Chapter III: The Great Hairbrush Race
Someone shook me awake. The moment I opened my eyes, I found myself looking straight into Merta’s deep, golden brown eyes.
I gasped. Merta pulled away and sat up. “Zack, do you always sleep in this late?"
I wiped my brow. “N-no, but—yesterday must have worn me out. Where are…”
I glanced down, and found myself on my own bed. Merta was sitting right on my lap. I choked. “... why are you here?”
Merta shrugged, then stepped off my lap. “Waking you up, of course. Better I than her, I should think.”
As I jolted up, I spotted Soot, casually spinning one of her needles between her fingers. “You’re far too gentle, Merta. Nothing beats a good poke to get a boy out of bed.”
Feeling groggy, I got to my feet. As I took a closer look at the girls, I finally noticed Merta was wearing one of May’s old, brown, summer dresses. Soot had changed back into her sleek, black attire. I stretched, and hopped out of bed. “I get the picture… I should help Dad with the chores.”
Merta beamed. “He says you have no chores today. You’re supposed to keep an eye on us, so I decided we’d do well to wake you up… so you can give us the tour of the village?”
Soot tucked her pin into her pony tail. “Yup. Don’t forget, you have a promise to keep, to both of us… So, where can you buy a sturdy hairbrush in this village?”
I blinked. “Soot, that is none of your business.”
Merta cocked her head. “What’s wrong with letting Soot buy a hairbrush?”
“Merta, don’t tell me you’ve forgotten? Soot wants to peep on you while… well…”
Merta blushed, glancing around the room. “Oh… that promise. Well, I… didn’t quite forget about that. I was just hoping—maybe—”
I narrowed my eyes. “Hoping that I had forgotten about it?”
Merta played with the hem of her skirt. “Zack, I’ve been thinking… Soot really was a big help rescuing me. And if you really did promise her–”
“No, Merta. I promised her no such thing. You will be getting a spanking today. But you deserve to be spanked in private. And, Soot…” I tried to stand to my full height, but Soot didn’t seem the least bit impressed. “I am thankful for all your help. But you’ve got a perverse streak, and I’m not going along with it. ”
Soot met my gaze, and smiled. “We will see. Play hide and seek if you want. Should make things more fun… Love the house, Zack. So many nice little windows. ”
Soot turned on her heels, and strutted away. She paused at the door and patted her own bottom. “Good luck today, Merta. Don’t worry, I’ll be right behind you, rooting for you.”
Merta pulled at my sleeve. “Zack… isn’t there somewhere else we could go, to… take care of my punishment?”
I rolled my eyes. “Where, outdoors? Look, Soot, you have no right to–”
But in the instant I had taken my eyes off her, Soot had disappeared. I grumbled. “She will try to peep. I know it already.”
Merta sighed, then smiled weakly. "Oh, well, um... maybe you should just spank me now, my Knight? We might as well get it over with!"
I chuckled. “Good try, Merta, but don't forget we have to buy you a hairbrush first."
Merta forced a smile, and shrugged. "Look—I mean—a spanking from you will hurt plenty, even without the hairbrush?"
I shook my head. "A girl your age needs her own hairbrush, anyways. And you agreed that it was a fair punishment only yesterday."
Merta pouted. "Yes, but that was yesterday!"
Something about the way Merta said it made me laugh. "No, no, my Lady, I’m not letting you back out of our bargain. Now, go outside while I get dressed. I’ll show you around town, and we will buy… you know what. And as soon as we get back home, I’m going to keep the promise I made to you. Do we understand each other?"
Merta made a soft, whining noise, holding her bottom. Then she looked me in the eyes. "Yes, Zack."
***
When we reached the bottom of the stairs, Mom was already serving breakfast. Soot was busy scarfing down a huge serving of bacon and eggs.
I frowned. “Soot, that’s my seat.”
“Don’t see your name on it.”
“I mean… that’s my breakfast.”
Soot slurped up a whole strip of bacon, her cheeks bulging, and scowled at the plate. “Huh. No name here, either.”
Mom appeared, carrying a tray. She had a rather annoyed look on her face, but smiled as she noticed me and Merta. “Not to worry, I made plenty for everybody. Imagine, three guests, all at once! And all of them such… beautiful young ladies.”
Soot chugged a mug of iced milk. “He won’t let me watch Merta’s second spanking. Can you believe it?”
Mom raised an eyebrow. “Really? And why is a polite young lady like Merta the one getting spanked?”
Merta hung her head. “Because I deserve it, ma’am. First Zack had to spank me for stealing one of your cucumbers. Then, after I’d promised to stay close to him, I’m afraid I ran off on a rather foolish escapade yesterday. I should have known better.”
Mom patted Merta’s head. “Well, at least you’re taking responsibility for it. Have a seat dear. Might as well sit down to enjoy breakfast, while you still can. And don’t be too hard on yourself. When I was your age, I earned three separate spankings for stealing. ”
I did a double-take as I pulled out a seat for Merta. “Wait, Mom, I thought you only got caught stealing produce the one time?”
“I did. But I got spanked three times for it.”
Soot scoffed, half-choking on a mouthful of eggs. “Holy hell! Bet you were good and sorry you got caught.”
Mom tightened her mouth. “I most certainly was sorry. First, I got a bare-bottom spanking from the old watchman, right after he caught me, in the middle of the town square. Then, the moment I got back home, I got a licking with my father’s belt. And after that, Papa escorted me right back to the market center to apologize on bended-knee to the farmer I stole from. Of course, that meant I had to apologize to the farmer while bent-over-the-knee, in the public bath house.”
I smiled. “And that’s how you met Dad?”
Mom’s cheeks flushed, before she brushed aside a curl of her wavy red hair. “I’m afraid so. He was a perfect gentleman about it, of course. Still, I was completely mortified. I felt like the most stupid, sore-bottomed little thief in all the world. So, imagine my surprise when the handsome farmer came calling the next day? And asked my father for permission to court me.”
Merta took a dainty bite of her breakfast, looking at her plate. “That’s… a beautiful story. It’s comforting, isn’t it? To know that, even though we’ve got to get spanked, at least we don’t have to be ashamed of ourselves any more.”
Mom patted Merta on the shoulder. “Exactly! Even though I was a thief…” Mom eyed Soot. “... a good spanking was all I needed to set me back on the right path. Wouldn’t you agree, Juliet?”
Soot looked over her shoulder. “Um—my name’s Soot.”
Mom sniffed. “Your name is not Soot, neither. Not under this roof, at least. You’re supposed to be my niece, Juliet, remember?”
Soot jabbed a thumb against her chest. “Oh, yeah! I’m Jet again! Anyway… guess if I had ever gotten caught stealing, that’s what I’d expect to get. I just never get caught.”
Mom hummed. “Hmm… More’s the pity. Remember, Juliet, while you’re staying in our house, you’ll be treated like family. That means we expect you to behave yourself accordingly.”
Soot leaned back in her chair. “No worries. After what I saw in the dungeons of Ceris, I’m not going to blow my cover. There’s no man alive I’d let spank me, so I plan to keep my butt out of trouble, thank you.”
Mom scooped up Soot’s plate. “You poor thing. Still, you were a huge help to my family, so I suppose there’s always hope.”
Soot blinked. “Hope? … What am I hoping for?”
At that moment, May arrived at the foot of the stairs. “Wow! Did we become a home for wayward girls overnight?"
I answered, “Well, not exactly. It’s a long story, see–”
Then Soot stood up, brushed right past me, and shook May’s hand. “Hi, I'm Soot! Nice to meet ya! So, you must be May! I can tell just by looking, you’re a fellow trouble-maker, aren’t you?"
May giggled, and struck a sassy pose. “Well, I have been known to get into trouble from time to time.”
I scowled at Soot. “What are you talking about, Soot? And how do you know May’s name? I never told you.”
Soot sniffed, and waved me off. “I simply pay attention to my surroundings. And a girl’s entitled to a few secrets, isn’t she?”
Merta interrupted, her voice neutral. “After you fell asleep, Soot and I stayed up late talking to your Dad. He told us all sorts of cute stories about when you and May were little.”
Soot scowled at Merta, before May tapped her on the shoulder. “But, what made you so sure I was a trouble-maker? How did you know that about me?”
Soot swelled her chest. “Simple observation. You keep a dagger on your belt. It’s first thing in the morning, so that means you wear it as a careful, deliberate habit. If you’re that disciplined about carrying your weapon, it’s likely you know how to actually use it. That tells me you’re the kind of girl who likes to always be prepared in case of trouble. Therefore, I surmise you’re a bit of a trouble-maker yourself. Am I right?”
May glanced down at her knife, and pulled it from its sheath, beaming. “A dagger? Oh, you mean my farmer’s knife? Yeah, Daddy gave this one to me. He says there’s a thousand things you can do with a good bauernwehr, so I should always keep it with me. So… that’s how you knew I’m a trouble-maker?”
Soot seemed a bit taken aback. “Uh—yeah?”
May beamed, then sheathed her farmer’s knife. “That’s amazing! But, why are you all here? What’s going on?”
Soot flashed a sly look at me, and grinned. Then, in a matter-of-fact tone, she said, “Well, your brother is an escaped convict now, and we're his accomplices. Now we're hiding out from the law.”
I stood up. "Soot! Don't listen to her, May. It was her fault we ended up in prison in the first place, but—"
To my utter horror, I saw May look at Soot with undisguised admiration in her eyes. "Wow! You broke my brother out of the tower? How did you do that?”
"It was easy. I am the best thief in the world, after all.”
May gasped. "Wow!"
Merta glared at Soot. “You can't just decide that for yourself!”
Soot shrugged. “I don’t see anyone else claiming the title. And, May, I haven't even started yet about Merta and… how she met Zack?”
Merta leapt to her feet. “You won't!”
Mom poked her head out of the kitchen. "Quiet, girls. I don’t want you to disturb our other guest with your bickering.”
“Another guest? Is she a girl, too?” asked May.
With a start, I suddenly remembered the unconscious mystery woman. “Grace? How is she?”
Mom stepped out of the kitchen holding a tray with a honeycomb and tufts of white flowers. “Ah, is that her name? How sweet.”
May glanced at me. “How do you know her name?”
I felt stupid. “I… don’t know. She just kept saying ‘Grace,’ over and over again when she woke up.”
Mom nodded. “Well, whatever her name, she needs plenty of rest. She was asking for you, but I had to give her some laudanum to ease the pain. ”
“How can I help?”
Mom sighed. “She’s not exactly in a decent state, but… I suppose it can’t be helped. You should all know how to help tend to wounds. Come along, the lot of you.”
Merta grabbed my arm and clung to me as we climbed the stairs. May and Soot followed.
***
The mystery woman was lying in Mom's bed. Still on her stomach. She was dressed in the old nightgown we gave her, but her bruised bottom was carefully left bare. The cuts had been stitched with a needle and thread.
Mom lit a candle and started warming the beeswax. “I cleaned the cuts with vinegar, and stitched them up with horse hair. Here, Merta, help me grind these flowers for the salve.”
Merta took the flowers and peered at them. “Daisies?”
“Yarrow. They help prevent infection. Use the mortar and pestle to grind them. Juliet, you mind the beeswax for me.”
Soot didn’t respond at first, then seemed to snap awake. “Juliet? Right, me. Ah—this is to act as a binding agent, isn’t it?”
Mom raised an eyebrow. “Yes it is. Were you trained as a field nurse for the border war?”
“Bit before my time. But I picked up a few tricks from an old alchemist.”
“Well, aren’t you full of surprises? Now, mind your beeswax, Juliet.”
I tried to look at the damage, then felt my head swimming and looked away. “Do you think she’ll be able to walk again?”
