The weapon struck the lead demon full in the chest, knocking it into its fellows, but even the skin of a tiny flame demon was too knobbed and tough for a pitchfork to pierce. The creature picked up the tool in its claws and spat a gout of flame upon it, setting the wooden haft alight, then tossed it aside.
But though the coreling hadnât been hurt, the throw delayed them. The demons rushed forward, but as Harl leapt onto the porch, they came to an abrupt halt, slamming into a line of wards that stopped them as surely as if they had run into a brick wall. As the magic flared brightly and hurled them back into the yard, Harl rushed into the house. He slammed and bolted the door, throwing his back against the portal.
âCreator be praised,â he said weakly, panting and pale.
The air inside Harlâs farmhouse was thick and hot, stinking of must and waste. The buggy reeds on the floor absorbed some of the water that made it past the thatch, but they were far from fresh. Two dogs and several cats shared the home, forcing everyone to step carefully. A stone pot hung in the fireplace, adding to the mix the sour scent of a stew perpetually cooking, added to as it diminished. A patchwork curtain in one corner gave a touch of privacy for the chamber pot.
Arlen did his best to redo Silvyâs bandages, and then Ilain and her sister Beni put her in their room, while Harlâs youngest, Renna, set another two cracked wooden bowls at the table for Arlen and his father.
There were only three rooms, one shared by the girls, another for Harl, and the common room where they cooked and ate and worked. A ragged curtain divided the room, partitioning off the area for cooking and eating. A warded door in the common room led to the small barn.
âRenna, take Arlen and check the wards while the men talk and Beni and I get supper ready,â Ilain said.
Renna nodded, taking Arlenâs hand and pulling him along. She was almost ten, close to Arlenâs age of eleven, and pretty beneath the smudges of dirt on her face. She wore a plain shift, worn and carefully mended, and her brown hair was tied back with a ragged strip of cloth, though many locks had freed themselves to fall about her round face.
âThis oneâs scuffed,â the girl commented, pointing to a ward on one of the sills. âOne of the cats must have stepped on it.â Taking a stick of charcoal from the kit, she carefully traced the line where it had been broken.
âThatâs no good,â Arlen said. âThe lines ent smooth anymore. That weakens the ward. You should draw it over.â
âIâm not allowed to draw a fresh one,â Renna whispered. âIâm supposed to tell Father or Ilain if thereâs one I canât fix.â
âI can do it,â Arlen said, taking the stick. He carefully wiped clean the old ward and drew a new one, his arm moving with quick confidence. Stepping back as he finished, he looked around the window, and then swiftly replaced several others as well.
While he worked, Harl caught sight of them and started to rise nervously, but a motion and a few confident words from Jeph brought him back to his seat.
Arlen took a moment to admire his work. âEven a rock demon wonât get through that,â he said proudly. He turned, and found Renna staring at him. âWhat?â he asked.
âYouâre taller than I remember,â the girl said, looking down and smiling shyly.
âWell, itâs been a couple of years,â Arlen replied, not knowing what else to say. When they finished their sweep, Harl called his daughter over. He and Renna spoke softly to one another, and Arlen caught her looking at him once or twice, but he couldnât hear what was said.
Dinner was a tough stew of parsnip and corn with a meat Arlen couldnât identify, but it was filling enough. While they ate, they told their tale.
âWish youâda come to us first,â Harl said when they finished. âWe been tâold Mey Friman plenty times. Closerân going all the way to Town Square tâsee Trigg. If it took you two hours of cracking the whip tâget back to us, youâda reached Mack Pastureâs farm soon, you pressed on. Old Mey, sheâs only an hour-so past that. She never did cotton to living in town. Youâd really whipped that mare, you mighta made it tonight.â
Arlen slammed down his spoon. All eyes at the table turned to him, but he didnât even notice, so focused was he on his father.
Jeph could not weather that glare for long. He hung his head. âThere was no way to know,â he said miserably.
