The Invisible Chains - Part 2: Bonds of Fear (46 page)

missing. You’re beautiful and a terrific lover.”

“You think so?”

“Yes, I most certainly do.”

Lambert took Rullio’s right hand and guided it to his groin.

“Could you just softly caress it, my lord?”

“Of course, love.”

Lambert closed his eyes and smiled contentedly.

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Andrew Ashling

“Obie, there was a letter for you,” Rahendo, who had just entered

the barrack, said.

He placed his satchel on the table and produced a thick stack of

parchments.

“From Ninda?” Obyann asked eagerly.

“‚Fraid not.
I
got one from Ninda. I got one from all of them, and

they’ll expect an answer. All of them.” He sighed. “Yours is from your

father.”

He handed the letter over. In big clumsy letters it said, “To Young

Sir Obyann of Ramaldah From Sir Eckfred of Ramaldah, Lord, That Is

His Father.” Under that someone had tried to scrape off an ink stain,

leaving the greasy imprint of a thumb in the process.

Obyann looked morosely at his letter.

“You should go and read that, Obie. It could be important. I’m

sure Ninda will write to you soon.”

“Have
you
written to
her
, Ramaldah?” Arranulf, coming out of his

room, asked.

“No. I wouldn’t know what to say.”

“Why don’t you give her the list of names of your first twenty five

sons, which I know you have fixed in your head since age nine?”

“Why don’t you run into a wall and die, Landemere,” Obyann

sneered. “Anyway, I have no time for your cheap shots. Got a letter

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361

from father. Who knows what is happening in Ramaldah while I’m

not there to keep an eye on things. All kinds of mishaps, no doubt.”

“Yes, who knows? Maybe there’s an invasion of invisible killer

squirrels going on as we speak,” Arranulf smiled. “The carnage could

be terrible.”

“That’s it. You’re dead, Landemere. Now you’re going to get it

good. You just lie down in a corner and start bleeding already, as we

say in Ramaldah. I’m coming as soon as I’ve read my letter to beat

you up.”

Arranulf smiled sweetly.

“This time I mean it, Landemere. I’m going to hurt you severely,”

Obyann bit at him while standing up.

He retired to his room.

“Being in love hasn’t mollified him in the least,” Arranulf said.

“Anything interesting there?”

Rahendo looked up from the letter he was reading.

“Mostly about their visit. They all think it was very generous of

you to pay for diner in The Cranky Goat. Londo says she’s going to

try to get you apart next time to have her way with you. Incidentally,

your opinion in the matter isn’t asked. She
does
ask however how

long and thick your dick is. She’s convinced I’ve had occasion to,

eh, obtain the exact measurements... Ah, Alanda, on the other hand

seems to think that I should let
you
have your way with
me
. She has

some sound advice and... ooh, she even gives a recipe for a herbal tea

to bring you in what she calls a receptive mood.”

“I’m afraid a certain ghostly giant squirrel with curly hair might

object to that plan. Speaking of which: where is he?”

“On duty at the castle. Obie will be sleeping when he returns, so

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Andrew Ashling

we’re safe for another night.”

“Still, isn’t it about time we told him.”

Rahendo became suddenly very white.

“Oh no, Nulfie, don’t do anything rash. You know how he gets. I’m

slowly working my way up to telling him.”

Arranulf raised his eyebrows.

“How? By ignoring the problem?”

“It’s just a matter of getting him in the right mood and then...”

Rather discouraged he let the sentence die out.

“Only a heavy hammer will be sufficient to bring him in the right

mood for what you are trying to tell him.”

Rahendo sighed. At that moment Obyann came back out of his

room.

“You did it on purpose, didn’t you, Landemere?” he roared.

“What? What have I done now?”

“This,” Obyann growled, holding out his open letter.

Arranulf took the parchment and scanned it quickly. First there

were some opening remarks concerning the welfare of celery

seedlings.

“We are all so proud of you here yes so proud that some say I

should let you manage the demesne as soon as you return Vrenck of

course being one of them which is no wonder since he’s been nagging

me from the time we were barely able to stand upright and even then

he thought I should slow down and now he wants us to go fishing all

day long that is to say him lying on his back in the grass and me being

bored stone dead but I told him no and tried to explain to him again

Bonds of Fear

363

how this lord and servant thing works but of course he claims to be

growing deaf in one ear and strangely enough it is always the ear I

happen to be talking to the silly twat never mind.

