Boots awoke with the first glimmer of grey light filtering in through the window. Having sobered up a few hours into his captivity, he had passed a restless remainder of the evening, unable to ignore the cramped and uncomfortable quarters. With the light came the discovery of some buckets, one held somewhat clean but somewhat stale water. He gulped at it greedily, feeling it cool his hungry and queasy stomach. He made himself stop when he remembered Siggu would likely be waking soon, with more need of the water than he. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Outside was quiet, then it was split by the high-pitched whistle of a morning songbird. This made him think of the birds that nested in the trees around his garden, and the garden made him think of his mother. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
And with that, he was awake with the full knowledge of what had happened yesterday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Footsteps sounded outside. There was no mistake; they were approaching the inn. It was still so early, barely light. He heard voices murmuring outside. He clenched his fists, trying to take steadying breaths and squeeze the possibility of tears from his eyes. He would never forgive himself if he cried and blubbered like a child. He was a man, and he would pay the price. The footsteps came closer, it sounded like only one set. Instead of making their way to the door, they stopped in front of the window. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPsst. Siggu? Boots?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTafner?\u201d Boots asked. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tafner\u2019s face peered in at him. She looked wild, as always, but there was something tame in the lines of her face. Her eyes rested on Siggu\u2019s sleeping form. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIs he alright?\u201d she asked anxiously. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSlept like a baby. I\u2019m doing fine, if you wanted to know.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her eyes darted to Boots. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry. I didn\u2019t mean for this to happen. I never knew he was this jealous. And you had to be so damn noble about everything. Why did you do that?\u201d she asked. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd let him take the credit?\u201d Boots asked with a weak smile. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMen are idiots. I shouldn\u2019t even give you this,\u201d Tafner responded. She thrust a cloth bundle through the bars. Boots grabbed it quickly, identifying the smells of baked dough and cinnamon. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThank you,\u201d he said earnestly. \u201cWhat do you think will happen?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tafner bit her lower lip, she looked contrite and very pale. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know. I\u2019m not even supposed to be out. Mother and father have locked me in my room. I guess I just don\u2019t think.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAt least you\u2019re outside the bars,\u201d Boots commented. Then instantly regretted it as tears sparkled in Tafner\u2019s eyes. He immediately opened his mouth to apologize but Tafner started in alarm. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSomeone\u2019s coming, and the guard said I was to give you this and leave immediately,\u201d she said in a hushed voice, \u201cI\u2019ll be missed. I\u2019m sorry, tell Siggu, please. I\u2019m so sorry.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
And her feet sprinted out of sight as she made her way home. Boots sat with a sigh and opened the parcel she had brought. Two buns, sticky with cinnamon and dotted with raisins sat inside. He inhaled the delicious scent before taking an enormous bite. Maybe he should eat more slowly to enjoy the meal, but he wasn\u2019t going to risk being taken away before it was finished. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The smell roused Siggu, who cracked one eye open and slid his body further away from the weak light spilling in through the small window. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHere, Tafner brought these for us. There\u2019s water in the bucket,\u201d Boots said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Siggu nodded weakly and crawled over to the bucket, sticking his entire face in, he drank deeply. Boots tried to decide if this was enough to prevent him from taking another drink to wash down his unexpected breakfast. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat have I done?\u201d Siggu asked. He was slumped beside the bucket, the water not quite reviving him enough to be upright. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve gotten us both in trouble,\u201d Boots answered. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou hit the target, didn\u2019t you,\u201d it was a statement, not a question. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCorrect. And now I\u2019ll accept the consequences,\u201d Boots said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Siggu turned at an uncomfortable angle so that his head was pressed in the dirt on one side but he could look at Boots as he spoke. