Angry Boy Chapter 14
As Herald Tobias feared, Bredin's gift proved more of a curse than a blessing. The first indication of trouble came as Bredin arrived home that evening. Enro demanded that Bredin hand over the crown he had received from Lady Lora. "About time you made some contribution around the house."
Bredin was stung by his father's remark; Bredin would gladly work in the shop if Enro would allow it. Instead, Enro had helped his mother with the household chores, freeing Zelar to design intricate decorative patterns for the tooling on the saddles Enro made.
Even though many nobles having to pour money into arming companies to fulfill their military obligation, Enro was prospering and his reputation was rising. Two or three nobles had come from Haven itself and others had indicated they would come to Enro once the war was over and the pressure on their private purchases eased.
Even though his fortunes were rising, Enro could only see his middle son as a financial burden; Enro saw the advent of Bredin's gift as an opportunity to make money.
Equally, the villagers ignored Herald Tobias' warning not to ask Bredin to find what they had lost.
The very next morning, the milliner, Claris Bender, stopped Bredin on the way to school, demanding Bredin find a bolt of valuable cloth that had gone missing. When Bredin said he didn't know, she became angry and started screaming at him. Bredin ran from her, racing to the temple, where Father Milo rebuked Claris for pestering the boy in violation of the Herald's warning.
When Mistress Bender left, Father Milo turned to comfort the white-faced Bredin. "Father Milo," Bredin said nervously, "I just saw something – just as Mistress Bender left – I think it is wrapped in a piece of brown cloth in a pile at the end of a long table with a bunch of lines drawn on it."
Father Milo looked at Bredin. "Say nothing of this. Not to anyone, ever. If it is where you say it is, then she will find it herself without you being brought into it. I think you would rather people leave you in peace?"
Bredin was still shaking, he could barely nod agreement with what Father Milo said.
For two sennights, Bredin's gift stayed quiet, though many people sought his help. Just as the requests began to taper off, someone stole the golden statues of the Twain from their temple one evening. The hue and cry was immediate. By midnight, all the roads were soon blocked by worshippers who searched every traveller.
Bredin woke with a powerful vision in the middle of the night. Pulling on his shoes, he scrambled down the ladder from the loft and out into the street, not closing the door. He ran to the Temple of the Iron God and pounded on the door until Brother Saini opened it. Bredin babbled out that he had seen the statues of the Twain being carried through a forest. Brother Saini stared at Bredin in puzzlement.
At that moment, a member of the Night Watch ran up. Not noticing Bredin, the watchman told Brother Saini of what had happened and asked if he could see Father Milo to enlist the aid of the monks in pursuing the thieves.
Brother Saini grasped what had happened immediately. "Tell no one of this; go to the altar and pray." He said to Bredin as he brought the watchman inside. The watchman, not recognizing Bredin, assumed that Brother Saini merely wanted the boy not to spread word of the theft; he followed Brother Saini to Father Milo's cell.
Father Milo, already awakened by the clamor, opened the door to Brother Saini and the watchman. As the watchman told his story and made his request, Brother Saini stood behind the watchman with his hand over his mouth.
After Father Milo told the watchman that he would bring all of the able-bodied monks and acolytes to help with the search, the watchman left. Father Milo turned to Brother Saini and asked him what he had to say.
Brother Saini told the priest what Bredin had said.
"Get our best night stalkers together. Send them out with Bredin. The rest of us will muster with the Night Watch." Father Milo ordered.
With a quarter of a candlemark, both groups of monks set out. While Father Milo took most of the monks to the square, Brother Saini and half a dozen others went with Bredin, who led them to a forest path on the side of the village away from the river.
Bother Saini's party moved silently through the forest with only a tiny lantern aimed downward so that they could see the path. Within a candlemark, they could see the light of a campfire through the trees.
Brother Saini sent Brother Noford to scout the camp. Brother Noford, at fifteen, was already an expert scout. He would go south next year to join the fight.
Brother Noford returned shortly (though it seemed an eternity to Bredin). There were four men around the fire. Three were sleeping and one was awake. "He is staring into the fire." Brother Noford said scornfully. Brother Saini grinned; by staring into the fire, the watcher was making himself night blind.
"Did you see the statues?" Brother Saini asked.
"No, but there was a bundle in the hung from a tree that looked the right size. It had bells attached."
Brother Saini sniffed at that. The men did not trust one another. If someone tried to take the bundle, the bells would ring and wake the others.
