A Walk in the Dark Chapter 27 by Maggie Finson

When all that was over with, I returned to my normal(?) form and found that I was still standing on the table. How embarrassing.

Okay, maybe not that bad overall, but one of my feet was planted in a dish that had held some kind of fruit. That was now mush and sticky juice.

Oh, evidently, it had been Sirin doing all of the webbing, because she was still merrily wrapping some very shocked not to mention hapless Dhro’aaa when I turned to check on what she was doing.

“Sirrin.” I called softly while trying to keep myself from laughing at the antics of her victims. “I think that’s enough for now. Let the nice Dhro’aaa figure out a way to get out of your webs, and leave them alone for the moment. But if any of them so much as thinks of doing something hostile, you can eat them.”

She stopped, a bit reluctantly, and moved just far enough away to let her prisoners struggle all they liked while still being close enough to pounce on anyone idiotic enough to offer me hostilities. I reassured her and shrugged for the benefit of the others in the chamber. “It’s okay, Sirin. Given the way things have been going recently, I’m pretty sure you’ll get to eat at least one of these people.

“So don’t be foolish.” I told everyone in general and finally thought I’d insulted the Queen and King enough so turned to look at them with a calm I didn’t think I had much right to have. I even smiled at them.

They glared up at me — I was still standing on the table but I had gotten my foot out that bowl — and made no move to do anything else.

“An oath, a blood oath, was given to me before I agreed to come here.” I told them. “You saw fit to break that, but since you hadn’t given it yourselves or partaken of the blood you’re sure you won’t suffer for that.

“You’re wrong.” I went on with a wicked smile. “Your daughter, all the priestesses who were with her when the blood oath was given are mine now. To do with what I will. Also the Warrior who brought me here gave me his oath. You saw fit to break all of them.”

They both paled, or at least as much as anyone with their dark complexions could, and stared at me.

“I would be perfectly within my rights to demand reparation for your lack of hospitality and treachery.” I grinned at them and shrugged. “But I have to tell you I expected that. Now what shall I demand of you for recompense?”

Yeah, yeah, I know. I was sounding all formal and scary. A girl does what a girl has to do, you know.

“Leave this place and never return.” The queen answered, still hostile and fuming about me almost biting her earlier, I think. Well, to honest, I’d have more than a little upset if someone had done that to me.

“Well, I can’t really do that just yet.” I answered with a shrug while jumping lightly off the table and barely managing to keep from skidding into an undignified heap from the fruit mush that was still on one of my boots. Fortunately, I’d landed on a carpet so that didn’t happen. Wiping my foot on the rug like it was a doormat, I kept watching the pair. “I need to reach some kind of accommodation with all of you here because I refuse to keep looking over my shoulder every time I’m out of the citadel.”

“We make no accomodations with abominations, renegade.” The queen hissed at me while setting up another spell, her husband was reaching for a very unornamental sword as she did.

“I was afraid you were going to be stubborn.” I sighed then with two flicks of a wrist took care of those particular problems. While I removed my pair of throwing knives from the throats of the former rulers of the place and wiped the blades clean on their clothing I heard a bit of commotion from around the room. My companions were making sure no one did anything to irritate me even more, it seemed.

Turning to look at the assembled Dhro’aaa I was inwardly shocked at my own callousness about the whole thing but set that aside until I could have a really good freak out session in private. “Well, as you can see, there are some changes going on here. One of you that isn’t webbed please go get Queen Mrrthiss, would you?”

There were a lot more volunteers for that task than needed (Big surprise there, right?) but Sam sorted them out and actually accompanied the one frightened male allowed to leave the throne chamber. Obviously to make sure he did what I’d asked and nothing more. That’s my man. Oddly, thinking of him that way didn’t bother me at all these days, even the little twinges of ‘But I used to be a man’ had faded in that regard.

“Now I would really prefer to make our future relationship a friendly one.” I told the rest of the gathering then reached over to pet Sirrin, who had moved to my side. It’s really amazing how you can hold a room’s attention when a giant dire spider is standing beside you and purring while you pet it, you know? “But if any of you object to that, I’ll be more than happy to discuss it with you.

“Oh, oops.” I put the pair of throwing knives still in one hand back into their hiding places and gave them all a sheepish little grin. “Forgot I was still holding those. Now if anyone has objections please make them known and we’ll discuss them. Hopefully without more of the icky stuff.

“Bloodshed.” I explained at the blank looks my last statement had caused. I had thought of taking all of their blood oaths, but the idea of drinking that much blood caused my poor stomach to churn with incipient rebellion. Happily a simpler solution was available. I’d just take one from Mrrthiss again, then let her take the ones from the others.

Okay, I’m a real wimp about some things, I admit it. Somewhere in the background of my chaotic thoughts, emotions, and brain I heard soft laughter that just had to be Mother. Sigh.

But I got everything done to my satisfaction. Mrrthiss, the new queen took her oath with me and I made sure it was free of any really glaring loopholes, she took those from the gathered nobles and I noted that those were a whole lot tighter so made a note of that for future use. Well, if problems arose from my lack of experience with that kind of thing, I’d just have to deal with them when they came up.

At any rate, we got out of Cae’th Og alive and to be honest, I was really glad to be heading home. And yes, before anyone starts to snicker, I did consider The Citadel to be home now.

“That went well, overall.” Sam told me as we were riding away from the place.

“Well, maybe so.” I agreed. “At least the locals won’t have to worry about being playthings for the Dhro’aaa if they run across any of them, and we do seem to have allies now.”

“Exactly.” He reached over to gently pat my leg but was interrupted by — yes, I can’t seem to catch a break around here — a loud crashing from the woods and the sounds of a horse whinnying.

I recognized that particular whinny and closed my eyes in resignation. “Why me?”