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDon\u2019t be stupid, Boots. I hit the lord<\/em>. I\u2019m in trouble either way. Just let me take the punishment for the target and the insult. There\u2019s no sense in both of us being dragged off,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It made an awful type of sense. Boots could just say he was lying to defend his friend, after all, Boots hadn\u2019t really done anything wrong that had been seen. But he had trouble throwing Siggu to the wolves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDo you think your father will be able to talk to the lord? Didn\u2019t they have dinner together last night?\u201d Boots asked, the thought having occurred to him. Was this not the sort of connection Balert was always bragging about? Siggu groaned and squeezed his eyes shut. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe isn\u2019t here. He ran off on some unexpected errand after dinner. I wasn\u2019t supposed to go to the festival, and he would have kept me home and we would have had a big fight about it, but his leaving let me come anyway.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh,\u201d Boots said. He wondered that both Meranin and Balert would have reservations about the festival, and that both would be gone this very night. He noticed that Siggu had cracked one eye open to look at him. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat is that smell?\u201d he asked. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTafner brought breakfast,\u201d Boots said, holding out one of the buns. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Siggu turned a shade of grey and turned his head to the side. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPlease get that away from me,\u201d he responded. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAre you sure. You may want it in a bit.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cJust eat it. I don\u2019t even want to smell it.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Boots contemplated the bun and his options. If he was about to be drawn further into this mess by Siggu\u2019s stupidity, then he felt completely justified eating the bun. It was payment of a kind for his pains. Halfway through the bun he stopped, feeling suddenly sick. He understood why Siggu did not want to eat. Just what would \u201chis pains\u201d entail? <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSiggu,\u201d Boots asked, \u201cwhat do you think will happen to us?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Siggu was silent for a moment, then spoke, his face still averted and his voice wavering with a hangover and fear. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe\u2019re lucky here in Holding, in my opinion. We don\u2019t have any royalty particularly involved, our lands are our own, there isn\u2019t much to squeeze out of us, but we have enough to live. Magister Yuggen has us pay what is fair to the Crown, and we go about our lives.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd the new king is trying to change that?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe is. He\u2019s trying to redraw lines through the kingdom and parcel off land to the estates of nobles,\u201d Siggu said. \u201cThen make new laws to try and take more money from the people. It isn\u2019t really that simple…but that\u2019s basically it.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut he can\u2019t just do that? Can he?\u201d Boots asked. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Siggu rolled over with an unhappy smile and looked up at the ceiling. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOf course he can. Many argue that he shouldn\u2019t. And it has made people very angry to think he might. Mostly villagers like us but \u2013 you’d be surprised \u2013 there are some nobles who…well they are rare. But on our travels, when trading, my father and I have become very careful what we say and who we say it to, and who we are seen to be trading with.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Boots leaned back against the wall, feeling bewildered. He thought about how difficult it had been to gain the fields he had, and how hard he worked to keep what he had. It made his chest feel tight with some unnamed feeling to think that a king may, with a few strokes of ink, give it all to someone else. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Siggu said, looking over at Boots and interpreting his expression, \u201cjust like that. And there are some places where the people are already more angry than shocked. And some lords that are more greedy than gracious. News doesn\u2019t always make it this far, but there have been some problems.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d Boots asked. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe heard tell,\u201d Siggu said quietly, \u201cthat someone refused to slaughter their fattest pig for the banquet. I heard they dragged his body behind the cart and hung it up in the next town. And I\u2019m not talking about the pig.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n The spicy cinnamon flavour in Boots\u2019 mouth was overtaken by the acrid bile that rose in the back of Boots\u2019 throat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI think I\u2019m going to be sick,\u201d Boots said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Siggu reached out an arm and pushed an empty bucket towards Boots. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When Boots was done, he wiped his mouth on his sleeve, threw some hay in the bucket to keep down the smell, and slouched against the wall. Siggu was still lying on the ground, one hand draped over his eyes and the other sort of wrapped across his stomach. He didn\u2019t say anything, but Boots could tell by the tightness in his jaw that he was not asleep. