HOME?

Spin roused, coming slowly out of a deep dreamless sleep to a strange sound. It was a pleasant, irregular musical chorus. Slowly through his drowsiness thoughts intruded. “Strange …” (The sound was nothing like the four-tone chants or the prescribed, orderly and mind-numbing “music” of the Unmaker’s servants.) “Someone is going to be in trouble … I like it … should be louder … feels free …” At the thought “free” he snapped awake, sitting bolt upright. 

“Lief! Gotta move … gotta find safety …,” his voice faded as he became aware of his surroundings … and his mouth dropped open. He was in a bed, not a straw mattress on the floor. There were clean sheets and a blanket and … he looked behind him to make sure his perception was right … a pillow! And it was all in Colour. To his right was a window with its shutters closed and a dim light shining through the edges. Across from him was another bed.  He could just see Lief’s tousled head stirring. He looked around, still gaping … there were only the two beds in the room. There was a small trunk beside each bed and a table with shelves and a basin beside the door. 

And everywhere Colour. It was almost too much, dazzling him with its variety and beauty.   

Slowly he began to piece it together. The sneaking and hiding through the City, the fight, the chase at the end, the Icer and then the Hole. And that young man who had found them

… rescued them? … let them in? … Joram? No, Jared. He had sent a signal and when another man came to replace him he had led the two boys to what he called his “camp.” More like a large fortified village.  He had taken them

to one of the larger buildings and turned them over to a woman. From there it was foggy … a delicious drink … cleansing and binding their wounds … and then … bed, he assumed. Couldn’t remember getting into bed. 

As his memories gathered themselves Lief roused.   

“What’s that noise? … nice … someone will be in trouble …” 

Spin remembered what had wakened him. The music was coming from the window. So he got out of bed, padded over to the window and opened the shutters. A dim dawn light met him, trees were everywhere … but no musicians. The song was coming from the trees! He looked until he saw a small body among the leaves singing. 

He turned to his friend with a smile. “Lief … you won’t believe it … it’s birds.” 

Lief gaped at him and then joined him at the window.   

“Look,” Spin said, pointing to the little bird he had spotted. 

“Well I’ll be a light blinded oaf! A bird! and singing!” He grinned at his friend then suddenly whacked him on the shoulder. “They really do exist!” 

The two boys stood grinning at the trees with their singing birds a long while … until Spin realized he was shivering. He turned back to the luxurious-beyond-dreaming bed and crawled back under the covers. Lief did the same. They sat in their beds, backs against pillows and just looked at one another across the room, too overwhelmed with their discoveries to speak about them. 

A light knock on the door snapped both their heads around to look at it. Spin felt a knot of fear in his stomach, glanced at Lief then ventured, “Yes?” 

The handle turned and the door opened to admit a large bustling figure. 

“Ah. You’re awake finally. Slept a whole day and night away, you two. But then by the looks of you when Jared hauled you in you needed it. Sleep well? Yes, of course you did. Good, you’ve opened the shutters. Nothing like the morning chorus to start the day off is there? Now this is the hot water in this pitcher, cold in this one. Soap’s by the basin there. You’ll want to wash and dress and come across for breakfast, won’t you? Your own clothes were in tatters. No good at all. Had to tear them up for rags I’m afraid. But there are fresh tunics and things in those trunks for you. I think you’ll find they fit well enough. Oh, these are your towels of course, here on the shelf below the basin. The private room (we call them privies, so much easier) is downstairs at the end of the hall. Now, anything else you need? No? OK. Come downstairs and across to the dining hall when you’re ready.” 

Spin turned his gaze from the closed door to his friend and laughed. “Who was that?” 

Lief grinned back. “Beats Mother Lode for chatter doesn’t she? Didn’t think it was possible.” He climbed out of bed and moved to the pitchers and basin to wash. “But I think, if I remember right, her hair was … blond … and her eyes and apron … blue. And if she’s any indication of her cooking it’ll be delicious. Maybe like what we had that time at the Boar. Remember?” 

“I’ll say. If her food’s anything near that, I’ll stick around.” Spin paused, suddenly unsure. “Do you think they’ll let us?” 

Lief shrugged, “Think about that later.” 

The two boys washed and dressed in the tunics and trousers they found in the trunks. There were also belts, long-sleeved tunics, cloaks and sandals. They left the sandals there, thinking they would be for special occasions. They had only ever worn shoes (and those rough bindings of old discarded leather) during mid winter. It took them longer than it needed for each new object had to be examined closely, felt all over and discussed. Somewhat to their disappointment all the clothes were the same Colour … whatever Colour that was. Not blue or blond or forest green anyway. 

