No Shit There I Was

I saw the duct taped rattan blade pass before my visor even as a man behind me spoke. "You're dead, my lord."

Raising my sword over my head I walked to the edge of the field. Setting down my shield against a tree I popped open my visor.

"Your buddy packs a hell of a swing."

I looked over at the tall man. He was leaning on the handle of his massive hammer holding the side of his head.

"She does at that."

"She?" He looked down into where Kat was awhirl in the center of everything. "Well damn my eyes, that is a woman."

"My wife, my lord. Kathrin the Hammer."

He chuckled. "I'm Balin, also called the Hammer. Damn, she's dead."

I looked down to see Kat walking out. She had one of her hammers over her head.

"Who got you?" I ask as she came up beside me. A water bearer came by and she flipped up her visor and took a long drink before answering.

"Damn crossbowman. The one up there with the blue kilt."

"That's Pappy," Balin said as he finished drinking. I noticed he was looking at Kathrin with appraising eyes. Most men do. "He's about sixty, but he's one hell of a good shot. He always places high at the bow tournaments."

Kathrin nodded. I saw her looking Balin over. I could see the wheels turning. Would he fit in the tent? Would he fit on the bed? I chuckled. She looked over at me and winked.

We would run through four more battles as the day wore on. The last a resurrection battle where if your get killed you walk to the edge of the field and can come back into the battle. By the time the marshal yelled hold I was a sweat soaked bruise. When offered, I turned up a water bottle, drank a sip and then let the rest pour down into my armor. Like liquid life.

We walked off to war proudly. We come back with swords dragging.

Back at the tent, Miranda helped us both out our armor. I had half a dozen purple/black armor bites and at least, as many train track bruises forming. There was a large blue/green-black spot on my right thigh where Balin had legged me in the second battle. It throbbed.

Grabbing a towel and some clothes, I headed down to the shower trailer. It was full with all the shower stalls running when I got there. The dressing area was equally filled.

As I stepped past that and into the back beginning to strip down I heard giggling. Wrapping a towel around my hips, I went to the back door. I saw it half a crack open and eyes were peeking in.

Wearing only a towel in all my pale glory, I opened it full and looked out at the group of mid-teen girls who jumped back giggling. I saw several eyes go to my crotch, but I didn't care. Give them all a few years and they could have a closer look if it pleased them. I saw the wolf symbol of Shadow Legion on a couple of their belts.

"Y'all get on now or I'll tell Sir Cain some of the young girls of his house were down her trying to peek at the men." I pointed back towards their encampment. With an eek they took off at a run. All but one. She looked me up and down one last time and slowly strutted away.

Closing the door, I turned to see the very man looking at me. He wore only a towel same as me, but a Duke is a Duke even naked.

"I'll see the house mothers take care of them. They could all use a spanking really, but I don't have that much authority," he said with a grin.

I nodded and stepped toward one of the stalls that had just emptied.

"Oh, Jak."

I turned to look back at the Duke.

"The brunette was my daughter. I see her near your tent before she turns eighteen next year I'll trebuchet your ass into the pond." He grinned. "That authority I do have."

I pulled the curtain closed and turned on the water.

Ice fucking cold!

** ** ** ** ** ** **

Somehow I lost my wife after I got back to the tent. I also seem to have misplaced our bed warmer. Oh well. I sat in my chair and talked to everyone who came by. We had a few buyers, but I knew from past wars that the big sales would come later in the week. Everyone was still getting here and getting their camps in order. People would really start coming in by Tuesday and Wednesday. I got to chatting with one fellow I know when I saw the swing of my wife's hips. I could tell that walk from across the whole length of the war.

Kathrin was in her belly dancer garb. Her whole arms where henna designs.

"So that's where you were." I looked her up and down. "I take it you're going dancing tonight."

"You mind?" she asked with a tilt of her head.

I shook my head.

"Not at all." I took a sip from my mug. I could just make out the bruises from her armor.

"Did we lose Miranda?" she asked sitting down beside me.

"She was here when I came back, but she said she had to go do something. I haven't seen her since." I told Kathrin handing her my cup.

"Well, she may be going to get ready for the dancing," she said after taking a sip.

"Probably," I said looking out at merchant's row.