Mom sighed as she glanced at Grace’s bright, black-and-blue bare buttocks. “I've gotten my fair share of spankings when I was young. I've given a few, to you and May. I even saw some public spankings at the markets, but I have never seen anything like this.”
Soot smirked. “Zack hurt the man who did this… Captain Feltar. Punched him so hard, he knocked him out cold.”
May, who was looking pale at the sight of Grace’s condition, looked at me with admiration. I decided not to mention anything about how the stone wall did more work than my punch to take down Feltar.
Mom nodded, looking grim. “Good. Wicked men like that should taste their own cruelty.”
Soot reached for her satchel, and pulled out Feltar’s flail. "One day, he will. Trust me."
"Is Grace—is she any better since last night?" I asked. Except for her bottom, the woman was pale as snow, and her skin looked clammy.
Mom accepted the mortar from Merta and examined the herbs. “She should live, assuming we prevent an infection. Thank you, Merta, this will serve.”
Then Mom grabbed the melted beeswax out from under Soot’s nose, and started mixing the ground flowers and honey into the same bowl. Soot frowned. “Hey! I thought you wanted me to mind the beeswax!”
“Oh, thank you, Juliet. You did a fine job, too.”
Mom dabbed her fingers into the mixture. “I’ll need someone to help me apply the salve…”
Mom looked right at me, then glanced at May. “May, this will be your job. Try to cover every cut with a dollop of salve.”
May nodded, then started to apply the mixture to the woman’s cuts and bruises.
Mom stood up, and patted my shoulder. “She has a bit of a fever, and she… lost some blood. But the wounds were still fresh when I cleaned them last night. She certainly won’t be able to sit for a few weeks. You did a good deed, Zack, getting her out of that place. But I think it’s best if you leave her be, for now. We don’t want to disturb her sleep… Besides, didn’t you have a little errand to run?”
I forced myself to look away from the sight of the injured woman. “Right, let’s go, ladies. I have to buy a new hairbrush. Mr. Geyr makes sturdy ones. Hardest hairbrushes in all of Cant, they say.”
Merta stiffened. Mom patted Merta’s head, then guided her towards me, and nudged us out the door. “Geyr makes fine wares. I’ve been using that same wooden spoon since the day we got it, on May’s thirteenth birthday. Zack, why don’t you get two hairbrushes? I have a feeling I could put a new hairbrush to good use myself…”
Soot slid past Mom and followed us. “I’ll tag along. This is a big day for Merta, and I don’t want to miss a moment of it.”
Mom pinched Soot by the ear. “Hold on, Juliet, I think you’ve forgotten something.”
Mom held up one of May’s old, rose pink dresses, decorated with a pattern of white flowers. “We can’t let the neighbors think I’m not providing proper clothing for my niece, now can we?”
***
We all walked along the dirt road that led to Mr. Geyr’s shop at the village center. Soot stomped behind us, looking rather cute, and rather furious, in her new, pink dress.
Merta rested a hand daintily on my arm as I escorted her. May walked alongside us, still looking a bit rattled. "I swear, I will never again complain that I got a bad spanking. That was horrible!"
I nodded. "But we have another unpleasant duty right now, May. Merta needs a hairbrush of her own."
May snickered. "And not for her hair, right? Are you actually gonna spank her, Zack, for real?"
Merta smiled, but it was a strained smile. "Yes, May. Zack will actually... spank me. And I expect nothing less than a real spanking."
May looked sly. “Huh. So you're his girlfriend, then?"
I blinked. "What?"
"Well, boyfriends spank their girlfriends, right? That's traditional."
"May, knock it off. Merta and I are..."
Suddenly Merta stopped, and held my hand. She looked at May, and spoke in a simple, straightforward tone of voice. "May, I am a lady. And Zack is my knight. That means he spanks me when I need to be spanked."
May looked at both of us. “But Dad spanked Mom before they got married. And if I ever get married, my husband will probably have to spank me too… Shoot, I hope not for too long after I’m married.”
I felt my throat go dry. “Well, that’s not quite the same thing. See, The Vow of The Knight and The Lady is… well… it’s a chaste vow.”
Merta squeezed my hand. “Exactly. The knight makes a pledge to defend the lady, not because she is his betrothed, but because it is simply the right thing to do. Likewise, the lady pledges to submit to his hand of chastisement.”
“But Zack’s not a knight? Don’t you have to have noble blood, or something, to be knighted?”
“Zack has already demonstrated his nobility through his courage. He is a knight, because he has vowed to uphold the spirit of the true knight, and come to my defense. And I have promised to accept the responsibility that comes with that… and accept his judgment.”
Merta sighed. “I am afraid of the spanking. But I also know I did a bad thing, and I must be punished. Um... are we there yet? I’d prefer if we could get my spanking over with quickly, before any of your neighbors start to ask embarrassing questions.”
I pointed toward the lake. “It’s just past the river. See the swans? Some painter from Cant once set up his easel there and painted the swans for a whole month. Folks took to calling it the “Trilabute Lake” after that… on account of that’s what he titled one of his paintings.”
Merta gasped. “You have swans? I’ve always wanted to see one!”
May grinned. “One? We’ve got hundreds of them! Our village doesn’t have a name yet, so we just use the image of a swan as our mark.”
“Show me, May!”
“Sure. Try to keep up, Lady Merta.”
May skipped, then darted toward the lake. Merta followed, not quite as fast.
Then, Soot snuck up behind me, and hooked an arm around my neck. “She's unbelievable! Her Ladyship practically begs to be spanked! She’s the ideal sort of gal for the knightly type, don't you think?”
"I don't know what you are talking about," I said, calmly.
Soot poked me. "Oh, really? You’re dying to spank her, just admit it."
"Perhaps, Soot. Then again, I’d be happy to spank you, too."
She laughed. "As I said, I'm not the spanking type."
"You deserve one just as much as Merta does. Maybe more."
"Except I won’t allow anyone to spank me, you know."
“That's a mistake, I think.”
“You think I’d be happier? If I let a big, strong man slap my ass, and call me a knave?”
“That’s not it, Soot. I think you’d benefit from having someone who cares enough to hold you accountable when you act like a rogue. The way Mom and Dad care about me and May.”
Soot folded her hands behind her back. “And you think you’re a big enough man to try?”
“I’m not your father, Soot. I’m not going to try to haul you across my knee, because I promised you I wouldn’t. But… if you think spanking is such a great idea, for some girls, why can’t it work on you?”
Soot shifted her feet. I wondered if she was considering landing an elbow strike on me. Then she folded her arms. “Look, I got plenty of spankings as a brat. More than enough to last me a lifetime. When it was my Dad, and I knew I deserved it… I guess I didn’t mind those ones so much. But those days are over. I don’t intend to marry, or settle down. It’s just not for me.”
I looked around, and saw May and Merta splashing in the shallow water of the swan lake. “Who says you have to get married? If you ever get tired of being ‘the world’s greatest thief,’ you could always just take up another line of work. What you did in the prison, with the alcohol? That was incredible. Why not become—I dunno—the world’s greatest alchemist?”
Soot sniffed, and held up her black purse. “What, using oil of vitriol to knock someone out? That’s just an old thief’s trick. I’d have to actually study to be an alchemist.”
“What? Are you afraid of a challenge?”
Soot crossed her arms. “Ahem! Of course not. But in case you’ve forgotten, I’m a wanted woman. I’d need books, materials, alchemist tools, all very expensive. Not to mention a private study, and plenty of peace and quiet.”
“Well, we have plenty of peace and quiet here. If you ever steal enough to retire from the life of a thief, and want to set up shop as an alchemist, we could have a richtfest for you.”
“A what?”
“A richtfest. It means we build you a cottage.”
Soot stared at me for a few seconds. “Zack, the sort of people who… You don’t want me as your neighbor. I’m a criminal.”
I shrugged. “I’m a criminal, too. You ask me, we could use some fresh blood around here. Why not ask my Dad about it? He knows plenty of people in Cant who need hard work done. Maybe even some suitable work for ‘the world’s greatest thief.’”
Soot looked away from me. “I’ll think about it.”
We reached Trilabute Lake. The river that fed the lake ran downstream from the mountains, all the way to Cant. A few years ago, when I was still a boy, a torrential flood had forced us to rebuild several cottages, and the whole village pitched in to build a stone channel along the river. But we also had it to thank for most of our village’s recent growth. We had the best farmland west of Cant, and the river acted as a natural ferry path.
Merta spotted me, and came running barefoot out of the lake, holding her skirts daintily, like a princess out of a story book. “Zack! The swans are nesting! See, they still have one of their cygnets following the mother!”
“What?”
May snickered. “That’s what you call a baby swan, Zack. Duh!”
Soot peered out across the lake. “So, is that the dad swan?”
May nodded. “Yup! We see those two every year. Didn’t ya know? Swans mate for life!”
Merta sighed. “They’re so beautiful, aren’t they Zack.”
The sky was clear. The sun was shining. And as I looked at Merta, a strange impulse hit me. I wanted to tell her that she was so beautiful. But then I remembered what she’d said about The Knight and The Lady. A chaste promise.
And I remembered something I’d forgotten before. The Knight and The Lady was a love ballad. But at the end of the story, the Knight escorted the Lady home to her father, before she married a prince, and lived happily ever after.
Of course, that was the whole point of the story. A knight doesn’t serve and protect a lady because he expects her to marry him in return. He does it without expectation of a reward, because it was his simple duty.
But in that moment, I wanted to grab Merta by her shoulders and kiss her. And I didn’t want it to be a chaste kiss.
All this hit me in one instant, like a bucket of cold water over my head. I was being stupid. I was nineteen. Merta couldn’t be a day over seventeen. Barely any older than May. I had to control myself. With an effort, I fought down the urge to start kissing Merta, and kept my face composed.
Merta glanced at me. “Zack?”
Then, I heard a female voice calling my name from behind me, coming from a distance. “Ooh, Zaaaack!”
Merta narrowed her eyes. “Zack? Who is that?”
I turned, and saw a horrible, beautiful sight. It was Greta the Husband-Hunter! She had her skirts hiked up as she charged toward me, her low-cut top doing little to disguise her bouncing breasts, her long, strawberry-blond hair billowing behind her. “Zacky-poo-koo! Is that yoo-hoo?”
I felt my stomach churn. “Hide me!”
May jumped in front of me. “Hide you? Where, in the lake?”
Soot grabbed me by the collar, and pulled me towards the lake. “Great idea, May! Zack, deep breath–”
She grabbed me by the back of my scalp. “Cannonball!”
Then she plunged me face first into the lake.
I strained to stand up, before Soot’s heel shoved my face back down below the water.
***
Merta stood, shocked, as the water splashed her face. Then the strange young woman dashed towards them, cooing in a sing-song voice. “Oh, there you are, Zacky-cookie! I thought you’d never—May? Where is Zack?”
May crossed her arms. “He’s not here, Greta.”
Greta scowled, her nostrils flaring as she scrunched up her perfect little button nose. “Don’t you lie to me! He was right behind you!”
With a tremendous splash, Soot stood up in the middle of the lake, her pink dress clinging tight to her slender form. “Woo! Water’s perfect!”
Greta blinked. “Who are you?”
Soot shook her head. “I’m Soo—uh—I’m Jet!”
“Jet?”
May shoved past Greta, gesturing to Soot. “Cousin Juliet! She’s my cousin!”
Greta peered at Soot. “Where is Zack? I just saw him jump in the lake.”
Soot stretched, still dripping wet. “Zack? Oh, no, that was me. I needed to cool off. Zack’s back home, helping his Dad with the chores.”
Greta glanced around, and finally noticed Merta. “And who are you?”
“I’m… Merta?”
“Another cousin from Ceris?”
“N-no… I don’t have any family left. None that I know of.”
