Spoken Silver

Chapter One

Prill slid her left hand forward on the wooden beam.  Her knees clenched each side as she crawled out farther, making no sound.  Her uncle's voice was bellowing far below her, though the echoes that bounced around the domed ceiling made it seem he was right up there with her.  Although he wasn't, and no one was aware of the small girl eavesdropping high above during their heated argument.

Her uncle had the aptitude to be absolutely terrifying, and his immense anger showed clearly on his beet red face.  It was a vassal who was at the receiving end of his rage, and the man was cowering into his seat.  He looked pitiful with a hankercheif pressed against his shiny forehead and his constant mumbled apologies.

"Twenty two days late!" Her uncle howled.  "Twice I send my collector, and twice he returns to me empty handed!"

The vassal whimpered and mumbled incoherently.  He was of about fifty, clearly aging.  

"Out of the kindness of my heart, I gave you four acres of land, six serfs per acre.  When you fail to pay the taxes, you are not only betraying your Lord, but Kind Ergar himself!  What do you have to say for yourself, you sick being!"

Once again, the man mumbled into his hankercheif, bent over by the weight of her uncle's loud, angry voice.

"Very well," her uncle stated, a maniacal gleam in his eye that Prill recognized from as high up as she was.  "By the law, I will reclaim the land I so generously gave to you and your poor wife sixteen years ago.  You are under arrest."

"No!"  The man found his voice, his eyes wide in terror.  "Take my land, destroy my home, strip me, humiliate me, but you musn't jail me!  My wife, my daughters; they need me!  Please!"  He was on his knees, begging.  

The lord kicked the man painfully in the chest and walked away, calling for the constable.  "You should have thought about that before you decided you were too great for paying taxes," her uncle snarled. "Although to put your mind at ease, I may as well arrest the rest of your family.  They too live on the land, so they must also be held responsible.  And I'm sure my guards and share of knights would work extra hard if they knew they could be rewarded one of your little girls."

The man's screams of horror faded as the constable dragged him away.  Prill curled her lips in disgust, her eyes glinting.  She retreated back on her beam and sprang to the next.  She was in midair for a matter of seconds before she landed catlike on the next, gripping the wood with her fingers and toes.  She did this again and again until she reached the eave of the door.  She dropped from her beam, and was soon dangling from the eave by her fingertips.  She let go and landed on her feet without a sound.

The next moment she was sprinting through the halls and charging up the stairs.  At last she reached her room, where without hesitation she slid the curtains away and leaped out her window. She was in midair once again until finally her hands came in contact with the tree trunk.   She slid down skillfully, having mastered the whole move when she was a young child.  

Outside the rain was pouring, almost but not quite fogging her vision.  Fortunately, it would fog the vision of the small party her uncle had collected to send to the man's house.  Prill had to get there before they did.

She burst through the stable doors, soaking wet.  Her horse sleek black horse, Dilling, was waiting for her inside, all saddled up.  Ross had done well, after all.  Prill and the others had had days to plan for this, thanks to Prill's outstanding spying skills.  So far, all was good.

Without hesitation, she hopped onto Dilling and they were charging through the downpour.  He was smaller than most horses of his breed and status, but his speed was unmatched by any.  Especially since the terrain in the city of Rhengar was flat, as was the rest of Mercer.  Flat and dry, which made it perfect for running.  Rain this hard was uncommon, although the gods had chosen the perfect time to water the creek.

Prill was born in Mercer, although her parents had died before she had collected any memories of them.  She had grown up with her revolting Uncle Renatus, lord of the second largest city in Mercer, exceeded only by the King's.

Dilling's hoofs pounded tracks into the wet ground.  He slipped a few times, although he adjusted well to the weather.  Prill's uncle's men would move much slower with their big, burly horses loaded down with tack and the weight of their armed riders.  

The rain stung her face and blew her long, strawberry blonde locks behind her head.  She often covered them in mud, despising their light color.  There had been no time for that today, and the rain would have washed it off anyway.

After about an hour of hard riding, she squinted ahead, and soon spotted the small manor in the distance.  She urged her horse faster.  It wasn't only a matter of getting there, but also a matter of earning the women's trust and getting them out.  Dilling slowed to a trot and Prill was off his back before he stopped.  She had raised that horse from a colt, and trained him herself.  She was positive he wouldn't bolt without her.

She banged her small fist against the large oak door.  Silence.  She banged it again.  There was no answer.

"I know you're in there!" She called in her high, sweet voice.  A voice she knew wouldn't be linked back to the Lord's daughter; she was rarely spotted outside of the manor's boundaries without her disguise.  "I come as your guide to safety, Madame.  I am with the Hood."

The door cracked open and an eye peared out, inspecting her.  Finally, the door was opened just enough for Prill to slip in, and then slammed closed.  A woman about the same age as the vassal stood before her, her mousey brown hair tied in a bun.  Her grey eyes were watery and red-rimmed.  

"Do not worry, Madame," Prill said soothingly.  "My men will be here any moment to escort you and your two daughters to safety.  You must do everything they tell you."

"How can I trust you?"  The woma said hoarsely, her eyes roaming suspiciously around the small girl standing before her.

"You can't," Prill said, shrugging and smiling a smile she knew was invisible from behind her mask.  All that showed her her large round eyes.  "Would you mind introducing me to your daughters?"

The woman didn't move.  "I demand a name," she said mistrustfully.

Prill clicked her tongue.  "Demand as you will, I shall give you no name.  For my safety, and the safety of the Hood, you will receive no personal information from any of us.  If you persist to pester me or your escorts, I am afraid we will not be able to help you.  I beg of you to listen to my advice, for I'm sure it will put your husband's mind to ease.  Do not speak unless you're spoken to, and do as your told."

The woman was looking straight into her eyes, and she returned the stare calmly and unblinkingly.  "If you wish not to introduce me to your girls, I advise you pass this information along to them.  It is merely a matter of procedure, and your safety."  She heard the pounding of horse hooves, and for a split second her heart seemed to stop.  But then the low sound of Rafe's whistle put her mind at ease.  "There is no time to waste.  The Lord's men advance, and mine await.  We must all be gone before this house comes into the constable's sight."

After holding her stare for a moment longer, the woman nodded and turned down a hallway.  When she returned, she had a small girl of about six clutching her dress and another who seemed just about ready to enter her womanhood.  Prill smiled at them.  Even though they couldn't see her mouth, she was positive they could see it in her eyes.

"I trust your mother informed you of the procedure."  They both nodded, and she softened her tone.  "I wish you all the best of luck and may the gods guide you.  I'll see you tonight."  She led them outside where Rafe, Beck, and Consel were waiting.  She gave them a tiny nod before she hopped atop Dilling.  They would have enough time for talk once they had sent the threesome on their way out of Rhengar.

She watched as the girls and their escorts rode away before she turned and galloped away herself.  Although drained from her day's work, Prill felt a elated smile crawl across her face.  Another success!  How she loved making her uncle appear a fool.  It was wonderful working in the Hood, getting her revenge.

Although it was perhaps even better knowing that she was its leader.