by Mike Morris
Jack was relieved when his mother walked down the steps to the cells. He rushed to the bars and thrust his arms out towards her. She sobbed as she returned the embrace, holding Jack tightly despite the iron bars between them.
"Oh thank God," she said. "I didn't know where you were. I've been worried for days, looking everywhere for you. I thought you’d run off or were lying dead in a ditch somewhere." The bruising on her face was not as vivid as it once was but her recent beating was plain to see.
"I'm sorry, mum." It was hard for Jack to keep the tears from his own eyes. "Are you going to get us out of here?"
"I don't know, son. If it wasn't for this kind man, I wouldn't even know you were here."
"What man?" A cold feeling in his gut told Jack he already knew who it was.
His mother stepped back from the bars. "This man."
The Black Dog looked down from the top of the stairs. He smiled.
"I'm sorry it took so long to find you, Mrs Frey,” said the Black Dog as he walked towards them. "My colleagues had a dreadful time trying to track you down."
"Please call me Mary," she replied. "I appreciate the trouble, honest I do, but I have to work nights so I'm not often around or I'm sleeping during the day."
"My name's Aidan. Brother Aidan." The Black Dog shook her hand and then motioned for her to take a seat. They had a clear view of the two boys behind bars. "Now, let's see if we can help each other."
"Thank you. God bless you." She smiled at Jack before joining Aidan.
Jack slumped back down inside his cell as his mother took the offered seat. Aidan sat opposite. He reached down and produced a small wine bottle and two cups. He filled both before offering one to Mary. She smiled awkwardly as she took it, hesitating before taking a sip.
Jack's heart sunk as she drank. Jack hoped his mother hadn't been drinking before, or at least not too much so she'd still have her wits about her. She'd need to be on her toes if she was to get her sons out of the mess they were in.
Aidan swirled the wine in his cup but Jack noticed he didn't drink from it. "Your boys are in a lot of trouble."
"I'm sure it's a misunderstanding. They're good lads. They wouldn't do anything wrong." His mother took another sip of wine.
"I'm afraid it's no misunderstanding. I caught them myself, breaking into the home of a renowned citizen, a friend of the Queen's no less."
A little wine spilled from the cup as her hand shook. She glanced at the boys and Jack dropped his eyes in shame. "Is that what they were doing?" she said. "I thought they were doing odd jobs to help people out, earn a bit of pocket money. Their father and I raised them better than that, or so I thought."
"Their father's not around anymore?"
"He died. God bless his soul. Used to be a seaman. Just one trip too many I suppose. It's just me trying to bring them up now." Her eyes opened wide. "I do my best. It's just not easy. I can't be watching them all day and night, not if I'm to keep a roof over their heads and food in their bellies too. Does that make me a bad mother?"
Aidan looked at her for a long moment. He sighed as he rubbed the eye patch and sat back. The chair creaked as the frame adjusted to the shift in weight. "The way I see it, Mary, is that if we don't do something to help these boys now, today, one or both of them will end up losing a hand or hanging. No one likes thieves and we both know the road they are on only leads to the gallows."
A tear made it's lonely way down her cheek. More threatened to follow. She took a gulp of wine, the mask of restraint fallen. "I said I'm doing my best. Everyone knows it. Knows they're good boys too."
"I'm not saying they aren't. Its just hunger makes one do silly things, doesn't it? Makes one think laws aren't important when the opportunity to eat is at hand. Sometimes life just gets the better of you." Aidan lay his hand over hers, squeezing it. "Sometimes your best isn't good enough. But that's no fault of your own."
"What else am I going to do? I'm alone. I can't work any harder. Can't lock them up. They're just boys. It's a tough world out there." More tears rolled down her cheek. It broke Jack's heart to see her like this. He still remembered the woman that sang him to sleep every night cuddled in her arms. Unlike Brendan, he never doubted she loved them.
Aidan refilled her cup. His voice was soft when he spoke. "Do you know what I am?"
