Haste to the Wedding
© 2015 by Walter Reimer


This is a sequel to Blunt Objects, which is a sequel to Mont Rose, which is itself a sequel to Rajjan Tor.

The stories are set in  tegerio's Realm of Faerie universe, as shown in his Zandar's Saga here on FA, and The Ballad of Adler Young, Canto I, and Canto II.

Art by  tegerio

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Part 22.


“Isabeau?”

“Mmmph . . . “

“Isabeau!”

A pause. “Mmmph?”

“Stop trying to do that. You’re scaring the ant.”

The younger vixen blinked at her aunt, then she blushed and she started to climb down from Beauty’s saddle. “Oh! Um . . . sorry, Beauty.”

”Gronk.”

“Ayyub!”

The tod looked a bit dazed. “Whuh?”

Verity tapped her foot. “Go put your ant in her paddock, and come inside.” She turned and gently steered Isabeau back into the house. The younger woman kept looking back at him.

Ayyub shook himself and took up the reins. He chirped at Beauty and the ant started toward her stable. Once he made sure she had enough water, he went into the house.

Isabeau had tea waiting for him. “Will you be staying?” she asked hopefully.

He sighed and took her paw. “I’m afraid not. Something bad has happened, and everyone’s being called out to deal with it.”

Verity looked up from her seat with a stern expression. “What?”

“A caravan was destroyed, south of Tel Ostori, and everyone killed. Even the ants were slaughtered.” Isabeau looked shocked and didn’t resist as he gently drew her into a seat on his lap. “That’s why we’re getting called out.”

“Just the Regiment and the Yeomanry?” Verity asked.

“No, the militia down in Tel Ostori’s out as well.” He took a breath, then a sip of his tea. “Which leads me to you, Verity.”

Both women perked their ears at that. “Me?”

He took another drink of his tea as his free paw slipped around his betrothed’s waist. “I encountered these fellows – I think – before my family and I went up to Woodbridge. At least one of them knew some weather-magicks, as they came up on us under cover of fog.”

“I see.” Verity stood up, poured her cup of tea into the sink and got out a bottle of wine. She sloshed a quantity of the liquid into the cup and took a drink, then made a face. “I used to follow my beloved Viktor to every posting he was assigned to – but this is the first time anyone’s ever asked me to use my Talent that way.” Her lips quirked in a smile. “I’m an old woman, Ayyub – too old for warfare, at least.”

Ayyub smiled. “Well,” he chuckled, “Elves don’t lie – “

The older vixen frowned, and a few stray strands of her headfur started to stir.

“And it’s the truth that I told Colonel Wolff about you. He asked me to do two things – find out if your Talent can work down here, and ask you to come with me to the fortress and talk to the Colonel.” He nuzzled Isabeau for a moment, then gave Verity a questioning look.

Verity closed her eyes as she thought, staying like that for so long that Ayyub thought she’d fallen asleep leaning against the counter. Suddenly she opened her eyes and blinked a bit before saying, “Come out to the courtyard. We’ll see what I can do.” She walked out of the kitchen and onto the open place, looking up at the sky. Isabeau and Ayyub followed.

“Which way is the fortress?” Verity asked.

Ayyub thought for a moment before pointing to the south-southwest. “About in that direction,” he said. “Five miles or so, if you go by road.”

“Good enough,” she murmured. Her lips began to move soundlessly and her fingers flexed, describing small swirling patterns as she gazed fixedly in the direction Ayyub had indicated. The fennec tod glanced up.

The sky was a good shade of blue, with fleecy afternoon clouds and a breeze from the west. But as Verity continued reciting the elements of her spell, the clouds slowly began to thicken to the south-southwest. As the clouds thickened, they darkened, and a sudden gust of wind from that direction ruffled his tailfur.

There was a low rumble of thunder, and the wind increased a bit.

