Chapter Eleven

Eusari waited patiently while the constables spoke about her fate. She had been surprised they whisked her so speedily to Logan, expecting instead to have waited several days in her own hamlet. They wasted no time, however, and the bumpy ride nearly shook the life from her. Without cushion nor comfort, every joint hurt. Even her teeth remained rattled.

The floor of her prison cell was no better, with only stone to sit upon. In the corner someone had tossed a pile of blankets, but she wasn’t yet desperate enough to risk their fleas and whatever skin diseases they offered. She ignored also the tiny window set high above, with tightly laid bars preventing escape. No, Eusari was confident she would soon find freedom.

After what felt like hours but must have only been minutes, footsteps approached.

“It’s about time, Finn Olsen. I was nearly about to give up on you,” she said with a sly smile. But when she looked up, the harsh face staring down was not Constable Olsen.

Eusari recognized her at once, despite many years passed since their last encounter. The young woman’s hair kept close to her scalp, fiery red and shorn like a man’s. Orange freckles once dotted her cheeks, but had now grown together to sweep over her nose. She was dressed like a constable, even wearing breeches like the others. On her chest was the badge of her position.

“I should’ve known, you’d become a law enforcer,” Eusari said.

“You recognize me, then?” the constable asked.

“Of course I do. You’re a spittin’ image of Maury, and your eyes have the same Thorinson fire the gods gave my brothers.”

“I’ve waited my entire life to see you behind bars,” Anne said triumphantly. “Ever since that day, I knew we were destined to meet again. Only, I thought I’d be the one to clamp your irons.”

“You wouldn’t have been able,” Eusari said dismissively.

“You’re here now,” Anne pointed out. “And easily so, according to Constable Olsen.”

“I allowed Finn to bring me in. But don’t worry, I won’t be here long. In my things is a letter from King Esterling, granting me immunity and pardon for any crimes past, present, or future.”

“Oh, yes,” Anne said, drawing the folded paper from her back pocket. “Signed oddly by an Amash Horslei, whoever that is.”

“That is King Amash, his name before coronation! Send word to him I’m here, and you’ll receive an order for my release.”

“No, I don’t think I will. You see, the spelling of his previous name assumes either a forgery or, as you said, proves it was written before his coronation. Meaning either it’s a fraud or he had no power at the time to grant your freedom.”

Eusari froze. Neither she nor Amash had considered that technicality when he’d hastily written the order.

Anne smiled as she ripped the page in half, then set one page against the other and ripped a second time. She repeated the action till only small pieces remained, which she casually held next to the candle on the wall. Once the fire had taken hold, she scattered the pieces in the air, allowing them to smolder as they softly fell against the stones.

Eusari watched as all hope for her release—and Robert’s absolution—disappeared into smoke.

“You shouldn’t have done that,” she said calmly. “The king won’t be happy when he finds out.”

“He won’t. You see, you were brought in on a crime against the municipality.” She scrunched her face and asked, “What’s the name of your little borough?” Before Eusari could answer, Anne added, “That’s right. It’s unincorporated and nestled just outside of organized territory. As such, and since you were brought here, the high seat of Loganshire presides. Nobody, not even the king, can interfere with the doling of justice for crimes committed outside the territory.”

“So, that’s it?” Eusari chuckled. “You can’t charge me for the crimes you think I deserve, so you’ll pin me down for petty assault?”

“Three counts, my dearest Auntie. Three counts add up to a felony, and that allows the magistrate to consider your former crimes when sentencing. You’ll never see the light of day again, and no one can make it all go away.” She turned to go, then smiled over her shoulder. “Then I’m going to find this son who you’re covering for and watch him closely until he officially reaches his seventeenth summer. Then I’ll make sure he spends that much time or longer behind the same prison bars as you.”

“Why?” Eusari demanded. “Why do you hate me so much?”

“It’s not just you, Auntie. It’s the very thought of you. I remember when my parents died. I was young, but their fates linger with me today. Father broke one law and he paid for it with his life. He was a criminal like you—it was in his blood. But you lived, constantly thumbing your nose at the world while hiding out like a coward.”

