Soldier at the Door (53 page)

Perrin nodded, got off his horse, and climbed the tower until he was about fifteen feet off the ground.

Everyone gathered at the green quieted when they saw him.

“Citizens of Edge,” the major called to them, “I appreciate your coming out, but I’m not sure why you’re here. The race will include each of the towers and, from what Captain Karna has revealed to me, even some of your homes. Apparently certain ‘disasters’ will be vi
siting you. Besides the corporal and me, that is,” he added.

The crowd began to laugh.

The major shook his head. “But if you’re all
here
, who’s going to be ‘in danger’ and give Corporal Zenos or me our notes proving we reached you?”

The villagers looked at each other and nodded in understanding.

“So I ask that each of you return to your homes. Zenos and I will be starting the race in less than an hour, beginning at the fort. In order for us to accurately determine the effectiveness of this new system, I ask that none of you impede our progress—”

He glanced down at Shem.

“—even if Corporal Zenos agrees to try your cookies. Once he starts, he just doesn’t stop.”

Insulted, Zenos exclaimed, “It was only two cookies, sir! And they were different kinds! And I was far ahead in that race anyway!”

Edgers laughed and a few patted Zenos on the leg.

The major grinned. “Mrs. Reed? I trust Captain Karna didn’t put you on the route this time. And if he did, remember—no baking.”

The older woman in the middle of the laughing villagers blushed and waved at the major.

“We will accept drinks of water, however,” the major conti
nued, “but nothing else. Mr. Arky, I’m talking to you, sir.”

The crowd roared again and Mr. Arky nodded guiltily. His e
xceptionally potent ‘secret’ mead batch—and its effects on Mr. Arky, several innocent bushes, and one unfortunate and now balding cat—had been the talk of his neighborhood for the past week.

“Now if you’ll all head home, I promise we’ll do our best to reach each of your areas. Don’t make me order you!” he added with a slightly cheesy smile.

The crowd cheered and started to leave.

Major Shin climbed down the tower and climbed back on his horse.

“Winning hearts and minds, Major. You could teach all the lessons,” Zenos chuckled at him.

“Basic diplomacy, Shem—emotionally manipulating your aud
ience,” the major said quietly. “What my wife called ‘officers charm school.’ The trick is to get them laughing. If someone laughs
with
you, then they assume you’re their buddy. They don’t realize you’ve already gained the upper hand.”

Shem grinned. “I’m going to remember that, sir.”

“Oh, I’m sure you already knew that.”

And Perrin was
quite sure
about that. The corporal was far cleverer than he let on, almost as if he was embarrassed by his quickness. And that was also why Perrin kept him close, just as Hogal had told him. He needed a boy like that on
his
side
in everything.

The two soldiers walked their horses towards the edge of the green, but a cluster of young females pushed their way through di
spersing crowd like a flock of gibbering geese, and rushed up to Shem.

“We’re cheering for you, Corporal! Make us proud!” Sareen winked and giggled.

Perrin didn’t bother to stop his horse as Corporal Zenos politely did, but nudged it out of the way of Sareen’s
flock
, he decided it might be called, that had grown larger and didn’t even notice the second horse and rider.

“Don’t mind me,” he muttered quietly as he guided his horse around the sudden obstacle. “
Only the commander here, trying to secure Edge. Certainly don’t want to get in the way of something as important as
flirting
. . .”

Sareen’s friends—half a dozen now, and all looking strangely similar likely because females this age tend
ed to preen together—started giggling at Shem, as if senseless giggling were also a new fashion trend. Out of the corner of his eye, Perrin caught the motion of two of the girls hurriedly sliding their sleeves off of their bare shoulders. He immediately looked away, and chuckled in pity for his corporal.

Behind him, Perrin heard Shem’s pained grunt before he a
ddressed the gaggling assembly. “I’ll do my best not to disappoint you ladies,” and he chirruped his mount to catch up to major.

Perrin glanced back and saw the girls giggle yet again and wave in unison as Shem’s horse trotted away from them.

The young soldier looked rather desperate.

Perrin considered the situation, and when his corporal caught up to him a moment later he said, “You know, Shem, I do allow my soldiers to marry. I encourage it, even. Lot of advantages to ma
rriage, you know.”

Shem shrugged and nodded half-heartedly. “Someday I’ll find the right woman, sir.”

“There are quite a few around here who’d like to volunteer for the position.”

“I’m not sure they’re my type, Major.”

“Oh, I don’t know. One type had blonde hair, another black, another brown—”

Shem chuckled. “I mean, um, they aren’t . . .” He fumbled for the right words, then tried a different tactic. “Major, I want a girl that would . . . that my sister and
Mahrr—
Mrs. Shin
would both like.”

Perrin noticed he started to say Mahrree again, but fixed it. Only someone that was
his
would feel such a familiarity, and also feel the need to conceal it.

Shem continued as if he hadn’t slipped. “Someone they would be friends with. Back home there were a couple of girls that, well, if they’re still around in a few years . . .”

“Ah, I see,” Perrin said slowly. “I don’t recommend waiting too long, Shem. I was lucky Mahrree was still single when I came here. But you can’t wait around simply hoping.”

“I know.”

“So you really don’t think any of those girls with their Zenos banner—”

“Sir, would you have wanted to marry your wife if she were . . .” Shem paused to try to phrase it correctly, “
minimizing her clothing in public
to get your attention?”

Perrin chuckled. “Mahrree was never that kind of girl. At your age she was still scaring off men, not trying to attract them. There’s much more to her than her looks.”

“That’s what I mean! I want more than just looks, but all they have is—” Unable to find the right words, he instead wiggled his shoulders like Sareen had and rolled his eyes in disgusted embarrassment.

