Staring at the hole, Yerman understood what was going on, "you are trying to steal from the storage?!" said Yerman already knowing the answer beforehand
"Shhh!" said Frayn the big man "You are going to get us in trouble, give me that" as he took the sitting log from the side of Yerman
"We are going to put this here, and just forget about it" said Frayn as he went to put it back to place
"No! we will not" Yerman said as he pulled it back from his hand
"You've been acting like my friend for the past half a month, just to steal and let me take all the blame!" Yerman said taking the log into his hands
"It wasn't like that, sigh I was going to steal when your shift ends and while the streets are still empty" said Frayn
"And blame it on the kid!!" replied Yerman
"Come on, the kid won't have much trouble, they will know before long it was me "said Faryn "words will come out that the kid is powerless against such a big man, the chief won't put him to execution or anything"
"Were you blind for the past 11 years? He sent his own pregnant daughter into the stormy cold nights, just because she married someone from an enemy village, he sent her on the white talisman quest to die there," said Yerman
Glaring at him for a moment with the log under his left arm he put his finger into the chest of Frayn and said "the chief is blinded by power; he will do anything to keep it"
"Well good enough that you know that, because I have been on edge for the past MY WHOLE LIFE" Frayn shouted
"I'm tired of people objectifying me like some horse carriage, or a breeding bull, Big man lift this, big man does that, that is my name, Big man" said Frayn angry frustration filling his face
"I am nothing but a shield in battle, and nothing but a carriage at home, I am nothing"
"And you were about to make the only one who saw you like a person, broken and defeated like this," said Yerman
"You know a single person won't make a difference, this isn't some kind of children story, and a kid at that? What will his words make for my life except false hopes" replied Frayn
"And perhaps what will you do after stealing and letting him swallow the blame?" asked Yerman
"I will leave this village for good, go to another, friend or foe, and seek shelter" replied Frayn "And now give me that and shut up about it already" as he pulled the log back
"No, I will tell the chief and you better wish he doesn't exile you or kill you" said Yerman pulling back
"Are you going to get me killed over a 3 days' worth of food" replied Frayn pulling back
"I will not get a kid killed over it at the very least," said Yerman
"You really think the people are going to get a kid killed over my theft" said Frayn pulling it with all his might, the log reached all the way to his side bringing with its Yerman head first
The side of his forehead went towards the storage's wall making a ringing sound across the street
As Frayn looked down he saw blood going all over the floor, Yerman unconscious face flat
"No, no no, no no no, pls don't know!" said Frayn as he moved Yerman's face from the ground to see his eyes white and his mouth wide open, death rattling was the only sound after the wind stopped
"No pls just wake up stop it" Frayn said trying to stop the blood as he yelled "Help, pls Help me" the sun started shining as he heard a guard coming his way, the light of his torch ahead of him, he thought for a moment and took the keys from Yerman's coat
Roman woke up to the sound of people talking and the screams and cries of both women and children, he washed his face with cold water from a bucket and dressed up in his coat, walking outside he saw people's face, fear and shock filling the air, he was too short to see so he climbed some boxes from the side
His blurry vision went clear with time as he saw red, his pupils grew bigger and his jaw fell slowly down, eyelids growing apart body getting stiff, in the light of the sun the dead body of Yerman sat, the door of the storage wide open, key intact to the lock that is left on the ground
The chief came crossing the crowd of people, as the chief reached the body he stood, he did not think that it will reach the point of a dead body, he took a hot rob and covered the scene with it, blood soaked it from greyish white to red, walking in the crowd aunt Marry shouting Roman's name, but he was in his own world
From the side street came forward some guards, a big man with a covered face chained in iron was dragged by them, his body full of scars hinting at a fight that broke not too long
"This is the culprit, he tried running with some food supplies but got caught" said one of the guards
As the chief removed the mask, he saw the face of Frayn, the look of a broken man, under his eyes turned dark, his body failing him, all that happened before the blood cold even be cleaned from the ground
"He already injured many and killed 1 guard who was on duty by the gates," said the same guard
"I never thought you would reach this point of greed, big man," said the chief
Frayn's face got angry, biting on his own mouth, what can he possibly do in this situation
The chief looking at the angry man before him sighed then said calmly as if nothing big has happened "Do you have any last words?"
