Forging Day (Crucible of Change Book 1) (5 page)

* * * *

Friday morning I woke up naked and alone and fragrant with sex. If it weren’t for the scent of gardenia on my pillow, I would have thought it was all an incredible dream. Today I was especially glad for the extra necessities room in my tent. I had a chance to take a quick sponge-bath and brush my teeth before braving the early morning sun.

Still naked, I pulled on my fuzzy red robe, shivering when the fabric touched my sensitive nipples. I belted it tightly and put on a pair of slippers, and then made my way out of the tent. I was only half as hung over as I’d expected to be. Kat was perky and awake and making breakfast already. I thought I’d smelled bacon. She kind of missed a beat as I winced at the sun and carefully made my way to the table. The boys were awfully interested in their still-empty plates. “Morning,” I said to no one in particular, and kissed Kat deeply, pulling her close.

She kissed me back, happiness flowing all over her. “I was sure you were going to hate me.”

“I could never hate you. But I am going to die if I don’t get caffeine and something for my head.”

Mikah cleared his throat and gestured at my spot. Two white tablets, a glass of orange juice, and a chilled soda awaited my pleasure. He was looking studiously blasé, but Berto couldn’t hide his enormous grin.

I squinted at him. “What?”

“I told Mikah you’d be better off batting for the other team. You haven’t looked this happy in a long time!” He positively beamed at us.

“Hmmmph.”

Kat dished out some lovely bacon and eggs, which I more picked at than anything. “Less mead tonight. Possibly no mead tonight. And someone turn down that damn sunlight.” Under the best of circumstances, I was not a morning person.

“Sorry to interrupt your suffering, Olivia,” Mikah said, “but we have gate duty. Better stop poking at your breakfast and get dressed, unless you’re making a new fashion statement today.” I finally noticed that everyone else was already in garb, and that my robe was gaping open.

Mikah was rocking that perfect ranger look. He certainly had the hair for it—long and golden brown. His green forest garb was just the right level of worn. Berto wore bright scarlet and had a lute slung over his shoulder. Kat was delectable in a rich blue bodice, snug velveteen leggings, small Siamese kitty ears, and a long, silky tail. I almost forgot my hangover when I leaned over and kissed her again.

Reluctantly, I returned to my tent. Wendy was already ticked off at me. I didn’t need to add missing my shift to the list. Today I wore the lilac bodice with matching breeches, and quickly draped my long white wig to cover the bruises on my throat, after adding my ear tips. I put on some sparkly makeup, and gave a lot of thought to wearing my sunglasses, even if they would have ruined the look of my outfit. In the end, vanity beat common sense.

“See you at court, Miss Kitty.”

She made a little surprised noise, and I saw she was starting at my cleavage. “Did I do that? Oh, no!” Great, she had Mikah and Berto staring, too.

I looked down. Fucking Colby. “No, that wasn’t you.” I tugged up the silky shirt I was wearing under the bodice and made sure everything was covered. I guess the finger shaped bruises hadn’t looked as bad last night by candlelight.

“I’m going to kill him when we get back,” she growled.

“Think good thoughts. Maybe he’ll have a really bad time in jail.”

* * * *

Mikah headed off to the west gate. It probably was a better idea for him to take the gate closest to Derek’s camp. Berto walked with me as far as the pavilion loop, but stopped me before I could continue on. “Did he rape you, Olivia?” he asked quietly, but intensely.

“I don’t know. No. No! I was drunk. He did some things I didn’t like, and he wouldn’t wear a rubber, but I never said no. I’m just a slut with a drinking problem,” I said bitterly.

“You’re
not
a slut. I don’t ever want to hear you call yourself that again. Yes, you drink too much, and your self-esteem is for shit, but you can fix that. People love you and you just don’t see it.” He gave me a tight hug. “If he ever so much as gives you a cross look again, they’ll never find the body, I promise you that.”

“Oh, Berto, I love you too. I promise. I’m turning over a new leaf. And please don’t get sent to jail over me. And please, please don’t tell Cordie. She already thinks I’m a complete failure. I don’t want her to know.”

“Your sister loves you more than you appreciate, my lovely. Someday you’ll figure that out. Why do you think she introduced you to my fabulous self? Now you get off to your shift, and I’ll see you at court.”

