Yes. That’s so.”
“Right. The one fuckin clever thing he ever did, and it gets him killed.”
Choke issued receipt of this last comment with a short sniff of amusement.
“What’s that sir?” Dom looked up at Choke sharply.
“I’m sorry. It’s just that Peep, Otilla, I mean, she said almost the exact same thing.”
“Yeah? Well, she gets the measure of people quicker than most, I’d say. And let me tell ye something else, sir! Lenny’s wife is fuckin horrible! If Bev actually comes through for Lenny here, we’re all in deep shit.”
Choke could think of nothing to say to that, so he sat mute.
“He, loved his kids, though, Lenny did. I’ll give him that.”
“Then at very least, they are lucky to have experienced that. How many did he have?”
“About four, I think. That’s just the ones that lived, mind. Connie, that’s his shit wife, she was always swole up like a sow with child. Stupid fuck,” Dom picked up a rock from beside the grave and thew it down on the loose dirt.
“Alright, then, Corporal. I need to be getting back. I don’t think you’re going to be of much use to us in this state. When you have sobered up tomorrow, I will remind you that you did not have leave to get drunk. You were still on duty. That’s not good. But, given the circumstances, I am inclined to let it go.”
“Thank you, sir. I am sorry for it.”
“Duly noted. So, if I leave you here, can I rely upon you to make it back to us by yourself?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good. Dinner will be soon. I think you will feel better if you have it. It’s up to you, though. Tomorrow morning, you resume normal duty, either way. Understood?”
“Yes, sir. Thank ye, sir.”
“Alright. Thank you again for your good service today. I know it was hard, however you felt about the man. Take care.”
Choke left Dom and rode back through town to the military compound. There, Peep was talking to Mariola by the north gate while the Holy Fire Wailers spasmed around. A good number of villagers were clustered by, listening in. Over at the stables, Pinch was still standing overtop of Rabbit on his bench.
Choke nodded to Mariola, who waved coyly up at him. He slowed just a little to address Peep as he rode by:
“Peep: I am going to put Nike away. Join me in the stable, please.”
She did within the minute and commenced her report while Choke unsaddled and brushed down his warhorse.
“They’re both full of shit, just like we reckoned. Blood trail was easy to track to a little spot in the woods, down near the crick. Looks like it’s been used before. Plants all trampled down; smelled like piss around there. Lots of fresh blood. Then, down at the crick just below that, there were some blood drops on the rocks. So Reece got stabbed and stumbled back to us at the wall. Guy that stabbed him went down to the crick to clean up.”
“That would be Rabbit, I am sure.”
“Yeah, no shit. Wet from the crick with some blood still on his pants. And then… there’s this!” Peep said proudly, pulling something out from behind her back to hold out to Choke.
In the dim light of the stable, Choke had to lean forward and squint to make it out. It was a big nail, almost twenty centimeters long and about one wide. Its point had been wickedly sharpened and gleamed bright against the dull black of the rest of the nail. The base down near the head had been wrapped in a tight ball of rawhide to make a handle.
“Nice little shank, this. Good for a boot. Or up a sleeve. Perfect fit for Reece’s wound,” Peep said, wiggling it between her fingers.
“Where did you find it?”
“Down at the crick. There was a flat rock up on the roots of a tree on the bank. Looked out of place. Sure enough, this was under it.”
“So we have everything but Rabbit’s confession,” Choke said.
“Yeah. But is that what yar after? Most guys’ll die before admitting they’ve been fucked like Reece musta been doing to him. He’ll take whatever punishment ye dole out for the stabbing. I saw that in his eyes when he stood up and told ye he’s sticking to his story. And without him telling what Reece was doing, there aint no self-defense, or even a reason for the stabbing, right? So what’re ye after here, man?” Peep asked earnestly.
Choke sighed. “I don’t know,” he finally answered.
“We don’t wanna flog the kid for protecting himself from a sick fuck like that,” Peep said, her tone an absolute statement.
“Of course not!”
“Okay, then. There’s no point to pushing him on it. If ye lay the evidence out to him and then don’t punish him over it, ye look weak. Ye just gotta cut him loose.”