Greta smirked. “An orphan? What are you doing here? Come begging?”
Merta straightened herself to her full, diminutive height. “I’m staying with Zack and May’s family. They… They have kindly taken me in.”
Greta rested a hand against her bountiful chest. “Oh, that is so sweet. Well, if you see Zack, be sure to tell him that I haven’t forgotten his promise to marry me!”
Merta’s eyes widened. “You? Married to Zack?”
May rolled her eyes. “Greta, you made every boy in school ask you to marry them when you ‘played house’ with them. That doesn’t count.”
Greta huffed, her cleavage heaving from the touch. “Well, if Zack’s a man of his word, I should think his promise to a lady matters. And I have no intention of releasing him from his promise.”
Merta took a step toward Greta. “Shame on you. Zack’s not a toy for you to play with. And he is a man of his word, because he is a true knight!”
Greta threw back her head and laughed a great, hooting, fruity laugh.
May glanced over her shoulder, and saw Zack’s hands rising from beneath the lake, gripping weakly at Soot’s leg.
Finally, Greta caught her breath, wiping a tear from her eye. “Oh, please! Sure his father served in the border war, but that’s not a claim to a noble title. Zack can hardly be called a knight.”
Merta kept her face perfectly composed, but her voice was shaking. “And you, hardly a lady.”
Greta scowled. “Hmm, I’m sure you know all about the life of nobility. After all, orphans are always the long-lost daughters of wise kings, or elven queens… in the fairy stories at least. Though if you ask me, some orphans could benefit from a good spanking.”
Merta nodded. “Yes. Zack is going to give me my first spanking with a hairbrush today. Right on my bare bottom. I promised him I would accept my spanking bravely.”
Greta smirked. “Oh? You made the Vow of The Knight and The Lady? How old-fashioned. I would never let my husband spank me. Well, good bye, Merta. I hope your spanking hurts.”
Merta smiled. “Thank you, Miss Greta. I should hope so, too. A spanking is supposed to hurt, after all.”
Greta turned and strode away, her wide hips swaying with every step.
May eyed Soot. “Soot? How long has Zack been under water?”
“Easy. There are still few bubbles… Aaaand…”
***
I started to see white stars filling my vision. Then I felt Soot lift her heel off my throat, before she kicked my head up and out of the water. I gagged, before something struck my back, and I spat up water.
Blinking past tears, I saw Soot slapping my shoulder. “See? Didn’t even have to give you the kiss of life. Keep your head low. You might still be within eye-sight of your betrothed.”
I took deep, gulping breaths. “Greta—she’s not my—”
Merta stepped out into the lake, and held out a hand. “Can you stand?”
The moment I felt Merta’s fingers, I rose to my feet, shakily. “Merta, about the—when we were kids—she didn’t say anything about—”
Merta waved a hand. “Don’t worry about her, Zack. Greta spoke falsely of you, but May explained everything. I know you are a true knight and a man of your word. Speaking of which…”
Merta cleared her throat. “... I’d really like to get my spanking over with, please? The dread of waiting for it is worse than any spanking itself could ever be!”
May scoffed. “No way! If I had to take two spankings in a row, just to put off my spanking another day, I’d take that deal in an instant!”
Soot ruffled her wet hair into a mess, then redid her pony tail. “And what would you do when you had to take two spankings the next day?”
“I’d just take the deal again. Then I’d make the same bargain every single day, for the rest of my life. I can dream, can’t I?”
Soot glanced at me and Merta. “A bargain, huh… That gives me an idea! Say, Zack, how about a friendly wager? If I win, you let me watch Merta's spanking. But if–”
“No, Soot.”
“Without even hearing my offer? If you win, Zack... You can give me a spanking."
I stopped walking. I looked closely at Soot. I could clearly picture the sight of her lying across my knee, with her slender, bare bottom poking up in the air, helpless. “What do you want to do, flip a coin?"
Soot smirked. “That’s hardly any fun. How about a quick foot race?"
"A race? To where?"
“We’ll start at the store. After you buy Merta her new hairbrush, I’ll pick out one for myself. Then, whoever gets their hairbrush home first is the winner.”
I swallowed. “No deal, Soot. Merta deserves the dignity of being spanked in private, and I expect you to respect her privacy.”
“C’mon! You already spanked her in public at the bathhouse.”
“That was different, and you know it. It’s not my place to–”
Merta stepped between me and Soot. “You’re on, Soot.”
Soot frowned. “Hold it, you can’t use that flying diamond thing of yours, if that’s what you’re planning.”
Merta held her hand over her heart. “I would never. Besides, everyone in the village would see me flying. My geomancy needs to be kept secret.”
Soot smiled, then held out her hand. “Great. Then let’s shake on it.”
Merta held Soot’s gaze. “Not quite yet. Let’s up the ante. If we win, you agree to let Zack spank you… from now on. Whenever you deserve one.”
Soot pulled back her hand. “What?”
I pushed between Merta and Soot. “Merta, knock it off. You shouldn’t be making wagers like this. You really want to let her… relish in your pain?”
Merta glanced aside, then met my gaze. “I’ve been thinking about that, Zack, ever since you gave me my first spanking. I think… part of what made it so effective was knowing that I was going to be spanked, like I was still just a little girl. The fact that other people were there, and they all knew that I was going to be spanked… that helped me too. I was so embarrassed, I never wanted to steal a cucumber, ever again. And I should be embarrassed. I’m embarrassed because I’m a foolish girl, who still needs spankings. I’m embarrassed that everyone in your family is going to overhear it. But as long as I can be brave and take my spanking, I’m not ashamed. Please, Zack. I want you to do this.”
I shook my head. “But If Soot doesn’t want to trust someone to spank her, then it’s no good forcing her.”
Soot put her hands on her hips. “Hey! No one’s forcing me. The deal was my idea, and I was ready to shake on it. But Merta’s deal is no fair. I’m supposed to risk getting spanked by Zack, for the rest of my life?”
Slowly, May raised her hand. “Only if you deserve it.”
“Yeah, sure. But I only get to watch one spanking? What kind of stakes are those?”
Merta stuck out her hand. “Then if you win… You may spank me, Soot. As often as you like, from now on, when I deserve one”
We all stared at Merta. Finally, Soot chuckled. “But only if you agree you deserve it, right, Merta? What if I win, but you just say you don’t deserve any spankings from me?”
“I could ask the same of you, Soot. Zack promised to spank me, but only when we agree that it’s the right thing to do. You’d be making the same promise I made to Zack: to trust him to be a true knight.”
Soot sniffed, and shook Merta’s hand. “I get spanked, but only if I agree I deserve one? In that case… you’re on, Merta!”
I held up my hand. “Hold on. I haven’t agreed to any such deal. Merta, what are you thinking? What if we lose?”
Merta blushed. “Then… I will trust both of you to spank me, when I deserve it.”
Soot snickered. “Don’t worry, I won’t abuse my power. Much.”
I rounded on Soot. “And you, Soot… If we win, you're going to get it just the same as Merta. On your bare bottom, with the hairbrush. Are you really ready to submit to that, without cutting my fingers off?”
“Of course. But I'm not going to lose.” She smirked. “Heh, you're one hundred years too early to face the best thief in the world! So… shake on it?”
I grabbed Soot’s hand, and gave her a firm handshake. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Merta, watching us with a mixed expression on her face. Like she was thrilled, and terrified, all at once.
I wondered if I hadn't just made a mistake.
***
The general store in the village was owned by Mr. Geyr, a stern, stolid man with a shiny, bald head and a shiny, silver mustache. He was a widower and he had three daughters: triplets, all sixteen years old.
They were in May’s class, so I knew them pretty well from school. I could even tell them apart sometimes, when they weren’t deliberately wearing matching outfits and hairstyles as a prank.
Sue, who was “the eldest” of the triplets, had become the talk of the town when she’d accepted an offer of marriage from Jimmy, the journeyman smith who’d recently arrived from Cant to set up a shop of his own.
Unfortunately, Mr. Geyer held to traditional views on when girls should be considered old enough to seek attention from boys.
The town-gossip was only encouraged by the rumor that, after Sue had publicly defied her father when confronted about her secret engagement, he had in turn publicly spanked her. It was only when Jimmy the Smithy urged him to stop, and promised that his intentions toward Sue were strictly honorable, that Mr. Geyr had finally relented on the matter. It was agreed that Sue would wait until after her seventeenth birthday, at the very least, to give her time to consider the offer of marriage more carefully.
Of course, that didn’t save Sue from having to endure a week’s worth of bedtime spankings for her disrespectful behavior.
Angie, the “middle child” of the triplets, was not engaged, but it was no secret that she fancied our school teacher, Mr. Tutel. More than once, she had openly flirted with him to avoid getting a spanking at school, only to be spanked in front of the whole class, then sent home with a note. I knew from personal experience that Tutel could deliver a mean stroke with a wooden ruler.
And judging by how Angie fidgeted in her seat for the rest of the week, I guessed that her father believed that a spanking at school meant a week’s worth of bedtime spankings at home.
Dani, the “youngest” of the triplets, was not particularly interested in marriage, but was decidedly interested in any and all boys. On more than one occasion, a half-dressed local boy had been seen jumping out of Dani’s window before streaking back home, before folks heard the unmistakable sounds of a bare-bottom spanking coming from the window of Dani’s bedroom on the upper floor. Any time one of these scandals occurred, Dani usually got a month’s worth of bedtime spankings.
For his own part, Mr. Geyr was fond of joking that, ever since the death of his beloved wife, he had been forced to spank at least one of his daughters every single day ever since. Among his neighbors, this was widely believed to be no exaggeration on Mr. Geyr’s part.
When I entered Mr. Geyr’s store, I recognized the triplets instantly. They were bustling about cleaning and sorting wares. Only Mr. Geyr worked behind the counter, probably because the triplets didn’t like being too close to the wall of spanking implements he kept on display: hairbrushes, wooden spoons, spatulas, slippers, rulers, straps, paddles, canes, and birch bundles.
The moment she saw the selection, Merta’s eyes went wide, and she cowered behind me. May tried to look unbothered, before she slowly stepped back to join Merta, and hide. Soot, on the other hand, strolled up to the counter to examine the implements with keen interest.
Mr. Geyr raised an eyebrow as noticed Soot bending over to lean against the counter, then nodded at me. “Mornin’, Zack. I heard your folks were having some company. Hired some field hands for the harvest?”
I swallowed. Nothing stayed secret for long in this village. “That’s my cousin, Jet. And this is Merta. Merta is… a good friend from Ceris, and she’s staying as our guest for a while.”
Stepping aside, I put a hand on Merta’s shoulder. “Well, Merta, pick out a hairbrush. Don't worry, I'm paying.”
Merta whimpered. “Zack, couldn't you... couldn't you pick it?”
Mr. Geyr let out a booming laugh. “Ba-haw! A hairbrush, eh? Don’t ya know boys ain’t got no aesthetic sense at all? Don’t be afraid, young lady. You should pick out a hairbrush you like. A nice, pretty one.”
I nudged Merta forward. “Go on, Merta, tell Mr. Geyr what we need.”
“But... but…” Merta was on the verge of tears.
Mr. Geyr leaned forward, his voice gentle. “I’m guessing you don't need the hairbrush to brush your hair, right?"
Merta hung her head.
“And I’m also guessing you’ve been a bit naughty recently, haven’t you, Miss Merta?”
Merta only nodded.
“And I bet this is all very embarrassing for you, right?”
Merta nodded again, and sniffled.
Mr. Geyr sighed. "But that's how it should be, girl. I don't know what you did, but if you ever think of doing it again, just remember how you are feeling right now, will you? Remember how embarrassed you are.”