I watched him for a minute until he was out of sight around the curve, and then continued to the east gate near the bridge. The table and chairs were—thankfully—already here, the site map and other papers weighted to the table with a rock. Gate duty was pretty straightforward. All I had to do was sit here, wait for people to arrive, tell them where they’d be camping, and remind them of their work shifts. It was a job so easy, even a hung-over fairy could do it.

I was absolutely not sleeping when a car horn jerked me awake. I was just resting my eyes. That’s my story, and I was sticking to it.

“Hey mon−whatcha doin’ there?”

Wyoming plates? Check. Troll with a green Mohawk driving? Check. “Hey, Korembi. Have a good drive?”

“No problems mon. Where we campin’ this year?”

“You, my friend, have the dubious pleasure of being next door to the Beast Lords. You are in site seventeen. Good luck.”

“We always have good luck there, Olivia. Trolls, we make our own luck. We brought de drums this year. Them Beast Lords, they gonna love it.”

I quickly went down the list of work shifts for the eight of them, and soon enough they were on their way.

Sam, one of the queen’s assistants, showed up a bit before my shift was officially over. I felt like he was giving me the hairy eyeball, glaring at me like that. “I’ll cover for you Olivia. You have business at court this morning. You’d best be on time.” Ouch. Cowbells. And he had two kids. He was definitely giving me the hairy eyeball.

“Thanks Sam, I mean Sir Tarly. Sorry about last night.”

Apparently he was pretending not to hear me, because he didn’t respond as I turned and trudged up the road to the queen’s pavilion.

All of the folks from last night were there, as well as Korembi and his group. I think the Trolls were about the only ones not giving me dirty looks.

Sir Mehmet had over a dozen of his people at court. I counted at least four other minotaurs, two bear people, and one wolf-man. Each one of them had brought a little
friend
to court. They always traveled with an entourage of nubile young things. This year, the girls—all of whom I’d characterize as barely legal—were all wearing the same classic slave girl outfit: chainmail bikini, gauzy skirt, hair in a braid, and a slave collar. The one young man was wearing a leather posing pouch with leather straps crisscrossing his chest, and his own little slave collar. He had to belong to Augra, the bear woman. Sir Mehmet was not winning himself any points with the parents present, but we tried to be an open-minded bunch, and that meant giving consenting adults the benefit of the doubt. As long as the
slaves
were all legal and willing, he wasn’t breaking any rules.

I didn’t look my best for this impromptu court, but then again I didn’t look my worst either. I smoothed my hair and put on my best confident air, waiting until Berto signaled for me to approach the queen. “Her Majesty, Queen Gwendolin, calls Archer Olivia to approach, that the court might hear her case and render judgment.”

I curtsied and approached. “Your Majesty. I present myself to the wisdom of the court.”

“As a being of honor, and a member of this assemblage, do you swear to tell the truth, Archer Olivia?”

“I do so swear.”

Loralei upended a bag on the picnic table next to the impromptu throne—the assorted cowbells spilled out with a discordant noise. The queen looked at them and shook her head. “Were you responsible for placing these objects in the camp of the Beast Lords?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“And did anyone else assist you in that task?”

“No, Your Majesty. My brother couldn’t make it.”

Sir Mehmet actually looked angrier that I wasn’t denying anything.

“Do you have anything to offer in your defense, Archer Olivia?”

“I object!” snarled my favorite cow-man.

“Your objection is noted, Sir Mehmet, but I am interested in hearing an explanation.”

“To be fair, Your Majesty, the Beast Lords normally arrive Friday mid-afternoon. At least they have for the past few years. While I did plan a disturbance, I had every reason to think it would be a minor annoyance at worst, occurring in the middle of the day. I was very careful to make sure the bells were not in a position to do anyone physical harm.”

A
moooooooooooo
came from the crowd just then, and I’m sure this time Queen Gwendolin was aiming that exasperated look at Korembi instead of me.

“Thank you, Archer Olivia. I will take your intentions into consideration. I will also note that I have been given no reports of any injuries from Sir Mehmet or any of the rest of his people. Were there any injuries?”

“No…Your Majesty.” was the grudging response.

“Then this is my judgment. While the actions of Archer Olivia were ill-considered, and did break the noise curfew, they were not performed with malice and there was no harm to person or property. For this reason, I will not banish her from this gathering, as some have requested. There will, however, still be consequences for her rash behavior. She will assist in the kitchen for the remainder of the day in preparation for tonight’s stone soup. Since her actions affected everyone at camp, she will atone to everyone at camp through her labors.”