"Jak?'

I looked up.

"Yeah, Kat?"

"Don't keep the shop open too late. Close up after dark and go have you some fun. Okay?" She looked at me a little worried. "you're still brooding and I may have to kick your ass soon if you don't stop."

"I'm good, Kat. Go dance."

** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

I could hear the party going on in the distance as it got darker. The drums of Rolling Thunder had grown to rival their name. There were also the sounds of music drifting down from past the bathhouses.

I had one of our small throwing knives in between my fingers twirling it absently.

"You look like a man with a lot on his mind."

I looked up to see a woman leaning on one of my canopy poles. My eyes followed the lines of her body in the half-light of my lanterns.

"Mind if I join you?" she asked looking toward the chair sitting next to me.

"I wouldn't mind at all."

She walked over and sat down; moving the chair till it was a little closer to mine. She handed me a small bottle. I poured a bit of it into my empty cup and handed it back. When I took a sip I was surprised at the taste. The mead was at least as good as what I make. It would have been hard to choose, which was better. Reaching down, I picked up the half-finished bottle of mine and handed it to her. I watched her eyes when she drank She nodded her head.

"Very good."

She reached over and took my hand. She held my fingers softly in hers. They were soft but warm.

"Last I saw him my husband was doing his best to seduce your lady." She smiled looking me in the eyes.

"She's a hard one to seduce, but worth the effort. But I fear I do not know your name good lady, let alone your husband's."

"Oh, you know my husband's" She reached down and tapped my leg. Right, where it was bruised. I flinched. "I saw him give you that earlier."

"Balin?" She nodded. "He might have a chance with Kathrin. She showed an interest."

The dark-eyed woman nodded.

"I told him if he caught her to go to our tent that I would find somewhere else to sleep tonight." She looked at my face. "I figured since your lady is being chased by my husband, the least I could do would be to come keep you company. Now, like I said, you look like you have a lot on your mind."

"Yeah ..."

"I'm a good listener." She squeezed my fingers.

I don't know why, but at that moment, I guess I just needed someone who doesn't know me to hear me confess my soul. She listened nonjudgmental as I laid out the relationship that Kat and I have. She asked several cutting questions that made me think about things in a way I wouldn't have before that moment.

As we talked I heard a light rain start to fall on the canvass. Knowing the site like I do I got up and started to put away my blades into their Rubbermaid's. This place can go from drizzle to storm in a hurry when it's of a mind to. She got up and helped.

We both leaned over at the same time. Our faces coming very close together. I looked up into the darkest eyes I have ever seen. Slowly we moved that last inch till our lips met. Standing up, we came together our lips joined in a deep slow kiss. My fingers closed into her hair, tangling in those soft curls falling down her back to her waist in a dark mane.

When we stopped kissing I just held her in my arms. I could tell there was a lot of pain being hidden just beneath those dark eyes.

"What is it?" I asked her softly.

I listened as she told me her problems. They would be a lot harder than mine to solve, but just as hard on the heart. I held her when she started to cry. I could feel the soft weeping through my arms as I kissed her hair.

I took her hands into mine. I looked up into her eyes. Slowly I smiled at her beautiful face. She gave me a quirky smile back.

"What is your name?" I asked. "I've kissed you and I still don't know it."

"Raven. Because of my hair." She reached up to shake her curls. I could see the first hints of gray in those dark locks.

"No," I told her shaking my head. I caressed her cheek. "Because of your eyes. To me, you will always be Raven Darkeyes."

She smiled, her eyes glittering.

"I like that."

We kissed again I could feel a building of a passion between us. I heard the rain growing steady. I turned her loose and walked to the tent flap. I closed down the front of the tent and one by one turned out all but a single lantern.

Taking her hand I lead her around to where our bed was hidden. She crawled onto the furs and lay looking at me.

I left my vest on the floor and slipped out my low boots. Lying down beside her, I looked up into those deep splendid pools of night. Our lips met just as the storm approached the camp site. With the rain hammering the top of the canvass we with now frantic haste tore at each other's clothes. As I heard the first rumble of thunder that I was sure wasn't a drum our bodies became one.

The first time was over way too quickly for us both, but it drove out a lot of emotional tension both of us were carrying. It was a violent affair of teeth and fingernails.

