The Wolf, the Butterfly, and the Kraken

Chapter 66

Vam

I had not been exactly welcomed back to the Host camp since the arrival of my mother. However, I had stood at the edge of it multiple times a day and done my diligence as an interpreter, asking if there had been any word from Sommers Bay. It had been several days of runners saying there was no word. Today though, the runner said there was correspondence from Sommers Bay, and I should report directly to Lord Green. I got plenty of glares from the men in camp, but I also heard some talking about Finton.

Lord Green was not in a good mood. He was grumbling, and shifting through lists. Then he saw me and glared like something was my fault. If it was his discomfort then I would be happy to be the cause of it. "Took you long enough to get here. We got notice from Sommer's Bay, and orders. Here, I can't read this." He handed me an opened scroll written in Lycant. There were two pieces of paper rolled up.

For the briefest moment I thought the second paper was from Joann, but then I realized it wasn't. I looked at the stamp on the scroll and frowned, "You were not intended to open this. Why did you open a scroll not addressed to you?"

He glared at me, "How am I supposed to know it isn't addressed to me if my interpreter isn't here?"

I wanted to argue with him more, maybe make him bleed a bit. However, I had a job to do. First, "Was there any correspondence from Joann?"

He was confused, "Joann? Who is that?"

It was my turn to glare at him, "My wife, who is in Sommers Bay, translating for Lord Eureces."

"I haven't seen anything."

I was disappointed, but knew at a glance who the scroll was for. "This is for Owda, and this is for both her and Battlemaster Grism."

He shrugged, "Well, what does it say?"

I blinked in shock, "Are you truly this disrespectful towards everyone, or is it just us? You opened someone else's missive, and now you expect me to read it to you before they have even seen it? You might be a lord, but you are not mine. Prepare yourself to meet in the midfield like a proper leader, for talks." I rolled the scroll back up, and told him, "I will meet you midfield with Grism and Owda, just as Lord Eureces met Battlemaster Rajit at the Southern Front."

He glared at me, "Are you giving me orders?"

I laughed at him, "Unless you want to be viewed as a coward by hiding in the middle of your men during peaceful talks. You have one hour." I left before he could say anything. He was a coward. I wondered if he would show. Probably not. I would probably be translating the writing of runners all day.

I found mother and Grism talking about old times in the commander's tent. It was large enough to hold several people, but for now it was just them. They smiled to see me. She missed nothing, "What do you have there, Vam?"

I held up the scroll, "News from Sommers Bay. I must warn you though, Lord Green tried to open it, not realising it was not for him. I have informed him that there will be a midfield meeting in about an hour to discuss the portents of the messages from Sommers Bay. I am certain he got some too."

My mother smiled, "Let's see if he has to change his breeches before arriving."

I laughed, and handed her the scroll. She opened it and read the piece added into the scroll first, "This is from Heda." Her face had fallen. "Her brother died in a grievous accident. The wind blew over a stack of primed ballistics, and one fired, hitting him as he walked backwards joyously from the first peace talks. His last wish was to send the men home."