“Wear this at all times,” Sister Nan-Tamé said, pinning an
embroidered badge to the giant's furs, marking Sythius as one of hers. “As of today, you begin
working off your debt to Moonguard. You will learn to protect our people. You
will become a guardian of our people. Do you understand?”
She spoke slowly, understanding as everyone else had so far
that it was necessary. Sythius seemed to have reacted primarily to the words “protect”
and “guardian.”
He didn’t seem to understand, or care, that he was being
given a chance to avoid prison. Sister Nan-Tamé wondered if the big man had any idea
what prison was, or that it would
hurt his reputation.
“The people of Moonguard need you,” Captain Milford said
sharply, catching Sythius’s attention. “There are people like Scratch, all
around us. Men like you stop them
from hurting the people here. Remember the little ones, that Breckenridge takes
care of?”
Sythius blinked, then nodded.
“You will learn to keep them safe. You will work with us, to
keep them all safe. Can you do that? Will
you do that?”
There was a long stretch of silence.
Sythius nodded again.
The captain smirked. “Good man.” He glanced at Heiler. “He’s
in your hands, Sentinel. Trust your instincts, and make sure he understands how
this is going to work. Make doubly sure he understands that, if he can’t
cooperate, we’ll have no choice but to toss him to the Wolves.”
Heiler nodded. “Yes, Sir.”
* * *
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