Today I got another 1700 words down, and it's all prose! Go me!
The loud sound of a horn cut through Adia's mind, drawing her eye away from the golden fields and onto the shining breastplate of a knight on his horse in the town square. It was Ser Alfteinn, knight and tax collector. He was of an age with Adia, and had grown up alongside her in the village, but at eight was made a squire, and now, at twenty-two was a knight in good standing. His bannerman blew his horn again.
Along with the rest of the village, Adia made her way to the square to see what Ser Alfteinn had to say.
"I come in the business of his excellency Count Edleinn of Westlands", he began, his loud voice barely wavering.
"His lordship seeks to know why the appointed tax of six tunnes of grain has not been delivered to his residence from Gallerpoint.
"His lordship would further seek to make clear that should the tax not be rendered fortwhith, the consequences will be severe."
Some murmurs went rippled through the gathered townspeople, and a middle-aged woman called Reima stepped forward to answer.
"We barely have enough people to harvest for ourselves, Alfteinn, maybe not even that."
"Ser Alfteinn.", Ser Alfteinn corrected her.
"The bulk of our grain will rot in the field, if not all of it. To think we can even harvest six tunnes, let alone send it off as taxes, is a joke.
"Go home, Alfteinn, and tell his lordship that there will be no tax from Gallerpoint this year, and maybe not next."
"It's Ser Alfteinn.", Ser Alfteinn corrected her again.
He jumped off his horse, and stepped closer to the crowd.
"And I will tell his lordship no such thing. I will not be leaving without the grain. Tonight I will stay in town, and tomorrow evening I will leave with six tunnes of grains."
"Blow it out your ass, Alfteinn." Reima said. "There is no grain. There are no tunnes."
Ser Alftainn gave the woman a backhanded blow that sent her sprawling on the ground.
"It's Ser Alftainn.", he shouted, kicking her in the stomach. As he continued, his words were punctuated with further kicks.
"You will β give me β the respect β I am due!"
Finally, with a sickening crunch, he delivered a sharp kick to her head. Two people, a man and a woman, carefully made their way forward and pulled the older woman out of the spotlight, carrying her towards the longhouse.
"Does anyone else want to tell me there is no grain?" Ser Alftainn shouted, and another murmur rippled through the crowd.
"Good." he said, grabbing a pack from his saddle. "Tomorrow evening. Six tunnes."
