it.”
Nicholas looked at his friend, but his eyes fell away from the inspired stare. “I… I cannot.”
Simeon was surprised. “I must say that, that is not the answer I expected from you Nicholas.” He drew back a little. “You have heard that all is not well amongst the people, and that the tide of feeling runs against the Marshal and his supporters. In truth it is far worse than you could imagine.”
“I don't doubt your word,” he replied self-consciously. “It is not that.”
Simeon leaned towards him. “Nicholas what is happening is only the beginning. There are others, more sinister, who support the Marshal but remain hidden in his shadow. These evil men would take all from the people and make us slaves. Daily their grip tightens, and any who dare speak out are slain.”
“Simeon forgive me; but in Boramulla I have heard none of this. True our lives are ordered; controlled if you like. But the Alderman is not totally unjust.”
“And I do not doubt your word either. But whether you have seen it or not, their web still grows, creeping into every house and family, until we will be afraid to utter a complaint even to our own loved ones.”
Nicholas wasn’t sure if he could trace a tinge of bitterness in Simeon’s words.
“Fortunate are you that you have been spared what is happening throughout the lands.” He stopped suddenly, realizing what he had said. “That is until now. Especially you must see that things have come to a head. Your mother, father, brother are dead, and you meant to be, surely that is proof to you?”
“I wish I could, but I cannot. Yes they are dead. My family and I too in my heart have paid the ultimate price. But a captain of the guard had it in mind. It is him and his assassins who I seek.”
“And you believe that they, and them alone had some grudge worth three or four lives?”
“I do not know,” snapped Nicholas as he briefly glanced at Reigel. “All I do know is that I cannot lay blame directly against the Marshal, or his rule.”
Simeon’s reply was sharp. “Even after what you have seen and been told?”
“What Reigel and you have told me is that things are not well in our land. Simeon ask me to join you as an outlaw, and by manner of my circumstance I grasp at the opportunity. But ask me to throw my all into open rebellion... I am not sure I can be the man you ask.”
“You are exactly the man I ask for.” Simeon leaned away staring into Nicholas’s eyes. “Always the even-handed; always the just. If I could let my mind rule instead of my heart then maybe I too would sit back and let fate work for me.” He sighed. “I will not forcefully put a sword in your hand even if I could Nicholas, no matter how disappointed I am that you will not embrace our cause.”
“I am sorry. I will continue on my way…”
“No, no.” Simeon interrupted. “Our plans are made and will go ahead with or without you, so you are still welcome to stay as long as you may wish.”
“I would like to; if I can, to reminisce with you again. It would please me greatly, but I will not stay if I cannot at least be of use. Find me work or things to do.”
“If things go awry, and you are associated with us in any way; the guard will believe you a rebel whatever you may protest?”
“I know that, and at that time I will declare that I was proud to know you.”
Simeon stared at him with a slight smile. “Yes… Yes I believe you would, anyway I will not deny that even having you near pleases me. As for work I have already counted you into our plans, though now it will be in a far different capacity. As you will imagine there is plenty of work that committed or not, needs doing; but whatever you may decide or choose I ask you this, do not judge our cause until you understand what it is.”
“I will watch and I will listen. In the meantime we can still talk of times old, and the future, for I am ignorant of much that happens. The Marshal for instance, I never questioned that another was more powerful than him?”
Simeon seemed a little less enthusiastic as he spoke. “Yes… there has been lately a new one, who I have heard little of as a person, but there was a man named Tarrant before the drying. He was hard; as they all are, but tempered with a mite of fairness. With him controlling we parlayed, and had some belief we could argue for some of our basic rights, but then a man named KarrLec came to the keep. He is a bitter one, and soon after his arrival Tarrant was seen no more. Since then the grip of tyranny has tightened; with more disappearing, and the issuing of new decrees meant to crush the very spirit from our people. Reigel knows even more, of ones that control even KarrLec, and who grow impatient to take all for themselves.”
