to hide the Old Man.
They crept inside . He tried to make the Old Man comfortable. He could see the man was in pain.
“I will fetch the physic.”
“No. You must tell no one I am here.”
“But your ankle —”
“It’s a minor injury . It will heal on its own in time.”
“The physic is a good man.”
The Old Man shook his head. “The Sentinel’s influence is everywhere. There is no one we can trust while he holds the villages in his grasp.”
“But you can’t stay here forever.”
“As soon as my ankle is strong again, I will be on my way. I have a quest to complete.”
The Old Man spoke bravely, but as he gazed into those tired eyes, as he watched the Old Man’s lungs heave, he found it difficult to believe the man could carry on much longer.
“I will return later with pillows and bedding to make you more comfortable.”
The Old Man smiled. His face drew up, intensifying the crinkles around his eyes. “You are a good boy. And a brave one. Thank you.”
He lit a small candle and hurried out of the cellar, careful that no one should see him.
*****
When Daman entered the front door, he found his mother waiting for him.
“Wh ere have you been?”
“I —I was—” What could he say? “I was...delivering bread for Father.”
“You have been go ne eight times as long as your task required.”
“I’m sorry, Mother . I was—” He stopped, drew in his breath. He couldn’t tell her the truth, but he didn’t want to lie, either.
“ Idling at the marketplace?”
“No. ”
“You weren’t at your practice session with Mykah. He came looking for you.”
“No... ”
“M aking merry at Victor’s celebration?”
“No. ” He wanted her to know that he had not been wasting his time. But he could not explain. She was upset enough already. How could he tell her he had aided someone the Acolyte himself had named an enemy of the Sentinel?
“Yes, Mother,” he said finally. “That’s what I was doing.” He hoped she didn’t check with any of those who were at the victory celebration. “I’m sorry.”
His mother’s anger was palpable . Her hands tightened and her nails bit into his shoulder. “You will go straight to your room.”
“Yes, Mother.”
“You will have no supper tonight. Or tomorrow. You will not be permitted to see your friends for”—her voice trembled—“until I say so. Except Mykah, of course. You may work for your father and prepare for the Winnowing. And that is all! Do you understand me?”
“Yes, Mother.”
*****
Daman went through the usual motions of preparing for bed, even though he had no intention of sleeping . Just before he turned down his bed, he spotted his father in the doorway.
“ I have just spoken with your mother,” he whispered.
“I know I’ ve made her angry. I know she does not like me very much.”
“Oh, Daman. ” His father pulled his boy close and hugged him again. “Your mother loves you more than she loves life. She’s not angry. She’s frightened.”
His father did not say any more, nor was there any need. He was fifteen, soon to be sixteen. The Laws and Ways of the Sentinel could not be avoided.
“I will try to do better,” he whispered into his father’s ear. “I promise.”
His father held him at arms length and smiled . “Thank you, son. I knew you would.”
His father kissed his boy on the forehead and sent him to bed.
H e lay in the dark, a million conflicting thoughts running through his head. What should he do? Follow the path of the Sentinel and devote himself to preparations for Winnowing? If he turned in the Old Man now, there was a chance he might escape punishment. But the Old Man would not. And some of the things the Old Man said, some of the things he only hinted at...
They both intrigued –and troubled him.
What should he do?
*****
Daman lay in his darkened room, not letting his eyes close, until he was certain everyone else in the house was asleep. He crawled
They crept inside . He tried to make the Old Man comfortable. He could see the man was in pain.
“I will fetch the physic.”
“No. You must tell no one I am here.”
“But your ankle —”
“It’s a minor injury . It will heal on its own in time.”
“The physic is a good man.”
The Old Man shook his head. “The Sentinel’s influence is everywhere. There is no one we can trust while he holds the villages in his grasp.”
“But you can’t stay here forever.”
“As soon as my ankle is strong again, I will be on my way. I have a quest to complete.”
The Old Man spoke bravely, but as he gazed into those tired eyes, as he watched the Old Man’s lungs heave, he found it difficult to believe the man could carry on much longer.
“I will return later with pillows and bedding to make you more comfortable.”
The Old Man smiled. His face drew up, intensifying the crinkles around his eyes. “You are a good boy. And a brave one. Thank you.”
He lit a small candle and hurried out of the cellar, careful that no one should see him.
*****
When Daman entered the front door, he found his mother waiting for him.
“Wh ere have you been?”
“I —I was—” What could he say? “I was...delivering bread for Father.”
“You have been go ne eight times as long as your task required.”
“I’m sorry, Mother . I was—” He stopped, drew in his breath. He couldn’t tell her the truth, but he didn’t want to lie, either.
“ Idling at the marketplace?”
“No. ”
“You weren’t at your practice session with Mykah. He came looking for you.”
“No... ”
“M aking merry at Victor’s celebration?”
“No. ” He wanted her to know that he had not been wasting his time. But he could not explain. She was upset enough already. How could he tell her he had aided someone the Acolyte himself had named an enemy of the Sentinel?
“Yes, Mother,” he said finally. “That’s what I was doing.” He hoped she didn’t check with any of those who were at the victory celebration. “I’m sorry.”
His mother’s anger was palpable . Her hands tightened and her nails bit into his shoulder. “You will go straight to your room.”
“Yes, Mother.”
“You will have no supper tonight. Or tomorrow. You will not be permitted to see your friends for”—her voice trembled—“until I say so. Except Mykah, of course. You may work for your father and prepare for the Winnowing. And that is all! Do you understand me?”
“Yes, Mother.”
*****
Daman went through the usual motions of preparing for bed, even though he had no intention of sleeping . Just before he turned down his bed, he spotted his father in the doorway.
“ I have just spoken with your mother,” he whispered.
“I know I’ ve made her angry. I know she does not like me very much.”
“Oh, Daman. ” His father pulled his boy close and hugged him again. “Your mother loves you more than she loves life. She’s not angry. She’s frightened.”
His father did not say any more, nor was there any need. He was fifteen, soon to be sixteen. The Laws and Ways of the Sentinel could not be avoided.
“I will try to do better,” he whispered into his father’s ear. “I promise.”
His father held him at arms length and smiled . “Thank you, son. I knew you would.”
His father kissed his boy on the forehead and sent him to bed.
H e lay in the dark, a million conflicting thoughts running through his head. What should he do? Follow the path of the Sentinel and devote himself to preparations for Winnowing? If he turned in the Old Man now, there was a chance he might escape punishment. But the Old Man would not. And some of the things the Old Man said, some of the things he only hinted at...
They both intrigued –and troubled him.
What should he do?
*****
Daman lay in his darkened room, not letting his eyes close, until he was certain everyone else in the house was asleep. He crawled
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