Fox’s Tongue and Kirin’s Bone

Chapter 100: The King’s Permission

Six, six, Late Wakes tricks.

The bells rang steadily, quickly picked up by others around the fort. It wasnt the sort of signal that told people what to watch for. But it did tell them to not immediately shoot all things strange, which Aaron would soon be appreciating.

The Lady had already gone to change her cloak to something more appropriate for cliffside descents. Aaron turned his steps towards Rose and Lochlann.

Whatever rushed briefing theyd been part of seemed to be at an end, with those around them breaking up to run messages and supplies between the forts defenses.

I can stay here and help you, Aaron said, Or I can do something your brother wont like.

Will it help? Rose asked.

If I play it right.

Would it help if I were with you? Or Lochlann?

No, and definitely no, he replied.

Neither of them replied to him, but both had the same sort of look in their eyes.

What? he asked.

Aaron, the princess said, we keep letting you out of our sight, and you keep coming back dead.

But I do come back.

They continued to look at him.

Youre going to do something stupid, said Lochlann.

Were a day or more from getting reinforcements, Aaron said. The dragons are less than that, before they burn out enough ballista to come crawling through the windows. And I dont know that I can keep you two alive, if I take you through the forest. So I need to keep people alive here instead.

That wasnt stupid, it was just what needed doing.

Lochlann shut his eyes briefly and let out a long breath, as if there were something inherently wrong in Aarons statement.

Rose asked, much more practically, What are you going to do that will keep us alive?

Aarons eyes flicked to all the nice militia members around them.

The princess and her lieutenant exchanged a look. Lochlann nodded to her, and turned back to Aaron. The man squared up his shoulders like he was presenting himself before his captain. Ill be coming with you.

Ha, said Aaron.

Oh. Oh, he was serious.

No, said Aaron.

Second Lieutenant Varghese, said Rose, I order you to accompany him. Aaron, I order you to let him accompany you.

Now that just wasnt fair.

Hes going to try and stop me, Aaron said.

If you know that already, said Lochlann, please consider that your plans may be lacking.

They arent lacking. Theyre just not He waved his hand. Here, there. At the king, and the nobles, and the militia scurrying about them, and all the nice strict-kept humans about. Still barely any enclavers. Which made sense, considering theyd likely reported to an armory that was still locked.

Fit for polite company? Lochlann offered, by way of ending that sentence. Anything wed approve of? Survivable? Aaron, you keep dying when youre out of our sight.

Youre going to die in my sight, you try to follow, Aaron said.

You do understand, said the man, that doesnt make it less important to follow you?

Aaron didnt, but he didnt have time to argue. How else am I to stop this?

You arent. Youre You can trust us to help you, Aaron. You dont need to leave us behind, said the ratcatcher. Though it did feel odd, to think of Lochlann like that.

Go with him, Rose ordered her lieutenant again, then shifted at hard look to Aaron. Take him with you. I know Im not fast enough to keep up with you, but I expect you both to succeed without me. And not die. Either of you.

And who will be helping you not to die? Aaron asked.

Im running supplies and messages, Aaron. Were not working in teams to begin with. And if this plan of yours works, apparently there wont be any dragons in the halls for me to worry about.

Hes still going to try to stop me.

I the man himself said, starting like he meant to say something like I will not, but he tempered it to: I wont if youve good reason for it.

I cant be explaining it every step of the way, Aaron said. I dont even know half the steps, I just know the next one, and the last, and were dealing with people so the rest are going to figure themselves out.

Or they wouldnt, but Aaron was still alive, so the method had been working well for a good eighteen years and he didnt see a reason to doubt it now.

Is this how you live? Lochlann asked, with his dutifully doubtful stare.

Aaron glowered at the man. I need your word youll let me take the lead, and you wont interrupt things just because you dont understand them. Or stab anyone who hasnt stabbed you first.

The man pinched the bridge of his nose. This is how you live. Of course. What is this first step of yours, then?

It wasnt lost on Aaron that the lieutenant hadnt agreed. Wasnt lost on him, either, that he had no way of stopping Lochlann from following him, short of leading him off down a hall and hitting him over the head and hoping to judge it well enough to keep the man down without giving him brain damage, while also doing it in a tucked-away enough spot not to raise any false alarm bells, and really by that point it was easier just to bring him along.

Weve going to find the battlesmith, Aaron said.

And the last step?

Was the sort of thing no good militia man would approve. Aaron started walking, instead. The lieutenant followed on his heels.

