Buried Too Deep by Jane Finnis

saw Cattos, it crossed the pasture to stand protectively beside the boy. It stayed close to him as he set off to where the white dog lay. We followed behind, but stopped when the lad reached his dog and started to shake with sobs as he crouched down beside its body.
    “What happened?” I asked quietly.
    He wiped his eyes with his sleeve. “I saw them riding up from the sea. Same three as before. I hid in the bush, and called the dogs in, and Thunder came, but Lightning ran out and barked at them. One of them, the biggest one, yelled out, ‘We know you’re here, Cattos boy, so come out, we want to talk to you.’ And Lightning jumped at him and bit his arm, but he grabbed her and—and—he pointed at the livid stab-wound in the dog’s side. “I couldn’t stop them. They all laughed, and he shouted, ‘I don’t like dogs with big heads, boy. This one will look much better if it has fewer ears.’ The others cheered, and then…” He stopped, on the verge of crying again.
    “A brave dog.” I took a pace closer, and he pointed at the dog’s head. I realised that one of the pointed ears had been hacked right off. I heard Lucius swear and Cattos start to sob. I concentrated on not being sick.
    “After that they rode around to scatter the sheep, and he kept shouting, ‘Next time it’s your turn, Cattos boy. Or maybe we’ll go and say hello to little Illiana.’ They said horrible things about her…and that’s when you came along.” He looked up at us. “I feel so useless. I wanted to help Lightning, but I couldn’t, so I just had to stay hid. We both did.” He patted the brown dog’s head. “I wish I could have done something. Divico will be furious when he finds out.”
    “No he won’t, at least not with you,” I said quickly. “He’ll say you did right to hide, you couldn’t tackle three of them. He and Illiana need you alive and strong, making the right decision like a man, and that’s what you’ve done.”
    “Divico asked us to give you this dagger.” Lucius slowly drew it out and handed it to the boy. “He says he’ll send someone out to help you guard the sheep. You shouldn’t be on your own just now.”
    The boy brightened. “Perhaps Belinus can come when his leg’s better.”
    That was the hardest part of all, telling Cattos that Belinus was dead. We tried to be gentle, but there’s no easy way to convey news like that, and the boy hunched himself into a ball and cried. I wanted to shed a few tears myself, for the harsh fate that had taken Belinus’ life and left his family so vulnerable. The work Lucius does is necessary and right, I know that, but sometimes the cruelty of it breaks your heart.
    I sat down beside Cattos and put my arm round him, and after a while he raised his head. “Belinus was like my father. He took me in when I was found. My mother left me in a barn. He and Illiana. Poor Illiana, this’ll just about kill her, I reckon. She’s been so sad and sickly lately, and Belinus was the only one could make her smile. I’ll try my best, though.” He shook me off and stood up, squaring his thin shoulders. “I’m all right now. I must see to the sheep.”
    “It’s going to be hard for all of you, Cattos. But Lucius and I will do our level best to help you, and punish the men who killed Belinus. That’s a promise. We’ll have to be on our way soon, but first I think we could do with a drink of wine, How about it?”
    The boy’s eyes lighted up like torches. “Thank you. I’m starved. I’ve had nothing to eat since last night.”
    “Then you must have some honey cakes too.” I rummaged in my saddlebag and found the cakes. He fell on them greedily and ate four, by which time I’d poured him a beaker of wine. Lucius and I shared the other beaker.
    He drank the wine and coughed. “I’ve never had wine before.” He took another two cakes, and smiled. “Thanks. I wish our Illiana could make cakes like that.” His smile faded. “She hardly cooks at all now.