# Document — Anothen/.gemini/tmp/apps/tool-outputs/session-2834ac85-277d-41eb-9df1-483069fa296b/run_shell_command_1773276006214_0.txt Output: (1-11-16 this chapter may wind up being the first chapter in the book. I’ve had complaints that what I originally created as the first chapter is a bit to dull and lengthy with too much focus on the science of the world. I assume it’s just too foreign to introduce so much of the world all at once? I don’t really know - but I’ve had very positive reviews of this chapter, and so, even though the character won’t come into the story for a LONG time - like…LONG - he is going to be one of the central characters in the epic, and so introducing him first isn’t necessarily a bad idea. I’m almost tempted to write an origin story for each of the main characters in the world to come and publish them as a collection? Still thinking about how I want to handle that, but for sure, I’m considering it for chapter 1 of the firAll Character notes for this should be updated in ‘Characters a7 year famine ended just 2 years before Bynun is born. Does thLarcener is a word for thief, as well as a cutpurse, Carl is a Bynun Bredmor was the single most content child ever to have had the fortune to be born in all the nation of Khazaval, ever. At least, that is what he thought. He loved his parents, like so many children do, but with a loyalty and respect that was rare. Papa and mama, Beauxregard and Adelia, were a jolly, plump couple that adored one another with a depth that often inspired other couples who saw them to turn to their counterparts and smile lovingly. It was hard to see their kind of adoration and not have some of it wear off on you. They just seemed to bring with them peace and contentment as a whole, turning dismal days cheery and cheery days into a cause for celebration. And when Papa winked at you, or mama smiled at you, a thrill of excitBynun had always been a clever lad. He had realized early on that, if you want to become the best at something, pay attention to whoever was best, do as they did, and once their skill had been mastered – make it better, make it your own. This lent him powerful skills as a walker at one, a talker at two, a self-dresser and talented potty user at three, a cricket catcher at four (he designed and built his own traps), an ingredient measurer/mixer at five, and a full blown cook (minus the hot oven) at six. He was smart, and he knew it, in no small part because his doting parents so often shared that fact with him. A sweet-spirited child, he was always anxious to help and care for other children, doing things like helping one little boy tie his sandals, giving another a small, wooden toy carving of a horse that was an all time favorite of his when the child slipped and skinned his knee, and comforting a little girl who’d become lost by giving her sweets from the kitchen and sitting with her, keeping her company while his parents went to find hers. His life was one of learning, loving, helping and laughing, and it wasThough his parents owned one of the biggest bakeries in the city of Vailvix, it was far enough away from the city center that they were able to live in a large house on the rural outskirts, away from the rush and bustle of city life at night and only a couple of miles from the shores of the Gulf of Benadam. At the homestead, Bynun spent his days playing in the garden, exploring the sparse woods nearby and learning about life and nature through hands on interaction. It was a delightful, almost fairOut in the woods, not too far from the house (close enough to hear his mother call to him when it was time for dinner) his father had built a tree house, which was really little more than a platform, but more than sufficient for a six year old with an active imagination. Mama and Papa had even named it ‘The Colt’s Getaway’ on a hand-carved placard that hung beneath it, using his favorite pet name to dub it. On this particular beatiful summer day Bynun had spent nearly an hour gathering together dried leaves from the ground and arranging them in the treehouse as guard towers from which he could pretend to defend the fortress from the mighty forces of evil. As it turns out, preparing for the assault of an enemy army is exhausting, and by the time he’d gotten it all situated, the leaves proved to provide surprisingly comfortable bedding, and the child laid his head downHe awoke to his mother screaming, “NOOOoooo!” The cry dwindled off frighteningly, a noise Bynun had never heard before or even imagined was possible until this moment. Instantly he was wide awake, his blood cold as ice and sharp as knives in his veins. He glanced to the sky and saw that the sun was low, and realized he’d slept too long. Mama sounded terrified, and he wondered with a sickness deep, deep in his gut if it was because of him being so late. As quickly as he could he climbed out of tIt wasn’t far to the house from where he was, but it seemed like a long, long way, head tilted down, arms and legs pumping for all they were worth. As he got closer and glanced up for just a moment, he saw through the cover of the brush several horses standing near the back porch, maybe as many as ten of them. Closer still and he could see some of their riders, armed men standing at either corner of the house, strangers he didn’t recognize wearing dirty tunics and breeches. Still running, dodging limbs and brush, his brain working at maximum speed, but his body not seeming to catch up...and then legs locked, body momentum too much, tilting forward fast and hard, arms out, small hands reaching to protect him from the fall, mouth gaping open, eyes wide, voice stuck in his throat as surely as if he were trying to scream in a nightmare. Time seemed to almost come to a stop, and his eyes took in the whole of the picture before him. Papa on his face; good, round, fat papa on his face in the dirt, a man astride him with papa’s hands behind his back, pudgy hands red with restricted bloodflow, white where the skin folds were, where the man pushed hard, forcing his arms up too high. Papa’s fat cheek in the dirt and grass, the other cheek swelling, his lip split and swollen so that the inside of his cheek shIn front of the man sitting on papa’s back was another; tall, shaven but unkempt, long, oily hair clumped together like snakes hanging their tails down from under a squat brown top hat, purple suede vest filthy and stained with what looked like grease. His brown shirt had large sweat stains at his armpits, his breeches had patches on the knees. He looked so proud, so contenMama in the back doorway, one man on either side of her, holding her arms, two more men on the porch in front of her, all watching the drama of papa unfold, one of them smiling, not wickedly, not cruelly, but as though he were watching a play of some sort, maybe a clown or a card trick. The others looked very serious, very...focused, maybe even a little afraid, but also like children Bynun had seen stealing from the bakery with a sly look in their eye, frightened, but...happy? Mama too had dark sweat stains under her armpits, making