The Forest at the Edge of the World (31 page)

Perrin smiled inwardly. He knew what was coming next, and he w
as going to enjoy watching the effect.

In a voice louder than any man should possess, High General Shin bellowed to the forest as he paced slowly before the assembled men.

“Guarder spies: I know you’re out there! I know you’ve watched this fort rise from the ground at a remarkable speed and with meticulous care. I know you’ve watched these exemplary soldiers march into it and now realize that the Army of Idumea is a fearsome and powerful force, not to be lightly reckoned with! We have no quarrel with you. Our ancestors are dead and gone, as are yours. We have no desire to raid your lands, as you raid ours. We have no desire to steal away your people, as you have stolen ours. We have no desire to fill your women and children with terror, as you fill ours. But we desire to protect all that we love, and I assure you, we will kill every man who stands in our way! We stand here ready. Strong. Trained. Armed. Organized. Not to attack, but to defend. Defend our land, our people, our freedom from your terror. You want a fight? We’ll give you a fight. You want a surrender? We’ll accept your surrender. You want to destroy us? We’ll destroy you first! We don’t fear you. We’re prepared. It’s you who should fear, for today I stand before the greatest fighting force the world has ever produced. Soldiers of the Army of Idumea, let the Guarders hear you roar!”

Perrin received reports later that the residents of Edge came running out of their houses and shops when they heard the treme
ndous noise from the north.

Captain Shin, standing in the middle of it, heard nothing, b
ecause the sound was completely deafening.

He winked at his father as the soldiers cheered and chanted and taunted any Guarders that might be within earshot. The general’s speech wasn’t for them, though. It was for the soldiers of Edge.

Relf Shin winked back at his son. Inspection passed.

---

In the forest about thirty paces in, but in view of the open northeast gates, two men dressed in mottled green and brown clothing sat in the middle of a stand of scrubby oaks.

“Nice speech,” one said as the yelling finally subsided.

“I’ve heard it before. At Grasses.”

---

That evening as Mahrree washed her plates at the basin she tried not to think about her walk with the general. Although it started uncomfortably, she had to admit that it turned out fine when he said it would be agreeable to call her daughter-in-law, then told her how the desert village of Sands has rock gardens. Mahrree looked up from her chore. Through the thick wavy glass she saw the blue smudge of Perrin hop over the low back fence along the alley and come to the back door.

He walked in and looked at her blankly before announcing, “Passed inspection—
both
of us!”

“So that’s
what that shouting meant? I was starting to run for the long knife in the table.”

He grinned, took her arm, and led her to the eating room where they both sat down. “And now,” he said, “I want to know what my father said to you. I had no idea that was coming. I don’t think he ever spent time alone with any other woman besides his mother and his wife. He looked more uncomfortable than you did. But whatever you said made a good impression on him. He approves of you whole heartedly. So . . . what did you talk about?”

“About my not making window coverings for the fort,” she related soberly. “Apparently my mother has become quite the letter writer.”

Perrin’s face distorted as if he smelled something nasty. “Oh. Well. That’s a promise easily kept. Anything else? Any deep dark secrets from my past that he shared?” He smiled in anticipation.

Mahrree’s eyebrows rose. “You have deep dark secrets? I think I may get more information from your mother. But no, nothing very interesting transpired between us. Just civil conversation.”

Perrin looked disappointed. 

“But what about you and your mother?” she asked.

He took her hands in his and seemed to consider if he should tell her. “My mother told me how to be a good husband,” he finally said.

“She talked to me as well, about what it’s like to be married to an officer,” she hinted.

Perrin nodded to affirm the same conversation. “Have you thought about what she said?” His face showed even more concern than before his parents arrived.

She glanced down at the table. When no answers could be seen in the grain of the wood she looked up at him. “Really, Perrin—how bad could it ever be?”

He attempted a smile. “My parents have lasted this long and not killed each other.”

She returned the smile. “Yet.”

He sat up straight and put on a mock serious face. “I’ve got it: I promise you Mahrree Peto-soon-to-be-Shin, I will never kill you. How’s that?”

She sat up straight too and mimicked his look. “And I promise I will
probably
never try to kill you either, Perrin Shin. Maybe we could get Hogal to add that to our vows?”

---

The next morning Mrs. Shin arrived to check on Mahrree. “Well?” she asked hesitantly as she stood at the front door.

“Since I am about to become his wife, I think it best that you start telling me all of his deep dark secrets. He confessed he has a few.”

A smile grew on Mrs. Shin’s face. “Maybe after you hear about what kind of a troublesome boy he was, how he got all his nicks and scars, you may
still
want to reconsider. Your chances of having a son like him may be very great. But then again,” her voice warmed considerably, “he is also a great son!”

After the first three stories Mahrree grabbed some paper and a quill. The details were fascinating and worth recording.

That evening she prayed for daughters.

Chapter 16 ~ “Expectations?
I
didn’t

expect this!”

T
wo and a half weeks later, two men sat in a dark office of an unlit building.

“Question,” began the first man, “now that the fort in Edge is fully operational, the wolf has secured his mate, and the Grasses si
tuation finally ended with a—what was the description? ‘A
heart-wrenching
burial’—”

“The letter from Chairman Mal to the officers expressing so
rrow about the circumstances was a lovely touch,” the second man nodded.

