Book 1 - Chapter 1.3
"You have two choices," said the man holding the hammer. He pointed the heavy blunt tool at the cloaked figure, who was backed up against the brickwork wall that turned the alley into a dead end. "You take yourself far from this town, or we put you out of our misery."
Sol stopped at the entryway of the alley and listened. The group had formed a semi circle that caged the cloaked figure. Though the figure was not necessarily short, they were still shorter than the townspeople that threatened them. They cut such a pitiful form in contrast to their assailants that Sol felt a pang of protectiveness towards them.
"I can’t rightly leave if you're blocking my way," the cloaked figure snapped back. Their voice was raspy, as if from a few days of hard living, but it had a velvety undercurrent. "I don't mean any harm" they continued a little more reticent. "I just want food and lodgings. I've been travelling the grasslands for two weeks without shelter.".
"You'll get none of that here," the man with the hammer cut in, now brandishing his tool menacingly. "We know a bad omen when we see one. May the inferno take you, but not with us as collateral." The figure remained silent at this. The man with the hammer continued "The tithe is in a few days and we cannot have someone like you here when they arrive to collect, not even nearby. Do you understand?"
"I do," The figure said softly and then emboldened, added. "But I can help you! You don't have to give away anything else if you fight back!"
This summoned a chilly silence from the group.
One member cut in, clearly at her breaking point. "If she won't listen to reason, we do away with her now!" She said with a quiver of desperation to her voice. "She'll only return once we drive her out. There's defiance in her eyes!" She had pulled out a carving knife and started to advance.
The rest of the group murmured assent and moved towards their mark, which was now crouched low against the wall in fear.
Sol took this as her opportunity to step in.
"Hey! Hey there! Excuse me!" she said loudly, which made the whole group jump in surprise and turn to face her, most of them with knives and hammers at the ready.
"Who are you?" Said the man with the hammer. Every member of the group looked haunted with their intent to murder and it took Sol aback.
She hesitated, then said, "I'm just a traveller looking for the local inn. Do you know where I could find it?"
The man sized her up then said, "There's one on the south west end of town, closest to the river, but you won't find many lodgings with everyone arriving for the tithe."
Sol nodded and flashed her sunniest smile, making sure it reached her eyes, "I'll take my chances. Thank you. I really appreciate it."
And then taking the plunge, she called over to the cloaked figure. "Let's go. We've found a place to stay."
The group stare back at the cloaked figure, who had twitched in surprise at Sol's direct address then smartly took her cue to straighten herself up against the wall and made to follow her new companion.
The man with the hammer blocked her path and said, "She cannot stay in this town."
Sol said with almost-feigned confusion, "She's my travel companion, and you kindly gave us directions to lodgings. Let us pass."
The man with the hammer narrowed his eyes at Sol and said, "I hardly believe that, stranger."
Sol pressed on. "We arrived in town at the same time, but we got separated on the road in the rush of travellers on their way to the tithe. Just let us go on our way, we don't want any trouble."
The man with the hammer was very still, but leaned in slowly towards Sol and said, "Stay out of business that doesn't concern you. This is someone who doesn't deserve protection."
Sol didn't drop her friendly mask, but she could tell that by the end of this she would need to draw her knife.
"Forgive me. I'm not from around here." Sol said, remaining amicable but letting a bit of sternness enter her voice.
"Clearly not." Said the man with the hammer.
Sol leaned over him and his companions, her hand now gripping the handle of her knife still sheathed on her waist, and said, "Where I come from it's frowned on to group murder lone vagabonds."
"You must really not be from around here, if you don't know what she is." Said the man with the hammer.
Sol didn't have a chance to ask, because in the corner of her eye she caught sight of the woman with the carving knife rush towards the cloaked figure, and she let her reflexes take over. She scruffed the woman with the knife and pulled her away from her target, tossing her bodily back towards her compatriots. Sol drew her hunting knife and placed herself between the cloaked figure and her harassers.
"Alright" Sol said calmly, "do we want to make this difficult, or do you want to let us go?" Sol had her knife at the ready, but lowered slightly to show she was willing to talk things out.
"Get the fuck out of the way, stranger!" The man with the hammer shouted.
"No." Sol replied.
The rest of the group erupted in shouts and expletives, brandishing their tools in Sol's direction, but not advancing. They saw how fast she could move. She had her knife drawn. She was large. These people were scared but they weren't stupid. What they wanted to achieve would be a lot more difficult now that Sol was physically in their way. None of them were fighters.
Sol shouted over them in an attempt to calm them down. She could feel the cloaked figure behind her, now clutching at the back of her coat. Sol wrapped her free arm behind her to hold her charge closer against her back protectively.
Their clamour seemed to have drawn some attention, because behind the shouting group came a commanding yell that they all heeded. Sol looked over their heads to see a well dressed gentleman standing at the entryway of the alley.
"What's all this?" He said with a stern look at the group, half of whom had turned to look at this new member to the chaos, while the other half continued to glare at Sol.
"Mister Prosper, these two threaten the tithe." The man with the hammer said to the newcomer.
"Which one of them is marked?" Prosper asked.
"We think the short one with the hood is, though she hasn't done anything yet. She has the look of it on her, though." The hammer man explained. "That large beast of a woman probably isn't, but she can't seem to mind her own business."
"What's this woman marked for?" Sol asked, jerking her head back slightly towards the woman in question
Prosper and the group stared at her in befuddlement, then Prosper offered Sol a kind smile. As he stepped closer towards her the group parted for him, and he said, "She's a danger to everyone she comes close to. If you would hand her over to us that would make all our lives much easier."
"I'm not a danger! I can help you!" Shouted the cloaked woman from behind Sol, and she made to move into full view of her attackers, but Sol kept her back with her protective arm.
"Help us how, miss?" Prosper said, his smile still fixed in place. "Whatever foolishness you've been playing with has addled your brain. Let us grant you a merciful death, or leave our walls and let the inferno take you.”
"The inferno will come for you too." The cloaked woman said, low and furious. "One bad year and they will turn everything you've built to ash. You are on borrowed time."
Prosper shook his head and turned his attention back to Sol. "Miss, if you could please give this wayward life over to us, or even take on the task yourself, you would save us a lot of grief."
He looked up at Sol plaintively, begging for the scrap of life she held behind her body.
"No." Sol said.
Prosper remind silent and unfazed by her refusal, but the group behind him advanced a step.
Prosper held up his hand, and they stopped.
"Alright then." He said, his smile was gone but his demeanour was calm. "Feel free to wander the town, try and find a meal and lodgings if you are so lucky."
"Mister Prosper" the man with the hammer cut in, but Prosper raised his hand again to silence him.
"I trust they will not be a problem by the morning." Prosper said. "Let's go and share the news with our friends and families." And he ushered the group out of the alleyway leaving Sol alone with her burden.