the white of her beautiful dress look as intruded upon as their house, as their righteousAnd then the impact, fingers hitting earth, the heel of his hands landing on leaves and slipping, sliding out away from his body, too far, the ground came closer still, eyes clenched shut, ready for the impact, the smell of iron rich in his nose and then a shock that made his ears ring and a circle of sparkle spliHe came too. It was the sound of men shouting and calling out to one another that brought him around, some sounding angry, others sounding victorious, and their unshod horses galloping hooves on the hard packed path that led away from the house. He lay there, breathing shallowly, listening until they were gone. His pants were wet, front and back. It was only now that he realized his bladder and bowel had let go in fear. The wetness was cold and sticky on his skin, and he shivered with revulsion. There was dirt in his nose and mouth, and he blew it out, spitting earth back where it had come from. He was quite dizzy and when he lifted his head to try and get his bearings, it made him sick to his stomach and he thought he might throw up. Too afraid to call for mama and papa, he tried to get to his feet. The sun was still high and warm, the breeze gentle and calm, almost as though it were trying to convince him none of it was rHe was too dizzy to stand up without support, his stomach lurching and clenching, and he had to fight to keep from puking. He whispered almost unconsciously, “Papa?” The image of his father’s fat cheek smashed on the ground, dirt in his hair, the red hands, it was the worst thing he’d ever seen, the worst thing he’d ever even imagined in all his life. He hardly noticed that there was blood dripping out of his nose. Holding onto a sapling, he tried to focus, but the world was a copy of itself, one halfway overlaying the other, and blurry. He closed one eye, and when he couldn’t see very well out of that one, tried the other. It was no better. He had to focus hard to finally get The men were gone now and their horses, but papa was still there on the ground, laying just as he had been before Bynun had fallen. His hands were still resting on his back, though now limp and unstrained. Bynun hurried over to him, not even daring to think. He dropped down beside him, and regretted it, his vision trying to sparkle inward again, his ears ringing loudly. He held his breath, squeezed his eyes closed and waited for the There was no question that papa was dead. Bynun had not seen it before, did not notice it when he dropped to his knees, but he’d landed in a pool of blood that had poured and already begun to congeal from another mouth cut into his throat. Fat puffed at the edges of the cut, hiding the depth of the gash behind iBynun instinctively reached to the wound, trying to poke the fat back inside the skin it swelled through, pinching at the edges of the cold, slippery flesh, trying to pull it back together. As he tried to fix his father, as if somehow he could put life back into him, he he cried out, “Papa!” begging him to returnVision scrambled again, running nearly sideways trying to keep his balance, Bynun stumbled toward the house, tripped on the steps and crashed down on the porch. Mama said something again, but it was muted and distant, as though called to him through a long black tunnel rimmed with silver. He tried to call back out to her, but heard his own voice just fine in his head, mumbled and just barely above a whisper. Forcing himself to his hands and knees, he tried it again. “Mama! Mama!” It was all he“Baby. Come here. It’s ok. It’s going to be ok. Come here. He began crying then, using the wall to drag him back to his feet again. The sting of tears helped shock him out of his concusive state and back to reality. “Mama!” Through the door and Mama was lying on the floor, her head and shoulders propped up on the wall. She too was bleeding, hers from a wound that was out of sight behind her, covering her right side in redish browBynun stumbled to her, sobbing, collapsed into her lap, lying his head on her chest and he began to shake violently. Mama’s soft fingers ran through his hair as she spoke words that burned their way into his memory as surely as a hot iron brands flesh. “Come come, little colt. SH, sh, sh, sh, sh. SH, sh, sh, sh, sh. There, there now. It’s going to be ok. Oh, little colBynun could not stop his crying. For several long minutes with his eyes squeezed closed, he lay there and wept, until mama’s soft petting got weaker. He looked up, his face wet with tears as though he’d just taken a shower, and looked into her eyes. Her boy’s lifting of his head helped drag her back to awareness again. “Baby. It’s going to be ok. Everything is going to bBynun listened, his eyes wide, pupils so large that the blue co“I need you to go to neighbor Norzant and tell him what’s happe“Ok then. And honey, my beautiful boy, listen to me now. Listen closely. I love you and your papa loves you. We will always love you, ok? I’m so glad to see you’re ok. Remember love, my little colt. Don’t ever let anyone take that from you. I lBynun began cryi006Eg again and knelt back down into his mother’s arms where she pulled him close and kissed him on the top of his head. After a few seconds, though, she said, “Ok, little colt. It’s time. I need you to hurry. Go get neighbor NorzanBynun set his face firmly. Standing up he said, “It’s going toShe smiled at him so sweetly, with such profound love that it helped set the boy’s feet aright again, and feeling far more steady, and much less sick to his stomach, he turned, went out the back door, looking to the side so that he could not see his faAnd ran. Bynun had never run so hard in all his life. Out the door and around to the front of the house. Past the hedges and onto the road, and then forward, hard, fast; harder, faster. Legs nearly wheeling, heart pumping, air burning in his lungs,The road wound gently, went up a low hill and then down, broke free of the woods and moved into a plain of hip high grass and wild flowers. The summer air was warm, the sky clear and blue and enormous, and Bynun flew toward the neighbor’s house with eOver another small hill and – there, neighbor Norzant, out in front of his house hoeing in the small flower garden he kept forNorzant startled from where he was working, looked to see the boy running to him, and then threw the hoe to the side. He broke into a run and met the boy just as he was approaching the hor“Bynun!” His voice was coated in shock, high pitched for a barBynun realized too late that he was not going to stop in time, but it was ok. He was still moving at near the same speed he had been coming down the road as he hit the man, but Norzant turned easily to the side, reached out and caught the boy and usedThe boy was a mess. Nostrils rimmed in dry blood, blood streaked down his hair, spattered on his shirt. He looked like he’d Bynun said, “Oh, oh. Mama and papa, there was a man, and they had swords and they were sitting on papa and holding mama. PleFrom in the house a voice returned, “Get ‘em yerself, ya old goNorzant