The Fell Good Flue (12 page)

Brandy, “I was talking about the leg.”
I said, “I know you were talking about my leg, and my thigh is fine as well, I think I needed last night whatever it was.”
Brandy, “and what does the wind say this morning?”
I took a deep breath and said, “birds fly as a wolf barks at the rising sun. A trip after my legs can find their feeling again, and food to hit ground with.”
Brandy, “if I let you find your clothes, my grip still has some feeling to it.”
A wink at my son in the crib near the bed brought a giggle, and Brandy moaned, “the little warrior is up as well, I need to be moving or one of you will be getting breakfast before the other.”
I said, “I want meat not milk this morning.”
Brandy, “and you’ll get it, as soon as your meat is ready.”
I said, “I could say it is, but I don’t want to get ahead of myself.”
Brandy rolled out of bed, and stood up nude in the early light saying, “that would be getting ahead of yourself, you still need to get all your legs working this morning first.” She picked up Sage and put him to her breast, then walked out of the room toward the kitchen. I threw the covers back and sat up on the bed, then screeched out my arms and gave a great yawn. This morning had a familiar feel to it, and adventure would soon be but a step away. I looked at the open door, with the vision of Brandy walking through it still in my head and said, “where are my clothes?”
She said, “come look for them, I’m not wearing anything.”
A smile came to my face and I shook my head, then stood up and went to the living room. There my clothes were, with everything else I would need for the day, neatly set out for my inspection and choice. I looked over at Brandy, nursing and setting up the pan for eggs at the same time, and said, “he’s already faster than I am, he got to breakfast before I did.” Brandy, “those were my legs not his, and you got to be fast for me in the first rays of sun.” I put my pants on and said, “I’m fast enough to find my pants, when he can do the same we will race again.”
Brandy, “find more than your pants today and be back as fast as you can, this one wants to start running himself.”
I slipped my boots on then a shirt, and headed for my chair saying, “then keep the reloads from him, I want a fighting chance. How does the load feel in my pack?”
Brandy, “your packs not heavy, and his hands may not be able to slap one in yet, but his fingers can pull a trigger. So your weapons are keep for you to play with not him. But I think he will learn to throw well soon, he already has a good arm.”
I said, “and a good apatite, I’ll take some milk as well, but you can putt mine in a glass.” Brandy, “and from a goat, I can’t handle the both of you and get breakfast ready at the same time.”
I said, “I would like to see you try.”
Brandy, “I bet you would, have a smoke and I will be right with you.”
So I pulled out a piece of paper, and put both a pinch of tobacco from a cigar and smoke from TT in it, and rolled it up neat. She brought me both a glass of milk and a candle from the kitchen. I said thank you and lit up, then drank my milk. She wiggled her ass at me while heading back with my son still clinging to her nipple and I said, “I’m catching up with him, and with you too soon.”
Brandy, “your day caught up with you before the thought of catching me, your pants and boots are on and you’ll get no help from me in getting them off.”
I said, “I guess a journey once started is best done before another begun, I’m probable still recovering from last night anyway.”
Brandy, “while you’re trying to figure out if I did you in or brought you back, you may as well eat.”
I said, “I remember something along those lines last night as well, but it’s not clear at the moment.”
Brandy, “you did a lot of dreaming, some of it about visions you had about today.” I said, “what was in that cream for my legs?”
Brandy put some meat in the pan and said, “just some oil from the hash made last year and a few herbs I picked, a mix of mint and spirit.”
I said, “I saw the spirit, and the oil went through my skin to numb my mind.”
She said, “I told you you used too much, it was luck you had no place to go and I was here to take care of you.”
I said, “you took care of me alright, I’m still not sure which parts were a dream.” Brandy, “I’ll write that down in my notes for your son.”
I said, “I think he is making some of his own.”
The meat began to sizzle and the eggs were ready on a side plate as I went to the table, with glass of milk in hand and a smoke I sat down to look out the window. Between the buildings some light was bringing life to the city, and a beat soon sent word on the wind. Brandy, “the word in the wind has it three horses are at the goat park.”
I said, “you are getting good at reading the code, I shall have to get them to change it again.” She said, “it will only take you more time than me to learn it, and sometimes I tell them to change it as well, just to keep you off your guard.”
