Feeling my cheeks burn with shame, I stuffed my week's pay into my trousers and ran. If I hurried, I could beat Aleah home. Maybe if I was careful, I could sneak the coin into Edike's collection tin and just leave tomorrow to find another job. If I'm quick enough, no one will need to know. I would just need to distract Edike for a few minutes, maybe drop some things by the hearth, and then I could—

I cried out in surprise when a foot shot out between two shop buildings. It caught me in the shin and sent me crashing to the ground hard enough that it knocked the breath out of me. I tasted blood and knew immediately that I had bitten my tongue. Between coughing and trying to pull air back into my lungs, I spat red into the dry dirt and looked around for whoever tripped me when a weight jumped onto my back. The next thing I knew, a fist came around, slammed into my cheek, and knocked me back into my mess. 

"What did you steal, foder?" hissed a familiar voice I didn't want to hear. There was only one boy in our small town that sounded like he needed his nose re-broken to fix his nasal tone. Pip Jonken was the town chief's youngest kid and a pain in my backside. If he wasn't lying to every adult about me and any other kid who wasn't a reincarnation, he and his friends would find us alone and beat us senseless. It was why most of us traveled in pairs if we went anywhere. Too bad for me, I didn't have many friends, so he thought that made me an easy target. It was too bad for him, I didn't like being called that insulting term because I didn't have a past life.

As soon as I heard that annoying voice in my ear, I reacted, jerking my head back and slamming my skull into his nose with a most satisfying crunch. He screamed and fell off me, giving me a chance to roll over and get to my feet. I didn't know how to fight like a warrior, but I brought my hands up and got ready, anyway. Even if I couldn't win, I wouldn’t go down without giving him a few bruises too. 

Pip clutched at his bleeding nose, one of his friends helping him up while the other sneered at me. Three against one wasn't the worst odds I've seen. Would it be cheeky of me to imagine the odds were in my favor? Nah…

"You broke my nose, you little bastard!" Pip yelled, sounding like he was half drowning in his own blood. 

"Darn, and here I thought I would help your voice. I'm sorry, I think I made it worse," I smirked, overconfident after I had landed a solid strike. I regretted that a second later when all three charged at once. Within seconds, we were a tangle of bodies, shouting and throwing insults at each other. Fists, elbows, and knees pummeled every inch of my body, but I knew I gave back plenty. 

"Alright! Alright, enough!" Someone ordered before they roughly yanked us apart. The next thing I knew, I was being held back by the collar of my tunic. I was just out of reach of Pip and his stupid friends, who lay on the ground breathing hard. They didn't dare do anything with the adult standing over them, holding Pip and me. Even Pip had gone still. He looked madder than a cat with its tail pinched. 

"He started it!" Pip accused, pointing at me as he looked appealingly at the woman. 

"You lying piece of—" I snarled as I tried to free myself from the stranger's grip and hit him again. I hated liars and cheats, and Pip would get me blamed for this again. I'd had enough. It was about time someone taught him a little respect! My words cut off as my tunic tightened around my throat from my sudden movement. 

"Oh, no, you don't. I said that was enough," the woman ordered again, her grip like iron. "You two are going to come with me. I think I need to bring this up with your families. Fighting in the market like a bunch of street mites. Come along."

At hearing she would drag us in front of our parents, my heart sank. Before I could think better of it, I twisted in her grip, and my teeth clamped down over her fingers. She hissed, and as soon as her grip loosened, I jerked free. I ran for it, out of the alley and into the street. I didn't dare look back, and as long as she held the others, she couldn't chase me. At least, I hoped she couldn't. 

I ran for all I was worth, all the way home, until I half-collapsed in front of my house, breathing so hard my head was spinning. Daring to look behind me, I waited, listening for any sound of pursuit. When I heard none, I hurried into the house and closed the screen door behind me. 

"Welcome home, Rueln," my brother said from his place by the table. I nearly jumped in surprise at his voice and had to take a few seconds to settle my heart down. It was just Eidke. "You're home early."

"Yeah…" I began, suddenly remembering why I was back already and slipped my hand into my pocket for the coin. I needed to slip it in Eidke's ti— where was it? I fumbled with my pockets, searching for the copper piece, but I couldn't find it. "No! No! No!" I hissed, horrified. 

"What's wrong?" Eidke asked, pausing his work and lifting his head. He got up, following the sound of my frantic, searching hands. 

"My pay!" I exclaimed, terrified. "I lost it!"

"Rueln…" Eidke sighed, but I didn't let him go on. 