shouted again, much louder this time, “Bring them, NOW!A woman’s head poked out around the doorway, wanting to know what in the world would cause her husband to think he could talk to her like that, saw young Bynun and instantly went back insidIn the meantime, Norzant quickly grabbed a saddle and threw it on his old mare. He walked the mare and the boy over to the house, and when Emily came out, looking pale and a bit shaken, took the items from her and reached around the door jamb to grab his quiver and arrows. To Bynun he said, “Ok little one, you stay here with Emily. She’ll look after you while I go get some help and head up to your mom and dad’s. I’ll be just as quickBynun stared at him, mouth curved hard in a frown, eyes spillin“Emily, you get that boy cleaned up. Sounds like the Bredmor’s have been hit by brigands. I gotta go get some backup just in case they’re still around. You lock the door and keep an eye out, and if you see anyone you don’t recognize, you head into the basement hidey-hole, where we used to make cheese, you know the one I’m talking about, and you and the boy hunker down in tEmily nodded. “Ok hun. You be as careful as a man can be. DoNorzant was looking more than just a bit scared. “Let it be so. I’ll be back.” With that he spun on the horse, kicked her firmly but gently in the sides and shouted, “Hyah!” And then heEmily looked down at the boy. Her heart began to ache inside her, and she found she had to fight off tears. They had known the Bredmor’s for more than a decade now, beautiful people, kind people. If the boy looked like this... She could only hope the worst hadn’t happened. “Come on honey. Let’s get you clean“Alright then. We all stick together and ride in as a group, good and loud now. Better for them to run and the reeve chase ‘The group of men all agreed. There were ten of them now, led by Eckom (Norzant was not the leader type and frankly was delighted to let the man take over). Each of them were armed with a variety of weapons in various stages of dilapidation. Some held rusty crossbows that were more likely to succeed as a club than a ranged weapon – unless it was thrown at the enemy. Some held chipped and ragged swords, others pitchforks and wooden staves. The ramshackle group of farmers gathered themselves togetIt wasn’t far. Gathering the group together took much longer than the ride there, and they arrived well before sunset. The front of the house appeared completely unmolested, except maybe Eckom pulled up short and shouted loudly, “Hey now! Anyone in there best ride off quick! We got a whole posse here, so you gAll ten of them shouted and hollered then, but there was no ansAfter a moment Eckom said, “Ok. That’s a good sign. Now, we all stick together. Nobody go off on your own. We don’t need no casualties today, hear me? No heroes means no casualties. If there’s more of them than there are of us, just in case, you Heart beating heavy in his chest, Eckom spurred his horse toward the corner of the house, slowly around the side, and stopped at the back corner. He leaned out and around, trying to see around the corner without having to put his head around the side,He kicked his horse gently and she clopped around the back, folThere on the ground, now abuzz with flies, lay the corpse of Beauxregard Bredmor. The scene was surreal, the woods at peace, the sound of birds chirping in the treetops, the breeze blowing through the leaves, and a dead man sprawled on the ground, hands still resting on his haunches, a puddle of brown blood soakiEckom got off his horse. The blood was old and there were horse tracks all around here, but the horses were quite obviously gone. His heart was still beating, but now it was with as much shock at seeing a dead man, a man he and his family knew well, as it was fear and adrenaline. He felt himself begin to shake, and his voice shook with him making him sound a hundred years old. “Alright. Looks like we’re clear. Someone go see if youNorzant hopped off his horse and headed toward the back door, sEckom exclaimed, “Not alone, man! Someone go with him. Don’t Norzant nodded. Two other farmers dismounted and, with their aIt was only half-a-second later that he cried out, “Crimenitly!As all the men turned to look to where he shouted from, there burst from the brush a little boy, now clean and dressed in fresh clothing, running for the door. “No, mama!” Bynun’s voice was hoarse from crying, running, yelling and his words slightly He ran for the door, but Norzant turned and caught him again, scooping him up and turning quickly away from the kitchen. “HerBynun turned, strained to see around him. He called out, “Mama! Mama, I’m back! I got help, like you said. PLEASE answer mHe turned to Norzant. In a very calm and rational voice, speaking as though reasoning with a judge he said, “Please put me down. She sent me to get help. She said everything is going to be ok. I got help. It’s going to be ok. I know it is.” He sEckom looked in the door at Mrs. Bredmor and then looked away again. “Go ahead, Norzant,” he said quietly, “put ‘im down. He’ll wonder for the rest of his life if it was true otherwise. Norzant stood caught in indecision for a moment, then hugged the boy close, almost unable to bear it. In that one moment he would have paid an arm to save the boy from what he knew was next. Taking a deep choppy breath, he ever so gently set him on the ground. The man’s lips curled in as he fought against tears, but it was a battle he could not win, and his weathered eyes filled up and spilled over. He inhaled sharply through his nosBynun peeked around the kitchen doorway. He said softly, “MamaShe hadn’t moved much from where she was when he left. There was quite a bit more blood though, soaked through her dress and now dripped onto the floor. Her clothing held most of it, but it had gathered where it met the wood and looked almost frozen there with its rounded, brown edge. In her right hand, the blade that had dealt the killing blow rested. Her last action had been to remove it from her stomach, where it had been concealed from Bynun by a roll of fat. Her eyes, now looking sandblasted and all the wrong shape, were still open, locked in place, f“Mama?” Bynun walked in and then knelt down beside her. He reached out and touched her arm, but then jerked back as if he’d “But - I got help, mama,” he pleaded, nodding toward her. “I got help. Now it will all be ok? I brought help. Just like yoTen farmers stood behind him, gathered on the porch, hats in hand, heads bowed. Only Eckom had the strength to look on at the boy beside his mother. He was so small, so young, so precious. As the man watched, the boy’s shoulders slumped, his head huEckom stepped in then and knelt down behind him. He placed one large hand on the boys tiny shoulder. He tried to say something, but couldn’t think of anything to say at all. Finally, after a minute had passed, he said in a strained, thick voice, “CoEckom reached down and scooped the little one up. As he turned the boy to face him, he saw the look in his eyes – utterly lost, beyond hope, coated in shock. The child looked not at