Perrin winced in agreement. “Rather relieved you’re not inte
rested in her. That giggling—I never knew a sound to be so grating. And I’m stuck hearing it every evening as she cleans up after the boys. I’m afraid Jaytsy might start picking it up.”

Shem chuckled. “Sareen’s incredibly persistent. I don’t want to be impolite, but—”

“Keep being polite,” Perrin advised. “Rudeness simply isn’t your nature. But also be
very
brief. Eventually she may lose interest when she realizes you’re not expressing any.” 

“Did that work for you?”

Half of Perrin’s mouth lifted into a smile. “Now what makes you think I ever had young women infatuated with me?”

“Just stands to reason,” Shem shrugged. “I imagine that with your father’s position and that fact that you’re . . . um, I suppose that women found—or rather,
still
find you . . . What I
mean
is—”

Perrin chuckled as his corporal grew red.

“Enough digging your own latrine, Zenos. But yes, there was a girl or two. And occasionally you have to firmly tell one that you really aren’t interested, but usually they pick that up on their own.”

Shem sighed. “I sure hope so. She’s getting a bit annoying.”

“To put it
politely
,” Perrin said. “Well, there are some nice girls at Luntings’ congregation.”

Shem nodded
reluctantly. “I’ve seen a few. But it’s hard to meet them. Rector Lunting doesn’t have those smaller meetings like Rector Densal had. Everyone’s just packed into that large barn now. Maybe we can convince a third rector to move here, with smaller meetings again, or get Mr. Metz to come back and start a congregation?”

Perrin looked down at his horse as it plodded to the next tower
station.

“Shem,” he began hesitantly, “I think the problem may be Mahrree and I. Maybe you shouldn’t sit with us, or take the children out when they fuss. Since we’re the only soldiers there, maybe we should spread out a little. Let some of those girls find their way next to you?”

“Actually, sir,” Shem watched his horse too, “sitting with your family is the best part of my week.”

Perrin would never admit it out loud, but it was his favorite part, too. If ever he’d had a little brother, he would have been exactly like Shem.

“Sir, I’d hate to sit alone,” the corporal said. “Besides, most of the girls aren’t really listening, always passing little notes to their friends,” he murmured. “They’re not quite right either. What I want is a girl that thinks, that cares, that talks to me like . . . like . . . like . . .”

“My wife?” Perrin suggested carefully.

“Yes! But probably younger, sir. Oh,” Shem cringed. “That did
not
come out right—”

Perrin laughed. “It’s all right, Shem. I’d be more concerned if you
didn’t
say that!”

Shem glanced at him to make sure the major’s amusement was genuine. He sighed in relief. “And someone like my sister, sir. She and your wife are so alike. And their opinions are very important to me. Almost as important as yours.”

Perrin smiled. “She feels the same way about you, you know. Mahrree thinks of you as a little brother.” He didn’t feel the need to admit anything more than that.

“I know sir, and I appreciate that. It makes being away from home easier. I never had a mother that I remember, but my sister took care of me the same way your wife does.” He chuckled. “A few weeks ago when I visited them, my sister gave me my brother-in-law’s pillow to sleep on!”

“Ah, so you’re used to stealing other men’s pillows,” Perrin glared at him playfully. “How old is your sister?”

“About the same age as you and Mrs. Shin.”

Perrin nodded thoughtfully, surprised to finally hear something about Shem’s family. He rarely spoke about them. “That’s quite a range between children.”

“Not
that
much. Ten years. But it turned out well. My sister helped care for me after my mother died when I was two. I often thought the Creator did that span in our ages on purpose. Still, my father complains he had to wait ten years to get his boy.”

“Patient man.”

“Usually, yes,” Shem said. “But when I went home on leave he said, ‘Waited ten years for my boy, and now he lives as far away from me as he can! Where have you been all this time?’” Shem laughed, a bit sadly.

Perrin stared straight ahead, a thought forming in his head that he didn’t like at all. But it would’ve been dishonest to not share it.

He cleared his throat. “Zenos, the fort in Flax will be completed in the next few weeks. I know the colonel who’s taking it over. He’s still looking for men. If you want to transfer closer to your father, to those girls . . . Consider, you could always transfer back here again later—”

Shem had turned abruptly in his saddle halfway through the m
ajor’s proposal. “No, sir! This is where I belong!”

Perrin leaned back in his saddle, surprised by Shem’s earnes
tness. “Just consider it, Shem. As much as I’d hate to lose you—and I suspect that Mahrree wouldn’t let me back into the house should I let you go—perhaps this is what your father needs.” His voice became quiet. “I can’t imagine how I’d feel if Peto left me and I didn’t have Mahrree anymore. I’d probably get on Jaytsy’s nerves.”

Shem smiled. “Sir, I appreciate the thought, but my father’s fine with where I am. He’s just a big tease like me. He knows who you are and wouldn’t want me serving anywhere else.”

Something in those words struck Perrin oddly. “He knows who I am?”

Shem nodded. “By association, I mean. One year he travelled to Idumea to sell some of his herd to the army, and he ran into the High General. They spoke only for a few minutes, but my father was i
mpressed. When I told him I wanted to re-enlist long term, he said he’d be fine with it as long as I was always under your command.”

“Even if you could live closer to home?”

“Especially if I could live closer to home!” he laughed, but then sobered. “
Please
, Major Shin, let me stay here?”

His tone was so worried that Perrin was stunned. “Of course, of course. Wouldn’t want to upset Mr. Zenos now, would I?”

Shem sighed. “I’m fine here, sir. Really. And if you really don’t want to upset my father, you will not
cheat
in the relay race today. That is, after all, the only chance you have of beating me,
Grandpy
.”