I said, “if my massagers can’t tell the difference between my beat and yours, then I don’t want to know what they have to say,” then a flag went up, asking to zip over, and I added, “and one wants to say it in person already this morning, shall I tug the line?”
Brandy, “do you want to drive the Nabors crazy or me?”
I said, “both at the same time if I can.”
She said, “then you pull the line, and I will let you cook, to many things need to be done at once for me.”
And she headed for the bedroom as I gave it a yank, then a zip latter Jacob came down the stairs saying, “someone’s breakfast smells good today.”
I said, “it may be mine, or it may be yours, so one of us should tend to it.”
He walked over and gave it a stir saying, “looks to be enough for three, but I don’t mind a task before eating, would you like some bread to go with that?”
I said, “sounds good to me, have a glass of milk while you’re there and pass the jam, then take a hit off of this and tell me what you think.”
He took a loaf of bread out of his jacket and sat it down saying, “you cut it, I always go against the grain,” then pasted the jam and took the smoke.
I said, “that old joke about bread and its grain again,” and I pulled my short sword from my waist. With a quick double chop two slices were cut and I put some egg on one to eat. He took a sniff, then a drag, and letting the smoke come out easy said, “now that will open your eyes in the morning.”
And Brandy walked in wearing a robe saying, “you should of seen me when he gave your flag a tug.”
Jacob, “why do you think I sent a flag? But I was talking about the smoke, oh though you do open eyes as well.”
I said, “I told you my friends have good scopes.”
Brandy, “and use them too, I remember, now just try to remember the rest of last night.” I said, “not before I’m done eating please.”
Jacob put some egg on the other slice of bread and said, “would you like some bread Brandy, I picked it up on the way.”
Brandy, “someone has been up and about this morning before me, blame that on him.” She walked into the kitchen and set out plates for us and cut more bread as Jacob sat down and passed the smoke back to me. The squirrel came to the widow with a seed and set it down, then looked at me with eyes that seemed to have a question. I gave it a piece of bread and it ran off with it, leaving us to look at the seed.
Brandy said, “he is trying to say, “remember that the mighty oak was once a nut like you.” I said, “it’s from the one by the goat yard, I know the size. This squirrel has been getting around the past few days, and he has been bringing the strangest things back.”
Brandy, “last night three nuts now one, well he should know his nuts, and the nuts to give them to.”
Jacob, “it’s a sign, nature itself is calling to us this morning.”
I said, “I’ll answer after I have had a bit more to eat.”
The meat was tender and she put some sauce on it I liked, what leftover’s there were she put between bread for us to snack on latter, and packed it with the rest of my things. After licking my plate I got my gear on and started loading my weapons in place. Two 9mm’s at my hips and the short sword on my chest. Two short auto machineguns over my vest and my long traveling coat, then my one bear head long sword in place inits sheath along my back. I got my pack on as brandy said, “send word when you can, don’t let your load ware you down, and try to come back in one piece and heavier.”
I said, “my load never wares me down, but I’m happy to get it off as often as I can, so when I return I will drop once more.”
Brandy, “I think you are trying to talk dirty in front of your son again.”
I said, “keep those thoughts and that smile waiting for me and my trip may be short, as for now I must take some air and see the day.”
The three of us went to the roof, and Jacob and I got hooked up as Brandy stood there with Sage in her arms and a glass of milk. A hawk crossed our sky and gave out a cry on its way, as Jacob hit the air with me soon after him, and we were on the next roof before it could tip its wing. Then a race to the next line to see who went first, with Jacob in the lead. He snapped in and said, “got here first,” and I leap off the side saying, “left first,” and dropped to the next platform with a trip to it. With a kick my cage was on its way and he was still standing there. We zipped through the air with him trying to catch up, and I was out and on the run before he could unhook again. On the other side I talked to a roof guard as he caught up, and he said, “Jacob seems a bit slow this morning, what have you been feeding him?”
Jacob, “getting there first is not always best, at least that’s what your sister keeps telling me.” The guard said, “she would have to tell you that, at least my wife does not have that problem.” Jacob, “and how is my sister, still seeing that poor shoot of a guard that got her pregnant?” He said, “the vary one, I hope that makes your day.”
