The Falcon in the Barn (Book 4 Forest at the Edge series) (24 page)

Peto gave the envelope a quick kiss, then
slid it back under the suit and shut the wardrobe doors.

---

When Colonel Shin reached the fort after the
ceremony—after changing out of his metal-heavy dress uniform—he
marched through the compound and straight up to the command tower.
The door to his office was slightly open, and the only person at
the large desk in the forward office was Zenos.

Perrin raised one questioning eyebrow at
Shem.

Shem gave his commander a slight wince,
raised both eyebrows briefly, then nodded once to the window.

Perrin narrowed his eyes at the master
sergeant and tilted his head slightly to the side, twitching his
left eye.

Shem tipped his head to the office door and
curled his upper lip.

The colonel winked.

The longest conversation they’d ever had
without speaking a word was over three minutes. But the silent
communication they had a week ago far surpassed that. All kinds of
new expressions had to be wordlessly created and deciphered, and
Shem’s message had left Perrin completely speechless.

And then completely enraged.

In fact, he had leaped over his desk, his
long knife in hand, and lunged for his office door, which Shem
barred.

“
You can’t!” Shem had
shouted. “You know you can’t! I vowed I wouldn’t say a
word—”

“
And you didn’t,” Perrin
had seethed. “Very disturbing
actions
, however. Now move,
Zenos, or you’re going to regret it—”

“
No, you’ll regret it if I
do. You can’t kill the captain.”

“
I’m just going to give him
something to
remember me by
,” Perrin growled. “Every time he
looks in the mirror. Or relieves himself—”

“
You can’t do any permanent
damage that his parents and grandparents might notice when he goes
to The Dinner in a few weeks,” Shem reminded him, wrenching the
long knife out of his grip.

Perrin squinted. “That bruised jaw he got
last night—not kicked by an errant horse, right?”

Shem smiled and held up his fist. “Feisty
little steed, isn’t it? And he was walking stiffly this morning
because of your daughter’s kicking ability.” As Perrin smiled
acerbically in approval, Shem suggested, “Confront Thorne only once
you’ve calmed down a bit. Besides, Jaytsy didn’t want you to know,
remember?”

“
And why is that?” he
snapped.

Shem only had to give him a long, studied
look.

And Perrin’s shoulders had sagged. She had
plenty of reasons to not trust her father.

“
But I trust you,” Shem
said, reading his thoughts. “Just . . . not at this moment.” He
slipped Perrin’s long knife into his own waistband. “I’ll give it
back to you tomorrow. And hand me Relf’s sword for the day, while
we’re at it.”

It had taken Perrin a few days to feel in
control enough to address the putrid, out-of-control mushroom that
had been threatening to overtake his fort for the past year. Today,
he knew what to do.

Still, as he took a quiet step toward his
office, he paused and retrieved his long knife from his hip. He set
it down noiselessly in front of Shem who snorted into his jacket
sleeve.

Perrin pointed a finger of warning at his
friend, and Shem nodded, sliding the knife into his boot.

Colonel Shin took a quick breath, sent one
last look to his master sergeant that said,
Enjoy the show
,
and pushed his office door open with a loud bang.

Captain Thorne jumped in the chair he was
sitting in and dropped a quill. He looked up, startled, as Colonel
Shin walked into his office and slammed the door behind him. He
placed his hands on his desk and leaned ominously toward Captain
Thorne.

Lemuel gulped.

“
I know what you’ve been up
to,
Captain
,” Perrin snarled.

The captain turned white.

“
And despite what you may
have heard this morning, you don’t need to draft your little
message. I don’t want their jobs or to even be a general. Tell them
that when you go back to the mansion tomorrow!”

Captain Thorne relaxed a little, but his eyes
hardened. “Why,
Colonel
,” he simpered. “Whatever makes you
think I’m writing something about this morning’s—”

“
Because I know you,” he
sneered. “I know why you’re in my fort, and what you’ve been doing.
So I’m telling you, Captain—I’m not standing for it anymore. Things
are going to be different, starting now. This is MY fort. MY men.
MY procedures. And if you want to change something, you will
present it to me for MY approval. Second in command means you see
to it that MY orders are fulfilled. You do NOT make your own. Is
that clear?!”

