Conall sat back in his chair and tried to find the best way to convey his thoughts.

"You see," he said, "The people of Rynnlee toil and labor all year only for the Baron to come and collect taxes—far more than the king demands mind you—and the townsfolk end up starving come winter." The mayor was quite serious, but Silver furrowed his brow.

"You don't look like you starve, Conall." Silver realized immediately his words had been harsh, but he had merely been speaking his thoughts.

The rotund man tried to suck in his gut but it was no use. He huffed. "Not that it's any of your business, but my shape has never been boyish. Even eating only broth and cabbage, my physique comes out lacking. Plus, it's coming up on tax time soon, so we eat as much of our crops and livestock as we can in the summer and autumn beforehand," Conall indicated his plate and took a large bite of bacon. "All the rest will be carted off when the soldiers come. If we try to hide it anywhere but our bellies, they can put us in the stocks, flog us."

"And what should the taxes be?" Silver asked, trying to sound more grown up that he felt. He had a vague idea of taxes and knew Alexis and Gareth had paid them, but beyond that, he was out of his depth. He crossed his arms and brought one hand to stroke his chin. It looked odd to Conall to see a hand stroke a black void, but he shrugged.

"The king gets two coins in ten and the baron should get one. But the, uh, Baron happily takes nine or even all ten in the name of 'tribute' to the king and himself. He pays off the surrounding nobles too. It's crafty really."

Sean did not understand. "How so?"

"Baron Monte knows if we object to a kingly tribute, he can cite us for treason. One careless word can end one up permanently in prison or worse..." Conall drew a line across his neck.

'Wonderful. I have walked into a hornets' nest.' The young man swallowed.

Conall cleared his throat and tentatively continued, "So you, uh, see…if we had a Guardian to get back some of that tribute, it would help us immensely."

Silver nodded. He could see the sense in having someone to recapture the funds and possessions once they were taken. Then the baron would be unable to charge them legally without bringing attention to his own malfeasance.

Sean fed Haven a small bite of eggs. She opened her mouth greedily and inhaled the morsel, nearly choking before she chewed. Silver smiled at her. He could not imagine having to worry about her starving each winter. These people had children. A pang radiated in Silver's chest. He pushed down his compassion, trying to think rationally.

"So you are saying that you need a thief to steal back the excess taxes and in return you will provide them with a home and protection for his family?"

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Conall nodded without hesitation and then caught himself as his eyes bulged. "I would not put it quite in those terms. Uh, a Guardian is a much more respectable title."

"But a thief is much more accurate." Silver was not trying to be rude. He had no problem with the word thief, though Conall did not know this. He merely wanted to understand the expectation. If a thief was all they needed, he was probably the most qualified person they would find.

Conall stroked his chin. "Yes, yes very true. You are, uh, a sage also I see. I suppose the title 'Guardian' has a much more encompassing role than a mere thief. But perhaps in being a thief, the position of Guardian will find a way to follow. What do you say?"

"Yes," Silver answered before he could think too much. He sighed and added, "I only hope the one who told you about me was right."

"I'm sure she is. Welcome to Rynnlee."

-----------

"Last nail! Silver, will you do the honors?" the Mayor held out the hammer to the silver-eyed man. He took it and put the final piece in place. There was a chorus of cheers that made Silver uncomfortable, but he waved awkwardly. "Thank you," he muttered. For better or worse, his house was finished.

The house on the edge of town for Haven and Silver was built rapidly. The townspeople were so happy to have someone to rally around, that they volunteered their time to help construct the roomy two bedroom home.

Staying with Conall and his wife and son during construction had been wonderful. It was very different from living with Alexis and Gareth, but the love of the family was still genuine and the kindness easily given.

Silver found that when he needed to go off to hunt or on a mission, Conall's wife, Katherine, was eager to watch the little miss. "She's just like a doll," Katherine would say, "a perfect little doll!" Haven for her part loved the attention. The two could be seen often together heading to the market in the next village or out to deliver a package. It became a common and almost expected sight.

"I hate to have her leave," Katherine said, as she handed the toddler over to her big brother. "I have become very attached."

"Do not worry," Silver assured her, "You are welcome to see her any time you like." Haven waved at Katherine and blew a happy raspberry in her direction. The Guardian smiled. "I am sure she will want to visit her 'Aunty Kat' all the time."

Katherine kissed the child on the cheek and moved away. "I hope so, and don't you suddenly become a stranger either."

'I already am one,' Silver wanted to say, but he knew better than to be rude. "I won't," he answered dutifully.

Before long it was nearing harvest and the inevitable collection of taxes. Silver decided it would be best if he were absent when collection would take place, and a few members from a larger family pretended to take up residence in his home.

The Baron's soldiers came around and dutifully gathered all the livestock, money and any items of value that they could find. They placed the legitimate tax money separate from the rest in a special chest. It was an extra slap in the face to the villagers, who could see clearly how much they had lost.

The "tribute" that couldn't walk was loaded into a small wagon to be carted out of town. It was a painful sight to see their livelihood leave and even more painful to do nothing about it.

As soon as the soldiers were gone, Silver emerged from the forest and gathered a small band of men.

"The time has come," he announced. The men quickly ran off and changed.

They each dressed in a dark cloak of grey, green, brown or black that were marked with strange symbols resembling trees and leaves. They donned thick bark masks and painted their exposed skin with mud and dirt. The men had spent time gathering what weapons they could in the weeks prior and hid them in a cache off in the woods.

The store was retrieved, and now each one was armed and ready for battle. It was a battle Silver hoped would never actually occur. In addition to these strange preparations, Silver had asked a few villagers to assemble a long string of bells and a strange pulley mechanism a long way off in the forest, but he had yet to explain his reasoning.

"Let us head out," the man in the mysterious black cloak ordered. "We cannot let the Baron's men get too far ahead of us. The group headed off into the trees, quickly blending in with their surroundings as they disappeared.

Two women stood off watching the group leave. "Do you think this will work?" the first woman asked. Her voice was a mix of suspicion and worry.

Katherine shook her head as she held Haven's hand firmly. "We won't easily make it through the winter if it doesn't." The mayor's wife shrugged. "It may seem crazy, but crazy works sometimes, doesn't it?"

The first woman regarded her words with the corners of her lips upturned. "This certainly qualifies as crazy, so I hope you are right."