I said, “the two of you sure know how to say good morning, but the good in it is still waiting for me, or behind me, either way I’m going looking for it,” and I was off down the next line. Jacob, “your tongue is still driving people away I see, say hello to my sister,” and he was off. “say hello to mine as when you see her, have a safe trip,” the other man said. On top of the roof near the goat yard I got first, and looked down on the place to see the horses in a pen to the right of the gate, pawing at the ground as the wolf on the left side of the gate looked at them. I zipped down and walked up to the gate, looking at the wolf behind the fence. His eyes meet mine and let out with howl, then Laurence came out saying, “you’re the only one he is talking to, even the horses have not got a bark out of him.”
I went up to the fence and knelt down next to it, with his face near mine, and whispered, “this trip I must make without you,” and he barked once.
Laurence, “I thought he could use a bit more room, so I let the neck lock off, but don’t ask me to put it back on for you. If you want to take him for a walk you are on your own, I have done all I care to for now.”
I said, “not today, I keep my feet off the ground as much as I can. How did you move him? We heard the sound of pipes being driven in the ground, but the rest is but a few words in the wind.”
Laurence, “I just cut the wire on the post to either side of him, and turned both his water bucket and neck chain at the same time. Then after a few wire twist later the new pen was ready and water on, so the lock came off. My hands were shaking a bit as I turned the key and pulled the lock off, but he did not try to bit me. So with hands free and safe, and the wolf the same, I went to the party but forget most of the rest.”
I said, “you sure know how to build, and I think itlikes you.”
He said, “I think it likes you too, and the horses, but they are not so fond of him.” I said, “the eight feet of cage between them will have to be comfort enough until I have word of our Stan the trader.”
Jacob came walking up saying, “is he still inside?”
Laurence, “yes, come and see what is ready.”
So we went in to see full gear for three, with saddles and all.
Stan said, “nice party last night, and nice of TT to have the rest of my things brought in for us. This saves a lot of time and starts the day off right, I hope you both can ride well.” I said, “I’m a bit better than him, but we mostly keep our feet off the ground.” Jacob, “yes, and if your hoses can keep up with us they may come in handy as well.” He laughed and said, “I feel safer already, and that’s a good thing because I’m putting a lot on the line with this one. Once I had five horses and rode two into a town, now I have but three left, and it’s not easy to get good riding mounts these days.”
I said, “unless they come from a man that brings two of them with him to town.” He said, “so you see why I rode just one, and the trust I have. If that trust is not misplaced we may do well today, or it may be a bad one for all of us, only you can listen to the wind better than me.”
I said, “I hear good things from the wind today, but trust is earned as well as lent, let’s work hard to keep it a safe day for all.”
Jacob, “I left the safe arms of a good woman to move cargo today, let’s hope we return with more than our pretty faces.”
Stan, “I did the same, and it’s been awhile for me, so I’m eager to get back. The hills and woods are fine for a time, but a body gets to wanting another body, even if it’s just to talk to. And there are not many out there that I want to talk to anymore.”
Laurence, “that’s what makes trade, a river can come and go at the same time, but people have to decide about it first.”
I said, “well decisions were made and promises keep, but tell TT I said there were no wings on the horses, and I’m still looking for that boat and sky riders.”
Laurence, “a strange word to send, but it will go as said.”
We took our things out and got the horses ready, as I saw the big oak in the goat yard with a squirrel in it, just watching our departure. The sky was clear with a warm breeze and the area seemed to be safe for now. Mounted up with packs strapped down we road passed the wolf, and he barked at us as the steeds kicked up their hoofs and ran. We rode off in a tight grope across the yard and toward the woods, with Stan in the lead and me close to him. Down the trail a bit Jacob said, “those were a few miles my feet will not miss running, nice horses you have here, they move well.”
Stan, “I have been working them for a few years, that’s what I did in the before times. I was so deep in the hills when it started that I was not back out until just the other day. Many passed by that were mad or looking to take from me, but I stayed out of the way of most of it. Until I started to come to towns again, and looking for a nice place, a lot out there is not for me.” Jacob, “that’s why we stay off the ground so much, the high towers of the city are hard to sneak up on you from.”