Freder awoke to find himself jolting uncomfortably up and down upon someone’s shoulder under a black night sky.
“Hey, put me down.” He stated and wriggled against the arm holding him.
“Ah, awake at last eh.” A familiar voice answered him and Stannous lowered him onto his feet and summoned a ball of blue light to provide illumination.
“What happened ?” Freder demanded rubbing his sore stomach.
“I had to put you to sleep Freder. I’m sorry but it was the quickest way to calm the storm you had summoned up. The lightning was getting a bit much to handle.”
“Where is everyone then ?”
“Dispersed. The Hand will be out hunting us by now and the more spread out we are the better chance that most will escape. I have taken charge of you because you are special Freder. We must get you to the House.” Stannous explained.
“The House. What’s that ?”
“Home. The centre of the Brotherhood of the Good Arm. But it lies many days travel away to the north in Doobyshire, we’re in the middle of Doubtmoor, a long walk home.”
“Walk ?” Freder didn’t much like the sound of that.
“Until we get some money there is no other way my young friend.”
“Oh, sorry.”
“Don’t fret. We have supporters out here in the wilds and I think we can probably get a ship around the coast and approach from the north, the Hand won’t be expecting that.”
“How far do we have to walk then ?”
“To the coast ? Maybe a day or so but we must find a quiet little port, the Hand will be watching all the major ones.”
Freder didn’t say anything, this was not going to be an easy time, he was already hungry. He sniffed the sharp clean air and looked up at the black black sky studded with billions of stars, a sight he had never seen back home.
“Which way ?” He asked, better to keep moving if they wanted to remain free.
“That’s the spirit.” Stannous said and clapped him on the shoulder. “We go north west.” He indicated and extinguished the light.
Surprisingly Freder found that he could see well enough just by the light of those myriad stars shining out of the clear sky and they made good progress over the scrubby moorland. But his time in the Stone had weakened him, the poor food and inadequate rations had reduced his endurance considerably. After only two hours his legs felt so wobbly that he had to stop and rest.
“Sorry.” He said to his companion. “I can’t walk much further.”
Stannous looked at him with a concerned expression.
“It’s a wonder you’ve walked this far Freder, you are nothing but skin and bones. The Hand have been starving you and my brothers in the Stone. They have paid only a small piece of that debt, I will make them pay much, much more.”
To Freder it seemed that there was a halo of light around Stannous, blues and greens that flashed and flared in tune with the outburst of emotion.
“What’s that around you ?” He asked him as the display subsided into quiet sheets of colour.
“Around me ?” Stannous queried.
“The blue and green.”
“My aura Freder, you are seeing my aura. Everyone has an aura, mine is largely blue, yours is almost entirely black.”
“Is that what he meant by a dark ‘un ?”
“Mikal, yes. He saw that you have a dark aura and that is a very rare type indeed. In the entire history of our brotherhood there have only been three, the first was our founder Adam Stormrider.”
“Why is my aura dark ?”
“Now that is a question that has haunted us these past five centuries my young friend.” Stannous said, sitting down beside him. “We know only that a dark aura is rare and invariably very powerful, able to achieve astonishing feats of power, reach energy in the deepest vatenloeker, even touch the balfljot, and see others aura’s in exquisite detail. You Freder, are capable of doing all these things and likely more besides. It is a good omen that we have found you and that you are with us.”
Freder didn’t feel powerful, he felt desperately weak and tired and now that they had stopped moving the cold was seeping into his bones. He shivered and his teeth chattered. Stannous placed his large warm hand on his hand.
“You’re chilled Freder, we must find a better place than this and rest there. It will be dawn soon and the Hand may have brought in airships to hunt us. We need a nice snug bolthole.” He commented thoughtfully, then stood up and held is left hand out, panning it slowly around and a great circle. “Ah yes, that will suffice.”

He looked down at Freder, just a dark shape against the star dusted sky.
“I will carry you, it is not too far.”
Freder didn’t want to be carried like a sick baby, or a sack of potatoes for that matter, but he was in no shape to walk.
“Climb up on my back Freder.” Stannous told him, crouching down. “I will give you a humpty back.”