“And what about Reece, then?”
“Ye let me handle him,” Peep grinned.
“Peep…”
“Don’t worry, man. I’ll just put the fear of Stron into him. I mean, we gotta do something, right? Do you wanna handle it?”
“Not particularly,” Choke admitted.
“Okay, then. I’ll sort it out. No worries.”
Choke brushed Nike for a while in silence, with Peep leaning on the stable wall, watching him.
“What are you thinking, Peep?” Choke eventually asked.
“I’m thinking it’s about time we set up an overnight ambush. Maybe down at Big Rock, there,” Peep said, referencing the meeting of trails at a large boulder in the bush to down the hump to the west by the Cowslip Creek.
“A night ambush?”
“Fuckin rights. Small unit. We set up and see if anyone’s skulking around that shouldn’t be.”
“Okay… and I take it you want to take Reece on this. He’s in no condition. That wound is going to keep him laid up for days, at a minimum.”
“Don’t worry about that. I’ll sort him out. We go out tonight, and I’ll shit him up a bit. Set him right in a way he can understand.”
Choke lapsed into silence at this as he continued brushing Nike. While he had serious misgivings about setting Peep loose on this problem, he also had no inclination to tackle it himself. Further, he decided it would be witless and disingenuous to give her any sort of admonishment of moderation. If he let her handle it, he had to be honest with himself about the likely outcome. She would do whatever she had already set her mind to doing. Nothing he said would change that. He realized almost immediately that, in this case, he was comfortable with that.
“Okay, Peep. You handle it. Who do you want on this patrol tonight?”
“Reece, of course. Pinch. And I guess Hardmod and Osgar.”
“Okay… Hardmod I get, he’s your boss slinger, right? But Osgar? He’s Reece’s friend. They’re thick as thieves.”
“Exactly! Look, I get Reece out there by himself and, yeah, he’s gonna shit himself. But in the back of his head, he’s gonna think that if he has Osgar with him, maybe he can handle it better. Right? But I shit the both of them up, together, then they both get the message. Two birds, one stone.”
“Well, if you think you can handle the both of them. It’s your call, Peep.”
“Thanks, LT! Now, let’s go cut Rabbit loose and have dinner!” Peep said cheerfully.
Choke nodded and quickly finished up with Nike. He and Peep then went outside to where Rabbit was still sitting on the bench.
“Spearman Rabbit. Stand at attention,” Choke ordered.
“Yes, sir,” Rabbit did so and saluted.
“I have decided that we have had enough trouble these last days. So I am going to accept your story. You fell in the creek. Reece fell on a sharp stick in the forest. These two incidents were unrelated,” Choke said. He then waited to watch the young man’s reaction.
Rabbit blinked in surprise, but managed to mask any further emotion.
“Yes, sir. Thank you, sir!”
“You are welcome. However, I will also say to you that if there is any further trouble involving either you or Reece, I will clap you both in irons to be dragged in front of Brother Barrelmender. As a cleric of Stron, he will get to the bottom of it; I assure you of that. No stone left unturned. Do you understand?” Choke asked, having put extra emphasis on the word, “stone.”
“Yes, sir! Thank you, sir!”
Choke nodded and turned to Pinch:
“Sergeant: return Spearman Rabbit’s weapons to him.”
Pinch pulled Rabbit’s knife and spearhead trowel and handed them to him.
“Thank you, sir!” Rabbit said to Pinch as he took them.
“Alright, go have dinner. Dismissed, soldier,” Choke said,
“Yes, sir! Thank you, sir!” Rabbit saluted smartly and hurried off to the barracks.
“So we’ve decided to let that whole mess slide, huh?” Pinch asked, his tone amused.
“In a manner of speaking, yes. Peep is going to handle it, with your help. She will explain it to you. Of course, with you and Peep doing that, and Knuckle and Dom both drunk presently, I will take tonight’s watch.”
“Right. Thank ye,” Peep said.
“Now, if that’s everything, I’ve had a bellyful of this whole fucking nightmare. So, I’m sorry, but I’m going to eat alone in the dining room, if that’s alright with everyone.”
