The Finders

A Legions of Lyric tale

HQ, Stockmans’ Row, Naurlinz, South Wisana
3:42pm, Sowenmoon 27th, 456 NE

“Whaaaaatt!!??” Yelled Gregones as his head popped up out from behind the large crate that he was tacking shut.
The east facing double barn doors to the warehouse (HQ) were wide open flooding the dank warehouse with subdued afternoon daylight. It backlit the group. A dozen people mounted and leading a handful of loaded mules. A large pointed eared shepherd dog, black and tan trotted to the front.
The others in the space heard the exclamation, looked, stopped their packing and came to greet the newly arrived as they dismounted.

It was The Finders, the other half of the Eyes & Fists Squad. The other half of that squad, The Flaming Os (except Gregones) and The Puff Adders from The Octagon Squad were with them. The latter two groups had ridden out the previous day to meet the former group, as they, The Finders, were expected in Naurlinz soon.
They were actually quite close, thus the one night turn around for those that went to meet the team of scouts.
The Puff Adders, except Frigman, remained mounted and with a quick hello/good-bye they headed off with a curtness akin to duty.
Knaballah hung back briefly. She leaned over to Zepata said a few words and nodded towards a corner of the warehouse. The corner where Ricky stood.
Frigman dismounted and went straight for Jinxy. The two had been close friends since before the war.
The dog barked once as he bounded to Marley. The Nandernii cartographer in the blue suit had stopped by to accompany Ricky and the culverins to the Metamew. Marley, down on one knee and smiling, stroked the sitting but excited dog.
Ricky stood there bare chested caked in sweaty dirt. He leaned on a spade jammed into the pile of soil he had been shovelling into a large hole in the floor.
The complete roster at HQ was thus:
• The Finders (4): Jazabole, Jinxy, Tadashi, her ocelot companion Garibaldi and Zepata
• The Flaming Os (8): Gregones, Rick D., Steev and Earman plus their hired domestics Cider, Delphi, Toni and the beloved Mamma Kass.
• The Puff Adders (1): Frigman
• Cardi: Marley’s dog.
• Creek (5): Koli, Esther, Emmylou, Pan, Ricky and Chazzz.
• Amber and Charalot (2)
• Beadle (1)
• Pfidipilli Spoonslipper plus 3 teamsters.

Pfidipilli, the Governor Maritus’s Steward, had been sent with the teamsters and their wains to assist the move to Hacienda Bambata.

The Finders had their 8 horses plus 3 mules, baggage and the head of a very large crocodile as long as a man. This trophy explained Jinxy’s missing left arm. They had been travelling overland along the sparse track from Safeshore, more than six hundred miles away. They looked it.

The group meeting coalesced into old friends catching up.
Garibaldi and Pan, two old friends proceeded to rip around playing chase.
Cardi watched the two wagging and lunging then wandered around checking people out with Marley as he personally welcomed everyone.

Jazabole, Gregones, Earman and Koli all leaned against a crate with ciders in hand laughing. Yes even Koli was lsughing. Jazabole was telling some ridiculous story in her calm gentle manner. Her soft hand over mouth titters contrasting with Gregones honking guffaws.

Frigman, Rick D. and Steev watched nodding as Esther changed Jinxy’s bandages. Jinxy was retelling the story with wild gesticulations that annoyed Esther who was none to gentle at these moments. Jinxy and Esther had a teasing, feigned religiously intolerant relationship. He was a devotee of The Noble Church. She was of the cloth of The Holy Church. The truth was, Jinxy could make the churlish chaplain chuckle. She hated that.

The domestics were ensuring refreshments and vittles kept coming, as well as, providing wash basins for the travellers.

Pfidipilli watched the scene for a bit as the teamsters began erecting a gin pole out front. With a nod and tip of the hat to Ricky, he mounted his pony and trotted off.

Tadashi and Emmylou sat on Emmylou’s ‘nest’ huddled over tea with heads touching. They were looking at sketches in Tadashi’s journal.
The two were close and it showed. They had bonded during the war when stranded in the mountains during a hasty night retreat from a terrible skirmish. Emmylou with a broken leg and Tadashi half blinded from lye grenades, they fought and skulked through enemy lines and endured fireless nights of freezing rain until they found their way to their Company’s camp.
Those freezing nights were only survived by them and their critters clinging to each other for warmth…and comfort.
The ordeal had taken five days. They both had had chances for advancement if they had been willing to abandon the other. But they didn’t.
They had confided their deepest fears, greatest regrets and wildest dreams to each other. As stated, it showed.

