Parno's Destiny: The Black Sheep of Soulan: Book Two (33 page)

“Base hospital in Savannah, sir,” the nurse informed him. “You've been here for six days, out cold until now.” She held a hand to his head, then took his wrist, then lifted his arm and checked the bandage, first looking and then sniffing.

“What are you doing?” he asked, though not unkindly.

“Checking you for signs of infection or fever,” she smiled slightly. “You're in good shape for the moment, Admiral.”

Semmes took a moment then to assess himself. A process of testing and elimination determined that he still had all limbs and digits. His side hurt terribly, however, and made his breathing painful.

“What happened to me, do you know?”

“Not precisely what happened, no,” the nurse shook her head as she retrieved her bowl and towel. “But you suffered at least three broken ribs, a severely bruised spine, a hard knock to the head that probably caused a concussion and had a nine-inch splinter buried in your left forearm,” she nodded to the bandage. “You're going to be sore for a while I'm afraid.” As she spoke she pulled back his bed sheets, exposing him completely.

“What are you doing?” he demanded, trying and failing to grab the sheet and re-cover himself.

“I'm bathing you,” the woman said simply as she took a rag and wet it.

“No, you're not,” Semmes shook his head. “This is most improper.”

“Admiral, at this point you don't have a thing I haven't already seen,” the woman smirked slightly but in good humor. “It's my job, Admiral, so lay back and let me do it. I promise I don't bite. Not even handsome war heroes,” she added with a twinkle in her eyes.

“It's not your bite I'm concerned with,” he told her, refusing to budge. “I'm fully capable of tending myself, thank you. And if not then a male orderly would be far more appropriate, especially for a bachelor.”

“Admiral, you can't do this with that bandage,” she nodded to his arm. “And you can't bend because of your ribs,” another nod went toward his tightly wrapped midsection. “As for male orderlies, they're all gone, sir. There's a war on and men of all walks of life are gone to fight it.”

“I'm afraid it's just us chickens here now,” she smiled.

Semmes tried stare the woman down, but failed miserably. Whoever she was, she had a spine of steel.

“Very well,” he acquiesced, reclining once more on the bed to give his ribs some relief.

He endured the indignity of having an attractive woman whose name was still unknown to him bathe him as if he were a small child. He also endured the inevitable reaction that was a result of that process with a quiet dignity born of discipline and training, but his face was still very red by the time she was finished.

“All done, Admiral,” she announced gaily as she spread the sheet back over his body. She tucked it carefully in around his chest, looking at him the entire time. Suddenly she knelt a bit lower and kissed him on the forehead briefly.

“Bless you,” she said softly and gathered her things.

“Please inform my staff that I'm awake,” he told her before she could run out of the door. “I need to make sure things are going well and that messages are sent.”

“I will,” she promised.

Semmes settled back to wait. There was nothing else he could do for the moment.

*****

“Do you have to leave?”

Parno sighed slightly as he heard the pleading in Stephanie's tone.

“You know that I do,” he told her. They had spent as much time as possible together over the past six days, but now he had to get back. His men were already saddling horses. As soon as the sun was up enough to see, they would be on the road, headed back to 1
st
Army headquarters.

“I thought you were going to stay longer,” she said quietly.

“I told you a week, no more,” he reminded her. “Six days and we're leaving on the seventh. It's the best we can do for now. I have to get back. I have a complete field army on the move right now and I'm still waiting to see what the result of the naval battle was in terms of losses. I'm needed in three or four places right now, but I can only be in one. I've got to go.”

“I know,” she admitted, still crestfallen. “I'm sorry,” she added.

“Nothing to be sorry about,” he said honestly. “I wish I could stay. I wish I could stay and never leave here. Maybe when the war is over I can. I don't know.”

“How old are you Parno?” Stephanie asked suddenly. Surprised, Parno turned to look at her again.

“What?”

“How old are you?” she repeated, her face a mask of concern.

“I'll be twenty-one on my next birthday,” he told her slowly. “Why?”

“So young for so much responsibility,” she said softly, her hand easing out to caress his face gently. “It's too much,” she added. “Too much.”

“It may be,” he shrugged. “But it's mine to do. Why is my age a factor, anyway?” he asked, eyebrows raised. “I've always had a thing for older women,” he grinned. Suddenly Stephanie got her first good look at the rogue prince. Handsome, devil-may-care, unconcerned with propriety or protocol. She laughed out loud at his sudden change.

“I should be angry at that,” she told him, lowering her forehead to his shoulder.

“Probably,” he agreed, embracing her. “So does this mean you're not interested in me anymore?” he teased. “I mean in a romantical way,” he added. She pulled her head back and looked up at him, eyes twinkling.

“I've always had a thing for younger men,” she gave as good as she got. “And you're not that much younger.”

“How much then?” he pressed, still teasing.

“Not enough to matter,” she evaded, still laughing. She stopped suddenly, giving him an evil eye.

“I see what you're doing,” she told him sternly. “Trying to make me laugh. To distract me.”

“Is it working?” he asked hopefully.

“Partly,” she admitted, returning her forehead to his shoulder. “Please, Parno. Be careful and don't take risks. I don't know what I would do-”

“You'll go right on doing, that's what,” he told her firmly. “No more of that talk. I can't think about it, and neither can you. And I will be careful. That is a promise, too,” he added when she looked at him in near derision. “I told you, I've been ordered, no less, to avoid risk. And I've got far too many people around me ensuring that doesn't happen for me to get in trouble.”

“Somehow I doubt that will matter to you if you see the need,” Stephanie's voice was tinged with a slight bit of disbelief.

