Because of the Night

Laurie slipped into Sir Glen's dark rooms and into his arms.

"How is Taylor?" he asked. She had not been surprised finding him naked in the dark standing by the window over looking the conclave.

"Asleep." Laurie tipped her head up intent on finding out what had occurred.

"No Laurie. Just make sure Taylor returns to Mr. Leif in the morning. We'll leave these demons be." Reluctantly, she turned the covers back on Sir Glen's bed, and he followed pulling her to him and stroking her hair. In a few minutes, Sir Glen drifted off, leaving Laurie to her thoughts and memories.

Laurie had come to Sir Glen's conclave only a few days earlier than the problematic neophyte member of the Order, Leif. He had been dropped into Sir Glen's care by a dispassionate companion who didn't want to deal with the hellion. Conclaves were places of discipline, and needless to say Leif was in dire need of the strictest form of discipline known to companions.

"I don't ever wish to see him again Sir Glen. He is yours to with as you wish." Leif was shackled in the middle of the room that Sir Glen used for all formal business. Leif knew how precarious his situation was at this very moment. If Sir Glen did not take him in, Lord Xavier, the leader of all the conclaves in the area would be forced to take notice of him. And considering Sir Colin was already foaming at the mouth over his latest escapades, Leif did not want to consider what might await him.

Laurie was in the shadows dusting the volumes of books around the room, unnoticed in the vast room warmed by two fireplaces.

"You didn't even bother to register him with the Order Sir Colin." Sir Glen leaned back in his leather chair taking stock of what was being offered.

"If anyone can make him a dutiful companion, you can Sir Glen." Sir Colin, an older, balding man of his own conclave of mostly meek female companions was hardly worth comparing to the companions, both male and female, that Sir Glen trained. The compliment was given hopefully to sway Sir Glen's choice. Sir Colin had a difficult time reading the venerable Sir Glen. He sat stone-faced in his chair assessing Leif.

"Very well. I will take him." Sir Glen turned to Sir Colin. "Next time stay with what you know Sir Colin. I may not be as generous next time with helping you out." What neither Leif or Laurie knew was that this had been the tenth time Sir Colin had 'misjudged' the character of his free companions. Sir Colin might be a nice man in all other contexts, but he was a lousy judge of character.

Sir Colin thanked Sir Glen and then turned away to return to his conclave when Sir Glen stopped him. "Sir Colin, you've forgotten one thing."

The man stopped and turned back. "Forgotten?"

"Unshackle him." Sir Glen reached for his cup of tea and sipped.

"It's your death." Muttered Sir Colin and unlocked the nearly rusted cuffs and then departed knowing that Sir Glen would have his own if he ever came to his senses.

When Sir Colin had gone, Sir Glen strode over to Leif and looked him in the eye.

"I strongly suggest for the time being you discover why you're really here and do your damnedest to stay in my good favor, if you're as deviled as Sir Colin says." And with that brief introduction, Sir Glen called forth a servant.

"Take Leif to the Order, and have him registered as mine." The order rang out, catching Leif's attention. His new home would be very different.

The servant silently led Leif away to the wing where the Order stayed. Laurie had seen to the preparation of the tray that would be used to tattoo the new arrival. She was taking the tray up to the door of the Order, as close as she was allowed to get to any member of the Order at the time, when she heard on the other side from Sir Glen's servant speaking to him.

"The boy is a mess Sir Glen. I never thought Sir Colin would be capable of such horrors. His wrists, where the cuffs were, were almost in ribbons recently. I don't think there's an inch of skin on him large enough that you could mark."

"Has he been tended?" Concern filled Sir Glen's voice. He cared for his own first and foremost, and now that Leif was under his care, he would get no less consideration.

"Yes Sir Glen. It will take more than bandages to repair this one."

"Do what you can." He ran a hand through his hair and shook his head in disbelief.

"As you wish Sir Glen." Came the dutiful reply.

It would be nearly a month before Leif was healed enough for his tattoo. And in the meantime, he had taken comfort in his surroundings. While strict and demanding of the Order, Sir Glen did allow them quite a bit of leverage. Within six months, the first bit of mischief seemed to find the epicenter around Leif.

In preparation for one of Sir Glen's yearly showings, every servant and companion in the conclave was busy preparing the halls and dungeons for the guests, leaving Leif to concoct an interesting scheme with mismatching the guests and their companions.

Through a complex series of miscommunication and the missing orders from Sir Glen, it might have seemed that Leif would have gotten away with his little escapade if he hadn't accidentally gotten paired with Sir Colin who recognized the chaos his former companion caused.

Sir Colin immediately cuffed Leif around the neck and dragged him before Sir Glen as he discretely tried to sort out the mistakes that had occurred.

"I see he's still as unruly as ever. I found your ruffian in my chambers preparing my room as any companion might."

Though Sir Glen was quite upset at the backtracking and image of his lax preparation, Leif couldn't help mistake that the twinkle in Sir Glen's eyes: Leif had gotten a dose of his own folly. But the humor left his eyes as Sir Colin backhanded Leif and tossed him into the corner.

"Useless rubbish Sir Glen. I'm surprised the conclave is still in one piece." Sir Colin spat in Leif's direction.

"That is more than enough Sir Colin. When I need your help in disciplining my own, I'll ask for it." He signaled to a trusted servant who dragged Leif off to the Order hall to be dealt with later.

Laurie never did find out what punishment Leif was given for his momentary exploit. She didn't see him again until just after Sir Glen had elevated Laurie's status among the companions. Leif had become known as the household scamp and that anything unexpected might be his own handiwork. So it was no surprise this night that he had found a way to slip in to the novice hall undetected by the companions who slept near all the major entrances and exits.

"What are you doing in here? The Order is not allowed in here. If Sir Glen catches you, he'll skin you and then boil your skin for fun." She whispered hoarsely spotting him.

He hushed her.

"It's no big deal. I'm just here to find the bath hall." He tried to quiet her.

"Bath hall? You have your own bath hall in the Order." She blustered surprised that he was clearly too mischievous for his own good.

"Don't you want to see the room filled with bubbles as all bath halls should be?" he asked innocently flashing a trademark roguish grin.

"Get out before your seen. Please Leif, you're doing so well here, if Sir Glen is forced to take you to Sir Xavier, there will be no more time for you to be as playful as you are now." She pleaded.

"You're stopping me. I'll be all right. Now go back to sleep. You're Sir Glen's favorite, he'll notice if you're not well rested."

"Or being bothered." Leif looked up and saw Sir Glen folding his arms glaring at his misplaced member of the Order.

Leif sheepishly gulped and dutifully marched out of the hall ahead of Sir Glen. Laurie swore that Sir Glen was capable of combustion that night; steam already seemed to pour out of his ears in thick billowing clouds.

But as harmless as most of Leif's pranks were, nothing prepared anyone in the house for the wine accident.