He coughed. “Now, what is it you need, Miss Merta?”
“A... a hairbrush, please,” whispered Merta.
“And what do you need it for?”
“I... I'm going to get a spanking with it, sir.”
Mr. Geyr looked stern, then cracked a smile, and set a rack of hand-carved hairbrushes on the counter. Each was a different color, and engraved with a unique design. “That's right, but I hope that's not the only function! It is a hairbrush after all, and you have mighty pretty hair. So what do you think? Shall we select one that is good for your hair, not just for your bottom?”
Merta brushed her hair aside, and finally smiled. “Yes... please…”
As Merta examined the hairbrushes, Mr. Geyr turned to me. “Zack, I’m guessing you’ll be the one handling the spanking? Once Miss Merta picks out a brush she likes, feel free to test it out.”
Merta clutched tight to a brush. “You mean, right here? On… me?”
Mr. Geyr jabbed a thumb at a wooden sign on the wall behind him, carved in the shape of an oversized spanking paddle. “Nah, I don’t allow no spankings of paying customers in my store. One of my lovely girls would be happy to volunteer.”
All three of the Geyr triplets stiffened, glanced nervously at their father, then quickly returned to their work.
The wooden paddle depicted an engraved, painted illustration of a trio of young women with spanked, bare bottoms on display. Beneath the illustration, all three girls’ names were written in clear, ornate letters, and a series of black ribbons were pinned below each name. I recognized them instantly.
Thanks to his daughter’s frequent misbehavior, Mr. Geyr had invented a unique method of discipline he called “demerits.” Whenever one of his daughters merited a spanking, they could ask to instead be given a black ribbon, and have their spanking delayed to another time. Unfortunately for the triplets, that meant that whenever someone wanted a demonstration of Mr. Geyr’s wares, one of his daughters was always overdue for a spanking.
All three of the girls currently had at least a handful of black ribbons pinned next to their names. In particular, Dani had saved up well over a dozen demerits.
I shook my head. “Thank you, Mr. Geyr, but poor Merta has been dreading this for over a day already. Mom says the wooden spoon you made for May has never failed her. I’m sure any of your hairbrushes will do the job.”
Merta cooed as she found one. “Ooh! I like this one! Its color matches my hair.”
“Ah! That one’s cherry wood.”
“And the carving is so sweet. That’s a longsword… and is that a shield?”
Mr. Geyr looked at the carving with undisguised pride. “Indeed it is. But it also represents a tear. See, the sword is the symbol of the knight, while the shield signifies the lady, and her tears of repentance.”
Merta traced a finger along the carving. “The art is just so beautiful! But it won’t break, will it? I mean, when Zack uses it… on my bottom?”
“Course not! Your wooden spoon’s ain’t never broken during a spanking, has it, May?”
At the mention of her wooden spoon, May blushed, and half-hid her face behind her hand. Mr. Geyr beamed. “Cuz all my hairbrushes are built to take a lot of punishment. Why, take this lovely flat-back for instance. Solid, black ebony! Why, it could cover a whole buttock with every, single… swat?”
Mr. Geyr reached for a hairbrush on the rack, and found it empty. Then his eyes snapped up. “Hey! You put that down this instant, Missy!”
I looked behind me. Soot was already at the door, spinning a big, black hairbrush between her fingers. It looked like it would make for a nasty spanking implement. Soot’s smile was just as nasty. “Ha! Then I’ll take it! See you, Zack!”
Then, Soot ran out the front door.
Mr. Geyr’s face flushed beet red. “Stop! Thief!”
I swallowed. “I'm really sorry, she’s... difficult. I'll pay for that, of course.”
Mr. Geyr gowled. “Right. That you should. But I would like to have a word with that cousin of yours, anyways."
Quickly, I slapped down my purse, and started to count out coins. “You like that one, right Merta?”
Merta was cradling the hairbrush against her cheek. “I love it!”
In a rush, I poured out every coin I had. “Keep the change!”
May pointed wildly at the front door, then rushed after Soot. “Hurry! We gotta get home before Soot!”
Mr. Geyr blinked. “Soot?”
Merta blinked. “Soot?”
I followed May out the door. Then, Merta sprinted past me, roaring with rage. “Soot! We had a deal! You are cheating!”
Far ahead in the distance, Soot glanced over her shoulder and called back at us. “No I’m not! I got my hairbrush. Now, I’m winning this race, fair and square!”
Soot paused, sticking out her tongue as she slapped her own rump with the black hairbrush. “Nyah, nyah! Try to catch me, farm–”
May dove to tackle Soot, wrapping her arms tight around the thief’s waist. “Soot! You didn’t pay for that!”
Soot gasped, then quickly twisted away from May. Both girls flopped into the dirt, before Soot rolled away and kicked up to land her feet.
As May lunged at the thief again, Soot jumped up onto a fence post, flailing her arms wildly before she found her balance. Then, Soot jumped past the fence to the nearby cottage, grabbed one of the log supports that formed the thatched room, and pulled herself up and out of reach.
Gasping for air, Soot turned to look back at us, and held the black hairbrush high. “I never said I was gonna buy it! You’ll never catch me! I’m—uh—I’m Jet, master of thieves! Fwah, ha ha! Just give up, Zack! I promise I won’t spank Merta too hard, if you only—”
May ran up to the cottage, and started banging on the door. “Mrs. Hunter! Open up! It’s an emergency!”
Soot’s eyes went wide, then she turned and climbed across the roof to reach the opposite side of the house. “Ah, crud!”
Just as Merta and I caught up to May, Mrs. Hunter, the oldest, sweetest little old widow in the village, opened her front door, and blinked at us. “Yes, dearie?”
May clapped her hands together and bowed. “We gotta catch my cousin! Please, may we run through your house!”
“Oh, goodness! Is that her climbing on my roof? What a rambunctious child. Well, yes, May dear, I suppose, but I ya know I don’t have a–”
May bowed low, then charged into Mrs. Hunter’s cottage, pulling me along by the arm. “Thank you, Ma’am! We’ll explain everything–”
We froze as we reached the back of the sparse home. Mrs. Hunter didn’t have a back door. There was only a small table and a sewing wheel, lit by a narrow window.
Then Merta charged past us, and unlatched the window. “Hurry! I don’t wanna get spanked twice in one day!”
With surprising agility, May jumped and landed on her stomach across the window sill. Then, with a yelp, she flopped down and out of sight. Merta waved me through. “Go, Zack! You can run faster than me!”
Not sure if I could even fit through the window, I leapt up to grab the top of the window, and tried to lower myself out the other side, feet-first. Then, I saw Soot sailing through the air in front of me. She landed with a thud, but rolled into a forward somersault to break her fall. As Soot got back on her feet, her pink dress covered in straw and dirt, she pumped her fists and kept running.
Below me, I saw May scramble back onto her feet and charge after Soot. I steadied my breath as I lowered myself to the ground.
Behind me, Merta stood on her tip-toes to thrust her arm through the window. “Zack! You need my hairbrush!”
“What? I can’t spank you now, Merta. We have to–”
“Just get the hairbrush home first! That was the deal!”
Feeling stupid, I took the hairbrush, and started to sprint. The road ahead was a straight shot to our home. All I had to do was outpace Soot.
I ran past May, and saw Soot’s pink skirt fluttering up to reveal the skin-tight seat of her black thief’s uniform, just a few yards ahead of me.
Then, someone tackled me from the side, and I stumbled. A strange woman with bright red lipstick was smothering me with kisses. I recognized Greta, the Husband-Hunter! “Zacky-snacky! There you are, you naughty little boy! It’s time for you to make an honest woman out of me. Just marry me, already, you stubborn, bull-headed–”
Someone tackled Greta off of me. As I sat up, I saw Merta wrestling Greta to the ground, shouting. “Keep your hands off my knight, you curly-tailed sow!”
May ran past me, clapping. “Zack! Toss me the hairbrush!”
I snatched it up and threw it at May like a discus. Without stopping, May caught it in one hand.
I looked around, and saw Greta straining to break free from a chokehold. “Zack’s mine, you brat! I saw him first!”
Merta growled through her gritted teeth, “Zack doesn’t belong to you!”
Greta was a tall, well-muscled farm girl. As she started to stand up, she wrenched herself free from Merta’s grasp, and spun to grab Merta by her hair. “Zack’s an idiot! He needs a strong woman in his life, or he’ll never amount to any–”
With a howl, Merta tackled Greta’s knees, knocking her back down. “Shut! Up!”
I held out my hands, not sure how I was supposed to break up the fight without hurting either of the girls. “Merta!”
Merta pinned Greta in a leg hold, and shook her head at me. “I’ve got her, Zack! Help May!”
Ignoring Greta’s howls of pain, I ran after May and Soot. I could see our house ahead in the distance. As I caught up with May, I almost hoped we could make it. But then I saw Soot, gasping for air, standing at the front door. Slowly, she reached behind her back to open it. “Ha! What’s wrong, Zack? You can still win, if you hurry. Or are you ready to quit?”
I tried to gauge the distance between us. A good twenty feet. If I took a single step, Soot would take a single step, and win the race. I had to think. “Soot, you broke the rules of the race. That hairbrush isn’t yours.”
Soot snorted. “I said that we’d start at the store, after we both picked out our hairbrushes. Whoever gets their hairbrush first, wins. Don’t tell me you’re trying to back out of your promise, Zack? Are you a liar?”
I took a deep breath, inching my foot forward for a final charge. “Soot, I will pay your price. There has to be something else you want.”
Soot growled, pointing her own hairbrush at my foot, pushing the door the rest of the way open. “Ah, ah! Merta made the deal, too. And you were so cute to fall for it! As if I’d ever let anybody spank me! Time to claim my win!"
Merta’s voice called from behind us. “Zack! Did we…” As Merta caught up with us, her voice trailed off. “Oh, dear.”
Soot glanced at the wide open door next to her, and hesitated.
With an effort, I kept my voice calm. “Soot, please, don’t do this to Merta.”
Soot glared at me. “Why? Because she’s a girl, too? Ya know, Zack, we’re not helpless flowers, just because we’re women. What's the matter? Aren’t you even going to try to save your fair lady? This is no fun at all! You… you’re a bad sport, you know that?”
Merta stomped her foot. “Quit toying with us, Soot. If you want to call off the bet now, we still can. But if you want to spank me, fine! It’s your choice. Just finish this foolish game!”
Soot looked at Merta, then at me, with a conflicted look in her eyes. Behind us, May tensed, and gripped the hairbrush tight.
Finally, Soot smiled. “Too bad. I always win these games.”
Then, May kicked up her leg and threw the hairbrush right at the open door.
Soot dodged as the hairbrush went flying past her face and into the house. There was a clatter and clash of glass breaking from inside the cottage. May pumped a fist, and slapped her bicep. “Yes! We win!”
Quickly, Soot stepped inside the house, then turned to snarl at us. “W-what? No, I’m here first! I’ve won the game!”
May waved a finger. “Ah, ah! You didn’t say anything about who got in the house first. The bet was… who ever got their hairbrush home first, right? And we did that. You've lost!”
Slowly, I followed May toward the house, and felt Merta grab on to my arm.
As we reached the front door, Soot opened her mouth to say something, but then glanced back at Merta’s hairbrush, lying in the smashed remains of Mom’s flower vase. Soot pouted. “All right, fine. You win. Damn, I hate it when this happens!”
I breathed a sigh of relief.
May pressed a finger to her lips, looking coy. “So, Zack, if I remember correctly, the deal was, if Soot won the game, she got to watch you spank Merta?”
Merta crossed her arms. “And spank me herself, if she wanted to.”
Soot pressed her fingers against the bridge of her nose. “And if you won… Zack gets to spank me.”
