Date: Sun, 29 Apr 2007 08:38:58 +0000
From: Jack Smith <js_mas@hotmail.com>
Subject: New Beginnings 14

     WEEK FOURTEEN


     FIRSTDAY

     I was crouched uncomfortably in the emergency escape,
eye pressed to a hole, watching Father and Ti-Lung, together
for the second time since our arrival.  Father's dick was a
piece of wood - a tribute to the magic of the visitors -
rigidly prodding Ti-Lung's lesser form as they kissed and
explored.  That morning, and the night before, I had
experienced the new Father, so I did not feel too bad about
his having time with Ti-Lung.  In the short time I had been
here I had become very fond of my uncle, and could only wish
him happiness.  Before long Ti-Lung, wishing to experience
what he had not experienced for a long time, was bent over
the bed, Father kneeling and thrusting from behind.  It
seemed a comfortable position for the two, one they seemed
to have perfected over years.
     Father was starting to gleam in the soft lamp light, a
sheen of his exertion, when a clamour at the door caused him
to lift his head.  Men burst in with massive swords raised
at the ready, and with only a muttered "pervert" a sword
swooped down at Father's defenceless neck.

     This was the second time in my life that I lost
consciousness.  I did not see anymore.  Maybe lucky, I
thought a long time later, for I was defenceless and,
despite this, I'm sure if I had remained conscious I would
have burst into the room.
     I woke to the smell of smoke, disorientated and
puzzled.  I then thought to look through my spy hole and
almost swooned again at what I saw.  Yellow flames licked
and illuminated the room, glinting the red stains that
covered every surface as well as the headless corpses of
Father and Ti-Lung!  Distraught I bashed through the secret
entrance to stand empty and lost above Father's disfigured
form.  In malice they had also cut of his dick, sticking it
back in Ti-Lung's arse from which the weight of his falling
dead body must have removed it.  Ti-Lung was still hunched
over the bed - he must have had no time to react either.
Flames rose and scorched me, pulling me back to the moment.
In truth I wanted to through myself on Father and perish in
the funeral pyre of the house with him, but I could hear his
voice telling me to go, to save Mother.
     Hardly able to see with tears of grief and smoke I
launched back through the escape door, somehow finding the
presence of mind to rescue my sword from my room before
plunging down ladders and running along enclosed dark
corridors, scratching and scraping myself on unseen objects
and corners.  The heat and smoke became more intense and I
began to wonder if in truth this house was in fact going to
be my pyre when I smacked once again into a flat surface.
But this time it wasn't a turning but an end, my scrabbling
hands found a handle that, despite trembling panic, they
managed to open.  I fell out into a damp night to find
myself at the back of the stables, with an armed man
standing his ground at its back door.
     My battle reflexes came into play and in truth I don't
think he realised I was there before his life ended.  I then
squatted against the wall, sheltering from the soft rain,
breathing hard and trying to think.  Father had informed me
that Do-Si was not staying with the bulk of our guard in the
quarter's provided by Ti-Lung, but rather with a man Father
trusted.  I had not given much thought to this when he had
spoken, thinking that it was a present to Do-Si for his
faithful services, but now I saw the wisdom of such a move.
I didn't go to look but I had no doubt that the barracks
where our guard was stationed was in the same condition as
the main house, full of the dead awaiting cremation in evil
flames.
     So I needed Kito, and if I could Trugo as well.  I
struggled up and listened carefully at the back door.  It
seemed that the stables were untouched.  Probably the horses
had been promised as spoil for the marauders.  With a guard
at the back door I assumed there would also be one at the
front, but all seemed quiet within so I carefully opened the
door to peek in.  A young man lay in blood on the floor,
seemingly lifeless.  Otherwise the stable seemed peaceful in
the yellow light of its lamps, other than tense horses.  I
quickly located Kito and Trugo, stabled side by side, with
their saddles hanging on pegs by the doors.  I calmed them
as well I could, loosely threw the saddles on their backs,
then led them towards the back door.  Kito gave a little
whinny that I thought was going to give me away, but nothing
happened and they both, understanding the seriousness of
what was happening, otherwise remained silent and obedient.
     Outside I peered around, wondering in what direction