By the time Verity lowered her arms and sighed, the area of sky in the direction of Rajjan Tor was a mass of dark slate-blue clouds. A gauzy gray expanse beneath the clouds indicated that it was raining, and there was the occasional spark of lightning, followed by another low growl of thunder. “Aunt Verity?” Isabeau asked. “Are you all right?”

Her aunt waved a weary paw at her. “Never managed it from so far away before . . . Isabeau, do be a dear and get me a cup of tea, please?” She groped for a bench and sat down on it rather heavily as her niece went back into the kitchen. “Oof, that’s better. Thought I’d fall down.” She leaned back against the warm stucco wall and glanced up at Ayyub. “Will that convince the Colonel, do you think?”

There was another crack of thunder, a bit closer, and Ayyub resisted the urge to flinch. “I think so.”

“Please tell him that I’ll be there to talk to him in the morning. Isabeau and I need to do some shopping in town anyway. Oh, Fuma bless you, dear,” and she accepted a steaming mug of strong tea from Isabeau.


***


“Aqhm Sharpears?”

“Yes, Corporal?”

The canine twitched his ears. “Colonel wants ya in his office, Top.”

The fennec had been running a whetstone along the blade of his sword. He set the sharpening stone aside and wiped oil from the steel before sheathing it and setting it on his bed. “Be right there.”

He headed across the parade ground in the fortress’ courtyard, stepping around the few puddles of standing water left from the storm the previous day. At the artillery emplacement on the highest tower of the fort, the Imperial and Royal standard was being replaced. It had been blown to tatters by the wind.

Ayyub shook his head and stepped into the outer office. “Aqhm Sharpears, to see the Colonel.”

Lt. Hart smiled and returned the fennec’s salute. “At ease. I’m told there’s a Verity Osmundt at the gate.”

“Good. The Colonel was impressed by the storm?”

The deer glanced around and beckoned the vulpine closer before whispering, “Soaked him to the skin,” and they both started laughing. “Come on,” and the deer stood and reached for his forage cap, “he wants you in the room when he talks to her.”

Dear Fuma, grant me patience, Ayyub thought.

Colonel Wolff smiled as the two walked in. “Good, you’re both here. I’m told she wanted to take a look at the barracks before she was escorted here.” He grinned, showing teeth. “The Sergeant-Major has already asked her to marry him.”

Ayyub raised a brow. “Already, sir?”

“From what I’m told, she dressed down the sentries, with a mastery of invective that could only have come from an RSM’s wife.”

There was a knock on the door and the bull poked his head in. “Beggin’ yer pardon, Sah. Mrs. Verity Osmundt t’see yer.”

Wolff sat up a bit straighter. “Send her in, Sergeant-Major.”

“Sah.” He stepped back and Verity walked in. She was wearing a skirt and blouse, and her headfur was meticulously brushed.

“You’re Verity Osmundt?” Wolff asked, getting to his feet. Hart and Ayyub were standing already.

The vixen gave a slight curl of a smile. “Well, aren’t you perceptive?”

The lupine suppressed a grin as battle was joined. “Won’t you have a seat?”

She complied, and crossed her legs demurely. “Why don’t you sit down now?”

“Will you have some tea?”

“Do you think I look thirsty?”

“Do you mind if I have one?”

“Why don’t you have one poured for me as well?”

He gestured, and as the lowest-ranking person in the room Ayyub did the honors. Wolff sipped at his and studied the fennec vixen. “So, you do weather-magicks?”

“Didn’t the Aqhm tell you?”

“Was that storm your doing, then?”

“Wasn’t it big enough for you?”

“Did Aqhm Sharpears explain why I asked you here?”

“Would I have come here otherwise?”

Wolff leaned back in his chair. “How far can you cast that Gramerye?”

“Wasn’t five miles enough?” Verity sipped her tea.

“Would you be willing to accompany us to Tel Ostori?”

Verity smiled. “I’m here, aren’t I?” She extended a paw.

Wolff shook paws with her and said to Ayyub, “Please escort Mrs. Osmundt back to the gate, Aqhm. She’ll be accompanying us south.”

“Yes, sir.”