The Choosing

by Jeremy Laszlo

  The door to the kitchen burst open then, and all three of the boys looked up in anticipation. Through the door came the Barkeep, head held high scanning the room, his gaze lost among his patrons and landing on the Boys at his bar. In each arm he carried a tray. Upon one tray rested three plates, the other tray carried three mugs. He gingerly sat the plates in front of the boys, scanning their faces to see their responses. The boys eyed the food hungrily. Upon each plate was what appeared to be a small pie, as well as a large pastry. The mugs, the innkeeper told them as he passed them out, were filled with warm spiced cider. The trio each in turn thanked the Innkeeper for his hospitality and graciousness. He nodded in response to them happily, and scanned the crowd again with his eyes, all the while telling the boys if they wanted a room again this night they could have it at half price. The boys thanked him again but declined his offer. The large burly man again peered over the heads of the boys at his bar, and scanned the room around him.

  “You boys seem to have made this a popular place this morning.” The barkeep stated. “If you would like, why don’t you go have your food on the front porch. People are less likely to stop in the middle of the street to stare at you there.” The last sentence the large man said much louder than he needed too, as if to convey the message to the whole room.

  Ashton, all too happy to take the man’s advice, stood up immediately making the twins’ decision for them. They all three slung their packs on their shoulders, and snatched up their plates and mugs. The barkeep watched them knowingly, and told them that they could just leave the plates and cups on the porch when they were finished, he would collect them later. They all nodded to him in thanks, then turned and headed for the door.

  The boys sat upon the top step of the porch facing the street as they ate. A couple of people passed them by hardly giving them a second glance as they went about doing whatever it was that they were doing. The small pies as it turned out were just that. However, unlike any of the pies any of the boys had ever had before, these were filled with eggs, meat, and cheese. The small pies were delicious and filling, however even these were nothing compared to the pastries. The small warm pastries, obviously freshly baked, were coated in a delicious syrup-like frosting, and filled with a cut medley of sweet fruits.

  The boys sat back on their elbows, enjoying their full stomachs and the suns warmth. The street was fairly quiet, except for a few voices from the small shops and stalls nearby. Occasionally someone would come down the road and disappear into the brothel across the street. Garret still watched the brothel longingly as he had the night before. He sat watching the building silently, admiring the red curtains that hung in each and every window, playing with ideas as to what might be happening behind those curtains at this very moment. It was an enticing day dream he was having when it was suddenly interrupted by a muffled scream of a woman. The scream was then followed by the deeper hate filled yells of a man. Though none of the boys could make out what words the screams held, each of them now followed the sounds with their eyes. The screams and yells seemed to go back and forth between the woman and man, and seemed to be making their way across the building. As each sound escaped the stone walls across from them, the boys noticed that each time they seemed to come from a different place within the building than the previous noise. They each traced the sounds, as much with their eyes as their ears and each of them sat, upon the step of the inn, looking at the door opposite them. The yells had stopped moving at this point, going back and forth from man to woman just behind the door.

  The man had yelled something then, replied to by a scream from the woman followed shortly by a loud thud against the inside of the brothel door. At this sound the boys all stood, making their way to the bottom of the steps, still staring at the door across from them. Something, they knew, had just gone horribly wrong inside the brothel. The yells had stopped altogether. Seth was walking slowly across the street to listen better, when the brothel door swung slowly open. From the door a small figure appeared. It was the woman. She was small, almost fragile looking, she was young as well. She stumbled out of the door, leaving it open. Her long black hair trailing behind her, her hands rose to wipe the tears and blood from her face. Seth continued to cross the street unsure of what he could do, if anything to help the woman. She seemed to not notice his approach, instead looking back defiantly towards the open door she had emerged from. From inside the door came the man’s yell again.

  “You get back here girl!” the voice yelled in rage. “I own you.”