him, As he walked out the door, the others parted for him, sniffing, and dabbing at their eyes. Eckom said, “This is no job for farmers. Let’s go get the city’s reeve now. There’s nothing we He walked to Norzant and said, “You know the boy best. You takEckom barked, “Not keep him, man, just take him for a second. I gotta go back in there and get that blade. It’s got a mark on its hilt, an insignia. I think the reeve’ll want to see it, Eckom ran back inside, took a towel from the counter and used it to quickly scoop up the knife. Folding it inside the cloth he hurried back outside. One of the other farmers looked on curiously. By way of explanation Eckom said to him, “If there’s any way to find the men who did this, this blade’ll tell more ofIt didn’t take long for them to gather together and head out. None of those men wanted to spend another second there. Not a one of them would ever forget what they’d seen that day, and all of them would try as hard as they could to forget it. It wasn’t more than a minute before they were on their horses and headed off, back out front and down the road, little Bynun riding When the last of the horses were not just out of sight, but couldn’t be heard anymore, there was movement amongst the trees. Slowly, peeking nervously around, one man stepped out from where he’d been hiding himself. Hurrying across the grass to the back door, he barely glanced over at the dead man beside him. When he got to the back door, peering into the kitchen, he paused and flinched. Quickly he went inside and looked Adelia’s body over, not touching her and trying not to vomit. He whispered, “Where is it?” Cringing deeply, he reached down and lifted the fold of fat where the knife had been buried. In response, air hissed out from between her lips, and the man half-screamed before clasping his hands over his mouth. The moment he realized he’d just slapped her blood on his face he turned and ran. Just barely making it off the porch, he threw up, bent double, heaving over and over again. He looked at the blood on his hands, dread in his eyes, spittle dripping from his lower lip, and he nearly screamed again. Turning to run, he tripped over Beauxregard’s foot and sprawled halfway across his carcass. The force of one body falling on top of the other forced air from thThen the man screamed for all he was worth. He rolled off the body, gasping with the horror of it. His oily hair half-standing on end, hands shaking, he frantically scooted away. His eyes filled with water, his forehead chisel etched in deep folds. Flipping over onto his hands and knees, he was halfway to running before his fingers quit scrambling at the earth. The fat body behind him made another noise, a long high pitched squeak, but the man didn’t look back to see what was happening. GaspinWhen Bynun arrived at the orphanage it didn’t feel real at all. He kept waiting to wake up, had purple pinch marks all up and down both arms and legs, as if somehow enough pinches would bring him out of this nightmare and back to his mama and papa. He could remember the man’s face, standing there in front of his father, looking so proud, his hat cocked to the side, hands on his hips, no smile on his face, but his eyes twinkling with joy all the same. It was the face of a creature from beneath, some sort of night monster concealed just under the rough shaven skin, it’s oily eyes glinting out from below the shadow of the brim of the hat. He could remember the look of his father’s swollen face, his split lip, dirt smeared on his shiny scalp and in his hair, hands beet red and snow white. His eyes had been so frightened, so confused and frightened. He remembered mama, so sweet and kind and soft spoken, as if she weren’t bleeding from behind her head all down her pretty white dress. Her voice as she comforted him, shushing him softly as if he were a babBut more than anything he remembered closing his eyes and not seeing it all, mama’s hand running through his hair, and for just a moment everything was ok, it was all going to be better. Somehow, mama was going to fix it all. Her hand running through his hair, softly, comfortingly, over and over – until she began to slow down, get weaker, stopping. When he opened his eyes.“Hey, ya convict, get offa my bed before I break your little boBynun startled and screamed. The boy standing in front of him jumped like he’d been stung by a bee, and then quick clapped his hands over Bynun’s mouth, shoving him back hard onto the mattress and straddling on top of him. “Whoah now! Shut yer mouthThe pain of the boy pressing on his bruised head was sharp, but Bynun quit screaming. The boy lifted his hands from off his face and sat back, heavy on the smaller boys stomach as he shook with pain. “Man, why’d you scream like that? I was just jokiThe boy leaned down a bit and stared in his face, waved a hand in front of his eyes. “Hellooo. Anyone in there? I’m talkin’Bynun still didn’t answer and after a second more the boy lifted off of him. “Fine. Whatever. You must be a retard or somethin’.” Bynun’s eyes followed him as he turned and sat down hard next to him on the bed. The boy looked back over his shoulder and said, “By the way, I’m Boavly. I’d ask your name, but yoBynun didn’t answer, and after a few seconds the boy said, “No Boavly smiled. “Hey! The retard talks! Great. And great name by the way. Buy-none, huh? You were born to be a thief. Get it? Because you don’t buy none. That’s solid, cause I’m a t“Ah, still just a baby. A baby and a retard. Cursing awesome. Well, I’m ten, so I guess that makes me the boss of you, doesBynun didn’t move or respond at all. The boy turned, his forehBynun stared at the boy, eyes afraid, but didn’t say anything. The boy turned more and squinted down at the smaller child. “Doesn’t that make me your boss? Cause I’m older, and the older are the boss of the younger. That’s how it works, and you gotThe boy pushed forward off his hands and hopped off the bed then. “Well, that’ll do – for now. As long as you do what I say,The room he had been placed in was plain but kempt. Two beds, one on either side, two dressers, two small chests, two windows, all of it simple but clean. The walls were grey wood, the floor a much lighter shade of board with a large throw rug in the “This is our room. The grand hall of Boavlyville. I’ve been here for six years, so I know all about how this place works and I’ll show you the ropes, kid. You’re the third citizen of Boavlyville since I got here.” His voice dropped some and he looked petulant. “Course, the other two before you got adopted out.” He turned to Bynun. “You’d better not adopt out. You better stay. I like you. I know about people, and I can tell that you and me are gonna be good friends. I’ll keep you safe, and you’ll do what I say, and we’re gonna take this town over. Not just Boavlyville, but I mean Vailvix. You and me, we’re gonHe barely took a breath before his next sentence. “You must feel lucky as dodgin’ the grave. Your parents musta been rich or something for you to wind up here rather than over in that other skat bucket. They don’t get private rooms. They’ve