Page 47 of Dancing On Air

Chapter10

“You’re up early.” Connor’s father emerged from the house to join Connor, who was sitting at a stump cleaning two rabbits at the break of day. “Is something bothering you, Connor?”

“Good morning, Father. How are you feeling?” He didn’t even look up, but just kept cleaning the rabbits.

“It hasn’t been a month yet. You shouldn’t be hunting. Sampson’s guards are going to see you and arrest you.” His father seemed severely out of breath. He sank down, almost collapsing atop a wooden bench, resting his elbows on the wooden table Connor had built. During the summer, on nice days, his family ate together outdoors.

“We have to eat, Father. I checked the traps early before the guards show up, and I wasn’t spotted. These two rabbits should be enough for Ginevra to make stew. I also brought more root vegetables from the cellar.” One of the first things they’d built after the house, was a small cellar out back. It was underground and cool and they used it to store meat and vegetables.

“Leoric should be cleaning those,” grumbled Wensel. “He needs to learn.”

“He knows how to do it, but has a weak stomach.” Connor put down the knife, holding up the skinned rabbit to check it. “Leoric retched at the gong pits and couldn’t even handle that. I had to send him home.”

“I told you, I don’t like you cleaning gong pits.”

“It was at the abbey, not Sampson’s castle. We need the money, Father. I had to do it.”

“Well, I want Leoric to start joining us at the executions from now on. If he can’t skin a rabbit or clean out a gong pit without being squeamish and retching, how is he ever going to handle a hanging or a beheading?”

Connor put down the rabbit, wishing his father would stop insisting Leoric do these things. The boy wasn’t cut out for it. “Nay, Father. It’s not a good idea.”

“Of course it is. Your brother has told me himself that he wants to learn the trade.”

“Trade?” Connor’s head snapped up. “Is that what we’re calling it now? Because I don’t see taking lives as a trade at all.”

“You know what I mean.” His father groaned and struggled to breathe.

“I’ll assist you at the executions, but leave Leoric out of this.”

“When I die and you become the hangman, Leoric will need to assist you. The boy needs to learn.”

“I said no!” Connor jumped up, feeling his anger growing within him once again. God’s eyes, he never used to get this angry when he was a page or a squire, training to be a knight. What was the matter with him? “It’s nothing he can handle and I don’t want to put him through it.”

“God’s eyes, Connor. The boy is sixteen. He’s a man now. Yet, you coddle him like he’s a sister instead of a brother.”

“I just want what is best for my siblings. That’s all.”

“I feel dizzy, Son. I think I’ll go back in and lie down for a bit.” His father got up, staggering and almost falling.

“Father!” Connor jumped up and put his arm around him. “You still have a fever,” he said, feeling his forehead. “Let me get you something to drink, made from herbs. Mayhap that will help.”

“Nay, I’ll be fine,” he said, coughing, waving a dismissing hand through the air. “I just need to lie down, that’s all. I’ll feel better soon.”

Connor helped his father into the house. “As soon as I finish with the rabbits, I’m going to take a walk to town,” he informed him.

“To town? Whatever for?” asked his father.

“I just need to get out and think for a bit.”

“Take the horse and wagon.”

“Nay. I might be gone a long while. I’ll leave the horse and wagon in case you need it since you are ill.”

“I’m not going anywhere today. Take it, I say.”

“I’d rather walk,” said Connor, not wanting anyone to notice the executioner’s wagon when he met up with Eleanor today at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Woods.

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