  The small woman’s face crumpled, no longer holding a look of defiance, instead now her features were twisted with defeat. She stumbled again as if dizzy, and took another step, only this time it was in the direction of the Brothel, as if she would return. She stopped then, dead in her tracks, as the man who had been yelling came to stand in the open door.

  “Where do you think you’re going?” He mocked her. “You get back in here and clean up this mess you left on the back of my door.” He said, pointing to where her blood smeared wetly down the wooden surface.

  It was then the three boys recognized the man. They had seen him the night before, watched him leave the inn, drunk, after bludgeoning another man nearly to death with a bar stool. It was John.

  The large man stepped out of the doorway, his eyes on the girl, a short steel rod in his hand.

  “You get your ass back in here.” John snarled at the girl. “Or I’ll drag your lifeless body back in!” He continued hurling threats at her as he slowly staggered out of the door into the street.

  Without thinking, Seth raced the short distance between him and the girl, coming to a stop beside her. He glanced at her pain stricken face, and took the last few steps to place himself between her and the man that had attacked her. Looking John in the face, eye to eye, Seth reached down and pulled his sword half way from is sheath, revealing to the man its deadly blade. The large man, appraised Seth, and seeming to decide he wasn’t a big enough threat continued towards him, raising the steel rod in his hand. The distance closed between them, Seth was certain he would have to fight. He pulled the wicked black blade from its scabbard, testing its weight, lifted it to defend himself. John stopped in his tracks, looking at Seth, then past him, then back to Seth. Garret came to stand beside his brother, his giant broad sword in his hands. He stopped at his twin’s side and let his sword rest, point down on the stone paved road, daring John to come closer, a smile on his face. John eyed them nervously now, unsure if he could take the two of them at once. Unwilling to admit defeat, John once again turned his gaze on the girl.

  “Fine then!” he yelled at her over the twins’ shoulders. “Go to Valdadore, without clothes, without food, without a single copper coin to your name. Maybe you can find a special way to repay your new friends here for their kindness. Mark my words girl you are nothing more than a whore just like your pathetic mother! You'll be back begging when these boys are no longer amused by you!” With that last statement John spit on the ground then turned and stalked back into the Brothel, slamming the door behind him.

  The slam of the door was all the girl could take apparently. Her knees gave out and she crumpled to the stone road sobbing heavily. Blood tinted tears ran through her fingers, as she cried, covering her face, ashamed of her weakness. The twins sheathed their swords and came to stand beside her. Ashton too came to their side nodding his approval to them. They each looked to one another unsure of what to do. It was Seth, like before, who acted first. He knelt down beside the girl, and wrapped his arms around her hugging her tightly into his arms. At first she struggled with his arms as if to break free, then raising her eyes to look at him, noticing something in his face, she stopped struggling and dropped her head against his chest still sobbing.

  “Everything is going to be ok.” Seth whispered into her hair over and over again unsure what else to say.

  Slowly, either from exhaustion, or something else her sobs eased and her breathing no longer came in gasps. She still trembled sligh
tly in Seth’s arms, but slowly she regained herself and stopped crying.

  Seth relaxed his grip on her, afraid he might be making her uncomfortable, and as he relaxed her body shook as if with chill. It was then he noticed her clothes. She wore a threadbare tight fitting shirt, accompanied by a short pleated skirt. Hardly the clothes someone should be wearing with winter approaching. Even with the sun shining as it was, the air was still uncomfortably cool. Her body no longer shook in his arms and he looked down to see if she had perhaps cried herself to sleep, instead he found her looking up at his face again and it appeared at least that her bleeding had already stopped. She had noticed him eying her clothes, and a look of fear was on her face as she spoke.

  “John was right you know.” Her voice, almost angelic came as whispers to Seth’s ears.

  Seth gave her a puzzled look, not knowing at all what she meant. Fortunately, she took his look for what it was and explained herself.

  “I don’t own anything, I have no money, I can’t leave.” Her shoulders slumped and again her eyes brimmed with moisture as if to start crying all over again. Through her pain she continued talking, barely whispering, refusing to let the tears escape again.

