by L. A. Kelly
She forced her way toward the front of the crowd. Finally she squeezed past a large man with a cane and got her first clear view of the prisoner.
It can’t be! her mind screamed as panic rose in her heart. It was Tahn. The man who had tried to give them a fighting chance. Caged and condemned.
He looked like he’d been beaten severely. His face was cut and swollen with bruises. The back of his shirt and one pant leg were drenched in blood. They had chained his hands above him to the top of the little cage. He was sitting, but the weight of his upper body hung from those chained wrists. He did not look conscious.
Lord God! They can’t do this! her mind cried in protest. It can’t be this way! He tried to help us!
Netta pushed her way closer. There were soldiers in front of the wagon and on both sides. But at this moment, she didn’t care. She wanted to reach him. She had to.
She saw the broken wooden shaft protruding through his bloody shirt, and her eyes filled with tears. An arrow in his back? This is honor?
“Killer!” screamed the woman beside Netta. “You’ve stolen the heart from us! May you burn in hell!”
Netta had no idea what to do, but she knew she must do something. She could not let this crowd continue to harangue him. She could not let the soldiers just take him away.
She was about to speak. But Tahn opened his eyes to look at the woman who had just screamed out. And then he saw Netta.
She could scarcely bear the look he gave her. The tears flowed in silence down her cheeks, and her mind raced for what might be done to help him.
Two more soldiers were coming from the nearest shop, liquor in hand, and Tahn seemed to know what she was thinking and the danger it would put her in. With painful effort, he took a deep breath and struggled to speak, still looking her in the eyes. “Just let me go,” he said. “It’s all right now.”
Her breath caught in her throat. She understood his meaning, and she had to obey him, much as she didn’t want to, as much as it broke her heart. She felt like she was choking, but she nodded to him and then turned and pushed her way back through the crowd toward her horse. Condemned he was. Beaten near dead and now to be executed, but he was still thinking of her safety.
“Fool!” a man shouted at him. “They’ll let you go to swing at the end of a rope!”
Netta mounted and turned to ride toward her meeting place with Stuva. The soldiers joined the man in chiding Tahn for what they thought was a plea to be released. But Netta knew what he’d meant. There was no way she could do anything against so many soldiers. There was no choice but to let it go, though her heart cried against her mind at it.
Then she thought of what she’d seen in his eyes. It was pain, yes, and a dreadful weakness so unlike him. But there was a peace behind it he’d never had before, a peace far greater than any circumstance this world could allow.
“It’s all right now,” he’d said. And she suddenly realized what else he was telling her. Though there might be no way Netta could save him, God already had. Surely Tahn had wanted her to know that he had no more fear of hell, that his eternity was secure.
The knowledge of it brought the tears back. She wept for the joy and the sorrow in it all, and rode quickly from that street as the wagon began its move in the opposite direction.
15
Stuva wasn’t at their meeting place. Netta dried her eyes and tried hard to compose herself, but she couldn’t stand the wait. What sort of things might happen to a child alone in this town where the people threw rocks and cruel words at a man given no chance for justice? She was almost sorry she’d sent Stuva on, though she knew he would not have been able to bear the sight of his teacher without endangering his own life.
She directed the gentle mare toward the food vendors and began searching for the boy in the crowd of the open market.
“Big brother!” someone called.
Netta turned her head. It was Stuva, all right. He was sitting on a cushion behind a giant array of vegetables, looking quite important. She’d never seen him with such a smile.
“Big brother, look!” he exclaimed with excitement. “I’m tending to these goods! I’ve made three sales! I never had a job before!”
She dismounted and tied the horse at the nearest post. She wiped at her eyes quickly, hoping he wouldn’t see the horror that must still be there. She couldn’t tell him about Tahn. Not now. If she did, they might not leave this town alive.
“His name is Guston,” Stuva was saying. “Just as I came past, his wife came yelling for him. I don’t know what was wrong, but he left in a hurry. He said I looked like an honest boy. Imagine that! He said he’d pay me to make sure no one stole his things, and extra if I made him money!”
Netta smiled for him, knowing it was an answer to her prayer, and that it had made an enormous impact on the young boy’s heart. But she couldn’t quite share his joy. She felt like sinking to the ground beside those rosy peppers and crying her eyes out.
He was looking at her strangely. “What happened?” he asked her, his voice more sober.
“It is not a good time for me to talk about it,” she answered, not entirely able to hold back the tears.
Stuva nodded and glanced at the two women in bright clothing who had stopped to look over his bounty.
“It’s all right, big brother,” he told Netta with a remarkable empathy. “I miss the folks too.”
One of the women glanced at Netta and Stuva and then whispered something to her companion. In a few moments, the women had bought as much as they could carry and paid for it generously.
“I think they thought we’re orphans,” Stuva told her.
“We are,” Netta answered quietly.
“God answered your prayer,” he said, trying to cheer her. “I guess he really does care. Things’ll be all right.”
But Netta turned away and stared at the rooftops. I thank you, God, for Stuva’s sake, she silently prayed. But God, please! You give us a blessing, but what about Tahn? You must care for him! Spare him, Lord. He never wanted to be a killer. You know it. He doesn’t deserve this.
