《Redemption》 Prologue It was a warm summer day, the field of flowers were all in bloom, the gentle breeze in the air was carrying the fragrant perfume across the town a few miles away. The scent of the flowers on the wind gave its town the name blossom. The town was known for its export of candles and soaps with the best scents across the county. This day like any other saw Katie the soapier apprentice harvesting the flowers in the field, but this day was not like the others. ¡°Ah, AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, PLEASE STOP, PEASE STOP! No, no¡±, sobbing, then whispering, ¡°Please don¡¯t¡± ¡°It¡¯s over now, Katie, it¡¯s over now you will be ok¡± ¡°Mr. Soper?¡± Katie said holding her boss, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I wanted to know, when you didn¡¯t return at sunset, I set out to look for you, I found you and carried you home, I can see some of what happened¡­ Do you, do you want to talk about it?¡± Katie turned away curling into herself. ¡°I-I understand I can leave you a plate in her come out when you are ready.¡± The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. That next morning, Scott Soper, went out to the field to salvage what he could, it was dark and the wind made lanterns and candles hard to hold so he new some damage had been done but not how much. Near where he had found Katie, was her basket broken, the flowers that were picked scattered trampled and the fields about had patches pulled out at random tuffs of dirt and tracks pulled out in large furrows looking like a horse or a group of horses had kicked out. There were also the remnants of a fire pit the burnt logs still smoking some of the flowers looked to have gone into the fire with stems half burnt being what remained. He stopped looking at all the destruction his life¡¯s work, his families work for generations destroyed, he could not help Katie, while he did not know what happened, he thought he knew, the field, and her nightmares told him all that he needed to know. Taking his time to compose himself, he started to repair what he could sectioning off flowers to let to go to seed so they could be planted again and have hopes of the field coming back in the future, it would not take a season to two more then 10 years before what they once were. He just walked around the field salvaging what he could, pushing the dirt back in where he could, this process went for the next few weeks. Chapter 1 Three days Katie, laid in bed for three days crying, remembering, why did she have to say anything? Three men on horses, two of them in Leather another in chainmail? Them wanting to camp in the field, the flower field she was responsible for, caring for the flowers making sure they came back each year. Now these men were digging a firepit in her field, well her master¡¯s field, but in her heart her field. ¡°Stop!¡± She ran, ¡°What are you doing?¡± One of the men looked at her and dismissed her. She grabbed the man¡¯s arm that held the shovel. She was thrown off him with no effort, she and her flower basket went flying separate directions. The man with the shovel went back to what he we doing, the man with the horses continued brushing them down, three horses, two men, this thought should have caused her pause, but all that she could think about was the flowers. Then she heard the third man come up from behind her, the rattling of chainmail made his presence known. ¡°Well, Well, Well, it looks like we are going to have some entertainment tonight after all.¡± That phrase should have chilled her, but it didn¡¯t she didn¡¯t know any better, she knew now. The man with the horses looked up, ¡°yes my lord, she tried to stop us from camping in this field.¡± ¡°Did she now?¡± ¡°She tried to stop Robert from digging the firepit: ¡°Did she now?¡± The man with the shovel just grunted while finishing the firepit. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯ lord¡± The lord dropped a deer off his shoulders, it had been bled and field dressed in front of me. ¡°You girl, since you are putting yourself in my business you can make us dinner.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t, you can¡¯t camp here, the fi-¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°Can¡¯t?¡± He picked me up by the neck and back handed me across the face, ¡°You girl do not get to tell me what I can and cannot not do. Now make dinner¡± He dropped me at that point. I should have run at that point but I did not. The man with the shovel said, ¡°look She brought us kindling,¡± Afraid to look she did anyways the flowers that she had spent all day picking. The man that was taking care of the horses dropped a pan and cooking equipment in front of her. She made the men their meal and hoped she would be allowed to leave. The lord having finished with his meal said, ¡°Now girl you tried to stop me and my men, the meal you made was barely passable, but what do you expect from a peasant?¡± He looked over her shoulder to one of the men, ¡°Go get it, it looks like we are going to start early¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯ lord¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I tried to ask, when I felt myself being grabbed from behind. ¡°You my dear have caught my attention, so we are going to mark you for the temple of Inanna.¡± ¡°It¡¯s almost ready ma¡¯ lord.¡± ¡°Good I am going to tell her what she is going to say in the future.¡± Looking back at me he said, ¡°If anyone asks you were released from prison when you offered to become a priestess of Inanna. ¡°You mean a whore?¡± I said, and was slapped again for my troubles. ¡°No, a priestess for the Goddess of Inanna, you will offer succor for the soldiers, but if you want to be a whore, we can make that happen too.¡± ¡°It¡¯s ready ma¡¯ lord.¡± ¡°Good, pass it to me and hold her down.