5. Brats, Books, and Hunters #2
Half a dozen warding off gestures fluttered from those who had endured Vladi's un-tender ministrations and tongue. Several had accused the paramedic of reserving the most painful of potions for treating his fellow Hunters. He denied the charge, of course.
"Hiram claims the military has something that burns worse than iodine or alcohol." Constanche sounded dubious. "I have not inquired of Master Lestrang or Albert."
"As regards creatures, breaches happened more rarely before the SEE, but those things that fell through were worse, likewise things that gated in.
" Florian gestured toward Arthur. "Likewise malign magic users were either dealt with sooner, before their power grew too great, or they required more Hunters armed with distance weapons. "
"It is difficult to cast a spell when you resemble nothing so much as a porcupine or pincushion." Arthur bared his teeth a little. "Or so was observed on occasion."
Lukaz signed "strong agreement." "Anno, Maistru, sir.
Master Chan and Mistress Talyssa both say that many workers even today focus on shielding out magical interference but not physical, so breaking their concentration with a thrown object works well.
" He frowned down at the pistol he was cleaning.
"But doing so can lead to backlash, depending on the type of spell that had been in progress. " He looked to Arthur.
He nodded and gestured "agreement," then pulled the two books off the shelf, shaking his head a little as he did so.
"A point of reality that cannot be found in this volume.
" He dropped the humorously erroneous book on the table.
"This one has sufficient errors to fill a larger volume, but Master Tay says the summoned creature does exist." Thud of the second book on the main table.
Florian snatched up the first volume. He opened it and read. His eyebrows rose to meet his hair, and he showed the page to his Familiar. Leopold dropped his head to his paws, then covered both eyes.
"That bad, sir?" Stepan asked, leaning forward to see the cover.
"Ahem." Florian stood, turned to another page, and began.
"'Vat do you mean, you cannot find my files?
' 'I'm sorry sir, all records for recipients that predate 1910 were purged by the government in the last file clearing, the one with the anti-fraud effort, and you need to show proof of more recent birth like birth certificate, passport, census record, naturalization paper, or the like in original form'. "
Florian paused, then, "He rose to his feet, drawing darkness around him like a storm cloud or dark night in the Carpathian Mountains and loomed over the clerk, inspiring terror and desire in equal parts.
'You vill restore my accounts' he commanded, baring teeth as sharp and white as daggers of ice around the mouth of a snow cave.
The young woman protested, then yielded to his desires, baring her soft, fawn-brown throat to—"
The sound of laughter and groans drowned out the rest of the paragraph.
"How dare you laugh at such a piece of literary magnificence," Florian protested, as straight faced as he could manage. Arthur winced and braced inside. "I'll have you know that the drama is only beginning."
Leopold rolled onto his flank, then his back, tongue hanging out of his muzzle, eyes rolled up into his head. Arthur agreed whole-heartedly. He slipped out of the armory. Ladislu should have the youngsters in hand, but even staves could do great damage.
"He called me a coward and an Ottoman's son!"
"I see." He heard no color in Ladislu's voice. On the other side of the circle, Petru frowned and shook his head.
The other puppy gulped, then blurted, "Well, he is! He wouldn't do his share of the work, and keeps talking about how when he leads the Hunters, things will be different, and—"
"Enough," the older Hunters barked. Arthur frowned. Should the senior Hunter hear such foolishness, the puppy would suffer more than bruises, if he survived the lesson.
He moved out of the shadows to stand beside Ladislu. "Really." He locked eyes with Villi. "Andreas' father is a Turk of the old empire?"
"He might as well be, as bad as his farm is run and the way he—" Petru clamped a hand over the brat's mouth before he went farther.
Ladislu had one hand on Andreas' shoulder before the youngster could do more than consider moving. "Silence," Ladislu commanded, teeth half-bared. The pup under his hand closed his mouth. At least he had sufficient sense to know when to obey.
Ladislu looked to him as Arthur folded his arms. "Sir, I believe that a brat needs a lesson in history and lineages as well as danger of running his mouth."
"Indeed." He considered, then nodded once. "Hold them here."
He ducked back into the armory. Mirth overflowed from the open door, filling the night. "Stop," one of the younger men begged as Florian turned a page. "I hurt."
