Follow Abo.

I couldn't understand what Abo told the camp guardsmen but we passed them without trouble. It was hard keeping up with Abo's fast pace as my cage made running difficult. It was less about the weight and more about the way it pushed my privates forward. Many times I had to readjust my loins, to shield myself from prying eyes. With labored strides I managed to get into earshot of Abo.

"Abo, what do you mean my captive friends? Do you mean my brothers?"

"You remember that man who was with you at the bonfire?"

"Brother Dain? Yes, of course! You've seen him?"

"Yes. We're going to see him now."

A momentous joy surged within me. Finally I'd be able to see a familiar face. Certainly, brother Dain and I would find some solace in our shared misfortune. There was no initiate more devout to God than him. Perhaps he could rekindle my faith in God. But alas, my happiness left upon remembering that he was at the bonfire. Was Brother Dain there the whole time, watching? Has he told the others? What would they think? Questions began swarming my mind, one after another. My arms tightened around the basket of herbs as I felt my stomach turn to knots.

Abo slowed down once we reached the monastery farm house. It was a large yet simple stone cabin meant for the farmhands hired during the summer. Before the war, it was kept lively with many workers tending the fields and raising livestock. But now that all the men were drafted west, it was kept empty until now. There were a handful of barbarians filling in and out the main entrance. As we neared the fences, Abo leaned into me and whispered.

"Peter, you should know before we go in, that your friend will be... different."

But before I could ask what he meant, a barbarian with a scarred eye stopped us. Even from an arms distance I could smell the stench of sweat and musk on him. Did Northlanders not bathe? As my eyes crossed his, I quickly turned, not wanting to attract any unnecessary attention.

"whαt αrє чσu dσíng hєrє, αвσ. thíѕ plαcє íѕ mєαnt fσr hvσrєѕ αnd wαrríσrѕ whσ cσmє tσ ѕαtє thєír fíll."

"í'm hєrє tσ uѕє thє kítchєn. thє σnє αt thє mσnαѕtєrч íѕ pαckєd αnd í wαѕ tσld this one was empty."

The barbarian spat at Abo's feet and I stared at them, clueless as to what was happening.

"ѕmєllѕ líkє ѕhít tσ mє. whαt αrє чσu plαnníng αвσ? hmm? чσu'rє αlwαчѕ up tσ ѕσmєthíng. mαчвє íf чσu wєrє hєrє αlσnє, í'd lσσk thє σthєr wαч вut wíth thє чαrl'ѕ nєw pєt? í dσn't thínk ѕσ."

"hє wαntєd tσ hєlp. í'll вє gσnє σncє thє chíckєnѕ αrє rσαѕtєd αnd í hαvє α full pσt. í'm nσt lσσkíng fσr trσuвlє єlrík. í juѕt nєєd hєlp fíníѕhíng thíѕ вєfσrє thє fєαѕt."

The burly man walks up to Abo and slaps the chicken carcasses out from his hand. With a soft thud they fall to his feet, the feather now caked in mud and filth.

"чσu uѕєd tσ вє α gσσd hvσrє, αвσ. untíl чσu ínѕultєd jαrlmαr вч trчíng tσ єѕcαpє. í rєmєmвєr hσw wєll чσu uѕєd tσ ѕuck mч cσck αnd hσw lσudlч чσu'd mσαn whєn í tσσk чσu frσm вєhínd."

Abo's eyes twitched as he reached down to pick up the bleeding poultry. But midway, the barbarian stopped him with his boot. By impulse I dropped my basket to lunge for the savage but Abo nearly shouted,

"Peter, stop! It's fine."

The barbarian licked his bearded lips as he pressed down on Abo's hand with more weight. But Abo neither yelled nor winced, only bowed his head lower.

"thαt'ѕ α gσσd вσч, αвσ. чσu'll cσmє ѕєє mє duríng thє fєαѕt."

"αѕ чσu wíѕh."

Pleased with himself the barbarian finally lifted his feet and left Abo, who knelt defeated in the dirt. Once the cruel barbarian left to join the other savages, I quickly went and helped Abo to his feet.

"What just happened?"

Brushing the dirt off his knees, Abo picked up the chickens and shrugged.

"We're going to be late. Come."