“Yeah, no problem, sir,” Pinch said, giving Choke a sympathetic nod.
“Yeah, I don’t give a shit, man,” Peep said with a smirk. “But, I dunno if it’s gonna work out that way.”
“What do you mean by that?” Choke snapped.
“Mariola’s gone to the kitchen to get dinner for the both of ye. She was gonna surprise ye.”
Choke paused for a moment, glaring at Peep. “So why didn’t you let her do that?” he barked.
“Dunno. Guess I’m just a dick like that. So go on. Have a good one, buddy. I’ll get Pinch and the others squared away for tonight,” Peep laughed, giving Choke a slap on the shoulder to shove him towards the dining room.
Mariola was indeed there, putting the final touches on her presentation of their dinner. The food was no different than what everyone else was eating, but Mariola had set the table as best she could, with a full jug of beer and two steins. An old stugroot pot was serving as a vase in the middle of the table for a lovely bouquet of wildflowers.
“Oh! Hello, Lieutenant! I do hope yar well,” Mariola said, smiling as she gave him an attempt at a curtsy.
“No, actually; I’m about ready to fall apart. But, thank you for this. But you really shouldn’t have,” Choke said as he shut the door.
“Oh, it’s nothing. Really. This all took me just ten minutes. Hubert did all the cooking!”
“No, that’s not what I meant. I do appreciate it, but I don’t think this is something we should be doing,” Choke said.
“Oh no? But what we spent all afternoon doing was okay?”
“No, it wasn’t. It was dereliction of duty on my part, and we had a serious incident with the men because of it!” Choke raised his voice, before closing his eyes to breathe deeply.
Mariola closed the distance between them before he could open his eyes. She put her hands gently on his shoulders and bent down to kissed him.
“You are being silly. Peep told me something about what happened, and that ye were probably gonna blame yarself, but that it was some sort a shit that was gonna happen if ye were there or not. Also, that it’s like lancing a boil. Better for it to happen sooner.”
“Don’t—” Choke said as he began to pull away.
“Shush, you,” she said as she kissed him again. “There is nothing wrong here. I come up to town here in the morning to cook breakfast and lunch for the Brother. And this evening I have come here to help with dinner. And if yar gonna be courting me properly, ye’d best be having me around sometimes, right?”
“Courting? What?”
“It’s like a dance, honey. We just got it backwards and did the end part first. But we still gotta go back and do all the steps. It’s just gonna be all out of order. But that’s part of the fun, right? Ye can’t tell me that as an officer of his Royal Highness’ army that yar not allowed to court an available woman that strikes yar fancy.”
“Well, yes, I suppose I can,” Choke said.
“Okay, then! And in all yar time will them Brothers in Pekot, learning all that ye did about the Holy Book and fighting and what have ye, they didn’t teach ye anything about being a gentlemanly host for a guest?” Mariola asked, now stepping away from Choke. She played with her dress as she did, giving him a very fetching look. He now noticed that she had wildflowers in her hair as well. His pulse quickened.
“They did teach us some of that. Some of us, anyways. Those of us that were… I don’t know… capable of absorbing such things.”
“Well, then. I’ve set the table for ye. So now how’s about ye pretend like yar my host and show me a thing or two about how the fancy people of the world do this kinda thing? Court me like ye haven’t already had me. Proper, like.”
Choke shook his head and blinked for a moment while he adjusted to this new wild swing of circumstance. Then, as people sometimes will under the worst duress, he dug deep and found exactly what she was looking for.
“Yes, of course, miss. My apologies. How very rude of me. Please, have a seat,” Choke hurried to take her hand and lead her to the chair at the foot of the table, which he pulled out for her.
“Why thank you, sir,” she smiled as she took her seat.
***
While Mariola and Choke were dining, Peep and Pinch were eating their dinner with the men in the barracks. Knuckle was still right in the thick of them, now getting drowsy as his potato wine drunk faded. It was clear that he was completely in his element with them. The men both feared and admired him. Having been raised in the orphanage among youngsters of all ages who naturally looked up to the biggest and most fearsome boys, this was not so different.