Where was—? Ah. Lukaz the Younger had moved away from the table, a thoughtful look on his face. Arthur caught his eye and beckoned. He jumped up and followed. "Get the smaller history from the Hunter's parlor."
"Sir." The Hunter bowed and raced toward the main house. He returned as fast, holding a large volume bound in brown and blue leather.
"This way." Arthur led him to where the boys and their minders waited.
Someone had opened his muzzle, because both puppies did pushups as the men watched.
Shadow—Master Lestrang—had suggested it as being one of the military's tools for dealing with excess folly. "The chapter on the last Turkish War."
Lukaz opened the book, found the page, and proffered it. "Thank you. Stay here." The young Hunter bowed and moved a few steps away, into shadow.
Arthur nodded to Ladislu. "They may continue."
"Yes, sir."
The moon and light spilling from the armory provided sufficient to read.
"In the year of summer waters, when the Great Black River overflowed half the year, the Turks waged their second great attack on the citadel of the Catholic Empire, that being called Vienna.
They entered the plain of the Great Black River a week and a day before the feast of St. John, and proceeded north, sheep, then men, an army so enormous as to cover all the land for leagues.
The plains devils rode with them, harrying and sowing terror ahead of the turned slaves and others. "
He continued until the end of the chapter, and slowed his words. The brats had begun to breathe hard, arms shaking with fatigue. That was good.
"Because of the chaos caused by the raiders, and because all are born children of the Great God no matter their mortal father, the priest and Elders ruled that all children born in the fullness of time following the last raid would be blood of the clan, to be raised without penalty or stigma, for the blood of the Son had washed away soul stains, save those freely chosen and unregretted.
For this reason, as during the years of the first Plains Raiders, all children of women of the clan carried only their mother's heritage.
And so it was, for the need for Hunters was great, and all are born innocent of their parents' sins save for that of our first father, Adam. "
He closed the book and held it out. Lukaz lifted the weight from his hand, bowed, and trotted back toward the house.
"Is there any shame in carrying the blood of an Ottoman or Mongol?" Ladislu asked the exhausted pair.
"No," pant pant, "sir." Sweat soaked Villi's shirt and dripped from his face.
Petru signed "strong agreement." "Is such a claim grounds for attacking a fellow Hunter in a place under Defender's Peace?"
"Noo, si—" Andres tried to push up and collapsed.
Ladislu looked to him. He nodded. Ladislu studied the puppies, both on their bellies in the dirt, truly exhausted. "The lesson is over. When you are able to move, you are dismissed. Go home, your homes."
Which would lead to questions from their parents, and further discipline.
Arthur waited as the two older Hunters conferred.
Petru saluted Ladislu and went to the armory, taking both of the fighting staves with him.
Constanche came in his place. "When these two can move, they are dismissed for the night to their homes.
See that they go directly to their vehicles, please," Ladislu ordered.
Constanche bared his teeth. "Gladly, sir."
Ladislu gestured "private word." Arthur led him toward the produce garden, away from easy hearing by the others.
Once well out of sight and sound, Ladislu rubbed his forehead.
"If they are found floating where the river enters the Great Sea, I will pledge that I know nothing, was not near them, and have witnesses that all of us were Hunting on the far side of the state. "
"Was damage done in the armory?"
"No, but only because Stepan forced them apart, and Petru dragged Andreas away from the long blades before he grabbed one."
He hissed, "That is not acceptable."
"No, sir, thus the lesson. Saturday night, Andreas and Ianku-the-Dark said that Villi's father died because of his own stupidity.
" Ladislu folded his arms and studied the ground.
"Honored Maistru Arthur sir, perhaps it is time for the Elders together to speak with the youngest Hunters and Hunters-to-be about discipline and Defender's Peace. "
Arthur strode to the end of the garden and stared to the south, toward the river.
He waited, watching the stars, sensing the soft passing of the night wind, cool and dry.
The summer turned to autumn, and the feast of the Defender came soon.
That decided him, and he returned to where Ladislu waited.
"It is time. The need has not arisen since the year of the Yellow Hunt.
The Elders meet in two nights. We," he nodded to the leader of the Hunters, "will propose it to the council.
I do not want the Defender's Vigil or Feast disturbed by fools. "
Ladislu blanched and crossed himself. "Great God have mercy. Surely not."