got like a thousand kids over there, all crowded into a couple big rooms, and the caretaker is a real convict of a person, too. I hear she’d rather hit ya the same as look at ya, you know? You and me, we got Ms. Ophelia. She’s nice. Real nice, actually. There’s only twelve of us here, all boys. That makes things ni“So, now to the big question. The big one. Like I said, I’m a master thief and I’m gonna show you the ropes. You and I can run a gang together, but first we gotta get you up to speed. So, we are going to go and steal something, and – you’re going to like this part – we’re gonna steal something for you. Because I’m real nice, and feeling real generous today. What do you “Aw, come on. Don’t be like that. What do you want to steal? Bynun rolled over and placed his head on the pillow beside him and didn’t move. Boavly stepped over and reached in front of him, waving his hand again in front of Bynun’s face. When the little boy still didn’t respond, Boavly shrugged as if to say, “Boavly’s shoulders slumped. “Fine then, lay there. I’m going to let you have that bed. I’ll use the other one.” The fact was the other one had been his for years. He sighed and went hiFor the next two days Bynun laid where he was. Ms. Ophelia came to check on him periodically, but she’d seen this many times before. Give them some time and they come around. Sooner or later, without fail, their stomachs would force them to their feet, and then the process of integrating them into the orphange could begin in earnest. She left him a fresh glass of water, pEvening came and shortly thereafter Boavly came into the room, clean and scrubbed from head to foot. He closed the door with It startled him a little when Bynun whispered, “I don’t feel luBoavly came over and sat down next to him. “Why? Don’t you knBynun didn’t say anything else. Boavly’s voice softened. “I know. But we’ve got to make the best of things as we can, that’s what Ms. Ophelia says. You stick with me and I’ll take good care of you. Sorry you had to come here. Sorry you lost your home. My mom and dad were killed when our wagon rolled. Killed my baby sister too. Fell into the river and it all washed away, mom and dad, wagon, horse and baby. I got dumped on the beach, thrown off by my dad just before it all turned over. How Sandblasted eyes staring through the floor, blood still spreading through the cloth of her white dress, gray sweat stains at her pits; yellow fat puffing through the gash across his throat,“A special knife. A dagger. It’s at the reeve’s. That’s whatBynun sat up and pulled his soft cloth shoes on and reached for his cloak. His roommate watched as the boy got ready and then went and stood patiently by the door. It took a moment, but then mild disbelief washed across Boavly’s face. “What, you wanBoavly took a deep breath. “You want to go to the reeve’s offiBoavly hopped off the bed. “I did, but your crazy to want to steal from the reeve. I mean, we get caught, and they’ll put us straight in the jailhouse. Heck, we’ll have walked our way straight into it. Why don’t we go downstairs and steal a knife fBynun turned, opened the bedroom door and walked through it, clThat got Boavly moving. He quickly grabbed his shoes and cloak before hurrying through the door after his younger counter-part. “Wait for me,” he called in a loud whisper. “You don’t know where to step to keep the boards from creaking and Ms. OpheliIt was a nice night. The summer air was warm, the stars were out and the light of the moon peeked around its edge like a fingernal. Vailvix was an active city at any time of day, and though the sun was well past set, there were still plenty of people walking the streets, their lanterns making little bubbles of light and casting sharp shadows along the streets and high walls of the surrounding buildings. The air was ripe with the smell of horse manure, a common scent on the wider streets where there was plenty of wagon traffic, and the tall facades of thin woodwork buildings combed the night sky with their Khazavalic steeples, littered with weathervanes and windmills, flags and windsocks, statues and gargoyles, and a variety of other decorationBoavly led Bynun through the streets toward the jail where the reeve’s office was at, slipping past the thinning masses as the night grew darker. Once they were a good way from the orphanage proper, turning down an alley, Boavly reached out and grabbed Bynun, turning him sharply and then pushing him against the w“Look here,” said Boavly, “I don’t much like the way you left me behind like that. I’m the boss of you, not you the boss of me. I leave you behind if I want, not the other way around. I’m gonna help you get that knife, but you better never do that aBefore Bynun could answer, the older boy punched him hard in thBynun had never been punched before, and he was surprised by just how much it hurt. The shock of it was bad, but the cramping stomach muscles hurt in a way he’d never felt. He doubled ove“That’s for making me chase you,” said Boavly. Without Ms. Ophelia anywhere nearby to punish him, he didn’t feel an ounce of concern. He leaned up against the wall next to Bynun and waiteIt was only a minute before Bynun stood upright. Boavly said, The reeve’s office faced out from the towering stone structure of the city jail onto a city square that was highlighted by a large, shallow fountain in its center. Like any business that was open 24 hours a day, it had two lanterns hung on either side of the steps that led to it’s steepled yet foreboding exterior. The top of the building was lined with carvings of men suffering various forms of punishment, including a public lashing, a hanging, and a wonderfully carved snapshot of a man not a second before his head was lopped off by an executioner’s axe. TheBoavly peeked out from the corner of a building across the way “Well, we have a problem. First off, do you know where this knife of yours is at? I don’t think they’re going to just let us walk through the door and look in all their desks to see if weBynun said softly, “It’s going to be in the evidence room. Tha“Ok, ok,” he said with all the naivette that comes with inexperBoavly smiled. “Ok, that’s good. So...give me a sec while I think.” The boy leaned up against the building behind him and tilted his head back until it touched the wall. He began to speak to himself. “First, I guess we can just walk through the doors. The seneschals might be curious, but if they stop us, we’Boavly shook his head, a little annoyed. “No. Hold on.” He t“I’ll tell them you’re my little brother, and we left your snoogums in the reeve’s office, and ask if we can just run in thereBynun wanted to ask what a snoogums was, but thought better of it. This older boy was obviously over-confident, a little dim-witted and obviously out of touch with other people. Asking too many questions was just asking for trouble. There was no doubt that he was willing to use his size and brute force to get his way. Bynun unconsciously reached protectively for his tende“We go to the reeve’s office, and when you see where to point me, where the evidence room direction