  “I won’t make it far on nothing; maybe if I apologize to him he will let me stay. I can work off my mother’s debt and then save to go my own way.” She spoke now more to herself then to Seth, but he caught the meaning of her words.

  She would be willing to make a slave of herself to the abusive, violent drunk, probably selling her body, to repay a debt she did not owe. Just the thought of her small body, ravaged by old drunken men put knots in Seth’s stomach. She was so small, so helpless, he had to do something. He looked to his brother and Ashton, who had both noticed that the girl had spoken but had not heard her words, and so Seth spoke to them, at the same time as speaking to the girl.

  “We can take you with us if you want.” He said to the girl in his arms while giving the other boys a pleading look unsure of himself. “We are headed to The Choosing at Valdadore castle. We don’t have a lot of money, but I think we should still have enough if you join us. Don’t worry about anything, we will help you.” Seth said all this to the girl, but his eyes remained on his brother and Ashton.

  Garret nodded once and shrugged his shoulders, telling Seth that he would agree if Seth thought it best. Ashton just bobbed his head up and down several times happily. The girl once again looked up from Seth’s chest, tilting her head back at an odd angle to look in his eyes. He saw then a glint in her eyes that he had not seen before. Seth knew at once it was hope, the hope for a new beginning that shone in her eyes. As soon as the look arose however it was gone, replaced by a look of self pity. She made a move as if to get up, and Seth willingly let her go. She spun as she stood to face the three of them, and took a deep breath to steady herself.

  “I’m sorry if I am bringing you undue burden, and I'm not one to take charity.” She stated looking to each of them. “I promise that as soon as I am able, I will repay you every single….

  “No.” Seth interrupted her. “Don’t worry about money, you’re not burdening anyone. We just want to help and we are already traveling the same direction so it's not as if we are really going out of our way.” Seth stated a bit more vigorously than he intended, and he hoped his words would not hurt the girl.

  Instead of being hurt, the young woman seemed to take his words at face value, and turned to smile at him and him alone. Seth stared in wonder as her entire face lit up when she smiled. Gone was the pain and grief that marked her face before, in its place a look of pure gratitude, pure beauty. For the first time Seth noticed her eyes were a golden honey color, something akin to amber. Her skin looked nearly untouched by the sun, smooth, flawless, she had perfect cream colored skin, and as if in defiance of her pale flesh her hair fell long and loose in a black waterfall from the top of her head. She was a beautiful woman. He realized now that he would do anything to keep that smile on her face. Seth realized all this in only a matter of seconds, but was surprised to see that she was still looking at him smiling.

  “Well I guess if you are willing to make sacrifices to have me along with you then you should at least know my name.” The girl stated, still looking at Seth. “I’m Sara.” She said. “Sara Gallow.” She corrected herself, bringing her hand up to Seth, to shake his hand.

  Seth raised his arm and took her hand, shaking it gently, and introduced himself. He released her hand, almost reluctantly, and let his arm fall back to his side as she turned to greet his brother. Sara shook each of the boys’ hands letting them introduce themselves, then looked around, down the street in each direction, then looked back to Seth.

  “So… what do we do now?” she asked him.

  Seth looked from her to his brother and then to Ashton, not finding an answer he returned his gaze to Sara.

  “Well.” Seth said. “We were about to go pick up some supplies, and head out of town.

  “Great!” She replied. It was obvious she wanted to get as far away as possible just as soon as possible.

  Seth still unsure of what to do exactly, not knowing either what to say, looked to his twin for guidance. Garret knew his brother’s look and so he turned, motioning to Ashton, and began walking down the road the short distance to where they had seen the shops and stalls the night before.

  Garret walked along the stone road with Ashton at his side joking lightly about the look on Johns face when Garret had unsheathed his sword. Seth and Sara fell in behind the other two, walking silently. Seth stole a few looks out of the corner of his eyes, at the girl beside him. He could swear that one time when he stole a glance, while pretending to look at something else, that she too had secretly looked at him.