Quickly, Brother Saini organized the monks, sending them to surround the camp. He ordered Bredin to stay where he was.
Drawing a sling from his pouch, Brother Saini set a stone in the pouch. He counted slowly to one thousand to give the others time to get in place.
Brother Saini followed the path until he could see the camp clearly. The firelight reached a third of the way to where Brother Saini stood. With a quick spin, he cast his stone.
His aim was good. The watcher never looked up before the stone struck him in the temple and knocked him senseless.
As the watcher toppled, the other monks swarmed the camp, pinning the remaining men before they could waken fully.
Brother Saini strode into the camp. He cut the bundle down. It fell with the bells ringing. There was a muffled metallic clang from within the bundle as it hit the ground. Brother Saini cut the ties on the bundle to reveal the missing statues.
After smothering the campfire, the monks bound the bandits' arms behind their backs. With two monks carrying the statues, the group returned to Bransat.
False dawn was just beginning as the troop returned to the village. Brother Saini sent Bredin off separately with Brother Noford, instructing both to say nothing of what had happened. The rest of the monks went on to the village square. A loud cheer went up as the monks presented the stolen statues back to the Priest and Priestess of the Twain.
Brother Saini told the Master of the Watch that Father Milo had thought that the bandits might have headed into the woods – he didn't say why Father Milo had thought so – and sent Brother Saini and his fellow stalkers to follow them. He briefly told his listeners how the bandits had been taken down and promised to lead the Watch back to the camp so that it could be searched for other stolen property.
Brother Saini's attempt to conceal Bredin's involvement was futile, of course. Not only had Asen and Raidal noticed their brother's sudden departure, but Bredin had been seen in company of the monks by several early risers on farms between the forest and village and within the village itself.
Bredin's role in the rescue of the Icons was known throughout the village by the end of the next day.
After that, there was a constant stream of people seeking Bredin's aid. In most cases, Bredin could not help, but the times he could find the missing item became more and more frequent. Worse, Enro started asking those Bredin did help for a reward for Bredin's services. When Bredin pleaded with his father not to do that, Enro told his son that it was his duty to help the family.
Bredin took to hiding. He either stayed in the house or lingered as long as possible in the shelter of the temple, where Father Milo would allow no one to pester him.
Relief finally arrived in the form of Herald Tobias, who stopped to question Magistrate Rains as to what had happened to Bredin. After many evasions, Tobias finally got the full story out of the Magistrate. Tobias stormed out of the Magistrate's chambers and galloped an equally outraged Irian to Enro's door.
Tobias did not dismount; he summoned Enro out of his shop. In the middle of the street, Tobias berated Enro for his behavior and for failing to protect his son. Tobias then ordered Enro to follow him to the village square, where he order Reeve Dane to assemble the village.
There, Herald Tobias administered a tongue lashing to the entire village, particularly singling out the Magistrate and Reeve. Tobias finished by making a protective order: Anyone disturbing Bredin for help in finding a lost item would be fined three times its value. Verifying that Bredin's peace was respected would be a part of every Heraldic stop in Bransat so long as Bredin lived there.
Tobias dismissed the crowd, but held Enro back. Before the Magistrate and Reeve, Tobias told Enro that he would be fined ten times the amount of any reward he requested for Bredin's help. If someone volunteered a reward, that was one thing, but seeking one was forbidden. He threatened Enro with the Truth Spell if he was ever suspected of asking.
Irian, who had moved as close to Enro she could, pinned her ears menacingly as she loomed over him.
Finished, Herald Tobias and Irian marched out of Bransat, looking neither right nor left as they moved through the crowd.
::Well, my love, what do you think?:: Tobias asked as they crossed the bridge.
::Oh, definitely, Chosen. But still a year or two away yet.:: The Companion replied.
Herald Tobias' order had the desired effect, particularly after Magistrate Rains levied fines on Davan Cork and Henri Virk when they asked Bredin for help. (Bredin found Davan Cork's missing mare, but he could not find the baker's purse.)
Bredin took to giving Father Milo a note any time that he 'saw' something that was missing. Father Milo would send the note to the Reeve or Magistrate who would pass the information to the owner. By midwinter, Bredin's findings were true nine times out of ten. Sometimes, he even 'found' a missing item before the owner knew it was lost.
Twice, when children were lost, Bredin ran directly to the parents and led them to the child before the child came to harm.