“As I said everybody is so proud of you except of course Ruldo who

called you something I won’t repeat because it will make you mad but

don’t you worry because I told him to shut up and gave him five days of

stable duty so he’ll be wading ankle deep through horse shit for having

a shitty mouth for the next days never mind thanks to you there will

be plenty to eat next winter and they can all hump as much as they

like which no doubt they are doing as I am writing this like the randy

rabbits they are because it doesn’t matter anymore because there will

be more than enough foot or food I forget which but I haven’t told you

yet what happened so I will now.

“Yesterday some people of the duchy came and I thought this can’t

be good but oh boy was I wrong because they said they had discovered

while looking at the maps of their borders that they had unlawfully

occupied some of our land and to please not be angry with them

because it was all a big mistake and so they had this Deed prepared

in which they recognized that the Merlinger Meadows right up to the

Brannydenn Highway belonged truly and rightfully to Ramaldah and

they gave us five hundred rioghal as compensation for having occupied

our land for so long and would that be sufficient so could we please

consider the Dispute as ended on which I said that it was most generous

of the duke and I offered them a cup of my famous celery wine but

they said they had many things to do so they couldn’t which is strange

because nobody can resist my self made celery wine but anyhow they

said they had to go and take care that the border stones were put in

the right place but thank you all the same my lord never mind.

“So we’re moving the cattle on the Merlinger Meadows and will

be tilling the lands thus freed starting tomorrow and it even doesn’t

matter if they don’t yield too much the first year because now we have

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Andrew Ashling

money enough to buy all the foot or food we may need even if they

fornicate like the horny bunnies they are and I say let them because

every new mouth will find plenty to eat winter or not for many years

to come that’s for sure.

“So you can imagine how proud we are because everybody knows

it was you who did this and I can see it before my eyes that you read my

last letter in which I told you about all the pregnant peasant women

and how you went to his highness the duke and said could I maybe have

a quiet and polite word with you my good friend the duke because it

seems we have a little problem and him answering of course my good

friend lord of Ramaldah what is it that troubles you and you explaining

calmly and all civilized about all the pregnant peasant women and

him saying oh but then we’ll have to return your land which is after all

yours my good friend and didn’t I tell you that nothing but good would

come of it if you played nice with the young duke and I am mostly proud

because I know that it can’t have been easy to play nice what with your

fiery temper and all but I know you did it for the good of Ramaldah

so thank you my son you have done more for the demesne than your

old father and his father together and it gladdens my heart that you

have grown up so much and become so wise because there is no harder

thing a man can do than conquer himself and you surely did that but

now my fingers are growing numb because I’m not as young as I used

to be so fare well and thank you again you know I love you.

“Eckfred, Ramaldah, Lord of, that is your father.”

Arranulf looked up and grinned sheepishly.

“Well, it seems to be all good, doesn’t it?”

“You never told me you returned the Merlinger Meadows to us.

You wanted my father to spring this upon me,” Obyann accused him.

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365

“It must have slipped my mind. Sorry.”

“I was going to beat you up. Hurt you severely, Landemere. How

can I do that now?” Obyann said, tears of frustration and conflicting

emotions welling up. “Tell me, how can I do that now? After this?”

“Oh, come big guy,” Arranulf said, taking him in his arms. “What’s

a meadow or two between friends?”

“Thank you,” Obyann whispered almost inaudible, his head

resting on Arranulf’s shoulder.

“If it is any consolation, you looked very fearsome when you

came out of your room, you know.”

“You’re just saying that.”

“No, no, I was very afraid.”

“Now you’re just making things up.”

They remained standing like that for a few minutes.

“Landemere?”

“What, Obyann?”

“Quit staring over my shoulder at my ass, Landemere.”

“You have no ass, Ramaldah. Nothing of interest to stare at,

nothing at all.”

“Stinker.”

366

Andrew Ashling

Demrac Tarngord had ordered his aide-de-camp, Nurri, to leave

him. Once alone he took a piece of parchment, a sharp quill and a

stone inkpot out of his closet and sat down at his table. It was time

for his weekly report to his old friend and king, Tenax.

He worked diligently for about half an hour, filling the parchment

with dry facts and figures. The constant growth of both the Amirathan

Militia and the Landemere Contingent, the growing number of pages,

now coming from as far as the province of Merudia, near the coast,

the expenditure of the Army of the North and so on and so on.

Finally he was done with the bare essentials of his report. He lay

down his quill and stretched himself. Now came the most difficult

part. Prince Anaxantis had penetrated the Renuvian Plains almost

ten days ago, in violation of the treaty with the Mukthars. Before that

he had casually put an end to the self-governance of the county of

Mirkadesh and declared himself its Warlord. There was nothing more

he could tell his friend as the lord-governor didn’t find it necessary