¡± I felt both my arms being pinned to the ground I closed my eyes struggling then I heard my dress being ripped the breeze on my chest and then the burning pain blessedly I passed out, the next in knew was the smell of smoke and flowers and the heavy breathing of Mr. Soper. Him saying, ¡°I am sorry this happened to you, it¡¯s going to be ok, you are strong you will get through this¡± then I passed, out only to wake up in my bed, being sore all over. What feels like years but I know it was only days, I have not left my room barely my bed, I need to tend the flowers, but not Mr. Soper is doing that now. The orders are going to start piling up soon. Having been apprenticed as a soapier for more then three years now, I know my way around the ash and fat and scent, Mr. Soper told me last week I was ready to start making soaps on my own that I can start selling. So, I went to the drying room to see what was ready and got the fire started to render the fat and extract the lye from the ash. That was a week ago now, it was seventh day-her day off-Mr. Soper had been at home every night letting her know he was there to listen or talk if she needed, He held her when she needed him to and stayed away when she needed that, Mr. Soper was the father she never had. Things were not the way they were supposed to be, things that were supposed to happen have not come yet, she did not want to leave the house never again, but she needed to today was market day as well, but she needed to go visit someone else first. With a basket of her own soaps in hand and a shawl covering most of her bruises she went out. Chapter 2 ¡°It has been more then a year now, I still miss you dear, what our life would have been like with our chil-¡± he could not finish that thought, ¡°Utu why did you let this happen?¡± He ragged into the sun, the symbol of his all but forgotten god. Not expecting an answer not this time not after the other thousand times he called out sobber, drunk, in a rage and in reverence peace, no answer nothing¡± I could not help, she was giving birth I watch all that occurs and pass judgment upon the dead, but I cannot help those that are not of my order. I am sorry I was not able to help her, but I was their with her, she is at peace waiting for you along side my wife Aya where we will meet once we set our burdens of the day down. ¡°Utu,¡± falling to my knees, ¡°why know why after all of this time have you come back to me?¡± Child I never left you, you needed your time to morn, to greave but I have need of you if you will head my call once again? Bowing my head, ¡°I, Timothy Evans, hear do by swear to follow my tasks and duty as presented by my god Utu, and those he puts above me.¡± Thank, you my child, there is a girl she will seek you out in the next few days asking for training asking for revenge, trainer her as you will, she is needed in this world, receive my blessing, I could feel a warm creasing touch the crown of my head and the what could only be called a father¡¯s love embrace me. And ephemeral plate covered my body. Arise my paladin ***************** She knew where she was going although she never thought she would go here, she was going to visit the witch, she sold potions, curses, and was rumored to help with some problems, her house was past the edge of town out past the tanneries house. The house was old but in good repair. She took a deep breath and told herself, ¡°You can do this.¡± She walked towards the door and the door opened. ¡°Come in deary¡± Standing in front of her was a hunched old woman, with black and gray streaked hair, worn but well patched clothing. The hut was small, looked like everything was in one room, she could see a bed in the back of the house, and a line of herbs hung up drying throughout the house. She walked in to the hut and said, ¡°I need your help.¡± This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Over a cup of tea, she explained everything that had happened last week, everything, things she could not tell to Mr. Soper, although his eyes said he knew, she broke down crying halfway through, and in the end, she showed her the brand on her chest just below the collar bone. The witch, looked at the brand and said, ¡°In service of Inanna, I take it this was not done willingly?¡± ¡°No, it was not!¡± Katie said taking a deep breath, ¡°I apologize, I do not mean to take this out on you. This was definitely not done willing, nor was I prisoner that offered to serve Inanna, to get out of my sentence, that-that was the story I was supposed to tell anyone that asked!¡± ¡°What do you want me to do, deary?¡± ¡°I want him dead; I want him cursed; I want him to suffer the way he made him suffer¡± ¡°I can do that will you pay my price?¡± ¡°How much?¡± ¡°I do not seek money for what you are asking, I need an apprentice¡± ¡°I am already an apprentice to Mr. Soper¡± ¡°I need an apprentice, what you are asking me to do will cost me greatly, it will cost me years of me life, and this place needs a witch.¡± The old woman, changed in front of her becoming a younger woman, with some signs of crow¡¯s feet at the edge of her eyes and some faint wrinkles on her face, not to the degree that they were before. ¡°Will you give up your name? You will be changed, you will learn about herbs, potions, and curses, you will be given the ability to cast a glamour like what I was wearing when you first arrived, and another to make yourself unrememberable. You will take over this place from me, I will do what you ask, if you accept my offer, if you do then you will be bound to this house you may leave to hunt and gather herbs, fish and meat, you can go to town, but you will know when you need to be back to the hut for those that seek you, you will not die, not until you find someone to replace you, I have been un-aging for the last 60 years, I was-well that name has been forgotten-I took over for the previous witch when she took upon my request, you will know the cost of all of the tasks that you will be asked for and you will know what a fair price is you can ask for more or less, but know that it will cost you to do so.