The Falcon in the Barn (Book 4 Forest at the Edge series) (92 page)

“
Unbelievable!” Jaytsy
declared as Mahrree gingerly made her way around the counter. She
slapped the slip of silver loudly on the counter to make sure those
whispering in the back heard it.

“
They’re just scared,
Jayts,” Mahrree said as she pulled the warm loaves off the shelves
and put them in her cotton bag.

“
She could have talked to
me, at least! No, Mother. These people WANT TO BE COWARDS!” She
shouted the last words, and spun to turn to send a severe look at
the windows.

Those waiting there suddenly became
interested in something on the road before them.

“
It’s as if these people
want
to avoid us. After all you and Father have done for
them!”

“
Jayts, please,” Mahrree
said as she finished filling her daughter’s bag with a week’s worth
of bread. “I think your condition is making you brasher, which
isn’t necessary or wise right now.” She reached into her pocket and
slapped a second slip of silver on the counter. “A little extra for
your troubles,” she called to the oven room. She came back around
the counter and handed Jaytsy’s bag to her.

“
I feel like a thief,” she
mumbled.

“
Thieves don’t pay TWICE AS
MUCH for tasteless bread than it’s worth,” called Jaytsy
loudly.

“
Please, let’s just go,”
Mahrree said, feeling as if she’d been stabbed in the chest. She
knew people wouldn’t feel free to talk with her. She’d seen them
skittishly rushing past their home for the past several days. But
she thought the same easy conversations she’d had for decades in
the shops wouldn’t change. Maybe people would be a bit quieter, or
give her a quick smile of reassurance as they wrapped up her
plucked chicken, but this—
this
was unlike anything she
expected.

All Mahrree did was stand up and bellow to
Edge, just as she had done years ago. She was merely spouting off
again—

But this time had been different. She’d made
missteps in the past, but this was clearly a miss of enormous
proportions. A mis-leap off the edge of the world.

She blinked rapidly as she opened the door
for her and Jaytsy to head for home.

Jaytsy noticed her fighting back the tears.
“Forget them, Mother. They don’t deserve you,” she said as they
stood on the side of road to rearrange their bags. The market was
bustling in the early afternoon, and all of it tried to bustle in
the opposite direction of Mrs. Shin and Mrs. Briter.

“
I guess I’m just
surprised,” Mahrree murmured as another two women whose children
she used to teach took a circular route around her. “This has
always been such a nice village—”

“
A
nice
village?!”
Jaytsy nearly wailed.

A dozen people trying to get around them
moved even faster.

Mahrree stared at her daughter in
surprise.

“
A nice village!” Jaytsy
announced sarcastically, glaring at a few more dozen who stopped in
their tracks to see what Shin was erupting this time.

“
That’s what my mother just
declared: Edge has always been such a nice village. And I wonder,”
Jaytsy said, her voice booming as far as her father’s as she
addressed everyone who had ears, “exactly what village is Mahrree
Shin remembering?”

People leaked out of market fronts to cluster
in whispering groups.

Now Mahrree knew how her family must have
felt when she stood up at the amphitheater: complete dread.

“
Jaytsy, I really don’t
think—”

Mrs. Briter gently but firmly brushed her
mother’s hand away. “Surely Mahrree Shin remembers this village
before
it turned on itself to steal goods from those who
died from the pox! Surely she remembers a village that appreciated
its commander—”

Mahrree bit her lower lip and took a step
back from her daughter. She’d seen that look before, in Perrin’s
face. Jaytsy Shin Briter had something to say, and everyone was
going to hear it.

Mahrree hadn’t realized before how much
Jaytsy favored Perrin. Her dark brown eyes were wide with fury and
her voice developed an authoritative quality that insisted everyone
stop what they were doing and
listen
. Jaytsy carried the
blood of the greatest officers the world had ever seen. Couple that
with the fact that the generals’ descendant was also in the throes
of expecting a baby, and it was a very dangerous combination
indeed.

