Snakes and Ladders-29

Chapter 29

*Before…

I step between them and into his cell. He’s having too much fun to be a bad guy. He’s…just a little tarnished and bent I think. Actually I like him already.

“Thank you Ryann that’s kind of you.” I actually sit on his wall cot and look at him.

“My mother raised me not to be a complete hooligan lady.”

“Wren, you can just call me Wren.”

“Oy, well that’s an honor considering we just met. What can I do for you then?”

I smile at him and look him up and down. “I’m finding myself in need of a burglar.”

*And Now….

“Well Wren, I would not actually call myself something that I’m not. I mean I’m really not a burglar.”

“Oh so what are you then?”

“Oh I am just a humble treasure hunter lady and occasional free merchant of oddities and bobbities.”

I can’t help it I laugh out loud. I’ve heard of odds and bobs but I’ve never ever heard of it said that way before.

I do like his grin too, there’s a whole lot of handsome scamp there.

Handsome?

Actually yes…I won’t lie there’s times that I look, actually likely more times now since I’ve changed because it’s semi natural? But before in the old days I sort of did too…I mean I wasn’t gay and by no means was I going to go looking for that kind of a relationship it’s just my real self; did notice if certain men were nice enough to get past my defenses and had me take a look.

Though what exactly makes a guy attractive I’m still trying to nail down.

Ryann’s a bit easier he’s good looking but well…he’s sylvan and I’ve yet to see an elf that wouldn’t pass for a human model or better.

It’s the attitude and the charm he has…you can’t help not to smile around him and then there’s the smile. And this is something that I think is universal because I’ve seen it here and I’ve seen it home there are people who smile just to smile and then there are the ones that fake smile while being nasty inside then there’s people like Ryann who has that smile that goes all the way to his eyes.

“So you’ve never burgled in pursuit of treasure?”

His eyes dance. “That would depend on what or who I was attempting to steal?”

And I’m suddenly really aware of my femaleness and that he’s being flirty.

Swallow…

“I’m trying to be serious.”

“So am I.”

Blush…

“Ryann…this…this is more…it’s Dragon Ryder business.”

“Indeed…” He moves and sit’s sort of sideways getting more comfortable. “So what would a ryder need with the likes of a scoundrel like me?”

“I thought you said your mother tried not to raise a scoundrel?”

“Oh I said Hooligan I’m definitely a scoundrel.”

Yup that’s for sure all he needs is a ship and a wookie.

I smile and I look for a minute at my side where my new sword is at. Well I am sort of carrying a lightsaber of sorts.

“Well I need a scoundrel that is willing to work on Ryder business and has no problem being a friend to the crown.”

“There’s friends and there’s friends as you can see right now our friendship is in dispute.”

I nod. “Well there’s earning a shadow wage and then there’s that are into sedition and treason.”

Ryann’s eyes tighten and his expression changes. “Lyam and his lot then…?”

“No friends of mine.” I look him in the eyes.”

“Nor mine, what aid I can render I will give.”

“Just like that?”

“Oh nay, look here Wren…Lyam and his lot and those that support him do so on the backs of the poor and they intend to keep them poor and bound to service. It’s no way for any man or a woman to live.”

“I agree, cabin, hovel, hut or fine house a person’s home should be their castle and everyone should have certain unbreachable rights under the law that no amount of shiny gold resting on noble shoulders will change.”

He looks at me and his eyes soften a lot. “That’s dangerous thinking these days Wren.”

“I was born to it Ryann, I come from a funny place with funny ways and that includes the notions that a person should be judged as equals in the eyes of the law and that we should all be judged on the content of our character and not the colors of our skins or to which family or moon or planet that we hail from.”

Yes I’m taking some stuff from home but really I did and still do believe in the good parts of home. I mean home has its problems but really too it has so much soul going for it too.

The good stuff I am definitely willing to share.

Ryann looks at me and he nods. “I’m yours lady.”