May rubbed her hands together, her eyes sparkling. “Sweet! Can I watch?”
“Ahem!” Mom stepped out of the kitchen, and pointed at the broken vase. “And who is responsible for that? That was my favorite flower pot.”
May stiffened. “Uh, Mommy? It was kind of an urgent situation, see–”
Mom pulled out the big wooden spoon, and slapped it against her palm. “May, I have warned you countless times before about not throwing things in my house. You know what this means, young lady.”
“B-but, Mom! I was only–”
“No buts, May. Go to your room. I’ll be along in a few minutes… to spank you.”
I stepped between Mom and May. “Mom, May didn’t intend to break the flower pot. She was trying to help Merta.”
“Yes, Zack. I overheard. But I’m raising May to be a lady, not an axe-throwing barbarian. It’s my job to decide when May needs a spanking. May? Do you agree you deserve a spanking for throwing things in the house?”
May shuffled her feet. “W-well, yeah, I guess so, but… can’t I watch Soot’s spanking first?”
Mom shook her head, and pinched May lightly by the ear. “Of course not. Soot and Merta are both entitled to a little privacy. Now, march your tail straight up the stairs.”
May winced, then forced a smile past her gritted teeth. “Yes, Mommy! *Ulp* You’re not too mad at me, are you?”
Mom released her hold on May’s ear, and patted her across the seat of her skirt with the wooden spoon. “I’m not one bit angry with you, May. Move along. We’ll discuss the matter in your room.”
May squeaked, then hustled to the stairs. “Eep! Yes, ma’am!”
As May’s footsteps faded away, Mom looked at me. “And, Zack… Thank you for sticking up for your little sister.”
“You’re not going to be too hard on her, are you?”
Mom waved a hand. “Oh, don’t worry so much. I’m not planning to use the wooden spoon on her. But you know May. If I let her get away with throwing things in the house without getting a spanking, she’ll think she can start playing stick ball inside the house again. Merta, Soot? Be good for Zack, now!”
Merta curtsied. “Thank you, ma’am!”
Soot only grabbed her arm. “Hmm.”
I decided not to argue with Mom. I knew from personal experience that May loved to test every rule of the house, just to see how far she could get before earning a spanking. As Mom marched up the steps after May, I turned to face Soot.
“Well, Soot? Are you ready to face what’s coming to you?”
“We agreed you can spank me… if I agree that I deserve one.”
I nodded. “And?”
Soot hung her head, and sighed. “Ten years… Ten years without a spanking, and now this.”
Soot put her hands on her hips. “Oh well, no one can say that Soot doesn't keep her promises. I… I’ll let you spank me, Zack. I guess I kinda deserve one. For losing, anyway."
Gently, I pinched Soot by the ear. I’d noticed that the trick worked well on May when she was being especially difficult.
Soot stiffened as she felt the tug on her ear, and tightened her mouth. "Eep! … Okay, have your fun with me. I'm not one for holding a grudge. Or for backing out of a challenge. But next time..."
“Let's go,” I said.
“Where, to your room?”
I shook my head, and led her out the front door. “Back to the store. I paid for the hairbrush you stole, but you are still going to apologize to the owner.”
Soot glared at me. “What? I don't apologize! That's one of my rules!”
I released my hold on Soot’s ear, and landed a form slap across her bottom, good and hard, with all my strength. “March.”
Soot jumped, clutching her backside with both hands as she rounded on me. “Ouch! That hurt!”
I squared up to Soot. “Time. To. Go… I don't want any more trouble from you today, young lady. Understand?”
Soot curled her mouth into a curious half-smile, half-frown. "Young lady? I'm older than you!"
I reached around to deliver another firm swat.
*SMACK!*
This time, Soot hopped forward, pressing against my chest. "Ouch!"
Immediately, I pinched her ear again. “No arguing.”
With muscle memory, Soot reached for where she usually kept her knife on her belt, only for her to realize it was under her pink dress. As I noticed the gesture, I froze. Then, Soot sighed. “I’ll obey.”
Slowly, I exhaled. I knew Soot was stronger than me, but she kept her word. She definitely wasn't your common “naughty girl,” but at least she was willing to behave like one, for a time.
When we entered the store, Mr. Geyr raised his eyebrows. “I see you’ve caught her.”
Finally, I let go of Soot’s ear. “Yes, and she has something to tell you, don't you, Jet?”
Soot lowered her eyes, and murmured, "S'ry."
Mr. Geyr shook his head. “I have made a few rattan canes in my spare time.”
He pulled a cane off the wall, and bent it slowly, showing off its flexibility. “Far too harsh for a child, but they would serve well for a thief. I’ll let you have one at a reasonable price..."
Soot’s eyes went wide as she looked at the cane, before she looked at me with a silent plea for pity.
I smiled. “No, thank you. The ebony hairbrush she stole will be more than enough, I think. That will be her personal hairbrush, from now on.”
Mr. Geyr hung up the cane. “Poetic justice? I love it. But if she ever tries a stunt like that again, feel free to bring her by the store for a proper caning. Give me just a few minutes alone with an unrepentant thief... And I’ll be happy to teach her some manners!”
I chuckled. “No, I don't really think you would. Once again, we’re very sorry for troubling you. And as soon as I get her home, she is going to be even more sorry."
Soot swallowed. “Yes… I really am sorry, sir.”
Mr. Gery nodded. “I hope so, young lady. Good luck with that one, Zack.”
***
It was past noon by the time we made it back home. I found May, sitting on a pillow by the dining room table, chatting amiably with Merta about Soot’s upcoming spanking. Soot hid her face behind her hand.
I tapped May on the shoulder. “May? Are you holding up all right?”
Shifting on her seat, May glanced at her bottom. “Oh, Mom wasn’t too hard on me. Just a hand spanking… Still, I’m not planning to throw any more hairbrushes in the house any time soon. Is it time for the world’s greatest thief to get her bare butt spanked?”
Soot glowered at May. “Why are you so happy about it? Just this morning, you were begging me to show you a few tricks. Weren’t you telling me all about how you always wanted to be a master thief, when you grew up?”
May glanced nervously at Mom, then snickered. “Well, sure! I liked to pretend to be a noble thief—um—who only steals from tax-collectors, to return to the people what was unjustly stolen from them! But maybe I have a bit of a mean streak. If I ever met a girl that deserves a good spanking, it's you, Soot!”
“Thank you, May, I appreciate the compliment.”
“You’re welcome! Don’t worry, Soot, I’m rooting for you!”
Mom brought a tray out from the kitchen. “Lunch is ready now. If you don’t want it to get cold, why don’t we eat now? The spanking can wait until afterwards.”
Merta whimpered softly, then stood and curtsied to mother. “May I help you serve, ma’am? Anything to take my mind off of what’s coming.”
Mother positively beamed at Merta. “Of course, Merta, dear.”
Before lunch started, Merta approached me, and silently held up her hairbrush, holding it gently in both hands. I patted Merta’s hand, and accepted it. Then, reluctantly, Soot stepped forward, and held out her own hefty black hairbrush roughly. She couldn’t look me in the eye. Gently, I took the hairbrush, and patted Soot’s hand too.
As we sat down to eat, I set the hairbrushes on the table, where everyone could see them. May seemed to thoroughly enjoy her meal. I couldn’t help but enjoy it too.
And after we finished lunch...
I led both girls to my room. May scooped up the hairbrushes and followed us, hiding a soft snigger behind her hand.
I frowned at May. “I thought Mom said you weren’t supposed to watch.”
May glanced nervously at Mom, then forced a smile. “Um… not without permission?”
I resisted the urge to snicker, then held May by the shoulder. I raised my voice. “May! I want you to see exactly what happens to girls who steal. Come along. You’re going to watch cousin Jet’s spanking.”
As I led all three girls toward the stairs, Mom winked at me.
***
I sat on my bed and took a good look at Soot and Merta. Thanks to all the previous fighting and rolling around in the dirt, both their dresses were now mud-stained and slightly frayed.
“Well, Merta, Soot did all this so she could see you spanked. So I think it's only fair that you get to watch her spanking."
Soot blinked, but then she sighed. “Oh, all right, let her watch... I don't have anything to hide, after all.”
“I just wanted to ask, Merta—do you prefer to be spanked before or after Soot? I can do either, you know, it's only your choice.”
Tears welled up in Merta's eyes.
“What's it going to be, my lady?”
“Afterwards.”
“May, do you have the hairbrushes?”
May offered me the cherry-wood brush.
“No, May. I’ll want the ebony one for Soot. But I don’t need it quite yet. First, I'm going to spank her by hand so she can really appreciate the difference a hairbrush can make. Soot…”
Already, Soot was frowning. But at the mention of her name, she glared at me. If looks could kill I would already be dead, but I knew she wouldn't do anything to stop me.
But she couldn’t. After all, a bet is a bet.
With a groan, Soot grabbed the hem of her pink dress. “Hang on…”
Then she lifted it up and over her head. “If we have to do this, at least I want to be wearing what I want to wear.”
I found I was enjoying myself immensely. “Well, let's just get down these... ah…”
As I reached out to undress her, I suddenly realized something. All girls I've ever seen or heard spanked wore skirts. But Soot only had black trousers, which meant that when they came down…
Soot raised an eyebrow. “What’s wrong? It’s gotta be on my bare bottom, right?”
“Could you… just put the dress back on?”
Slowly, Soot’s smile returned. “That wasn’t part of our agreement.”
“But if you don’t have a skirt to cover your front, then…”
She sniffed. “You’re adorable, farmboy. Fine, I’ll do it. Do you have a towel?”
It took a minute, but after Soot removed her trousers and black panties, right there in my room, she tied a white towel around her waist as a means of preserving her modesty. I averted my gaze until she finished.
Then Soot lay across my lap, and I pulled the towel up and over her back, uncovering her lithe, slender bottom. Like her face (and her legs), it was a pale, cream-white.
May knelt down and looked Soot right in the eye. “Say you're sorry! You did a very stupid thing. You cheated, you stole, all just to revel in the pain of another girl! What will now happen to you is exactly what you deserve, you nasty girl!”
Soot sighed, and answered in a sarcastic tone. "Okaaay… What I did was really dumb, all right? You happy now?"
I spanked her, hard.
Soot gasped.
I patted Soot’s bottom. “That is not enough, Soot. The deal was that you will get spanked just like Merta. And Merta would get extras if she talked like that.”
Merta nodded. “That's right.”
I landed another spank.
Soot inhaled sharply, then waited a few seconds. “Oof… Look, I'm sorry, I really am. Ooh… How long is this going to take?”
*SMACK!*
“A spanking takes as long as it needs to take. You’re not getting up off my lap until I’m sure you’re good and sorry.”
Soot made a soft sound that sounded like the start of a scream, but to my surprise, she seemed to swallow it. "Yeep! … That hurts!"
I started to rub Soot’s bottom, thinking about how that would help to really rub it in that Soot was in trouble. But immediately, I remembered myself, and pulled my hand away. I wasn’t supposed to take delight in Soot’s pain. But I also knew she had to learn a lesson she wouldn’t forget. I raised my hand high. “It’s supposed to hurt. And you've felt nothing, yet.”
I remembered something my Dad had told me about how to give a girl a proper spanking: “When you put a girl across your knee, she’ll show you a lot more of herself than just her bottom.”
At the time, I had no clue what Dad was talking about. But as I started to spank Soot, I finally understood. For all the cool-headed attitude that Soot normally kept up, she really was just a naughty girl underneath.
Merta and May watched in stunned silence as I continued to spank Soot. She didn’t yelp or scream, but she swore plenty between each slap. Then, I started to slowly increase the pace of the spanking.