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhere do you think your father went?\u201d Boots asked. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Boots did not like Balert, but it seemed like he was a man who may be able to deal with nobles in their terms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Siggu said, his answer tight. \u201cDo you know where your mother is?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOut,\u201d Boots said. \u201cShe left last night. I \u2013 I don\u2019t think she expected to be back until later today or early tomorrow.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI am sure you are aware of this, but Boots, keep your temper,\u201d Siggu advised, lifting his arm away from his face enough to see Boots nod. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although, in his current state of mind, Boots did not think he could muster a coherent thought, no less anger. His shame at what he had done chased in a circle with his fear of the consequences that he would suffer. He had overstepped himself, he had risked his life, Colin\u2019s life, Siggu\u2019s life and his mother\u2019s and Tafner\u2019s happiness for mere seconds of triumph. <\/p>\n\n\n\n His mother\u2019s warnings sounded in his mind, pushing the shame deeper. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Even if, by some miracle, these crimes were in some way forgiven, would Fauna still want him? Would any woman? Or had he tainted the rest of his life with these actions \u2013 branded the way a criminal sometimes was. Marked for life, never to be trusted, never to succeed. What had he done? <\/p>\n\n\n\n It was with these thoughts whirling through his mind that Boots stumbled to his feet, tugging at Siggu to do the same, when the men came for them. Siggu and Boots, led by a guard each, were escorted from the cellar and brought, bedraggled and squinting, into the pre-dawn light. Colin\u2019s father, Tale, Yuggen the village magistrate, the dark haired noble, and some guards waited outside. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The noble and his guards looked angry. Yuggen, old and frail, peered at them from behind his spectacles, his hands clutched a bound book and a wooden case. Tale kept his face absent of emotion and avoided Boots\u2019 eyes. Boots remembered the time one of Colin\u2019s sisters had fallen from a tree and Boots had run to fetch Tale while Colin sat with his unconscious sister. Tale had that same drawn, unflinching look on his face as he followed Boots through the woods, as if by not reacting he could delay reality from taking hold without his permission. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As they emerged from the doorway, Bridda rode up on horseback. Again, Boots\u2019 arms were being twisted behind him and he had to angle his neck uncomfortably to watch everyone. Although she had her sword at her side and a posture of control, Bridda wore no uniform. If her clothes were a uniform, it did not match what the other guards wore. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe have the situation under control,\u201d the large guard beside the lord said to Bridda, \u201cyou don\u2019t need to be here.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDo any of us?\u201d She asked mildly, then looked pointedly past the guard at the noble. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy lord,\u201d she said brightly, \u201ceven though we agreed on a plan for today, you did not send a messenger telling me that you were going to begin so early. You must have forgotten.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI did not forget,\u201d the noble said tensely. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, I\u2019m here now, where are we going?\u201d she asked in a voice that was strangely polite and detached. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe will return to the field from yesterday\u2019s competition,\u201d the noble said in a tone that was both imperious and falsely jocular, \u201cto better remind these lads of their wrongdoing.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd have we ascertained that yet?\u201d she asked, \u201ctheir wrongdoings? I thought that was our first objective.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Her tone was still mild but there was a hint of a challenge there, like a chill in the morning air, just enough to make the back of your neck shiver. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There were some mutterings from the guards in uniform that Boots had come to think of as belonging to lord Narosh. Tale seemed to be trying to read the air between Brida and the noble. Boots\u2019 was trying to look around but his head and neck were aching, from the uncomfortable angle. He broke out in a sweat that dried to cold prickles in the early morning air, his head dropped between his shoulders. Beside him Siggu was not faring any better.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Boots was surprised to hear Yuggen\u2019s quavering voice break the silence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMight I offer, again, the use of the village hall. It is more comfortable, and we could all stay there and await the return of captain Burig to oversee the proceedings.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cA good idea,\u201d Bridda said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAbsolutely not!