Footsteps pounded behind me. I pulled my boot knife and spun around on my backside, picking up splinters. Captain Suiden glanced down at me and then looked at the Faena.
“Don’t, Sro Laurel.”
After Suiden ran Captain Javes, with his sword pulled and looking nothing like a silly ass, Groskin with two knives, Commander Ystan and his troopers waving their own swords, and last, Slevoic, unarmed.
“Don’t,” the captain repeated. “They don’t have Rabbit and using magic would cause a lot of upset.” Laurel growled but lowered his staff and Suiden gave a soft sigh and looked down at me again. “Are you all right, Lieutenant Rabbit?”
I wasn’t at my dignified best hunkered down beside Laurel Faena with his tail waving over my face, so I tried to stand. However, my arms were bruised and aching from the rope and my legs were shaking from the aftermath of both reaction and strain. Laurel had to carefully take one arm and the captain the other to haul me up.
The boat was growing smaller in the distance and though Ystan sent troopers scurrying to put a patrol boat on its trail, I figured that by the time they started looking, the would-be abductors would be long gone. Laurel hovered as I wobbled back to the warehouse doors, allowing the exclamations, expressions of outrage, and apologies of the governor and commander to wash over me—only to stop as I confronted my horse.
“Sir, if it’s all right with you, I’ll walk with Laurel to the ship,” I said.
There was silence at my stated preference for the Faena.
“You are walking a little wide-legged, Lieutenant,” Captain Suiden said. “Splinters?”
“Sir.”
Everyone stared at my backside.
“Nasty things, splinters,” said Ystan, who was becoming chatty now that Jaxtir wasn’t snatching his speaking time. “Got one in my foot once. Still feel it.” The commander raised his eyes to my face. “Remove them before they fester.”
“The lieutenant will have it taken care of as soon as he gets on board, Commander,” Suiden replied for me.
The good thing was that both the ship’s sailors and the troops had been given a day’s leave. The bad thing was that they were coining back. It was decided to remove the splinters on deck where there was plenty of light. Laurel had me drop my trousers, took one look at my pale backside, then had a couple of lounging sailors, ripe for any entertainment that presented itself—including my bare arse—set up an awning so that I wouldn’t get sunburned. Doyen Allwyn had volunteered his services, and he and Laurel set up soap, hot water, towels, torture instruments, and evil smelling potions. Laurel then had me lie out on a table and he lifted my tabard.
“Full moon rising,” a sailor called out.
Laurel bent to his work, the doyen standing by to give assistance. After a few moments, Suiden walked into my view, holding a cup of tea. “How are you doing, Lieutenant?” he asked.
Right then Laurel had to dig for a particularly stubborn splinter and I flinched. “I am all right, sir.”
“Sweet cheeks! Me own true love!” another sailor called out. Laurel had to stop as said cheeks clenched. Suiden took a hasty sip.
“Lord Rabbit, relax,” Laurel chuffed. “I will defend your virtue.” I gave a pained smile only to have it fade as Jeff and Ryson passed behind Captain Suiden and paused, their eyes wide.
“Rabbit?” Jeff said.
“Lieutenant Rabbit had an unfortunate encounter with the wharf,” Captain Suiden said. “However, I have confidence that he will completely recover.”
“Yes, sir.” Jeff grinned. “May we keep him company in his hour of need?”
Captain Suiden took another quick sip. “Of course, Trooper Jeffen. I’m sure he’ll appreciate your, ah, support.” I closed my eyes and for the rest of the time ignored the exclamations of returning troops, the catcalls of the sailors, and the more to the point comments of my mates while Laurel diligently plucked out all foreign objects from my backside. But I snapped my eyes open with a hiss when he slathered on something that stung like a swarm of bees.
“Truly virgin territory,” Doyen Allwyn remarked.
Laurel finished up with a couple of dabs. “You may get up now, Lord Rabbit.” I was off the table and had my tabard down and my trousers up before Laurel laid down his swab. Laurel chuffed again as he and the doyen began cleaning up the work station. He dropped his instruments into the hot water. “Be careful of the splinters that are still in your clothes. I will see you tonight before you sleep to reapply the lotion,” he said, washing a wicked-looking hook.
I nodded and turned, wanting to get as far away as possible, only to come face to face with Captain Suiden. “All’s well, Lieutenant?”
“Yes, sir,” I said..
“Good.” He turned and started walking to the bridge, indicating that I should follow him. Which I was quite happy to do. I looked over my shoulder at the badger and weasel, both of whom looked upset at the loss of their prey. I blinked.
“Pay attention, Rabbit,” Suiden said.
I snapped forward again.
“We will talk later about what obeying a command means, but right now Commander Ystan and Governor Somne want to get descriptions and details on your attempted abduction.”
“Laurel Faena was there too, sir. They should also ask him.”
“Yes. However, due to the sensitive nature of what Sro Laurel is, they have decided it’s best not to involve him.”
I opened my mouth to comment on the rank stupidity of this, but then decided that I couldn’t throw stones. I closed it again.
“Exactly,” said Suiden.
I gave everything I had to the governor and commander, who once again promised investigations, gave apologies and exclaimed at the boldness of Lieutenant Jaxtir’s smuggling gang. I kept any hint that I thought Jaxtir had nothing to do with my attempted abduction to myself—the lieutenant hadn’t known who I was until Captain Javes told him during our procession to the garrison only a couple of hours ago. It was improbable that he, with his life so suddenly full of incident, had time to set anything up. I did wonder, though, how the abductors knew where I’d be, then wondered some more if they’d been lurking about the docks all along, waiting for me to wander off on my own. I felt my shoulders tighten.
I was spared the captain’s lecture on obedience as Commander Ystan, Governor Somne and Doyen Orso stayed to dine. For once dinner was lively as any soldier’s tavern as Ystan had become loquacious and was full of army stories. He even dared to shout Doyen Orso down during dessert when the church elder tried to interrupt him. At the end Ystan, his face flushed with triumph, stood up at the table and proposed a toast to our glorious king, Jusson Golden Eye. I gratefully stood—my arse hurt—and Laurel politely did the same, drinking with us at the toast’s end. He then proposed a salute of his own.
“Here’s to understanding and peace, to the return of what has been lost, to the revealing of what is true, and the acceptance of who we all are becoming. Fiat.” In a bard’s tale, the candles would have burned blue or some such rot after such a cryptic statement, but all that happened was a moment of silence; then my dinner companions slowly lifted their cups and drank. I suppose that Laurel’s toast was vague enough that each could read their own meaning into it, and besides, who’d admit to not wanting understanding and peace? I did notice, though, that Slevoic’s lips were dry after he lowered his cup.