was the front gate.  I should know, but my thoughts, now I
had achieved my immediate goal, swirled uselessly like an
eddy in the river.  For want of better options, realising
that I had at least had to get away from the stables, I
slunk towards the slightly greater shadow of the defending
wall, hoping to hide myself from the growing flickering
light of the fires that spotted the compound.  Obviously
whoever was behind this had given orders to leave no
survivors or anything standing.  Bodies were strewn
everywhere and I had to pick my way between them, stumbling
into some in the fitful light.  Seemingly an endless time
later I came to the fence, to find that it had been breached
by some massive force just near the point I came across it.
So the assassins had not risked the defences of the front
gate as their point of entry, but now must have felt enough
confidence to leave it almost unattended.  Only two men, and
small young ones at that, were guarding it from the escape
of the household staff.
     Two men who were soon dead.  Without any forethought I
said that I had been instructed to bring these horses for
them, and in exchange for the reins that I gave individually
into the hands of each I took their heads with a swinging
blade.  Blood spurted, staining my already besmirched
clothes.  Trugo and Kito remained quiet as I took their
reins again and cautiously walked them through the break and
out into the open town.  A very quiet town, people hiding in
fear of the attack.  Finding a back lane I snuck in, now
pausing to tighten the saddles of the horses.  I attached
Trugo behind and mounted Kito, hoping that if anyone saw me
they would think I was an invader fleeing with my spoils and
give me a wide birth.
     It was I suspect for the same reason that it took a
long time for someone to respond to my frantic, muffled
knocking on the door of the house where I believed Do-Si was
staying.  Just as I was giving the house up as empty a voice
whispered from the other side of the door.  "Who is it?"
     "I'm looking for a friend, Do-Si."
     "Who is Do-Si?"
     It then occurred to me that he would be hiding in fear,
and that he would be suspicious of someone being sent to
kill him.  How would I get the confidence of this unknown
person behind the door?  "I am a friend of Wi-Su."
     This was met with retreating footsteps, and after a bit
a bolt sounded and the door opened cautiously to reveal a
scrap of an anonymous face in the dark.  Then the door flew
open and Do-Si had his arms around me!  The relief I felt
could not be described, though his warmth was only brief and
he quickly became practical.  "Now, get the horses around
the back out of sight before anyone notices the
disturbance!"
     He hustled me to the side of the house, through a small
gate and out the back where there was a small building that
served as a storehouse.  It seemed the owner did not have a
horse, and there was little space in the building.  Do-Si
returned to the house to get a lamp, and together we quickly
arranged what was there to make space for the horses.  With
a bucket we brought them water before leaving them.
     Inside the house I was introduced to the owner, Ro-So,
a tall man of indeterminate years.  Do-Si must have already
told him my identity for he immediately bowed his respect.
"Sire."
     "No more I fear."  I got out before breaking down into
painful sobs.  I eventually got out the gist of what I had
seen, what had happened, to the ever whitening faces of my
audience.
     Do-Si then took charge, without doubt saving my life,
for my inclination was to curl up into a ball and sleep.
"We cannot stay here - we must escape while it is dark.
Tomorrow everything will be sealed up and it will be very
difficult!"
     Ro-So spoke.  "I can take you out of town on back
streets and small trails.  Once you are further away you
will be safer.  I'll put some food together for you and some
money - I have supplies in case of an emergency.  Lord
Srotyr warned me that there might be trouble and gave me a
bag of gold to keep safe."
     It seemed in no time I was out in the damp night again,
but now with a pigskin coat over my dirty, wet clothes, and
we were weaving between trees and houses and fences till we
had escaped the town and were crossing rice fields.  Ro-So
certainly knew his way around.  We eventually mounted our
horses when we encountered the main road to NewTown, some
distance from town, shaking hands with Ro-So first and
watching him disappear back into the dark fields.  Alone
again, Do-Si and I fell into each others arms, trying to
provide comfort and reassurance to each other, before
mounting and galloping wildly into the night.