“Piggy back.” Freder corrected him.
“Piggy back ? As you please.” Stannous chuckled as Freder wrapped his arms around his broad shoulders and was hoisted into the air.
“Rest if you can.” Stannous told him and started off across the moors in the direction of the brightening sky.
An indeterminate time latter Freder awoke and opened his eyes to find a small fire burning nearby and the morning light forming a bright pool on his legs where they poked out from under a coat, Stannous’ coat he realised.
“Sleep well ?” The familiar voice asked from behind him where Stannous sat upon a rocky outcrop.
“Yes, thanks.” Freder said sitting up and looking around the small cave.
“This will shelter us today, we’ll move on at nightfall. I found some berries, not much but better than an empty belly.” He held out a hand to indicate the pile of blueberries.
Freder didn’t need a second invitation, he was famished and finished every last one, even the slightly sharp young unripe fruits. He noticed Stannous attention upon him.
“Why are you looking at me ?” He challenged him.
Stannous eyes seemed to refocus on his face and the round face smiled.
“I was watching your aura Freder, it fades and grows with your moods, just now it has grown. Perhaps a defensive response when you feel threatened, as you ate it was all but invisible to me. I’ve never seen another’s aura do that.
Maybe now would be a good time to teach you how to control your talent, we must remain hidden and it will help pass the time.”
Stannous shifted position on the rock and beckoned Freder.
“I will first tell you the chant, the first step to becoming a master of the good arm.”
Freder stood up but did not approach him.
“Still wary. Have no fear of me Freder, you are more precious to me than my own life and I will protect you as best I can from those who would harm you. The chant is our deepest secret and not to be passed on for any other to hear – even out in this wilderness.”
Still suspicious Freder went to him and turned his head so that Stannous could whisper in his ear.
“That’s it ?”
“Do not utter it to another living soul unless you are absolutely certain that they are of the Brotherhood of the Good Arm.” Stannous warned him. “Our enemies would kill for that secret.
Now repeat that over and over in your head, close your eyes and let your mindseye rove out beyond this cave.”
Freder began the chant and found that it did indeed allow him to block out the million little distractions all around him and his own hunger to see another reality. The rocks about them were not inert, they sparkled and glinted with hidden energy, the fire glowed with a different ‘light’ and outside a hazy world of glimmers and sparks told of living things going about their business. If he concentrated upon one he could see what it was from the outline of these tiny currents of living energy, a butterfly jinking through the air, a rabbit crouching in a thicket of gorse, even the plants and trees had their own slow spectral energy.
“It’s beautiful.” He breathed as his ‘vision’ swept up all these things and brought them back to him.
“Go further.” Stannous prompted him gently.
With surprising ease his ‘sight’ expanded hugely, a river running pell-mell down the valley an almost silver stream of energy that hid the life within it.
“Is that what causes the silver rivers I saw below the Stone ?”
“It is one cause, there are many others, but running water is ever our friend. We call them vatenloeker.”
Still his sphere of vision expanded and suddenly there was something huge and alarming. His eyes snapped open and the trance was broken.
“What was that ?” He demanded fearfully of Stannous.
“I don’t know Freder, I could not match the breadth of your aura. Describe it to me.”
“It was huge, but somehow not very solid, it seemed to have bones or something making a grid, no a mesh.”
“Circular ?”
“Yes, many circular things.”
“I believe you just glimpsed our pursuers Freder. You ‘sighted’ an airship. Look out again, don’t be frightened of it, it is far away and they will never see us here.” He said comfortingly. “Look again.”

Freder began the chant again and was swept out of his physical body up into the wide sky; there it was - the airship. It’s vast bulk neatly delineated by the fine gridwork of its lattice girders, heavy metal engine blocks hanging under it, a fire-like flashing within them as the pistons squeezed and the diesel exploded. There was more, figures of cold flame moving to and fro within the behemoth and in the gondolas below it, men. He could ‘fly’ right through this mirage, look at it from any angle, ‘taste’ the fires of it’s engines with his new sense.
“No further Freder.” Stannous cautioned. “You can lose yourself out there, better to return now.”
