there.”
“Yes. But it’s not always so. Most of the time they escort the official transport without incident.”
“My mother is going to fight you on leaving.”
She nodded, picking up the glasses again to scan the path on the other side of the river. “Aye. She will.”
“She’s not curious.”
“She thinks curiosity is dangerous. It’s how we were raised.”
“I’m on your side.”
Tobin settled back, picking up his own field glasses.
“Thank you.”
“Will you support me then? When I tell them I want to be a lawman?”
She turned to him, not entirely surprised. “Is that what you really want?”
“I sent in papers, two visits ago, to apply to the training school.”
And he’d said nothing. She nodded, reaching out to squeeze his hand. “Then yes, I’ll support you. I can talk to Loyal if you like, see if he’ll share what it’s like.”
“He has. I mean, mainly I’ve spoken to Trinity because she’s a tracker and that’s what I want to do. I’d have to go to their academy. It’s a bit of money to get there. I’m saving for it.”
He was one surprise after another.
“I can help you. I have credits set by.”
“You do. But for your trip to Shelter City.”
“I can do that too. So I have to wait longer.” She shrugged. “This is more important. We’ll make it happen for you one way or another.”
“They won’t like it. My parents.”
“Probably not. It’s not a safe or easy life. They’ll want that for you.”
“As if it’s an easy life here? Behind a plow or whatever I’d find a place doing?”
“You could enter service at the garrison. They’ve always a need of strong soldiers here.”
She wanted to be careful. She loved Tobin and wanted him to be happy, but at the same time, she wanted him to be safe too. Wanted him to make choices that would keep him that way. And without a doubt her sister would blame her for this turn of events.
“I could. I may still. It’s an option after academy. I just don’t want to be trapped here. I want options. Is it so wrong to want that?”
She shook her head. “No it isn’t. You have every right to want that. Every right to pursue a life of your own choosing.”
“Sometimes it feels like wanting that is selfish.”
She shrugged. “Maybe it is. But if you can’t be selfish about creating your own future, what can you be selfish about?”
He was silent for a while as he thought. “Is that what you’re doing?”
“My parents traded me like livestock to a man more than twice my age when I was fourteen. I never had a life of my own choosing. Ever. The only freedom I did have was in my imagination. On the page of a book. After he was killed I had a sort of freedom I’d never had before. If it makes me selfish now to want to leave this and see what’s out there? If I choose to come back here for good, so be it. I’m capable of more than having babies and wiping down counters in a general store. I may
choose
that in the future. It’s not a bad life. I’m not saying that. I’m saying I want to know. I want my choice to be made with more information.”
• • •
S he’d been scanning the trail and saw movement. Verity leaned forward, peering carefully, noting the shiver of some bushes. Moments later the brigands emerged and marched in the open.
“Tobin, go. Run down to the garrison and tell them I’ve sighted the brigands near the big tree.”
He got up and scampered away without argument and she kept watch.
Moments later it wasn’t Tobin who returned, but Loyal. “Where?”
She handed the field glasses over and guided him to the spot, which wasn’t hard as a whole band of them had emerged from the treeline.
They were fearsome. A shiver worked through her at the sight. The night was chilly, but they wore little more than some animal skins about their waists. The light of the waning moon, giving way to early morning lit them with purple-blue light. Their faces had been painted, or maybe
“Yes. But it’s not always so. Most of the time they escort the official transport without incident.”
“My mother is going to fight you on leaving.”
She nodded, picking up the glasses again to scan the path on the other side of the river. “Aye. She will.”
“She’s not curious.”
“She thinks curiosity is dangerous. It’s how we were raised.”
“I’m on your side.”
Tobin settled back, picking up his own field glasses.
“Thank you.”
“Will you support me then? When I tell them I want to be a lawman?”
She turned to him, not entirely surprised. “Is that what you really want?”
“I sent in papers, two visits ago, to apply to the training school.”
And he’d said nothing. She nodded, reaching out to squeeze his hand. “Then yes, I’ll support you. I can talk to Loyal if you like, see if he’ll share what it’s like.”
“He has. I mean, mainly I’ve spoken to Trinity because she’s a tracker and that’s what I want to do. I’d have to go to their academy. It’s a bit of money to get there. I’m saving for it.”
He was one surprise after another.
“I can help you. I have credits set by.”
“You do. But for your trip to Shelter City.”
“I can do that too. So I have to wait longer.” She shrugged. “This is more important. We’ll make it happen for you one way or another.”
“They won’t like it. My parents.”
“Probably not. It’s not a safe or easy life. They’ll want that for you.”
“As if it’s an easy life here? Behind a plow or whatever I’d find a place doing?”
“You could enter service at the garrison. They’ve always a need of strong soldiers here.”
She wanted to be careful. She loved Tobin and wanted him to be happy, but at the same time, she wanted him to be safe too. Wanted him to make choices that would keep him that way. And without a doubt her sister would blame her for this turn of events.
“I could. I may still. It’s an option after academy. I just don’t want to be trapped here. I want options. Is it so wrong to want that?”
She shook her head. “No it isn’t. You have every right to want that. Every right to pursue a life of your own choosing.”
“Sometimes it feels like wanting that is selfish.”
She shrugged. “Maybe it is. But if you can’t be selfish about creating your own future, what can you be selfish about?”
He was silent for a while as he thought. “Is that what you’re doing?”
“My parents traded me like livestock to a man more than twice my age when I was fourteen. I never had a life of my own choosing. Ever. The only freedom I did have was in my imagination. On the page of a book. After he was killed I had a sort of freedom I’d never had before. If it makes me selfish now to want to leave this and see what’s out there? If I choose to come back here for good, so be it. I’m capable of more than having babies and wiping down counters in a general store. I may
choose
that in the future. It’s not a bad life. I’m not saying that. I’m saying I want to know. I want my choice to be made with more information.”
• • •
S he’d been scanning the trail and saw movement. Verity leaned forward, peering carefully, noting the shiver of some bushes. Moments later the brigands emerged and marched in the open.
“Tobin, go. Run down to the garrison and tell them I’ve sighted the brigands near the big tree.”
He got up and scampered away without argument and she kept watch.
Moments later it wasn’t Tobin who returned, but Loyal. “Where?”
She handed the field glasses over and guided him to the spot, which wasn’t hard as a whole band of them had emerged from the treeline.
They were fearsome. A shiver worked through her at the sight. The night was chilly, but they wore little more than some animal skins about their waists. The light of the waning moon, giving way to early morning lit them with purple-blue light. Their faces had been painted, or maybe
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