\u201d the noble said, overriding Bridda\u2019s response. \u201cI do not need anyone to \u2018oversee\u2019 the proceedings. The captain is here to serve me, not the other way around. It would do everyone well to remember that.\u201d There was an uneasy silence, then he snapped, \u201cand stop referring to them as the \u2018proceedings\u2019, this is a trial and I have called it. To the field.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n The village seemed strangely empty as they made their way through. To be sure, some curious onlookers were around with the pretence of going about their daily tasks with bowed heads. But most had stayed indoors, not wanting to be witness to, or participant in, what may unfold. Boots was torn as to whether or not Colin would be present. If he was to never return to the village, for whatever reason, he would be sad to not have seen his friend. But Tale\u2019s staid face implied that Colin would stay wherever he had been told to stay. Boots wondered suddenly if Colin had told his father everything and how Tale planned to use the truth if he had it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n They were loaded onto an open cart in silence. Everyone mounted horses and a guard took the reins of the cart. They bumped along the pathway, Boots tried to keep his pounding head from jarring too much with every bump. Siggu looked grey and pained, his head bouncing from side to side, his eyes closed against the orange sunlight creeping over the horizon. <\/p>\n\n\n\n They followed the track past the field Colin and Boots had taken refuge in yesterday. Boots looked from the field to the woods directly opposite and felt a chill at his stupidity. Had he and Colin been so arrogant that they had thought no one would connect them with the arrow when they had merely crossed the road to eat bread on a wall? And yet no one seemed to have put all the pieces together. Perhaps the noble was so filled with arrogance he really did not recognize Boots from the festival as the simple-looking farm lad from earlier in the same day. Boots was relieved that the red-bearded captain was not present, he was sure that man would have placed Boots at the field, and drawn some quick conclusions on the matter. If Bridda, the commander, had any idea she did not show it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The cart and riders left the path and pulled onto the grassy field. Boots\u2019 heart lurched as they entered the clearing from yesterday\u2019s competition. And yet, there was nothing in that field that could link him to the supposed crime besides the arrow he shot. And even then, there was a good chance many of the competitors had an arrow fletched by Boots on their bow string that day. Boots made arrows for sale and trade during the long, winter months. He recalled drunkenly boasting that he had made the arrow that was shot and could identify it on sight. He decided he would no longer do so. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When they arrived at the field the sun had risen enough to burn all but the lowest layer of morning fog from the clearing. But Boots still felt cold deep in his bones. In the surrounding trees, the mist still hung like gauze from the branches, pooling between the trunks. Boots imagined he could see the somber faces of the gods he had such difficulty believing in watching him from between the trunks. Their eyes weighing his soul against the meager offerings he had left them over the years at his mother\u2019s urging. He was certain that the balance did not sway in his favour. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Boots felt a hollowness in his heart at the thought of his mother. When would she return to find out what he had done? Today? Tomorrow? If something terrible happened to him \u2013 he couldn\u2019t finish the thought. He let his throbbing head overtake his thoughts. The cart halted and the guards pulled Boots and Siggu on to the grass. A heavy hand pressed on Boots\u2019 shoulder. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKneel,\u201d a gruff voice said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Boots sank to his knees, feeling tears spring into his eyes, blurring the blades of grass. The clearing was shaded by the ring of trees, and where he knelt the grass was still wet with chilly drops of dew. At the edge of his sight, the magister put his bag down at his feet to retrieve a large scroll and wooden box of writing utensils. He also produced a small folding stool to sit on. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Boots\u2019 thoughts went back to what Siggu had said earlier. That Yuggen, their magistrate, protected them by being loyal to the king. But what was he doing to protect Boots now? Nothing, it seemed. It looked like Yuggen was not prepared to endanger himself to defend the villagers he had known since they had been born. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOn this day,\u201d Yuggen said in a loud, unsteady voice that showed his advanced age, \u201con the waning of the moon of Freya\u2019s spring of the year of the Black Chestnut, under the watchful eye of king Harald the first, shielder of the people, bringer of…\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Yuggen\u2019s voice droned own, with pauses when he lost his spot and restarted. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAre you quite done?\u201d lord Narosh said, sharply cutting Yuggen off. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy lord?\u201d Yuggen quavered, blinking up in confusion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis isn\u2019t the high court. This is a shit-stained field in a village so small I could spit across it. As lord of this land, I say we move on.