The Trikingdom Ch. 12

Walking had earned him the respect of the Captain and his men, but it was an easy task for the young paladin. He was able to keep his body warm with short spurts of his paladin fire that seemed to go unnoticed by the bear-men. Kalas wasn't the only member of an ambassadorial party that walked. The ambassador from Strellheim, a grandson of the king and queen, frequently walked with some of his guards, and Kalas's fellow paladin, Jareth, who had accompanied Ambassador Timmons from Remar. Timmons had brought one of his slaves to help keep him warm on the journey and whenever they engaged in sexual activity Jareth would leave the sled and walk with his friend.

Careena also occasionally walked beside him. She always lightened his mood when she emerged from underneath the multiple layers of fur blankets. He noticed that some of the others decided to get up and walk whenever his wife did. Even though she was covered in heavy furs, she attracted the attention of other men. She was one of those women whose beauty was apparent no matter the circumstance. She was also one of the few women making the journey.

Kalas saw movement from his sled and was delighted to see Careena emerge. She joyfully jogged over to him in a seductive manner that only she was capable of, followed at a distance by one of their guards. She huddled into his body when she reached him and he wrapped his arms around her; partly to show each other affection, and partly so he could warm her a little.

"Let's see if he emerges," she said quietly when they broke apart. They 'he' she was referring to was the Strellheim ambassador, Prince Germaine. He was a brash young man, and very handsome. He was used to women fawning over him so Careena had started playing the part and flirting with him to try to get information. He had spent the longest time with the Captain and his men and his kingdom was the closest to the bear-men's so she hoped he had an inkling of what the king of the bear-men had to offer and what he wanted in return.

Unfortunately, Prince Germaine had very little real world experience despite being a few years older than Kalas and Careena. He had lived a carefree life, and up until now he had spent most of his time hunting with his friends and seducing women. His grandparents still ruled, his father was the crown prince, and his older brother would eventually inherit the crown. He still felt the entitlement of youthful gentry. He was so self-absorbed; he didn't even understand how to play the flirtatious game Careena was trying to play with him. He was so concerned with trying to bed her, and confident in his ability to do so, that he ignored nearly everything she said. She was frustrated that his naivete, which made him no threat at the bargaining table with the bear-men, was keeping her from learning what she was sure he knew, even if he wasn't aware that he knew.

"I'm sure he will," he replied just as quietly, "although I'm still not sure what information you think you'll gain from flirting with him."

"I may have to do more than flirt, dear husband," she replied. "I'll be discreet," she added when she saw the sour look on his face. "He has to know what the bear-men want and what they have to offer otherwise his grandfather never would have sent him."

"What do you mean?" Kalas asked.

"He's too stupid," she started. "Well, maybe not stupid, but definitely too inexperienced to negotiate on his own. His grandfather had to have given him specific instructions and he could only have done that if..."

"They know what's at stake," Kalas finished for her, catching on. "So he's out here to get his confidence then," her husband added.

"Precisely," she agreed. "His kingdom's terms have already been decided. He's merely the messenger."

"So we're already behind," Kalas said.

"And we need to catch up," Careena sighed as they watched Prince Germaine emerge from his own sled. "Let's laugh a little and pretend that we're having a cozier conversation," she suggested. Kalas nodded in agreement. They still kept their voices low, but pretended that they were discussing more intimate matters. "Once we have the information from him, our biggest competition will be the ambassador from Daarkscrag."

"Daarkscrag?" he husband questioned. "But they're our allies."

"In war, yes," Careena agreed, "but this isn't about war; this is about commerce. Even if the bear-man king asks for aid in arms, this still isn't about war. We're trading what we have to offer for what they have to offer."

Kalas nodded in understanding. The bear-men may ask for military aid, but because of the distance and weather it was doubtful they were seeking any lasting alliance. "You've given up on the Captain or one of his men?" Kalas asked. Their first day out she had tried to weasel information from them but had stopped trying after being stonewalled.

"Yes," she answered. "He's too skilled and his men don't say much." A thoughtful expression crossed her face. "Maybe you should try talking to the Captain."

"Me?" he questioned credulously.