The man called Guston returned with the news of a grandchild born unexpectedly early. He was greatly pleased with Stuva’s earnings and paid them well.
They rode home with their bags full of food, but Netta could not shake her sadness and refused to talk about it on the journey. She needed the time to pray. How could she tell the children? She must somehow, but it might be the hardest thing she’d ever done. How would they react? Every day the little ones prayed for their teacher’s return. And Vari. God help him! What would he do?
When they finally reached the cave, no one was there. The stream, of course. That’s where Vari said they’d be.
“Might as well go meet them there, Miss,” Stuva said. “Don’t you think? Maybe they’re hungry.”
“Yes,” she agreed. “We might as well.”
“I’m sorry for whatever bad news you got today,” Stuva said suddenly. “You really loved your family, didn’t you?”
“Yes,” she answered quietly, not wanting to talk about it.
“I love Duncan too. But he’s not all. If something was to happen to any of the rest, or to the Dorn, or even to you, Miss, I’d be sore bothered.”
She swallowed the lump in her throat. “I know you would, Stuva,” she said. “You’re a brave and good boy.”
“I worry about the Dorn now,” he was continuing. “He’s been gone so long. Doesn’t it worry you?”
She looked down at her lap, afraid to meet his eyes lest she break down and weep in front of him again. “Stuva,” she said, “it worries me greatly. You must pray for him, please. And when we can, I must speak to you and Vari about it.”
“Let’s go get Vari now,” he said and turned his horse for the stream at a trot.
All six of the younger children were near the stream, along with a boy and a girl Netta had never seen before. They had a fire going, and the smell of roasting fish greeted Netta as she and Stuva neare
d. When they dismounted Temas came running toward them, ready with a welcoming embrace.
“Where’s Vari?” Stuva asked right away.
“He went walking with my sister,” said the big boy coming toward them. “I’m Roy Wittley, ma’am. Your little brothers have been telling us about you.”
Netta recognized the name of the neighbor family whose daughter Vari had saved. “Pleased to meet you,” she said and then looked past him to the little wide-eyed girl by the fire.
“My sister Muriel,” Roy told her. “You sure got a big family. ’Bout like ours. Only we still got our folks. When will that big brother o’ yours be comin’ back? Papa’s been hopin’ he’d come round again.”
Netta didn’t even try to answer.
“Where’d Vari and that girl go?” Stuva persisted.
“She went showin’ him the herbs,” the boy explained. “We gather them for the healer in Merinth. He gives a fair price for our time, and your brother was well interested in that.”
“Well, he needs to get himself back,” Stuva said with a measure of disgust. “He’s supposed to be watching for the youngest.”
“They’ll be back before long,” Roy said. “There’s nothing out here to trouble us. Besides, he knew I’d be right here cookin’ the fish.”
“And me,” Tam spoke out. “We’re doing fine. They came fishing too, and we threw in together.”
“Muriel’s seven like me and Briant and Temas,” Doogan was saying with enthusiasm. “They’ve got poles they made themselves, and they let us use them. Now we’re going to make some!” He was up quick as lightning to grab one of the poles to show Netta.
It was all so normal for children that she could hardly take it. Why, Lord? she questioned. Why can’t they have the normal lives they want and need?
Temas was tugging at Netta’s clothes, and Netta leaned down to the girl. “That big girl was kissing Vari,” Temas whispered. “We saw them.”
Oh, Vari, Netta thought. I hate that I must burst reality upon you this way! If only your family fantasy could be true and Tahn could just ride back as though nothing had happened.
She sunk to the ground, and Temas was quick to sit beside her.
“You must be awfully poor,” Muriel was saying, “for you two not to have no dresses.”
“I know you’re tired,” Stuva was telling Netta. “But I think I’m going to go find Vari. We’ve got more important things to do than visiting.”
He looked so grown up, and so burdened, that Netta wished she hadn’t told him anything. Now he was nearly as anxious as she was, and he didn’t even know what she had to say. Perhaps it wasn’t right that she should tell them. What could they possibly do but go and get themselves killed? Maybe it would be better for them never to know.
But they could hear the sounds of someone’s approach. Netta heard their voices before she could see them.
“Maybe he got away from them,” a young girl was saying. “Maybe he’s all right.”
“No,” came Vari’s choked reply. “Somehow I know he’s not.”
They broke through the bushes toward them with a painful urgency. Vari, with an agonized expression, was leading a badly limping horse. Smoke.
Vari saw Netta and directed his words to her. “Tahn’s horse,” he said. “Look at him! Been arrow shot. Looks like it’s been days. I told you he didn’t leave us willingly! I told you something happened!”
“It must have been bandits,” the girl, Leah, offered. “Maybe somebody helped him. He might be on his way back before we know it.”
Vari turned to Leah. “Perhaps you should go home now,” he said gravely and then looked at Roy. “Take the fish. You caught most of it anyhow.”