Suddenly Spin stopped and looked closely at his friend. 

“What’s wrong? Have I put something on back to front?” 

“No. It’s just … you don’t look any different … you know … You look just like you did in the City. Am I Colour?” 

“No. You’re just the same, too.” 

They stood looking at each other wondering what it meant, or if only people who lived here were Colour. 

Finally they shrugged and decided they were ready for whatever the bustling chatterer could cook up. 

They found the stairs easily enough and followed the smells of cooking until they found the dining hall. 

“Ah. There you are. You’re just in time. Sit.” The blond lady indicated a series of several tables, and they sat. 

“You look like good strong lads so I thought you would be hungry … what with sleeping through three meals and all. You’ll have bacon and eggs? Pancakes? Toast? Of course you will. There’s home made jam in the jar there. I’ll bring you knives and forks. What about to drink? Something hot I think … along with milk of course. Yes? Good. What will it be, Kaff or Tay? Well?”

The boys realized that she really did want an answer. “Tay.” “Kaff” 

“One of each. Coming right up. Well go on then. Here’s your tools. Eat.  That’s it. How do you like it? Good? 

Spin and Lief nodded. Breathless from her talk, they had finally managed a bite. And then, startled, looked at each other. 

“Maybe it tastes better when its Colour,” Spin whispered as the cook bustled off. 

“Better than the Boar,” Lief nodded. “I’m staying as long as they let me. Have you ever seen so much food? And she expects just us two to eat it all. She’ll be offended if we don’t.” 

Spin grinned. “Right you are.” 

So they ate. Some of the food they had never seen before. Other bits they had seen only at the Knights’ or Duke’s table. It was strange eating Colour food but it certainly tasted wonderful. 

As they were finishing off the last bits of food a triple horn blast rang out seemingly above their heads. The boys jumped up, startled, then realized they didn’t know what it meant. 

The cook called out to them, “Come on now, lads. That’s the warning horn.  Something’s amiss. But not to worry. We’ll find out soon enough. Come on then, over to the Great Hall. The Colour Master will fill us in in no time. Been a while since I’ve heard that call …” 

The boys followed the cook down the length of the dining hall, out the door at the far end, and across the open roadway through the door opposite. They found themselves in a huge open hall with a platform on the inside long wall, on their left as they entered. The hall was rapidly filling up with people. They followed the cook and found seats near the back, watching all the people in fascination. Most of the people were dressed in a type of uniform, similar in style to their own tunics and trousers. By far the majority of adults wore uniforms with Colour stripes, or combinations of Colour stripes at hem and in a slash across the chest.   

“The Colours,” Spin muttered, “must mean something.  Maybe they are for people serving different Barons or,” he puzzled, “maybe they represent different types of jobs.” 

A large man in a bright blue uniform walked up a couple steps onto the platform and the hall quieted quickly. He was tall, well built and dark skinned. (The boys learned later his skin colour was darkened by the sun and called “tan.”) He walked with the confidence Spin had seen in some of the better Knights back home in the City. Even from where they were seated Spin could see the fire in the man’s eyes. He leaned over and whispered to Lief, “Uh oh.  Someone’s had it.” 

“You all heard the alarm.” The man’s voice was deep and carried easily through the room. “Someone has broken into the Vale through the small gate.” He paused for the rustling and muttering to stop, then smiled. “Obviously someone who doesn’t know that you have only to ask to enter.  However, it seems this someone is also desperate. The guard was discovered unconscious and wounded at the edge of the path. When he recovers we will hopefully get more details as to what happened. In the meantime, we must do our best to find this person or persons. As you know, we can’t search the whole forest. It seems the intruder was heading toward the compound. 

“You’ll split into your ten-squads and search. Green squads to the outer forest and gates. Red squads to the fields. Yellow to the inner forest. Blue and white squads to the buildings. When you find our visitor, be gentle but firm. He or she doesn’t know our ways. There is no need for anyone else to be hurt.   

“If you don’t know whose squad you are in, stay behind.” 

As the man moved off the low platform the crowd rose and began to break into groups as they moved out into the courtyard. 

Spin and Lief waited behind feeling conspicuous and out of place. 

The tall man finished speaking with a group of people, glanced around the almost empty hall and beckoned to the few still seated to move to the front. There were seven of them, most in the dull Colour clothes Spin and Lief wore. 

The man smiled at them. “Welcome! You’re new or nearly new. I’m Colour Master Farinton. You will be my squad for now. Our job is to search the stables and storerooms on the south side. Anyone we see over there besides us will be the intruder. Everyone else will be busy elsewhere.  Ready?” He glanced at each face and turned and walked briskly down the hall and out the large doors that faced onto the central compound.

