"FREE-34" - читать интересную книгу автора (Jerome Bigge - Warlady 9 - The Freedom Fighters Of Trelandar)Freedom Fighters of Trelandar A Tale of Adventure in the Second Dark Age Book Nine of the Warlady Series By Jerome B. Bigge Chapter Thirty Four "At least we don't have to eat dinner with `her'," I grinned to Carl as we ate our own. Mischief by the side of my chair, her dark eyes looking hopefully up into mine... Darlanis had merely glanced at me for a second, no hint of "recognition" in her eyes. I hadn't even been "introduced" to the Empress, which suited me just fine as Darlanis wasn't exactly anyone I much cared for now. Hopefully Lana would keep her wits about herself and avoid any mention of me, as Darlanis might have a justified concern here as to how I might exploit the defeat now of her own forces by Talon. There had been a few isolated "incidents" over the past couple of years that indicated that not everyone in Trelandar accepted the current state of affairs, and there had even been a few who had spoken of me as being perhaps Queen Paula's rightful "heir" here! "She's `lost face'," Carl said, seeing me nod back in reply. There were a lot of people who knew that Darlanis had only "won" Trelandar by exploiting the caste codes, by tricking Queen Paula into fighting a personal duel with her over fictious accusations. Her defeat here at the hands of Talon's military a further proof. She had been fought to a stalemate by the nomadic tribes of the plains on the other side of the Sierras last year, and now she'd lost the war with Talon, no doubt a great blow to her hopes here. "And more `dangerous' because of it," I pointed out to him. "Her next `move' will be to the north," Carl mused to me. "Attempt to take Orgon from Dularn," I smiled back at him. "There are those in Orgon who would support her," he said. "Can I be excused?" Jerry asked, sitting there at the table. "Sure, but stay away from our `guests'," Carl warned him. I was well aware that he knew that Darlanis had killed "aunt Paula" in a duel, and while I'd tried to teach him not to hate Darlanis, he did see her as being some sort of a "criminal", if one that it was impossible to ever bring to justice here due to her position. "I will," Jerry promised, Mischief going off with him now. "He's a good kid," Carl said as my son dashed out the door, the Boston Terrier following at his heels, utterly devoted to him like only a dog raised from a puppy can be to a young boy here... "You're a good mother too, a good wife," he grinned back at me. "`Good' with a sword," he added, Lady Lana having taught me a lot of things I hadn't known. I wasn't a "match" for her as yet, and I probably never would be, but I could give her a good fight now. "As good as the slave girls?" I teased, there being a couple who were sexy delights, although most were just ordinary women of a sort that you might see walking the main street of Thistle now. I took some pride at being "good in bed", at keeping him "happy". "That's a nice doggie you've got," the blondish girl said to Jerry as Mischief followed at his heels, the dog well trained to obey, and to stay at his side even when there were others around. "She's pretty good," Jerry admitted, aware that the girl was a "guest" here on the estate and had to be "treated nice" even if she was just a girl and thus a lower form of life inferior to any boy. "Name's `Mischief'," he added, the girl smiling in reply... "Your parents live here?" the girl asked, standing there. Her attire leaving no doubts in his mind that she was with that "woman" that his mother didn't seem to think all that much of. A warm smile from the girl making him feel that whatever the adults thought of things, the blondish girl certainly wasn't an "enemy". "My mom's Lady Lana's assistant, and my dad is over the men who guard us here," Jerry answered, looking into the deep blue of a lovely pair of eyes. He didn't much care for girls, but this one was pretty nice, if obviously "dressed" so she couldn't have any fun. The girl being dressed in a style like he'd seen in the books that his mother had. Not as a child, but more as an adult. "I'm Anna," the girl said softly, giving Jerry a shy smile. "My name's Jerry," my son answered, the Princess nodding. "My mom's Darlanis," Anna said, giving him a smile back. "I... I guess you can't help that," Jerry answered her. "There's a lot of people who don't like her," Anna said. "Like my mom," Jerry admitted, the Princess nodding back. "Here's my mom now," Anna smiled, Darlanis strolling over. "And whose little boy are you?" Darlanis asked, Mischief not too delighted with the woman, and expressing her opinion in a low warning growl not to come any closer. The Empress' long flowing cape here no doubt was the problem, as Mischief