“Don’t look at them and don’t talk to them, boy,” Hagar growled in Logan’s ear.
Logan took a deep breath and set his gaze straight ahead like his father. He did his best to ignore the glares that came from many of those gathered around the square. Seli, as the alleged victim, was allowed to go before the elders first. As she stepped toward the town hall she gave Logan an evil little smile. Her smile melted almost immediately into the look of a hurt little girl as she prepared to enter the building. Logan sighed deeply and he felt his father’s hand on his shoulder.
“Be strong, boy.”
After Seli, went Jonah and finally, Logan himself.
He was standing in the large main room of the town hall. Before him at a long wooden table sat Solan Bay’s three elders. On the left sat old lady Anais, and to the right sat master Cedric. In the central seat, the high judge position, sat master Dengal. Logan rocked nervously from foot-to-foot. Master Dengal leaned forward and looked down from his high table at Logan with a reassuring smile.
“Well, now Logan. Why don’t you tell us your side of this unfortunate matter?”
And so, Logan did. He told the whole story, just like he had for his family earlier. He neither added nor skipped anything. When he was done, the three elders exchanged looks. Master Dengal leaned to one side and then the other talking quietly with the other two. He asked one or two questions to clarify some points in Logan’s story and finally nodded to himself. He focused his attention once again on Logan and spoke.
“Well, Logan. Needless to say, Seli and Jonah have told us something very different. We’re going to have to finish talking to everyone and it may take awhile,” he gave Logan a faint smile of reassurance before continuing. “Why don’t you get yourself home, lad.”
Logan nodded politely and turned to leave the building. He stepped outside and felt all eyes upon him as he joined his father.
“I know you did right, boy.”
Hagar led him away from the council chamber and the two made their way home.
Two days after his meeting with the elders at the town hall, Logan was back up and helping his father at the forge. Tess hadn’t been thrilled with the idea, but after much pleading, Logan had managed to convince her that doing some light work at the forge would help him get his health back faster. Tess still wasn’t overly fond of the idea, but Hagar had insisted that the best way to get over injury was work.
They were just stopping for the mid-day meal when they noticed an old man and a boy slowly making their way toward the forge. Hagar wiped the sweat from his hands and brow and watched the two figures approach. The old man leaned heavily on a walking stick while the boy seemed to be listening intently to whatever his companion had to say. As they drew closer, Hagar recognized the old man as Master Dengal. He was pretty sure that the boy with him was one of the ones from Jonah’s gang.
Hagar stepped out into the open air toward the wizened old man.
“May I help you, elder?”
“Nay, Hagar. I’ve brought news and someone to speak with your young lad.”
The elder leaned heavily on his walking stick and Hagar bellowed toward the smithy.
“Logan! Bring water and a stool for Master Dengal.”
Logan came out of the smithy carrying a simple stool and a ladle full of cool water. He joined his father in the yard. Nodding respectfully to the elder, he offered him the stool and water. The old man’s eyes crinkled with pleasure as he lowered his weary body onto the stool.
“Thank you, lad.”
He sipped at the water for a moment, before finally looking from father to son.
“Logan, it’s good to see you again. You seem to be healing quite well.”
Logan smiled his thanks and studied the boy at the old man’s side. He knew him, of course. He was Lars Fenkick’s son, Liam, and he had been one of his accusers. The boy was about his age with blonde, blue-eyed colouring that was so common in the south. Liam stood several inches taller than Logan but would be lucky if he weighed half as much as him. Logan couldn’t help smiling to himself when he noticed the bruising the boy still had along his jaw line.
“First, let me say, your boy’s been cleared, Hagar,” elder Dengal began.
Hagar grunted and nodded in response, making it clear that he felt that outcome was never in question.
“And,” Master Dengal continued. “A large part of the reason he’s been cleared is because of this boy.”
The elder gestured to Liam with his walking stick before allowing his gaze to rest on Logan.
“Logan, Liam here came forward and told us the truth, even when all the others had lied to us. He was the only one not cowed by Jonah’s bullying and the only one to confirm your story. And we needed that desperately. I’ll be honest with you boy, I thought you were innocent from the beginning but with no one to stand with you it didn’t look good. Anyway, I digress. Liam here did come forward and as I said, you’ve been cleared of any wrong doing.”
Logan nodded.
“I appreciate that, Master Dengal,” he said in his most respectful tone. “Might I ask what happens with Jonah, now?”
Master Dengal sighed deeply as he answered.
“It seems Jonah Tane has far too much control over the young people in the community.”
The elder shrugged the thought off.
“Anyway, that is a matter for another time,” he finished.
He looked sharply at Liam before poking him with his walking stick.
“You wanted to say something to Logan?”
“Um … yeah … um … I’m sorry, Logan. We shouldn’t have … um … er … we just shouldn’t have, is all,” stammered the blonde boy.
Liam never looked above Logan’s feet the whole time he spoke, and Logan felt genuinely sorry for the boy.
“Um … Thank you, Liam.”
Logan stepped forward and reached out to clasp the other boy’s forearm. Liam looked from Logan’s proffered had to his face, hesitated for a moment, then took his arm. The two youths smiled in understanding. Hagar cleared his throat before speaking.
