Shorn: Chapter 15

Watching the smoke, Shorn felt a chill of fear for Melda and the children. They suddenly seemed very vulnerable. He wanted to hurry back to the farm right then.

“That’s bad,” Jesup said, his eyes fixed on the plume of smoke. “Really bad.”

“Maybe now folks in this town will take the threat of Bloodmane seriously,” Dale said.

Hal’s eyes were very wide. He turned suddenly to Dale. “I…I don’t think I should be captain of the guard anymore. I quit.” He turned to Shorn. “Don’t leave. You have to stay here and protect us!”

Shorn ignored him. He looked at Jesup and Dale. “Get someone up on that hill to keep watch. Tonight. Lay a signal fire. If they see Bloodmane coming, light it up.”

“A signal fire? Didn’t you say they should have a fast horse, whoever is there?” Dale asked.

“That too. They can ride and get me if I’m at the farm.”

“Stay here,” Hal moaned.

“I’ll take first watch.” It was Moll. Shorn hadn’t seen her return. The young woman looked fierce.

Shorn picked up his spear. “I’m going back to the farm now. I will be back in the morning.”

 

Shorn hurried back to the farm. The whole way he was worried in a way that he had never been before. He tried to tell himself that he was being foolish. Bloodmane and his men were to the south. They weren’t anywhere near the farm. Even if they were headed this way, they wouldn’t get there before Shorn.

But it made no difference. The fear inside him wouldn’t go away. He quit the road once he got near the farm, cutting across country to get there faster.

It was with a real sense of relief when he emerged from the trees and saw the house and barn intact. The children were playing out front. Each of the three older children had a cattail, and they were having mock sword fights. Ren was making something out of mud.

The children shrieked when they saw him and ran to him.

“Look what we found!” Kit yelled.

“They were growing by the swimming hole on the creek,” Lysa added. “Lots and lots of them.”

“You have to come swimming with us,” Pol said. “We saw a beaver.”

Ren got there then and thrust her muddy hands into the air. “Up.”

Shorn picked her up, not even minding the mud she instantly painted on both his cheeks. Melda came outside.

“There were no problems?” Shorn asked.

She shook her head. “It was a quiet day. Why—” She broke off as she saw the smoke on the horizon. “What happened?”

“Bloodmane attacked one of the other towns.”

“Is he coming to Sweetwater next?” In her eyes was another question she didn’t want to say aloud in front of the children. Is he coming here?

“He will. I don’t know when, but soon.”

“What do we do?”

“I must return to the town tomorrow. I cannot stay here.” It hurt to say the words. “They are not ready.”

“Should we come with you?”

Shorn had asked himself this same question many times on his way here. He still didn’t know the answer.

She saw his hesitation and told the children to get cleaned up and set the table for dinner. “Take your sister with you. I don’t want her bringing all that mud into the house.”

When they were gone, she turned to Shorn. He spoke first.

“If you come to town, and Bloodmane attacks…”

“We’d be right in the middle of the danger.”

“But if some of his men come here while I am gone…”

She bit her lip, thinking. “We could hide in the forest. I could take the children back where no one would find us.”

Shorn nodded. “I had not thought of that.”

 

The next morning, Melda asked the children, “Who wants to go on a picnic?”

Excited cries met her words. “I’m so tired of weeding,” Lysa moaned. “Anything to get out of weeding for a day.”

“I hate weeds,” Pol agreed.

“Can I bring my spear?” Kit asked. The others chimed in with the same request.

“Yes. Let’s have breakfast and get the chores done. Then we’ll leave.”

“Are you bringing your spear, Shorn?” Kit asked.

“I am not going with you. I must return to town.”

“Again? But you just went yesterday.” Kit looked on the verge of tears.

Melda took him in her arms. “They need his help.”

“But we need him too.”

“He will be back.”

“It’s not fair.”

“Remember the children you saw in town?” Melda asked him gently.

“I made a friend,” Lysa said brightly. “Her name is Emma.”