Roy Wittley shook his head, looking around at Netta, Doogan, and the others. “You keep the fish,” he said. “Plenty more where they came from. And it’s the least we can do when you got news like this. Come on, Muriel, Leah, we ought to go home, like he said. Sometimes a family’s got to manage things on their own.”
But Leah didn’t want to go. “If we can help you,” she told Vari, “to search or anything, we will, just tell us!”
“Pray for him,” Vari told her. “Please, Lee.”
Netta knew how the children were affected by the sight of Tahn’s mount so badly wounded. Yet none of them said anything until the Wittley children had gone.
Netta put her head down on her hands, feeling the hurt and the questions in the circle around her. Lord, she prayed urgently, did you lead Smoke back here? I might have carried this horror alone and the grief of it until it crushed me to the dust, but now I have no choice! God help them! It is too much, Lord, that children must bear this.
She began to cry, helpless to stop it, though she was very aware that they were now looking at her.
“I think she might have something to tell us,” Stuva said quietly.
“Was it Samis?” Tam asked.
“They couldn’t catch Teacher,” little Duncan said bravely. “He must be hiding.”
“He must be,” Temas agreed. “He’s the best.” But she leaned against Netta’s side, and Netta knew by the little girl’s shaking that she must be crying now too.
Netta lifted her head and wiped at her face with one sleeve. “God have mercy,” she whispered and looked up at Vari’s stormy eyes. “I saw him,” she said quietly. “He was a captive of the baron’s soldiers. They are telling the people that he killed my family. They plan to execute him.”
Most of the children were shaken to a pained silence. But Vari and Stuva were angry.
“He was in Merinth?” Stuva yelled. “Why didn’t you tell me? We might’ve done something!”
Vari’s look was like daggers. “If you had let me go, Lady,” he said, “I could have helped him. I wouldn’t have left till I did!”
“Listen to me!” She raised her voice in answer to their blame. “He saw me too. He told me to go! I saw at least seven armed soldiers. There may have been more, plus an angry crowd! Would God there could have been some way to save him! But there was nothing we could do. Thank God none of you were there, because you surely would have been killed! He knew it. That’s why he sent me away.”
The tears broke over her again. “I am so sorry!” she cried. “God knows I didn’t want to leave him like that!”
Vari had grown very quiet. “Is he hurt?”
She nodded.
“I don’t understand how they could ever catch him,” Doogan said with a sniff. He put his arm around Rane, who was suddenly trembling.
Netta swallowed hard and squelched her tears. God only knew what these children had already seen. She might as well be ready to tell them anything she could, hard as it was.
“Think he’s strong enough to escape?” Vari asked.
“No,” Netta said gravely. “He has an arrow in his back. He was beaten severely. One of his legs is bloody. I have scarcely seen anyone so weak.”
Vari was staring past her, his face as pale as the swirling clouds in the sky behind him. “When do they mean to kill him?”
She knew what he was thinking, and her heart was torn at the thought of it. Oh, if only they could save him! But what of these precious lives? “I don’t know when,” she answered. “They say they will go to Onath.”
Vari looked then at the faces around him. “I’ve got to go to him,” he said solemnly. “Maybe I can’t stop them, but I’ve got to try like he did for me.”
“I’m coming too,” Stuva said.
No! Netta’s heart cried, but before she could say anything, first Doogan, then Duncan, and then all the others were voicing their agreement.
“You can’t!” she cried, terrified beyond words for their young lives.
“You can’t stop us, Lady,” Tam said. The boy’s face was set with a determination mirrored in all the others, and she knew he was right. There was no way she could stop them.
Lord, what have I done? she wondered. But then from somewhere deep within her came a strength she did not expect. No weap
on formed against you shall prosper. She knew it was a Scripture verse, and it gave her hope and resolve. If she could not prevent these dear ones from leaving, then she must do everything she could to help them.
“Vari,” she asked. “Your friend offered her help. Might she and her family be trusted?”
“I think so,” he said. “They don’t know who we are, ma’am. But they are no friends of the baron, and they are good people.”
“Let us go to them and beg a wagon,” she said. “I fear the Dorn is not able to sit the saddle, and we may need a wagon for our journey.”
“You’re coming?” Stuva asked in surprise.
“I am,” she said and rose to her feet. “You are like my own children,” she told them. “I love you all, and I fear for your lives. But you are right. We can’t just let him die alone. I pray God that even if we fail, we might let him know we’ve counted him worthy that we should try.”
“You’re brave,” Briant told her.
Netta shook her head. “No. I’m not. But he is accused of destroying my family. I wouldn’t be a Trilett if I let that lie stand.”
Vari almost smiled. “You know Onath, don’t you?”
“Like the back of my hand,” she answered.
“Then let’s go.”
Leah’s mother was outside and saw their approach. Netta could tell that she recognized her immediately, even in the boy’s clothes. “Lady, I didn’t know you were with these children,” the woman said. “But God be thanked you’ve survived.”
Kert Wittley was right behind his wife. “Lady?” he asked.
“It’s the Lady Trilett,” Mrs. Wittley told him. “The one I gave provision for.”