Mahrree took another protective step back.
“Oh, dear . . .”

“—
A commander who, on more
occasions than you will ever know, put his life on the line to
defend each one of you!” Jaytsy bellowed to the rapt and growing
audience.

A few women broke away from the crowd and
trotted purposefully down an alley.

Mahrree noticed but Jaytsy didn’t, or she
didn’t care.

“
And this is how you repay
the Shins for their years of sacrifice and dedication? By ignoring
them? Shunning them? If Perrin Shin
chooses to
resign
from the army because twenty-five years of risking his life is
enough, then this
nice village
should be throwing him a
celebration of thanks! They should be lining up to shake his hand
for the many sleepless nights and bloodied blades and terrors he
faced for them! They should be hugging his wife who tolerated their
rotten sons and taught them when no one else in the village wanted
anything to do with them! A nice village? I’m looking but I’m
just . . . not . . . seeing . . . it!
”

Mahrree’s fists were clutched near her face
in nervous fascination. Jaytsy would have been marvelous on the
platform, Mahrree thought fleetingly. But right now, right here,
was not good.

In her peripheral vision Mahrree kept an eye
on the growing crowd that was stunned silent. Villagers had subtly
rearranged themselves, men in some groups, women in others. A few
more women had slinked away and now Mahrree saw why: Chief Barnie
was being reluctantly led to the market by a gaggle of outraged
women.

Interestingly, none of the men had run to
report on a disturbance in the market, likely because they knew of
Jaytsy’s condition too well. None of those men wanted to be on the
receiving side of a female version of Perrin Shin coupled with the
fervor of a soon-to-be-mother.

Now Jaytsy was shouting about cowardice, and
a few more men hugged tighter to the buildings behind them.

“
Edgers never had to be
brave!” Jaytsy continued, turning in place to address several
hundred people now in a full circle and a safe distance away from
her. “You know why? You counted on Perrin Shin to face the dangers
for you! Only a handful of Edgers ever joined the army here, hoping
instead that others would come save you. And Perrin and Mahrree
Shin did exactly that! When this village was starving, my parents
risked everything in the world just to bring you wheat and dried
beef. We were attacked on the road! My grandparents were later
killed!

“
And what did this
nice
village
do when Perrin Shin suffered? When his wife had to
struggle with a traumatized man? When his children were terrified
to stay in their home? Why, this
nice village
talked about
the Shin family behind their backs! Oh, don’t look so surprised. I
heard the rumors. You really think we didn’t know? Did you ever
come by and ask how you could help? Did you ever lend a shoulder
for any of us to cry on? Not that I remember! We recovered without
the help of this
nice village
.

“
And then Perrin Shin
violated his probation and every rule in the army book to attack
the Guarders in Moorland. Have you been threatened lately? I didn’t
think so! Your greatest enemy blown out of the world by my father!
My parents have changed your entire village for the better. But
when they have a personal crisis, when the world turns on them,
where is this
nice village
? The Creator knows I certainly
don’t see one. I see selfish cowards—all of you!”

Mahrree exhaled, realizing she’d been holding
her breath for far too long.

Barnie and the cluster of women had stopped
at the perimeter of the circle to hear Jaytsy’s tirade. One woman
was frantically taking notes.

Mahrree stepped up to her daughter and gently
took her arm. “Jaytsy, well said. I think you’re done—”

Mrs. Briter’s chest heaved furiously as she
turned her glare on Chief Barnie. Two women were pushing him into
the open space, and his stuttering steps made it obvious he would
rather have been anywhere else in the world right then.

“
Mrs. Briter?” He cleared
his throat and firmed his stance.

Jaytsy folded her arms defiantly in a
Perrin-like manner, and Mahrree massaged her cheeks. If she weren’t
so worried as to what might happen next she would’ve been bursting
with pride.

“
Yes?” Jaytsy said with so
much malice that Mahrree marveled how Barnie still stood
erect.