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Bridda was quick to reply, \u201cand as a commander in the King\u2019s Sword, I say that justice must be meted out equally to all, regardless of rank or circumstances under the procedures as set out by the king himself and not<\/em> those convenient to that attending lord \u2013 whether he holds the land or not. And currently, you do not.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n The warning was clear in Bridda\u2019s tone. Even Boots heard it, as he stared at the grass through blurry, unshed tears. Narosh, lord of Holding, that must not be true. Isn\u2019t that what she meant? <\/em>Boots prayed that Bridda allowed Yuggen to drone on for an eternity. After a tense silence, Yuggen picked up the thread of his introduction and did go on for some time with much muttering from the noble. But eventually Yuggen\u2019s introduction wound down to an ending when he said, <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBoots and Siggu of village Holding are held trial for the following crimes.\u201d Here Yuggen paused, and lord Narosh spoke up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThese two young men have spoken and acted against the gods, sullying a ceremony held in their honour with dishonest and prideful actions. They have hidden themselves with weapons, demonstrating an attempt to injure or harm innocent villagers and nobles and placing them in danger,\u201d the noble said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n More silence with only the scratching of Yuggen\u2019s pen across the page. The dew had sunk in through Boots\u2019 pants and his whole body felt cold with it. What Boots had feared last night had become truth. The foolish prank now had a sinister edge. But the crimes were not done. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe accused also struck those of noble blood and accosted their guards with an intent to harm. A crime punishable by death,\u201d he finished. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Boots\u2019 heart suddenly felt like a hammer pounding his chest, he tried to breathe but the air did not want to stay in his lungs, his vision splotched over with dots. Punishable by death<\/em>. The words repeated in his mind. He couldn\u2019t think of anything else. Someone was talking, Tale maybe, Boots could hear Siggu whispering a prayer under his breath. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The voices were arguing, Tale\u2019s constricted tightly with anger and fear, Bridda\u2019s voice rose in command and it seemed to create a moment of reasonable discussion. Boots tried to listen to what was being said, afraid but desperately hoping for something, anything, to turn the tide. He glanced at Siggu whose ashen face was bowed, his eyes closed and shoulders stooped. He looked to be without hope. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDo these men have anything to speak in their defense?\u201d Bridda asked. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Boots was unsure if he should speak, but Tale broke in, his voice tense. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere is no proof that these two boys<\/em>,\u201d he stressed the word a bit, \u201cwere in a position to cause harm during yesterday\u2019s ceremony.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThey confess to have hidden in the woods with bows and arrows within shooting distance of the crowd,\u201d the noble responded quickly, \u201cthey confessed as much last night to a crowd of people.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOne of these boys made a drunken claim, the other spoke up to try and diffuse the situation. Hardly a confession. And still baseless without any proof.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Tale was keeping control, but Boots felt the worry edging his voice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI have questioned the guards. We are confident that they were not seen in the crowd at yesterday\u2019s competition,\u201d the noble said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI am certain if thorough questioning of the villagers was done, these two could be identified as present at yesterday\u2019s proceedings,\u201d Tale answered, \u201cor perhaps elsewhere in the village.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI am certain of that as well. Of course, a village would move to protect its own,\u201d there was a slight sneer in the noble\u2019s response. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAre you accusing an entire village of being willing to falsify evidence?\u201d Tale asked somewhat sharply. Yuggen\u2019s pen had stopped scratching. Boots imagined everyone eyed the black haired noble. Tale continued, his voice calm again. \u201cWith all due respect, my lord, if we are to travel that route, then the claims of your party and guards of having not<\/em> seen these two boys present is brought equally into question.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n The noble\u2019s steps moved in Tale\u2019s direction, <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCouncilman or not, if you think you can -\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEnough! The man speaks true, my lord,\u201d Bridda said. \u201cYou cannot hold an entire village under suspicions any more than he can accuse you and your party of fabricating information. The point is well made. I believe many<\/em> points have been well made this morning,\u201d she said with heavy emphasis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThen what satisfaction will I have for my repayment?