  They made the small trek down the road to where the different merchants sat with their wares, in shops and stall of all sizes, and as they reached the first few stalls Garret and Ashton stopped and turned to talk. The four of them stood in a small circle, in the middle of the road, and decided they needed three days worth of supplies to reach Raven's Keep, the next town they planned to visit. Sara mostly listened to the boys, not really knowing anything about the world outside Stone Haven. She absently reached her hand up to feel the lump on her head John had given her with his steel rod, and then slid her hand around to her forehead to feel the cut where her skin had tore against the door when she fell after being struck. Realizing the boys had stopped talking, previously lost in her painful memories, she looked to each of the boys faces. Garret looked like a statue, frozen emotionless, looking back at her. Ashton looked concerned, eyeing her cut as a physician might. Seth on the other hand looked angry, and she caught him looking at the ragged cut on her head and then glancing down the road to where they had just come from as if he might go back and try to teach John a lesson. Seeing all their faces, focused on her, she blushed slightly and smiled at them hoping to wash away their concerns. It seemed to work, all their faces smoothed back out, and they talked again deciding that Garret and Ashton would go collect what food they might need for the trip, and Seth could take Sara to get everything else they might need for the journey including equipping Sara more appropriately for travel. Seth seemed exceptionally happy about the decision and Gave Sara a Wolfish grin while asking her to join him. Not only did she join him, she reached out, taking his hand, walked with him down the road.

  Garret watched them go, and thinking to himself suddenly started laughing. Ashton gave him a puzzled look and asked.

  “What are you laughing at?” Ashton asked.

  “I spent all night and all morning thinking about going into that brothel to get a girl.” He paused laughing again even more loudly then before. “Then, go figure, my brother brings a girl out of the brothel without ever stepping a foot inside the door. Lucky bastard!” Again Garret laughed his throaty laugh and turned to clap Ashton on the back. They too walked down the road then, looking shop to shop for the supplies they needed.

  Seth led Sara through the stalls and shops knowi
ng all the while exactly what he was looking for. They didn’t have to walk far before he seen the shop he hoped would be here. He led her up to the shop, first to the window where inside, two wooden figures stood, shaped like people. He led her around to the door and walked inside, pulling Sara along with him. Inside the clothing shop they made their way past all the racks of clothes made in the latest fashions, Seth all the while looking for something particular. He spotted what he was looking for near the back of the shop, and smiling in triumph, led Sara to the large rack of traveling clothes. Fortunately Seth knew that travel clothes were generally much cheaper than most clothing, as they were made from more available materials, and were less decorative than other clothes. Keeping this in mind, he looked again at Sara’s beautiful face, and gesturing to the rack of clothes, told her to pick whatever she wanted.

  *****

  Sara looked at Seth horrified. Never in her life had she wore new clothing. One item on this rack was probably worth more than all the clothes she had ever owned. She couldn’t even imagine letting Seth spend that much money on her. She wasn’t worth it. She thought all this to herself and shook her head at the boy smiling at her.

  “I can’t.” She said quietly to Seth. “It’s too much; I won’t let you spend this much on me.”

  Seth was taken aback. He hadn’t expected this type of reaction from her. He thought she would like to buy new clothes. Isn’t that what girls did? Shop and buy clothes and stuff? Not really knowing how to respond, but knowing she had to get something warmer than what she wore he tried to reason with her.

  “Sara you need something warmer than what you are wearing.” Seth stated trying not to sound forceful. “It’s going to be cold tonight and I don’t want you to get sick.” Seth waited for a response; sure his words weren’t enough to convince her.

  Sara sighed, she knew he was right, but still didn’t think he needed to spend any money on her. She didn’t want to upset Seth though. He had been the only one to ever protect her, ever. He was kind hearted, and she knew he was doing this to keep her safe, still protecting her. She had an Idea.