¡± ¡°But my life, I am meant to take over for Mr. Soper¡± ¡°Dear, I do not think that life is going to happen anymore, take my offer, or do not, but I will not help you without my price being met.¡± ¡°I need to think about this, but can you help with¡­¡± ¡°Yes that is easy enough, you had a baskets of soaps with you, I will take one as payment for the potion take it right before bed, and you will be back on cycle in the morning, their will be discomfort, but you will be fine in a day or two, only take the potion if you decide not to take my offer, if you do come back I will need¡­ well come back and we will talk about how to do curses, it will be your first lesson.¡± Chapter 3 The rest of the day Katie spent at the market selling a few of her soaps, not as many as she expected, but she was not concerned. A few asked after her to make sure she is ok seeing the bruises on her face, she lied saying she fell while picking flowers, and others left her at that. She picked up food for the week and went back to the Mr. Soper¡¯s to make dinner. That night she showed Mr. Soper the work on the soaps she had done they were set off to the side curing. ¡°These are good work,¡± but he was not looking at her like he would normally, she could tell something was off, but wanted to wait until after dinner, to find out why. Dinner was a stew something that was put on in the morning and allowed to cook all day long. Since she was at the market she had had spent extra on a pie from the market, the scent of warm apple pie could not keep her away. Dinner was a quiet affair more so then normal but she did not want to lose her appetite having not eaten well in the last few days she did not want to waste the food. After diner was done, she gathered the dishes to clean them when Mr. Soper stopped her. ¡°Katie,¡± Mr. Soper said, ¡°we need to talk the dishes can wait.¡± Swallowing hard she sat back down. Mr. Soper left the room briefly and came back with a jug of hard cider, and two earthenware mugs. He poured two hefty glasses of the cider, sliding one to her. ¡°Katie, the day after¡­well you know,¡± Katie flinched when he started. ¡°I had a visitor to the shop, someone asking for a person that looked like you, he claimed that you were an escaped criminal, he said any that saw you should not offer aid or succor, anyone finding to do so will be considered an accomplice. I know you have done nothing wrong, you have been here for years, apparently, he went to every shop in town sharing the same story, I told the man nothing, he had a look that he would not accept anything that contradicted his story, he told us if we saw anyone that looked like you to send them to the capital to the temple of Inanna, with all haste. The butcher¡¯s son, Frank tried to stand up for you he was in the center of town coming back from a delivery and he was cut down for lying in the middle of the town, the man watched him bleed out after he died, he was just left there, the man said it was a message ¡®the girl¡¯ needs to go to the capital, the man left after that. I-I helped carry Franks body to the edge of town, along with his brother Justin, we saw him buried by the old oak tree. You always welcome to stay here, but after that no one bought any soap that day or any day after that. I have some savings from the soaps that I have made, but the field is destroyed it will take years to come back, I can go into the mountains, a few days a way that hidden nook that I showed you with some of the rarer plants, that I sell to the nobility. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°I will go back to the fields tomorrow, Mr. Soper,¡± Kaite said. Mr. Soper shaking his head said ¡°No, its Ok I am going into the fields, you continue to make the soap, and call me Scott, we have been apprentice/ Master for three years now, I think it¡¯s time.¡± ¡°But Why that was my job.¡± Sighing, ¡°I did not want to tell you this, you knew that field was trashed that day, but I go there every day and it¡¯s not getting better someone is undoing my work and making the field worse, I have other areas to get my flowers.¡± ¡°Yes, the mountains and the nook, but you said those need to be left alone so they can keep coming back.¡± ¡°Its fine we have a stock of soaps I have that trader that will be coming by in a few days and I can sell him the excess he has been asking for more soap from me for the last year. We will be fine.¡± They stayed silent after that, both lost in their own thoughts. Shortly after dinner, Katie was thinking about her day and how she had said things to the witch she never would have said before, and volunteered to go back to the field she never wanted to set foot in it again, but now the thought of going back into the field sent chills down her spine. That tea the witch gave me, it must have done sometime to me, Katie thought. Then she remembered the potion that she was given, take before bed, or not and come learn from me. Not now she needed to think things over she needed to sleep on what she was going to do. Chapter 4 The next day Katie arose with the sun like normal, she made breakfast for Mr. Soper-no Scott, he said to call him Scott now, but she had no appetite, she needed to talk to the Witch again. A few minutes later saw her in front of the witch¡¯s door again, this time pounding on it. ¡°What did you do to me?¡± Katie Screamed with the witch opened the door. ¡°Come in dearie¡± ¡°No, I will not come in I want answers!¡± ¡°And I will not provide them on my doorstep for all the world to hear.¡± Katie stepped in the hut. ¡°Well?!¡± The witch did no respond putting the kettle on the fire and putting powders and herbs together in to two cups. ¡°Wait for the water, Dearie, have a seat¡± With a Huff Katie did that, letting her frustration go, she could smell a faint sent in the air, lavender and something she could not place. ¡°What is this smoke?