The small group followed him out and across the compound to the buildings opposite. When they reached them, Farinton paired them off. “You two, Spin and Lief, right?”  At their surprised nods he continued, “You take the stables here. Begin at the back and move this way … off now.” They turned and almost sprinted to the back of the long building. 

When they reached the end Spin was grinning. “Did you get a look at those horses, Lief?”   

Lief grinned back. “Beautiful!” 

By the time they had poked through all the hay, checked all the boxes and looked through all the troughs, they were hot and itchy and tired. They arrived back where they had entered the building and were about to go up the stairs to continue searching when a single alarm blast went. 

Farinton appeared out of nowhere, said, “Someone has found something.  Come along,” and moved quickly out and back across the courtyard to the main hall. The boys joined the other people making their way to the hall and thankfully slid onto aisle seats near the front. They wanted to be able to see what was happening. 

Before long a squad marched in the main doors in formation with a small frightened figure in the middle. They marched up to the front and stopped before the Colour Master. The squad leader turned to the figure in the centre, put a hand gently on his arm and pulled him forward. The squad loosened their formation and fell back a few steps. 

Lief could see between two of them a thin filthy figure in City clothes that were more like rags than anything decent. His hair was tangled and had bits of twigs and leaves in it. There were fresh scratches on his arms and legs and his bare feet were covered in mud. Obviously terrified, he was a shaking pathetic figure as he cowered before the Colour Master. 

Farinton began to speak to him, his voice low and gentle. 

The man reacted dramatically to whatever he had said and began looking around as if desperate for a way out. 

Several things happened at once. Farinton stood and told everyone but the squad leaders to leave; people began to rise and move; the intruder’s face turned toward Spin and Lief; Spin grunted in surprise. The startled sound caught the stranger’s ear and his eyes fell on Spin’s face then darted swiftly to Lief’s. The stranger yelled, whirled and leapt, his hand moving in a blur to his side and away. As it came up the light caught briefly on the long object he hurled straight at Spin. But Spin was already moving. He had seen it coming and stood abruptly and dodged, but was blocked by someone in the aisle moving obediently and unaware toward the back. The dagger caught him in the lower right side in the soft flesh between hip and ribs. Lief yelled and leaped over his friend toward the stranger who suddenly crumpled and fell to the ground. 

Spin stumbled and fell, feeling the sharp pain in his side. All around him was confusion as he stared dumbly at the dagger hilt protruding from between his fingers. He felt warm blood running under and through his fingers, down his side. Lief was there, trying to help him. 

“I’ll do that,” a voice said. Lief looked up into the calm face of a young woman with very long dark hair which contrasted strongly with her pure almost Colourless tunic. She smiled at him. “White squad. I’m a healer.” 

Lief nodded in relief and moved back. The woman moved around in front of Spin and smiled at him. 

“I’m Sarah. What’s your name?”   

“Spin,” he managed through stiff lips. 

“Good, Spin. Now if you’ll just let me have a look …” Her manner was so confident and calm, Lief relaxed and Spin began to do the same. 

Sarah wore a belt with a number of compartments in which she kept the tools of her trade. She carefully removed the dagger, placing it on the ground, and cleaned the wound, talking calmly to Spin the whole time. 

Spin was staring at the dagger, trying to remember something, feeling his side going slowly numb. It was small and slim with a slender, deathly sharp blade. The hilt was engraved with a stylized scorpion. Suddenly he remembered as a large hand reached for the dagger. He jumped and knocked it away, wrenching his side as he did so.

“Don’t touch!” he managed, feeling the icy fear knotting his stomach. He turned to Lief, sure his fear was staring out of his eyes. Lief frowned, not understanding. 

“The mark, Lief. Where did we see the mark?” 

Lief leaned over and looked more closely at the hilt. Seeing the scorpion he flinched, fear and horror leaping into his eyes. 

“On the knife that killed Baron Zeener. The Duke said it was an assassin’s tool and almost always poisoned. But … but this is so much smaller, Spin. Maybe it wasn’t poisoned … You’ll be OK.” He turned fiercely to Sarah.  “Won’t he?” 

Sarah had been listening closely. Now she got up and motioned to two of the people standing near. “Take him very carefully to the infirmary. I’ll need to do tests on the dagger.” 

She turned to Lief, “We’ll certainly do our best to help him. Sightgiver has power over poisons.” 

A whole squad of healers was mobilized, performing tests on the dagger, looking through large books on medicine, and monitoring Spin. The numbness changed to knifing pain and spread slowly all up and down his right side … the pain intensified until Spin was sweating with the effort of not screaming. The healers didn’t want to give him anything that might mask a symptom that would lead them to a cure. 

