to tremble uncontrollably; my legs to buckle.
The woman's hand on my arm allowed me to feel the emotions building inside her. They exploded in a hoarse rush.
'By the gods! What have you done to her?'
'Her? We keep telling you, there are no girls in this house. This ain't no her. It's a him. And he only got what he deserved,' mumbled Quinn, who had mounted the stairs and now leant against the doorframe, arms crossed defiantly.
In one swift movement, the woman released me. I fell against the wall as she brought her knife to rest under Quinn's neck. The blade sank into the loose flesh there. Behind his mother, Pillar cried out, but the woman held up her hand, making him freeze in his stride. Quinn gave a small shriek that was quickly cut off as the blade sank deeper.
'Spare me!' she whimpered. 'It wasn't me, I tell you. In the name of God, I swear, I didn't touch him. I wouldn't! Not dear little Tallow. It was him.' Her eyes darted towards Pillar who stood a few steps down, arms folded, his lips firmly pressed together. 'He did it.' With a sinking heart, I realised Pillar had no intention of defending himself.
'So,' said the woman with a low chuckle. 'You really do think I'm stupid, don't you. You, whose boots match the pattern imprinted on the child's cheek. You, whose cheap jewellery –' she lifted Quinn's fingers, the stone in her ring catching the light, and let them drop '– is marred by dried blood, did not do this? You, who possess talons for nails and a temper to match?' She pressed herself against Quinn, forcing her back against the wall opposite me. 'You, who reek of spirits and ill-will towards the child, did not do this to her?'
Quinn lowered her eyes. Blood trickled down her neck and dripped onto her dress.
'I did it for his own good. To teach him a lesson.'
'A lesson! Is that what you call it? What sort of lesson does this teach?' Her free arm gestured towards me, propped upright by my grip on the doorframe. 'No. You're nothing but a coward and a bully. You would even turn against your son rather than face the consequences of your actions.' The woman snarled, her face transforming. 'Listen to me very carefully, Quinnatta Pelleta –'
'How do you know my name?' gasped Quinn.
The woman laughed. 'I know everything about you and let me tell you, if you ever lay a finger on this child again, by the gods, by your God, I'll have your head. Do you understand?' Before Quinn could reply, the woman drew her blade along Quinn's neck. At first nothing happened, and then blood began to flow.
'Mamma!' Pillar wailed in horror and ran to her. 'Leave her alone!' he cried, pushing her assailant with his shoulder. Stepping out of the way, the woman slowly wiped and then sheathed her weapon.
Quinn put her hands to her neck and when she saw the blood that stained them, she swayed. Pillar caught her just in time.
'Y– you don't understand,' he stammered. 'How could you? You, who have nothing to fear –'
'Nothing?' the woman sneered. 'How little your kind understands.' She looked contemptuously at Quinn. 'Get her out of my sight.' Pillar ignored her at first, pulling out the ends of his shirt and using it staunch the blood. The woman clicked her tongue in exasperation. 'It's only a flesh wound. It'll stop bleeding. It's certainly no worse than what's she's inflicted on this child.'
She turned back to face me, the energy of her earlier actions controlled as she slowly cupped my face and tilted it towards the light again. I winced as she rotated my chin. 'More than a few times, from the look of these scars. Get her away before I change my mind and take her head now!' Pillar scooped his sobbing mother into his arms. 'And then join us. I need to talk to you.'
She waited until Pillar had left the attic before she spoke again. 'Are you all right to walk?' The kindness in her voice brought tears to my eyes. My chest became heavy, my throat tight. Only Pillar had ever spoken to me like that before, and only when we were alone.
The woman's hand on my arm allowed me to feel the emotions building inside her. They exploded in a hoarse rush.
'By the gods! What have you done to her?'
'Her? We keep telling you, there are no girls in this house. This ain't no her. It's a him. And he only got what he deserved,' mumbled Quinn, who had mounted the stairs and now leant against the doorframe, arms crossed defiantly.
In one swift movement, the woman released me. I fell against the wall as she brought her knife to rest under Quinn's neck. The blade sank into the loose flesh there. Behind his mother, Pillar cried out, but the woman held up her hand, making him freeze in his stride. Quinn gave a small shriek that was quickly cut off as the blade sank deeper.
'Spare me!' she whimpered. 'It wasn't me, I tell you. In the name of God, I swear, I didn't touch him. I wouldn't! Not dear little Tallow. It was him.' Her eyes darted towards Pillar who stood a few steps down, arms folded, his lips firmly pressed together. 'He did it.' With a sinking heart, I realised Pillar had no intention of defending himself.
'So,' said the woman with a low chuckle. 'You really do think I'm stupid, don't you. You, whose boots match the pattern imprinted on the child's cheek. You, whose cheap jewellery –' she lifted Quinn's fingers, the stone in her ring catching the light, and let them drop '– is marred by dried blood, did not do this? You, who possess talons for nails and a temper to match?' She pressed herself against Quinn, forcing her back against the wall opposite me. 'You, who reek of spirits and ill-will towards the child, did not do this to her?'
Quinn lowered her eyes. Blood trickled down her neck and dripped onto her dress.
'I did it for his own good. To teach him a lesson.'
'A lesson! Is that what you call it? What sort of lesson does this teach?' Her free arm gestured towards me, propped upright by my grip on the doorframe. 'No. You're nothing but a coward and a bully. You would even turn against your son rather than face the consequences of your actions.' The woman snarled, her face transforming. 'Listen to me very carefully, Quinnatta Pelleta –'
'How do you know my name?' gasped Quinn.
The woman laughed. 'I know everything about you and let me tell you, if you ever lay a finger on this child again, by the gods, by your God, I'll have your head. Do you understand?' Before Quinn could reply, the woman drew her blade along Quinn's neck. At first nothing happened, and then blood began to flow.
'Mamma!' Pillar wailed in horror and ran to her. 'Leave her alone!' he cried, pushing her assailant with his shoulder. Stepping out of the way, the woman slowly wiped and then sheathed her weapon.
Quinn put her hands to her neck and when she saw the blood that stained them, she swayed. Pillar caught her just in time.
'Y– you don't understand,' he stammered. 'How could you? You, who have nothing to fear –'
'Nothing?' the woman sneered. 'How little your kind understands.' She looked contemptuously at Quinn. 'Get her out of my sight.' Pillar ignored her at first, pulling out the ends of his shirt and using it staunch the blood. The woman clicked her tongue in exasperation. 'It's only a flesh wound. It'll stop bleeding. It's certainly no worse than what's she's inflicted on this child.'
She turned back to face me, the energy of her earlier actions controlled as she slowly cupped my face and tilted it towards the light again. I winced as she rotated my chin. 'More than a few times, from the look of these scars. Get her away before I change my mind and take her head now!' Pillar scooped his sobbing mother into his arms. 'And then join us. I need to talk to you.'
She waited until Pillar had left the attic before she spoke again. 'Are you all right to walk?' The kindness in her voice brought tears to my eyes. My chest became heavy, my throat tight. Only Pillar had ever spoken to me like that before, and only when we were alone.
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