\u201d The noble snapped, \u201cI have been assaulted, embarrassed and disrespected and blasphemy has occurred. I cannot allow the gods and royal representatives to be so shamed by common folk. Would you<\/em> have it said that the King\u2019s Sword were so easily outwitted by farmers?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n If the lord had hoped to appeal to Bridda\u2019s pride he was disappointed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHand me control of this situation and we shall find out just how well the King\u2019s Sword fares against these farmers,\u201d she responded quickly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Boots ears pulsed with his heartbeat. As he heard the reply he wondered if that was something he wanted to have happen or not. There was a struggle here, between the lord and this Bridda woman. The noble seemed ready to immediately crush Boots and Siggu with his wealth and status. Bridda seemed to think he should at least follow the rules before he did it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Boots\u2019 throat was tight with tears and panic. He found himself making promises to the gods in a bargain for his life. Why did Tale and Yuggen not speak? Where was Balert? Where was his mother? <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI have my own guards here,\u201d the lord said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The guards holding Boots and Siggu tightened their grips, as if to make a point, causing both of them to squirm and give a little cry of pain. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMagister,\u201d the lord continued, \u201cplease take note of the crimes that I accuse them of and the guilt herein.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy lord, it was my understanding that guilt had yet to be determined!\u201d Tale broke in, sounding desperate. Narosh spoke over Tale, laying out his charges and giving the argument no notice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFirst this one.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Boots took that to mean him, since he was muscled forward. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe lesser charges are of blasphemy. Disrespect for the gifts of the king on a feast day to the gods. The greater charge is plotting to assassinate a lord, an envoy from the king.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat was never what was meant,\u201d Boots said, speaking for the first time. His own protest was drowned out by arguments from both Tale and Bridda. Yuggen\u2019s thready voice inquired after details. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFirst,\u201d the lord yelled, \u201cthe punishment for theft!\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n The guard behind Boots\u2019 grabbed his arm and pulled it outwards to lay it on the cart. Boots yelled in response and tried to pull away. He knew the punishment for theft was to lose a hand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n He could not sit and hope that bowing his head in shame would buy him mercy, he would fight to free himself, he would die before they let them take his hand. He heard Siggu join in, begging to take him instead, swearing that Boots was innocent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Tale shouted something and his voice was cut off abruptly, Bridda\u2019s voice was raised in angry tones. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDo not draw your sword at me, commander. Or we will have cause for another trial,\u201d the lord\u2019s voice seemed to both taunt and warn. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDo not harm him!\u201d Bridda called. She grunted, then there were more grunts, possibly from others. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The guard\u2019s strong grip encircled his wrist, Boots pulled away, he made a sound that was somewhere between a cry and a yell. There were grunts and shuffling thuds from around him. Someone fell into the guard and holding him and jostled everything.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDo it now!\u201d the Narosh yelled. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cStop!\u201d A voice commanded. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Boots had only time to register the voice as his mother\u2019s before a searing pain enveloped the end of his arm. He screamed and pitched forward, his hair a tangle in the green grass, blood pooling in the earth from his wound. <\/p>\n\n\n\n He squinted in the direction his mother\u2019s voice had come from. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Meranin in the clearing, the sun rising behind her. As all heads turned to look, she was a dark silhouette enveloped in a golden mist that shone through the backdrop of trees. Then the sun slid upward and she was only a woman again. The clearing launched into confusion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Siggu swore loudly and openly, calling Boots\u2019 name and cursing the noble. Lord Narosh protested the interruption of his due justice and hurled accusations at Bridda and everyone else present. There were a few thudding sounds, and Bridda\u2019s voice was full of warnings for both the lord and the guards. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Boots heard the voices and saw flashes of movement, but ultimately tried to bury the experience in his mind even as he was consumed by the fiery pain at the end of his arm. Tale tried to calm Siggu, address Boots\u2019 mother and lift Boots\u2019 prone form all at once. Bridda was in a scuffle with another guard, Boots heard a smart smack and a few grunts before being moved by Tale caused stars to burst in his vision. Boots felt the ground trembling beneath him, someone was approaching on horseback accompanied by an angry voice cursing loudly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c- and in the name of the all the gods -\u201d the cursing ceased, and the voice began snapping orders, <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFor Wodan\u2019s sake, someone help that man staunch that boys bleeding. Stand down, Narosh, now, or your regrets will be many. And young man,\u201d he turned to Siggu, \u201cI suggest that you silence your tongue.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Siggu\u2019s mouth snapped shut, the rest of the people in the clearing moved to obey as Captain Burig dismounted and crossed the field to stand before Boots\u2019 mother, <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMadam?\u201d He said in a peculiar voice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n She stood with her arms tightly crossed over her chest, shoulders pulled back in defiance. She did not look at Boots, who lay on the ground, a piece of rope and cloth being tightened around his wrist. Her eyes were narrowed in accusation, and her piercing look settled on the orange-bearded man. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTell your little lordling I would have a word with him,\u201d she said in a flat voice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOn what grounds do you propose to be so bold?\u201d the lord asked, stepping forward. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMuch more solid ground than yours, I assure you,\u201d she responded with certainty, her eyes never leaving the captain\u2019s face. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And for some reason, Narosh did not move any closer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDo you intend to let my son bleed to death at my feet, or will you hear what I have to say?\u201d she asked. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Her voice had a touch of iron to it. Captain Burig, stepped over to the lord and murmured something in his ear. The lord\u2019s face registered confusion and disbelief that he quickly masked. On the ground, Boots squeezed his eyes shut. Amidst the swirl of pain and darkness clamouring in his mind he imagined his mother would suffer for his crimes as well. It would all be his fault. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The noble and the captain stepped forward to meet with Boots\u2019 mother. She moved little, her voice stayed too low to hear, but the anger was clear on her face. Lord Narosh stalked away, his head bowed angrily, and he gestured for his guards to follow him. The captain spoke a few more words that caused Boots\u2019 mother to frown severely. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou will do no such thing,\u201d she said angrily. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMeranin, this is beyond even you,\u201d the captain responded with his own angry tones. It should have occurred to Boots to wonder how the captain knew his mother\u2019s name so quickly, but he was too much in shock to register. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMother?\u201d he asked, feebly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKeep quiet,\u201d it was Tale. Boots realized Tale was sitting on the ground with Boots, keeping Boots\u2019 injured arm propped up against his shoulder. To keep the blood from spilling out, Boots realized in a hazy way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI am so sorry Boots. I did not think it would \u2013 I am so sorry,\u201d Tale said, his voice thick with emotion. \u201cHad I known that lord was so \u2013 Boots. Keep your eyes open. Stay awake, stay awake.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Boots cast a bleary eye over the field, taking in details that would swim through his thoughts later. Bridda with a smear of blood across her knuckles that she had wiped haphazardly on her tunic, she was staring down one of the royal guards who was holding a cloth over his bleeding nose. Siggu hunched on the ground looking pale and sick. The uptight form of the noble and his guards, some distance away, waiting for his guard with the bleeding nose to join them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n His mother and the captain by the treeline. The air between and around them lit by the rising sun. Meranin standing proudly, with her arms crossed defiantly against the captain\u2019s angry gesturing. Finally, something seemed to have been decided. The captain turned away from Boots\u2019 mother. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThese two men, Siggu and Boots, have found an acceptable method of repaying their crimes. There is to be no further recompense sought,\u201d he proclaimed, \u201cwe will settle the terms fully in the village, after some food and some sense are shared all around.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Yuggen scratched the statement into his book. Burig turned to Yuggen then and said, \u201cMagister Yuggen, I shall need to look over today\u2019s proceedings.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Yuggen nodded. Then Burig said, with emphasis, \u201call<\/em> of them.