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 continued, “but nothing else. Mr. Arky, I’m talking to you, sir.”
The crowd roared again and Mr. Arky nodded guiltily. His exceptionally 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 audience,” 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 dispersing 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 tended 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 addressed 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 marriage, 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—”