The older man held up his finger. “That
was
considerate, wasn’t it? As I was saying, I believe it’s now time to propose a new question: Is Shin too comfortable with his little successes in Edge? First the fort, then the woman . . . seems like he needs a challenge.”

The second man smiled. “Comfort is never a good thing. People become complacent, which would be terrible for the captain. So here’s a supplementary question: Does growth come from disco
mfort?”

“Ah, intriguing!” The first man rubbed his hands together. “Growth or failure? My speculation: When faced with discomfort he will fail, and magnificently! How could any man fulfill the expect
ations of a father like Relf Shin?”

His partner rubbed the closely-trimmed beard on his chin. “Then I speculate opposite of you, since Shin always surprises you. I believe he will prove to be a most protective, and even aggressive, wolf to protect his new pack.”

The older man cocked his head. “Oh,
really?
You don’t know Shin like I do.”

The second man chuckled. “And I don’t think you know him as well you think you do.”

The first man’s eyebrows went up. “And I think you’ve heard one too many stories about the great young Perrin Shin!”

The second man sat back, startled by his partner’s adamancy. “Are you sure you’re not taking this a little too personally? Nicko, one could surmise you’re not entirely objective about—”

“Objective? I assure you that no one has more objectivity than I do!” Nicko Mal shouted. “I have a point to prove to Captain Shin, so I’m setting things in motion. Perrin’s going to learn about discomfort!”

---

              “This is the last crate, right?” Mahrree asked as she eyed the large wooden box that was placed—
dropped
—in her front garden.

“No ma’am, sorry,” the sergeant first class said as he went back to the wagon. “This one,” he grunted as he pulled it out, “is the last crate. Where do you want it?”

Mahrree gestured to the other three crates already on the dirt.

“Right there. My husband will move them in.” She tried not to grin when she said “my husband.” After two weeks of marriage, the newness of it all was still so delicious.

The sergeant dropped the smaller, heavier crate on top of the larger one. “Hope you like books, Mrs. Shin, because I think that’s all that’s in this one.”

“And I thought I already had every good book printed in the world.”

“You can use the crates to make new bookshelves,” the sergeant suggested as he brushed down his uniform.

“Want to stay and help build them?” Mahrree smirked.

“No, ma’am!” the sergeant shook his head. “I need to be getting back to Idumea.”

“What an excuse! Tell Mrs. Shin thanks for packing all of this.
I think.” She glanced behind her and looked at the new study that had just been completed earlier that week. Maybe it
wasn’t
big enough.

The sergeant tipped his cap and chuckled as he went back to the
wagon he spent the last three days driving to Edge.

“Again, congratulations on the marriage, Mrs. Shin. Hope you find wedded bliss to be all that you imagined.”

“It has been for the past two weeks,” she grinned. “Until now.”

The sergeant just laughed. “I’ve known Captain Shin for many years—you’re a perfect match for him, Mrs. Shin. Good day to you!”

Mahrree waved as he clucked the horses to head to the main road.

Then she smiled at the crates. It was going to cause an arg
ument, she was sure. This was the second delivery of Perrin’s things, and he had more books and maps than she expected, but she really didn’t mind. The past two weeks really had been bliss.

Their wedding on the 38
th
Day of Weeding was exactly what Perrin and Mahrree had hoped it would be: intimate with just the Shins, her mother, and the Densals. Although Perrin said it wasn’t necessary that his mother, new mother-in-law, and great aunt sobbed the entire time. Even Hogal shed a couple of tears. At least Mahrree remained composed, too excited to cry.

The meal afterwards was exactly what Hycymum had hoped it would be. It seemed the entire village came out to the village green, and brought a dish of something to share. There were enough dona
ted leftovers that Perrin sent the remaining food up to the fort, which endeared him even more to his soldiers but not the cooks.

Even High General Shin was heard laughing a few times during the dinner, and judging by the amazed look on Perrin’s face, Mahrree surmised that didn’t happen very often.

Since then, they’d been getting used to living with each other. Perrin made the mistake on their third day of issuing her an order, to which she responded by putting her hands on her hips. “You want ‘forward progress?’ That’s not the way,
Mr. Shin!
”

And more than once he had to remind her, “Your house? You said this was
our house
now, remember
Mrs. Shin?
”

While the past two weeks really had been bliss, anyone listening in on their conversations would have thought there was already tro
uble in Paradise.

They argued.

Constantly.

Over who decided what’s for dinner and when, and who cleaned up afterwards, what they did that evening, and where Perrin’s things
should go in the house.

They started arguing even before the wedding, when Perrin came by on his day off to build a new bed for them that took up nearly the entire upstairs bedroom and threatened to burst into the adjoining attic. Mahrree had skeptically evaluated the massive ti
mbers Perrin had hauled up there, with the help of a winded Lieutenant Karna.

“I was actually imagining a
standard sized
bed—”

Perrin raised an eyebrow at her. “I’m not a
standard sized
man, Mahrree. The new bed will fit.”