Ilain touched his shoulder. âDonât blame yourself for being cautious,â she said. She looked at Arlen, reprimand in her eyes. âYouâll understand when youâre older,â she told him.
Arlen rose sharply and stomped away from the table. He went through the curtain and curled up by a window, watching the demons through a broken slat in the shutters. Again and again they tried and failed to pierce the wards, but Arlen didnât feel protected by the magic. He felt imprisoned by it.
âTake Arlen into the barn and play,â Harl ordered his younger daughters after the rest had finished eating. âIlain will take the bowls. Letâcher elders talk.â
Beni and Renna rose as one, bouncing out of the curtain. Arlen was in no mood to play, but the girls didnât let him speak, yanking him to his feet and out the door into the barn.
Beni lit a cracked lantern, casting the barn in a dull glow. Harl had two old cows, four goats, a pig with eight sucklings, and six chickens. All were gaunt and bony; underfed. Even the pigâs ribs showed. The stock seemed barely enough to feed Harl and the girls.
The barn itself was no better. Half the shutters were broken, and the hay on the floor was rotted. The goats had eaten through the wall of their stall, and were pulling the cowâs hay. Mud, slop, and faeces had churned into a single muck in the pig stall.
Renna dragged Arlen to each stall in turn. âDa doesnât like us naming the animals,â she confessed, âso we do it secret. This oneâs Hoofy.â She pointed to a cow. âHer milk tastes sour, but Da says itâs fine. Next to her is Grouchy. She kicks, but only if you milk too hard, or not soon enough. The goats are â¦â
âArlen doesnât care about the animals,â Beni scolded her sister. She grabbed his arm and pulled him away. Beni was taller than her sister, and older, but Arlen thought Renna was prettier. They climbed into the hayloft, plopping down on the clean hay.
âLetâs play Succour,â Beni said. She pulled a tiny leather pouch from her pocket, rolling four wooden dice onto the floor of the loft. The dice were painted with symbols: flame, rock, water, wind, wood, and ward. There were many ways to play, but most rules agreed you needed to throw three wards before rolling four of any other kind.
They played at the dice for a while. Renna and Beni had their own rules, many of which Arlen suspected were made up to let them win.
âTwo wards three times in a row counts as three wards,â Beni announced, after throwing just that. âWe win.â Arlen disagreed, but he didnât see much point in arguing.
âSince we won, you have to do what we say,â Beni declared.
âDo not,â Arlen said.
âDo too!â Beni insisted. Again, Arlen felt as if arguing would get him nowhere.
âWhat would I have to do?â he asked suspiciously.
âMake him play kissy!â Renna clapped.
Beni swatted her sister on the head. âI know, dumbs!â
âWhatâs kissy?â Arlen asked, afraid he already knew the answer.
âOh, youâll see,â Beni said, and both girls laughed. âItâs a grown-up game. Da plays it with Ilain sometimes. You practice being married.â
âWhat, like saying your promises?â Arlen asked, wary.
âNo, dumbs, like this,â Beni said. She put her arms around Arlenâs shoulders, and pressed her mouth to his.
Arlen had never kissed a girl before. She opened her mouth to him, and so he did the same. Their teeth clicked, and both of them recoiled. âOw!â Arlen said.
âYou do it too hard, Beni,â Renna complained. âItâs my turn.â
Indeed, Rennaâs kiss was much softer. Arlen found it rather pleasant. Like being near the fire when it was cold.
âThere,â Renna said, when their lips parted. âThatâs how you do it.â
âWe have to share the bed tonight,â Beni said. âWe can practise later.â
âIâm sorry you had to give up your bed on account of my mam,â Arlen said.
âItâs okay,â Renna said. âWe used to have to share a bed every night, until Mam died. But now Ilain sleeps with Da.â
âWhy?â Arlen asked.
âWeâre not supposed to talk about it,â Beni hissed at Renna.