¡± ¡°Something to help you relax dearie, the tea is almost ready.¡± ¡°I do not want any tea; you did something to me yesterday!¡± ¡°I gave you some tea to help you relax and unburden yourself you needed that did you not?¡± Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°I do feel better, I needed to tell someone¡± ¡°Good so you have come to take my offer? Will you get your revenge? Will you become the Witch?¡± Taking a deep breathe, and coughing from the smoke in the air, ¡°No I will not, I will not be the witch I want to look him in the eye and tell him what he did to me, let him feel his flesh as its branded.¡± ¡°I can make a lot of that happen with my power but no have him look you in the eyes you would be able to watch from a distance, he can feel the brand caress his skin daily for years¡± ¡°I want something different I cannot be so passive with not be so passive with my life not when I was 13 abandoned by the orphanage, I came out here looking for my own life I took on the apprenticeship my Mr. Soper, I have never been a passive person nor will I be now.¡± ¡°I see dearie, there is someone else that might be able to help you in a different way. His name is Timothy Evans, he lives in the house just that is way over there.¡± The witch pointed off in the direction of another cabin not very much larger than the hut on the other edge of town.¡± ¡°You mean the drunk?¡± ¡°Not a drunk,¡± the witch said, ¡°He was when he came to me but I helped him with that he is like you he had a great loss.¡± ¡°He is not like me he was not,¡± Katie tried to interrupt ¡°I will not share his story but you both know loss he sought drink, you seek revenge, go speak with him I cannot promise he will help you but he, if he chooses to do so would be best for the path you want to walk.¡± A few minutes later Katie was in front of the drunk¡¯s house-No Timothy Evan¡¯s House-trying to decide if she wanted to go through with her plan to seek revenge. While trying to decide what she was going to do, the door opened and a middle-aged man with brown hair and a neatly trimmed beard, he looked well kempt put together, not like the drunk from a year ago. He was carrying a shovel. He tossed the shovel towards me and said, ¡°come with me bring the shovel.¡± I picked up the shovel and followed him around the back of the house. ¡°Dig a hole three feet wide, six feet long, and six feet long two of them,¡± Timothy said. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You want my help?¡± ¡°Y-yes?¡± ¡°Then dig you have until sundown, if you can do this by sundown I will help you, if you cannot I will not help you, the sun is only going to set sooner the more you ask questions,¡± as he left, he said, ¡°make sure the side are smooth and even¡± then he was back inside the house. Chapter 5 I worked from that point past lunch on the first hole, and by the time the sun was setting the second hole was almost halfway done, but no where close to being done. ¡°Well, it looks like you did more then I thought you would.¡± I heard Timothy say. ¡°Not enough though,¡± I said. ¡°I did not expect you to finish both today¡± ¡°Then why did you-¡± ¡°I told you that to see if you had the dedication for the training, if you want my help come back tomorrow, you will finish the second hole tomorrow.¡± He took the shovel and went back inside from over his shoulder ¡°an hour left after sunrise, be back here tomorrow.¡± I went back to Mr. Soper¡¯s house. He was waiting for me. ¡°I see that you were out today, have you decided something?¡± ¡°I went to the witch for help¡­¡± I started, ¡°She told me I could be her apprentice; she would help me.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Scott said. ¡°I told her no.¡± Eyebrow raised Scott asked, ¡°What did you do then¡± ¡°She directed me to the Drun-Umm Timothy Evans,¡± I started, ¡°He told me to dig a hole, two of them actually, I dug one, and part of the second, I don¡¯t know why though.¡± ¡°Graves,¡± Scott Said, ¡°He is having you dig graves.¡± ¡°What?!¡± I said, ¡°am I safe?¡± ¡°There is an old saying if you seek revenge dig two graves¡­ Do you know why?¡± ¡°N-no, why?¡± I asked. ¡°Think about while you dig tomorrow, I am going to miss you.¡± ¡°What do you mean? I will be back tomorrow, I am sure.¡± ¡°I do not think you will, I think you will be living with Timothy Evans, he was some kind of soldier,¡± Scott said, getting up from his seat, ¡°Give me a minute I have something for you.¡± A few minutes later Scott came back with a leather wrapped bundle and a small sack, a coin pouch. ¡°What is this,¡± I asked. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°The pouch is the coins that you earned as my apprentice, the other are my knives I was in the army for a few years, I have done my time, I do not need them anymore they are yours now. That next morning, I got up and packed my few clothes, the money I had made, a long with the money from Scott, my former master, and feeling brazen hugged him briefly and left, wanting to be as helpful as I could be left his house with my face exposed, and I headed out of town towards the capital, which happened to be in the same direction of what I hoped to be my new master¡¯s house. What he going to be my master? Trainer? I did not know. I got to the house just before the hour after sunrise, seeing as I had a few minutes I walked around the back of the house, to look at how much more of a hole that I needed to dig, but the hole was gone! I just stood there looking at the filled-in hole, I do not know how long I stood there looking at the hole when I heard, the tramping of boots and the setting of a shovel in the ground, ¡°You¡¯re late¡± ¡°I am not I have been here since before the time.¡± ¡°Are you arguing with me? Feeling that if I said yes, I would be dismissed, I said, ¡°No, I am just surprised the hole is gone.¡± ¡°That?