     SECONDAY

     I awoke wet and sore, rocks and sticks digging into me.
It was still dark and still raining, getting heavy.  But my
physical misery seemed nothing beside my internal grief.  I
had woken so many times crying out, nightmares of Father's
headless body plaguing.  I pushed Do-Si awake and after a
frugal breakfast we were again making good pace.  The horses
had been looked after well and were in good condition, and
so far seemed to be coping with our rapid pace.  I wondered
if the road would be safe once daylight came, wondered how
we were going to travel.  We needed speed, but we needed
stealth.  We could travel by night as the road of the
ancients was smooth enough that there was no risk that the
horses would lose footing, but we would lose a day waiting
for light to fade to do so.  A day we couldn't afford.  It
was possible that NewTown was already under attack by these
marauders.
     I had no doubt that the power behind the attack was the
Prince.  And that more likely than not that the old King was
now with his sires, and that the Prince would have crowned
himself as King.  Against the power of the whole Kingdom
NewTown had no chance, and once it was known that Father was
dead there would be no fight.  What would be the point?  I
suspected and feared that I would again come across the head
of Father, presented to the people of NewTown as evidence of
his fate.
     So we rode.  Rode as I had never ridden before, along a
deserted road.  It was lucky Do-Si was astride Trugo as no
other mount would have maintained the pace that Kito was
managing.  He flew as if he knew the urgency of our quest,
whipping rain into my face despite my hood and bent head.  I
thought little, not of the rain, not of the discomfort of
skin chafed by wet clothes, not of Do-Si behind me on Trugo.
Not even of what I was going to do, or what had passed.  My
mind was a savage pool of hate, a swirling vengeance against
a man I had never met, a man who had without pang destroyed
my life.  I vowed that one day he would pay with his.
     As light strengthened I began to be concerned that we
would be seen.  We must be approaching the grounds of the
inn that we had sheltered in on the last night of our
journey to RiverSide.  I did not want to be seen for even
though in this state it would be unlikely that anyone would
recognise me in these changing times it was unusual for
anyone to be out and about and my presence may be remembered
and volunteered by someone for reward.  But we would need
food, and the horses rest and pasture.  We would have to
stop.  Maybe Do-Si, pretending to be a wandering simpleton,
might be able to gain some kitchen scraps, while I tended
the horses out of sight along the bend of a feeding stream.
But I wanted to have passed the inn prior to stopping, which
would allow us to start before full darkness that evening
without fear of drawing attention.
     My wishes were met as I became aware of smoke
struggling with the wet air in the near distance.  An early
kitchen fire of the inn.  I veered out onto the green of the
river plain to avoid the attention of any early riser,
forming a wide arc ending up back on the road.  A suitable
stream appeared soon and I sent Do-Si back to the inn, gold
in pocket in case he needed it but with advice to beg if
possible, while I walked the horses upstream, watering them,
rubbing them down before staking them on a green pasture
that was out of sight of the road.  They were fatigued,
trembling and in need of rest.  We had not travelled that
far but our speed had been great.  I intended to ride all
the next night, and into the day if necessary, expecting to
make the two day journey in one of frantic pace.  I hoped
they had the strength to meet that need.
     I had dropped off to sleep when a voice calling my name
caught my attention.  Do-Si looking for me.  I had taken
shelter in a small overhang, well out of sight of casual
attention.  Ever fearful I crept out to see what was about,
but it was only Do-Si on his own.  Still cautious I
carefully drew his attention, but his joyous run in response
to his awareness of my presence told me that he was not
under any duress.  He joined me under my shelter and we
shared the poor provisions he had been given.  I could not
remember eating food that was so bad, old rice, smoked meat
that had seen better days, stale vegetables.  But it filled
my stomach and I knew I would need strength for what lay
ahead, so I suppressed my nausea and ate.  Do-Si seemed less
inclined, and on questioning sheepishly admitted that he had
been given a bowl of hot gruel that he had had to eat at the
back door of the kitchen, and that his hunger was no longer
great.  Though the thought of gruel was tempting, I had no
trouble persuading him that he had done the only thing
possible, and if he had not eaten it neither of us would
have had an appetising meal.
     We slept fitfully.  Despite fatigue it was difficult to
sleep in morning light.  And of course my dreams still tore
at me.  But the day passed, and before it became true dark
we got the horses out onto to the road and set off again.