is, I’ll break off from you and sneak down that way. You keep going to the office though, so that if anyone’s watching, they can see that you’re doing what we said. I’m going to have to try and find the key – maybe, I don’t know, try and get it off a seneschal’s belt or some such. No idea how we’re going to do that, but we’ll have to play it by ear. Now, here’s the thing kid, you gotta be super cool in there, ok? Don’t be movin’ your eyes around a lot, or jumping at every noise. Act like you own the place, like you belong there. We’re just a couple of kids to them, so they’re not gonna be too worried about us, but you can’t go doing things tBoavly sighed, “Kid, we gotta work on your ability to speak. Help you use your mouth. Ok, c’mon and just follow my lead, follow the plan, and we’ll be out of there in a jiff with your kniThe boys stepped out of the dark shadows and into the open, strolled casually across the square and up the jailhouse steps. There was only one seneschal on duty, a man who must have had a long day because he had his brimmed helmet cocked down over his eyes, his back leaned against the wall, arms folded with his spear beside him, and breathed as though he were asleep, which was about halfway true. When the boys opened the door to the building, he glanced over, but didn’t bother to say anything as tThe jailhouse was home to the reeve’s office and housed at least twenty of the city seneschal’s desks just the other side of the foyer. Their job was to patrol the city streets, dish out minor justice where appropriate and apprehend those who were committing more grievous crimes and bring them back to the jailhouse where they could be processed, prosecuted (which was almost the same as saying ‘convicted’), jailed and punished. The reeve, their boss, watched over the whole operation and only really got involved when a crime was the kind that involved capital pOnce through the front door the boys were met by a large room filled with benches, almost like pews in a schoolhouse and lit with smokey black lanterns hanging from the walls. The far side of the foyer terminated in a partition that was more window than wall. It sat in the middle of, and recessed back from, two walls that jutted out about ten feet each from opposite sides of the room, making a clear demarkation of where the entryway ended and the business began. Behind the partition was a wide, long room filled with desks, all but one of them abandoned for the night, and behind them, a row of office doors and two hallways, one leading back into the darkness in the direction of the The partition that separated the two rooms consisted of a desk with poles that rose to the ceiling, spaced equadistantly from one another, which provided a housing for rolldown shutters that could be used to close off various portions of it, and a door at either end that led into the room behind, both of which were wide open. Behind that was a desk that housed a single tired looking seneschal suffering through his time as office night-watch. Though he looked bored, he was alert, and nodded to the “My little brother left his snoogums in the reeve’s office. CaThe seneschal said, “Sorry son. The reeve is gone for the night and won’t be back until tomorrow. You’ll have to ask him aboBoavly pouted his best pout. “Aw, c’mon. We just wanna grab tThe seneschal answered, “I’m not sure what a snoogums is, but I was in the reeve’s office before he left, and didn’t see anything out of place. He’s pretty good at cleaning up on his way out at night. You sure your brother didn’t leave it someplace eBoavly turned and looked to his left, then to his right, taking in the whole of the room at a glance, then back at the night-w“No, not sure.” Turning to Bynun he said, “Let’s just wait forTaking the smaller boy’s hand in his, he walked him over and the two of them sat down on a bench against the wall, nearest to the partition. He was careful to sit where both of them could be seen, but near enough to the short wall that jutted out into the room that they could easily slip out of sight behind it. Then he leaned his head back, closed his eyes, and pretended toBynun had no idea what was going on, but was too afraid to ask. He reached down and settled his hands on his sore tummy. After a few seconds he began to kick his feet back and forth, and Their wait wasn’t terribly long, though Bynun felt that it was long enough, that was sure. Then Boavly bumped him gently withBynun looked over curiously, and Boavly had one finger up to his lips. He mouthed, “Shhhh,” then pointed to the man at the desk. He was occupied, whittling away at a piece of wood to kill time. Boavly scooted silently over on the bench until he was pressed up against the wall, and motioned for Bynun to come witBoavly slid off the bench and lay down flat on the floor. Then, moving slowly but decisively, he belly-crawled out into the room, hugging the wall tightly so as to stay out of the man’s line of vision. Once he was pressed up against the front of the Bynun had paid careful attention to how his roomie had done it, and mimicked him perfectly, hugging the wall and belly-crawling out of sight to the front of the desk. Boavly scooted over and peered around the corner into the back room, then slipped to the side of the desk with Bynun in tow. He waited until the man, trying to carve a spot of detail, bent further over the desk and then as quietly as the clouds, moved from where he was baUp to this point, Bynun was relatively calm, but as he prepared to move to where Boavly was, he found himself suddenly frozen. Fear washed over him and he could hear his hearbeat in his ears. Boavly motioned gently, but Bynun couldn’t move. Boavly’s eyes widened with impatience and he motioned again, this time with both hands, directing his partner in crime to come. BynunThe man finished the detail spot and leaned back in his chair. The window of opportunity had passed. Boavly looked very annoyed. Motioning for Bynun to stay where he was, he turned and ducked out of sight behind another one of the many desks in the Bynun kept taking peeks at the man, fear building in his chest, pressure rising in his head. He felt like his heart was being squeezed, and it was difficult not to breathe too quickly, loudly. He was afraid he’d get caught, afraid that Boavly was going to hurt him again, but above all else, he was afraid that he wouldn’t get the dagger. He needed that dagger. He peeked agBynun and the man stood up at the same time. The seneschal reached out and caught Bynun by his cloak and pulled him around to“You do know that this is the jailhouse, right? What, are you The man, at first looking confused and surprised, smiled kindly at him. “Hey, take it easy. I’m not going to hurt you.” He let go of the boy’s cloak. “Tell me what it is you’re after. Maybe the reeve brought it out and put it in the lost and foundBynun’s gaze was frozen. What in the world was a snoogums? Wh“Ah! You know, I did see a toy bear in the lost and found. For some reason I thought it had been there a couple days, but I The seneschal walked him to the side of the office, over