Love, Pain, and Loyalty Chapter 5

Chapter 5

As his promises to his son as also his master, Fergus walked out to the field to find Mark the next day. He had to see Mark’s doing. Fergus could understand how worried Roan to this slave. He felt the bound between the two boys. And Fergus felt so proud of his son.

But there was no Mark to find on the field. Fergus begun to worried. And a slave told him that Mark was on stables. He got injured, and not being able to work in the field. This made Fergus even worried. Mark got injured?
Immediately Fergus rushed to the stables and found Mark was doing his duty, feeding the horses. And from the first sight of the boy Fergus could see, the boy’s palms were dressed with simple fabric.

“Mark?”
Mark looked up with the called.
“Sir?” he smiled as knowing Fergus was coming.
“How you are doing?”
“Fine, thank you, Sir.”
Fergus looked to Mark’s hand. “What happened to you?”
“Oh, this?” he smiled. “It’s nothing, Sir,” and tried to hide it. “My mistake.”
But Fergus didn’t believe. He looked to the boy eyes till he committed.
“I’d been caught taking bread in the kitchen yesterday, Sir,” Mark couldn’t resist the eyes.
“And what Cruel did for the punishment?” didn’t leave the boy eyes.
“He … put my palms on the brazier, Sir,” Mark cough his own vile, as he remembered it
Fergus sighed in pain. “And how many lashed?”
Mark shook his head, “No lashed, Sir, only this.”
Well, these burnt hands had hurt enough than 20 lashes. Cruel did know how to hurt the slave.
“Let me see it,” he took the boys hands gently and opened the dress, and had to hold his breath, tried to calmly. The boy palms were still red and almost black from the burnt. He was sure, this must still hell hurts.
“I’m sorry, Sir, I promise I would not do that again,” Mark knew he had make Roan disappointed, “And please… don’t tell Roan, Sir” he almost begged, he didn’t want to make Roan much worried.
“Yes, I can understand that,” Fergus could sense the boy had a big pride, and stealing was something he would always regret.
“Thank you, Sir.”
“I will get you something for this.”
“No, Sir, thank you, that no necessary, I’ll be alright,” he quickly dressed back his hands.
“SLAVE!!” a harsh shouted from the front door made them jump. It was Cruel!
“I’m sorry, Sir, I have go back to work, thank you for your concern, good day, Sir” and right away Mark moved away from Fergus.
Fergus looked to Cruel, and starred to the sadistic man. He decided to go, he would never have a touch with Cruel again.

Back to the manor, Fergus didn’t give any word about Mark to Roan. He knew, Roan would be mad, and would do the foolish thing of escaping from his chamber, and that would be worst. Fergus would never put his son to dangerous way.

“How is he, Fergus?” Roan was asking Mark with enthusiasm.
“Mark is fine, Master. You no need to worry. Cruel had moved him to the stables.”
“So he did not work on the field again?”
“No Master.”
Roan sighed in relief, “Well, that’s great. Work on the field was very hard you know?”
“Yes, I know, Master,” of course Fergus knew, he had been worked on the fields, before Lord Master took him as Lord personal slave.
“That’s good Cruel had moved to the stables, easy job to do.”
“Yes, of course.”
“And that would make me easier to meet him.”
“No, master, I suggested you to not meet him again, Master.”
“No, Fergus, I would always meet him, weather father like it or not.”
Fergus had to sigh. His son was so stone head.
“I would even try to escaping him from here.”
This made Fergus shocked. The night when he tried to escaping Pat and Cathal was coming back to his eyes. The horrible nights. The night he would regret for all his life.
“No you did not, Master.”
“Yes, I am, Fergus, and I will do it.”
“No, please, Master, …don’t do it.”
“Yes, I would. And maybe you want to help me?”
“NO, MASTER, I WOULD NEVER HELP YOU TO RUN THE SLAVES!” Fergus with high tones and full of emotions.
Roan was shocked with Fergus high tones. Fergus never shouted at him before. “FERGUS!?”
Fergus realized his son was shocked, “Forgive me, Master,” tried to calm his emotions.
“Well, if you don’t want to help me, you don’t have to shout me like that!” Roan was still shock with the shout and he didn’t understand with Fergus’s act.
“Yes, I know, Master, forgive me,” he now took a bow for his young master.
And Roan didn’t like it, “Rise up, Fergus!”
Fergus obeyed, “Forgive me, Master.”
Roan tried to calm his breath, “I will do it by myself, Fergus,” his voice had back to normal.
“No, please, Master, I beg you, don’t do this.”
“Yes I will. Mark would be free. Free like a bird”
Fergus’s heart was breaking with the lovely words for his friend, like he used to say to Pat and Cathal. But that made them even suffered.
“If you love Mark, please let him stay here safely.”
“Safely? With Cruel treatment you think slaves would safe? No! They would die someday! And because I love Mark, I would set him free!”
“Don’t do something you would regret, Master.”
“And hell I would regret if I don’t do this, Fergus.”
Fergus really didn’t know how to changes the boy mind.
“Mast_”
“Enough, Fergus, I will not continuing this discussion of you were not on my side. I will set him free by myself.” He took a very deep breath. “Now, would you please let me spend my prisoner in peace, so I could make a good perfect plan for Mark.”
Fergus could only take his breath. He knew, his son was kind of stubborn boy, and no one could change his mind. He dismissed, let the boy thinking of the foolish plan
Fergus closed the door with dripping eyes. ‘May, Lord helps you, son, because I couldn’t. I have no courage of doing it again. I failed your mother, Roan, and I couldn’t do that again, I’m sorry’

TBC