rules, he’ll shoot ’em himself. Once had a couple on guard duty who sneaked off to screw against a tree and we lost fifteen of the company that night.’
Slowly, Lynx nodded and turned to the washbasin. Standing there with his cock out and his blood high, her words weren’t filtering in to his head too quickly, but the years had taught him to keep a closed face to the world until everything made sense.
‘Why don’t you explain it to me then?’ he said quietly, rinsing out the cloth before starting to wipe his body down.
‘It’s simple enough, has to be for all of us to remember. No screwing while we work. We’re mercs and we fight for a living. If we let personal shit get in the way, folk die. Anatin only likes grown-ups in his company; he’s seen enough of dumbshit farmboys thinking the rules don’t apply to them. Might be, the odd evening out on the road, he’ll call leisure time for anyone not on guard duty, but that’ll only happen when we’re safe and secure, which ain’t often on most roads.’
‘And you all keep to it, no issues?’
‘Hah, wouldn’t quite put it like that. Mercs aren’t the cleverest folk around.’
When he turned around again, she’d pulled on her small things and was untangling her trousers from the pile of discarded clothes. ‘But
you
do?’
She paused and looked him straight in the eye. ‘Aye, I do. Some folk’ll fall in love first tumble they have – me, I can enjoy it for what it is and go back to work. Don’t mean I’ve not got feelings, but it’ll take more’n one night for me to fall for anyone.’ She gave him a sly smile. ‘Don’t take it as a complaint though, half-decent’s a pretty high standard.’
Finally Lynx did laugh. ‘Suppose I’ll take what I can get then,’ he said, ‘so let’s start with my clothes.’
She tossed him his drawers and he pulled them on quickly, feeling less foolish now he wasn’t completely naked.
‘I meant what I said, though,’ she added in a more serious tone.
‘About what?’
‘I want your story one day.’ She brushed the tattoo on his cheek with her fingers.
Lynx tensed. ‘Not much to tell.’
Kas nodded, pulled her leather jacket on and began to lace it up. ‘If you say so, but most folk don’t wedge ’emselves against the wall and flinch if they’re touched in their sleep.’
He frowned and looked away, very aware he was showing all too much but just as aware he couldn’t help himself. ‘Aye, well, I’m used to sleeping alone.’
Kas nodded and sat to haul her long boots on while Lynx fetched the rest of his clothes. ‘That you are. But some of these bruises I got the fun way last night, and a couple I got when I brushed your arm and your hand closed like a vice on me.’ She held up a hand. ‘I ain’t demanding answers, just saying I reckon you’ve got some history to you. One day I’d be glad to hear it.’
Lynx pursed his lips. Unseen by Kas he touched his thumb to the silver ring he wore and nodded. ‘That’s the thing about history,’ he said gruffly, ‘it’s all in the past. Best place for it.’
‘Not sure it
is
all in the past for you,’ she said as she grabbed her weapons, ‘but it’s your history and you tell it as you want, Lynx. In the meantime, I’m for a piss and some food.’ She slapped him on the backside one final time and grabbed him by the shirt, pulling him close for a last kiss that was a lot more tender than before.
‘Thanks for a good night all the same,’ Kas whispered. ‘Don’t dally, though. I’m not pulling rank; if a recruit’s the last to muster Anatin might make an example of ’em and you get Reft, not your superior.’
‘Get him for what?’
She grinned. ‘Stay here a while longer and you can find out.’
Muster wasn’t quite what Lynx expected. Over the years he’d seen quite a variety, from the arrow-straight ranks of So Han parade grounds to the sergeants-at-arms of mercenary armies corralling their troops with bullwhips.
Slowly, Lynx nodded and turned to the washbasin. Standing there with his cock out and his blood high, her words weren’t filtering in to his head too quickly, but the years had taught him to keep a closed face to the world until everything made sense.
‘Why don’t you explain it to me then?’ he said quietly, rinsing out the cloth before starting to wipe his body down.
‘It’s simple enough, has to be for all of us to remember. No screwing while we work. We’re mercs and we fight for a living. If we let personal shit get in the way, folk die. Anatin only likes grown-ups in his company; he’s seen enough of dumbshit farmboys thinking the rules don’t apply to them. Might be, the odd evening out on the road, he’ll call leisure time for anyone not on guard duty, but that’ll only happen when we’re safe and secure, which ain’t often on most roads.’
‘And you all keep to it, no issues?’
‘Hah, wouldn’t quite put it like that. Mercs aren’t the cleverest folk around.’
When he turned around again, she’d pulled on her small things and was untangling her trousers from the pile of discarded clothes. ‘But
you
do?’
She paused and looked him straight in the eye. ‘Aye, I do. Some folk’ll fall in love first tumble they have – me, I can enjoy it for what it is and go back to work. Don’t mean I’ve not got feelings, but it’ll take more’n one night for me to fall for anyone.’ She gave him a sly smile. ‘Don’t take it as a complaint though, half-decent’s a pretty high standard.’
Finally Lynx did laugh. ‘Suppose I’ll take what I can get then,’ he said, ‘so let’s start with my clothes.’
She tossed him his drawers and he pulled them on quickly, feeling less foolish now he wasn’t completely naked.
‘I meant what I said, though,’ she added in a more serious tone.
‘About what?’
‘I want your story one day.’ She brushed the tattoo on his cheek with her fingers.
Lynx tensed. ‘Not much to tell.’
Kas nodded, pulled her leather jacket on and began to lace it up. ‘If you say so, but most folk don’t wedge ’emselves against the wall and flinch if they’re touched in their sleep.’
He frowned and looked away, very aware he was showing all too much but just as aware he couldn’t help himself. ‘Aye, well, I’m used to sleeping alone.’
Kas nodded and sat to haul her long boots on while Lynx fetched the rest of his clothes. ‘That you are. But some of these bruises I got the fun way last night, and a couple I got when I brushed your arm and your hand closed like a vice on me.’ She held up a hand. ‘I ain’t demanding answers, just saying I reckon you’ve got some history to you. One day I’d be glad to hear it.’
Lynx pursed his lips. Unseen by Kas he touched his thumb to the silver ring he wore and nodded. ‘That’s the thing about history,’ he said gruffly, ‘it’s all in the past. Best place for it.’
‘Not sure it
is
all in the past for you,’ she said as she grabbed her weapons, ‘but it’s your history and you tell it as you want, Lynx. In the meantime, I’m for a piss and some food.’ She slapped him on the backside one final time and grabbed him by the shirt, pulling him close for a last kiss that was a lot more tender than before.
‘Thanks for a good night all the same,’ Kas whispered. ‘Don’t dally, though. I’m not pulling rank; if a recruit’s the last to muster Anatin might make an example of ’em and you get Reft, not your superior.’
‘Get him for what?’
She grinned. ‘Stay here a while longer and you can find out.’
Muster wasn’t quite what Lynx expected. Over the years he’d seen quite a variety, from the arrow-straight ranks of So Han parade grounds to the sergeants-at-arms of mercenary armies corralling their troops with bullwhips.
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