lycanthropelahey:

iamthefirechild:

A startled laugh escaped Summer before she smothered it. “Where are you from, that serfs can rise to become knights and whole villages be moved for the safety of one person?” She tried to withdraw her hand from his. “If I give myself to Sir Kit, no one else will be hurt. He has promised me that. Please, my lord, you must understand.”

“I don’t think that a person should be victimised purely because of their circumstances…I think every person should be given equal opportunity, and while that is not always the case, I try to do my best, where possible,” Sir Isaac declared and straightened up, wielding his sword by his side as Summer pulled away from his hold, “Not physically, but what would that knowledge do to your little brother, and all the other children? And I know Sir Kit by reputation — he rarely keeps his word.”

His words were so outrageous, she simply stared at him for a long moment, before turning away. Her voice was wretched as she replied, “I have no other choice. I don’t live in your world, where everyone can be protected, happy — I was not meant for happiness. Please, please go, my lord. I beg you.”

lycanthropelahey:

iamthefirechild:

“Please don’t give him ideas,” Summer pleaded. “Serfs cannot become knights.” She looked down at their hands, linked together by Laurence’s determination, and the colour in her cheeks spread to her throat. “He hasn’t learned how cruel the world can be,” she murmured. “Or that sometimes, one must do what is best for someone despite their protestations.”

“He could if I put in a good word for him, surely? We need people like him — strong and valiant, putting others’ safety and well-being before his own…” Sir Isaac smiled tenderly at the boy, before seeming to finally notice that they were holding hands, a slight blush staining across his cheeks. “Maybe we should try and keep him innocent for as long as possible, then? Perhaps we should not let him see his sister die due to her own stubborn nature and a grudge from Sir Stumpy.”

A startled laugh escaped Summer before she smothered it. “Where are you from, that serfs can rise to become knights and whole villages be moved for the safety of one person?” She tried to withdraw her hand from his. “If I give myself to Sir Kit, no one else will be hurt. He has promised me that. Please, my lord, you must understand.”

lycanthropelahey:

iamthefirechild:

“Laurence, stop that,” Summer scolded, trying to pry the child’s hand away. She made the mistake of looking into Sir Isaac’s face, and color flared in her cheeks.

The boy continued to say, “fix it,” and, abandoning his efforts to pull Sir Isaac over to Summer, started trying to put their hands together.

“I don’t mind — he’s only trying to look out for his older sister, that’s all. You would make a very good Knight someday, Laurence, if you were willing to think that far ahead,” he praised the small boy, before smiling tenderly at Summer’s complexion, thinking how the blush made her look even more radiant.

”Summer…do I have your permission to ‘fix it’? It seems that a certain someone is quite determined to have his way.” Sir Isaac shrugged and allowed the boy to dictate his movements.

“Please don’t give him ideas,” Summer pleaded. “Serfs cannot become knights.” She looked down at their hands, linked together by Laurence’s determination, and the colour in her cheeks spread to her throat. “He hasn’t learned how cruel the world can be,” she murmured. “Or that sometimes, one must do what is best for someone despite their protestations.”

lycanthropelahey:

iamthefirechild:

“My lord, you were right. If I allow you to take me away, he will only punish those I love.” She wavered slightly, and Laurence clung to her ankles.

“You promised mamma,” he whimpered again. “You promised!”

The resolve slid from her face, looking down at him. Helplessly, she put her hand on his head. “Laurence, Sir Kit will make sure you are all taken care of,” she said, though there was little force behind her words. “He promised.”

“No, no!” the boy shrieked. “Don’t go with the bad man!” Abandoning her ankles, he ran over to Sir Isaac, grabbed the knight’s hand, and pulled, trying to drag him over to Summer. “Fix it,” he insisted.

“But if I leave you here, then you’ll all die, and I can assure you that it won’t be quick and painless!” Sir Isaac burst out with obvious frustration, running his shaking fingers through his tousled curls as he shook his head. “Please…please let me stay then, if you refuse to come with?”

He didn’t like any of the scenarios spread out before him, but he needed to find a way that minimised death and destruction, where possible. Sir Kit might be injured, but he had powerful contacts, one who would be searching for Sir Isaac too now. “I’m trying…” he murmured to the child, gazing at him sadly, “But if she refuses, I can hardly force her now, can I?”

“Laurence, stop that,” Summer scolded, trying to pry the child’s hand away. She made the mistake of looking into Sir Isaac’s face, and color flared in her cheeks.

The boy continued to say, “fix it,” and, abandoning his efforts to pull Sir Isaac over to Summer, started trying to put their hands together.

lycanthropelahey:

iamthefirechild:

But Summer shook her head at him. “You cannot take the whole village. And if you could, what of the other villages? Would you try to save them all? Lord Argent is a harsh master, and his son is cruel, but he owns these lands, to do with as he wills.”