My bruises now had scratches over them.

We were much gentler to each other after that. Often stopping just to hold one another. Soft hands caressing away a lot of unshed tears.

As the storm tore into the campsite we made love. It wasn't just sex. Need drove us, but compassion held the reins.

When at last exhaustion and sated desire took us, I feel asleep holding her to me, my face buried in her hair. She wrapped her hands around my arms and we snuggling into the furs.

I woke with the dawn to find her gone. If not for the scent of her on the bed I could have been dreaming.

I knew that a part of me would always wish I had never awoken.

** ** ** ** ** ** **

Sunday

I hadn't opened the tent up yet but was setting back out the blades when Kat dragged in. I handed her blurry-eyed self my cup of coffee.

She sipped at it then sat down gingerly in her chair.

I grinned. "Problems?"

She looked at me with murder.

"It's too early and I'm too tired to kill you, but keep up remarks like that and I'll make the effort."

I chuckled. "So how did you find Lord Balin?"

She took a sip of the coffee. She looked up and a slow smile formed on her face. "Proportional."

I raised an eyebrow. She just nodded. I gave a slight shrug.

"How about you?" she asked. "I didn't see you at the party. Though we left when the rain started."

"I found myself in the company of your lover's wife."

Kat's eyes widened.

"Really? I saw her at their camp this morning. She's quite beautiful."

I nodded looking down at my hands. "She is that."

I heard Kathrin sigh. She reached over to the table and picked up one of our knives.

"Are you still broody?"

I looked up at her. My eyes sought out hers. She lowered the knife seeing the seriousness about me. "No. I think I'm good now."

Kat looked at me then slowly smiled. She got up and walked over to me. When she kissed me I could smell her lover on her skin.

I was sure she could smell mine on me.

She helped me open the tent for what turned out to be a good day of business.

** ** ** ** ** ** **

Monday

It was early in the morning when I decided to make a run up the interstate to Hattiesburg.

I left Kathrin to watch the tent and a sleepy Miranda, who had turned back up late in the night, more than a little tipsy. She had a hangover this morning. Getting the van out was fun. The rain made it a tire sliding mess where I was parked. Thank god, and the site owner, for gravel trucks. It felt strange to be driving. My whole body rejecting the idea.

I was in garb. A man named Jak o' the Blade should not be driving a vehicle.

I pulled into the bank's parking lot just as the place was opening. Hopping out the van, I took my dagger from its sheath and laid it on the seat. I started for the door then turned around and pulled the second dagger from my boot. I had to stop and think for a second and then nodding headed for the door.

You know for some reason Bank security guards get real nervy when people in black leather kind of looking like I do in garb come walking in. I went to stand in the short line for the teller. There was a little old lady with more blue to her hair than white. She turned to look me up and down.

Oh lord here it comes.

"Are you in a play?"

I chuckled and shook my head. "No, I'm with a group that's like the civil war reenactors. We just go back a few more centuries."

"Oh, like a Ren Fair?"

Part of me wanted to correct that, but I knew it would be better just to agree with her. She smiled at me, nodding, and walked over to the teller. A second teller opened up just then and waved at me.

"Good morning," I told her stepping up to the counter.

"Good morning Robin Hood. How can I help you?"

Chuckling, I reaching into my belt pouch, (No it's not a purse; do not even think that, I don't want to hear it!) and took out the roll of cash "I would like to deposit eight hundred into my account." I gave her the number and she helped me to fill out the deposit slip right.

Smiling, she thanked me and handed me the receipt. I put it into my belt pouch. (Okay, fine it may have started out its life as a purse, but it found a new calling. Sort of like a pedophile that finds religion and becomes a Catholic priest. Okay, bad example ... oh never mind.)

A quick drive down the road to a small hardware store where I knew, from past trips, that they would fill a propane tank. Browsing while I waited, I got us a few things we needed, some thin copper wire to wrap knife handles with. I had forgotten to bring it from home. Also, Kathrin wanted a selection of batteries.

Don't ask. Oh okay, you can ask, but I'm not going to tell you what they're for.

With the tank filled I was about to head back when I decided there wasn't a grand rush and I was hungry. I pulled into a little diner there by the road and went in to get breakfast.