“Thank you, elder, my house is in your debt. Would you care to stay for mid-day meal? I’m not sure what Tess is preparing but I’m sure you’d be welcome.”
The old man rose carefully to his feet, shaking his head as he did.
“No. Thank you, Hagar. I need to be getting these old bones back home. As for debt, well that’s just nonsense. Justice was served. Nothing more, nothing less.”
A wicked glint sparkled in the elder’s eyes.
“Though, if you have any idea who shaved Seli Tanith’s head you may want to keep that information to yourself. It seems the poor, unfortunate girl is too afraid to say.”
The elder laughed at Hagar’s dumbfounded expression and had already begun moving toward the road before he recovered. As Liam helped the old man down the road Hagar turned back toward the house.
“Tanel!”
Hagar stormed into the house, Logan close on his heels. So close in fact, that he almost walked into him when Hagar suddenly stopped dead in his tracks in the middle of the kitchen.
“Yes, Daddy?” came Tanel’s softest little girl voice.
There, at the kitchen table, sat Tanel. She was attaching a length of blonde hair to a doll. She raised the doll to show them and a sly smile teased across her lips.
“Do you like it? It’s for widow Haetherton’s little girl.”
Hagar just shook his head and looked at Tess’ smiling face as she came in from the main room. His voice was resigned as he spoke to his wife.
“She’s your daughter.”
Tess laughed loudly and winked at her husband.
“And don’t you ever forget it.”
Chapter Eight: Unwelcome Visitors
After the bear head incident, Logan spent the next couple of years as close to home or at least as far from Solan Bay as possible. He lost all interest in the doings of the town and almost all of its inhabitants. He refused to attend
any of the festivals or other functions that occurred throughout the year and avoided contact with the town’s people, unless on specific business for his father.
This separatist attitude was encouraged by many of the citizens of Solan Bay because even though he’d been cleared of all wrong doing by the elders of the village, many were still afraid of the boy’s strength and temper. In fact, the only one outside Logan’s immediate family who wanted anything to do with him was Liam.
It seemed that Jonah wasn’t really thrilled with the boy’s betrayal and Liam found himself ostracized for his trouble. Logan understood what Liam was going through, and from that mutual understanding came a friendship. The two could often be found exploring the forests surrounding the Hammersmith home and Liam was often invited to have dinner with the family. He even spent the night on a few occasions.
Logan laughed to himself and couldn’t resist teasing his friend when he noticed that Liam had developed a crush on Tanel. For her part, Tanel was always nice to Logan’s friend and had even admitted she was impressed by his courageous stand against Jonah and his gang. Liam was so thrilled with this that Logan swore it took a week before his feet touched the ground again.
Not that anyone could really blame Liam. Tanel had made good on the promise of her youth and blossomed into a fine and beautiful woman. She didn’t seem to notice this herself, though, and still spent the majority of her time studying and working. She was an accomplished healer who could call on power that her mother could only imagine.
Yet, at twenty-two, when other girls her age were already betrothed or married, Tanel was still single with no real prospects. She was known for being straightforward, brutally honest, and more than a little bit sarcastic. This meant that in spite of her beauty, very few men were willing to risk the wrath of her sharp tongue. According to Tanel, that was how she preferred it.
Tanel had long since surpassed her mother’s ability as a healer and rumour in the village had it that there were more than just plants and herbs in her medicines. Some even hinted that she possessed the healer’s magic, though none ever said this openly. Tanel paid the gossips no mind and went about her business. If anyone worried that she used magic in her medicines, it never stopped them from coming to her when they were sick or injured.
While Tanel blossomed, Logan’s development seemed to more closely resemble a weed. He had reached a height of five feet three inches and it didn’t look like he would surpass it. However, while he seemed to have stopped growing up, he continued to grow out. His shoulders and chest continued to grow wider, stronger and more defined. His time at the forge had made his arms as hard as the metal he worked, while his hands grew thick and rough with calluses.
At sixteen he was easily as strong, if not stronger, than his father. He had already absorbed much of his father’s skill and Hagar allowed him to handle most of the standard work in the forge. Logan was just starting to try his hand at some of the more intricate jobs.
Hagar and Tess were incredibly proud of both their children. And yet, in quiet moments, late at night while Tess slept, Hagar couldn’t help feeling apprehensive. In some primitive part of his brain, he knew that a storm was coming.
After the incident in the forest, Hagar decided to teach Logan to control his temper and defend himself properly. Hagar spent a portion of each day showing his son the lessons that he himself had learned as a soldier. He taught his son both armed and unarmed combat. In the process, he also taught him discipline. Hagar explained how to evaluate a situation with a calm head rather than just reacting blindly. It was an extremely hard lesson for Logan, since it seemed to go against his nature and he found that he slipped numerous times. At those times, Hagar would use Logan’s temper against him and the boy would often find himself sprawled across the ground looking up at his father.
It was after one of these slips in temper that Hagar had swept Logan’s feet out and landed the boy face down in the mud. When Logan pulled himself to his feet, Hagar told him to take a walk and clear his head. Logan had stormed into the house and Tess sent him off into the forest to find herbs for her. She knew that the time alone in the forest would refresh and relax him. While Logan hated to admit it, he knew his parents were both right.