Freder opened his eyes and for a moment he saw the physical and the ethereal worlds together, Stannous’ giant aura of blue and green large within it, then there was just the man and the cave.
“Yes, I can just see them now.” He said looking through Freder and out beyond him. “Not heading our way but no sense in taking chances.” He mused and stood up to stamp the fire out and cover the ashes with dirt.
Freder sat still and absorbed the enormity of what he had just done; he had seen things so far away that his eyes could not see them, his ears could not hear them.
“What did I just do ?” He asked Stannous in a quiet voice.
The master regarded him silently for a moment and then sat down beside him.
“Those of us with the Good Arm,” Stannous said raising his left arm “are capable of seeing another layer of reality. Everyone has an aura but only we can actually see that aura, but not with our eyes, rather with our minds. When you use the chant you enhance this ability by ignoring all the other senses. With practise you will be able to use both your eyes and your mindseye together, but for now it is easier for you to shut your eyes. Seeing with the mindseye does not require you to tap into the other energy sources that permeate our world, you have seen some already, but you Freder have a truly powerful aura and it allows you to see much more than even I can with my years of experience.” He paused and smiled at Freder. “Ahh my young friend, you have only just begun to discover the extent of your talent.
Now perhaps we can make use of your keen sight.” He mused. “We need to find water, preferably close by. Do you remember what the river looked like in your mindseye ?”
Freder nodded, the frothing silver stream was fresh in his memory.
“Close your eyes, use the chant, look for that signature again. Look down as well as around, there may be a spring nearby. It doesn’t have to be a large stream.”
The chant circled easily in his mind and the physical world faded to a misty background as he looked into the hard rock that he sat upon. Twinkles of light flashed in little lines where the rock was contorted by pressure and sheets of energy glimmered along fault lines where other minerals had thrust between the hard granite. None of these had the right signature, he ‘moved’ through the subterranean world seeking that illusive silvery stream, there ! It was only the barest of glints but he recognised it immediately.
“I see it.” He said excitedly. “There.” He pointed to the place that only he could see.
Stannous carefully observed Freder’s aura, a tendril had been sweeping through the rocks and now it acted as a guide for him to the water.
“Good lad.” He said quietly as he perceived the faintest of glimmers and followed it back down the tiny fissure to a point where he lost its trail.
“Does it connect to a bigger stream Freder ?”
“Yes, very deep down, its big.”
“Good, good. Then there’s a chance of getting a bit more out of the ground. Keep your eye on the top of the stream, it will guide me to it outside.”

Freder sensed Stannous stand up go to the cave mouth and then walk swiftly a hundred yards down the slope where he halted and did something wholly remarkable, his aura plunged down into one of the other energy streams and funnelled it to the tiny little shaft that the water crept up. Using it like a spike Stannous drove the energy down into the shaft forcing it to open, down, down, down, chasing the channel as it twisted and turned, until it reached the main stream and punched into it.
‘Come.’ The unearthly voice that had spoken to him in the Stone summoned him and he recognised that it had been Stannous who had aided him.
He scrambled to his feet, wobbled uncertainly for a moment and then more cautiously walked out of the cave and down to his companion who was quenching his thirst on the little fountain that was now issuing from the ground.
“Drink your fill Freder, you have earned it.” Stannous said as he approached.
It was gorgeous, clear cold water and he drank deeply. When he was sated he looked up at Stannous who had that defocused look in his eyes.
“What is it ?” He asked suddenly fearful.
“Riders coming this way. We should return to our hiding place Freder.”
Keeping low Stannous led the way back and then took Freder to the farthest dark reaches of the cave.
“We will stay here until they have passed.” He cautioned.
“Are they the Hand ?”
“I cannot tell, all righthanders have a similar aura, reds, oranges. There is no way to tell the Hand from ordinary folk.”
“But the Hand wear no metal.” Freder told him.
Stannous looked at him quizzically.
“In Lahndarn their carriages had no metal parts, the men had no metal buttons or buckles in their clothing.” Freder explained.
“How stupid of me!” Stannous exclaimed softly. “It was there all the time and I never thought to question it. Good lad Freder, this gives us an edge.”