“There won't be a need,” he assured her. “There are men far more able than I to swing a sword or ride a horse. I'll just be giving the orders.” He kissed her suddenly and she responded at once, wrapping her arms around his neck as he took her back into his arms. Reluctantly he pulled back, looking at her again.

“Time for you to go,” he told her gently. “It's bad luck to watch us out of sight,” he added with a grin.

“It is not!” she shot back, then asked; “Is it?”

“It's what they say,” Parno shrugged. “But I have work to finish and I won't do it so long as you are here, so go on now. I'll see you again as soon as I can. I promise.”

“I will hold you to that, Parno McLeod.”

“I wouldn't have it any other way.”

*****

With the coming of the sun the Black Sheep rode out, their numbers swelled by the return of several men who had been allowed to rejoin the ranks after healing from wounds sustained at the Gap. Enough men to allow a restructuring into five companies instead of four.

“I'm glad to get so many men back,” Karls remarked as they left the gate and approached the column.

“Me too,” Parno agreed softly.

Cove Canton watched them go, families of the men leaving and those who were training with hopes of one day joining them. Those men looked at the Black Sheep with varying thoughts. Some trying to compare themselves and see if they measured up, others looking and deciding that they were already their equal or even better. Their instructors hadn't hesitated to hold the visiting unit up as an example to the trainees, and as always there were one or two who simply couldn't accept that the Sheep were all that was described.

Several of them discovered that challenging one of Prince Parno's men, on their home ground no less, was simply not a good way to behave. Most of them were even now recovering in hospital.

With the battalion gone out of sight, the place returned to business as usual and remained that way until late afternoon the following day when the guard announced a rider approaching at a dead run. The rider was passed through and LTC Leman was waiting for him when he dismounted.

“Message for Lord Parno, sir!” the man tried to brace to attention but failed. He'd been in the saddle a long time.

“You missed him, son,” Leman shook his head. “He's been gone since sun-up yesterday.” The man sighed in despair, almost collapsing. Then he straightened.

“Can I trouble you for a fresh horse, sir?” he asked. “Mine is about done in.”

“So are you, son,” Leman replied. “I'll have a man carry the message after him. You need to get cleaned up, get some food, and then rest. You can return to your post tomorrow or day next.”

“I'm beholden sir,” the man admitted. “I honestly don't know that I can go another round right now.”

Less than an hour later a man was on his way after Parno's Company with a message that two men had already carried almost non-stop. Despite the quality of the horse and rider it would take nearly two days to catch him, since the courier dispatched by Leman had to stop at the trail off the mountain due to darkness.

Thus it was that Parno was about to make camp when the rider came up on their rear, his horse foaming and flecking. After narrowly avoiding a lance from the post behind the column, the rider was escorted forward to Parno.

Parno read the message twice, cursing to himself as he did so. He almost tore the message to shreds in a fit of rage, but managed to simply hand it to Enri Willard instead.

“Incredible,” the elder Willard shook his head as he passed the message to his brother. “I would never have imagined it.”

“I thought Callens had been dealt with by the IG,” Parno admitted. “I should have checked.”
 

“Begging your pardon, milord, but you shouldn't have to,” Enri sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose trying to avert the headache he felt coming. “That's what you have staff and subordinates for, sir. We failed you.”

“No more than anyone else, or myself, Enri,” Parno shook his head, his mouth twisting into a mockery of a smile. “We'll have to deal with this as soon as possible.”

“We'll start at first light and make best speed to the camp,” Karls said. “Let's get our men and horses fed and rested as tomorrow will be a hard day in the saddle.”

“Agreed,” Parno nodded, turning his horse over to an enlisted man who led the animal away to be cared for. Soon fires were going and men were digging rations from saddlebags and 'ride behinds' to make themselves a meal. Parno opened the small box that Stephanie had prepared for him and removed the last sandwich she had fixed him. The ham and bread was going dry now, but it was still good and he was hungry. He chewed wolfishly in silence, brooding over the latest news.

He should have expected this kind of thing, especially knowing his brother. Or his sister, for that matter. He shook his head slightly in silent recrimination, then exhaled in anger, his nostrils flaring. Where the hell was Memmnon in all this? Did Parno have to take care of everything?

“There are others who can do some things, my Prince,” Cho Feng said softly, so that only Parno could hear.

“Supposed to be,” Parno nodded without looking around. “Yet here I am, having to catch it all.”

“Let them go,” Feng advised. “Let the Crown Prince worry over this. It is his crown to protect, after all. And while your brother may be a threat, his one regiment and his scheming ways pale in comparison to the army that now encamps on your sovereign soil. Unless you can deal with that, your brother's machinations do not matter. Will not matter.”

“Everyone thinks that Therron was removed and replaced because of ill health,” Parno snorted in anger. “He can use that, once free, to spread his lies and deceit to those who might well support him in his efforts.”

“That may be, but I maintain that it is for your brother to deal with,” Cho insisted. He decided to try another track.

“Perhaps a judicious message to your brother, offering him the use of one of your better cavalry units to chase this man, Callens, to heel? If he lacks forces capable of doing so?”

Parno considered that, his gaze going at once to Karls Willard, sitting across the camp from him, talking quietly with his own brother.

“The only group I could trust with something like that are the Sheep,” Parno said finally. “And I need them with me, just in case. If we have a catastrophe, they're the only troops that I can depend on to stand fast. Not to mention help me maintain order in the Army if Therron and Sherron manage to get their little rebellion off the ground.”

“I would suggest there are at least two other groups you could count on to pursue and detain or destroy Callens,” Feng said gently. “Men who would be absolutely loyal to you, regardless of what they encountered.” Parno turned at last to look at his oriental mentor, sitting so calmly beside him despite the furor that the message had created.