"Go one with it already, I have grown tired of how I am treated here" said Frayn before looking at the crowd and saying "curse you, all of you, may winter take your worthless lives"
Two guards brought him to his knees by force, as they brought the same log that he fought for killing Yerman, aunt Marry going through the crowds she saw Roman staring at the scene, she ran with both her hands bringing her dress from the floor not to fall by accident
"Roman! Roman look at me, Roman!!!" she yelled in desperation as she went forward, none would wish for a child to witness such a scene
Frayn who was brought to his knees glanced Roman's shock in the distance, Marry who was running towards him, as he made on last eye contact with the boy she closed his eyes and mouth in pain, not a physical, but of the emotional impact such a thing would leave, the blade fell down as the blood painted the grounds, the sound the rolling head and the cracking sound of the skin that was cut down alongside the spine of the neck silenced everybody
Marry reached Roman, but it was too late, as she hugged him and cried the boy showed no emotions at all, "I am sorry, I am sorry, I am so sorry" Marry said to the boy her tears colliding with one another on top of his hat
Roman setting on the tales chair in the chief's tent, his hands on his lap, his eyes still the same, the rat trying to get his attention but no answer, from the other room noises of an argument is going through the cracks beneath the door
"Someone just got killed over some food, and you want him to go guard the source of death itself" Marry yelling at the chief said
"People die every day, and we are short of man on guard by the gates thanks to someone" replied the chief
The room had the leader of the expedition team and some guards
"The leader of the guards is dead, chaos erupted amongst the people, you think a child's emotions are more important right now?" said the chief
"You know that he is a child, what if the same is to happen, how can he defend himself, and on top of that you are trying to put him at night duty while a storm is approaching our door step" said Marry
"No one is going to hurt him, especially after seeing the public execution" replied the chief
"He saw it two, he is broken enough, at least give him time to rest," said Marry to the chief
"He will be given a bell, and the place of the storage will be restricted, in case anything happens he can ring it grabbing our attention," said the chief
"That is not the point, he is traumatized enough father pls think about it- "said Marry
"Enough! My words are clear, there is no more to it, you have no power over him, for no blood ties you both" said the chief as she was biting her lower lips, she wanted to speak but it won't make a difference
He left her their taking the guards with him and the leader of the expedition team, he went to Roman and stood in front of him
Roman slowly looked up at him, he had same defeated face as Frayn had
"You may take rest until nightfall, you are on duty of the night from this point forward, you better get your fill of sleep," said the chief
As the chief left aunt Marry came forward to Roman with a consoling smile and a gentle voice she said, "Now let's go take some sleep sweetheart, these nights are long and the storm is creeping in"
She grabbed his hand taking him across the streets, no kid was able to see what he saw, for they were playing on the streets with no idea of what happened
As he reached home, he looked at Yerman's bed, Marry's eyes noticing that were filled with sadness
She picked him up to his bed covering him with a blanket, closing the room behind her she gave him one last glance
All day his eyes stayed wide open, as the light of the sun went from one window to another, as he slowly closed his eyes the door got knocked a couple of times
He got up and walked towards it leaving his rat on the bed
A guard was the one waking him up, "Get ready kid, night time has come"
He stared at his tired eyes before he sighed and continued "Just. Take your time washing your face and getting ready, I will stand by the storage until then"
The streets went and the storm started its attack dark, from a far the kid walked towards the guard, as he got closer, he got noticed by him
"Here take this" the guard handed Roman a bell and the keys "If anything is to happen ring this, I will come as fast as I can" as he left him behind walking towards the dark ally
Roman sat there, although the blood and its smell were removed, a dark stain were engraved into the stones underneath him, the log wasn't there so the hole was wide open, as he sat watch his eyes closed with time, as he gave in to sleep his friend Squishy woke him up
"Oh, I'm sorry I went to sleep" said Roman to his little friend who was more troubled with his side
"What?" said Roman as he looked to his left, there he saw a white weasel pushing through the broken stones made by Frayn
"No stop!" said Roman as he wanted to catch him, but he got inside already
Roman fast pulled the keys opening the door, and took the torch with him to the dark, he looked around, until he caught sight of that creature, he tried using the fire to scare it to the door, but the cornered creature jumped at him
The torch was thrown away into the food supply as Roman fought the weasel, when he finally got a grip of him fire already covered everything, smoke blinded him as he coughed trying to get to the exit
When he finally reached it, it was to late, the once dark and stormy sky is now in flames, a big torch woke whoever was a sleep
"Fire," people screamed one after another, but it was too late, no snow or rain could cover it up, Roman sat there, his legs bended under him as he let his hands down, the weasel ran away, as he faced the fire, defeated once more he was