He went quiet for a few moments as he sought out the riders anew.
“You are correct, not even the horses harnesses have a speck of metal in them. It’s the Hand for sure.”
For the following hour the riders quartered the nearby moors looking for signs of the fugitives but the springy turf and heather betrayed no sign of their passage and they eventually moved on. They came out of the cold damp corner that they had retreated to and sat just outside the cave in the late morning sunshine, warming their chilled limbs.

“Can you teach me more ?” Freder asked Stannous.
“Aye I can Freder, but some of the things that I would like to teach you leave signs that the Hand can detect with instruments. It would not be wise to do such a thing at the moment. For now practise using the chant and your mindseye, that cannot be detected.”
The day slipped by with Stannous making short forays around their refuge to find a few more meagre food supplies, but much of the time Freder roved the countryside, an unseen ethereal wraith, ‘tasting’ this new land.
As dusk fell they began to walk towards the low country and the sea. Freder needed to rest frequently but Stannous was more relaxed this night, the pursuit had combed this region of the moors already and were not likely to return soon. Nevertheless shortly after midnight Freder could not continue and Stannous hoisted him onto his back and carried him as he fell into an exhausted sleep.
“Freder, Freder.”
Stannous low voice carried an urgent note that cut through his sleep and awoke him suddenly, fearful of pursuit his aura swelled enormously touching everything for miles around in a wild welter of images.
“Steady lad.” Stannous said laying a hand on his left arm. “There is no danger but I need your keen sight.”
Freder’s eyes opened to a grey predawn light and further down the hillside he could see neatly delineated fields, they were close to the edge of the wild moors.
“There is a farmhouse over there.” Stannous pointed to the right. “I have sighted it and can only see two persons. Your sight is much keener than mine, are there any other persons in the farmhouse or the outbuildings ?”
Shutting his eyes he let the chant roll through his mind and cast his mindseye towards the fields and the stone farm buildings at their heart over a mile distant.
“No, only two in the farmhouse, they aren’t moving.”
“Good. Now what of the land around, there are plenty of hollows for a spy to hide in. Take your time, we must be sure before we leave the cover of the moors.”
Slowly Freder scanned the sleeping land near and far, sheep huddled against a stone wall out of the wind, some cattle chewing the cud, a family of badgers returning to their sett after a nights foraging and a fox scenting them on the air.
“Nobody.” He said at length.
“Our luck is holding, come we must be inside the farm building before sun up.”
Their pace was quick, following walls and ancient hedge lines where they could, so that they could not be easily spotted should someone come over a hill unobserved. Every hundred yards Stannous would pause and send his own mindseye out ahead of them to seek the best route and search for any persons. But Freder’s search had been exhaustive and they slipped into the farmyard as the suns first rays illuminated the high clouds overhead. A dog woke at their arrival and stirred to a bout of barking, Stannous looked it squarely in the eye and slowly waved his hand downwards, it ceased its outburst and sat down on the ground.
“How did you do that ?” Freder asked him looking at the dog.
“Animals seem to sense the good arm Freder, I just re-assured it that we were friendly.” Stannous replied with a grin, then looked up suddenly. “Ahh, our host is up.”

Moments later a burly figure swung open the heavy wooden door and stared out at them.
“Good morning sir.” Stannous said with a slight bow and gave him a gesture with his left hand.
“Good morning to you too master.” The farmer bowed back more deeply. “Please come inside master.”
Stannous laid an arm around Freders shoulders and led him forward past the farmer and into the dark interior of the house. It was a smokey smelling room with heavy furniture standing upon a stone flagged floor, a sleek black cat cracked a wary yellow eye at them and then slunk away out of sight.
“Please sit.” The farmer requested waving them to the table. “I’ll stir the fire and wake my wife.”
Freder was grateful to sit down, his legs were feeling weak again after their swift descent from the hills.
“A moment please.” Stannous asked of him.
“Master ?”
“Have the Hand been here recently ?”
“Aye master, two days since, four of them on horseback.”
“Did they seem set to return ?”