¡± Timothy-no Mr. Evans said, ¡°That was left unfinished, anything left unfinished needs to be done again, this is your only warning, I left you one-hole, next time everything will be returned to normal, make sure to finish all your tasks from now on. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± I said meekly. ¡°WHAT?¡± he yelled ¡°Yes,¡± I said a little bit louder. ¡°Yes, Sir,¡± he said, ¡°now what did you say?¡± ¡°Yes, Sir¡± ¡°Good, now that I have been generous with leaving you the one hole, we need to work on your strength start digging¡± I started working on the hole again it was only a few minutes later when I heard, ¡°Stop¡± Stopping I turned to look at back at Mr. Evans he tossed a heavy vest at me. ¡°Put it on.¡± ¡°It has to weigh 30 lbs.?!¡± ¡°You are right pass that back,¡± he took the vest and added a couple of large rocks in the vest and passed it back ¡°Put it on.¡± Biting back a complaint about the vest. I put the vest on. ¡°Good dig, you have until lunch.¡± Time went by infinitely fast and infinitely slowly. With just another few inches to go two maybe three shovelfuls of work I heard his voice. ¡°Put the shovel down its lunch time.¡± ¡°Just give me a couple of minutes I am almost done.¡± ¡°You can put the shovel down now, and have lunch or you can skip lunch and move on to your next tasks.¡± I put the shovel down and dragged myself out of the hole, unaided. Once I got out of the hole, I started to take the vest off. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Taking my vest off?¡± I asked. ¡°Did I tell you take the vest off?¡± ¡°No, I just assumed.¡± ¡°During this time, you will do what you are told, without question, after the task is done, you may ask about the task only after it is done, though. Now keep the vest on is it lunch time or time for your next task?¡± ¡°Lunch time¡± ¡°Good¡± Lunch was not what she was expecting, not at all, she was expecting cheese, fresh bread, and fruit, while she did have fruit, and bread, it was not at all in a form that it had been made into. ¡°Sir, what is this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Lunch,¡± Mr. Evans said, ¡°Ah you don¡¯t know what this is, it is called an iron ration.¡± ¡°It is meat and fruit pounded together into a brick and often soaked with a bit of lard to preserve the meat. The bread is called hard tack. I saw you have some knives go ahead and get them now, you will wear them all the time from now, on.¡± ¡°Good, since you have never seen this before use your knife to shave off thin pieces and put those pieces in to your mouth let them soften us in your mouth then chew, the hard tack dip into a liquid to soften hot liquid is best if you do not have any let it moisten in your mouth you do not want to chew on a hardtack without softening it first. Chapter 6 After the most disgusting and hardest to eat meal, she had ever had, it was time to get back to digging her hole, or so she thought. She went back to the hole that only had a few shovels full of dirt left, and the task would be done. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Finishing my task, Sir?¡± ¡°Is that a question or a statement?¡± ¡°A statement, Sir.¡± ¡°And here I was hoping it was a question,¡± heavy sigh, ¡°do you remember what your task was this morning?¡± ¡°To dig the hole,6 feet deep, 6 feet long, and three feet wide¡± ¡°How long did you have to complete your task?¡± ¡°Until lunch?¡± ¡°What did we just finish?¡± With shoulders slumped, ¡°Lunch,¡± she started, I could have taken just a few more minutes and I would have been done.¡± ¡°Yes, you could have but do you remember what I told you if you finished your task?¡± ¡°If I wanted to finish, I would end up skipping lunch and moving on to my next task.¡± ¡°What did I tell you if you failed to finish a task?¡± ¡°I would have to do it again?¡± ¡°Good, you do have a memory, out of the hole. Fill it in.¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°DO I NEED TO SPEAK LOUDER? DO YOU HAVE DIRT IN YOUR EARS?¡± ¡°No¡± ¡°NO WHAT?¡± ¡°No, Sir¡± ¡°I Can¡¯t hear you.¡± ¡°NO, SIR!¡± ¡°Good out of the hole, now fill it, both of them¡± Katie started to mutter to herself about abusive men that were worse than nobles, and- ¡°What were you saying I couldn¡¯t quite her that.¡± A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Gulping, ¡°Nothing sir¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you are grateful for my personal tutelage¡± ¡°I am sir.¡± ¡°So, I am not worse then a noble, and abusive?¡± Face going pale, ¡°I uh-¡± ¡°Just start filling in the holes¡± A minute later, something was tossed at my feet. ¡°Put it on¡± ¡°What is it? ¡°Have you already forgotten the second rule?¡± ¡°Second rule?¡± ¡°DO NOT ASK QUESTIONS, until the task is completed, NOW PUT IT ON¡± Scrambling to do so I grabbed the thick belt of metal and leather and strapped it on. It had to weigh 30 lbs. at least. ¡°Good, that is the belt of gratitude, you will notice the hoops in the belt there are a dozen of them. Each time you fail to complete a task you will show your gratitude by adding on more weight, you have failed the digging, and you expressed your gratitude by comparing me to a noble, so you get to see how the hoops work, a minute later I was handed a 10 lb. weight, you will want to hook that somewhere so you are balanced out, choose carefully once you hook the weight it will not be moved, not until you fill all of the hoops.¡± Feeling like I was getting used to the rules of the game, because every time he gave me a task or a present like the rock vest or the belt of gratitude, I could see the brief hint of a smile, flick on his face. I learned quickly that I did not want to say anything, let along remind him that he had forgotten to tell me how long I had to finish filling the holes in the ground. AS much as I wanted to curse my life, him, the vest, the hole, everything. I thought about quitting with every shovel full. What would I do then? Would I become the village witch? Would I go back to Mr. Soper-No I could not do that he took me in when I was just a wayward traveler looking for a new life, he had found me in the flower field taking a break just looking at the flowers, wanting to reach out to them to touch them, but always holding myself back. ¡°Go ahead and grab one of them its fine.