The battlesmith was outside the armory, along with a good number of enclavers, and her son at her side. So they had reported for weapons. Which rather implied that they hadnt known that, when it came down to a real attack, their lord had meant to leave them undefended.

Most of the enclavers were young; the usual castle servants. Absent were their parents, who worked the fields and lived in the longhouses outside. That likely did not say anything promising for what was happening beyond the forts doors.

There were two guards on the armory door. One had already drawn her sword. The other seemed to realize just how things would go for the pair of them if this came to a fight, and was trying to talk the crowd down with promises that the key was on its way.

Whether she believed it herself was anyones guess. But she stopped at the sight of Aaron and Lochlann, her shoulders relaxing at the sight of two allies. Nominal allies.

Were here to relieve you, Aaron said, earning his first side-eye from Lochlann, who stayed fortunately silent as this progressed. Aaron dangled the captains keys and never broke stride. The enclavers made way for them, recoiling from the brush of his griffin cloak exactly as they would from the reaching of a dead hand.

The guard eyed the key. Eyed him. Shed stopped relaxing.

Ah. So she did know how her captain felt about arming enclavers, then. Perhaps she shouldnt have spent her time lying about it, then. That would certainly make it awkward for her to call him out as a liar, right in front of all these upset enclavers whod only just settled down.

Were meant to guard here until things are settled, she said.

If he didnt mean me to take over, why would I have his keys?

There was a certain sort of person, smart and quick enough about being smart that they could spot traps plain as anything. Even when spotting the trap was what sprang it. Because now that she suspected, she was smart enough to realize she and her partner were here alone. It was unlikely that anyone past this hallthis lovely, deadend hallknew what was happening. So her choices were to make a stand here, or play along and hope to leave this hall with enough life left in her to tell someone what was happening here.

She chose to play along. Very smart.

As long as youve got things handled, here, she said, making an admirable effort to not dart her eyes from them to the end of the hall.

Ive got it well in hand. He smiled, and jangled the keys.

Shouldnt we? started her partner. But the very smart guard grabbed the other womans armnot her sword armand led her away. Didnt even run. Good on her, getting out alive.

He kept his smile, and turned to the battlesmith.

Keys? he offered. I havent had a chance to test it, but Im fairly certain one of these will open the cells keeping your rioters locked away, too.

What game are you playing at? the smith asked. But she took the keys, all the same.

The same as Ive always been, he said, and ignored the force of Lochlanns disapproval behind him. Now are you going to wait for those two to report to their captain, or are you going to get your people armed?

The battlesmith was taller than him, by a fair bit. She made the point by leaning down. Straight into his face, like that was supposed to do more than make him want to instinctively headbutt her. He diplomatically refrained.

Do you really expect me to start this fight here, now, because you gave me some keys? she asked.

You couldnt stop your people from rioting over a reindeer, Aaron said, low enough only those closest to them would hear. Namely: her son and Lochlann. He still wasnt sure how much of a leader she was, but no one liked their power questioned publically. Do you really expect to be able to stop them now? To be the one who holds the keys, and doesnt use them?

As metaphors went, hed made this one rather literal. She scowled, but could hardly refute the point.

You cant force us to be stupid, her son hissed.

No ones forcing you on that account, Aaron said. And continued, before the boy could parse that: Hand them back to some southerner if you want. But youve got as best a distraction as youre like to ever get. Its spring; arent you feeling like a change?

Were not taking the fort for you, the woman said. Our people are outside; this thing is none of ours. Ill not have my people dying to keep King Orin in power.

Im not asking you to, Aaron said. Do whats best for yours. Thatll be whats best for mine, too.

And if she had a different idea of who his really were, well. Thered be time to sort that misunderstanding later, if the griffins could gain their independence here.

Her scowl was a more deeply creased mirrored to her sons. But she was letting him talk, and that was always where he started. He unclasped the griffin cloak and folded it over one arm. Then he handed that to her, as well. When next he spoke, it was to the crowd at large.

I trust at least some of you know that Ive been returning your peoples remains, as many and as often as I can. Thats the last thats not on a skin stealers back.

He took in a breath, and stopped using the kings tongue.

Ive a proposal for you all, he chirped, and kept chirping, as the enclavers fell rather rapidly silent. Your people need you; dont kill mine while youre at it, and Ill see them gone from these lands.

You cant speak for your king, the battlesmith said. Shed not changed languages with him, like the laws against it mattered now. He switched back, easy as hed been raised to.

Why, Aaron said, would you think I needed the kings permission?

At his back, Lochlann sighed.