But before he passed the well, he heard Ke call out. “What’s this?”
“Ke!” called Talen. “Don’t touch anything.”
Moments later Talen heard a loud crash and the clank of the cowbell he’d attached to the snare.
“Idiot!” Ke cursed. He stormed around the side of the barn holding the cowbell in one hand, the lamp out in front of him with the other.
“What’s that?” asked Da.
Talen turned.
Da stood there in his riding clothes and boots.
Ke motioned behind him in anger. “Around the side of the barn. You’ll see. I’m going to fetch Iron Boy.”
Two watchmen stood at the well drawing water. Another three stood by the door.
Da addressed them all. “There’s fish hanging in the shed. Help yourself.”
He motioned for Talen to follow then walked around the side of the barn and stopped. He looked up and saw the rope and noose hanging limply from the pulley. “You know, it’s one thing to give a man a beating. It’s quite another to kill him. Then you’ve got blood debt and revenge and families to deal with.”
“It wasn’t for the hunters,” said Talen. “You weren’t going to believe me until I had one of the hatchlings swinging in the yard.”
“Right,” said Da. He sighed. “What if River had come here in the morning to fetch a few potatoes, sleep still in her eyes?”
“I’d thought of that,” said Talen.
“No,” said Da. “You hadn’t. But I give you credit. It’s a good idea, poorly executed—you don’t hide things like this from your fellow defenders—but a good idea nevertheless. Still, you’re not going to reset this. Not tonight.”
He waited for Talen’s reply.
Talen had put the others in danger. “No,” said Talen. “I will not.”
Talen watched Da ride off into the darkness with the men. When they disappeared into the moon shadows of the forest, Talen wondered: Da was formidable, so what would they do now if the armsmen returned? Or the hatchling worked some evil?
They restrung the alarm line and went back into the house. Ke pointed at Talen. “Since you’re so eager to catch something, I think I’ll let you take the next watch. In fact, you and Nettle can have the next two.” Then he yawned and retreated to his room.
River said, “The water’s hot. I suggest you make a cup of night-watch tea.”
Talen stood their strung bows against the wall and opened the shutter to the window. He scanned the yard. Nothing, just the buildings and deep moon shadows. Of course, the shadows could hide anything.
He turned and retrieved the kettle from the hot coals in the hearth and made a cup of tea for Nettle. His cousin would take the first part of the watch. Talen didn’t think he would be able to fall back asleep, but unrolled his blanket on the floor by the table and lay down on it anyway.
While the tea cooled, Nettle rummaged through the cupboards. He soon found a thick heel of two-day-old bread upon which he spread salted lard. He said around his mouthful of old bread, “I don’t know who to worry about more—hunters or hatchlings. I’m beginning to think we should have laid half a dozen snares.”
“Queen’s out there now. She and the warning line will have to do. Besides, we still have our bows,” said Talen, although he didn’t know how much good they’d do. Nettle placed himself to look out the window, and soon Talen felt himself drift to sleep.
Sometime in the dark morning, Nettle nudged him awake.
“Did you see anything?” asked Talen.
“A family of skunks,” said Nettle. He yawned. “Came right up to the window, but they must have gotten a whiff of you, because they turned tail and ran.”
“Funny,” said Talen.
“But true,” said Nettle.
Talen rose and put the kettle back over the coals. Before his tea had finished steeping, Nettle lay asleep.
Talen waited at the window into the small hours of the morning. Twice he heard something and brought his bow up to the ready. But nothing materialized. Nothing moved but the night shadows as the moon made its way to the western horizon.
He thought about the upcoming Festival of Gifts, where the people celebrated the end of the fall harvest and all the gifts of the Creators. There would be no Divine bestowing gifts of healing and Fire. But that would not stop the merchants and entertainments.
He had planned on going and buying a few sweets and being content to look at everything else. But now he sat listing out in his