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As the chill wind blew across the village biting all exposed flesh with the teeth of winter, a young man awoke from his slumber. His auburn locks of hair were ruffled from his slumber, his deep brown eyes grimy with sleep. His life was a hard one, as compared to most others in the village. His mother and father had been dead for a long time, victims of bandits on the roads. He had no other family. He was alone in his home fending for himself, though he did a decent job of it. That is, until today, his luck would turn drastically for the worse. As he finished his chores, he decided to go for a walk on one of the various trails around the village. As he was nearing the village proper he came across a most gruesome sight. The body of one of the fair ladies of the village was splayed across the trail, her gown torn to shreds, and her face a bloody mess. The youth kneeled next to her trying to see if there was life left in the poor girl. Alas she was gone taken from this world by an unknown assailant. Then he heard the voices, terrified horrendous voices. He looked up to find half the village hovering around, screaming for the guards, thinking that he had committed this most grievous sin against humanity. He tried to protest, to tell his side of the story, but no one cared or listened. The guards came to arrest him and he tried to tell them what happened as he slowly backed away, so the guards cracked him over the head with their clubs and carried his unconscious body to the holding cells to await the council's decision. When he awoke twilight was just starting to pour into his cell from the barred window high above him. His head hurt something awful and he felt slightly nauseas, both from the blow and the knowledge that he would most likely be found guilty of killing that poor girl. As he paced the floor in a fit of nervous activity the guard approached his cell. He told the youth that he had indeed been found guilty of murdering the young woman and that he was sentenced to death by beheading the following morning. The youth told the guard his story but their minds were already made. He was caught red handed as it were. The youth didn't sleep at all that night, but preyed to the gods to get him out of this and, failing that, to at least accept him into their immortal realms when he passes on from this mortal realm. As the first rays of the sun penetrated the morning haze and shone upon the village the youth was taken from his cell and prepared for his punishment. He was made to bathe to change into the brown robes all condemned wear to the axe man. After he was changed they lead him from the jail to the center of the village. He didn't want to die without anyone knowing the truth of the matter! He started shouting that he was innocent and that he had merely stumbled onto the scene and tried to revive the girl. He shouted and shouted but none seemed to hear or care. As he resigned to his fate and kneeled at the block, he merely told the crowd he forgave them before placing his neck on the block, and closed his eyes. He heard the executioner lumber over carrying his massive axe and the grunt as he lifted it high. Then he heard a most peculiar sound. It came again so he opened his eyes and looked around. The executioner was smashing the chain that held him to the stage! He was freeing him! As the last of the chain gave up and shattered the executioner looked at the youth and merely said "I believe you are innocent, run free and live out your days happily somewhere far from here." The youth needed to further prodding. He got up and ran as fast as he could. The guards would most likely have caught him had there not been such a crowd for them to contend with in their heavy armor. He ran and ran and ran. When he got to the coast he chartered a boat to take him far to the south, so he could live out the rest of his days in warmth, all because of the compassionate spirit of the nameless executioner. ~Springs | |