“I’m not a lady Ryann.”

“I’d wager right now lady that even man on this block behind bars or no would say different…” He looks me right in the eyes and he takes my fingers and he kisses my hand.

I mean it’s my hand…it’s not like it’s erotic or anything but I feel the flush, I feel my face get hot and my chest as well as I really, really blush and it’s like there’s this silly little part of me that is the really girly part and that having a boy…a man do that it’s really kind of yay…

The commander looks at me and I blush a little more since I’m kind of surrounded by men and that’s sort of hitting me at the moment too.

“I think we can release the prisoner now guards.”

They nods and they’re giving me looks too and they’re these looks of respect that I’m not used to getting.

Oh sure I had that before and stuff sort of in my old life but getting respect as a man is a whole different thing than getting respect as a woman.

They open the cell and Ryann straightens himself up from sitting and dusts off his clothes and he offers me his hand and helps me up even if I don’t need it and that kind of chivalry is…

Well it’s one of those off in the back of my dreams kind of things. They all even wait until I’m the first to leave the cell. Okay, I love the fact that chivalry isn’t dead here and that sort of feels pretty good.

In that whole being a woman kind of way.

We leave and we head out of the cells to the offices of the guardsmen or the watch and there are papers to be drawn up.

Then there’s this…as we pass some cells with others in there there’s several men there that stand up and they doff hats and or they put a hand to their chests and do a little forward dip to me as I pass by.

Oh…

I look over to the commander. “Why..?”

“Lady it’s as this scruffy looking fellow you just enlisted said. People still don’t openly talk about things the way that you just did.”

Ryann says. “While there might be a lot of nobles that aren’t openly on Lyam’s side wren that kind of talk makes a lot of those of noble blood nervous.”

I look at the commander again. “Why? Aren’t equal rights a good thing?”

“Some of the highborn see that not being ruler absolute over their lands and all that live on them as losing their rights.”

Ryann coughs. “Serfdom they call it.”

I frown and keep walking. “Serfdom…I read about that home…dressing slavery up in a pretty dress is still slavery.”

Ryan looks at me. “Aye that’s true lady.” And he looks at the commander. “And who’s scruffy looking?”

Okay that’s so bizarre that that was even said it makes me smile and laugh a little.

I head up the stairs to the office area and there’s this feeling…I can only describe it as this sort of female sixth sense that I have all of them watching my backside as I go up the stairs.

Wow…just wow I’m so not used to the whole being a woman around a bunch of men and getting this kind of attention.

We get to the office and I sign his release papers and the ones that state that Ryann is to be pardoned for the crimes of resisting arrest, flight from law and the charges of smuggling.

He’s a smuggler!

I look at him as we’re heading up and to the fortress itself. “So…I have no idea if this is polite to ask or not but what were you smuggling?”

“Salt.”

“Salt…”

“There’s no salt here in the waters of The Holy Planet Wren. It’s all mined and that’s far away enough that it’s expensive. I was bringing salt in from off planet for a much undercutted price.”

“And that’s illegal?”

“There’s taxes, taxes that are pushed for and kept high by the salt sellers guilds.”

“Oh, but I thought that the planet was neutral ground?”

“Oh it is but going through the Waygates to get here isn’t protected on the lunar sides of the gates.

Huh that sort of sounds like bootlegging across county or state lines to me.

“That’s actually kind of perfect really.”

“It is?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Do tell.”

“Not here, we’ll talk more in my quarters. I just want to be careful.”

“Hmm…I rather like the idea of going to see your quarters.”

“Uhm…Ryann I’m with someone…I’m bonded to her.”

“That’s okay I’m good with ropes.”

I stop and turn and stare at him. “I said bonded not bondage!”

I’m blushing and he’s grinning and I slap at his arms. And he starts to laugh as he sort of defends himself.

~Shaya…help…~

~What! Wren? Are you alright!?~

~No…he’s flirting with me…! ~