Chapter 19

Act 3

Scene 5

They all went down to breakfast in the dining hall. Beth told the story of how her Uncle had saved her from a 'fate worse than death', and all the girls gushed over his bravery and fighting skills to cover their fear and titillation. They sat with Ambrose, his wives, brothers, and their wives. As they pumped Ambrose and his brothers about their host's history and the social norms, they learned many things.

Ambrose told the tale of how Lofthold was established, and during the account, Paul and the others found the difficulty in understanding the natives' heavily dialect easing. Lofthold in Huntersville was actually the second settlement by Ambrose and his clan. The first had been incorporated into Whitman County when the Church expanded its holdings only two years ago. Not wanting to follow the strict ways of the Church, they had begun searching for a new location. They had moved the entire clan and settled at this site and built the entire settlement in just two years.

"Ambrose, if you moved to get away from the Church, then why is there a priest here?" Evan questioned as Ambrose completed his tale.

"Ah, I suppose that does seem a mite strange. It is by the law of the King that all villages are assigned a priest, but not to be rulers or leaders. Such young priests are sent to keep the good people of each village healthy. It is not out of kindness, for if the villagers are not productive, they cannot pay the King's taxes. It is said to be a rite of passage, or a test of their faith and abilities for these young priests. If they prove their worth to the Church, they are then brought back to serve in the Orders of the Church in the great holdings of the Dukes."

Paul asked, "And what happens to them if they don't prove themselves to the Church?"

"They die or disappear," Ambrose replied with caution in his voice.

The cautious undertone in Ambrose's reply was understood and the conversation was dropped. The unease was quickly replaced with concern when Becky began to cough uncontrollably.

Kim started to pound Becky's back thinking she was choking, "Becky, are you alright? Evan, hand me some water. I think she swallowed wrong."

Evan grabbed a tankard from the table and quickly handed it to Kim. Becky's coughing fit subsided as quickly as it started. Handing his wife the water, Evan looked worriedly to Paul.

"Excuse me everyone, I'm not sure what that was all about," Becky looked up with embarrassment, her eyes tearing as a result of the coughing.

One of Peter's wives turned to her husband as if to speak. "Go ahead woman, what is it?" Peter stated with a sound of permission in his voice.

"Maybe the child needs to move about to help clear her lungs?" the young woman quietly suggested.

Nodding in agreement, Ambrose quickly interjected, "I believe we all could use a bit of a stretch. But first, I must tell you the proper way to act in our village."

Looking at Ambrose with question, Paul and his family turned their attention back to their host.

"I see that thy women speak as if they have authority," Ambrose began as he looked directly at Kim. "Our ways are much simpler and ask that while you are with us, ye follow our laws. Women and children be cherished, but do not have any influence in our decisions. Unless spoken to first, they are not to be heard. To do so is an offense, which in the church lands, is punishable by being placed in the stocks for a first offense."

Evan said, "The stocks? That doesn't sound too bad."

"Aye, but any passerby may then do with thou as they deem fit. A second offense results in being stripped naked for a public flogging, and then placed in the stocks for the use and amusement by any and all passersby for three days. Some doth not survive such treatment. A third offense results in cutting out the tongue and being sold into slavery."

Seeing Kim's expression change from disbelief to anger, Evan placed his hand on his wife's arm and replied, "That is good to know Ambrose." Turning to his wife, Evan continued, "I believe everyone will abide by that law, won't you?"

Remembering that they were guests in a strange place, Kim took a deep breath and nodded in acknowledgment.

Turning to Paul, Ambrose replied, "Good. Now, I believe that it is time for us to get prepared for my father's return. Thy womenfolk can help ours with the preparations. We must get thou properly attired as we did the women. The strange creature on thine shirt may encourage too many questions from the villagers."

Raising his eyebrows in return, Paul looked at Ambrose and smiled, "I guess you may be right, good ole Wily E. Coyote here does look a bit out of place." Paul continued, "I would really like to move our boats closer to Lofthold. Is there a safer place close by that will work?"

"Aye, Huntersville be on an inlet. Peter will go with thee to guide thee to the dock. He hath always fancied the river."

Kim and the girls followed the wives outside, separating themselves from the men. Before their paths split, Evan winked at Kim as a reminder to keep her quiet.

The women went up the broad stairs to another level of the Safehold. They arrived in another large room filled with the women and children of Lofthold chattering and laughing as they worked. Taking in the scene, Kim shook her head at the sight and wondered how she and the girls would fit into this archaic land.

One of Ambrose's wives, Margaret, noticed Kim's expression. The tiny redhead said, "I be Margaret. I be sure this all must seem strange to you. But we find happiness with the way in which we live. Welcome to our common room. We all help out with the weaving, tanning, cooking, cleaning, and the like, sharing whatever is made."

One of Eli's younger wives, who looked no older then fourteen snorted. She snapped, "Helpful, yes. But happy? I would rather be married to a noble, sitting around on my arse all day and get waited on hand and foot, than work my fingers to the bone each day!"

"Bite yer tongue Madeline! These fine women and children are our guests. They need not hear you complain or your silly dreams!" Margaret admonished.

Shrugging her shoulders, Madeline walked away from the group to sit with a group of children and young women.

Margaret turned to Kim and said, "I apologize for that one ma'am. She be young and her head is filled with strange ideas. Let me introduce ye to some of the others. Have you ever spun or sewn before?"

Before she could reply, a young girl ran up to them and dropped to a curtsy. Rising she smiled and said, "Beth! How wonderful to see ye again!"

Beth smiled and curtsied in return and replied, "Hi Mary, I'm so glad you are here! This is my Mom and sisters, Becky and Bell. Standing behind them are our friends, Pam, Jenny and Sarah." Bell and Pam were the first to curtsy in return, the others following slowly.