Gathering up his herb bag, Logan left the house and quickly made his way across the yard. In no time at all, Logan found himself travelling along the familiar trails of the forest surrounding his home.
As he walked, he tried to stay angry but the forest always had a way of relaxing him.
Besides, he thought. I’m more upset with myself. Da tripped me up with an obvious feint and I ended up in the mud because of it. The mistake was all mine. Though, that’s what makes it so damn frustrating, no one else to blame. I should have known better.
After ten or fifteen minutes of wandering through the woods, Logan found himself relaxing.
Ah well, he sighed. There’s always tomorrow.
He just had to promise himself that he wouldn’t make the same mistake again. He rarely made the same mistake twice.
Unfortunately, he thought. There always seemed to be new mistakes to make.
Laughing at himself, he started playing the match back in his mind. Blow-by-blow, thrust by thrust, until he’d mapped out the whole fight. He figured out where he had gone wrong. More importantly, he figured out how to solve it and that made him feel much better. This done, he started seriously looking for the herbs his mother had asked him to get.
Logan searched the woods for the better part of an hour, and by the time he finally found all the herbs and started making his way back home, the sun was beginning to set.
His first clue that something was wrong at home was the smoke rising up over the trees. Not the small amount that his father’s forge and his mother’s cooking fire normally created, but billows of thick black smoke contrasting starkly against the orange of the setting sun. He had a sudden sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. He knew he had to get home. Something was very wrong. Dropping his herb bag, Logan ran down the trail towards the house. As he neared the forest’s edge, his breath had begun burning in his lungs from the exertion.
His personal discomfort was soon forgotten as he caught sight of them. There were at least a dozen men in silver-grey armour with their weapons drawn. Several of the men had circled the house, whooping and hollering loudly. Many of them carried torches and the house already blazed as fire burned in the thatched roof.
A smaller group of men had gathered in a cluster near the forge. Even from a distance, Logan could see they fought someone. From where he stood, he could see his father’s head and shoulders as he swung about him with one of the large forge hammers.
As Logan watched, his father’s hammer connected with the chest plate of one of the attacking men. The man was thrown several feet backwards across the yard. He didn’t move again. This put the rest of the soldiers on guard. They ducked and dodged never letting the hammer come too close.
Even with these precautions, a piercing scream of agony still reached Logan as one of the soldiers crumpled to the ground, the man’s knee shattered under the weight of the hammer.
His father fought well, but Logan knew that it was only a matter of time. Like wolves working together to bring down a bear, there were too many of them. Every time Hagar moved toward one of the soldiers, two more rushed him.
Logan saw Hagar’s hammer swing down toward an attacking soldier. It connected with the man’s sword arm, shattering it, but even as the man dropped his weapon screaming and clutching at his ruined arm, another soldier slipped in at Hagar’s flank. The soldier slashed his sword across the back of his legs.
Blood spurted out from the wounds and Hagar’s legs gave out from underneath him. His large frame crashed to the bloody earth. A cheer rose from the throats of the remaining soldiers as they moved in for the kill. Swords rose and fell in a frenzy of motion. Logan closed his eyes as the blood splashed and splattered while the soldiers butchered the remains of his father. Logan felt the
bile rise up into his throat.
A scream from the house shook Logan’s gaze from his father’s fallen body. A large man in black shining armour had emerged from the burning house. The man carried his helmet under one arm, his long blonde hair whipped around his face. With his free hand he dragged a struggling figure along behind him.
Logan went pale with horror. It was Tanel. She screamed and fought against the man’s grasp but he had his fingers tangled in her hair. When they were clear of the burning building, he threw her to the ground, a look of vast amusement playing across his face.
“Sir!”
The soldier’s cry caused the man in black to spin back toward the house dropping his helmet while his free hand reached to his sword. Logan saw what made the soldier cry out a warning.
Gods, no!, he thought as he started to run toward the house.
His mother charged from the house straight for the man in black. A large bloodied cleaver caught the last rays of the setting sun and shimmered in her hands as a primal scream of fury passed her lips.
Logan never saw the man’s sword leave its sheath. One moment his mother was screaming in rage and the next, her body crumpled to the ground. Her head bounced once as it rolled off to the side, blood spurting from her severed neck.
“Noooo!”
The cry tore from Logan’s throat as he kept sprinting across the yard. All the soldiers turned to face him, but Logan’s gaze was fixed on the man in black. The man slowly turned and faced him, the arrogance plain in his stance, a self-satisfied smirk playing across his thin lips. His right hand still held the naked blade. Tess’ blood ran down the edge, collecting at the tip before dripping to the ground. The smirk formed into a look of contempt as he watched Logan come. He motioned to his soldiers with his free hand.
The first arrow punched heavily into Logan’s left shoulder. It felt like a blow from a smith’s hammer and the force of it almost knocked him off his feet. If the next arrow hadn’t smashed moments later into his right hip he would have crashed to the ground. As it was, he staggered as the pain flashed like lightening through his body.
The Hammer's Fall Page 4