Captain Thorne’s jaw dropped ludicrously.

Perrin leaned even closer. “And if I
ever
find out that you’ve been touching something that
belongs to me again,” the colonel eyed his chair that Captain
Thorne was warming without permission, “I’ll begin to show my
displeasure by breaking both your arms, then I move
downward
. Is that understood, Thorne?”

Captain Thorne quickly got up from the
colonel’s chair and turned a nauseating shade of gray. He snatched
up his papers, mumbling a, “Sorry, sir,” somewhere in there, and
started for the door, trying to find a way around the colonel as he
blocked the exit.

“
Thorne!” Perrin bellowed
in his ear.

The captain froze in his tracks, gripping the
door handle.

Perrin stepped up to him, his face just
inches from Thorne’s. “That includes MY
daughter!
” he
roared.

Then he did what some poor girl’s father
should have done to him when he was seventeen. Perrin slugged
Thorne square on the jaw, right on top of Shem’s week-old bruise
which was just starting to fade.

Thorne dropped like a log, his pages and
folders sprawling across the floor, along with his body.

Vicious delight filled Perrin as he hovered
over the prone form fading out of consciousness, and he massaged
his fist which was eager to punch him a dozen times more. Several
targets on the captain’s body presented themselves, and just as
Perrin raised his arm to let it connect with another, the office
door opened.

Shem stood there, his hands on his hips, his
expression that of perfect innocence. “Oh dear, oh dear,
oh
dear
. Colonel, what happened here? Did our captain
slip
?” he said loudly for the benefit of the sergeant and
corporal who had come up the stairs.

Perrin dropped his arm and shook his head
sadly. “He did. Stumbled right against that . . . cabinet.” He
showed Shem his happy fist before unclenching it.

The sergeant and corporal leaned around Shem
to see Thorne.

“
He tripped and caught the
corner on his jaw, just where that steed kicked him the other
night, and bam! Down he went.” Perrin ignored the snickering of the
enlisted men.

Thorne was coming to, groaning as he held his
face. “Muoof!”

Perrin blinked in almost believable concern.
“What was that, Captain? Ready to sit up? Careful, now. You’re a
bit clumsy—”

“
My toof!” he exclaimed as
he struggled to sit up. With fury in his eyes, he glared at Perrin.
“Yoo knockuf my toof!”

The sergeant behind Shem said, “Spit out that
blood, Thorne, before you speak again.
Almost
sounded as if
you were accusing our colonel of causing your little accident,
sir.”

Thorne looked up into the four unsympathetic
faces. When his eyes met Perrin’s rock-hard glare, something of the
captain’s brittle demeanor cracked.

Yes, things were going to be different now.
Both men knew it.

Thorne coughed into a handkerchief the
corporal handed him, filling it with a mouthful of blood and a
broken molar. Even though each of the four men reluctantly offered
him a hand, he ignored them all and unsteadily got up on his
own.

“
Sergeant,” Perrin said,
“would you help Thorne down to the surgeon’s? Nothing they can do
about that tooth until he gets to Idumea later this week. Maybe one
of those new dentists can figure out something for him.” Feeling
some guilt about that, Perrin shoved his proud and throbbing fist
in his pocket. “Until then, the hospital can stop the bleeding and
check him for any other injuries.”

The sergeant winked slyly at his colonel
before he led a wobbly Thorne down the stairs. Perrin also noticed
the corporal grinning broadly before Shem subtly shook his head at
him. But then Shem followed it up by returning a quick grin.

Perrin kicked Thorne’s papers—he’d have the
corporal gather them later—and looked out of his south-facing
windows.

“
Now, Idumea,” he
whispered, “because more and more I suspect that’s where all of
you
are really from: send me what you’re planning. I’m back
in command.”

---

Lieutenant Offra was brushing down his
horse—his daily reprieve from the hovering of the captain who kept
his horse Streak in its own private stable—when he felt the
presence behind him. He turned slowly to face it, then immediately
stood at attention.

“
At ease, Offra, please. I
was just passing,” Colonel Shin said as he ran a hand down the
haunches of Offra’s horse. “Lovely mare, isn’t she? Always been one
of my favorites. I’m glad to see you’re giving her so much
attention. She deserves it.”