“I know not master, but they are mightily stirred up and threatening revenge.”
“Thank you.” Stannous nodded.
As the farmer disappeared up the stairs Stannous looked at Freder with a frown on his round face.
“We may have been a bit too heavy handed in our escape Freder, we’ve whipped the Hand up into a frenzy. We cannot be found here, it would be very bad for the farmer and his wife.”
“I’m tired, I don’t know how much longer I can go on.”
His companion nodded.
“I know that Freder, but we cannot stay here, we might be able to lie low in the vicinity if the farmer can feed us.” He replied softly and fell silent as the farmer returned with his wife, a small wiry woman with dark slightly sunken eyes.
The moment she clapped eyes upon the pair she dropped a curtsey then hurried over to Freder with a concerned  look on her face.
“Mercy Jonathon, the boy’s starved.” She said in a shocked voice. “How is this master ?”
“Freder has been locked away in the Stone for over five months madam, the Hand do not feed any well in there.”
“He needs good broth and porridge.” She declared and began to fetch food from her larder to set boiling in a cauldron over the fire.
“Do you have need of my help ?” Stannous asked solicitously when he noticed that she rubbed at her right elbow and wrist.
She looked at him a little fearfully, clearly wanting help but afraid to ask.
“What is your name mother ?” He enquired with a gentle smile.
“Mary master.”
“What ails you Mary ?” He asked her softly.
“A pain in the joints master.” She admitted.
“Freder, take a turn at stirring whilst I help Mary.” Stannous directed him and despite his lethargy Freder took the spoon from the woman and began to stir the pots delicious smelling contents.
“Please sit here.” Stannous said standing up and indicating the chair.
First he placed his hand upon her forehead and closed his eyes, Freder could feel the change in Stannous aura as he sought out the cause of the pain. After long moments of contemplation he nodded to himself.
“The years have not been kind to you Mary.” He sighed and lifted his hand. “But maybe I can help, the worst is in your right arm. May I ?”
A little slowly she rolled back her sleeve to reveal her skinny brown arm, and Stannous first held her wrist between his hands. Her face changed from concern to wonder as Stannous focussed his attention upon alleviating the pain and setting the body to heal itself. After five minutes he took her elbow and repeated the treatment then finally the shoulder. At the end he placed his hand upon her forehead again and concentrated for a long time, it was more difficult to encourage the body to heal remotely but there was no possibility of direct treatment of all the affected joints, that would be too taboo. Finally he released her hand and she moved her limbs without pain for the first time in years, a look of astonished wonder on her face.
“A word of counsel.” Stannous told her. “I have started the process of the self healing but it is a fragile thing, if you work too hard you will undo my work.”

Her face fell at the news.
“But we cannot afford the help on the farm, I must work.” She said in a low voice. “My husband cannot manage alone.”
Freder continued his stirring whilst watching the scene play itself out, it was heart breaking to see Mary’s face as she knew that this would only be a temporary respite from the pain that would slowly cripple her. He wished he could do something for her. She came back to the range and smiled at him.
“You’ll be a master too one day then ?” She asked him.
“I hope so.” He told her.
“Sit up at the table, the broths ready and you need some proper food in your belly.”
Freder didn’t need any further prompting. He devoured all that was put before him and would have eaten much more but Stannous cautioned against it, too much food after such a long period of malnourishment would not help him, he would likely throw it up again. Comfortably full Freder was put to bed upstairs and fell asleep in moments. He awakened with the sunlight shining strongly and went downstairs to find Stannous sitting in front of the fire, he looked round and smiled.
“Freder, come, sit.”
“Where are they ?”
“About their business, the animals need tending.”
“But Mary will get sick again.” Freder protested.
“Aye, that’s the truth of it.” Stannous sighed. “But there is nothing more we can do.”
“Nothing ?”
“Not unless you can find a crock of gold.” Stannous said closing his eyes.
“What does gold look like ?”
The question would have been ludicrous from anyone else but Stannous’ eyes flew open and he looked at him.