to the corner where there was a large chest. He knelt down in front of it, flipped its latch, swung it open, and there, sitting half concealed beneath a green sash and maroon leather purse lay aPulling it out of the box the man handed it to Bynun. “This snBynun grabbed it and instinctively hugged it close. He nodded They walked around to the room with the benches, and the seneschal stopped. Suddenly his eyes squinted a bit, and he turned back to Bynun. “Your brother’s gone.” He sighed. “Dagnabbit, I should have thought of that first. Where’s your brother gone“Don’t give me that. Is he trying to break into the reeve’s office to find your ‘snoogums’? Fourteen years on the job and the first break-in in the history of this institution, and it’s by a couple of children after a stuffed bear. For the love of mercy...” He grabbed Bynun gently but firmly by the arm and pulled him with him as he walked into the room with the desks. To the room’s sole other denizen he called out, “Hey Selbie, you The other man looked up from where he was writing at his desk. The seneschal rolled his eyes. “Shut up and help me find him, would you? They came in looking for this stuffed bear here; thought it was locked in the reeve’s office. You check that sideSelbie stood up and started looking around when suddenly all the amusement fell off his face. His head jerked up. “Hey EbbsiThe seneschal holding Bynun’s hand said, “No.” Then, “Flung skat!” Turning to Bynun, his voice now very different, he said, Bynun couldn’t take another second of the stress. He burst into tears. The man bent down and grabbed him by both shoulders. The man reached to his belt, pulled off an iron restraint and quickly latched poor Bynun’s hand to the leg of the closest deskSelbie was already running to the front door to make sure Boavly hadn’t left. Ebbsil started looking around the office, and mBynun sat there, locked to the desk, clinging to the stuffed be“We’ll find him, and what the reeve don’t know won’t hurt ‘im. “Hey kid, come on out. There’s no way out of this room. Your brother’s already got his ‘snoogums’ so there’s no use in runni“I’m gonna head to the back, see if he snuck back there. DagnaBynun turned and felt his stomach lurch, his face get hot, his hands start to sweat. There it was, a short blade, double-edged, the grip neatly wrapped in thin, braided leather strips, silver pommel and crossguard, and in the center, where the grip, blade and crossguard all came together, a perfect silver circle, like a locket, with a detailed engraving of two hands, one a fist, the other covering it in a gesture of peace. Beneath the clasped hands was a single small diamond. Marring the eleganceBoavly looked like he was about to explode with anger at being defied until he noticed that Bynun was tugging at the metal ‘U’ clasp that held him pinned to the desk. Then he just smiled, reached out with a set of keys and undid the lock. It clicked as it released, and the sound of men’s boots running their direction inspired the two of them to move like lightning. Scrambling not just under the desk, but out the other side, both boys quickly moved to hide beneath another. The men’s boots were al“Of all the...he got his restraint off! You wiley little devil“Quit admiring him and find him. If they get out with the keys, you and I will be lucky if we either of us survive tomorrow wBoavly looked like a spring about to be sprung. He waved sharply to Bynun and then held up one finger firmly. Then two fingeTurning, the boy chucked the keys across the room to the wall at the back. They chinked as they sailed through the air and then smacked the wall with a sound that was far louder to everyone in the room than it was in reality. Both men shouted and bolted in that direction, Boavly in the other. It wasn’t half-a-sSelbie never changed course. He knew his backside’s welfare was attached to those keys. Ebbsil, on the other hand, when he heard the sound of the children making a break for it, changed direction. In his haste he tripped over one desk, then very nearly broken his nose trying to vault over another, his hand shooting out from beneath him and down he went; but only for a momeEbbsil was fast, but not fast enough. He was halfway across the foyer as Boavly got the door open and the children slipped through deftly – and straight into the arms of the seneschal waitEbbsil opened the door wide, rubbing his sore nose and favoring one leg. He squinted down at the children, Boavly squirming in the iron grip of the seneschal, Bynun frozen solid with fear “You two,” he honked through his swollen nose, “are a pain in the neck. So, you wanted to know what it’s like inside a jailhoAs it turns out, Bynun was not a fan of jailhouses for a number of reasons. First off, they’re dark. There is no light in the cells. Secondly, they smell really, really bad. Though its true a crud bucket is provided to ‘do your business in’, that doesn’t mean everyone who ever stayed in the cell used it. Thirdly, they’re cold, even if you have been given your cloak. Fourthly, they’re hard as stone, because they are stone. Fifthly, they’re very lonely and scary, and images of monsters reaching out for him from the recesses of the chamber kept creeping thrSoon enough, however, those images were replaced with images of his father and mother, emblazoned in perfect relief in his mind. Over and over he saw his father’s slit throat, the face of the man with the top hat, his mother’s sweat stains and blood, felt her pets, saw her lifeless eyes, replaying, replaying, replaying, replaying, relentless with no escape. He finally just curled up fetal, his pants cold against his skin where he’d wet himself, wrapped his tiny arms around the stuffed bear, and shivered. If he’d have known more about what death was, he’d havForever passed, and then there was a noise in the darkness, the sound of a door’s bolt being pulled back, loud and echoing through the stone halls. Then the bang as the door came open, accompanied by a dim square of light in the door. Bynun leapt to his feet and hurried to see if he could peek out the small hole into the hallway outside, but it was fruitless. He was too sh“I wish we knew. I haven’t asked the little one, er, Bynun youThen a woman’s voice, Ms. Ophelia. “I thought so too. I’m SOOOO sorry about this. I promise we’ll take care of it. You wonEbbsil chuckled. “Well, at least probably not from Bynun. PooHe heard the bolt to the door he was behind pull back, and the door swung inward. Little Bynun stood back, clasping the bear, and stood there with his head turned, hand in front of his eyeMs. Ophelia’s voice said, “Well then, young man. What do you h“Now miss, it’s not my business, but don’t go hard on the kid fThen the smell of soap and perfume, the touch of soft skin on his cheek, a hand behind him pulling him into a hug. His crying became stronger, not lesser, and he clung to the caretaker of the orphanage with all his tiny little might. And then the familiar sound, haunting words, “Come come, little colt. SH, sh, sh, sh, sh. SH, sh, sh, sh, sh. There, there now. It’s goingBynun jerked back like