"Yes." Jack could hear the emotion in her voice. He wished there was something he could do to make her feel better, wished he hadn't caused her this pain. There was something else too — fear.
"What am I, Mary?"
"A Black Dog."
"I'm a Knight of the Order of Saint Stephen. We fight the eternal battle against the Nostros," said Aidan.
"Demons," said Mary in a whisper.
"Yes. Demons. Witches. Devil Worshippers. Any creature that threatens our world. The things we pretend only exist in our worst nightmares.” Aide leaned towards her. “For three hundred years, we’ve kept Abios safe. For three hundred years, we’ve bled and died keeping the Nostros away from our shores. Keeping you and your children safe. But we need more people to join us, more souls to commit to the war. We need boys like your two."
"My boys? You don't mean..."
"I want them to join the Order. Become novices. They will be well fed, given warm beds, taught to read and write, raised in all the ways of God and our Order."
"To fight monsters?"
"Perhaps. All are trained but not all answer the call. Only the best are ordained as warriors. It is a hard road but one with hope. The alternative..." Aidan gestured at their surroundings.
Jack didn't understand all of what was said. Aidan wanted Brendan and him to fight monsters? He didn't want to do that even if he got three meals a day.
His mother didn't seem too happy either. She gulped her wine, emptying the cup as her tears turned into bone-shaking sobs. "I can't do that. What you ask. Give up my boys.”
"You're not giving them up," replied Aidan. "You're setting them free from this path to the gallows. You're giving them to God." Aidan poured more wine before reaching into a pouch on his belt. He rummaged for a moment before placing his hand back on the table next to his mother's wine cup. There was no mistaking the clink of coin. Her eyes darted to the sound. She raised her cup to drink with an unsteady hand.
"You'll be compensated." He removed his hand, revealing two silver coins on the battered tabletop.
"Two silvers for my boys?"
Aidan smiled. "Not for your boys. For your sacrifice."
Don't do it, thought Jack as he watched his mother's hand fight its battle against the temptation of the silver. They were her children. If she loved them, for once she would do the right thing, not the easy thing.
"It's too much, what you ask," Mary said but her hand didn’t move from the table.
"Too much to ask that they serve the greater good? To protect not just yourself but your neighbors, your countrymen? To ask you to think of others and not just yourself? How can that be too much?" replied Aidan. He passed Mary a small white cloth to dab her tears with. "I simply ask you to be strong and do what's best for your boys."
"What sort of mother would I be to put them in harm's way?"
Aidan smiled. "I could argue that you’re taking them from harm's way. Of course, we can leave them here and hopefully the judge will find mercy on the morrow when they are brought before him." He reached for the coins but his mother's hand was there before him.
"I want to do the right thing. I want to give them a chance in life."
Aiden smiled. He’d won. “You are. They’ll have the opportunity to do great things. They won't have the life you’ve been forced into. Now, shall I leave you alone for a few minutes to say goodbye to your sons?"
Mary looked over at the cells but Jack turned away from her gaze. He couldn't bear to look at her or let her see the tears running down his own cheeks. Their mother was giving them away. Jack couldn't believe it. At least she was letting her boys down for the last time.
"No," was all
she said "No goodbyes." She stood up and slipped the coins out of sight.
Jack's bravery crumbled. He looked up beseechingly but it was his mother's turn to avoid his gaze. "Mom!"
The word had no effect.
She walked to the stairs without a backward glance. His head dropped with every step. His heart broke as he listened to her feet take her out of the jail. Only when there was silence did he look up again. Aidan stood by the bars.
"You may think me cruel but, one day, you’ll thank me. You’ll remember this day as the day your life changed."
"You tricked us," said Jack. "I'll never thank you. I hate you!"
"You're not the first to say that but know this — there were no tricks. I didn’t make you do something you didn’t want to do. I simply stopped you from succeeding. And now I offer you both an opportunity for ever-lasting glory. I’ll take you both to fight a holy war. That is a gift very few are offered."