"I had it, Eidke!" I said defensively, pushing past him. "Pip and the Kori brothers jumped me in the market on the way here. It must have fallen out of my pocket! I can't believe this!" I yelled, kicking the first thing that appeared in my path. "First I get fired, then I lose a whole week's pay!"

"Wait, you lost your job?" Eidke asked. It took me a moment to realize what I said.

Oh no. Turning, I stared at him as the emotions tried to overwhelm me and force tears out of my eyes again, like I was some little kid. I wasn't a kid. I refused to cry. Not about this. Balling up my fists, I let my anger at the day burn out the guilt and shame. "The old man cut me half the week's coin when I went behind the shed to piss. I got mad about it, so he fired me. I was going to find another job tomorrow."

Before Eidke could reply, a deep, sickly cough brought both of our attention to the bedroom's door. My eyes widened when I caught sight of the grizzled salt and pepper hair of my father as he leaned against the doorframe with a hand covering his mouth. He didn't look strong enough to be standing. Papa's complexion was pale, but there was a slight flush to his cheeks that said just as much as his eyes. He was angry, and I would bet all the coppers in our tin that it wasn't at me. 

"I'll go see to him in the morning," Papa promised, as Eidke moved to offer him support. Papa took it, and Eidke led him across the open floor to the cushions near the hearth to sit. Eidke might have been the one who needed a guide outside our small home, but it always impressed me how well he could move inside the house. At home, at least, his blindness wasn't as limiting as people believed. 

Just as I came to help Eidke lower Papa to the cushion, another fit of coughs overwhelmed him. Hurriedly, I grabbed one of the few handkerchiefs and pressed it into his hand. Papa covered his mouth, his face turning red with the force of his coughs before, at last, they settled, and he could lean back into the cushion and rest. 

"No, Papa," I pleaded softly, concern slipping into my voice and squelching what anger remained in my chest. "It's not worth it. I'll find another job. The postmaster was looking for boys," I lied when I saw my father's expression harden. I couldn't let him risk his health anymore. A few coins weren't that important. I could skip a meal or two or go fishing by the stream to get by. Papa didn’t need to go talk to the old man. "I'll go there tomorrow."

Papa took in a slow breath, his eyes boring into me for a long moment. I held my breath before, at last, he nodded. "Alright then, but I won't forget this. He will pay you, even if I have to go to the village chief myself."

"Okay," I said, nodding and hoping if I agreed with him, Papa drop it. I would catch Aleah tonight and have her tell Papa she would do it instead. I glanced over towards Eidke as if he could see the look to give me some solution I hadn't thought of yet, but only found him reaching for a clean glass on the counter. After quickly adjusting a pillow under Papa's back, I went over to him to murmur, "You don't think he'll really go, do you?"

Eidke grabbed the water pitcher and rested a finger along the inside rim of the glass as he poured. "No, but I want you to talk to Aleah about going, just in case."

"Yeah, I already figured that much out," I answered and took the pitcher as he finished so I could put it away while he brought Papa his drink. We worked together to settle Papa down until he fell asleep by the fire. His health was getting worse. I wished I could do more to help.

"Go grab the firewood. I'll help you get dinner ready," Eidke said, keeping his voice low so he wouldn't disturb Papa. 

I frowned at him and dragged my feet over to the screen door at the back of the house. "If you're helping with dinner, that means it's going to be that nasty stew again, isn't it?" I complained only to grin when Eidke tossed a small pincushion that had been on the table near him in my direction. 

"Yeah, it'll be the stew, but we don't have any meat, so you'll just have to be happy with it. Go on before I make you grab the vegetable stores and do all the chopping too,," Eidke stuck out his tongue and pushed himself off the floor to walk into the kitchen where the floor vegetable store was. I laughed softly despite myself and hurried off to the firewood pile to gather what we would need for the night. 

I had a good stack of wood going when I heard a knock on the front door. I thought nothing of it until I heard Eidke going to answer it and a voice I never expected to hear again reached my ears. "Hello, is this the Layheart residence?"

I nearly dropped my load when I heard the smooth voice of the woman who had stopped the fight between Pip and me in the alley. What was she doing here, and how did she find me? My heart jumped under my ribcage as I quietly moved closer to the open screen door to listen. 

"Yes," Eidke answered. I could hear the uncertainty in his voice, not recognizing the stranger. "Can I help you?"

The woman cleared her throat. She hesitated like many often did when they first saw Eidke's disability. It was unexpected.  I leaned closer to listen, clutching the wood tightly to keep myself from dropping it and giving myself away. 

"Hello. Are your parents home? I need to speak with them for a moment about your younger brother," she answered.