It wasn’t my favorite way to spend the day, but it beat being sent home. Sir Mehmet, however, was not satisfied. “I demand justice! She invaded our campsite and insulted my people. I want trial by combat!”

“I don’t think I can oblige you, Sir Mooohmet. Bullfighting isn’t legal in these parts,” I told him. I could imagine him pawing the ground and smoke coming out of his nostrils like an old cartoon as he gave me his look of death.

Just then Korembi picked up one of the abandoned cowbells. “What’s the matter, mon? You don’t appreciate a little music?” He loudly beat the cowbell with the hilt of his dagger. “This party needs more cowbell, mon. You got to mooooove it, mooooove it.” He waggled his hips and danced out of reach of one of Sir Mehmet’s other Minotaur-garbed people.

The queen shook her head at his antics and ignored me. “Sir Mehmet, your request is denied. There will be no trial by combat. You’ve heard my verdict. I suggest you accept it.”

Loralei loudly announced, “Justice has been served. Court is dismissed.” Everyone stood as the queen rose from her seat and left the court area.

I didn’t say a word as Korembi’s wife, Razaini, casually scooped up the rest of the cowbells while Sir Mehmet was busy demanding a chance to appeal the queen’s judgment.

* * * *

Lady Caitlyn was making certain I had no shortage of vegetables to peel and chop, in between fetching pitchers of potable water for her from the nearby pump. Kat kept poking her head in to check on me, and I kept sending her away. She was in charge of the feast tomorrow and I didn’t want her to spend all day today in the kitchen, too. “Go have fun, Kat. My fault. My punishment.”

Things were a little frosty in my direction at first, but the other helpers stopped glaring at me once they saw I was doing my fair share of the work, and without whining. I’m sure it didn’t hurt that they saw Kat and I were friends. Kat was well liked, especially by the cooking volunteers.

I’d just sliced the last carrot and was ready to move on to the potatoes, when I noticed one of the Beast Lord slave girls perched at the end of the table. “You here for Lord Mooohmet to make sure I’m actually working?”

“No,” she said quietly. “I’m here because I’ve never seen someone stand up to him like that before. You didn’t even look afraid.”

I could tell by how quiet the rest of the kitchen got that I wasn’t the only one listening to this. “Ask anyone. I don’t have the sense to be afraid. I take it you know Derek outside of Sylvan Faire?”

“You could say that. I live with him.” She looked so young−except for the eyes, and Derek had to be older than me.

“I haven’t seen you with him at events before.”

“This is the first year he’s brought me. He said I’d cause too much trouble when I was underage. And I don’t mind dressing like this. With this much skin showing, he doesn’t dare leave any marks.”

I flashed on Colby grabbing me, and a stranger in an elevator watching, and had to choke down my gorge. When I opened my eyes again, she was staring at me, a glimmer of understanding in her eyes. I forcibly pulled myself together. Between deep breaths, and by focusing on the here and now, I held onto my composure by my fingernails. “What’s your name? And how old are you?”

“It’s Theresa, but I go by Tessa. I just turned eighteen last month.”

Oh, really… “And how long have you lived with Derek?”

“Since I was nearly fifteen. I couldn’t stand to live with my meth-head mother and her latest drugged-out boyfriend any more. I didn’t want to be some fourteen-year-old reality-show mom, and at least Derek used rubbers.”

I hadn’t heard Kat come up. “That bastard! I’m calling the police.”

“No!” Tessa looked like she was ready to run. “I’m not dealing with any cops. If you call them, I’ll deny everything.” Her shoulders slumped and the fight drained out of her. “I don’t want to go back. I’m tired of being his blow-up doll, but I’m not talking to the cops.”

I gestured for her to sit back down. “Are you serious about not going back? We can help if that’s what you really want.”

“I’m sure. There’s nothing for me in Colorado Springs. I put all my stuff in the car while he was getting ready—just my clothes and my diary. I was sure I could find someone to give me a ride into town and I’d just figure out what to do next after that. God knows I can’t do much worse. I already ruined everything else. I’ll just keep playing along until Sunday—and then I’ll disappear. What’s a few more blow jobs, give or take?”