didn't like such. "Oh, oh!" Carl breathed, motioning me to the window then. "Jerry's apt to tell her she killed his aunt!!" I breathed, going to the door, calling to him to come here right now, leaving Darlanis and Anna standing there, Jerry running to me, the Boston running ahead, while the Empress took her daughter and walked off back into the main entrance, her arm protectively about the girl. "So that's Darlanis!" Jerry said to me, his eyes wide. I'd over reacted here, but I didn't want Darlanis to know that I was living here, especially considering some recent events here now. "She's beautiful," he added, "Even if she did kill aunt Paula." "We're going to have to tell him the whole story some day," Carl said to me as we prepared for bed that night. "When he's old enough to understand the caste codes, affairs of honor here." I knew too that Carl wanted to make a Warrior out of Jerry, some- thing I wasn't very comfortable with. He'd said I was too "pro- tective" of the boy, that I wanted to "shield" him from life now. "There's nothing glorious or glamorous about war," I snapped back, slipping off my clothing, my tell tale dark eye brows ample evidence here that I was not truly a "blonde" despite my hair color. "Or about fighting duels," I snapped, angry now despite myself. I knew it wasn't his fault, how "touchy" I'd become now. "Never said that there was," Carl answered, standing there. "Personally I'd rather make love to you any time," he grinned... "Well, hopefully we won't see `her' for a while," Lana said to me as we watched Sarnian Queen raise anchor, head out to sea. "I wonder how she `justifies' to her daughter some of the things that she's done," I answered, my hand on Jerry's shoulder. "Probably doesn't discuss it with her, I expect," Lana said. "I'm going to ride into Thistle," I said, Lana "nodding" as she sat there on the veranda watching our slaves hard at work, my husband gone off somewhere here with several of our men at arms after we'd seen the last of Darlanis, hopefully for a long time. "Just don't be `out' after dark," she warned, smiling back. "I've lived around here all my life," I smiled, trotting off then, it being a dozen miles here from the estate to Thistle. Two hours riding time if you're well mounted as I was here. It being my intention to purchase something "frilly", the sort of attire that a woman might wear for a lover, or dress a slave in. A broad brimmed hat serving to shade my features from the sun... Thirsty, I rode off the road seeking the stream that I knew ran a few hundred yards away, letting my unicorn push through the brush, in through the trees, the shade pleasing given the heat of the sun. The long slim sword of my mother's at my hip a comfort. The Imperial occupation troops tending to be drawn from the very worse of our society, men who abused their authority whenever it was possible to do so. The number of rapes in the last year here enough to leave no doubt as to the sort of men Darlanis employed. And most of the time their officers would just laugh whenever a complaint was made, it being obvious that to them we were little better than "slaves" whose only purpose was to serve their needs. So far there had been no organized revolt against Imperial rule, but I'd cautioned Lana that if this state of affairs continued as it was the people would eventually rise up against their Imperial overlords. And this time Darlanis would not "win" either here... "It's still a lovely country," I mused to myself as I squat- ted there at the edge of the brook and dipped a cup into the cool water. The soft rustle of the leaves in the trees, the songs of the birds, the chatter of the squirrels, all bringing back good memories of when I'd been young, filled with joy at being alive. When the world seemed as "young" as I was, and filled with lots of "opportunity" for a young and ambitious Warrioress to be then. Now I was depressed a lot of the time, aware that I, once a proud haughty high Lady of Trelandar, was just a glorified "secretary". That I, once a Warlady of Trelandar, now worked for the Empire of California and its "representative" here now in this part of Tre- landar, the Imperial Lady Lana Daris... Not that I had anything against Lana, who was a good person in every way, but yet she was still an Imperial overlord, a representative of Darlanis here... It was with such thoughts going through my mind that I heard the outcry of a young woman nearby, the LAUGHTER of men mingling in with her cries! The sounds leaving no doubts in my mind now!! That some of Darlanis' damn troopers had found a woman to rape... "By Lys!!! Not This Time!" I snapped, slipping my bow from its sheath, several arrows held ready to hand on the quiver here. The fury building up to a rage that nothing