In particular, Osgar had abandoned Reece’s side in favor of Knuckle’s. He did not do so as a sycophant, as the others did. There was no forced laughter at Knuckle’s low-brow humor and crude storytelling. He simply sat at Knuckle’s elbow and watched the men who laughed and kissed their sergeant’s ass. The implication was clear. Of all the recruits, Osgar was the largest and the best fighter. As such, he had earned Knuckle’s favor. He had no need to engage in such meaningless patter. Knuckle had taken him to the whorehouse, and the two had returned with an understanding of each other. Osgar was Knuckle’s man now.
For his part, Reece seemed largely oblivious to everything around him. Hey lay on his bunk as though dead, passed out after the ordeal of his wound’s treatment.
Just as it was getting dark, and their leisurely meal was winding down, Dom finally returned to the barracks. He came through the front door and went through to the kitchen, weaving only a little. Most of the men nodded to him, but kept their distance out of an obvious respect for what he had gone through that day.
With the meal over, the atmosphere relaxed even further. Most of the men had taken their daily ale ration, and, with the men having been paid the day before, dice games began all through the barracks.
“Alright, man,” Peep said to Pinch. “Let’s get on it.” She stood up and gave little trilling whistle. “Hey! Knuckle! We need a word!”
Knuckle was now dozing on his bunk, sitting up with his back against the wall at its head. He swung his head around to face Peep.
“What! So fuckin have it! I aint stopping ye!” he yelled back at her.
“Private like! Let’s step outside a minute!”
Knuckle groaned, but heaved himself to his feet to follow Peep and Pinch out into the cool night.
“What!” Knuckle demanded.
“Need yar boy tonight. Going out on a night ambush and I want him with us,” Peep said.
“Who’s my boy now?”
“Osgar.”
“The fuck? He’s my boy now? What the fuck are ye trying to say?” Knuckle glowered down at Peep.
“That yar queer for each other, obviously. Or, maybe, that he’s yar pick for corporal and ye’ve taken him under yar wing. You can choose whichever ye like, man. Either way, I want him on night ambush tonight.”
“Night ambush? We aint been doing that!”
“No shit? Well, we’re starting tonight. There’s gonna be a decent moon, and we need some eyes and ears out beyond the wall sometimes,” Peep said.
“Night ambush! What the fuck! He just pulled night watch last night! And now ye wanna haul him out for another one? Fuck that!”
“Yeah, he had night watch last night. And he slept all morning, and spent the afternoon fuckin. He should be good to go.”
“Good to go drunk!”
“Yar the drunk, Knucklehead. He looks fine,” Peep laughed.
“Why him? This is some bullshit! Yar just fuckin with him to fuck with me! Power trip!”
“Knuckle, if I wanted to fuck with ye, I’d fuck with ye. And I don’t need to power trip because I got the fuckin power. I could just take him, but he’s yar guy and I’m doing ye the courtesy of asking. And I want him because I need a solid front-line fighter out there with us in case shit hits the fan. Yar drunk as fuck. Choke is taking the watch tonight. So Osgar’s the only one left that’s worth a shit. So, can ye do me a solid and cut him loose for us, or not?”
Knuckle huffed and grumbled a little before relaxing.
“Well, fuck, why didn’t ye just say so?” he finally said.
“I did. Yar the one kicking up the fuss. So can I have him?”
“Yeah. Fuck. Why not.”
“Great! Thanks, man!” Peep reached up to give a friendly thump on the arm. “So, can ye let him know that he’s with me tonight? He’ll take it more serious if it’s from you.”
“Yeah, sure, whatever. And then I’m going to fuckin bed!”
“Sounds like a plan. Thanks again, Knuckle.”
Peep and Pinch followed Knuckle back into the barracks. While Knuckle went to give Osgar his orders, Peep pulled up next to Hardmod’s bunk.
“Hardmod!” she exclaimed.
“Yes, sir?” he startled up.
“Sorry, man. Something’s come up. I’m gonna need ye for a special mission with me and Sergeant Pinch tonight. It’s important. Ye okay to join us? Ye’ll get tomorrow free, just like if ye did night watch.”