     FORDAY

     We had crossed the river in darkness, and we were now
crouching in the ravine on the far bank, the ravine where
not so long ago I had visited with Wi-Su during the infancy
of our intimacy.  It now seemed a lifetime ago.  And it was.
The lifetime of Father, of Ti-Lung.  Of all the guards I had
befriended.  I needed in, but there was so much activity at
the gate that I dared not move for the moment.  Life
appeared to be as usual in NewTown.  I feared that if Hi-Tui
saw me he would make a fuss, but I could think of no other
way to gain entry.  The horses would give us away though,
their power and breeding, as would two men returning to
town, so I left Do-Si with the horses and started my way on
foot back to town.  It wasn't hard to look the tired field
worker returning unwell to town.
     I was stumbling with fatigue as I arrived at the gate.
I suspect my face was showing a decent measure of
desperation as I lifted it to look at Hi-Tui.  I think I saw
a quick look of joy, a word caught without being uttered,
but the tears in my eyes prevented clear vision and the
first audible sound was Hi-Tui saying gruffly, "What are you
doing back again!  You should be in the fields.  You are no
more sick than I.  Get into my office!"  Which was delivered
with a clout to push me on my way.
     I entered the office and though my legs begged rest I
stood as a humble field worker should, awaiting the
representative of my owner to enter.  My head was bent, so I
saw nothing, but I could hear Hi-Tui's voice, but not clear
enough to discern words.  Eventually he entered.
     "Where is Lord Srotyr?" was the first thing he said,
but my tears and face must have answered for he continued,
"The fucking murders!"
     I had never heard Hi-Tui speak so.  I don't think I had
heard anyone speak so.  My head lifted in shock, and Hi-Tui
mumbled a quick, "Sorry."  I just shook my head numbly,
trying to indicate that he needn't be.
     "You are not safe here.  The Prince's men have entered
and are living in your house, keeping the Lady hostage.  You
must be hidden.  Do you know somewhere you could hide?"
     I thought wildly, then came up with an idea.  "There is
a shed attached to the tool store, where Wi-Su stores his
collection of rocks.  I doubt if anyone goes there."
     "I know it.  Go there, I will get you food.  Did anyone
come with you?
     "Do-Si is hiding in the ravine under the broken bridge
with Kito and Trugo."
     "I'll organise something for him too.  He should be
able to return without too much trouble.  Somehow we'll have
to sneak the horses into the stables.  I will talk to Hu-Wi.
He should be able to get them in without it being obvious.
Now go, but let me give you orders outside that can be
heard."
     We stepped out into the open, and though I kept my head
down I now saw the invaders.  "Now, get a shovel and report
back here.  If you won't work in the fields you will work
here digging pig shit!"
     There was no need to fain dejection.  I stumbled my way
to the tool shed, then as carefully as possible that I not
be noticed I slipped around the back and into the shed.
With the door closed behind me I sank down in a corner with
relief.  There was nothing much to make a bed, but even the
cold hard floor felt good underneath.  Rapidly I was asleep.
Stirring again when the door tentatively opened and Hi-Tui
entered.  He put down the pouch he had brought and almost
lifted me from the ground in a hug of monstrous proportions.
     "Cavon, how I feared for you.  How good it is to hold
you again!"  His kiss was tender and loving, our tears
mixing, our grief shared.  "What happened to Lord Srotyr?"
he asked after our lips separated.
     I did not know how to recount it.  The images that
nightmared through my thoughts could not be put into
meaningful words.  Words could not convey the terror.  I
guess I must have go enough across for him to understand.
He held me tighter.
     "I cannot stay.  My absence may be noticed and the
King's men may investigate.  I will talk to Yue-Sin, get him
to bring some bedding.  I'll see you later maybe."
     "Do-Si?"
     "I've spoken with Hu-Wi.  He will take out a group of
horses to exercise.  No one will notice that he has two more
and an assistant on his return."
     I nodded to the closing door, opened the pouch and
extracted an apple that I ate, savouring it's fresh taste,
but before I managed more I must have slept again for the
next thing I remembered was the door opening again and Yue-
Sin entering, his belly shrinking rapidly as blankets where
extracted from under his coat.  Then he had me in his arms
too.  "Hi-Tui told me the news!" was all he got out before a
bout crying silenced both of us.
     "I want to see Mother," were the first words that
surfaced.
     "They are keeping her under close guard.  But we can
break in tonight.  I want to kill every fucking one of them
personally!"
     "How?" I asked.
     "They all hide away within your house after dark - they
fear to be out.  We can enter by my secret entrance, and
take them one by one."
     "I would like that."
     "I'll come and get you after dark!"
     And with a quick kiss he was gone.
     I was now more awake.  I finished the food that was in
the pouch then looked through Wi-Su's collection, wondering
how he was.  Would he come back now?  It was a weird feeling
with which this thought infused me, mixed love and loss and
hope and grief and emptiness.  I curled up in the blanket to
nurture it, and slept fitfully as there was nothing else to
do.  It was better than staring into space and hurting.

