The Lord of the Crows

Part 1 - The Rock

"Where is my father?"

The shadows melted over me and I fought frantically not to kneel before the new surge of pain and not to sink into darkness. My wound was burning, pulsing, as if someone had pushed the red-hot tip of a knife into it and kept on twisting it.

A shadow stood out from the others and gained in sharpness.

"Where he belongs, you bastard." I recognized the voice whispering to my ear and felt a new rush of pain. I growled and tried to grab him by the neck, but the ropes held me tight.

"I wish he were here with you, but even the Rock is a death too honorable for a useless old man like him."

I felt a new stab in my right arm and almost lost consciousness. Fire and pain burned and tore my flesh and veins.

"I would like to kill you, right here and right now, but unfortunately, I'm not allowed to. The law is clear, and the law says you're in for the Rock. "

He raised a bluish blade in front of my face and smiled.

"Still," I could feel his stinking breath, "I don't want to take any chances. A dog like you can withstand wounded for three days. "

He wiped the knife on the torn shirt on my chest but did not stab me again. I knew he would not. As I knew that wounds filled with poison from a blue blade would hurt more with time. I was going to die, but only at dawn of the third day. My flesh would literally fall off my bones, but I would be alive, long enough to see them on the horizon, riding towards me but not to receive a pardon.

He smiled, aware that I understood what he wanted to say, and pressed his thumb against the wound on my hip. The agonizing pain flashed in full force again, sending me to unconsciousness with a scream.

***

The light burned my eyelids relentlessly. I turned my head to the side and moved my hand desperately trying to shield myself from the sun. The pain instantly tore my muscles and bones, but my arm moved.

Free. I'm... free?

I tried to move a little bit more and open my eyes, but I felt resistance.

"Don't move, you'll reopen the wounds."

It was only with those words that I realized the resistance I felt did not come from the ropes but from someone's hands holding me lightly pressed.

I was lying. In bed.

This can't be. Has the sentence expired?...

***

She lowered the bucket of water by the fireplace, just like she did every morning, and turned around to pile up wood. The fire was still smoldering, and it did not take long for it to burst into flames. I wanted to tell her to leave the shutters closed, but it would have no effect. The ritual was the same every morning. The old woman would bring water, then light a fire, open the shutters wide to let the sun and fresh air in, and then she would prepare me some breakfast. After breakfast she would patiently change my bandages and help me get dressed. No complaints, protests or even angry words and insults seemed to have any effect on her. The old woman simply strictly followed the routine.

This morning, the air rushing into the hut was hotter than usual.

"Daina ordered you to bring water yourself. Starting from tomorrow. She thinks the walk might be beneficial to you."

I turned my head away from her, toward the wall, inspecting the dark outlines of the wooden beams.

"It's time to get up."

Her voice was soft but commanding.

"Why?"

"It's been three weeks and ..."

I sat up, but I still did not dare look at her. Instead, I stared at the outlines of my useless legs, hidden by a thick, woolen blanket.

"Why did you bring me down?"

She stopped preparing breakfast and sat down next to me on the bed with her hands laid on her lap. She sighed, and in that sigh, I heard something I hadn't in a really long time. Compassion and understanding.

"You were dying."

I frowned.

"Granny, that's the point of the Rock."

She put her hand on my shoulder and nodded.

"Yes, it is."

"Then why did you break the law and bring me down?"

"Daina's orders. She said death wasn't right and ordered us to bring you down from the Rock. "

I winced. A woman freed me from the Rock?! I grimaced and lay down again.

"She should have left me die."

"Yes, that's what she said. And she said you'd say that, too", she got up to continue with her work. "But we're kinda used to it. That's something we keep on hearing here."

I turned to her. Suddenly, I was really interested in finding out where I was and what "here" actually meant.