Gently, she put Laurence aside, and rose to her feet. She shook out her skirts and patted her hair, flaming down her back like some kind of burning river. Her expression firmed, determination marking her features. “You should go, my lord. He will return, and I’ll give him what he wants.”

Laurence set up a fresh howl at her words.

Sir Isaac’s jaw dropped, his expression one of mixed indignation and awe, and he gazed at her helplessly. “Wait…you’re actually being serious here? Miss, I’m afraid I can’t follow your orders — for one thing, a good Knight never walks away when the prospect of danger is imminent,” he stated and sat up straight, fixing her with a pointed glance.

“Please don’t call me th—” he began, only to be interrupted by an agonising wail escaping from the small boy and he cringed, only wanting to help. He didn’t know which wishes to follow. “Please…it would be in your best interests to come with me, Summer.”

“My lord, you were right. If I allow you to take me away, he will only punish those I love.” She wavered slightly, and Laurence clung to her ankles.

“You promised mamma,” he whimpered again. “You promised!”

The resolve slid from her face, looking down at him. Helplessly, she put her hand on his head. “Laurence, Sir Kit will make sure you are all taken care of,” she said, though there was little force behind her words. “He promised.”

“No, no!” the boy shrieked. “Don’t go with the bad man!” Abandoning her ankles, he ran over to Sir Isaac, grabbed the knight’s hand, and pulled, trying to drag him over to Summer. “Fix it,” he insisted.

lycanthropelahey:

iamthefirechild:

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.”

A look of horror flickered across his features at both her words, and the tears shimmering in her eyes, before his expression softened and he lowered his head in shame. “I’m sorry, Summer…I spoke without thinking, I’m afraid. But if you really want me to take you away from this place, then I will…but can you honestly stand the thought of being away from your brother, and these other children?” he murmured lowly, watching the two siblings continue to curl together.

She hid her tears in Laurence’s hair, and the boy petted her wrist. He didn’t squirm, but instead sat patiently, an odd thing to do for a boy of four or five. Finally she murmured, “I had rather be parted from them for the rest of their life, knowing that there will be a rest of their life. I am selfish, my lord, I cannot bear to watch them die if I can possibly save them.”

Laurence did begin to struggle then, pushing away from her with a look of horror on his small face. “You promised momma,” he whimpered. “You promised.”

“Some promises must be broken, for the sake of others,” she told him, smoothing his hair out of his dirty, tear-stained face. 

“Go with him!” the boy wailed, pointing at Sir Isaac.

“I cannot. He is right, don’t you see, Law?”

lycanthropelahey:

iamthefirechild:

“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.”

lycanthropelahey:

iamthefirechild:

She smothered a soft gasp with her hand, instantly ducking her head. “I’m sorry, my lord,” she whispered. “Is the child bothering you? Laurence, come here.” She pulled the crying boy into her arms, rocking him and stroking his hair. “Shh, now.”

“He won’t protect you,” Laurence sobbed, flailing a small fist at Sir Isaac. “He won’t take you away to be safe.”

Summer blinked down at the unruly curls, puzzled. “What are you talking about?”

Sir Isaac blinked, paused, opened and closed his mouth a few times, before blinking once more. “My Lord?” He echoed with a bewildered frown, feeling a prickling sense of discomfort at the tone. “Just Isaac, or if you insist on being formal, Sir Isaac. And of course not — he’s just being a child, Summer. Nothing wrong with that.”

His expression fell and he rubbed at the back of his neck, gesturing helplessly as he scooted a little closer to the embracing siblings. “He wants me to take you away to keep you safe. But as I’ve explained to him, in doing so, I’d be separating you and putting them all in danger in the process. I’m quite willing to spend time here keeping guard though.”

“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 heplessly. “Where would I go? I’ve never known anything other than this village. This is my home, my family.”

lycanthropelahey:

iamthefirechild:

Laurence’s face crumpled, and he began to cry. “You said you were a real knight! You said you protected people. Why won’t you protect my sister?!”

His wails brought Summer around, and she put a hand to her head, making a quiet sound of pain. “Laurence,” she whispered, and struggled to sit up.

“I will protect Summer! But I want to protect all of you at the same time, Laurence. And I can’t do that if I’m not here, can I?” He remained at his level but removed his hand, fearing that that would only make the child cry harder.

But at another soft voice, he whirled around, remaining in his crouch as he gazed over at her. “You’re alright now, Summer. Sir Kit is gone.”

She smothered a soft gasp with her hand, instantly ducking her head. “I’m sorry, my lord,” she whispered. “Is the child bothering you? Laurence, come here.” She pulled the crying boy into her arms, rocking him and stroking his hair. “Shh, now.”

“He won’t protect you,” Laurence sobbed, flailing a small fist at Sir Isaac. “He won’t take you away to be safe.”

Summer blinked down at the unruly curls, puzzled. “What are you talking about?”