¡± I jumped hearing that voice from behind me, ¡°I cannot they are not my flowers they are just so pretty¡± ¡°But they are mine¡± the older man had said, ¡°Its ok to take one¡± We had spent the rest of the day talking he invited me over to his home for the night and dinner, I always considered myself a good judge of character having grown up in an orphanage and later the street, so I had agreed that was the best decision that could have made three years ago. Lost in my thoughts while shoveling I was broken out of my revery when my shovel had hit a stone, I had completed the filling of the holes, and started on a new one. ¡°Lost yourself in the work, did you?¡± Looking meekly down, ¡°I did, Sir¡± ¡°And here I thought you wanted to get a start on your next task. You have completed filling the two holes fill this bit a of hole that you have started here and then you will be done for the night.¡± Ten minutes later I was dragging myself back to the house vest and belt still on, I know I was told I was done for the night, but I was also told not to remove the vest, and I was told to put the belt on but was not given the permission to take it off yet. So, I dragged myself back to the house. Again, that damned smirk ¡°Good you are learning, you have missed dinner, dinner is at sunset,¡± Considering it was almost dark enough to where I could barely see the hand in front of my face, I could not argue that fact. He waited silently for me to say something, anything, this was not the first meal that I had missed and was starting to think it would not be my last, I was honestly too tired to eat anyways so I just waited for my next task. Seeing that I was not saying anything he just nodded, you can have more of the rations from lunch, this is now your time, you can take off the belt and vest. There is a blanket I the corner by the fireplace you can sleep there tonight, I will wake you in the morning try to get some sleep. Chapter 7 That night once all of the weight was gone, I tried to lay down, to get some sleep but I couldn¡¯t my whole body was one big bruise, or so many bruise that they ran together to become one big bruise, then my hands, blister upon blister I cannot count how many had burst, it was hard to open my hands, hard to move the fingers, but I was afraid to say anything there were times where I just wanted to throw the shovel down and storm away, I knew Mr. Soper would take me back, but I could not do that to him, I could become the witches apprentice and then the witch in a few months, but I would not be able to get justice from that noble, justice? Am I kidding myself, not justice I want revenge. I would not be able to get my revenge if I gave up. Mr. Soper told me to think about why I was digging two holes, no not holes graves he told me to think about why I was digging two graves. Eventually the day caught up to me and I fell asleep what felt like moments later I was being shaken awake. ¡°This is the first day so you are going to get extra time today, leave the vest and belt for now, you have 30 minutes there is a hot bath in that room, I will knock on the door at 30 minutes you will have one minute to get out and dressed, a change of clothes in there with you, take as long as you need but every minute you take beyond the time allotted you will get another ornament for your belt.¡± A hot bath! I could get out of my sweat-soaked clothes I was too tired to change that night. I striped quickly as I could, it took more than 5 minutes to do such a simple task, with how slow I was moving. Looking at the steaming bath, it brought a tear to my eyes I slowly set a foot in the water, it was hot almost too hot. Gingerly working myself into the tub it took another few minutes but I could feel the water working my muscles then I reached out for the soap by the tub, it was some of my master¡¯s soap. It only makes sense everyone new how to make a simple version of soap: fat and the ashes from a fire some water and time, but it took experience to know the correct ratios, and Mr. Soper, my master no longer offered small quantities of soap to the local at or just above cost, not like the markups he sold to the merchants, it shouldn¡¯t be a big thing, but the day that felt like a month, but seeing that soap caused me to break down. I was sobbing in the water, all too soon I new I was going to have to get out of the tub no time for soaking. The hot water had done a world of good for me I could move a little more freely. Quickly toweling off not wanting another ornament for my belt, reached for the clothes? They were beyond propriety, the pants only went to above the knees, and the shirt had no sleeves. Not sure that the outfit was meant to be I quickly dressed and opened the door as he knocked on the door. He looked surprised. ¡°Good you are ready come this way.¡¯ A new expression the stone face aside from the hint of a smirk on occasion actually-looked surprised. Not wanting another ornament for the belt or to even touch that thing again, I hurried to follow. ¡°Do what I do.¡± Then he slowly started doing a series of movements, stretching the body, and it hurt a lot each bend, and flex and stretch it pulled and twisted on my muscles but I could feel my entire body being worked on. After about thirty minutes most of the issues with my body was lessening. ¡°Come with me.¡± Knowing better then to ask questions I followed. We were outside and he was looking to the east, it looked like the sun was about to rise, the sun was about the rise? What time was it? I have been up for a least an hour now. What time does the man get up? Without looking at her, he said quietly, ¡°Kneel.