“Ahh.” It came out almost silently, a little sound of understanding. “You would do that, Is—, S—, m-my lord?” She looked up at him, and her face grew pink before she glanced away. “Laurence is quite clever for his age. They would all be much safer if I was not here. They would miss me terribly, of course, but — ” She gestured helplessly. “Where would I go? I’ve never known anything other than this village. This is my home, my family.”
“I have nowhere else to be, and I want to help, Summer,” he stated pointedly and sat down fully on the ground, reaching for his sword and straightening up. His eyes scanned their surroundings to check for any dangers, but he kept listening to her out of interest. “What do you think would happen if Sir Kit were to come back and find you gone? Who would he vent his frustrations out on, do you think?”
Tears started in her eyes. “Unkindly spoken, my lord. He could hardly be crueler. Do you think I tend the children because I am too weak for other work? Lord Argent commands that I abide here, and increases the tithe to assure it. Everyone else works the fields from first light to last, praying to grow or glean enough to survive the winter. If I stay, many of us will die of hunger. If I go, their deaths may be swifter — even kinder.” Her voice rose passionately, and she pressed Laurence closer to her.
“If I am not here, he has no reason to continue to oppress this one village.”