“You’ve no idea what I experienced. Your grandfather was a constable, but he knew compassion and when to look the other way. If you only knew half the reasons I did the things I did, you’d do the same.”

“Well, then. It seems Grandaddy was a criminal too. Don’t you see? He, Daddy, and you were all cut from the same cloth. I was there when Mother took her own life. I was the one who found her. She killed herself because of grief over hiding my baby brother from the law.”

“That law was unnatural—an abomination to all, and she was right to hide him.”

“No law should be ignored.”

“You tore up the king’s letter,” Eusari pointed out.

“I tore up either a forgery or an illegal contract.”

“It was my property, nonetheless.”

“You’re in my custody, and you own no property within these walls. It is well within my office to destroy illegal currency and contracts through which crimes are committed.” Anne turned to leave, but paused before shutting the door to the cells. “I pushed back your trial another week, just to give you some time for reflection.” She pointed to the filthy blanket in the corner of the cell. “I hope you decide to make yourself comfortable.”

Eusari flinched as the door slammed with finality, then examined the rough stone lining the walls and floor. She could leave this place, command the stone to crumble, but then what? Flee to Eston and petition Amash? She didn’t even know if she could still trust the king.

Braen did, she thought, they were close friends.

But Braen was gone. For seventeen years she had lived without him, even if she never forgot or moved on.

“Captain!” a voice called from the window high above. “Cap’n Eusari, be you in thar?”

“I’m here, Cedric,” she called out.

“It’s Krill, mum! Ol’ Cedric be stowed away till needed, and Gunnery Sergeant Krill be at your service!”

“Who else is here?” she demanded. “Who’s looking after the boys?” There was a pause. She hated when Cedric hesitated, it always meant trouble. “Cedric!” she shouted. “Who’s protecting the boys?”

“Muh... ma’am,” Sippen’s voice replied. “We huh... have a pruh... problem in that ruh... regard.”

“Spit it out,” she growled.

“Suh.... suffice to say we’re wuh... working on it.”

She stood, walking to the wall standing between them. She removed her gloves, exposing hands deeply scarred with hundreds of tiny cuts, each one hiding a story of her life. With palms touching the stone she took a deep breath.

Limestone, she thought, full of the remnants of life. She closed her eyes and focused on the tiny skeletons—tiny creatures now buried within the rock. Sippen had once explained that what once was living leaves behind carbon, the basis of all life. As her mind and body connected with this element, the wall began to shake. With a shove a single brick crushed beneath her hands and fell to the ground as powder. Two very shocked and guilty faces stared back at her.

“Why not the entire wall, Cap’n?” Krill asked. “Why just a brick?”

“Because I have family issues to deal with here,” she said dryly. “Where are the boys?”

Krill told the story how Falconers had attacked, then Dreamers arrived demanding Robert. He told how Sebastian helped the boy escape and explained how they may arrive at any time. Skipping over the night of drunken celebration over the good ol’ days, he told her how they awoke to two missing horses, a good portion of missing gold, and two Fjorik princes, hell-bent on revenge.

“Find them,” she growled through the hole in the wall.

The men nodded vigorously.

“Now!” she added, sending them scurrying away.

“Constable Thorinson,” she screamed and waited.

After several minutes the young woman opened the door and stood before her cell, eyeing the missing brick and light flooding in with suspicion.

“Whether my charges stem from outside the territory or not, I’m a registered citizen of Brentway, Loganshire. You, as a constable, know this to be true, so to deny me of a speedy trial is a violation of my constitutional right. I demand to go before the magistrate promptly.”

Anne eyed the wall, not looking at her aunt. “He’s gone for the day, so the best I can offer you is tomorrow.”

Eusari nodded curtly. “There seems to be a structural problem within my cell,” she added, “and it ruined my blanket.”

Anne moved her gaze to the white powder covering the cloth.

“I expect it will get quite chilly in my cell, and I demand a fresh replacement.”

Anne nodded absently. “Did you just try to escape?”

“I never try anything. Now go get my damned blanket.”