The Morning After the Night Before

Getting to her feet seemed like too much effort just yet, and she was still sitting in the pile of straw that had apparently served her as a bed when the stable door opened. Shading her eyes against the light admitted by the now open door (which did nothing for her headache), she saw a man standing there whom she thought she recognised from last night.

"Good, you're awake," the man said. "The master wants to see you."

The master? Would that be the lord or was it Ralph, she wondered. Not that she acknowledged either as her master, of course.

"What happened last night after I passed out?" she asked.

"We were just passing you around when your friend appeared, carrying a tin of paint. When he saw what was going on, he seemed to go mad. Before anyone could stop him, he ran down the aisle and swung the tin at the head of the man whose lap you were in at the time, catching him a fearful blow on the temple. The lid came off the tin and paint went everywhere. The man he hit has a fractured skull, and it later emerged that he'd also laid out Ben, though Ben's not badly hurt. Your friend is in a cell, charged with grievous bodily harm. The trial will be later today. The master is the local magistrate, of course, and he wants to talk to you beforehand."

"And he'll want a favour of some kind from me, in return for acquitting Fred or at least giving him a light sentence?"

"I really couldn't say."

"Before I see him, is there any clean water around here? I'm parched."

"There's a pump out in the yard."

Astra was grateful to be able to take a deep drink of cool, clean (she hoped) water and to splash some over her face, before being escorted into the presence of the lord.

1. He was alone.
2. Ralph was also present.

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