"It's so nice to meet you Mary, and thank you for helping Beth this morning. Thank you for the clothes, we really didn't have anything like this to wear." Kim said.

"It was my pleasure ma'am." Turning to Beth, Mary continued, "I am working at the loom with some of my friends. Would you like to meet them?"

Looking to her mom for permission, Beth replied, "Sure, if it's OK with you Mom?" Seeing the nod of approval from Kim, Beth continued, "Do you mind if Becky, Sarah, and Pam come along too?"

"Of course!" She took Beth by the hand and moved quickly away towards a group of girls across the room.

Kim, Bell and Jenny continued across the room with Margaret to a group of matronly looking women bent over a large rack covered with cloth. "Friends, we have guests today. They are unaccustomed to our ways, but my husband wishes that we make them all welcome and share our good fortunes", Margaret explained as they approached.

Remembering to curtsy, Kim smiled and said, "Hello. My name is Kim, this is my daughter Bell and her friend Jenny".

Looking up from their stitching, several of the women smiled in return. "What lovely girls! Please, sit down. Wouldst thou like to help with this tapestry?" a gray-haired woman warmly responded.

Laughing uncomfortably, Kim replied, "Well, I'm not sure how much help we can be, but we are willing to learn!"

As they moved around the ladies to settle in around the tapestry, Bell tripped over something lying on the floor. Kim caught her and steadied her. Then she admonished, "Bell, be careful!"

Bell flushed in embarrassment, seeing all eyes on her. Afraid to meet the eyes, she looked down. She mumbled, "Sorry, I think I tripped on my stupid skirt."

As she looked down, her eyes flew to the spot where she had tripped. She saw something long and snake-like slide under the rack, and jumped back a step. Bell shrieked, "What was that?"

A hissed reply came from the table, "Yes, please be careful where ye step young one. Ye almost stepped upon me tail!" Looking towards the voice, Kim and the girls stared in fascination. A girl with long feline whiskers and vertically slitted golden eyes turned toward them. The delicate cat-like features including peaked ears, long fangs, and golden tabby patterned even on the skin where she didn't have fur. She gave them her unblinking regard from under a white bonnet. Her hands had fur covering the tops to just past her wrists.

"Claiborne, tis not the child's fault. Thy tail tis always getting in our way! Don't ye worry none, miss, Claiborne be harmless. Come sit by Dorothea and me. Where be my manners? We here be Kaelyn, Dorothea, Gweneth, Claiborne, and meself, Leoma." Replied the gray-haired woman who welcomed them to the table.

Skirting widely around the cat-like woman, Kim and the girls quickly moved to sit by Leoma. "Please forgive us Claiborne, but we have never seen anyone who looks like you." Kim said as she stared in frank appraisal at the woman's feline features.

"No matter, I hath been stared at by many. Wouldst ye like to hear me story while we work?" Claiborne asked in her throaty, sibilant voice as she continued to weave stitches into the tapestry.

"Yes please!" exclaimed Jenny and Bell in unison.

"Tis not a happy tale. I be born of a feral cat-morph, who was captured by the churchmen. She was called Sybil, and bore me and my three sister kits into slavery during the year she survived the arena. I be three-quarters human, born slave, and was used hard by my masters. By me thirteenth birth-date, I had my second litter of kits, and then watched them cruelly ripped from my bosom and sold to another master. Me feelings of despair came neigh to my undoing, and my thoughts turned dark. Hath not the good people of Huntersville bought me bond, and given me a chance to earn my freedom through indenture, mine eyes wouldst be cold and dark in death."

Kim listened in silence and growing horror to her tale of lifelong slavery and sexual abuse, but when Claiborne mentioned the people of Huntersville buying her, she argued. "But I thought the people of Huntersville don't allow slavery! How could they buy you, and what do you mean, when you say, 'they bought your bond and gave you a chance for freedom through indenture'?"

Margaret looked at Kim in indignation. She harrumphed, and said, "Weren't thee listening? The poor dear was a bonded slave of the church! Which meant she could never be free, and any of her children would be born slaves! But, Ambrose took pity on her, bought her bond, and then gave her but two years of indenture to work off her debt!"

Kim looked uncertainly from Margaret to Claiborne. Finally, she threw up her hands and said, "I just don't get it. I don't understand. What does indenture mean?"

Claiborne smiled and patted her hand, careful to keep her retractable claws away from the skin. She answered, "A bonded slave is a slave for life. An indentured servant is a free person, forced to work off a debt. The difference be as clear as night and day! Ambrose is kind and fair man."

Bell had barely heard the conversation. She stared in rapt fascination at Claiborne's hands. She started to reach out to touch the fur on the back of the cat-girl's hand, and stopped short. She looked up into the golden cat eyes, gulped and asked, "Can I touch you?"

Seeing the golden, inhuman eyes lock onto hers, flicker to her hand, and back, Bell swallowed and started to snatch her hand back. However, before the movement could hardly begin, she found her fingers in the firm, warm grasp of the hand she'd been reaching for. The underside of the fingers that clasped hers where as hairless as her own, but she could feel the short soft fur from the sides of the fingers tickling her skin. Bell gasped, and first tried to pull her hand free. However, when Claiborne didn't do any more than stop her hand, Bell took a deep breath, and brought her other hand up to touch the back of the furred hand. Bell flipped the hand over and flinched in fascinated awe, as a light pressure on the first knuckle caused razor-sharp, half-inch claws to flare. Bell traced her fingers along the stripes in the fur, and then followed the same pattern on the bare skin of forearm, above the fur.