"Yes," she said. "You've impressed him in a way that I cannot," she explained. "He may be more forthcoming with you and if you can get the information out of him, I can cease this silly game with Prince Germaine."

Up until that statement, Kalas had been unsure of his wife's true motive for her behavior with the self-absorbed young prince. Part of him wondered if she really just wanted to garner the attention of the young man and if it was all related to her rape. She seemed to have her mind set on getting information out of him. Kalas wondered if she'd ignore the Prince if he managed to get what they wanted from Captain Gorceck instead.

"I'll try, my love," he promised.

"Good," she said with an approving nod. "I'm growing tired of the one sided conversations with Prince Germaine." She smiled in satisfaction as the object of their discussion finally came swaggering out, joking with his guards who doubled as his friends. They couldn't hear the conversation they were having, but it was obvious the prince was boasting about some exploit to his cronies.

Careena sped up a step in front of her husband and turned to face him while walking backward. "I'm going to throw some snow at you and laugh loudly. After it hits you, chase after me, but stumble and fall. I'm going to run towards the Prince and I want you to pretend to have snow down your front and head to the sled to dry off. I want to see how bold he gets when you're not in sight."

Kalas nodded at her while smiling. He didn't like all this game playing, but went along with it for the sake of the Trikingdom. He still wasn't sure what advantage they'd gain from the knowledge, but Careena thought it would be important and he trusted her instincts.

He admired her form as she gracefully bent and scooped up a handful of snow without stopping and threw it at him. She didn't bother to make a proper snowball so the cold stuff went all over his face and front. Careena shrieked and ran away as best as she could over the frozen ground giggling as she went. Kalas gave a hearty laugh and made to move after her, but after a couple steps feigned slipping on the ice and losing his balance. He made sure to fall face first and get more than enough snow down the front of his fur coverings.

Careena turned and watched her husband as he picked himself up off of the cold snow and gave an exaggerated reaction to the wetness down the front of his clothing. She knew he could dry himself off with his paladin fire if he wanted, but she hoped the naive prince didn't realize that.

She reached Prince Germaine and his guard after a few more steps and gave a slight shriek. "Help me!" she exclaimed jovially. "My husband wants revenge for my trick."

Prince Germaine turned and regarded her with a wide smile. "I think the brute has getting dry on his mind rather than revenge, beautiful lady," he said happily.

"He's not a brute," she laughed as she slapped the Prince playfully on the arm.

"I meant no offense," Prince Germaine protested, "just that he is a very large man."

"I can't deny that he's large," she said giggling, "but he's hardly brutish. He's more like a gentle giant."

"I'm glad to hear it," the Prince said with a smile. "I'd hate to have him come after me in a jealous rage because you keep coming over to talk to me."

"Oh, don't worry," she assured him. "He's not the type to get jealous. He knows I'm just curious about the bear-men and their culture."

"Yes, you've pestered me to no end with questions," the Prince agreed, "but I've been wondering why you don't direct your questions to Captain Gorceck? Do you have some other motive for coming to see me?" he asked with a salacious grin.

Careena tried to return his look. "I find you much more engaging than the Captain or any of his men," she lied. "Besides, it's always better to talk to someone you find attractive. I find it helps hold my attention."

"So I 'hold your attention'?" he asked with smirk.

"Yes, of course," she gushed and lied. "I hope I hold yours as well."

"You do, milady," he said seriously. He glanced around to see if Kalas had returned. The large man was still in his sled so he placed his arm around Careena's shoulder. "What is it you wish to discuss today?" he asked.

"Actually, I was wondering what you know about ice trolls," she said. "Do you think we'll encounter any?"

"No, it's unlikely we will," he said casually.

"Isn't this their territory?" she asked.

"They used to be common in this area," he replied, "but not anymore."

"Why not?" she asked curiously. "Did they die off, or migrate?"

"Ice trolls are simple creatures," the Prince replied dismissively. "Who knows why they do anything. Wouldn't you rather discuss something else? You seemed interested in the role of the bear-man females before. Did I tell you that I saw some of the male members suckling milk from the breasts of the lone female of our little expedition?"