The first few slaps were a good time to lecture the girl for her misdeeds, but I knew the difference between that and the ‘real spanking’ just from overhearing Dad punish May over the years. Once I reached the right tempo, I kept it up steadily, relentlessly, without pausing to lecture.
Soot choked once, then started to kick her legs. The knot in the towel came apart, and flopped down along my lap, revealing her pale hips as she squirmed. But I held Soot down with one arm, and carried on, ignoring Soot as her swearing changed to pleading, then groaning, and eventually, soft crying.
Merta and May glanced at eachother, then watched as Soot began to kick her legs. I ignored Soot’s protests, concentrating only on the color of her bottom. When I saw it was a pretty shade of red, I stopped. Soot strained to get up, but I gently pressed her back down with one hand across the small of her back. “No, you don’t, Soot! May, hand me the black hairbrush. The great, big one.”
Soot made a quiet, whimpering sound, twisting her head to look at me with tears in her eyes. "Waaah… Zack, you don't have to! Trust me, you've just spanked me for everything bad I've ever done! There is no need for… for thisss…”
I tapped the flat surface of the brush against Soot’s bottom. Mr. Geyr had boasted it could easily cover one whole butt cheek with every smack, but against Soot’s dainty backside, I noticed that it nearly covered her entire bottom. I gave her a few love taps. “Merta is younger than you, Soot, but I don't think she will be this fussy when it's her turn.”
I pressed the brush flat against Soot’s bottom, and gently stroked it along her already bright-red flesh. I wanted Soot to feel the subtle texture of the polished wood against her skin.
Soot whimpered. "But why that brush? It’s the size of a paddle! You said that I would get spanked like Merta, but… what I’m getting is way worse!"
I tapped the brush experimentally against each of Soot’s trembling bottom cheeks. "Soot, you don’t know how hard I’m going to spank Merta. And you chose this hairbrush yourself. Don't blame me.”
Then I raised my arm high above my head. “And you know full well–"
Then I delivered one ferocious smack to emphasize each and every word I spoke.
*SMACK!*
"That!”
*SMACK!*
“You!”
*SMACK!*
“Deserve!”
*SMACK!*
"This!"
*SMACK!*
“Spanking!”
After the last word, I added three good, hard spanks in a row.
Soot started to scream, then quickly stuffed her hand in her mouth, and bit down. “*Aaag—gkh!* You… You pervert!”
I narrowed my eyes, and aimed the hairbrush at the center of Soot’s bottom. “Pervert, am I?"
*SMACK!*
Soot seethed. “You just want to see girls crying! You’re the same as Feltar!”
I faltered, then lowered my arm.
Then, Merta shouted. “No, he's not!”
Clenching her fists, Merta strode to face Soot and looked her right in the eye. “He is my Knight! He must do this, because that's the deal we made! He must protect me, and he must spank me when I need it! And I don't like being spanked either, but when I’m bad… it's the proper thing to do!”
May patted Merta’s shoulder. “Well… they’re both kinda right. Sorry, Zack, but ever since we were little, I always knew you loved getting to evesdrop on a naughty girl get spanked. But if Zack likes spanking girls, so what? If there’s work that needs doing, and you’re really good at doing it, you should enjoy it!”
Then, May strolled around the bed to look at Soot. “But Merta’s right too, Soot. Zack doesn't spank you because he likes to. He spanks you because you need to be spanked!”
Soot clenched her teeth. “That’s easy for you to say! He’s not spanking you, is he?”
May held her hands together, looking uncomfortable. “Well, no, but… Daddy spanks me, but only because… I really need one, sometimes. And if there’s ever a time when Dad isn’t here to spank me…”
May took a deep breath, and spoke to me with resolve in her voice. “Zack, the next time I'm naughty, I'm willing to go over your knee and accept my punishment from your hand.”
Soot’s mouth hung open. “Huh? But… he’s your brother!”
May nodded. “Yes. But I’m willing to take a spanking from Zack, because I know he cares for me. And he cares for Merta. And he cares for you, too. Although I really don't know why, you silly girl!"
And then I finally realized Soot was shedding fresh tears. They were not the same as before. Earlier, she had been the reluctant cries of a woman who didn’t want to look weak. Suddenly, it struck me how strangely quiet Soot had been throughout this long spanking. So far, every single cry had been closer to a soft whisper, not a shout. But now, Soot was weeping freely, like any little girl in pain would.
“M’Sorry, Zack,” she whispered. “Whatever you are, I shouldn't have said the last thing, comparing you to Feltar… You’re not like him. You… you were right. I do deserve a spanking. The mother-of-all-spankings, probably.”
I pressed the hairbrush against her bottom, and she shivered as the cold wood touched her hot buns. Finally, she nodded. “Yes… Finish it, please. If for nothing else, for the thing I said… I really deserve…”
Her voice trailed off. She lay still, and I knew it was time to finish what we had started. I started to spank her again.
Soot was already crying before it began. But when I started to spank, her tears started to spill freely, sparkling. I could feel each tear drop dripping down onto my pant leg. But this time, she was whispering, gasping for air between her soft sobs. “I'm sorry… I'm sorry…”
I kept it up for another minute, before I decided Soot had been punished enough.
I set aside the hairbrush, and stroked Soot’s bottom. “Soot, you took the last part of your spanking well… Up you get.”
Soot started to stand up. Quickly, Merta grabbed the towel, and held it up to cover Soot’s front. Her eyes still misty with tears, Soot blinked, then started to tie the towel across her waist. As she felt the cloth touch her bottom, Soot winced, and opted to tie the towel loosely along her front, leaving her bright-red bottom completely uncovered behind her.
Soot looked at me with an unmistakable expression. She wasn’t just humiliated. It was like she had lost something she could never recover.
I held Soot’s hand in mine, and patted it. “Soot, you have nothing to be ashamed of. You’re forgiven now.”
Soot looked at my hand, and patted my hand back. “Thank you, Zack. That last part, with the hairbrush? That was… I feel… I feel cleansed.”
Then, Soot seemed to start awake, and cleared her throat, blushing madly. “But don’t expect me to howl and holler for you. I’m no screamer.”
“You mean, next time I have to spank you?”
Soot wiped her nose on the back of her arm. “Next time I agree that I deserve one.”
“Fair enough. May, take Soot’s clothes and let her lie down in your room… She will need someone to talk to. And you, Merta… you come here.”
As May and Soot left, Merta sniffed, then sat down next to me. “I will… get the same kind of spanking that she did?”
I leaned over to whisper in her ear. “Not quite that big a spanking. Soot is a few years older than you, after all.”
That was true enough. Most girls tended to get additional spanks as they got older, but I also knew Soot was built tough.
Merta kissed me on the cheek. “My knight... your lady asks you to punish her well.”
“I promise.”
Obediently, Merta went over my lap, pulled up her skirt, and raised her bottom a bit so I could glide her panties down.
And then I spanked her.
To my surprise, she actually resisted crying and squirming longer than Soot did. But after a few minutes, she, too, was weeping softly.
As I slowed the pace of the spanking, I whispered. “Be calm, my lady. I know that the punishment is unpleasant, but it is my duty as a knight to do it.”
"I know... but my bottom… It hurts! My bottom hurts so bad! … *sniff*!"
I started to spank at a brisk pace. I wanted Merta to be able to hear every word I said between the slaps. “That’s because your bottom remembers, my lady! This naughty little bottom remembers what happened to it last time. Your bottom knows exactly what is happening to it right now, and you know why it is happening. You left me yesterday. Why, my lady? Didn't you trust me?"
"No, it was... I didn't think... owwch!"
"And a sore bottom will help you to think, the next time you’re tempted to run off alone. Those men could have hurt you. And that would... I couldn’t bear to see you hurt like that."
As I thought of how Feltar had flogged the woman, and how close Merta had come to sharing that fate, I started to spank Merta harder. Slowly, I increased the pace of the spanking.
Merta yelped. “B-Because… you're my knight?”
“That's right, Merta.”
I gave her a few final smacks, then helped her stand up. "That will do for the warm up. Now, bring me the hairbrush. Your hairbrush.”
With her white panties drooping down to catch across her knees, Merta shuffled awkwardly to fetch her hairbrush. By the time she had returned to the bed, her panties had fallen the rest of the way, lying in a bunch across her ankles. After Merta handed the hairbrush to me, she started vigorously rubbing her bottom, dancing lightly on the balls of her feet.
“No, don't do that. It's pointless.”
Scrunching up her face, Merta held her hands down by her side, and stood straight. “But… it burns! It’s like trying to put out a fire!”
I tapped the hairbrush against my thigh. “And I must kindle the fire in your bottom anew. Now, my lady, get across my knee."
As I smacked the hairbrush against my thigh, I was surprised how smartly I felt the sting, even through my pant leg. It must be even worse when used on an unprotected, fragile, girlish behind…
Oh well, time to do it.
Anticipating that Merta would start to kick, I didn’t let her lie across my lap this time. Instead, I guided her across my left knee, and pinned her legs in place with my right leg. I lifted my knee up onto the bed, lifting up Merta’s soft, cute bottom at a sharp, acute angle.
She looked so… helpless.
I stroked the hairbrush along Merta’s sit spots, which had previously been hidden underneath the puppy fat of her lower curves, where her buttocks connected against upper thigh.
I swallowed. This perfect, cute, plump little bottom was all mine to spank, and I wanted to spank it. I could spank it as much as I wanted. But I also couldn’t spank it as much as I wanted. Merta was my friend, and she was a proper lady. And I had a duty to spank her properly, like a true knight.
And I did my joyful duty.
The whole time I was spanking Merta's bottom with the hairbrush, she was crying desperately.
She didn't promise, she didn't plead, she just accepted the punishment like the lady she was.
But she cried, oh, how she cried! It was like she was singing. A sweet, sad, mournful ballad for her poor bottom.
I listened to the sweet music, until I heard Merta’s guttural cries slowly melt into the soft, unmistakable mewling of a well-spanked girl. Merta was bawling and blubbering, just like a baby.
Finally, I put away the hairbrush and sat her up again. Merta hugged me, pressing herself against me as if I was the only thing in the world she could cling onto with certainty.
I felt the weight of what I had just done on me. The weight of a lady’s trust.
I let Merta sit on my lap until she stopped crying. I figured that was the least I could do for her. After she gave me a final kiss on the cheek, she asked to have a few moments to compose herself, so I left her in my room.
Spanking two girls was surprisingly exhausting. And exciting, too, but I didn't want to dwell on that.
As I sat at the kitchen table, Dad caught my eye "We could hear them crying all the way down here. Two spankings in one day. Pretty rough, huh?”
I shrugged.
Dad chuckled. “You are a quick study, Zack. Frankly, you fared better than me!”
His smile faded. “When I have to give May a spanking, I always fear that she... resents me for it. Even if it’s only for a short while, I know she’s pretty cross at me. But even when you are spanking their bottoms, those girls still trust you. Especially Merta. That's a gift, Zack, and you should use it well.”
I opened my mouth to say something. But before I could, we heard a strange new voice, a third girl starting to cry.
We all ran to the room where the mystery woman was lying. She was awake, but she was sobbing into her pillow.
Mom patted her head. "Shhh, there there, dear. It's okay, you're safe now. Can you tell us your name?”
She lifted her head, her curly, shoulder-length, dirty-blond hair a mess. “I… I'm Grace. Mayor's maid, madam."
“The Lord Mayor of Ceris?” asked Dad.
"Yes, sir. He... He said that his wife is missing some jewelry... and he said that I was a thief... Then he had me put me in the prison... and there was another man… with a whip…”
Dad’s voice was soothing. “You are safe here, don't worry. We’re miles away from Ceris. You don't have to go back there."
"I couldn't anyway... the mayor fired me… I have no place…"
Mom kissed her on her forehead. “Then you can stay here, for as long as you need. We can always use a spare hand. I mean... after you heal, of course.”
