“Hey, Braden! I know yer in there. We need t’ have a chat!”

  Julia heard the shouting and knew immediately it was about her. Who else could it be but one of those kids’ parents? No one in her entire life here in Rockyknoll had ever come knocking besides messengers delivering letters.

  Julia’s heart sank. Braden looked down at her, patted her on the head, and started toward the door.

  “Coming, coming. You can stop banging on the door. This house isn’t so large that you need to smash the door down just to get my attention.”

  When he got to the door and opened it, Julia could see a large man on the porch. He had short-cropped blonde hair and a blonde beard that covered his face and tapered down to a point at his mid-chest. The most telling thing about him was the blue overalls he wore over his light-beige, linen shirt.

  A woodcutter, most likely. And, judging by the hair color, the father of the boy she’d hit.

  “Well, if it isn’t Mr. Sherwood. What can I do for you?”

  Braden seemed to know this man, which was surprising to Julia. Although, now that she was thinking about it, Rockyknoll was a town of no more than 500 people. It wasn’t actually strange to know—or at least be aware of—nearly all the residents. It was just that she didn’t know anyone.

  “I think ya probably know, Braden. I see ‘er in there behind ya. Since we both know the situation, I think apologies’re in order, hmm?”

  Braden looked back at Julia and smiled at her. “An excellent idea, I think. Julia, would you come over here, please?”

  Julia’s heart was thumping in her chest. What could she do? This guy wanted an apology? From her!? No way. She didn’t know what Braden’s plan was, but there was no way she was apologizing for saving her friend.

  She walked over to them slowly. She was angry and scared, and she could feel the tears threatening to fall. She forced them down, though—keeping them in her eyes.

  Braden always said crying was a natural bodily function and not something to be embarrassed about. However, she was not going to give these people the satisfaction of knowing they were affecting her.

  She stopped and stood slightly behind Braden, one hand holding onto the back of his robe. Braden put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed her a little closer to him.

  “There. Julia is here and ready to receive your boy’s apology,” Braden said with a smile.

  The man, Mr. Sherwood, stared at Braden in confusion for a moment.

  “An apology…from ma boy? Are ya outta yer mind!? D’ya even know what happened? Did she fib to ya and ya took it fer truth!?”

  “I’m fully aware of the situation, Dave. Not only that, but I’d wager I know more about it than you. So, why don’t I recount it the way I believe it to have happened, and you can make any corrections to the story afterwards?”

  Dave stood there with clearly mounting anger, but he didn’t say anything to the contrary, so Braden began recounting the story exactly as Julia had told it to him.

  When he got to the end where, chronologically, Julia had arrived at their home with an injured and unconscious Trixy in her arms, he started on a different thread.

  “Now, I personally treated Trixy’s injuries, and they corroborate Julia’s story. I’ve healed a great many wounds over the many years I’ve lived and adventured. I know what wounds from a host of different sources look like.

  “What’s more, did you hear the way Julia described your son’s words? The accent? Julia doesn’t speak that way—with that accent. She takes much of her speech from her parents and me.

  And, let me remind you, she is eleven-years-old. I think it unlikely an eleven-year-old would make a detail like that specific accent up to sell her story, don’t you?

  “Now, are there any corrections you’d like to make?” Braden finished.

  Dave’s face had been getting redder throughout the story, and now Julia could see a vein pulsing in his forehead.

  “Ma boy was attacked by th’ creature. Told me so hisself. Couple a his friends said it were true. And then, when yer…girl came upon the kids deliverin’ retribution, she plum hit ma boy straight in his face!”

  Braden sighed. Julia didn’t know how she could tell, but she felt the sigh was more insulting to Dave than any words would have been.

  “Dave. These are kids. Do you really believe they wouldn’t say whatever they could to get out of trouble? I don’t think you do. What’s more, I don’t think you believed them from the start. You know why?

  “The day Julia bound Trixy, I went around the entire town spreading the word. I went to the mayor. I went to shopkeepers. I went to the crier. I even went to old Marthanna and Janiera who sit out on their porches all day gossiping. I went to everyone imaginable to spread the word of the pact.

  “I told everyone that Trixy is bound to Julia. She’s bound by a pact—the world itself enforces it—to obey Julia’s commands. Trixy is not a danger to anyone in town. I said all this almost two years ago. So, I know word got around to you.

  If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

  “The reason I know for sure—rather than just suspect—is that your boy said it himself, right? He called Trixy a ‘cursed beast’ right after calling Julia herself a ‘curse.’ Clearly, he learned that from you, and you know that Julia and Trixy are joined by more than just an animal kinship.”

  Dave was positively livid, now, but before he could get even a word in, Braden continued.

  “Your boy is actually pretty lucky. You see, Julia here has such a sweet, kind soul. She doesn’t like violence. She dislikes it so much that when she saw Trixy eating a small bird, she ordered her not to attack anyone or anything ever again.

  “In other words, the reason the only wound your son has is from Julia’s fist is thanks to that order. Trixy couldn’t defend herself because of it. That order has been rescinded, though. If your son does something foolish like this again…well, I would just make sure he doesn’t. Trixy might look like a small ferret, but she can use magic.”

  Dave stomped up to Braden so that their faces were so close they could probably smell each other’s breath.

