Free Blood Legacy: The Story of Ryan by Kerri Hawkins

agreement. The boy could not see what was going on but knew the woman had indeed joined them when the older boy’s squeals turned to screams and the laughter of the men increased.
    The sound of hooves drowned out the laughter and a sharp crack of a whip elicited cries of pain from some of the men. The band scattered, angry and frightened.
    The boy had no idea what was going on. A band of horses circled the stockade, creating a cloud of dust. The town lawman came stumbling out of the nearby pub with the local clergy in tow. “What’s your business here!” he demanded.
    The leader, an older, elegantly dressed man replied. “Release this boy immediately.”
    The clergyman began to protest but the man cut him short, throwing down a piece of parchment. “It has been approved by his Grace, as you can see by the seal. His Grace does not appreciate his orders being questioned or disobeyed.”
    The local priest glanced at the parchment and although he could barely read, it was indeed his Grace’s seal. The elegant man looked down at him disdainfully. “Release him. Now!”
    The lawman scrambled to obey, fearing both the specter of his Grace’s wrath and the more immediate threat of the band of well-armed men. The boy felt the stock loosened and tried to stand upright. He nearly fell because he could not feel his legs. One of the soldiers who had dismounted caught him, holding him upright until he regained feeling in his legs.
    The boy was confused and looked upward to his savior, but the man on the horse had no compassion in his gaze. “Were you touched?”
    The boy shook his head and the man seemed satisfied. He turned his attention to the lawman. “Give the boy a horse so he can return to his village.”
    A horse was quickly brought out. The boy looked at the animal with misgivings. He had never been on a horse before. The band of soldiers moved to the edge of the town, with the exception of the man in charge.
    Events were happening so quickly that the boy had a hard time grasping the fact that he was leaving. He glanced over to the stocks where he had so recently been confined. The older boy, still confined, had blood dripping from his mouth. He walked over to him.
    The older boy looked up at him, dazed. There was little room for compassion in this harsh world, but the older boy would make one request of this one whom was so obviously blessed. He swallowed hard and sought to wet his tongue so he could speak. He finally croaked out the words.
    “Please kill me.”
    The boy looked down at the young man who was only slightly older than him. He clenched his jaw and felt a despair settle over him.
    The man in charge nudged his horse and it moved next to the boy. He drew his long sword out of its sheath and offered it hilt first to the boy. There was harsh amusement in his eyes.
    The boy took the sword; it was heavy, but not too heavy. He glanced down at the youth in the stockade, took a deep breath and hefted the sword over his head. With one swift motion he sliced downward. The sword flashed through the air and cut the youth’s head off.
    The boy stared at the blood on the sword, feeling lightheaded. He walked to the woman still holding the broomstick in her hand. He raised the sword and she cringed backward. But he only grabbed the cloth of her rough dress and wiped the sword clean.
    He walked back to the man and handed him his sword, hilt first. The man looked down at him with an indecipherable expression, but the boy sensed his actions had been unexpected, and had met with approval.
    He struggled to pull himself on the horse and the man slapped the horse’s rump before he was completely settled. The horse bolted for the edge of town and the man watched him until he was completely out of sight. Then, without a glance at the townspeople, the man rejoined his band and they rode off in the opposite direction.
     
     
     
    Hans was surprised to see his son. He was pleased because the boy could return to work. The horse,