“Who better to find the crock at the rainbows end ?” He mused aloud. “Gold has a special ‘feel’, it is a great focus of energies. Gold in the ground is one of the deep energy streams that you have seen in your mindseye. But you would need to seek gold coin or objects, they do not have the same flow. It is like a whirlpool, the energy has nowhere to flow to so it swirls in one place, the brighter the swirl the more gold there is.”
“Bright swirls.” Freder said to himself and set his mind to discovering whether he could find any. Sitting back in the chair before the fire his aura roaming widely over the land Freder felt very comfortable, very safe; he could imagine living in this world if only he had his parents, his brother.
He suddenly sat bolt upright his eyes wide open, still seeing the image that had roused him from his reverie.

“What ? Found a horde already ?” Stannous asked drowsily from beside him.
“The Hand. They’re coming.” Freder hissed and Stannous was on his feet, his eyes focussed upon the world beyond the rough stone walls around them.
“Damn their hides, they’re heading this way and fast.”
The farmer came rushing in from the yard, red in the face and panting for breath.
“Riders master !”
“Thank you Jonathon, I see them.” Stannous said in a flat voice. “They are too close for us to run. Did they see you or your wife ?”
“They came over the horizon riding hard master, I don’t think they could have seen us. It is as though they know you are here.”
“Indeed. Well there is nothing for it. Jonathon, summon Mary inside, you are about to become our prisoners.”
The farmer stared at him blankly for a moment and then smiled as he saw the plan in Stannous mind and quickly brought his wife inside.
“The Hand will punish you if they think you are harbouring us but I think I can persuade them that you are in fact our unwilling hosts.” Stannous explained for Mary’s benefit. “I must make this look plausible, please sit down. I will touch your faces for a moment you will feel a stinging but no more. To the Hand it will look as though I have hit you. I regret that this is the only way for them to believe the scenario.”
“Do as you must master.” Mary told him as she sat down. “It is little enough payment for your aid already.”
Carefully Stannous placed his fingers upon her left cheek and she flinched, then upon her forehead. But as he withdrew she held out her left arm and rolled up her sleeve and braved yet another sting to leave a welt upon her forearm. The process was repeated for Jonathon although for him it was both cheeks and the bridge of his nose and both arms, forearm on the right and upper arm on the left. After only a few minutes bright red swellings adorned them looking very much like they had been ill used.
“Thank you my friends.” Stannous said bowing deeply to them. “It has been an honour to stay with you these few short hours.”
By now the thunder of hooves was clearly audible to everyone and despite Stannous solid presence Freder began to feel very anxious.
“Easy Freder.” He cautioned. “Tell me, do they carry any metal ?”
“No, no metal at all.”
“Hmm, cautious these ones then. They will have something else about them, quarterstaffs perhaps, maybe bolas.” Stannous mused whilst sighting everything out in the yard. “But we have a veritable arsenal of our own Freder, look in the yard.”

Freder was amazed at just how much metal and metal containing implements there were scattered about the yard, from old rusting horseshoes to hoes, rakes and forks. He looked a little further and saw that the riders had reined their horses in beyond the big archway entrance and were swiftly taking up positions surrounding the farm buildings.
“Two are coming around the rear.” He said.
“Four at the gate and two in reserve with the horses.” Stannous concluded to the amazement of their hosts. “Any moment now.”
“You in the house, you are surrounded, you cannot escape us !”
“And you’ll not escape me.” Stannous chuckled low and menacingly, then he shouted out in reply. “I have hostages, if you rush me it will go ill for them !”
“Protecting fugitives is a punishable offence !” Came the uncompromising answer.
“Mary, go to the door and stand in it.” Stannous requested then shouted out again. “It won’t look good if you harm this pair to take me ! I’ve knocked them about already !”
The sight of Mary, her face livid with the welts Stannous had caused, made the four stop and consult. The woman had indeed been assaulted in their eyes, so they were not harbouring the Sinisterre wizard, this changed things radically.
Stannous peered out around the door post at them and his whole body stiffened.
“What is it ?” Freder asked him in alarm.
“Crossbows. The fiends have crossbows.” Stannous said hoarsely. “I don’t think they mean to take us alive.”
