Chapter 11: To choose or not to choose

Breakfast was filling as usual; since it was before dawn I was barely moving. The women were a chorus of efficiency led by the grand matron as conductor. I repeated my request of extra changes of clothes for Meri. Kira, hearing this, took off crying.

Damn, I'd hoped that Grandma Kira had talked to her.

I pointed to Meri, "Go find Kira and tell her that I request her presence here, then find Grandma Kira and ask her to come here too. You can finish your breakfast when you return." She scurried off and left me to eat in peace.

Pleasantly surprised, I was able to finish the rest of my breakfast in sweet solitude. One of the women removed my plate so I was able to lean back and wait for all hell to break loose when the girls returned. I didn't have to wait long before Meri came back with Grandma Kira. I pointed across the table and told Meri to sit, and pushed her partially eaten breakfast to her.

"Remember that decision that I said that you will have to make today, Meri?"

She nodded without looking at me. "Look at me, girl."

She looked up, scared. I could see her trembling.

Good. Scared should make this easier.

"Meri, you have a few choices. Since the women here will not take you in, your fate is left up to me. Choice one; I can hang you from the nearest tree and let the women bury you after I leave." I heard a chorus of gasps from behind me and the girl in front of me started crying. I slammed my hand down on the table, making the crockery jump.

"Quit your crying, Meri. You have other choices. Two; I will give you five pennies, a knife, two changes of clothes, and escort you from this valley. But if you ever return for any reason, you will be hung. Nothing that you can say will stop this." She stopped crying and looked at me with hope, but started hiccupping, so I waited for her to stop.

"Choice three; you will become my indentured servant for a period of five years, you belong to me and do everything that I say without question for those five years. After the five years, if you have earned it, I shall see that you will have an honorable profession. This you have my word on." She looked at me like I had grown another head. I was getting used to that look from the women around here. "One more thing. My life will be a very dangerous one; more dangerous than being a slaver, and yours more so until you get trained.

"I'm going to get cleaned up and get my horses ready. Meri, you have until I'm ready to leave to make your choice. If you have a question, just ask Grandma Kira." I stood and looked at the assembled women. Seeing Kira standing there with a shocked expression, I waved to her and asked her to help me with the horses.

"Kira," I started when we got to the barn, "what I said earlier was the truth, I am going to be in great danger for the foreseeable future, I am unwilling to risk you."

"But you are going to take her with you!" she shouted at me.

"Yes, I don't know why I made that offer, but it felt right. I have serious misgivings about taking her and I think that she'll get killed. I really don't want her death on my conscience. You are going to be needed here to help out so that the crops and the herds will make it through the year."

"So stay!"

"I can't, someone has to go and warn the king. It has to be soon, and it has to be either your grandma or myself. Your grandma is needed here, so I have to go. Ok?"

"No, I don't want you to go." She sobbed.

I walked over to her and held her, "I'm sorry, Kira, but I have to go, and someone needs to come with me. Whomever does, has a good chance of getting hurt."

We both turned to the sound of footsteps as Meri entered.

"If I go with you, will I die?" Meri asked.

"Not if I have anything to say about it, but it will be dangerous."

"Ok, what will I have to do?"

"Go get changed out of that dress, I want you in boys clothes, and I want you to bring three extra sets of clothes. When you are done with that, I want you to come back with Grandma Kira, now hop." I returned to brushing my horse.

She returned quickly wearing her original clothes and with Grandma Kira in tow.

"We're taking five horses. Mine is saddled, and Kira figured that the small saddle was yours. I want you to make sure that all the supplies are secured while I talk to Grandma Kira."

She then spent the next thirty minutes giving me directions and a letter to be delivered explaining her predicament. She handed me a ring on a leather thong that was obviously too large for her.