     Darkness was thick and wet.  Yue-Sin cupped his hand to
lift me to the first metal spike.  I gripped it and his
strength then lifted me higher to the next.  Soon I had a
foot hold and was on my way.  Laden with sword and cross bow
climbing the spikes without sight was not an easy task.  A
couple of times my foot fell into empty space causing my
heart to race but in truth I think I no longer feared death,
and eventually I found myself safely behind the redpalm,
awaiting Yue-Sin.  I peered into our bedroom.  A shape on
the bed illuminated by flickering firelight.  It must be the
chief of the brigands to commandeer our room.  I drew my
sword, wondering if I should wait for Yue-Sin.  Then the
thought that this man might wake and give the alarm decided
me.  I crept into the room, ears alert for other sound.  He
was half on his belly, facing me.  I stuck my sword in his
throat and lifted.  I suspect he didn't even wake, and there
was little noise beyond a soft gurgle.  Blood soaked the bed
through, already filthy from the swine who had been sleeping
in it.  I returned to the door in time to see Yue-Sin
descending, breathing heavier than I would have expected.
He was out of practice.
     Though not at assessing battle situations.  He gave me
a thumbs up for my act, then moved silently to the door to
the rest of the house.  I in turn quickly checked the rest
of the rooms of our suite, finding them empty.  This had all
been planned before we left the hut, so there was no need
for words when he opened the door and slipped through.  I
followed behind, not knowing what to expect.  It felt very
odd moving stealthily in my own house.  It was pretty dark,
and as had been planned if he couldn't see I took the lead.
Our first goal was Mother's suite, but we wanted to make
sure all rooms were cleared behind us.  The first we came to
was mine.  From there I could hear some kind of noise,
making my hair stand on end.
     In the little light that came out from under the door
Yue-Sin gestured for me to ready my bow.  He would burst in
and move left, and I would pick off anyone he wasn't able to
cover.  What I saw though when his form cleared the door
almost left me unable to move.  A man was fucking someone on
the floor, another stood beside with his pants dropped and
back to the door ready to take his friends place.  This one
fell to an arrow before he managed to cry out, the active
one following quickly courtesy of the sword of Yue-Sin.  But
then I fell to the floor, unmanned.  Beneath this brute was
Mother.  Naked.  Clearly dead.
     Yue-Sin quietly closed the door.  I fought not to
scream, but could not control the tears.  With my swords I
hacked at the bodies of the two men, slashing their faces,
their bellies, their genitals.  I fell down beside mother
and touched her cold face.  There was pain and suffering in
her last look.  My rage flared and Yue-Sin had to hold me
back from bursting out of the room in search of every
remaining fucker of the Prince.  When he had calmed me a
little we continued with our plan.  He knew that the
majority of the Prince's men slept in the common area of the
dinning and sitting room, and here he wanted to repeat the
strategy we had just used, with me out of harms way loosing
arrows and he making sure no one would get to me.
     I took a deep breath and let my first arrow fly, seeing
it embed in the chest of the biggest body I could see before
moving to another target.  Yue-Sin was amongst them now
causing havoc and the first of them were starting to stir
and realise they had trouble.  I took out those that were
rising but soon there were many on their feet, fumbling for
their swords.  I kept letting fly arrows, but soon one was
in my face and I had to lift my sword to defend myself.  I
think he was expecting little resistance, and he was soon
dead.  I launched into the room like a madman, fighting my
way towards Yue-Sin.  There must have been 20 but less than
10 had managed to get to their feet.  My arrows had been
fast, and Yue-Sin had wasted no time either.
     None had any skill as a swordsman, and though we were
heavily outnumbered soon the last 3 were racing for the
front door to escape.  The leading one threw open the door,
to fall with an arrow in his throat that had come from
outside.  The other two jumped over the body, one going left
the other right.  I arrived at the door to see the form of
the one that went left slump with an arrow in his throat,
and hear the other cry out, "Lord Srotyr", before likewise
collapsing to the ground.
     Yue-Lin and Hi-Tui stepped out of the shadows to help
us bring the bodies back inside, Yue-Lin stopping to clean
his sword on the man that he had felled and Hi-Tui to remove
and clean his arrows.  We then nodded goodbye silently,
returned inside closing the door behind us with its heavy
beam, picked our way through the bloody devastation of what
had been the sitting room and made our way to into the room
where Mother lay.  Wrath inflicted on all that was in reach
but still frustrated from dealing with the heart of my
vengeance, I looked down emptily on the mortal remains of
she who had been all my life, who had birthed me, cared for
me, and of whom I had only just learnt the difficulties that
a living being could suffer just to survive.  All her
anguish and shame was now at rest.  I didn't know which of
the animals had taken her life, but I knew he was dead.
There was only one more thing to do.
     I gestured for Yue-Sin to follow and left the room.  In
the bedroom we bundled up the body of the chief of the
animals and carried him and the bloodied bedding out into
sitting room with the other corpses.  Then tediously and
methodically we mutilated each individual, separating their
bodies into grotesque pieces, putting genitalia in mouths,
in arses, putting out eyes, cutting limbs asunder.  When we
finished it looked as if a insane monster had run berserk.
With blood we painted a crude sketch of the Srotyr arms on
the outside of the entrance doors, sealing the house.  Then
we carefully carried Mother's body to the bedroom and laid
her on the bed.  I found that her clothes had been largely
untouched so we dressed her in her finest, painted her face,
placed a pillow under her head and clasped her hands
together on her chest.  In blood I again painted the Srotyr
arms on the outside of the bedroom door and wrote above it
"He who enters dies!".
     I was at the end of my strength and on coming into the
room I collapsed in a heap.  Yue-Sin barred the door before
gently helping me out of my clothes and carrying me to the
awaiting bath that he had run while I was applying the art
work to the door.  He quickly undressed and joined me.  The
water cleansed the gore from our bodies and was soon red.
Yue-Sin gestured for me to get out, rinsed the tub clean and
ran a fresh bath.  I lay back in his arms in the soothing
warmth, falling asleep with a sense of security for the
first time since, an age ago, a sword had fallen on the life
of Father.


