"Sir?"

Kirin looked down from the window he'd been looking out of for the past hour. Abel had felt him glance down a few times, likely interested in the progress he was making. Now that he was finished, Abel held the garment up with a hopeful smile, showing off his expert stitching.

"Is this alright, sir?"

Abel watched as Kirin took the shirt back and examined the sewn cloth. The shirt itself was stained from years of dirt and sweat, along with the blood he had seen before, which was likely why Kirin had worn the coat over it. When the man's lips turned up Abel knew that he had done a good job.

"Yes, thank you," he said as he pulled the shirt back on over his scarred chest. Abel hadn't focused on it before, and didn't really right then, but he did notice several old marks from injuries long since healed, as well as some that appeared to be more recent. Most seemed to be made from weapons like knives and swords, but one, a near-perfect circular scar right next to his heart, was unnerving.

He has been shot.

It didn't look as old as some of the other injuries, either. And darn it if it didn't pique Abel's curiosity.

"Sir? Who shot you?"

It was a pretty straightforward question, one he knew was likely personal and didn't warrant an answer.

"A thief that had stolen some trinkets from a home back in France."

Abel hunched, looking down at his dirty feet in the straw.

"Oh," he eventually said, then added, "I would not do such a thing."

"Such a thing as shoot me? Or steal?"

Huffing, Abel looked up at Kirin, meeting his eyes without worry. "I am no thief, sir."

"Then you would shoot me?" he asked, raising a brow.

Abel glared and shook his head, lying down on the straw and facing away from Kirin.

The rest of the ride was quiet except for the light pattering of rain that came and went several times throughout the day. He was hungry again by the time the sun began to disappear beyond the horizon and the urge to relieve himself was near impossible to ignore. When the carriage pulled to a stop only a few minutes later, he didn't wait for Kirin to command him and instead jumped from the vehicle and ran to the bushes a few feet ahead of him. He could hear the man following swiftly, his boots stomping heavily on the dusty ground. Abel ignored him, however, as he unbuttoned his pants and finally relieved himself with a content sigh.

When he finished and buttoned his pants back up, Abel glanced sideways and noted Kirin, staring at him with the most bewildered expression on his face. The look was entertaining and expected. The pistol in his hand, cocked and ready to fire, wasn't.

"I am sorry. I could not hold it any longer and I assumed it would not have been favorable to relieve myself in the carriage."

Kirin frowned and, after another moment, reluctantly returned his pistol to his waist.

"Why did you not tell me you had to go?" the man grumbled as he grabbed Abel's arm and led him back up into the carriage. Instead of waiting for an answer, Kirin walked back to the bushes they'd just been standing by and relieved himself. When he returned, Abel figured that the answer wasn't really wanted. He sat in the straw as the carriage began moving again, figuring they still had a good drive left.

"We will be arriving before dusk. Turn around, Abel, and give me your wrists."

Frowning, Abel did as told, putting his hands together behind his back. The ropes were tied tight, but he didn't blame the man. At that point, Abel really did want to try to escape before a cell and shackles made it impossible. When his wrists were all tied up, he sat back down, having knelt to not make Kirin have to bend over too much.

Silence took over again as the carriage brought them closer and closer to the jail. When the building finally came into view, it was nearly dark, but that didn't stop Abel from being able to see it. Lanterns hung on pegs all over the facility, illuminating the giant building likely filled with cells, along with the stacks of barred crates lined up along its sides and halfway down to the pier where some were hoisted up in the air, birds pecking at something inside that Abel couldn't quite see. I don't want to see.

The carriage pulled to a stop in front of the building twenty minutes later. Abel's heart was racing as sounds; moans, groans, and screams, echoed from all around them. It was beginning to rain again, making the people locked in the outdoor cages shift around uneasily. Abel liked the rain, but being forced to stay outdoors for an undetermined amount of time in it would definitely wear him down quickly. As Kirin helped him from the carriage and began ushering him toward the three-story building, he hoped that there was at least room for him in one of the cages beneath the roof of the building.

Inside it was muggy, the rain adding moisture to the already hot interior. Kirin ushered him up to a counter much like the one the innkeeper had been serving drinks over. The man standing behind the counter wasn't any kind of person Abel would trust being in his presence, though. He looked to be somewhere around forty, with dirt smattered everywhere on him, including his greasy face and hair.

"Got yerself a fresh one there, don' ye, Squire?" the burly man said as he waddled out from behind the counter and promptly grabbed Abel's jaw, his wet, sweaty hand making Abel's skin crawl with disgust. He wasn't averse to getting dirty, and actually liked a good roll in mud or grass, but there was a limit. This man was disgustingly filthy and obviously cared very little for himself, considering his yellow and missing teeth, on top of his dirty exterior.

"Yes. Where should I put him? He is in for theft."