The air in the room seemed to chill suddenly, what had seemed a one sided contest now had a deadly joker thrown into the game and the outcome was in doubt.
“Come inside.” He told Mary and shut the heavy door behind her. “Both of you go upstairs, I don’t want you down here where you might be hurt.”
“The boy…” Mary began to say but faltered when Stannous shook his head.
“He must stay with me, I will protect him with my own life if needs be. Please go.”
Unwillingly the pair ascended the stairs and shut themselves in their room, at least they would not suffer.

“The pair behind us are approaching.” Freder warned him and Stannous gazed out through the stone wall and smiled slowly, wickedly.
“Them first them.” He said and Freder saw two heavy discarded ploughshares fly through the air to strike both mens heads and they dropped like rag dolls.
“Now the reserves.”
Freder now saw a rusty pitchfork and a broken scythe blade lift at Stannous will, he read deadly intent.
“Stannous.” He said his companions name for the first time and caused him to pause.
“Huh ?”
“Don’t kill them.”
“But they would kill us.” He protested. “It is self defence and sanctioned by the tenets.”
“Don’t.” Freder begged him, he did not like the thought that his mentor and protector could become a cold blooded killer.
“Very well.” He acquiesced.
The men’s screams penetrated even the solid walls of the farmhouse as the pitchfork impaled one mans foot bloodily to the ground and the scythe blade slashed the other mans right leg deeply. The screams served a second purpose as the four man assault team were temporarily surprised by the chilling sound and Stannous took the opportunity to slam each one with a heavy rain of blunt metal until they either fell senseless or relinquished their weapons.
“Freder.” Stannous ordered him to his side and then stepped out into the yard where only two men remained conscious and stared wide eyed as the heavy figure strode towards them kicking the crossbows beyond their reach.
He towered over them and glared down into their frightened faces.
“Thank the lords that I was lenient today you scum.” He hissed at them. “You come to kill me, to kill a boy !” He roared pointing back at Freder.
Freder stepped forward and stared at the men, both scared and angry, they didn’t look dangerous now but the points on their crossbow bolts were wickedly sharp, he stamped on one and snapped it in two.
Stannous levitated a heavy hammer from the farmers tools and proceeded to have it smash down upon each of the crossbows in front of the men’s terrified gaze, then had it poised above their heads.

“Remember this day.” He told them menacingly. “Remember it and remember your folly in coming after a Brother of the Good Arm.”
The hammer thudded into the ground before them and Stannous turned away from them and strode out of the farmyard. He paused briefly at the shocked couple who had been tending the horses and would have passed them by if Freder hadn’t tugged his coat.
“Do something for them Stannous, please.”
He didn’t look inclined to but he knelt down in front of the man whose foot he had impaled and rolled up his trouser leg to expose the flesh then touched it so that the pain in the foot faded to numbness before gesturing the pitchfork out and away.
“Keep the shoe on until you get to hospital.” He told him. “It will hold the broken bones in place.”
The other man tried to run as Stannous turned to him but he stumbled and fell heavily.
“Don’t be afraid.” Freder told him and Stannous touched the man’s neck so that his right side went completely numb.
Then he peeled back the blood soaked fabric of the trouser leg and placed his hand upon the deep gash he had caused, the blood coagulated and stopped oozing out.
“Bind it carefully, keep it clean and it will heal.” Stannous told him gruffly. “And thank the boy for having pity upon you, for you showed him none.”
With that he led Freder to the horses, lifted him up onto one, gathered the remaining reins and then mounted behind Freder and urged the horse forward. Freder tried to peer around Stannous but could not see past his heavy body and could only wonder at what was happening back at the farmstead for his head was still reeling from the fast battle and he could not summon the chant and use his othersight.
Neither spoke for a long time, emotions were still high and both had to take time to reconcile their feelings about the other. Eventually Stannous cleared his throat.
“I’m sorry Freder, you were right I should not have been so violent. But their arms just made me see red, you don’t carry a crossbow if you want to capture someone unharmed.”
Freder didn’t know what to say, this was adult talk and he was still just a boy.
“Thank you Stannous.” He replied; it was all he could think to say.