“There is so much that I am ignorant of, and when I do understand some things are too much to take in, but I know times are hard, and our taxes for the city and its rulers increase upon increase. But as I have said, in the village we saw little of this injustice of which you speak. Yet by way of my travel to this place, I have seen and heard more than I would wish.”
“And you will hear and see much more, and how you come to terms with those experiences will test your resolve: I know, I have been down the path you are about to embark on so forgive me if I seem blinded to reason; for in my defense I have seen more than any man should.”
Nicholas tried to speak but Simeon cut him off
“I… We have all had to compromise our principles. It does not rest easy sometimes to go against what we have believed to be right, and then to appease our conscience in the dark, early hours of the morning, as I have with mine. So I for one understand how you feel and would not have you join us in any other way than be it of your own free will. I will not speak on this subject again, and the choice remains yours.” He grabbed Nicholas around the shoulder, shaking him slightly. “Even so you have come to us at an opportune moment Nicholas,” he said excitedly. “The time draws nigh. The aging day approaches.”
“Yes, so it does.” So much had happened to him he had forgotten the day of aging would be here soon. It was the day during which every citizen became a year older, of course not actually. Within the family groups all had their individual days of birth, and these were celebrated within the community. But for the purposes of the census, after all the crops had been sown and as the winter fruit ripened, was the communal aging day. It was an occasion of much celebration. For days before all the folk that could journeyed to the nearest census town or city, for celebrations and festivities which became more and more frenzied toward the actual day.
Simeon was speaking again. “...On that day we enter the city to strike against the Marshal. Throughout the district of Loc-Sie, men and women…”
“You’re what?” Said Nicholas thinking he had misheard.
“Many hundreds Nicholas, thousands; they lay in wait for the weapons we shall distribute, and the signal I personally shall give on that day. They wait for my signal, whoever would have thought.”
Nicholas sounded incredulous. “You have an army?”
“Did you expect me personally to take on the Marshal?”
“No, no I just thought…" His words tailed away.
“That we here are the only ones?”
“Well kind of; I wasn’t thinking in terms of an army.”
“Well it isn’t in the way you imply. They are not professional soldiers, but an army of common men and women.”
The thought disturbed Nicholas even more than the thought of two armed forces. “Simeon, we talk of farmers, tradesmen, laborers; these people are not soldiers. They will die.”
“Yes they will Nicholas.” Simeon’s voice was solemn. “And if I face reality, I too; probably. To throw off the shackles for our children, to become free, to give my brothers or sisters in arms that chance, then it is a price I gladly pay. Come don't throw a wet blanket upon my fire.”
“Simeon why are you telling me this if I will not join you?”
“Why? You are my friend.”
“I was; two seasons ago. Time passes. I could have sympathy that lies elsewhere.”
“You Ni
cholas: no, not Nicholas Day, you would not do anything that was not just and right.”
“Maybe I now believe the lord Marshal to be just and right?”
“That I doubt: you hesitate to say it, but deep down you know you agree with what I have said.”
“But I have said I will not join the rebellion, and help in the downfall of the Marshal.”
“You already are, and you always were; only you don’t know it.”
“It seems my choices become less; my past dimmer, and my future murkier each time I awake.” Nicholas smiled at last. “I will keep your secret, and not because of an ideal, rather out of friendship, wherever it may take me.”
“It will take you where you seek to go, to the gates of Quone.”
“Then if that be so, my conscience will trouble me a little less.”
“That may or not be,” said Simeon with a smile. “For before our army can strike we must distribute the weapons we have. You will do that for us?”
Nick went to speak but Simeon put up his hand.
“Wait: did you not say you wanted work? And you said you want to go to Quone. Then I offer you work, as a teamster. I remember you handled a horse and cart with exceptional skill. A simple task of driving a wagon from here to where the Captain you seek has his lair, surely is an undemanding task?”
Nicholas sighed deeply. “Yes, alright, I will take a wagon as you wish.”
“There that was not so hard.” Once more he grabbed Nick around the shoulder and together they
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