Chazzz, Amber and Charalot unloaded the mounts and joined Jazabole and the others of that afore mentioned group.

Marley took off with Cardi saying they would return shortly. The impression was that they really just wanted some alone time. Cardi was beyond a war dog, he was a bit of a legend. They were called The Army of Two.

After washing her face and arms, Zepata walked over to Ricky. Standing close and peering into the hole she asked “Are these the ruins Knaballah spoke of, Corporal?” The last word came out with a lilt of commendation.
Ricky contemplated: Knaballah must have told her of his promotion also.
Knaballah didn’t care much for Ricky. So Zepata must have been asking about him. No, they probably just gossiped about all the goings on.
She lightly laid her fingers on his muscled shoulder as she leaned in to look deeper into the half-filled pit.
He noticed her nostrils pulsing as she took in his scent. He could smell her travel sweat, horse, leather and the fresh lye soap. He also smelled that she was in estrus. She smelled good. The warm lantern light gave her mahogany hair even more warmth. Her thick wide lips parted showing the tip of a pink tongue poking out between her strong teeth.
He blushed as he sputtered. “Ya…there is…a hole…yes.”
Trailing her fingers down his arm she brushed past him and leapt into the pit. “Interesting.” She approached the bit of ancient carved stone wall sticking out of the soil.
Bending over, as Ricky watched not watched, she studied the glyphs for a long minute.
“I really need a bath and a decent meal. Smells like there is plenty of good food heye bouts. Could you direct me, Corporal?” she had stood, turned around and was reaching up to grab Ricky’s hand for a hand up.
Their calloused hands met. Her movement paused. Their eyes met. Ricky dry swallowed. Her nostrils flared, pupils dilated.
Surprising him, she planted her feet and pulled HIM down. Catching him in her arms, she fervently mashed her lips into his.
Ricky, surprised himself as he gave in to the moment. Then he gently pulled back with consideration. With a deep breath, hands tight to his sides and a flushed face, his halting words gathered, “Zep…Ur…Private Zepata, it is so nice to see you again…I didn’t…uh…” and faltered again.
Ricky felt fault crashing into the exultation in his heart. Intimacy was allowed amongst the troops. At least, as far as he knew, there were no prohibitions. Such occurrences were expected to be respectful, consensual and not be a liability to The Company or a mission. Having witnessed dozens of such connections ranging from brief trysts to marriage, he could understand that trepidation was important.
“We must keep things professional. I must stay focused on the mission.” Ricky softly said as he stepped back tight against the pit’s soil wall.
Moving with him, looking into his eyes and still holding his shoulders, she smiled wistfully at him. “Ricky, our directive was to not behave like trained soldiers. This gives us freedom to… to try being ourselves, like regular people. How better to bolster our guise than to play as… lovers, maybe go for a nice dinner?” She backed up looking him down then up. “Ricky, am I wrong that you might enjoy that? Perhaps the rumours of you and Gregones are true?” she raised an eyebrow giving a mischievously imploring look.
Ricky stood a bit dumb-founded then blurted. “What? No…wait. What? No. I mean.”
“I never believed it, Ricky.” She chuckled. “Hey, I apologize for making you uncomfortable. This long, mostly uneventful horse ride gave me much time to think.” Her smile faded to a straight face. “Ricky, I like you…a lot. Not because you nursed me from the doorstep of death. Not because we laughed and screamed and fought and saw our comrades die together. Because through it all you were as steady as a rock.
You have respect and honour no matter how hard the decision. I remember when you let that enemy officer go because you knew that he was the only one that could get the refugees to safety. Then you ratted yourself out when no one but me, Emmylou and probably Koli knew and we agreed. We were complicit. You ratted yourself and exonerated us. Took the punishment without protest, self-pity or complaint.” Looking down she kicked at a dirt clod “I am willing to put my ‘career’ on the line to have a chance with you.” Still looking down she took a slow deep breath and let her gentle smile return. “Having a dinner date would not even come close to jeopardizing that.”