Chapter 14- Knights and Rogues

“Has someone been hurt?” Ariadne asked, frowning.

“Half the knighthood,” Commander Ruiz sighed. “A local holy site was attacked.”

“Oh my,” Ariadne said, her eyes widening.

“Indeed,” Commander Ruiz nodded. “We went to investigate, and we found the cause.”

He led her inside the garrison, where the knights were being patched up. She noticed them all eyeing her warily as she walked in. She almost kicked a dagger that had been left on the floor. She frowned at it. The knights had evidently been in a rush… There were other discarded weapons, like a bow and a shield.

Then Ariadne’s nostrils burned with the smell of blood and…

Turpentine.

“A rogue?” Ariadne asked. Several men looked up at her, eyes wide. “This far south?”

“Aye,” Commander Ruiz sighed. “We don’t know how-”

“Your majesty,” a younger lycan knight spoke. Commander Ruiz glared at the knight. “You know of these things?”

“Yes,” Ariadne nodded. “I suppose they aren’t something most Lycans are exposed to.”

“That’s right,” Commander Ruiz nodded.

“What are they?” another knight asked.

“Werewolves,” Ariadne said. “Ones that have been cut off from the moon goddess.”

“We don’t need to bother her majesty with-”

“It kicked our asses, commander,” the first knight growled.

“Separate the head from the body,” Ariadne said. “Then bury the head. How tall was it?”

“I mean… Easily seven foot…” the first knight said. Ariadne nodded.

“The taller they are, the longer they’ve been separated from the goddess,” she said. “It sounds like you fought a midstage one…”

Silence fell over the room.

“Fuck…” the second knight sighed. “I mean, sorry, I shouldn’t swear in front of-”

“I’m married to his majesty,” Ariadne said with a rueful smile. “I have heard much worse.”

“We should all still treat her majesty with reverence and respect, though,” Commander Ruiz growls to his men. They all nod. Ariadne pauses for a moment and looks at the first knight’s injuries.

“... Make sure to disinfect wounds properly. Rogues are often in a state of decomposition. We don’t need anyone losing a limb to infection,” she said. The knight blanched and nodded.

“Um, your majesty…” the second knight said, raising his paw like a schoolchild. Ariadne held back a laugh. It was easy to forget that some of the knights were only just graduated squires, barely adults.

“Yes?” she said.

“Why… Um… Respectfully… Why are you here?” he asked.

“Well, I noticed nobody was training today, and I came to see why,” she said. “I also came to ask a bit of a favour.”

“A favour?” Commander Ruiz asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Yes, well, you see, Prince North will start teething soon,” she explained. “I was hoping I could take some leather back to my quarters to give him something to chew on.”

The knights frowned and looked between each other.

“And that is… Normal for werewolf mothers?” Commander Ruiz asked.

“Oh, very,” Ariadne lied with a nod. “We tend to go through a lot of it, though, and… Well, I’d hate to bother his majesty when he’s in this state.”

Commander Ruiz nodded slowly.

“... We have leather,” he finally said. “I can give you some to take with you.”

“You are so kind,” Ariadne said with that soft, practiced smile she knew put others at ease.

“I-I can give you a bag to keep it in,” another piped up. “So you aren’t just carrying armfuls of leather…”

“Thank you,” Ariadne replied and turned back to Commander Ruiz. “And… Would it be a bother to get a map and the reports of what has been happening with the rogues?”

“Your highness, his majesty wouldn’t approve-” Commander Ruiz started.

“He doesn’t have the same information I do,” Ariadne said. “I don’t want to see any more of your men get hurt like this if I can help prevent it.”

Commander Ruiz paused. He glanced at his men, who were looking at him intently.

“... I’m sure someone could… Accidentally… Put them in the bag,” he said. Ariadne beamed.

“I’m sure they could…”

She watched as the garrison quickly moved to gather her what she had asked for. In a moment where they were all turned away from her, she leaned down and quietly picked up the dagger near the door. When the bag was handed to her, she slipped it into a back pocket.

“You are all so wonderful, thank you,” Ariadne said warmly.

“We do our best for the royal family,” Commander Ruiz nodded. “Just… Please don’t make us regret it.”

“I won’t,” Ariadne nodded, slipping the bag onto her shoulder. “I should let you all get back to tending to the wounded.”

Commander Ruiz nodded and saluted as Ariadne walked out the door.

She walked quickly, her steps light. As much as she wanted to smile and laugh, she needed to keep a straight face.

“Welcome back,” Thea said as Ariadne came back.

“Thank you for looking after him,” Ariadne said, putting down the bag and taking North from Thea.

“Of course,” the maid nodded before looking at the bag. “I don’t want to know, do I?”

“Not at all,” Ariadne smiled. “Could you get me my needlework and a thick needle?”

“A thick needle?”

“Mmm,” Ariadne nodded. “One used for tapestry or leatherwork, preferably.”

Thea frowned.

“I… I will see what I can do,” the maid nodded before leaving the room.

“...Think we have enough leather to reinforce one of our dresses?” Song asked in Ariadne’s mind.

“If we are careful with our patterning,” she replied, already planning how to add leather to the inside of a dress by candlelight.

“Excellent,” Song beamed. “One thing down…”

“More to go,” Ariadne sighed, sitting on her bed.

She glanced at the bag containing the map and reports.

The rogues… Twice now she had heard that they were increasing in number in the south.

Her curiosity was piqued.