The wound was opened and encouraged to bleed freely in the hopes that the poison would be flushed out. 

When Spin thought he could stand it no more Sarah came in with a glass. 

“We’ve found something. It’s a rare poison that was thought to be out of use 50 years ago. But we know how to treat it now. Drink this. It will ease the pain. We’ll have the cure ready in an hour. You can thank the Great Healer. He led us to the text.” She helped Spin drink, laid a comforting hand on Lief’s shoulder and left. 

The pain began to ease quickly and Spin’s cramped muscles slowly lost their tension. By the time the drug was prepared he was sure he wouldn’t scream. Sarah and another healer came and rubbed a thick cream into the wound and all around the area. They also gave Spin another drink which they said contained a liquid form of the drug. Soon after, Spin fell into a light sleep and Lief was able to leave his bedside to eat the food that had been brought. 

When Spin woke it was dark out and he felt like he had been trampled by several warhorses. But he was hungry and managed to eat a plate of the wonderful Colour food. 

His wound was dressed again and he was given another drink with the drug in it. 

The Colour Master entered the room just after Spin finished eating. He sat on the edge of his bed. 

“It grieves me that you have been welcomed to our Vale in such a manner. I am greatly relieved that you will be well. The Great Healer values you, else we never would have found the obscure text that refers to the poison used. Now, I have some questions before you sleep again.  Are you able to talk?” 

“Yes, sir, I think so.” 

Farinton smiled. “Good lad. The stranger collapsed after throwing his dagger and is still unconscious. Do you have any idea who he was and why he would try to kill you?” 

Spin frowned. “There was something about him, when he turned to look around I thought I recognized him … but now I’m not sure. There was a man that used to hang around one of the taverns my Squire frequented. I would have thought he was one of the Hidden except that he didn’t have the strength.” 

“What do you mean the ‘Hidden’?” 

“The Hidden are the people who live on the streets; they have no home, no ties to people who are known. They live without the Unmaker’s people knowing they exist. … I was one, and I thought I knew all the others. This man looked like one but didn’t, if you know what I mean. He was too jumpy … scared all the time. He would have been noticed and caught long since, I thought. Anyway, I only saw him twice. Then he disappeared around the time I hired on with my Squire. Someone called him a Freezer once, I think.” 

“A Freezer?” 

“Well I’m not sure. I only heard the name a couple times. I think a Freezer is a person who has connections to the Icers. Someone who prepares the way … freezes the ground so that the ice would come more easily and stay longer.” Spin shrugged. “It doesn’t really make sense.” 

“Why would he want to kill you?” 

“I don’t know.” 

“Have you ever had dealings with the Icers before?” 

“No. I’ve seen them. But I stay away. I mean I can feel them coming before most people, so I leave, you know. The only time they’ve noticed me I think was at the Hole, just before we came here.” 

“Thank you, Spin. I’ll let you sleep now. I’m stationing guards nearby so you needn’t worry. Lief, you stay here with your friend.” He smiled. “It’s easier to guard you when you’re together. We’ll not let any further harm come to you. Rest well.” 

Spin was roused in the early morning hours by the coming and going of healers. But their activities seemed to have nothing to do with him and Lief so he slept again. 

In the morning Sarah told them the stranger had wakened briefly, babbled some nonsense and then died. She frowned. “We could find no cause for his death. He seemed healthy, ‘though he was deathly afraid of something. That was certainly a contributing factor. At any rate, he will no longer harm you. 

“Lief, you will no longer need to remain here. You can be free to wander around, ‘though don’t be surprised if you see someone following you.” She smiled. “You two are special to the Great Healer. We intend to take care of you.”

Lief blushed but sat on the edge of Spin’s bed rather than leaving.  

“Now, let me change that dressing Spin.” 

As she worked, Sarah talked. 

“The whole thing happened rather quickly, so I didn’t really see it. Could you tell me what took place?” 

So Spin, with Lief putting in a bit here and there, told her what they remembered of the incident in the Hall. 

“I’m surprised he missed,” Lief said. “Or at least almost missed. The Duke said those people who carried the scorpion were excellent marksmen. He said they could hit a beetle at 30 paces. I wonder where he was aiming then?” 

“At my heart,” Spin said. “I knew he would get my heart if I didn’t move. So I jumped. But someone was in the way …” Spin’s voice trailed away at the look on his friend’s face. “What?” 

“How could you know he was aiming for your heart? It happened so fast. You were moving almost before he grabbed for the knife.” 

Spin looked from Lief to Sarah. 