"Thank you, madam."
Mom giggled. “Oh, you don't have to call me madam.”
"Sorry, madam, but I do have to. Maid conditioning, you know.”
Dad narrowed his eyes. “Conditioning? You mean… you’re a graduate from the Academy?”
Grace propped herself up on her elbows. “With honors. A Maid of the Academy is bound by her oath. So, as long as I am still a maid, I have to call you madam, madam. I don't know how to do anything else."
Mom threw up her hands. “So be it. You may refer to me however you want, Grace. Would you like to eat anything?"
Grace nodded. "Yes, madam. Thank you very much, madam."
And so, Grace donned one of Mom’s old black dresses and one of Mom’s new white aprons, then joined us for dinner. She ate standing up.
So did Soot and Merta.
All three still had tear-streaked faces, but no one commented on that.
Quietly, Mom handed Merta a thin notebook. “Here, Merta. I wanted you to have this. It’s a journal, and a reservoir pen.”
Merta held it up. “What is this? I’ve never seen one like it.”
“It’s a new sort of pen, much better than a quill. It holds a reservoir of ink, so you don’t have to dip it. They’re all the rage in Cant. Please, try not to lose it. It cost me a pretty penny.”
Dad pursed his lips, affecting a look of sternness. “How many pretty pennies, precisely?”
Mom giggled, pretending to look frightened. “Oh, don’t worry, I pinched the pretty pennies myself. You don’t have to punish me, pumpkin.”
Merta stared at the journal. “But, why are you giving me such a lovely gift?”
“Because, I’ve always found that keeping a daily diary helps me sort through everything. Especially when I was a newlywed, and still got… Well, let’s just say that if you want to keep your bottom out of trouble, reflecting on what you did wrong and keeping a diary is an excellent way to remember what you’ve learned.”
Merta flipped through the pages, in awe. “So… it’s to write about my spankings?”
“And other things. I doubt you’ll earn yourself a spanking every day, while you’re staying here.”
Soot pouted as she eyed the journal. “Don’t I get one?”
Mom looked a little bashful. “Oh, sorry, Jet, dear. I knew Merta was in trouble today, but I didn’t think you’d get spanked quite so soon.”
“So, were you hoping I’d get spanked, sooner or later?”
Mom folded her hands, looking like a saint in an old painting. “What can I say? You are my niece, Juliet. I only hoped you’d get what was best for you… sooner or later.”
I started counting noses, then thought out loud. “Where is everyone going to sleep tonight? I don't think we have three spare beds.”
Soot shrugged. “I just slept on the floor last night. It’s good for my back.”
May clapped her hands. “Soot! You and Grace can be in my room. I have lots of spare blankets, we’ll manage. It’ll be like a sleepover!”
Merta looked slightly hurt. “What about me? May I join your slumber party?”
“Of course you can! But I figured… well, don’t you want to have a slumber party with Zack?”
Merta’s face blushed straight to a bright, burning red.
Mom spat out a sip of her tea. “May!”
Mom’s voice was stern, but she couldn’t hide the look of amusement on her face.
I glared at May. “May, knock it off.”
May shrugged. “What? Merta’s a lady, right? She can sleep in your bed, and you can be a gentleman and sleep on the floor. What’d you think I meant?”
Merta cleared her throat. “Hem! Well, May, it’s just, the way you worded it sounded… untoward.”
Soot pointed a finger at Merta. “See, that’s why I say you had to be some noble’s daughter, before you got caught up with the Witch Queen. It’s the way you talk. You’re not a commoner.”
Grace narrowed her eyes. “Excuse me, Miss May… But you are referring to Raia the Witch Queen? I’ve heard her name before.”
May snickered. “Well, yeah. She’s the big, bad sorceress in all the old story books!”
Grace shook her head. “No, I mean, I’ve overheard them talking about the ‘new witch queen’ around the Lord Mayor’s manor. She’s been slowly gathering an army at the western border for the past year. What’s her connection to your family?”
Merta swallowed. “I’m… not from this country originally. I escaped from a dungeon in the western lands, then crossed the wilderness to reach Ceris.”
Grace gestured to Merta. “You escaped from Raia the Witch Queen?”
“I… I don’t know. I don’t remember meeting her, but I suppose it must have been one of her fortresses?”
“But that’s incredible! We need to tell the Lord Mayor of Ceris that… oh, dear. I’m afraid that won’t be any help.”
Dad drummed his fingers on the table. “Grace, what exactly did you overhear about the Witch Queen?”
“Not much, sir. Just a lot of complaints from the Lord Mayor. We aren’t supposed to eavesdrop, but a servant is to be seldom seen, and never heard. The Lord Mayor often forgets we are even there, so we can’t help but overhear things. But apparently… he was terribly worried about the Witch Queen having spies in Ceris. Or, worse than mere worry… he was positively terrified. One night we found him wandering the manor in the dark, well after the witching hour, muttering that he could… he could hear them, crawling in the walls. That was before I was accused of the theft.”
“Think carefully. Anything else?”
Grace looked at Merta with suspicion. “There was something about… a bounty. He said the witch queen had no right to be posting bounties in his city.”
Dad’s face darkened. “Grace… Merta… We need to get both of you to Cant, as soon as possible. The Lord Mayor Jeremy needs to hear of this. I didn’t know him very well, but… he may still remember me, from my service in the border war. Zack, you’ll go with us. Tomorrow morning. I’ll need you to…”
Dad stood, shakily. “No… No, I’ve made a mistake. We have to leave tonight.”
Mom’s face went pale. “Tonight? But we’ve barely eaten–”
Dad grabbed a satchel, and started filling it with produce. “I’ll borrow a fresh horse from Mr. Geyr. He’ll understand. Zack, I’m getting Grace and Merta to Cant, tonight. I want you to follow, with May and your mother. Take Sandy, but keep to the old roads, far away from the highway. Soot… please, you know how to keep your head low. Help him. Go slowly, go carefully, but get to Cant. I’ll meet you there at the Soldier’s Rest.”
Merta’s eyes were wide. “You’re… taking me away from Zack? But, why?”
Dad held Merta by the shoulders. “It’s only for a little while. We’ll see each other again, at the Soldier’s Rest. But we have to go, now, Merta… I know that you said you don’t remember what happened to you, in that dungeon–”
Fresh tears welled up in Merta’s eyes. “I can’t remember! I wasn’t lying!”
“I know, Merta. I don’t doubt you, but… someone remembers having you in that dungeon. Someone knows you’re a geomancer. And if they followed us here…”
Soot shook her head. “Easy. No one followed us. We made sure of that. No one… no one in Ceris cares about this quiet, little, nameless village, but… we should still go, tonight. Let’s go together. All of us.”
As I stood up, my chest felt tight. Suddenly, I realized how very small our village was. For my entire life, it had been my home, my whole, wide world. But now… all I could think of was the names of all the great Free Cities I’d seen on the maps, all massive, teeming with life.
Then the mighty nations, with great capitol cities that easily dwarfed any of the Free Cities.
Names. Names on maps.
We were a nameless village. No one bothered to put us on the maps. No one knew who we were…
Except for that one time a famous painter had visited us for a summer to paint the swans… and given Trilabute Lake its name.
Suddenly, an axe ripped through our front door, right next to the handle. May screamed. A big man kicked down the door, and a group of hooded men strode into our house, about nine of them. They were wearing black masks, and carrying short swords.
All except for the man at the front of the group. The axeman. I almost wished he was wearing a mask. Feltar’s face was badly bruised, and one of his eyes was bloodshot. But he was smirking.
Briefly, my father’s eyes flicked back to the sword and shield on the wall, hanging a few feet from the head of the table. Then, he glared at Feltar. “The door was unlocked, you know. All you had to do was knock.”
Feltar scratched the stubble on his chin. “Ah! I see you are all here. That makes things easier. You are all under arrest.”
“I am a free man of Cant. You have no authority here.”
"Oh, we’ll find a charge once we get you back to Ceris. Aiding and abetting a thief, for one. Harboring a murderess, for another."
Dad narrowed his eyes. "Murderess?"
Feltar rested his axe against his shoulder. “Yes. The maid. Someone murdered the Lord Mayor of Ceris in his bed this morning. Happened right after you helped her escape from her just punishment… She had the motive and the opportunity. So that makes her the prime suspect."
I clenched my fist so tight, I could feel my knuckles turn white. “Opportunity? Grace was unconscious the whole time!”
Feltar leered, flashing his yellow teeth. "Well? Does it matter? I say she's the murderer. That's the death penalty, of course, by beheading. And after she's dead, there will be nobody to support her version of the story."
Dad smiled, his voice strangely calm. “I will still be here.”
“No, you won’t. You are resisting arrest. It’d be a shame if we had to kill you, just to capture a few fugitives. Those are our real targets. Back away, now, and we will let you live.”
Dad whispered in a low voice. “It was you, wasn’t it? You killed the Mayor. Or maybe you didn't want to get your hands dirty, so you sent someone to do it for you. Why? Because you wanted to collect an illegal bounty?”
“You think I want gold? Please, that old blue blood’s been an embarrassment to Ceris for decades. Now, we’re finally rid of him. Now, Ceris is truly a Free City.”
My father shook his head. "I knew you, Feltar. You were always a bad man. But you never overstepped your boundaries. What happened to you?"
“I woke up…” Casually, Feltar gestured at all the girls, then pointed at Merta. “Take the women alive, if you can. But no matter what, let no harm come to the witch.”
One of the black hooded figures stepped forward. It was shorter than the others, and more slender, but something about the rich, midnight-black cloth wrapped tight around its shoulders suggested it was more than a simple henchman. A thin, weak voice whispered from within the hood. “None of you has to die today. We only need the Geomancer. Step aside, and we won’t hurt her. Merta… we just want to get you home, safe and sound.”
Merta stared blankly at the tiny, black-cloaked figure. “Your voice… I don’t… I know your voice…”
I peered at the black shadow behind the shrouded hood. A woman? By the voice, it had to be. But I couldn’t make out a face.
Feltar waved a hand. “Bah! Where’s the fun in that? We’ll take all the women.”
At that, all the masked men looked at one another, their eyes uneasy.
The slender woman’s hood twitched, by less than a hair’s breath, to face Feltar. “Your bounty is for the geomancer alone. We don’t need any of the others.”
“Then it’s no skin off your nose. You’ll get your runaway. And we’ll get our fugitives… A thief, a witch, and a murderer. What a trio! Of course, we can just say the rest of the women died in the struggle… And then we can have our fun with them. After all, nobody can hear the screams of the dead, can they, boys?"
Dad inched his foot toward the sword and shield. “And which of you boys is ready to die for this mad man first?”
Then, I realized something. The rest of the men didn’t know what to do. Whoever the cloaked woman was, and whatever Feltar had told them they were doing here, they were not expecting this.
Feltar wasn’t a mindless killer. He was a thoughtful killer. A killer with fantasy.
Finally, Feltar pointed at me. “Take the women. Kill the men.”
Then, Merta held up her journal, revealing a glowing drawing of the symbol for fire. A flaming tetrahedron shot out from the page, aiming at Feltar’s eye. Reflexively, he grabbed one of the masked men and shoved him forward, wide-eyed, right into the path of the incoming missile, before it exploded. As the man’s mask caught on fire, he screeched and dropped to the ground, rolling.
Dad rushed to grab his sword and shield. Of the nine masked men, only two dared to charge, screaming berserker war cries.
Soot caught the first man by the wrist, and aimed an elbow strike at the center of his rib cage. There was a horrible popping sound. The first man wheezed, and collapsed.
The second man rushed wildly at Mom.