“
Do we have a problem?”
Barnie timidly asked.

“
She’s debating!” a woman
shouted from the concealing safety of the crowd. “There’s laws
against that!”

Edgers erupted into whispered discussions,
and Mahrree saw the groups of men try to blend into each other to
keep from being an obvious target.

The women, however, were far less protective.
Anyone who thought women were softer, or calmer, or gentler had
obviously never visited Edge: home of vindictive females.

Edge didn’t seem to be such a nice village
anymore.

Mahrree watched her daughter, praying her
response would be appropriate.

Jaytsy’s hands moved to her hips. “A debate?”
she shouted. “Barnie, do you see anyone challenging me? Talking
back?”

The crowd couldn’t get any flatter as Barnie
obediently glanced around. He shook his head.

“
That’s right. Two people
are needed for a debate. I’m just . . . delivering a free history
lesson!”

That did it. Mahrree couldn’t hold it in
anymore. She burst into a grin which she quickly covered with her
hand.

None of the villagers dared move a muscle.
Even the angry knot of women glanced at each other hoping one of
them could think of what to say next.

“
Now,” Jaytsy began as she
bent down to pick up her bread bag from the ground. She didn’t move
like an expecting woman but more like a general retrieving his
dropped sword. “My mother and I will be shopping here twice a week
when the shops open, and if anyone here has a problem with that, I
suggest you arrive
after
we leave. Mother? We need to start
dinner.”

And Mrs. Briter marched briskly away. The
crowd was so eager to separate for her to pass that a few feet were
trampled on.

Mrs. Shin followed quickly, trying to keep
down her smile of pride until they passed the last of the stunned
shoppers.

---

Perrin stared at his daughter. “‘I’m
delivering a history lesson?’ You really said that?”

“
Shouted, actually.” Jaytsy
sat proudly at the table sorting dried beans with an air of
well-deserved superiority.

Deck shook his head while Peto burst out
laughing.

Mahrree hadn’t stopped beaming since they
left the market. “They were stunned silent! No one dared follow us
home.”

Perrin sat down slowly next to Jaytsy. “I
don’t know whether to congratulate you or berate you for throwing
yourself into the same pit as the rest of us. You realize what
you’ve done, don’t you?”

She stopped sorting to face him. “I stood up
for my family when no one else would. I said what people needed to
hear—”

“
And the way this village
gossips, it’s been heard by everyone by now!” Peto
grinned.

Deck exhaled worriedly.

“
But Jayts,” Perrin
continued, “not to discount your remarkable defense of our family,
you may have done all of us more harm than good. If you think
Genev’s not going to add you and Deck to the shunned list, I have
to tell you—”

“
I don’t care!” Jaytsy
declared. “I belong with you on that list.”

“
But does your husband?”
Perrin gestured to Deck.

Deck nodded. “Wherever Jaytsy belongs, I
belong.”

Peto patted him on the back.

Perrin sighed, picked up a bean and analyzed
it. “I was rather counting on the two of you still having freedom
in this village.”

“
We don’t, Father,” Jaytsy
snapped. “And never did. Guilt by association. We already were on
that list in everyone’s minds. I just made sure we were there for a
good reason.”

Perrin dropped the bean. “I suppose you’re
right.” He put his hand on top of hers. “Thank you, Jayts. My only
regret is that I didn’t get to witness it myself. I feel better
knowing the truth was spoken. What happens next really doesn’t
matter. It’s out there.”

---

That evening Peto said good night to his
parents and willingly went straight to his room after dinner,
partly because he was exhausted from moving bales of hay for
Deck.

He blamed that on his father. Two days ago he
made Peto stand in front of him, wearing only his undershorts,
while Perrin evaluated his development. Shem had said the kickball
scouts were worse than the army, but as Peto stood at attention
while his father prodded and jabbed his muscles, he couldn’t see
how this was any better.

Then again, former General Shin didn’t have
an army to beef up anymore so he was pouring all of his attention
on his son.