the rent, but that doesn’t mean the pantry should be empty.” Minean frowned as she tried to piece together the rest of the reason why Mosn was upset.
“It isn’t. I don’t think it is. They threw me out the day they got married.” Mosn stilled when he saw the consternation on Minean’s face.
“That fool girl has no right. She may be older than you, but by rights of inheritance, you are the first born male child. She doesn’t have a claim to the house or the forge. Come boy. I am going to speak to the landmaster.” Minean caught Mosn’s hand and tried to pull him towards the village, but stopped when he pulled back.
“You can’t. Loild is the landmaster's nephew. He was the one that told Loild when father died and Akeli has been telling everybody that I was the one that told father about Eklethin. They won’t even look at me now.” Mosn flinched as he saw Minean’s pitying look.
“That is a fine problem you have there.” Minean tapped her lower lip with a broad thumb as she thought. “Don’t worry, there are a few people that I can speak with. Until then, why don’t you come home with me? I can a good meal inside you and a bed for you until this gets worked out. Come along lad, I don’t need to go into town today after all.” Mosn knew he didn’t have a choice when he heard Minean’s tone.
“I don’t mean to be any trouble and…” Mosn was cut off before he could continue. A deep seated inhibition appalled him whenever he considered asking anyone for help. Receiving help was not far removed in his mind.
“Stop talking nonsense boy. It will just take reminding everyone that Akeli is a simpleton and that she has no right to throw you out of your home no matter who she is married to. They will see the right of it eventually. Don’t you worry one bit.” Mosn didn’t respond. Soon he was lost again in that cool fog as he plodded along behind Minean.
“Brigands! Help! Unhand me at once you brute!” Mosn was jerked out of the fog when he heard Minean yelling. She was in the grasp of a burly man he knew to be in the employ of the landmaster. Lunging forward with a twisted cry, Mosn tried to knock the man away from Minean. However, before he could reach his target, a set of muscled arms seized him from behind. Turning he looked up into the bearded face with the scar over the eye belonging to another of the landmaster’s employees. The two of them were often at Darsay’s inn and had a reputation of harassing the serving girl. They had been kicked out until the landmaster had spoken with Darsay about how much his employees appreciated coming to her establishment and how he would let her keep it for that reason.
“It is the boy we want. The master wants him dead. Loild wants the forge legitimately.” The man with the sallow face that held Minean pointed a dirk towards Mosn. Minean had been struggling, but she grew silent on seeing the dagger and went pale on hearing the man’s intent.
“That is easy enough. I could break him in half. What about her?” Mosn’s captor spoke as he tried to hold onto Mosn who was taken by a sudden fit of squirming.
“She has seen too much already. We could have some fun though.” The dirk flicked and the buttons that lined the front of Minean’s blouse fell to the ground. Minean paled to the same color as a clean linen and screamed as her blouse fell open exposing her ample bosom. Both men snickered and started dragging their captives off the road towards a nearby patch of timber that grew between two fields.
An intense feeling of helplessness welled up inside Mosn. An image replaced that of what he was seeing. A strange wild and untamed landscape cast in the shades of a young night. Bay hounds danced excitedly in a circle. A feeling of foreboding flashed and the image was gone.
“NOOOOOOO!” Mosn didn’t know where the scream came from. It sounded like his voice but he didn’t remember screaming. His nails slashed and the arm that flexed against his neck suddenly disappeared with a cut off scream at his ear and the sound of shattering glass. Mosn leaped towards the man holding Minean with a knife clenched in his hand. The man shoved her aside