“Emma needs Shorn’s help to protect her and the other children against the bad man. Do you understand?”

Reluctantly, Kit nodded. He still looked miserable.

“You should bring the children here,” Pol said. “We could all go on a picnic together.”

“That’s a good idea. We can ask them next time we go to town.”

Kit brightened. “I want to go to town again. Can we?”

“Soon.”

Shorn left shortly thereafter. He arrived at Sweetwater to find the town on edge. It was completely different than the day before. Half the town was on the rickety palisade, keeping watch. He was ushered through the gate, which was quickly barred behind him. The plaza inside the gate was filled with people, all carrying some kind of weapon. They looked like they would spook at the first loud noise.

Dale and Jesup hurried up.

“I’m right glad to see you,” Dale said quietly. “We got some people on the thin edge of panic and others who will follow them. We need you to calm them down.”

“I will speak to them.”

Shorn moved to face the gathered townspeople. He couldn’t help but notice how different today was than two days ago. Then, they’d been terrified of him. Now, they were looking to him to be their savior. He didn’t much like either one.

“I have a plan. We will defeat Bloodmane. You have my word on that.” He held up one thick finger. “But only if you do exactly as I say.”

As he’d done the day before, Shorn divided them into those who would use spears and those who would be archers. The rest he sent back to their homes after asking for volunteers to prepare bandages.

Hal and Otho were given the job of filling every water bucket and barrel they could get their hands on. Fire was ultimately a bigger danger than Bloodmane.

The archers, under the command of Moll, were sent outside the town to practice. The spearmen were broken into five squads of five men each. Jesup handed out spears. Each squad had one of the men who’d trained with Shorn the day before leading it.

Shorn trained them hard all morning. He noticed how often people looked to the southwest fearfully. He didn’t think Bloodmane would attack today. Most likely he and his men were still enjoying the spoils from Tidvale, which meant hangovers and arguments over loot. It would most likely be several days before they moved again.

But he couldn’t be sure of that. Bloodmane could be much better organized than he realized.

This time no one left early. No one tried to get out of it. They worked hard. Bales of straw were set up to simulate horsemen, and they took turns attacking it.

It was late afternoon when Shorn called a halt. The archers came inside and lined up with the spearmen. They were all weary, but Shorn saw something in their faces that hadn’t been there that morning. They were starting to believe they could do this.

“We can do this,” he told them.

“We will do this,” Dale said firmly.

Jesup spoke up. “You said you had a plan. What is it?”

Shorn had been planning to do just that. He told them his plan, how they could use Bloodmane’s confidence and aggressiveness against him. He pointed out what needed to be set up. He showed them where he wanted everyone stationed, and what each defender’s task would be.

Their confidence built as he explained it to them. They stood taller. Their expressions calmed. They would fight for their homes and families. He no longer feared they would break at the first difficulty.

“I won’t be back tomorrow,” he said at the end.

Unhappy voices met his words. He held up his hand for silence.

“I am needed on the farm. My family needs those crops to make it through the winter. But I will be watching. Once the signal fire is lit, I will come.”

“What if Bloodmane attacks at night?”

That was Shorn’s biggest fear too. He thought it unlikely. Bloodmane was confident. He expected minimal resistance, if any. Especially after burning Tidvale as a warning to the other towns. There was no reason to roust his men in the middle of the night to attack Sweetwater.

If they failed to defeat him utterly? That would bring new problems. Then he would be wary and much more dangerous. They needed to crush his force and kill him if possible. Shorn intended to make sure the man never left Sweetwater.

“Send a rider to the farm.”

“I’d feel a lot better if you stayed here,” Dale admitted, “but you have to protect your own. I respect that.” Others nodded in agreement, though they didn’t look happy about it.

“Keep training,” Shorn told them. “You know what to do now.”

He picked up his spear and held it over his head.

“For our homes and families!” he yelled.

They yelled the words back at him. It occurred to Shorn as he made his way back to the farm that twice he had referred to those waiting for him as his family. It felt strange to him, and yet right at the same time.