The former head cook of midday meal at the garrison was a good fit as supply master.
“Sir, I’m not for lack of things to do around here,” Gizzada said jovially. “I keep myself well entertained!”
“So that’s the problem, Karna? Not enough entertainment for you?” Shin asked. “I didn’t realize you were so eager to get back into the forest. I can arrange for that, if you insist.”
His lieutenant paled as the sergeants sniggered. “No, sir, I don’t want you violating your father’s orders again. Why, he might promote me ahead of you.”
Shin’s eyebrows went up as the sergeants chuckled.
There was a knock on the office door and Neeks opened it.
“You’re a little late today, messenger,” Grandpy said severely to the young man holding the bag from Idumea. Neeks never passed up an opportunity to dress down a young soldier.
“Yes, sir. Sorry, sirs,” he nodded towards Captain Shin. “The messenger I met in Vines said there were some last minute administrative additions to the pack in Idumea. And as you know, we’re not allowed to leave until all of them are satisfied.” He took the pack off his back and handed it over to Grandpy, who kept the eyebrow up.
“Then I suppose it’s remarkable you get to leave at all,” Karna mumbled daringly.
Shin nodded back to the messenger. “I won’t have anything to return for at least an hour while I sort through this. Might as well take your meal here rather than in Mountseen.”
“Be first in line at the mess hall,” Gizzada recommended. “Roast venison in a button mushroom sauce with buttered spuds. Mmm!” He kissed his fingers.
“Thank you, sirs!” the messenger said happily, before having his grin wiped away by Neeks’ still-menacing eyebrow.
As he bolted down the stairs, Neeks dropped the pack on Shin’s large oak desk. “Feels a little heavier today, Captain. Need some help going through it?”
“Probably,” Perrin said, pulling out some of the contents. “More notices. We’re going to have to build larger notice boards around Edge to hold them all.”
“Or ask the Administrators to be more concise,” Karna nodded as he picked up a large document detailing something mundane.
Shin sat down at the desk and sorted through the pile. “Ah, this one looks promising. Nice and small.”
He grinned as he looked at the plain beeswax seal. Something in his belly tightened, but maybe it was because he was now thinking about venison, and he could hear Gizzada’s round abdomen rumbling. As the other soldiers sorted through the message pack, Perrin opened the small folded document, grimaced at the unfamiliar writing, then swallowed as he read the sentence.
For a minute none of the other men noticed that he hadn’t moved, until Neeks glanced up and saw the dead look in his eyes. “Sir? Something wrong?”
Shin didn’t answer.
“Captain?” Karna tried.
Shin only swallowed again and refolded the message. “Men, take care of the rest of this for me, please. Anything important, leave on the desk. I’ll be back in forty-five minutes.” He stood up and put on his cap.
“Sir?” Karna said, stunned that the captain would leave while messages needed addressing.
“And when I come back, you may find something far more interesting to do than timing my yawns!”
---
Rector Densal released a heavy sigh and looked at the note in his hands. “Perrin, I think your father might have more insight than me.”
“I don’t think I have that kind of time, Hogal,” Perrin said gravely as he sat across from Hogal at his eating table.
Tabbit stood behind Hogal, reading over his shoulder. “Are you going to tell Mahrree?”
Perrin shrugged. “According to number three on my mother’s list, I shouldn’t give Mahrree anything unnecessary to worry about. One never knows when the mother bear instinct may arise.”
Tabbit nodded. “Joriana was always very smart in these things.”
“I don’t know,” Hogal mused. “Mahrree might need to know that a dozen Guarders have her and little Jaytsy marked.”
“Oh, that’s not really what it means,” Tabbit blanched. “Is it?!”
“What else would it mean, Auntie?” Perrin said, trying to keep his growing rage and worry out of his great aunt and uncle’s house, unsuccessfully. “It’s written in a hand I’m not familiar with, and by the tightness of it, it looks like they even took pains to disguise it just to be sure. Somehow it got smuggled into the message bag. Only administrators and the army can submit messages to that service. The messenger said the pack was delayed in leaving Idumea early this morning, and that’s why!” he gestured furiously at the note. “Someone took great risks to get me that warning, and they wouldn’t bother unless it was a real threat!”