The greasy man thankfully removed his hand from Abel's chin and put it on his own in thought. "Hmm, well, we don' have any extra space right now."

A few yells from the cages lined up along the long rows down the hall to the left made offerings eagerly, wanting to share their cage with him. Abel felt his stomach churn, terrified that he would be forced into one of their cages and attacked. He was not so clueless as to have dismissed the possibility, but he had hoped that he would just get fined, even though he couldn't pay it right away, or at least his own cell. The harsh yell of the jailer at the other prisoners snapped him out of his current worry.

"Shut up, ye useless bogs! I ain't 'llowed to put anymore than three uh ye per. Those the rules!"

Unknowingly, Abel found his back pressed up against Kirin's chest. He didn't even know that he had been shivering until the man's arm gently wrapped around his waist to try to calm him. It didn't help.

"If there is no room, then what shall be done?" Kirin questioned.

"Well. The rules have changed again. The darn uppers don' like keepin' things the same. Always makin' my job harder."

When the jailer got no response from Kirin, he huffed and waddled back around the counter, looking at a long roll of paper. "It says 'ere that for theft, he be either losin' a hand er hung if there is no space fer him. So, what'll it be, boy?"

Kirin's hand pressed firmer against him, his fingers splaying along Abel's belly.

"How long would he spend if there was room?"

The jailer glared. "What he steal?"

"A pair of gloves and shoes."

While his situation wasn't a positive one, Abel was glad that Kirin hadn't mentioned that they were female articles, or that he had been wearing them.

"Hm, simple theft then. That would be 'bout four months, dependin' on his behavior. Then he be losin' a hand before he be cut loose."

Wonderful. So even if I did spend time in jail, I will still lose a hand.

It wasn't a comforting thought, but he didn't really have a choice. Since there wasn't any room, he had to decide whether he wanted to lose a hand, or lose his life. The idea had never really crossed his mind, but he was actually leaning toward the noose over his hand. Everything he knew how to do required both of his hands, and he had no skills that a normal boy his age would. If he lost his hand, he would likely end up a beggar. That was no life he wanted.

"Sir, I think I'll take the—"

"He will return with me and serve out his time working on my property."

The jailer blinked, as if his mind couldn't comprehend both of them having spoken so soon after the other. When he managed to snap himself out of his stupor, he leaned back on his heels and crossed his arms, giving Kirin a stern look.

"Y'know what happened last time, Squire. How is this thief any dif'int?"

Abel looked up right as Kirin ran his hand over his own chest, right where Abel remembered seeing the bullet wound earlier in the day.

"Ye free 'em, then they try'n kill ye. Just let me take 'is hand and let him go. Even if he works on yer farm, he'll still be needin' a hand removed at the end."

Kirin sighed, looking down at Abel. "What do you want to do, Abel? Do you want to work for me for your four month sentence, then lose a hand, or lose it now and be free?"

The answer was an obvious one. The one that gave him a chance to run away.

"I will work first, sir. I need to learn more skills that I should already have."

Kirin slowly nodded, then looked over at the jailer.

"Fine. Here," the man grunted as he hefted a chain up onto the counter, along with a key that obviously went with it. Kirin walked over and took the chain before turning and kneeling down near Abel's feet.

"Hold still," he mumbled as he set the first open end around Abel's ankle, then forced it shut before using the key to lock it. He then did the same with the other before hooking the ring attached to the key around a loop in his breeches where his belt was fitted.

"Let us be on our way now, Abel."

Getting up, Abel began to follow after Kirin but found that each time he tried to take a deep stride in order to catch up to the man's broad gate, he tripped himself with the heavy chain as it pulled to length. The second time he found himself in the dirt, he heard Kirin turn back, his boots plodding over the dead grass and dust before he stopped in front of him. Abel tried to get back up, but when he felt Kirin's hand on his left arm, he let the man lift him back to his feet.

They made it back to the carriage, and after a failed attempt at climbing in due to the short chain, Kirin lifted him up by his waist, then followed him inside. When they had settled in, Kirin's driver got them started toward his home. Abel wiped off what water he could before he felt something tossed on his head, then moved around.

"Just drying your hair," Kirin said as he rubbed at Abel's head with the jacket he had left in the carriage prior to going inside the jail, then removed the ropes from his wrists. "There," he said before drying his own hair and arms.

"Sir?"

Kirin finished drying his hair before he set the jacket aside and answered with a "Hm?"

"Sir, I do not know how I can be useful to anyone when I only have one hand."

Kirin leaned back against the bench seat and sighed, eyes remaining on Abel for a long silent minute.

"That is the law, Abel. I am sure you will manage."