Careena rolled her eyes as the Prince turned the discussion to a sexual nature, but she was a little curious about what he had said. On their first day out, she had been surprised to find that one of the bear-men was actually a woman. Captain Gorceck had introduced her as the party's ice weaver, which Careena later learned meant she was a mage who specialized in molding ice. It was the ice weaver, Mala, who formed the shelters the mammoths were housed in at night, and the barriers that kept the winds at bay, all out of ice.

Careena had already guessed what other purpose Mala served for the male members of her people at night. The ice weaver generally rode in the sled and always seemed tired in the mornings. Careena had tried to engage the woman in conversation, but got less from her than she did from Captain Gorceck. The news that the bear-men would be so open with their sexuality in view of the others was surprising.

"Suckling her breasts?" she questioned incredulously.

"Yes," the Prince answered matter-of-factly. "Liquid water is scarce to the bear-men, and since breast milk from the source is always warm and never frozen, they've developed an interesting custom. Once one of their females gives birth, men are allowed and encouraged to drink the milk from her breasts. And since the liquid is considered life-giving to their people, no woman can refuse a man who asks."

"So their females are always lactating? That must be painful," Careena commented. Every woman she knew that had given birth complained about the pain of breasts full of milk and were always eager for their children to be weaned. The Prince shrugged, whether for not knowing or caring Careena wasn't sure so she didn't comment further. She decided to steer the conversation back to its origins. "So what do you think happened to the trolls?" she asked.

Before he could answer, one of his men coughed, and the prince removed his hand from her shoulder, took a step to put some distance between them, and turned to look back. Careena turned back to look too, and saw her husband emerging from the confines of their sled. He turned his head as if searching for someone and Careena prayed to all the gods that he would have the good sense to stay away. She almost cursed when he started in their direction, but breathed a sigh of relief when he walked past them without giving them a second glance and headed towards the lead mammoth where Captain Gorceck would be.

She didn't need to look at the Prince to know there was a satisfied smirk on his face. "Why don't we finish this conversation later," he suggested. "Come by my sled tonight, after the evening meal and I'll educate you on male-female relations of the bear people," he said, "and I'll tell you everything I know about trolls."

"Everything?" she asked. "You'll answer all my questions about trolls?"

"Of course," he said indifferently.

"The Duke and I will stop by tonight," she said to gauge his response.

"You should come alone," the Prince snapped. Careena looked at him askance and he realized his mistake. "The Duke would only be bored by our conversation," he said trying to cover.

"Perhaps you're right," she agreed, "but it would be unseemly for me to openly visit with you in your sled unattended. I'll have to be discreet and leave my guards behind."

"That's probably best," he said, "for appearances. We wouldn't want anyone to get the wrong idea."

"I'll see you tonight," she said. "Although, I'm not sure how I'll be able to get away."

The Prince shrugged as if he didn't care. "The guards only patrol the perimeter of the encampment. You only have to wait until the others in your sled are asleep. I'll wait up for you."

She knew he was right. The guards from all the kingdoms shared the guard duty on a regular rotation. It would be easy to sneak from one sled to another while the rest of the encampment slept. She didn't say anything, but nodded in agreement. She slowed her steps and allowed the Prince and his men to pull away from her. She headed back to her sled, resigned to her fate.

***

"I think you should stay here," Careena whispered to her husband as she prepared to meet the Prince. They had argued about it for most of the evening after Kalas had revealed his failure with Captain Gorceck. "It will only upset you." She was finishing putting her clothes on while they tried to keep their voices low so that they wouldn't waken Lina and their two sleeping guards.

"I just want to be near in case you need me," Kalas explained. "Besides, if you're not back when the guards change, they might grow worried. If we're both gone, they'll assume I'm with you and we're both safe."

"Or they might think something is amiss and raise an alarm that wakes the entire encampment," Careena retorted. "My plan is better. In the darkness, the guards won't be able to determine if that lump you're snuggled up against is me or a pile of clothing, especially under the blankets. They're expecting to see me, so that's what their eyes will show them. Just put your arm around it protectively and it will work."