¡± I dropped to a knee, he did the same but slower, then he bowed his head and started a chant in a language that I could not understand only making out the work ¡°Utu.¡± Utu- wasn¡¯t that the name of a god? The temples offered lessons on the various gods, each week one of the temples would send a representative or a group of representatives to preach on the virtues of the gods. Most brought food, that is why she went for the food some was descent some was not, she had been told by one of the older girls to be cautious from the representatives from the temple of Inanna they apparently laced their food and drink with something addictive it had a sickly-sweet smell and the look of black tar. The first time I was about to eat the best-looking food that I had ever seen except in windows of bakers. I was looking at cake! But one of the older girls stopped me she showed me one of the few adults that still came to the church meetings had the shakes, and streaks of tears on her face, gaunt appearance more so than most others, then when she got the cake, it was like a sense of euphoria. No, I did not want any of that. Shortly after that a nun from another temple came by, she had a tabard of a rod and a ring upon the background of a sun she did not hand out cakes or pastries but hardy pocket pies they had meat in them not a lot but actual chunks of meat, and hearty vegetables, she was full that day all that day, few other times was she full for a whole day. That was a memory that she had forgotten. Soon after the memory had stopped the chanting had stopped. She cleared the tears from her eyes and saw not armor, but the light representing armor upon the man in front of her, still kneeling, but the symbol the same symbol. She was shocked, but could not say anything, he gotten up the armor moving with him, and it soon faded. ¡°Good, you have received his blessing. Come¡± We went back inside, and he grabbed some more clothes, proper clothes. ¡°Put these on, over your other clothing.¡± Blessing? I thought to myself what blessing? But questions meant more ornaments for the belt, I could barely move with the belt and vest as it was, I did not want to earn anything else. I still did not know what all of this was for and was afraid to ask. Once I was dressed in leather lined linen clothing that went from neck to wrist and waist, and waist to ankle the leather was patched over chest and stomach, the inside of the arms, and the upper parts of the legs, on the insides of the legs only on the upper legs. It looked unusual but I could wait for the questions, whatever I could to keep from getting more ornaments. ¡°Do not for forget your vest or belt¡± Stifling a groan hoping beyond hope I would not need it. It must have shown on my face about what I thought about the vest and belt. I got them on struggling to get the vest on the belt was a little easier but still hard. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Once I was done, I heard, ¡°and don¡¯t forget your new ornament¡± That time I did groan. I strapped the ornament on my belt opposite the first one trying to balance things out. Once I was done with that, I was handed a backpack, fully loaded, bulging at the seams or that how it looked. Afraid to find out what was going to happen next. Getting the pack on and taking a few moments to learn to balance with the new weight. With a grunt I saw the sadist, err trainer move out of the house with a pack larger than mine and the word, ¡°Follow.¡± I followed him all morning in silence, its not that I did not want to ask questions its that I did not have the breath to ask them. I was trudging along at a slow pace, after the first minute of walking, I heard if you are not keeping up with me, I will give you more ornaments to decorate your belt. The pace was a normal walk at first, but soon it got faster, then he started talking, about his own training. He talked about how he was only a few years younger when he started his training, and his training was a lot like what I am having to do, moving heavy weights doing repetitive tasks that made no sense, and of course he said with a smile in his voice, ¡°My favorite the forced march, get used this pace we are going to walk for a long time, this is a good time to ask your questions¡­¡± He looked over at me saw me struggling and added, ¡°in complete sentences, only.¡± ¡°Why,¡± gasp, ¡°why are you,¡± gasp, gasp, ¡°Why are you doing this to¡­ Me?¡± ¡°Are you done with your question?¡± I was unable to speak more at this point so I just nodded. The bastard, just smiled unslung his pack and grabbed another ornament, from his, pack looked at me and saw the horror in my eyes smirked, and grabbed a second one. After I had attached them to my belt while still moving, he said, ¡°You face gives, you away, work on that, and you forgot the honorific, sir.¡± After we walked for another couple of minutes, he answered my question. ¡°My God, Utu asked me t help you. He told me you are at a crossroads, one where you seek revenge and lose your humanity and all that makes you, you, and the where you could become one of my order a seeker of justice. I know your old master, we used to talk on occasion, did he ask to think about the two graves that I had to dig?¡± ¡°You mean the,¡± gasp, ¡°you mean the,¡± gasp, ¡°two, two holes,¡± gasp, then in a rush, ¡°I had to fill?¡± gasp, gasp ¡°Sir?¡± He looked at me and smiled, that evil smile I have come to dread, ¡°Back talk? I am impressed only the second day; I held out for a week.¡± He thought for a moment, ¡°I do like a little bit of spine, but if you have spine, you better have a mind attached to that spine, so if you do not want any more ornaments, tell me why I had you dig those two graves, and I can see it in your eyes no doing repetitive tasks is only part of it not the whole of it. I want the whole answer.