Abel opened his mouth to argue, but he couldn't. He had no skills besides that of a dainty female, and even if he learned some things while working for Kirin, he would lose a hand before he left, which would make it hard to complete most tasks in a timely manner. Or at all. Staring down at his hands, Abel was surprised to see little droplets of water splash against his skin. He didn't dare try to tell the man that he was not a thief again and instead just turned and fell into the straw, facing away from Kirin as he tried not to sniff. Comfort wasn't something he expected from anyone, not even his father. So when he got none, he honestly felt relieved. He cried himself out quickly, then drifted off to sleep with the somewhat steady lull of the carriage. At one point, he felt something light fall over him, making him feel warmer but not wake him. He actually didn't wake until Kirin began shaking his shoulder. It took him a minute to get up, then another to shimmy his way to the door of the vehicle and slide down to the ground. He stumbled from sleep, but thankfully Kirin had followed him down and caught him, holding his shoulder until he was fully awake.

What he saw when his eyes finally focused was what he'd always wanted for himself. Kirin's home was a large plot of land with a two-story house nestled by trees that reached out from the edge of a forest. It was illuminated perfectly by the broad expanse of sky sporting hundreds of stars and a large, white moon. To the left of the forest and home, he noticed several rolling hills covered in an apple orchard. Some trees were still in bloom while others had small fruits beginning to appear, and a couple even had a few full fruits.

It is beautiful.

A loud whiny caught his attention, drawing it from the trees to a pasture beside them where at least four horses grazed on fresh grass. Looking beyond them, he noticed several cows sharing the same land, their tails swishing as they chewed on the grass contently.

I have only ever seen cows two other times. Always at a distance.

Looking up at Kirin, Abel couldn't help but ask if he could get closer to the animals. The man seemed surprised, but then just shrugged. "I suppose. My workers must have already left for the evening, so don't get too close to the fence, some may bite or kick if you bother them."

Grinning, Abel nodded before he took off at a run toward the pasture, but promptly slammed into the ground as the chain around his ankles caught at its maximum length. That fall had been the hardest one so far, and when he pushed himself up to sit, he found himself spitting out some blood.

"Are you okay, Abel?" Kirin said as he knelt, reaching over to grasp Abel's chin and turn his head to face him, allowing him to see the small line of blood running down from his lower lip.

"Yes... I think I will just look at the cows another time, though."

He was upset, and rightfully so. He hadn't even gotten to see the magistrate to try to argue his case, but he had a feeling it was a moot point. In fact, the obese, foul-smelling jailer had likely been the man. Sighing, Abel got to his feet and wiped his mouth on his arm. When Kirin didn't move and instead stared up at him from his kneeling position, Abel forced a fake smile.

"Can we go inside? I will cook a meal if you have ingredients."

After another moment, Kirin nodded, getting to his feet and leading Abel slowly toward the house so that he didn't trip from the chain again. Inside, the home was surprisingly clean, even though Kirin said that he didn't have a maid. He said his last one left a short while ago and he just tried hard not to make any messes that he couldn't manage to clean up by himself. After a very brief tour of the two bedrooms upstairs, the large living room and bathroom downstairs, which actually had running water for the tub instead of having to pump it from outside and bring it in, Kirin lead Abel to the kitchen. It was a little smaller than his father's, but when Kirin opened a small box with a decent amount of salted meats and ice, he couldn't help but get excited. Not even his father could afford an icebox!

"It was a gift for helping a baron a few weeks ago. It is quite handy to keep meat from spoiling quickly as long as my workers remember to refill the ice in it from the icehouse close by."

Abel nodded, reaching into the box and pulling out a large cut of beef before turning to Kirin with a huge smile gracing his face.

"Do you have any vegetables or spices?" he asked.

"Uh, yes, I think I have some spices somewhere around here, and I can go pick some vegetables from the garden. What would you like?" he asked as he checked several cupboards until he took down some small containers and set them on the counter.

"Squash or cucumber, please."

Kirin nodded and quickly disappeared out the front door. Abel could hear him hurrying around to the side of the house, likely to a garden nestled there. With a shrug, he carefully took down a large plate and began cutting the steak with a sharp knife he found in a drawer with several others. He thought about trimming the fat, like he was taught, but he wasn't sure how Kirin liked his meat or if he himself would be able to eat much while working for him. So, he decided that it was best to leave the fat as an energy source he'd likely need in the morning, if he even got to eat any.

With a content smile, he carefully cut the large slab into two pieces, then again to make four. He then looked around, grinning when he noticed a stove. It was already stocked with fresh wood, so he got it lit and once it began to heat the surface above, he found a worn pan and set it atop to get it warming.

"Alright, time to see what spices he has got to work with," Abel said cheerfully, enjoying himself for the first time in days as he began popping the corked lids on the tiny bottles. The first one was familiar and made him drool in anticipation. Parsley. It was a very light herb when dried, but it added just enough with a small sprinkle over food, that it was quite valuable. The next one was one he had never seen before, but he eagerly took a taste after tapping a bit onto his finger from the bottle, then touching it to his tongue.