“If we jump onto it from the small desk—”

“We need a big bed. You don’t want me kicking you at night, right?”

“Well, no, but I would’ve preferred that you tell me your plans for my—”

He raised an eyebrow again at her.

“
Our
,” she corrected herself, “
our
bedroom. I don’t even know where to get a mattress and ticking big enough—”

“You can’t,” he grinned. “Has to be special ordered, from Ri
vers. Should be here tomorrow evening.”

“You already bought the mattress?”

“You’ll love it, I promise. I slept on something similar when I was posted in Vines. It’s rather pricey, but the most comfortable blend of straw and down—”

“But you didn’t even ask my opinion?”

“Think of it as a gift. That bookshelf has to go, by the way. Down into the new study—”

“Which I just found out you paid for! We were going to split the cost evenly, remember?”

“I was never going to let you do that. You paid for the house years ago, so the least I can do is pay for the new study and the bed.”

“But that’s not what we agreed!”

“Well, I came up with something better!”

It was the slow, dragging noise coming up the stairs that stopped their bickering.

“I could use some help here,” Karna said as he struggled to bring up two more large timbers.

Mahrree and Perrin glared at each other as Karna dropped the beams in the room with a resounding thud. As he wheezed, Mahrree
discovered something about the way she and Perrin functioned. Their glares were shifting into something just as intense, but no longer angry.  She realized Karna was speaking again.

“. . . down in the wagon is still plenty of lumber, so if the two of you would just kiss and make up already, I’d appreciate it.”

Something was happening in Perrin’s eyes, and Mahrree had the same thought. Karna, if you’d excuse us for a moment, that’s precisely what we’ll do right now.

“Honestly,” Karna continued his complaining as he tried to catch his breath, “I’m a little worried that the larger officer’s quarters just might not be mine at the end of next week, the way you two keep
debating
things . . .”

No problem there, Lieutenant, Mahrree thought as she watched the gleam in Perrin’s eyes take on an additional level of sharpness. A small smile was forming on his lips. Maybe it was because they were standing in what was about to be
their
bedroom, but she felt her breathing start to increase as she held his deep gaze.

It was
precisely
the debating that did it to them. It was the arguing that opened some gate, started a flow that wasn’t to be diverted, like the force of the canal water channeled from the river. Once the current hit you, it was nearly impossible to stand against it.

That’s when she decided it was likely a good idea Karna
was
there. Even at their age, it seemed they needed a chaperone.

Still, she was too preoccupied with watching Perrin’s face to notice Karna was saying something again. There was a flood-like intensity in Perrin’s eyes now—

“I said,
Ahem!
”

Perrin blinked, and so did Mahrree. They looked sidelong over at Lieutenant Karna, almost sheepishly.

He tried not to smirk, probably worried it wasn’t appropriate, but he did give them both a stern, evaluative gaze.

“I see,” he said slowly, as his captain and Miss Peto turned pink in the realization that he was in the room. “I misread the previous situation. That’s poor soldiering of me. I now see that it’s exactly
the opposite
. Shin, aren’t there more timbers to bring up here?”

Perrin nodded once and turned back to gazing at is future bride. “That’s right. Brillen, go get them for me. I have one or two things I’d like to
argue
here first, so take your time.”

Mahrree giggled and Karna scoffed loudly. “Uh,
no Shin
. I think I need to remain here to protect Miss Peto from
potential danger
. You go fetch, sir.” He shook his head and sat down on the wood he’d brought up. “If you two aren’t the strangest couple,” he mumbled. “But apparently perfect for each other. . .”

Mahrree laughed in embarrassment as Perrin glared at his lie
utenant, eventually shrugged in reluctant agreement, then jogged down the stairs to retrieve more lumber.

Karna ended up staying the entire day to help his captain more quickly construct the bed frame and also, he claimed, to make sure Miss Peto was kept safe by an
objective
member of the Army of Idumea.

By the next evening the massive bed frame was finished, and the enormous mattress, which was heavier and bulkier than Mahrree could have imagined, arrived. It was dragged up the stairs and hefted into place by Perrin and Karna. It
did
fit—barely—with plenty of room underneath for storage crates.

“Well?” Perrin asked as he beamed in pride at his creation.

“I have to admit, it’s not too bad.” Mahrree eyed the massive timbers turned into simple furniture. Apparently the blood of the High Generals had never been tainted by craftsmen with artistic leanings.

She wondered if, left to their own devices, the Shin men would have opted for clubs torn off of trees instead of elegant swords with ornate hilts.

“Certainly
sturdy
.”

“If it would make things easier, Miss Peto,” Karna leaned against the wall, “I could step into the hall to let you two
debate
this in private.
But I have to warn you—I’m staying within earshot, and I can report you two to Rector Densal if I must.”

Insulted, Perrin squinted at him, but Mahrree laughed.

“Thank you, Lieutenant. It
is
getting rather late, so I’ll let the
two
of you get back to the fort now.”

It was quite the opposite of sleeping on the small sofa, as she had for the past few nights while the bedroom had been under co
nstruction. But once she got over the feeling of being lost on the massive mattress, she had to admit it was the most comfortable night she’d ever had.