¡± We continued for hours not a word said, noon time came and went not a work, dusk came, and I heard a quiet chant coming from in front of me, but no words said to me, and we continued our fast pace, occasionally he would look over at me to make sure I was keeping up, I had gone from damp faced and sweating, to red faced and no longer sweating. I could only hope that we would stop soon, I had a feeling that if I said anything he would ask for the answer to his question. I had no idea, not that I could think with this run/walk pace that he set, but even if I was resting, I had a feeling I would not know the answer. The normal time for dinner was about an hour after sunset, that time came and went and my stomach was letting me know that as well. I do not know how long we went, clearing perfect campgrounds came and went, we even passed an occasional traveler or tradesman but we did not stop, even though they often called out saying there was room by the fire. Soon it got to the point where I could no longer keep pace, he started to slow as I did then he asked the dreaded question. ¡°Well do you have the answer to my question?¡± He looked at me and then said, ¡°or do you need more time to think about your answer?¡± Having slowed down to a slow walk I actually had breath now and said, ¡°I have thought about your question, sir and I do not understand the significance of the question. I do not understand why one would need to dig two graves.¡± He smiled and gathered two more ornaments for me to wear. ************************ Lord Tomas Tenebrae, and company went to some of the smaller towns looking for girls on the street orphanages, or any that he can convince to come with him, and his team, his first stop was to pick up a cartage, he had his horse stabled, and road around in the cartage giving out food, to the children that he saw throughout the city, it was simple food, he learned that fancy food was look at with suspicion, so it was simple foods, the occasion dessert all laced with poppy paste, once the children, both boys and girls had the taste the ones that passed out were loaded in the cartage, the ones that did not he came around the next day to offer more to them, the plan was to offer them food three days in a row, and on the fourth not come back, but on the fifth, he would only offer food to those that came with him. Almost all the children came with him on the fifth day. He had more men at a resident in the county central to the cities he was visiting, they would keep the kids hopped up on the poppy paste and those that he did not get on day five, well they were his men and those that were competitors as well¡­ We had to keep the children off the city streets after all, and the temple of Inanna did seek to meet the pleasures of all their patrons¡­ Lord Tenebrae, was going through his first day speech again, ¡°I am just a loyal servant of the lady Inanna, she is often given a bad, name, but she is the goddess of Love, and politics, while the other gods may not to say this but,¡± lowering his voice to be just above a whisper, ¡°she is also the goddess of divine law. The other gods do not like having to admit they have to bow to her rulings, so they misrepresent her roles,¡± and back at a normal volume, ¡°of course like the other gods she is known for more than just that though.¡± That got the politically minded ones thinking, and he could get to meet somewhere else in the city so he could pick them up that evening, why cannot go with them now, they would someone ask Why can¡¯t they go now? The answer was always the same I need to deliver more food help other children, then he would distract them with the talk of a feast and the help with politics, but they would have to leave the city if that was ok¡­ most took him up upon that but what got them all was warm place to sleep, food for their bellies and for the smart ones the promise of an education. He did full fill all his promises as well, he just did not tell them everything. They would all find out later at the temple was would be required of them. The ones that passed out would be the play things of those that provided the proper donate to the temple, or could be sent on a pilgrimage, to a respected politician, for a night a weekend or longer. The cute ones would be saved for the VIPs, those that needed something special. The smart ones would be educated, the desperate ones would be for those that liked them the submissives, they were always kept with just enough of a need for the paste that they would do whatever they needed to get it. And Thomas Tenebrae, liked the fighters, he liked to break them, get them when they are desperate, not for the past, those could be fun too, but those that wanted to stop him, he loved to break them. Smiling, he might have to go to the temple sooner then planned he had enough people here to get his quota for the temple. He had thoughts of the girl he had found in that flower field that city known for their soap. Oh yes, he was going to enjoy breaking her he would make him wash her with the soaps from that town, and tell him she was a bad girl for, well everything and he would punish her until he was satisfied that she had learned her lesson and then¡­ then she could become a camp follower, he did say she would be for the soldiers after all, Thomas Tenebrae always kept his word. *********************** Katie, I hope you are doing ok, Steven Soper thought to the setting sun, he thought of her like a daughter he never had. Oh, he had a wife and son at one time, but they were lost when there were complications with the birth, she died not long after the birth, and his son Albert only lived a few days, he never thought he would ever have a family again, it still hurt too much, then, Katie came along, bright eyed excited to learn, just loved the flowers, just like his wife she always did love the sunset, he liked to stop and think about her at that time of the day.