In the back of his mind he knew she was right, and he wasn't sure why he wanted to go with her. They both knew what was going to happen when she met with the Prince. For some reason he wanted to be near to witness as much of it as he could, even though it would be painful. Not knowing what was happening seemed even worse, even though logic told him that was the better option. If he didn't see his wife enter the Prince's sled, the image wouldn't be burned into his mind for the rest of his life.

"All right," he finally agreed reluctantly.

They stuffed the clothing she had been wearing earlier that day under the blankets, and at a nod from Careena, Kalas reluctantly got underneath them as well and snuggled up close. Careena made sure it looked like she was sleeping next to him and then squeezed his shoulder before crawling quietly out of the sled.

It was colder outside now than it had been during the day and felt even more so because she was wearing less clothing. She started walking towards the Prince's sled and was never more aware of the crunching noise each of her steps made in the snow. She saw someone in every shadow and stopped several times with her heart pounding for fear of discovery. She finally reached her destination. It was the only sled with light leaking out from the doorway. She took a deep breath and then pulled open the flap and peered inside.

To call the conveyances a sled wasn't doing them complete justice. They were wider then two average men lying head to toe, and half again as long. Six rails ran the length of each one underneath to ease in pulling them, but even so they were so massive that only mammoths would be able to accomplish it. Each was topped with a dome covered in thick hide and fur.

The Prince was sitting in the center of the sled drinking ale, and laughing at something one of his guards had said. She was surprised to see all four of them sitting around their prince enjoying food and drink with him. Five heads turned towards her and all laughter ceased as they stared at her.

"Milady, please come in," the Prince said enthusiastically. The guards got to their feet as she entered, their heads bowed under the short domed ceiling of the sled. She thought it odd that the Prince hadn't found somewhere else for them to be, and that all four of them were there when two of them should have had guard duty. "Sit," the Prince said gently, patting the soft furs next to him. Careena tried to blush as she made her way over to him.

"You're earlier than I expected," he said smiling. "You must be very eager."

"I am eager to learn about the ice trolls," she responded, "but I thought I would find you alone."

The Prince frowned and his demeanor took on a more serious tone. "May I be frank, Milady?" he asked.

"Of course, Prince Germaine," she replied. "I always feel it is better to get straight to the point."

"Good," he said, the smile returning. "I've grown bored with our wordplay and wish to be straightforward." He took swig of his ale and set the cup down. "I know the information you want about the ice trolls and why," he said, "and I thought you understood what I wanted in return."

"I thought I did as well," Careena responded looking around the sled at his guards, "but now I'm not sure."

"My friends and I," he said indicating his guards, "want to give you a hands-on demonstration of the bear-men's sleeping habits." Careena's eyes went wide as she looked at the sheepish grin on the four guards' faces. Her mouth opened to protest, but she couldn't think of the proper words to say. "Please don't feign outrage," the Prince said seriously, "it would be unbelievable coming from you."

"What do you mean?" she asked still in shock.

"I know what you are," he said, picking up his drink and draining the mug. "What did my grandfather call you?" he asked rhetorically as he rubbed his chin in thought. "The 'new whore of the Trikingdom'," he chuckled. "He said that the rumors are that you're quite good too and that I shouldn't pass up the chance to bed you if the opportunity presented itself. And since I always share with my friends..." he left the last statement unfinished.

Careena's face burned with embarrassment and anger. Her first inclination was to slap Prince Germaine across the face and storm out in indignation. But she needed to know what was happening to the ice trolls, and while crude, the statements he made were basically true. She had traded sexual favors to swing negotiations her way and while she wouldn't call herself a whore, she could understand why many would view her that way. Still, it angered her that the Prince would speak to her in that manner and she had to clench her jaw to keep from letting loose a tirade of profanities his direction.

"I hope I haven't spoiled anything," the Prince said still chuckling. "I had to convince Ambassador Doling from Daarkscrag to have his guards work double shifts tonight so that mine would be available for our festivities. Did you know that he's King Drakin's cousin? He said the King and Prince Dumont send you their warmest greetings and both were very complimentary about you negotiating techniques. I told him I'd give him my own assessment tomorrow."