“I don’t know. I hadn’t thought … but you’re right. How could I have known? But I did know. It was clear as anything.” 

Sarah sat back from the finished dressing. “Master Farinton will be interested in that.” 

“Interested in what?” a deep voice asked. 

The three turned to the door and Sarah briefly explained to Farinton what they had just been talking about. 

The Colour Master took a seat. 

“There is certainly a mystery surrounding you two. First you shout ‘Colour’ at the Gate. The power of the cry almost flattens the Enforcers and hurls you two through the Gate. Then you say you’ve seen Colour before, in your dreams. Then an assassin of the Scorpion Guild (I’ve been studying up on them) breaks into the Vale in search of you and almost kills you, Spin. Then you say you knew what he would do before he did it and moved so that the knife almost missed you. The assassin mumbled something about ‘stopping the start’, ‘ending the beginning’ and ‘told them they would be dangerous.’ I assume he was referring to you two.” He glanced from Spin to Lief, noting the confusion in their faces. He sighed and became serious.   

“I have a theory. Lore Master Arin agrees. It seems it was your future the assassin was trying to stop. He, and his guild, I assume, are convinced that there is something about you two, or what you will become, that they fear.” 

Spin and Lief looked at each other. Suddenly Lief laughed. 

“Me and the Runt here? Dangerous? I can’t see it. Can you Spin? We’re ordinary Squires’ boys who ran from trouble. And it was me and my big mouth talking about Colour that got us in trouble.” 

Spin was smiling. “I think I can see your reasoning, Master Farinton. But I have to agree with Lief. I can’t see it.” 

Farinton smiled. “To be honest I barely see it myself. But Lore Master Arin says he sees something on you two. As does Sarah here. And these two have a fairly high accuracy record on such things. But I’ll tell you something, shall I?” 

He looked at the two boys closely. Spin wondered what he saw. Did he see Lief as he was, tall with broad bones well covered with muscle, but also solid on the inside, determined? What about him? He was slighter and finer boned. Could Farinton see past his small frame to how he longed to learn? Did he sense how determined he was to experience more of life? How he’d worked to grow patient and how carefully he’d nurtured the love for life others had found so strange in him? 

Finally, Farinton smiled at them. “There are only two others I know of who thought to shout ‘Colour’ outside the Vale, and lived to tell of it. And it is rare indeed that someone comes into the Vale to search out a particular person. There is certainly something about you two that could prove very interesting. 

“Now; two things you must know. One: you are a part of our Vale now. You will need to learn our ways. We force no one to accept them and stay, but I’m sure you will not need convincing.” He raised an eyebrow at them. 

“You mean we can stay?” Spin asked. “Forever? I thought you would want to be rid of us since we’ve been so much trouble.” 

“Yes, you can stay. No, we have no desire to be rid of you. As for staying for ever – that remains to be seen. You are welcome as long as you and Sightgiver choose.” 

“We can learn your ways?” Lief asked. “You mean … you mean …” he faltered. 

“I mean that, as part of our community, you will be trained. You can choose the area of your training when the time comes. Yes,” to Lief, “we will train you to a trade.” 

The boys were dumbstruck. 

“The second thing you need to know is that we are proprietary of our people. We take care of them. With you it seems this might be a bit more difficult. So, we’ll have to train you in self defense and the ways of the forest etc. And until you are trained to my requirements, we will always have someone watching out for you. 

“Now,” he stood up, “I have other duties. Rest well, Spin. I will send some of the masters in to see you and they will assign you for training.” 

There was silence in the room after he left. 

Then Lief jumped up and let out a whoop. 

“Spin! It’s like being a Squire … or … or … a Duke’s Squire! Training! And in whatever area we want! … and …” he got quiet suddenly. “They have a blacksmith shop here, Spin. You should see it!”

Spin laughed. “There you go, talking metal again. They have horses, Lief. And I wonder what else.” He stopped and looked at his friend, forgetting Sarah was watching quietly. 

“Lief. Do you really think we could belong here? Not like at the Duke’s place, fighting for our rights and rank every day, but belong, you know. Like a … a home or something? Do you really think so?” His voice was so wistful and full of hope that Sarah couldn’t remain quiet any more. 

“Welcome home, Spin.” She leaned over and gave him a quick squeeze. “You too, Lief.”   

Spin blushed. 

Lief nodded at his friend, trying to cover his own blush. “He never had a home. I did … of sorts. Hope this is nothing like that!” 

Sarah gave him another squeeze. “You’ll have to wait around and check it out, won’t you?” 

So the two boys found a place where they could be at home, where people would care for them. And that there was a reason for their lives: a purpose.