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fiery loving Siusan. They were second cousins and had known each other from
birth.
Fondness had matured into love. The day he saw her knock a dog down with a
broomstick for harassing Jordi, he said to his father, "That's the bitch I'm
going to marry."
The only ones left behind were the bitches, and those too old or young to
fight.
House MacFie was going to war.
If Truth Dies [Lycan Blood Vol III]
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CHAPTER TEN
PUNISHMENT AND DEFIANCE
Kynyr sat at the table, keeping Kady company as she worked. "Did you like the
house, Kady?
"It's beautiful."
"Shall I buy it?"
"Kynyr..." Kady hesitated, feeling overwhelmed by it all.
"Yes, buy it. I don't like the color they painted the nursery."
"I'll pay for it tomorrow and you can start redecorating."
"It's going to be a large undertaking."
"I'll hire Erwin Twelvetoes. He studied under Maldwyn
Softpaws."
"It sounds good, Kynyr."
"Call Courtship, Kady. The sooner we're married, the sooner we can move in."
Rory Scott raced into the shop, breathless and bug-eyed.
"The scaffolds on the common are ready and a new flogging post's been
raised."
Kady's face went pale; her hands shook, forcing her to stop filling the small
jars with Cahira's herbal blends.
Rory unshouldered his delivery sack on the table and glanced back and forth
between Kady and Kynyr. "There's guards all over down there. Erskine told me
they'd be bringing Donald and Iollen out for their punishment in an hour.
People are already starting to gather. If you want a good view, you'd better
go now."
If Truth Dies [Lycan Blood Vol III]
by Janrae Frank
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"Caimbeul's decided on the punishment for Donald
Greenlea and Iollen Newell." Kynyr reached across and patted
Kady's hand. "You ought to be there, Kady. I'll go with you."
Cahira agreed to watch the shop, allowing Todd and Kynyr to escort Kady and
the three cubs to observe the punishment that the lawgiver would be meting out
to the miscreants.
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The Common stood close enough to the shop that Kynyr and Kady could walk
there. Todd followed with Cooley on his shoulders, while Rory and Hamish
rushed ahead of them.
Cubs sat in the upper branches of the trees scattered across the green to get
a better view of the proceedings. Peddlers'
two wheeled pushcarts dotted the edges of the Common, selling everything from
fruit, candy, Eccles cakes, and meat pies to liquor and wine. A viewing box
stood on the north side for the gentry. Claw and Aisha sat there conversing
with the village elders.
The scaffolds had originally been four platforms, each of them twenty feet
square, with steps along the sides, and a frame across the top to hold the
hangmon's nooses. Claw had built them four and a half years ago to execute the
outlaws his guardsmyn captured when they ran those renegades to earth. It had
been Kynyr's baptism of battle, and he had acquitted himself well, although he
had been barely past sixteen at the time.
Caimbeul's alterations to the scaffolds made Kynyr wonder how much trouble the
lawgiver was anticipating. There were now eight square platforms. The side
steps had been removed from each, and a long sturdy walkway connected them in
the rear broad enough for three guardsmyn to march
If Truth Dies [Lycan Blood Vol III]
by Janrae Frank
173
the length of it abreast. A log skirt beneath the walkway prevented anyone
from seeing what went on behind it with the only steps up to the scaffolds at
either end of the walkway. T-shaped flogging posts had been erected on the two
central squares.
Guardsmyn stood along the base of the scaffolds to provide crowd control, if
such became necessary, and the steps were guarded. Caimbeul stood on the
scaffold with his arms folded, looking stern as death. Beside him, a burly
chastisemon in a black leather mask waited for the miscreants to be brought
forth.
Two guardsmyn propelled Donald Greenlea up the steps to the nearest flogging
post. They fastened the wrists of his outstretched arms to the crosspiece, ran
a stout rope around his waist and the post, and tied his ankles to the base.
They repeated the process with Iollen Newell. The miscreants'
backs faced the crowd so that the spectators could watch them bleed.
The chastisemon stroked his cat-o'-nine-tails, made of braided rawhide strips
with slender spikes of high-grade silver woven through each strand.
Caimbeul stepped forward to pronounce sentence.
"Donald Greenlea. Iollen Newell. You have been found guilty of attempted
kidnapping with intent to commit rape.
The maximum sentence for which is one hundred lashes.
However, since this is a first offense, we have decided to be merciful. Fifty
lashes each. Begin."
If Truth Dies [Lycan Blood Vol III]
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