could have stopped!!! Freedom Fighters of Trelandar A Tale of Adventure in the Second Dark Age Book Nine of the Warlady Series By Jerome B. Bigge Chapter Thirty Four "At least we don't have to eat dinner with `her'," I grinned to Carl as we ate our own. Mischief by the side of my chair, her dark eyes looking hopefully up into mine... Darlanis had merely glanced at me for a second, no hint of "recognition" in her eyes. I hadn't even been "introduced" to the Empress, which suited me just fine as Darlanis wasn't exactly anyone I much cared for now. Hopefully Lana would keep her wits about herself and avoid any mention of me, as Darlanis might have a justified concern here as to how I might exploit the defeat now of her own forces by Talon. There had been a few isolated "incidents" over the past couple of years that indicated that not everyone in Trelandar accepted the current state of affairs, and there had even been a few who had spoken of me as being perhaps Queen Paula's rightful "heir" here! "She's `lost face'," Carl said, seeing me nod back in reply. There were a lot of people who knew that Darlanis had only "won" Trelandar by exploiting the caste codes, by tricking Queen Paula into fighting a personal duel with her over fictious accusations. Her defeat here at the hands of Talon's military a further proof. She had been fought to a stalemate by the nomadic tribes of the plains on the other side of the Sierras last year, and now she'd lost the war with Talon, no doubt a great blow to her hopes here. "And more `dangerous' because of it," I pointed out to him. "Her next `move' will be to the north," Carl mused to me. "Attempt to take Orgon from Dularn," I smiled back at him. "There are those in Orgon who would support her," he said. "Can I be excused?" Jerry asked, sitting there at the table. "Sure, but stay away from our `guests'," Carl warned him. I was well aware that he knew that Darlanis had killed "aunt Paula" in a duel, and while I'd tried to teach him not to hate Darlanis, he did see her as being some sort of a "criminal", if one that it was impossible to ever bring to justice here due to her position. "I will," Jerry promised, Mischief going off with him now. "He's a good kid," Carl said as my son dashed out the door, the Boston Terrier following at his heels, utterly devoted to him like only a dog raised from a puppy can be to a young boy here... "You're a good mother too, a good wife," he grinned back at me. "`Good' with a sword," he added, Lady Lana having taught me a lot of things I hadn't known. I wasn't a "match" for her as yet, and I probably never would be, but I could give her a good fight now. "As good as the slave girls?" I teased, there being a couple who were sexy delights, although most were just ordinary women of a sort that you might see walking the main street of Thistle now. I took some pride at being "good in bed", at keeping him "happy". "That's a nice doggie you've got," the blondish girl said to Jerry as Mischief followed at his heels, the dog well trained to obey, and to stay at his side even when there were others around. "She's pretty good," Jerry admitted, aware that the girl was a "guest" here on the estate and had to be "treated nice" even if she was just a girl and thus a lower form of life inferior to any boy. "Name's `Mischief'," he added, the girl smiling in reply... "Your parents live here?" the girl asked, standing there. Her attire leaving no doubts in his mind that she was with that "woman" that his mother didn't seem to think all that much of. A warm smile from the girl making him feel that whatever the adults thought of things, the blondish girl certainly wasn't an "enemy". "My mom's Lady Lana's assistant, and my dad is over the men who guard us here," Jerry answered, looking into the deep blue of a lovely pair of eyes. He didn't much care for girls, but this one was pretty nice, if obviously "dressed" so she couldn't have any fun. The girl being dressed in a style like he'd seen in the books that his mother had. Not as a child, but more as an adult. "I'm Anna," the girl said softly, giving Jerry a shy smile. "My name's Jerry," my son answered, the Princess nodding. "My mom's Darlanis," Anna said, giving him a smile back. "I... I guess you can't help that," Jerry answered her. "There's a lot of people who don't like her," Anna said. "Like my mom," Jerry admitted, the Princess nodding back. "Here's my mom now," Anna smiled, Darlanis strolling over. "And whose little boy are you?" Darlanis asked, Mischief not too delighted with the woman, and expressing her opinion in a low warning growl not to come any closer. The Empress' long flowing cape here no doubt was the problem, as Mischief didn't like such. "Oh, oh!" Carl breathed, motioning me to the window