Wherever I Am

Chapter 8 - Part 2

I was thankful for the moonlight but wished for a Winchester with a night-vision scope. I chose the midnight shift for sitting on the roof, though, of course, I couldn't be alone. At least Stefan would be quiet. It came second nature to him to fade into the woodwork.

I ended up explaining the basics of a still to Boian when I talked about single-malt. I was surprised to hear that there were mines to the northwest, so a copper still wasn't entirely out of the question. I was pretty sure my knowledge of still-making was far from complete, so that could take years, though if Boian were successful in getting one made, it would progress the technology here toward the Renaissance by a bit.

To the south, distant flames still burned here and there as they progressed. No towns or villages, but I got the impression there were individuals and family groups out there, but if so, they were on their own.

They did burn farther west, with full buckets ready here should an ember land on a roof. That didn't happen, but it also allowed the contingent to leave to the south under the cover of smoke.

I wondered if we overreacted, gave the wolf-folk too much credit, or if our preparations warned them away. An hour later, Ellie and Mara replaced us. She insisted on her turn and arrived fully accoutered for battle. Mara wore a sheathed kitchen knife on her tooled leather belt.

Boian was awake and had a mug of beer waiting for me and a smaller one for Stefan. It was relatively weak beer, but apparently, there were no drinking age limits, or maybe it was simply to help him sleep.

"Was this premature, Milord?"

I shrugged. "It was never the likely way they'd come and is less likely now. Barland and Craeg have done the same to the east, though the horses are already out of that corral." It seemed a good metaphor for the village that was burned yesterday. "Dambu is supposed to burn at daybreak. We may have warned them off."

"Or they may not even be out there."

"The fire will keep the grasses down maybe until spring."

Boian rubbed his goatee. "I worry like an old woman."

"It's not like there's no reason."

He shrugged and nodded. "You and your sister think differently than we do, but you've never fought. My task is to get you safely to Baemardis. Why do you care so much about what happens here?

"I'm here, and my sister is here. Those who give us...hospitality are here. Those who would protect us on our trip are here. From what you say, these are my people and my responsibility to protect them."

"You make it sound like you wear the crown."

"And you've made it apparent that I do until Uncle John, or my parents arrive. I don't know shit about how to do that, but I'm trying."

Boian leaned forward and stared into my eyes a moment before nodding. "I'm glad you and Maid Elexus came. You will be a serious pain in the ass, assuming I can get the two of you to Baemardis alive, but it will be worth it. Your sister is full of ideas, and you are too. Ideas that will rock the Regency, but tell me before you throw them out so I can advise you on how best to make them take root. Lady Ramona was almost to apoplexy when I arrived, but Master Adrian's sister Maid Mara was only appalled, and Maid Sorina less than that." He grinned at Stefan, who smiled back shyly at the mention of his older sister.

"I don't understand." Boian was confusing me. "You're part of this hierarchy. You have your landed cavaliers who have cavaliers under them who have foot-soldiers under them. You answer to a Duke who's your father, and he answers to the Regent. You're one of the elites, the nobility. This would benefit you...throw coins down and take almost any woman you desire. Your wife either doesn't know or has to put up with your dalliances."

Boian winced. "I will never live that down, will I?"

"That is all between you, me, and Ellie, and we'll keep it that way, but you didn't answer my question." Well, and Stefan now, though I doubted anyone would hang around long enough to listen to him.

"The Regent will most likely not be happy you are here. It's been two decades since a member of the Realm has even been here. Lady Lauretti had established schools for letters, numbers, and fine and martial arts for girls of noble and common birth to be trained together. After a few years of the Realm's absence, things changed. The schools split, common separate from noble. Bow, spear, and light sword-work were replaced by the fine arts, emphasizing the household more than letters and numbers.

"The common schools closed within five years. 'They thought above themselves' was the word that came down to us. That was true, but to me, there was more good than bad to that statement. Understand that similar schools were set up for boys and young men. These were also going away. There was a danger to this. Educated, they seemed less desirous of the heavy-handed approach some of my ilk used, and there were uprisings when their grievances were not listened to. The hand turned to a fist, and I was a finger of that fist at times. For my services, I was awarded these lands and the title of Primor. I have opened the schools again, quietly, for the noble girls so far. My wife was trained while Lady Lauretti's schools were open. We haven't added the weapons since we do have spies here, but letters and numbers are taught. The pages and squires do get their training as well, fully as it was."

"And you see Ellie and me as a way to bring these things back. To bring equality between the nobles and the commoners, between men and women?"

"No. Women are responsible for home and hearth. Men are responsible for the family's livelihood and the family itself. Nobles rule over the commoners, but all of us can do these things more intelligently."

I laughed, and he looked at me quizzically. "Did I say something wrong?"

"Not at all," trying to control my smile. "I like your plan, but it will carry forth farther than you've thought, and the Regent squashed the beginnings of that."

"The uprisings?"

"Exactly. When the common people have better education, they will not only feel the thumb, hand, or fist of the nobility pushing down on them, they will understand better how to work against that, either peacefully, or with violence if dialogue with the nobility doesn't work. My world is several centuries beyond what you're experiencing, and the more educated parts of the world are not ruled by nobility or dictators. It's been a painful slog for women and people whose skin isn't as white as ours, but we're getting there." I found I was smiling again as I watched him trying to absorb what he'd just heard.

"So you're saying that educating my people could cause them to rise up against me?"

"You told me you've already seen that happen. It's how you work with them."

"Crown Lord John and Lady Lauretti intended this to happen."

He said this as a statement, and I nodded. "It seems that way."

"To crush the nobility, they'd helped to perpetuate?"

"Don't get me lying, but I'd guess it was to take the Baemardis to its next stage and become stronger. As you said, a more educated people."

I glanced at Stefan. He'd been so quiet I'd almost forgotten he was there, but from his look, he'd understood the conversation.

"Does that sound better than now?"

He froze for a moment, then gave a faint nod.