Page 8 of Weaving Winter

Sanya’s husband Ren was behind the counter. He took one look at me and called for Sanya to come out from the kitchen. I glanced around the room. Thank heavens I was the only one here. As Sanya appeared, I hurried over to her, the panic growing.

“I need help. First, is there anybody else here?” I wasn’t sure if there was anyone else in back.

She locked the door and led me to one of the three small tables in the shop. “Sit down. We’re alone. What’s the matter? What happened? Did you fetch enough for the fines?”

I folded my arms, rocking back and forth. “I went in to the Tribunal today. I had the payment, but the asshole sheriff not only took the money, but he ordered me to join his household for five years as a servant. You know what that means.”

Sanya drew a sharp breath. She, like every woman in the village, knew what Leif Garimorn was like. “What are you going to do?”

“I can’t hide in the village. He’d find me and then any punishment would be worse,” I said, my voice strained. I stared at the floor. “There’s nothing else to do. I have to leave. I can’t stay here. I can’t stand the thought of him touching me and you know I won’t make it through without his hands on me. The thought makes me sick. I’d probably try to stab him and then I’d be hung out on the gallows.”

Sanya was silent for a moment. She also knew that there was no going back. Once the sheriff pronounced sentence, there was no chance it would be changed. We lived in a harsh land, and both Garimorn and the Magistrate were harsh men.

“Where will you go?” she asked.

“I suppose into the woods. I can hunt, I can fend for myself. I don’t have much time to find good shelter for the winter, but maybe I can make my way down below the Leanderial line. It’s still rough in winter, but if I can head south far enough, I might be able to find work and make a new life. Become one of the People of the Sun, I guess.”

The whole idea of leaving the place I’d spent my life in for the unknown was terrifying, but the thought of being Leif Garimorn’s bed-slave was even worse. And that’s what would happen. Luckily for me, he thought I’d be too scared to do anything else. The stakes were life-and-death if anyone left the village to strike out on their own, especially at this time of year.

“I guess I need to figure out how to get out of here without him knowing,” I said. “I’ll have to move fast, but I can’t leave until dark.”

“I can come over and help you pack,” she said, tears welling in her eyes. “We’d hide you, if we could.”

“Given my sentence is for five years, nobody could hide me for that long and be safe. No, I need to leave tonight, or I’ll miss my chance. It’s easier to run away before he brands me than after.” That was another thing Garimorn was known for. He branded his indentured servants like cattle. And they were scarred for life with the claim of his ownership.

I stood, forcing the tears back. I’d have time enough for crying once I was on the road. “I don’t think he’ll expect me to run—it’s a dangerous time of year for anybody to challenge the forests. The snows have started and will only get worse from here on.”

“How much food can you carry?” Ren asked. He’d been listening in the corner.

“I can carry only what Yaran and I can manage. I don’t dare take the sledge. I hate to ask it, but if you have cheese and bread? They’re good staples for the road. I have a water flask at home, several actually. They belonged to my father. I’ll only be taking a couple outfits. My mother left me a couple baubles. They aren’t worth much but I’d hate for Leif to get his grimy paws on them. I want you to take them and sell them next time you’re down south of the Leanderial line. It will give you some payback for your help,” I said. “If you can come over tonight…maybe mention in front of the guards that you’re going to help me get ready for tomorrow?” It wasn’t much, but it might give me a little leeway.

“I’ll be over shortly. Meanwhile, here, take a small basket of bread and cheese, so it won’t look like you’re stocking up. I’ll bring more when I come.” Sanya fixed a basket with a loaf of bread, a small round of cheese, and several sweets, handing it to me at the door. “You had the coin,” she whispered, looking frightened.

“He said he’s making an example of me. He doesn’t want anybody to question his authority.” With that, I gave them both a hug and headed for home, trying to shake the feeling that someone was watching me.

CHAPTER FIVE

Shortly past the faintest glimmer of moonrise, I turned to Sanya. She had helped me sort through what to take, and I’d given her several things I didn’t want Leif to confiscate. She also brought me an extra water flask, enough staple food for a fortnight, and the most precious gift of all—extra flint, a metal spoon, and a small pan so I could cook over an open fire.

Ren had arrived with her, and while we hurriedly packed my things, he kept a watch out for anything suspicious. It seemed like I had fooled Garimorn into believing that I’d obey and show up on the morning, because nobody came near my house.

I gathered my bow and a couple quivers of arrows, my short sword, and my dagger. I also packed rope, a hatchet and axe, the heaviest winter blankets that I could carry on Yaran’s back, a leather waterproofed tarp, and a bucket protected from the wind with embers in it so I could easily start a fire.

I lived near enough the outskirts of town to sneak away without attracting notice, and so I set the key on the table and stood by the door. Nothing in the house would be spared, it all belonged to the sheriff and the Magistrate now. I steeled myself for what was likely to be a brutal trip, but I was still afraid to take that first step.

“You should leave while you can,” Sanya whispered, her eyes brimming. A tear raced down her cheek. “I feel so guilty. I should have loaned you the money earlier.”

“You and Ren couldn’t afford it. You can’t really afford to help me now, but I appreciate everything you’ve done. To be truthful, I’m not sure I can do this.”

My heart ached. I’d spent my entire life in this village, and now it was about to be all gone. But it was time. I gave Sanya and Ren a silent hug and swung up onto Yaran’s back, gently spurred him, and we were off.

I headed north, avoiding the main gates leading out of the village. Instead, I opted for a seldom-used side path that the hunters mostly took to avoid congesting the main roads during hunting season. It led to the northwest, toward Bramble Fel Forest. Granted the forest was quite a distance away, but I would cut off on a side trail that my father often used.

Few hunters dared the trail, given it cut through a fen that was reputedly haunted, but I knew that I had to put my fears aside. Garimorn would send out a search party, at least until he decided that I’d died from stupidity. If I could lie low for a few days, I should be in the clear. What I’d do after that, I had no clue, but I’d cross that river when I came to it.

As the lights of Renmark began to vanish behind me, I yawned. I’d taken a nap for a few hours in the early evening, but I was still tired.

I stared up at the sky. It was overcast, though the snow shower had stopped, but the silver clouds glimmered, and moonlight reflected through them, lighting the path. The sounds of the night echoed around me—the soft movement of animals in the bushes, the crunching of thin snow beneath Yaran’s feet, the swish of tree boughs in the blustery night.

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