Offra stared at his commander. For the past
few weeks he’d been far easier, but too often he had seen Shin
suddenly turn like a rabid dog. “Yes, sir?”

Shin smiled at him with surprising softness
in his eyes. “I wanted to thank you for acting as my shield this
morning, getting me into the amphitheater. A little crowded, wasn’t
it?” he chuckled tightly.

Offra dared to smile. A little. “Yes, sir. I
don’t think anyone expected such a turnout.”

“
Me most especially. I
hadn’t realized before you’re my same height. We give the tailors a
fit, don’t we?”

Offra swallowed, still not sure what any of
this was about. “I suppose we do, sir?”

Shin looked him up and down. “But you’re not
as bulky as I am. Rather on the lean side, Offra. You could become
quite impressive with some extra muscle. Don’t enjoy the food
here?”

Offra reddened. “No, the food’s just fine,
sir. I’ve just . . . I’ve just not had much of an appetite, sir.
Actually lost a little weight since I came here.”

Something in Shin’s eyes looked pained, as if
he knew he was part of the cause of his officer’s anxiety. “I’m
sorry to hear that, Offra,” he said quietly. “Truly.” He ran his
hand over the horse again. “But I have a remedy for that. Like you,
I’ve lost a bit of muscle this past year and I need to get it back.
What I’m planning can get you bigger and stronger as well. What do
you say?”

Offra cocked his head, unsure of the
colonel’s direction. “Sir?”

“
Want to be my training
partner?” He leaned closer. “You see, Zenos used to be, but since
he’s beaten me twice in that ridiculous Strongest Soldier Race he
thinks he’s got me for good. I want to surprise him in six moons’
time at the next Harvest Season. But I need a partner to push me.
So how about it? A half hour run before every midday meal, then a
long run each week through Edge?”

Offra, completely taken aback, took another
moment before he could respond with, “Sir, I’d be honored. Thank
you.”

Shin grinned and slapped him on the back.
“Good. Offra, how old are you anyway?”

“
Twenty-five,
sir.”

Shin nodded. “Twenty-five. Good age. We’re
going to make it a great age. This will be at least one way you can
get the upper hand over a
lower man
.” He raised his eyebrows
meaningfully.

Offra just looked at him blankly, knowing the
colonel was trying to communicate something, but he had no idea how
to read the man.

Shin inspected the horse’s leg, picked off an
invisible speck, and said, “Hmm. A thorn. One of the Creator’s most
irritating creations, wouldn’t you agree? Just gets under your skin
and—” He twisted the invisible thorn in the air and made a
face.

Offra caught on that time and smiled broadly.
“Indeed I do, sir.”

Shin winked at him, completely throwing the
poor lieutenant. “Then tomorrow, before midday meal. Leave your
jacket in the office. And Lieutenant, I’m embarrassed to admit
this, but . . .” The colonel looked down briefly, sincerely
ashamed. “I don’t even know your first name. Usually I’m much
better at these kinds of things.”

No one in the fort had ever asked his first
name. “It’s Jon, sir. Jon Offra. My father pronounced it ‘Yon,’ but
my mother thought that sounded like people were tired of me, so she
and everyone else pronounced the j.”

The colonel smiled. “Unusual, but I like it.
‘Jon’ suits you. You’re definitely not tiring. Then again,
depending on fast you run, maybe you are! Well, Jon, tomorrow
then?”

“
Absolutely,
sir!”

---

Captain Thorne picked at his food in the mess
hall, sitting next to Radan who eyed him.

“
You’re a bit quiet today,
sirrr,” said Radan, in his usual and ingratiating manner. “Jaw
bothering you, I suspect? Rotten luck, getting hit in the same spot
twice in one week. Up to going home tomorrow? The Dinner and all? I
can’t wait until I get an invitation,” he hinted. “All those
officers, all their experience . . . just to sit at the same table
as them, soaking in their wisdom—”

“
Marinating in their stale
jokes,” Thorne intoned, “their same old stories, their
exaggerations.” He dropped his fork in disgust. “Not what you think
it is, Radan. I’m better off staying here.”