Dad grabbed the shield, and threw it like a discus at the second man. It struck his arm, throwing off his aim. Mom screamed, and ducked, before the man buried his sword in the wall behind her. As the man tried to pull out his sword, Dad rushed him, and slammed the pommel of his sword into the man’s jaw with such force, he collapsed backwards, pulling the sword out as he fell.
Then, Dad started to fight two men at once. He’d once taken me to watch a traveling romantic theater troop. I’d been thrilled by the fencing scenes, the way the actors flourished their foils with precise movements, like a dance. Dad hadn’t enjoyed the performance. He only said that a real sword fight wasn’t like that. That there was no time for idle chit chat.
Dad had taught me how to hold his sword the right way, as soon as I was strong enough to handle its weight. He’d shown me the basic sword strikes. I’d practiced them a thousand times, using a wooden sword he’d carved for me.
But it was the first time in my life I’d seen a real swordfighter at work. A third man drew his sword and lunged at Dad, only for Dad to cut off his sword hand at the wrist, with one clean stroke.
Feltar charged, wielding his axe in one hand, and a short sword in the other. Instead of blocking the axe strike head on, Dad made a quick parry, catching the axe by the back of the blade, using Feltar’s motion against him to send the first stroke off target.
Then Dad gripped his sword in both hands and lunged forward, putting his full weight into a second pommel strike aimed at Feltar’s shoulder. There was a crunch. Feltar’s collar bone was shareware.
As the masked man noticed the bleeding stump at the end of his arm, he fell to his knees, and started to cry.
Roaring like a bear, Feltar swung two wild swings at Dad. Feltar’s axe arm was crippled, spasming uselessly, but he aimed a powerful downward sword strike at Dad’s skull. Dad spun, catching Feltar’s blade with his hand guard, and kick-stomped Feltar’s knee. Feltar was forced to kneel, spitting with rage, before Dad knee-kicked him in the face.
Feltar’s head rolled, but he managed to steady himself against the wall, and made an upward cut with his sword arm.
Dad stepped back to gain distance, spinning wildly to keep his eyes on the rest of the enemies in the room.
One of the masked men, the one who had been burned by Merta’s geomancy, turned and fled. The cloaked woman stood behind Feltar, unmoving.
I took a step forward, before Soot elbowed me in the stomach, and hissed. “No! Get Merta out of here!”
Mom picked up Dad’s shield. “Go, now! Help the girls!”
May screamed. “Mom! Behind you!”
The man with the injured ribs rolled to get on his knees, gurgling, and took a lunging thrust at Mom. She squeaked, and held up the shield. The sword point sank deep into the wood, before it stuck. With a wild jerk, Mom jabbed the shield forward, slamming the point into the man’s forehead. He spat up bloody foam, and fell forward on his face.
Except for Soot, all the girls were behind me. I shouted. “Go! Out the back door!”
As we retreated into the kitchen, one of the masked men pursued us. To my surprise, Grace snatched up a broom, and thrust it forward like a staff, slamming the end into the man’s nose. While he was clutching his broken nose, Grace grabbed one of mom’s copper pots and cracked him over the head.
Grace gasped clutching to the broom like it was walking stick. “Agh! The stiches! I can’t move my legs!”
Soot stared at Grace with a confused, impressed look, then delivered a final elbow-strike to the back stunned man’s neck.
May threw open the back door in the kitchen. “Let’s go, Merta!”
Merta was kneeling on the ground, trying to draw something. She snatched up her book and followed May. I put Grace’s arm over my shoulder, second-guessed myself, and scooped her up in my arms instead. Grace squeaked, clutching Mom’s pot tight against her chest. “Zack! Sir?”
Then, the cloaked woman threw something like a black dagger, aimed at the hanging candelabra that lit the room. The missile cut clean through the rope, and the fixture fell. The candles rolled across the ground and a rug caught on fire.
Feltar’s men all howled in terror, but in the flickering light I could make out the silhouette of Dad as he cut two more of them down. Then, Feltar was on him, trading blow for blow.
In the chaos and flickering light, there was one clear shape. The woman in the black cloak seemed to glide up and over the candelabra, her eyes gleaming like two red stars, heading right toward us as we ran outside.
Dusk had fallen.
I saw the stable where we kept Sandy behind the house. I did a mental count. May. Marta. Grace…
“Soot!”
As I turned, I saw Soot draw both her daggers and throw one at the cloaked woman. The black cloak ripped in mid-air as she seemed to dance out of the path of the blade.
I saw Soot charging, and I screamed, “No! Stop, before she kills you!”
I wasn’t sure who I meant the warning for: Soot, or the cloaked woman. But it was too late. Soot was on her, stabbing, cutting with fierce, quick strokes. I saw the midnight black cloak tear in two, and fall away.
Then, the woman thrust out a black arm, and clutched Soot by the throat. Black, but not like any human skin color. It was an empty, midnight black.
As Soot felt long, sharp nails digging into her flesh, she gagged, then slammed her elbow down hard on the woman’s arm.
Merta ran up to the woman holding up her glowing notebook. “Soot! Close your eyes.”
The woman’s red eyes went wide as she saw the notebook, and I caught a brief glimpse of a sleek, blue-black face, before Marta’s drawing exploded.
The dark woman screamed, dropping Soot as she whipped the torn remains of her cloak over her face.
Behind us, there was a soft glow as the thatched roof of our family cottage caught on fire.
The cloaked woman screeched, shielding her eyes from the blaze. “No! No, you fools!”
Merta dropped to the ground, and started tracing a line through the soft dirt. “Everyone to me! I’m getting us out of here!”
May screeched, and lunged toward the house. “Mom! Dad! They’re still in there!”
Soot collared May and held her in a close hold. But her voice was strangely gentle. “No, May! You can’t help your Dad. He’s a soldier! He can…”
A tall man emerged from the back of the house, holding a blood-stained sword.
It was Feltar.
I could hear Sandy, screaming from inside her stable. May was crying.
Merta drew another line. I recognized the eight-sided symbol for air form before. Merta yelled. “It’s ready! Everyone, get behind me!”
And I knew that I had to make a decision. Dad had told me to take care of the girls. I shouted, “Get to Merta, now!”
Soot pulled May back towards Merta. The last thing I saw before I turned and ran from Feltar was him raising his sword to strike me. I heard a soft hiss as the blade cut the air behind my neck.
The moment I reached Merta, she ran her finger in a straight line along the ground, and her drawing began to glow.
But Feltar was almost on us. I was holding Grace. Merta was kneeling, defenseless at the front of the group. Soot drew her second knife and held it at the ready.
Then, my father charged out of the back of the house. His right arm was bleeding, and he was holding only a shield. Dad slammed his shield into Feltar’s back, knocking him forward.
Then, my mother appeared behind Dad, cradling his sword in her arms.
Merta’s drawing took the shape of the same eight-sided, transparent crystal I’d seen before, but this time, it was much bigger. We all floated behind Merta, before the octahedron enclosed us. Merta murmured. “Symbol… of Air.
We took off. On the ground, father was blocking a mad assault of blows from Feltar. As we rose highe, the world outside the crystal was deathly silent.
Holding down the front of her skirt, May pointed to the battle below. “We have to help them!”
Soot shook her head. “Not with that… monster after us. Zack, my knife didn’t miss. That cloaked thing… it wasn’t human.”
Marta gasped, her arms shaking as we began to accelerate. “I can help them. I have a plan!”
Something like a great bat slammed into the side of the crystal. The impact jostled us, and as Merta caught herself, the crystal started to veer. The entire world seemed to tip over at the horizon.
The two billowing black wings rippled, and the shape of the dark woman appeared, clinging to the side of the crystal, her red eyes shivering.
As Marta started to lose control, we careened toward the village and grazed the top of the local church tower. The wind vane depicting an angelic, winged figure went flying, along with several chunks of the stone roof.
Soot and May and Grace all screamed at one.
“Get us outta here!”
“We have to go back!”
“Shake her off!”
Merta murmured, “l can do this… I can save them.”
Soot snarled, “No! You can barely pilot this thing as it is!”
Meta yelled, “Quiet, Soot! I need to think, or else we could—”
We saw the swans take flight in a panic, just before we splashed down into the lake. White water rushed past us, slamming into the shadow woman, but she seemed completely unbothered.
May wailed, “Mommy! Daddy!”
Grace pointed wildly at the shadowy woman. “Try to roll it!”
I shouted. “Shut up!”
All three girls snapped their mouths shut.
“Merta, do whatever you have to do!”
We smashed through another structure. This time it was the new mechanical clock that marked the school house. Merta lost her balance, and the crystal spun, upside down. “I can’t do it!”
“Yes you can, Merta! I trust you. We are all trusting you. Now, do it!”
Merta held out her arms and the crystal slowly started to right itself. The world was sideways now. We saw what looked like a great bonfire ahead of us. The remains of our house. The shadow woman’s eyes went wide as she saw it approach us, and in the blazing light I could make out the shape of her midnight blue body.
Merta crossed her arms, and we started to veer again, aiming low. Dad and Feltar were right in our path. We were going to crash!
Then, Merta uncrossed her arms, and the crystal spun in a circle. I saw Feltar’s face smash against the front of the octahedron, before he rolled and crashed into the shadow woman.
Both of them fell away. But the moment that the woman touched the ground, she seemed to vanish into the night. Feltar, on the other hand, rolled along the ground, leaving a trail of dust behind him.
We left Mom and Dad in our wake. As Merta slowed and turned, we saw them emerge from the stable, leading Sandy behind them.
Dad gave Mom a boost up onto the saddle, then lifted himself with his one good arm. Then Mom handed him his sword, then put the shield on her
own arm, and took control of Sandy’s reins. I could make out the painted image clearly.
May pointed. “You did it! The bad men are all down! We’re safe now!”
Soot frowned. “No, that shadow thing is still after us! It’s after Merta!”
Merta murmured. “I’m sorry… I’m sorry…”
Then, a group of masked men ran around the pillar of flame that engulfed the remains of our cottage, and approached Feltar.
As Mom snapped the reigns and spurred Sandy to flee, I saw Dad shout something at us. There was no sound. But I knew exactly what he had just said: “Go!”
“It’s all right, Merta. Just get us out of here. We’re going to Cant.”
Soot sighed. “The Free City of Cant? Oh, lovely.”
As the crystal turned away from the burning remains of our home, May’s lip quivered. “We’re leaving Mom and Dad behind?”
Grace bowed her head. “Miss May, it’s the best thing we can do for them now. If Merta is their—I mean—if they are after us, we can draw them away from the village.”
As we started to accelerate away from the village, Merta twisted to look up at me. “But, how do we find Cant?”
I pointed to the river below. “Just follow the river to the east. That’s our landmark. It will take us straight to Cant.”
Grace stared at the sky. “The moon is waxing. We should have dim moonlight for the next few nights. That way we can rest and stay out of sight during daylight.”
We passed through a cloud. When I was a little boy, I had wondered what it would be like to fly like a bird. To touch a cloud. Now that it was actually happening, it was strangely ordinary.
Up close, a cloud looked no different than a thick autumn fog. But it was still hauntingly beautiful.
Far below us, I saw a small lantern, and two tiny people riding on horseback, smaller than ants. I told myself it had to be Mom and Dad, riding to safety.
The Knight, and his Lady.
Sheepishly, Merta glanced over her shoulder. “Um… Zack? I’ve never drawn a Symbol of Air this big before. It’s… hard to keep it together.”
We all stiffened. I took a deep breath. “Try to bring us down, Merta. Slow and steady.”
Just as Merta lowered us down out of the cloud, following the river bank, the octahedron started to shake.
Then, Merta collapsed.
A full second passed, before the entire octahedron dropped, like a stone, to the grassy fields below.
[End of Chapter III]