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Understanding dawned on Yuggen and he carefully tore the recently written pages from the book and handed them to Burig, who in turn gave them to Bridda. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Boots was loaded onto the cart to Bridda\u2019s apologetic conversation with the captain. He was soon joined by Siggu, shivering and crying that it should have been his fingers while Tale gruffly told him to be quiet and let Boots rest. Every bump in the road sent a fresh pain into the throbbing at the end of his arm. Boots\u2019 eyes strayed to the man riding on his horse beside the cart. Captain Burig. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There was something about him that drew the eye, that held your attention. His close-cropped hair was golden with blonde and orange, his beard trimmed with militaristic perfection, his clothing was black and gray. He was complete, he seemed at ease, he seemed noble not in the royal way, in the ways that actually mattered. There was something easy to respect and easy to trust about him. Boots felt strangely comforted by his presence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The cart hit a rut and he felt a fresh spike of pain, but it was also somehow distant. He knew what that pain must mean, but he couldn\u2019t bring himself to think of it. Besides, his eyes were heavy, so heavy, he wanted to sleep. Someone told him to stay awake. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Soon, the cart pulled to a stop and he was lifted by Tale and, perhaps, Burig. They practically had to carry him up the path. He recognized the familiar smells of home as his vision whirled dizzyingly around him. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou can wait outside,\u201d his mother\u2019s command. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Tale was there again, lifting him up and arranging his limbs on the bed according to Meranin\u2019s instructions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat else do you need?\u201d Tale was asking. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI need nothing more,\u201d she replied. \u201cYou must go home, Tale. Colin will want to know how his friend fares.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMeranin,\u201d Tale began, \u201cI did not think that they would move so quickly. I tried to delay, but I should have done more. I should have had -\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPerhaps. Perhaps I should not have gone anywhere last night. And perhaps if you interfered, we would instead be looking at your severed limbs in addition to my son\u2019s. Or Colin\u2019s. Go home Tale. Let me tend to my son.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Then there was blessed silence, the faint smell of fire smoke and the gentle smell of the rushes that rustled on the bed beneath him. His mother\u2019s face loomed at him in a circle of light. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry mother,\u201d he croaked. \u201cI was wrong. You tried to tell me. I was wrong -\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHush. You are a good son, Boots. You need to rest.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n She said it in that practical voice of hers, the one that made you feel all would be well because the world worked in practical terms. Water the plants and they will grow, comb the wool thoroughly and will spin true, offer to the gods and they will protect you. Heed your mother\u2019s warnings and you will not rain punishment upon yourself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n She rested a hand on his forehead and poured some cool water between his lips. He felt the cooling slowly fill his body until he started to go numb. When the fires in his arm were finally quenched by whatever he had drank, he drifted off to sleep. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Boots awoke with the first glimmer of grey light filtering in through the window. Having sobered up a few hours into his captivity, he had passed a restless remainder of the evening, unable to ignore the cramped and uncomfortable quarters. With the light came the …<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":149,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-136","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-boots"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fictionforest.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fictionforest.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fictionforest.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fictionforest.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fictionforest.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=136"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.fictionforest.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":183,"href":"https:\/\/www.fictionforest.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136\/revisions\/183"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fictionforest.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/149"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fictionforest.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=136"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fictionforest.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=136"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fictionforest.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=136"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}