Hardmod sighed hard enough through his nose that it almost whistled, but then nodded.
“Yes, sir. Now?” he asked.
“Good man. Yeah, now. Full combat kit. Get limber.”
“Yes, sir.”
Hardmod swung his legs out of bed and began fishing around under his bunk for his boots. He was almost ready to go with his spear, shield, sling, and pouch of stones by the time Osgar joined them with his spear and shield.
Peep look up at Osgar. He met her eye, briefly, with no indication of emotion. Then he stiffened up to attention.
“All right,” Peep said, loud enough for most of the men in the barracks to hear. “You two go with Sergeant Nikolas here. We’re on night ambush, out in the bush. We’re gonna set up nice and quiet on a spot and see if anybody’s skulking around out there. So, we’re gonna need some lanterns and torches. Go with the sergeant and get that sorted.”
“Yes, sir,” both Hardmod and Osgar saluted her.
Peep nodded and turned to Pinch: “I think we got two hooded lanterns, right? Make sure they’re full of oil and got good wicks. And maybe half a dozen torches. A flint and steel kit, with firestarter. That sound right?”
“Yeah, I guess it does. We should go do that now?” Pinch asked, flashing a look over to Reece, who was still crashed out on his bunk.
“Yesh!” Peep said, her face slipping into a cretinous leer, a mockery of Theon, the local goatfucker.
Pinch barked a short laugh and nodded. Both Osgar and Hardmod looked sideways at her in shock, and then exchanged a perturbed look with each other.
“Ye boys go get that sorted. I’ll get our last man. We’ll meet ye at the north gate!” Peep said cheerfully, clapping Pinch on the shoulder to send him off.
When the three had left, Peep walked slowly down the barracks whistling softly to herself. She stopped at the foot of Reece’s bunk and stared down at him for a while. The men in the barracks got very quiet.
Peep stepped through to the side of the bunk and raised up her right palm. She turned in a circle to show the Wheel brand to everyone there.
“Stron!” she proclaimed loudly. “Heal this prick of his wound so that he might be of some use to ye tonight! Amen!”
Peep pressed her brand down on Reece’s bandaged thigh. He gasped as his back arched and his eyes flew open.
“Well, would ye look at that! Stron saw fit to heal this man! I wonder why that might be? Thank ye, Stron! All praise to you! Praise Stron!” Peep bellowed, holding both her arms straight out to each side. Her gaze, though, burrowed down into Reece beneath her.
With Reece cowering, Peep continued to stare deep into his eyes. Finally, she drew her shortsword and held up her left index finger in a cautionary gesture.
“Hold still, fucker. Wouldn’t wanna cut ye,” Peep said.
She laid the shortsword flat against his thigh and slid it gently under the bandages. A flick of the wrist cut them off. She then pulled them aside with the sword’s wicked point.
“Yeah. Nice. Barely a scar. That’s just because the weapon, whatever it was, was so small. Not like this,” Peep held up her shortsword with a wide grin. “Now! Get yarself dressed. We’re on night ambush.”
“Wh-wh-what?” Reece stammered.
“We’re going out on night ambush. Yar gonna do yar duty and pay Stron back for the healing ye just received. So get dressed, and grab yar shield and spear. Hurry up.”
“I… I…”
“Hurry up, I said!” Peep snarled as she smacked Reece hard across the thigh with the flat of her blade.
Reece yelped and rolled out of bed to fall on the floor. He was up in a second, though, scrambling for his boots. As he did, it was obvious to all those nearby that he had pissed what was left of his britches.
“See now?” Peep proclaimed happily to the room at large as she sheathed her sword. “Always a miracle to welcome a heathen back into the fold of Stroniandom! Praise Stron!”
All the men, excluding Knuckle, who was snoring loud in his bunk, stared at Peep in horror.
“Praise him, I said!” she shouted at them.
“Praise Stron!” they shouted back.
“Amen!” Peep yelled as she clapped her brands together with a crack that pierced souls.
Muse Vassal 