"He sounds so eloquent on paper, though still direct and to the point," she said with a smile. "I assume those birds are to report back to him?"
"Y-yes my lady…" the lead guard responded.
"Wonderful, go fetch me some parchment, a quill, and an ink block; and I'll write out my response and send it. Then you may all come in for a hot meal before picking out where you want to camp out to best keep an eye on me," she said with a wink. They had the grace to look embarrassed as the soldier who got the letter went to get writing supplies.
"You are familiar with our lord my lady?" one of the soldiers asked.
"I'm not sure what your definition of familiar is, as it is a term that can be used in a multitude of ways, so I'll be specific. I've had a few conversations with him but most of what I know of him I know from my brother who served under him, so I would recognize him if I were to stumble across him somewhere and could possibly predict the basic orders he would give, but we are not familiar in a family, friend or lover kind of way."
"I wasn't- I didn't mean to be disrespectful, My Lady."
"Thank you, I'm sure you weren't. I just know how rumors and speculation can grow when men have nothing better to do so I like to be direct and upfront to prevent anything from getting out of hand."
The man nodded and the other handed her the supplies she'd asked for, "Thank you. Crows collect their weapons for them, Wolves you may start packing up camp while I write, Sir Thatch do you mind if I borrow your shield for a moment?"
And with that, she got to writing as everyone else started in on their own tasks.
"Dear Duke Ravi'en Kasius,
I would like to send my thanks for your gifts, they were both very thoughtful, though next time please feel free to send your men through the front gate and up to the front door. My soldiers are a bit high-strung at the best of times so an unexpected encounter with armed men in the woods at a time like this could have resulted in unnecessary bloodshed. I will remind you again, I have no intention of going back on my word. I was already aware of the risk so there's no need to apologize and I will be more careful from now on.
I remain forever in your service,
Kassidy Calloway."
She rolled up the tiny slip of parchment, placed it in the little tube, and sealed the wax coating the top with a stick from the fire. Then gave it to one of the Duke's men to tie onto a bird and set it free.
That done they all headed back to the manor, the Duke's men hanging their heads in shame at having been caught and maybe trepidation on what their master would say or do about it.
She had tea and cookies brought out to the men who seemed discomforted not to have their weapons but too smart to ask for them back yet. "So, were your orders just to spy on me and report my movements and visitors to your master?"
"Only as a discrete means of offering you an extra layer of protection." their leader stated diplomatically.
"We were just following orders ma'am," one said.
"And I'm sure he didn't mean to insult your troops," a second chimed in.
"He just seems upset by the whole incident." a third added and the others were quick to nod their agreement.
"Be that as it may, you are here as intruders rather than welcomed guests, because I don't perceive any ill intent you may use the facilities to bath and I'll send you out will a hot meal, but I'm not inclined to offer you more than that. A guest could be housed and fed and free to use the training grounds.
"As it is, the most I will allow you is permission to camp within sight of the main gate so you can monitor the comings and goings for your master. That does not give you the right to interfere with or question or harm any guests that I may have. Does this sound fair?"
"More than fair My Lady" their leader replied.
"Good you can report the terms of our agreement to the Duke and if he has any issues with it he can bring it up with me. Now I'll leave you all to enjoy your snacks and my friends here" she gestured to the two guards who'd followed them inside "Will show you the way to the trainee washrooms when you're done. Dinner will be at 7 pm, you are free to scout out and set up your camp on the other side of our main gate between now and then so you don't have to do so in the dark. Your weapons will be returned to you when you leave after dinner." she said in a tone of finality and they all nodded their heads.
Sir Thatch trailed after her as she left but the two armed guards stayed with their guests. "May I ask your reasoning behind all that? I hardly think it necessary to treat them so well under the circumstances."
"I had two reasons, one I owe the Duke a life debt for saving my life a few times over, and I don't want to cause unnecessary tension between our people if we're going to be working together soon.
"Secondly, I wanted to control where they would be camped and therefore what they could see without them being willing to question or fight me on it. Now they will feel beholden to me and not want to cross me by moving closer or setting up spots in different locations with different views. It will make keeping an eye on them easier and make it easier to sneak out the side gate or back gate unnoticed."
"Please tell me you're not planning on sneaking out while someone wants you dead."
"I plan to bring half the army with me, you can come too if you want. I have some charity work planned for the farming towns my uncle overtaxed this year. It should raise morale among the troops and the villagers and remind them that I still care and have not given up."
"Your father would be proud." Captan Thatch told her with a warm but sad smile.
"Thank you, Sir Thatch, that means a lot to me. Why don't we go to the training yard and start gathering volunteers and organizing different missions."
That afternoon she spent planning and organizing tasks for the following days while laughing and bonding with the soldiers she'd grown up with, some like uncles and others friends. They could be a rowdy bunch but they were like family and working with them was always fun.
Dinner was a tense but rather entertaining affair, as most of the tension lay on the six unexpected guests who were not sure what to make of the strange assembly of workers, soldiers, and Lady all sitting together in the large dining hall.
The six interlopers thanked her profusely at the end of the night and slinked off to the camp she already had eyes on. She wondered what they would write to the duke tonight and what he would think of it all. After dinner, she did a few more hours of paperwork, and went to bed late, with instructions for the maid to get her up early the next morning. She had a lot she wanted to do and only until her 'guardians' got back to get it done and erase the evidence.