A Time of Tigers - From Peasant to Emperor

Mrs Felder seemed to see through him, for she shook her head. "You're too hard on yourself, Beam. It's going to wear you down. Nila and I both saw the marks on your back. You were still bleeding when we found you. Just what have you been fighting to end up like that?"

He opened his mouth to apologise once again, but Mrs Felder held up her hand to stop him.

"No no, I'm not criticising you. I will tell you to stop doing such dangerous things – but I wonder if that's more for my own heart, than yours..? I know how much you're attempting to take on. Nila told me.

You're taking risks that a boy your age shouldn't have to take, and you're attempting to protect the village on top of that, and find Stephanie too… It's really too much for a boy your age," she said, a mournful expression on her face.

"But despite that, I won't ask you to stop. Because the village needs you. It needs someone on its side, someone strong, someone that can bind them together. I never would have known it, I never would have thought it. But this morning, the crowd that gathered looking for you… It was a sight to see, you know?"

"There was that scary-looking Judas, with his even scarier-looking friends. Then, Nila had those two men working for her. There were even children there. There were nearly twenty different villagers, all of them different from the last. The type of people that you'd never usually see together," Mrs Felder said.

"Really?" Even Beam was surprised to hear it. He understood Judas and Nila were looking for him, but for children and other villagers on top of that to be mixed in, it really made him wonder just what Judas and Nila had managed to achieve yesterday.

"Really really," she said, with a girlish giggle. "Everyone is looking for someone strong, someone that can bind them together, and though it hurts my heart knowing that the burden has fallen to someone so young, I'm also glad it's you – because I can understand why it would be. You're such an earnest boy, and yet, you're so strong. I trust you, Beam.

Not just for my own sake – for I really do think you'll help me find Stephanie – but for everyone else's."

"For that reason, you've got to take care of yourself. You can't abuse yourself like you have before. You've got to be careful. For a lot of people, you've become too important to lose."

Beam listened quietly, his eyes wide in surprise. He'd never stopped to think about the effect he was having on other people, but there was something about the passion in Mrs Felder's voice that hit his heart. It was the strength that his master was talking about, the strength of responsibility, to be at the centre of many things.

He'd heard stories of Arthur being the centre point of an entire country, and before he knew it, he'd ended up in a similar position himself, though not by choice. He'd merely worked to carry out the mission that his master had given him.

"I see…" Beam murmured. "I'll do my best."

Mrs Felder's smile widened, as she reached out to pat his head. "Good boy. That's all I can ask. I'll do my best too. There are things that even I can do, believe it or not."

"I definitely believe it," Beam said.

She giggled at the immediacy of his reply. "I was thinking what I could do… And I saw that you sent Judas and his friends to the soldiers' camp. I thought that I might go along too."

"Mrs Felder, doing that sort of manual labour isn't really a good—"

"No no, I meant something more that I'm good at. I know the soldiers have been pretty cruel to the villagers at times, but we're still allies in this, at least for now. I heard they're struggling with injuries. I thought I might go along and help tend to them, if only to help mend the bridges between the townsfolk and the soldiers," she said.

Beam raised his eyebrows. "Are you sure..? They've been pretty harsh, especially with women. Are you sure you'll be alright on your own? Well, I guess I can get Judas to keep an eye out for you… But still, it's hard to stand against the soldiers, especially in their own camp."

"My… You almost worry as much as me. Nila said much the same when I told her about it. But don't worry – I'm stronger than I look. I'll be fine," she said.

"What about David?" Beam asked.

"David is already helping himself. You helped him overcome his fear, and now he's helping Nila. That's how she managed to talk with the other children, and ask them what they knew," she said.

That too came as a shock to Beam. It seemed that whilst he was in the forest, everyone else had been working just as hard outside. He stroked his chin in thought as he struggled to hold back a smile. "Mm… I see."

"We're all fighting. I'm sure we'll manage to get through this, together," Mrs Felder said, standing up and raising her fist, like a woman about to charge into battle.

Seeing that, Beam couldn't contain his grin. He stood up as well. "We'll win in style," he said.

After that, he quickly downed the tea that she'd made him, and with a quick stretch of his shoulders, he made his way outside.

He'd expected to have to go to the marketplace, figuring that everyone would be busy, but though the crowd that Mrs Felder had mentioned before had mostly dispersed, there were two very distinctive figures waiting.

One with her bright red hair, and the other with his massive frame. It wasn't like the two were waiting together exactly, as they were each a short distance apart, with their backs to each other. Seeing that, Beam had to grin, guessing that they'd got into an argument of sorts.

Nila noticed him first – since she was facing the house. Her face brightened up in an instant, and she gave a wave. Getting to her feet, she jogged up to him.