"Mmm."

It was a little spicy, and also red. After another taste, he deduced that it was likely made from the chili plant, which was beginning to appear in the province he came from. They were expensive, though, so he'd only ever tasted it a few times. Setting that spice aside with the parsley, he went through the other four bottles and found two he liked, and two he didn't think would go with the flavor of beef. Once he had the ones he wanted, he put the remaining ones back in the cupboard Kirin had taken them from, then got busy patting the meat down with the spice mixture.

"I found an acorn squash and one cucumber. Are these okay?" Kirin said as he walked in, placing the vegetables next to Abel. "And is there anything I can help you with?"

Abel spared the vegetables a glance, nodding toward the kitchen sink with a pump on it. "Wash them off really well please, then set them here, I will cut them in a minute," Abel said as he grabbed the slices of meat and gently set them on the pan, then added a small amount of lard from a jar he noticed next to the stove on the counter.

While the meat began to sizzle, he took the already washed acorn squash and grabbed the large knife, carefully getting the vegetable sliced and its skin removed. Once it was done being prepared for cooking, Abel found a fork and flipped the meat over. When he turned back to the plate upon which he'd cut the squash, he noticed the cucumber and quickly diced it, too.

"It smells really good, Abel. Did you use some of the spices I set out?"

Abel nodded as he turned toward the meat, poking it with the fork to check it. "I used four of them, but two did not seem to work well with the meat."

He smiled, leaning over the steaks and taking in a deep breath.

"I have not had cooked meat for nearly a week," Kirin said as he leaned back so Abel could move the steaks onto a clean plate he'd taken down previously. While he let the meat rest, he added the squash to the hot pan and then added some pepper he'd found next to the lard. The vegetable took only a few minutes to cook in the high heat, since Abel enjoyed them a bit more firm than others might. Once he was finished, he closed the damper and main door of the stove so that the fire would be put out. He then added the vegetables to the plate of meats before stepping back and lowering his head slightly.

"What are you doing?" Kirin asked as he grabbed a spare fork and knife and began digging into the food, right there on the counter.

"I... it is not my food. I am just glad that I was allowed to cook. It is calming for me."

The man eyed him for a moment as he chewed, then lifted a piece of cut beef to Abel's lips. "Open."

He did as told, taking the beef into his mouth and chewing slowly. It was truly delicious, with a slight burn on the outside yet nearly raw inside. Abel had never tasted such amazing beef. His attention quickly snapped back to his surroundings, forcing his eyes to open, as a soft cloth pressed against the side of his mouth.

Oops. I drooled.

It was worth it. Not only for the one bite he got, but for when Kirin offered him a plate that he'd obviously made while Abel had been in heaven. "Here, you will need your strength tomorrow and you cooked it. I cannot stand cooking."

Abel nodded consideringly as he took the plate, his eyes wide and eager.

"You are drooling again. Come, sit down and eat, then we will go upstairs to sleep."

Letting Kirin lead him to the dinner table set up in the small room that doubled as the entrance hall, Abel sat down, watching as the man set his food across from Abel. He then disappeared back into the kitchen, only to return with two cups of water. As soon as his was set down in front of him, Abel swallowed the piece of squash he'd been chewing and downed half of the glass. They ate in silence until both of their plates were empty and Abel felt his head begin to bob, his belly satisfied and his mind eager to rest as his body digested the large meal.

"Abel?"

Shaking his head, Abel opened his eyes, having not realized he'd let them close. He briefly noticed that the table had been cleared before looking up at the man standing next to him.

"Abel, will you sleep with my arm around you? Or would you rather I keep the shackles on tonight?"

I can have them off?

He was surprised that Kirin considered he was safe enough to remove them, even after the threat to remove his hand. Abel knew he would have to run at some point, but also knew that it wouldn't be when Kirin was asleep. The man wasn't stupid, he didn't get to be a lawman by letting his quarry slip away.

"Why would you let me sleep in your bed? I am a criminal to you."

The question just slipped out, but Abel still wanted an answer. When Kirin just knelt down and began unlocking the chain around his ankles, Abel sighed. It slipped to the floor, and he gasped as Kirin lifted him easily into his arms.

"I am tired, Abel. We will save questions for another day."

Abel pursed his lips, frustrated, but he couldn't force the man to answer. He did, however, wish he would put him down. The only thing that kept him from squirming his way free, was his full belly making him tired... and perhaps he was also a little grateful for the food. He tried to keep his wits about him as he was laid down on soft, comfortable blankets, but before Kirin even finished removing his clothing and changing into something to sleep in, Abel was out cold.