he’d been hit in the face with a boilingThe reeve sat in his office, leaning forward with his elbows on his desk, finger tips touching, glowering, whether more pertur“First off,” he said in his deep, controlled voice, “There was no stuffed bear in my office. So, you’re lying about that.” He was talking to Boavly. “Second off, why in the world would you want the blade used to kill your mother?” He was talking to Bynun. “Thirdly, you’re a watch man. That means you watch things, and I don’t mean little wooden carvings. You watch the door, with your eyes, not the top of your head.” He was talking to Ebbsil. “And fourthly, your keys? You let him steal your Four heads hung low. The reeve turned to Ms. Ophelia. “Madam, I don’t know why you put up with these hooligans, I truly don’Ms. Ophelia nodded. “Oh yes sir, I truly do. I know they get “Don’t start making excuses for them. At least, not to me. I’ve held this position for too many years to bear hearing that even one more time, beggin’ yer pardon. I’m not going to do anything to them. The little one’s had more than he can handle, he might just be out of his mind, what with his parents...well. All that having just happened. As to the older one,” and here he turned to Boavly, “you and me are gonna get to know each other real well in the next few years. I think I’ll save a cell aside, just for you, but today I have more important things to do than discipline children. I have adult worries to trouble me, and so you’re off the hook, but you better shape up, or your future is going to be a dismal one of incarceration and public lashings.” Turning back to Ophelia he said, “I know you’re not a fan, ma’am, but you might think about bringing this one to Turning to Ebbsil he said, “Take the knife back to the evidence room, where it belongs, behind lock and key,” a glance at Selbie, “and then you can return to my office, right here, for yourTo Selbie he said, “You, get out and stay out. Give me space for a day or two until I can forget that you had your keys stolen by a child – while you were at your desk, in the jailhouse, aSelbie bowed his head and touched the knuckles of his fists together in salute before spinning crisply on his heel and headingThe reeve said, “Yeah, while you’re at it, why don’t you fill out this stack of forms for me. And these, while you’re at it.” He grabbed two handfuls of paper and handed them to the seneschal. “Oh, and put one of these on your head, and give the other one to Selbie.” Reaching into a drawer beside him he pulled out two tall, white, cone-shaped hats that had the word ‘DUNCE’ emblazoned across the front of them in huge, bold letters. Ebbsil slipped the dagger into his belt, grabbed the one hat and obediently placed it on his head, and took the other in his other hand. Trying to balance the paper, hold the hat, not lose the one that he’d placed on his head while ducking out the door and semi-salute on his way, he tripped a little and nearly fell into the doorway. Boavly reached out and steadied him. The man looked at the kid not sure whether to curse or thank him, dBoavly tugged on Ms. Ophelia’s kirtle and she bent down so he could whisper in her ear. Suddenly she stood bolt upright. “OhOphelia grabbed Boavly by one hand and Bynun by the other. “I’“I beg your leave. I may have a fire at home if I don’t get thThe man sighed. “Fine then. Just leave me to do it, that’s fine. Why should I care? Your kids break in here, cause...” The door closed behind them on his sentence, and she could hear nWhen Ophelia and the children got to the wagon, she nearly dove inside, shouting at the butler, “Fly home, Hombrusta! Fly, maBoavly and Bynun piled into the cab beside her, Boavly in the middle, and away they went at top speed, Ms. Ophelia wringing heBoavly waited until the caretaker peered out the window anxiously, watching the skyline for fireworks near the house that were never going to be lit off. He smiled smugly to himself, then reached into his cloak before nudging Bynun. The younger child looked curiously over, and Boavly motioned with his eyes down Ebbsil stared at his feet as he walked down the long hallway to the evidence room. His cheeks were afire with embarrassment. The dunce cap was saved for the worst kind of infractions. Frankly, he’d rather have been suspended for a couple days, heck, a week. He’d rather have his pay docked. He’d almost rather receive a public lashing. At least it would only last five minutes, not days, and days of humiliation. Who knew how long he was going to have to wear this cursing thing. Those kids...he should have known they were trouble when they walked through the door. Why hadn’t he payed more attention? As if carving a little man was more important that watching the jailhouse. He’d let his guard slip, and now look at what he’d done. Not that he thought the reeve was being unfair, just that he hated his discipline. Well, whatever. He’d be more careful in the future. No more mistakes like that, no more missteps, no more distractions. He’d be at the top of his game from now on. Nobody was going to slip by him, for mercy’s sake. Not now. Not after this. He’d be better than the...uh... “What the? Where’d theHe searched his belt frantically. Quickly he retraced his steps back up the hall, looking to see if it had fallen on the way Suddenly he froze, as if someone had just pointed a crossbow at his chest and told him, ‘If you move, you die.’ The boy. The older one. The little convict had caught him as he tripped on his way out of the reeve’s office, being oh so helpful. He’d.“Flung skat! Oh, oh. Flung skat! That little convict! That He glanced back at the evidence room. They only called it that to the public’s face anyway. In and amongst themselves at the jailhouse they called it ‘The Vortex’. Once something went in, it never returned. As far as the reeve was concerned, he’d rIt was a little comforting. He straightened his dunce cap and only slightly grimaced as he hurried back to the reeve’s officeNeed to follow up with the brigand leader with the top hat. HeNeed to explain why Bynun wants the knife. This is likely to happen naturally somewhere along the way, so no need to force the issue. It’s ok to let it sit until WAY later in the story, bYou’ve set in place the organization for Boavly’s gang here, the gang that Jyech eventually helps Bynun break free from. Possible, heck, likely plot is the hunting of the men that killed BPoint out, after Bynun really gets to know the zhangheen, that he’s struck by their sense of unity, and that there is no such thing as zhangheen brigands that would ever kill another zhangheen. Process Group PGID: 156900 --- ## Canonical spine (M_L) **PRIMUS:** Willful avoidance of harm of self and others equally. **SECUNDUS:** Willful seeking of healing of self and others equally. **TERTIUM:** Willful pursuit of benefit of self and others equally. Love is the sole logic that produces mutual prosperity without a zero-sum trade. - Full paper: `MASTER DOCS/PAPER/Another_Paper_Draft_v1.md` - OSF preregistration: https://osf.io/qa54c - Corpus phase: extract v0.1 (mined from local Braid archive)