  “Are ya threatenin’ ma boy, Braden? Are ya really gonna sink yer reputation with this town over that…disaster behind ya?” Dave asked quietly—the low volume belying the loathing in his words.

  Julia didn’t even have a chance to be offended by the insult. She was distracted by the feeling of the ambient temperature declining precipitously.

  Braden smiled at Dave, but Julia thought the smile was one of the scariest things she’d ever seen. Never mind whether it reached his eyes or not. It looked like it warped his entire face.

  “The girl behind me is my daughter, Dave. But, I see. I was foolish to think your son would apologize. Like father, like son, they say.

  “I can’t see a tiny man like you ever having the guts to apologize for something you’ve done wrong. Thus, I can’t expect it from your son, whom you’ve likely already taught all your cowardice and spite.

  “I’ll have to punish you myself. Only that will get the lesson through your thick skull.”

  Dave, who was now fuming openly, took a step back from Braden. His red face receded just a bit as his anger morphed into confusion and…was that fear?

  “You’ll regret threatenin’ me like this, Braden. I don’t know what kinda strange adventurin’ powers ya got, but ya can’t expect t’ live an easy life in this community if ya treat us like this.”

  Braden laughed, but there was no mirth in it. “Us? The punishment is for you, Daveth. Although, I’m not against teaching anyone else that needs to learn.”

  Braden sent a pointed glance at the crowd of parents several steps behind Dave. Likely the parents of the other children, but they seemed to have elected Dave (Daveth?) as their representative, so they were staying a ways back and letting him handle things.

  At Braden’s cold stare and mirthless smile, the group took a step back.

  “Yer outta yer mind, Braden. I see there ain’t no chance of a apology from the likes a ya. Just remember that if ma boy come tell me about a similar problem in the future, I’ll be takin’ it to th’ mayor.”

  Dave delivered his threat, turned around to leave, and lifted his leg to take a step forward. Instead of beginning his walk, though, his leg sank into the ground.

  Sank was the best descriptor—as to Julia’s eyes, it was as if he had just failed to walk on water. The ground, acting like a fluid, swallowed his leg up to the knee before he caught himself.

  “What in th’ Gods above…” Dave gasped, bewildered.

  He was now leaning forward somewhat like Julia did when she was getting ready to sprint her hardest. His forward leg was locked into the ground up to his knee, and he was leaning over it with his hands on the ground. He seemed to be trying to use them to push off the ground and yank his leg out, but it wasn’t budging.

  “What was it you said, Daveth? Something about how I treat the community? You’re clearly such a community guy yourself. I can see it. Lots of people around love and care about you because you treat them well, right?”

  Braden spoke in a tone so cold, Julia thought that there might be frost on the grass. As he spoke, Dave started to slowly sink into the ground. It was less like water now and more like really thick mud. He was sinking steadily, but much slower than when his leg had first gone in.

  He was up to his mid-thigh on his first leg, now, while his hands—previously trying to push off the ground—were sunk halfway to his elbows. His other foot was mid-shin-deep.

  “Since you’ve obviously treated others so well, and they care about you so much, I’m sure you won’t be here long before they come to dig you out. It’ll be a community effort! What a wonderful time to bond with everyone you’ve done right by.”

  Dave started sinking faster now. His elbows quickly submerged, followed by his knee. Then his midsection went under, at the same time most of his other leg was swallowed. Faster and faster the ground began to consume him.

  “What in the bleedin’ Gods’ is this!? Help! ‘e’s killin’ me! ‘e’s lost ‘is Gods-cursed mind! ‘e’s—”

  Dave’s exclamations were cut off as his mouth went under. It was there that he finally stopped sinking. Only his head was above ground now. His nose was so close to the dirt that some of the blades of grass were bent around it. But, he had stopped sinking.

  “Oh, don’t worry about the mayor, either. I’ll go explain the situation to him right now. Julia, will you go grab Trixy and walk with me?” Braden asked, the former chill gone from his voice.

  Julia snapped out of her daze and ran into the house to get Trixy. She was obviously still asleep, so Julia picked her up and gently cradled her in her arms.

  When she exited the house again, Braden was there waiting for her. He was very obviously ignoring the muffled grunts and muted shouts from a head submerged in the ground.

  He extended his hand to her with a smile—the first genuine one she had seen since Dave arrived—and they began walking toward the center of town. The gaggle of other parents parted out of their way, still stunned into complete silence.

  Once the adults were out of hearing-range, Julia looked up at Braden. “Is he going to…you know…” she said quietly and with some hesitation.

  “Is he gonna die? No. Obviously, I’m not just going to take a life for something like this. He can breathe through his nose just fine. Plus, I made sure the dirt around his body wasn’t compacted too tightly.

  “Honestly, with Strength like his, he could probably just wiggle around for an hour and free himself. He’ll be gone by the time we get back, and I’ll fill the hole in the front yard.”

  Julia was relieved. She didn’t like that man or his son, but she also didn’t want him to die. Especially not because of her.

  “What about the thing you were telling me about in the house? The thing about acting based on the outcome you want. What outcome were you wanting?

  “It seems like he’s probably right. No matter what you or I say, there were dozens of people watching that are definitely going to change the story and ruin whatever reputation you have here. Or, that’s what it seems like to me,” Julia said.

  Braden was quiet for a moment before he suddenly asked, “Julia, what do you think about moving to the city?”

  Julia stopped walking so quickly she almost tripped.