     FIFDAY


     Morning found me waking in my new abode, Wi-Su's shed.
With the Prince's men dead I had thought I would wander
freely in the streets of my town, but Yue-Sin had counselled
me to remain hidden and think on the consequences of my
being seen in the streets.  He mentioned for my information
that certain prominent members of the town had rejoiced at
the news that Lord Srotyr had been deposed, Tie-Je being one
of the most vocal and helpful to the Prince's men.  Yue-Sin
had had to remind me that Tie-Je was the merchant I had
offended in court.
     Knowing that my ability to think was rather compromised
I took his advice and remained hidden, leaving it to morning
to try to fathom my current situation and my future.  What
was my position?  I was the son of a deposed and murdered
Lord, but one murdered by the King so that the murder would
be deigned as punishment for wrong doing.  So in theory I do
not possess the title of Lord.  But the spirit of the
deceased Lord has returned and vented his wrath on those who
desecrated his house.  Why can't his son arise and carry on
the banner?  Yue-Sin would support whatever decision I made,
and he controlled the guards.  But what would be the result
of calling on his loyalty?  He and his men would bravely do
battle against whatever forces the King sent against us, but
with treachery within there was no doubt that we would lose.
And even if not killed in battle, I would be executed, as
would Yue-Sin and his men for supporting me.
     If I disappeared quietly into the wilderness though Yue-
Sin could pretend allegiance to the new Lord of NewTown, and
even if he was replaced by a crony of the new Lord there
would be no excuse to execute him.  Likewise Hi-Tui and all
others who would be loyal to me.  My declaring my Lordship
would kill them all.
     Where could I go?  Disappear quietly into the
wilderness and do what?  Become a hermit?  It seemed very
desolate.  And appealing.  I could hide away and not worry
about the world.  Plot my revenge!  Me against a whole
Kingdom?  "Yes, that is a great idea!" I thought
facetiously.  "Might as well just fall on my own sword and
do the King's work for him."  All of a sudden this seemed a
very attractive idea.  I had started rooting around looking
for a way to support my sword so that I could pursue it when
I was interrupted by noise at the door.  My sword changed
roles and now came up to defend me, but was halted by a
startled "Whoa" as Yue-Lin entered carrying a bag presumably
holding food.
     "You are edgy," he said after greeting me with a bow
and a hug.
     "I think I have the right to be!"
     "I have some bad news."  In response to my mute look he
continued.  "Men of the King arrived just after light.  They
brought with them your Father's head and have mounted it on
a stake above the town gate."
     I sat heavily in the corner where blankets formed my
bed.  Curled in a ball I muttered, "Please leave me."  I
heard the door close and my tears moved to sobs.