Still in the Past

             The scent of death will make most choke. The violence had happened so fast, the vague images in my mind replayed again and again until they made sense. An ambush. Was it my fault? No. I would never... why was there blood all over my hands?

             I must have been frightening, truly frightening for them to call in ten knights to kill me. You’d think they had been preparing to fight a pack of full-blown goblins. I wasn’t going to die. Not that night.

            They were all dead. Incoherence set in with the shock of violence.

           Several screams ripped the silence.

I didn’t do it. Why are they dead?

           “You evil monster!”

           Yeah, I hate you too.

           “I saw him do it!”

If you are good people, why are you lying?

But even I wasn’t sure what had happened. I saw one of them come at me with his sword pointed at my heart. I knocked him away. The shadows spun and swirled in the torchlight amid their battle cries. But why were they dead?

In the end, it didn’t matter what I thought I had done: the result was still the same.

   

           “I believe you didn’t kill them.”

           The words hung in the empty dark like dust caught in sunlight. Someone was crouched down outside of my cell. He was wearing a blue uniform, and had a sword at his hilt: a soldier. I couldn’t see his face at all, for what little light there was came from behind him.

“Why?” I asked him.

            “Those knights didn’t come for you, and besides, it’s not in your character.”

“How would you know that?”

"They were already on their way before word of you spread here." The soldier stood up. “I can’t let you out of here, but I’m not going to let you be hung for what you didn’t do. For now just stay put. You’ll need better support than what I can give you, and that will be easier once the panic dies down.”

           Most people weren’t told where I was locked away. That saved me from mobs and curious gawkers, at least. I don’t know who that soldier was, and I haven’t seen him since.

End of Jinge’s Statement

           Donal sighed. “I’ll have to ask my father about it.”

           “Yeah, I don’t think he’ll be very happy to see us again.” Ciaran scratched his head. “But if you go see him, I’ll find out about that soldier.”

           “Sure, give me the hard part.”

           “We can do both together if you’re scared.”

           “I’m not scared!”

           “Good for you.” Ciaran put a hand on Donal’s shoulder. “But I’ll go with you. Let’s just hope Brand isn’t with him today. That way I’ll be less scared.”

           They mounted the stone steps of the castle corridor together. Donal wrinkled his nose. “Why should Brand scare you? You’re only a few years younger than him, and just as tall!”

          “He’s not nice.” Ciaran answered, being irritatingly vague.