"I'll never fight for you! I'd rather be hung first!"
Again Aidan smiled and kissed the circle hanging from his neck. "We shall see, boy. We shall see what is God's will. Now get some sleep. We leave at dawn and have a long journey ahead of us."
He left the boys alone.
Jack turned on his brother. "This is all your fault. I told you we shouldn't do that job. Told you it was wrong. I hate you as much as I hate Mum and that man. I hate you all!"
For the first time, Brendan looked up. There was no mistaking the tears on his pale face. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I've let you down. What’re we going to do? What’re we going to do?"
The look on Brendan's face calmed Jack down. He couldn't be angry with his brother. Not now. He was all he had left. He sat down next to Brendan and hugged him. "We'll find a way out of this. We always do."
"Do you really hate me?" asked Brendan.
"How can I hate you? You're an idiot but you're my brother."
Brendan looked confused for a moment before he burst out in laughter. Jack joined in. It felt good after so much misery. They laughed long and hard, until their sides hurt, laughed their worries and concerns away. Let the Black Dog take them. They’d find a way to escape.
The next morning, the red haired guard led them from their cells, heavy chains securing their wrists. Up the stairs and through the door, clanking with every step, past a small room that housed the guards and the policemen. Then one last door and they were in the street.
It was strange being outside again after five days in jail. The air had a freshness to it that was sweeter than anything Jack had known before. Even the chill was welcome. The sharp morning light hurt his eyes, causing him to squint. He blinked away the water from them lest anyone thought he cried from fear. His stomach squirmed and he fought the rising bile in his throat.
He wouldn’t show any weakness. He wouldn’t give them that satisfaction.
The Black Dog sat on top of a large grey horse. It moved with precision at the merest flick of the reins or stirrup and bulged with muscle. It was an animal bred for war.
Aidan wore a heavy black cloak that draped across the beast's haunches and a long sword hung in a scabbard at his waist. A pistol was holstered across his chest. For the first time, Jack could see the warrior in the man.
The horse and Aidan were made for each other.
The priest was accompanied by the two men who had helped capture the boys, Mr Jones and Mr Smythe. They drove a cart pulled by a pair of horses that could not have been more different from the Black Dog's mount. They looked like the working horses that Jack was used to seeing around Arbour.
It was the cart that was different. The cart was a cage on wheels. A moving jail. Behind the bars, three boys watched Jack and Brendan. Watched the guard lead them up to the rear of the cart whilst Mr Smythe unlocked the door.
"Now, before I take these chains off you little puppies, I just want to get one thing clear," said Mr Smythe, waggling the key in front of them. "It's a lot easier riding in the back there without them but, as sure as I'm standing here, I'll have them back on you if there's any nonsense. It's a long ride to Whitehaven. Keep your mouth shut. It’ll be quicker for all of us. Any trouble and you’ll get the whip.
"We'll be stopping for water breaks and food but no other time. If you need to go, tough shit. Hold it. Don't hold it. It's no difference to me. You'll be the one cleaning it up and I'm sure your new friends won't like it if you piss on them. Understand?"
Jack glared at him. He wasn't threatening like the Black Dog. Smythe was bulky but not in a fighting way. He'd seen plenty of men down Jerry's that had similar builds from drinking too much. Given the chance, Jack knew he'd be able to outrun him easily. He'd be huffing and puffing but the boys would be long gone. If he kept the chains off, they'd be a chance to run.
"Yes, we understand," replied Jack.
It was Aidan on that fierce horse that they needed to watch out for. But every man must sleep some time.
"What about you?" said Smythe to Brendan. "You going to be trouble?"
"No sir," replied Brendan.
"Sir? Who you calling 'Sir'?" cackled Smythe as he unchained them. "Get inside." He slapped them hard both of them across the head as they climbed inside the cage. Their freedom from being behind bars had lasted all of ten minutes. As the lock slammed shut, Jack held on to the hope inside him — he and his brother would escape. It was just a matter of when.
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