I sipped coffee while the waitress - who was also the cook - got my order together. I was her only customer at this time of the morning.

"So everyone down there doing that medieval fighting?" she asked looked back at me from the grill.

"It's not just fighting, but yeah. Were there until this Sunday." I added some more creamer to my coffee after she refilled it. That was the only problem I had with one of these places. I constantly had to readjust my coffee. Kathrin would give up after the first cup and just drink it black.

My order up, she slid my plate in front of me. The stack of waffles steaming.

"So what else do all y'all do?"

I loved her Mississippi accent. So different from my own southern drawl. At least to none Yankee ears.

"Well, we have classes that teach about the Middle Ages. The way people lived back then. We have life weapon tournament. Knife throwing, bow shooting that sort of thing. I'm a merchant. I make and sell authentic knives and swords."

"You make them?" she asked lifting an eyebrow.

I took my belt knife out and laid it on the counter in front of her. She gingerly picked it up turning it in her fingers. Then handed it back.

"I have a forge at my house set up just like you would have found one in the fifteenth century over in Europe."

She smiled and nodded. I couldn't tell if she was impressed or not. She may have been humoring the lunatic in black leather. Well, let's see said the blind man.

"Why don't you come to site after work? When do you get off today?"

"Around four, if my replacement shows up." She refilled my coffee. Damn ... more creamer. "But I heard you have to pay to get in?"

I nodded. "Yeah, it's called trolling in. When you get on the site you pay a fee to be there. It goes towards paying for the rental of the site, and a lot of another things. Like port 'o' let rental, water, and power use."

"I don't really have the money?"

I waved her off.

"Come to the site. When you pull in there will be a sign that says troll. Go in there they will have you fill out a couple of papers. It just lets them know how many people are on site and gives them an emergency contact number should you get hurt and nobody knows who you are. After that, they will ask for the money. When they do tell them you're there as a guest of the merchant Jak o' the Blade." I took the pen and little pad for making comments from beside the register. Turning one over, I put down my name. Both SCA and Mundane. I handed it to her. "Have them send someone to get me. I'll pay your cost to get in."

"Do I have to dress up?" She looked at the writing. "Your names Michel?'

I shook my head.

"Not till this Sunday it's not. Least I won't answer to it." I grinned my best seductive grin.

She gave me a quirky look and shook her head. Another customer came in and she put the note into her pocket. Well, well said the blind man look what I just saw.

I watched her as I finished the rest of my meal. The uniform she wore didn't do anything for her but I could see the nice curves it hid. When the guy got his to go order without ever looking at the weirdo in black thigh high boots. She came back over to where I was and took my empty plate.

"You didn't answer my question."

I had to think back for a second. "Oh ... no, you don't have to dress up. Though you should know that on site walking around in mundane clothes you're considered naked."

She blushed. The bit of color added so much to her face that the drab beige clothes took away. She wasn't a stunning beauty, but not bad at all either.

"Well, I don't want to be considered naked, but I don't have anything to wear that's five hundred years out of style."

I chuckled. Have to remember that.

"Don't worry. I'm sure we could find you something. You're not too different in height and size from my wife.'

"Your wife? You're married?" I could hear the disappointment.

"I am married to a very strong willed woman, but only in the SCA," I explained, as I adjusted the creamer to coffee ratio.

"SCA?" She frowned "What is that?"

"Our medieval group. We are called the Society of Creative Anachronism. A group back in the sixties thought up the idea and it spread worldwide."

"So you're not married to your wife in the real world, but you're married to her in your group?"

I nodded.

I could see she was still a little confused. I smiled. "I know it can be confusing. If it helps the best decryption of our group I have ever heard is that we're a bunch of Multi-personality patients who escaped from a mental ward and who are now hosting a sporting event attended by people who would be perfectly at home at a frat party."

She laughed her smile adding life to her face. "Well, when I was younger I attended a few frat parties so I guess I would be welcome."

Sliding out of my seat I gave my best 'bow to royalty' with all the flourishes. "You would be welcome indeed, most beautiful of ladies."

She giggled.

I tipped a hat I wasn't wearing and headed for the van. I saw her take the bills I'd left from under the creamer jar.