then. "Jerry's apt to tell her she killed his aunt!!" I breathed, going to the door, calling to him to come here right now, leaving Darlanis and Anna standing there, Jerry running to me, the Boston running ahead, while the Empress took her daughter and walked off back into the main entrance, her arm protectively about the girl. "So that's Darlanis!" Jerry said to me, his eyes wide. I'd over reacted here, but I didn't want Darlanis to know that I was living here, especially considering some recent events here now. "She's beautiful," he added, "Even if she did kill aunt Paula." "We're going to have to tell him the whole story some day," Carl said to me as we prepared for bed that night. "When he's old enough to understand the caste codes, affairs of honor here." I knew too that Carl wanted to make a Warrior out of Jerry, some- thing I wasn't very comfortable with. He'd said I was too "pro- tective" of the boy, that I wanted to "shield" him from life now. "There's nothing glorious or glamorous about war," I snapped back, slipping off my clothing, my tell tale dark eye brows ample evidence here that I was not truly a "blonde" despite my hair color. "Or about fighting duels," I snapped, angry now despite myself. I knew it wasn't his fault, how "touchy" I'd become now. "Never said that there was," Carl answered, standing there. "Personally I'd rather make love to you any time," he grinned... "Well, hopefully we won't see `her' for a while," Lana said to me as we watched Sarnian Queen raise anchor, head out to sea. "I wonder how she `justifies' to her daughter some of the things that she's done," I answered, my hand on Jerry's shoulder. "Probably doesn't discuss it with her, I expect," Lana said. "I'm going to ride into Thistle," I said, Lana "nodding" as she sat there on the veranda watching our slaves hard at work, my husband gone off somewhere here with several of our men at arms after we'd seen the last of Darlanis, hopefully for a long time. "Just don't be `out' after dark," she warned, smiling back. "I've lived around here all my life," I smiled, trotting off then, it being a dozen miles here from the estate to Thistle. Two hours riding time if you're well mounted as I was here. It being my intention to purchase something "frilly", the sort of attire that a woman might wear for a lover, or dress a slave in. A broad brimmed hat serving to shade my features from the sun... Thirsty, I rode off the road seeking the stream that I knew ran a few hundred yards away, letting my unicorn push through the brush, in through the trees, the shade pleasing given the heat of the sun. The long slim sword of my mother's at my hip a comfort. The Imperial occupation troops tending to be drawn from the very worse of our society, men who abused their authority whenever it was possible to do so. The number of rapes in the last year here enough to leave no doubt as to the sort of men Darlanis employed. And most of the time their officers would just laugh whenever a complaint was made, it being obvious that to them we were little better than "slaves" whose only purpose was to serve their needs. So far there had been no organized revolt against Imperial rule, but I'd cautioned Lana that if this state of affairs continued as it was the people would eventually rise up against their Imperial overlords. And this time Darlanis would not "win" either here... "It's still a lovely country," I mused to myself as I squat- ted there at the edge of the brook and dipped a cup into the cool water. The soft rustle of the leaves in the trees, the songs of the birds, the chatter of the squirrels, all bringing back good memories of when I'd been young, filled with joy at being alive. When the world seemed as "young" as I was, and filled with lots of "opportunity" for a young and ambitious Warrioress to be then. Now I was depressed a lot of the time, aware that I, once a proud haughty high Lady of Trelandar, was just a glorified "secretary". That I, once a Warlady of Trelandar, now worked for the Empire of California and its "representative" here now in this part of Tre- landar, the Imperial Lady Lana Daris... Not that I had anything against Lana, who was a good person in every way, but yet she was still an Imperial overlord, a representative of Darlanis here... It was with such thoughts going through my mind that I heard the outcry of a young woman nearby, the LAUGHTER of men mingling in with her cries! The sounds leaving no doubts in my mind now!! That some of Darlanis' damn troopers had found a woman to rape... "By Lys!!! Not This Time!" I snapped, slipping my bow from its sheath, several arrows held ready to hand on the quiver here. The fury building up to a rage that nothing could have stopped!!! |
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