While the scene had played out, outside the chapel’s door, Harm had been standing just the other side. On seeing the initial group with Sinclair coming down the pathway, Sister Carol had closed the doors and told Harm he must stay inside. Two of the township’s members had still been inside, and Sister Carol had requested one of them to go and get Wes for her, allowing them both out of the side entrance before locking and bolting it. The young man must have done as requested, as Harm had heard Wes arrive.

The conversation had gone better than Harm had expected. He had felt like a rat trapped in a ship’s hold, with no possible way of escape as it sailed the seas. His mind was chaotic with thoughts, his demons in his mind telling him to fight. Kill those who were sullying him. While another kept reminding him he needed a drink. The voices were constant and never-ending, picking away at his sanity, which he had only recently regained. Harm heard the key to the front door being inserted and stepped back. He had heard the conclusion of the conversation, but still tensed up as Sister Carol entered, quickly followed by Wes, before she turned and locked it again.

“Well, that didn’t go as I had hoped,” Sister Carol said as she sat heavily in a nearby pew.

Wes stood, shaking his head. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said what I did. I think I made things worse.”

Sister Carol looked at Wes and smiled weakly. “I really don’t believe it would have made much of a difference. Satil would never have let me get away with keeping Harm here. He would have found some way to bring him in.”

“Why didn’t he believe what you told him?” Harm asked.

“Oh, he did. He knows I don’t lie. Well, not much,” Sister Carol smirked. “It doesn’t stop him from carrying out the authority the town charter grants him. I was indeed the one who supported acts of violence being investigated. There have been several recent issues where my services have been called upon due to stupid arguments, and I had hoped to stop them in the future. Sinclair is still of the old ilk and thinks that he has the strength to do as he pleases. When I saw Belinda…” Sister Carol’s face dropped. “She looked beaten. She is no longer the woman she was since she married that imbecile. You would think after fifteen years, her pure heart may have softened the brute, but it hasn’t.”

“So, what should we do now?” Wes asked.

“I don’t think we have much choice but for Harm to go in and answer questions,” Sister Carol said, looking at Harm. Her expression was one of sorrow.

“Why should I? When it is all a lie?” Harm said, his temper rising.

“It’s at times like this I could do with a drink,” Wes said before flushing. “Sorry, Harm.”

Harm shook his head. “Don’t worry. If it weren’t for both of you, I wouldn’t even be here now, fitter and healthier than I have been in a long time by all accounts.”

“I can’t keep the chapel closed. I have a duty to the township that I must uphold. If you don’t go in, I am sure Satil will find another way. I don’t trust the ground the man walks on,” Sister Carol said, answering Harm’s question.

“If you don’t trust him, and you know I can’t stand the man. Why should I put myself in his grip?” Harm said.

“As I say. I can’t keep the chapel closed. I have to allow the township access. Closing the chapel damages the boons that the townsfolk receive. It would go against my whole standing as a sister here in the chapel. I’m sorry, Harm,” Sister Carol replied.

“I can just leave. You have done enough for me as it is. I will leave the town and maybe go to Freealiss. Start anew,” Harm said.

“You have no coin or anything to take, and you still have a farmstead that, in time, you can regenerate,” Wes said.

“I know you have done so much for me, but if all I am doing is bringing you problems, then it would be best if I just go,” Harm replied.

“No,” Sister Carol said. “I will accompany you to the jail. They cannot refuse to let me attend. I can ensure that no harm comes to you.”

“I still don’t know why I should be questioned over blatant lies,” Harm snapped. 

Sister Carol looked at Harm for several moments before replying. “Would it not be better to prove your innocence? Can you not see that once you do, they will have nothing to challenge you with? The town has already accepted the work that Wes has been undertaking on your behalf and is assigning tasks to you. It was agreed with the council previously as part of the agreement for your being brought here in the first place.”

Harm hadn’t been aware of what Wes and Sister Carol had done in the background prior to collecting him from the farmstead and locking him away as he fought his addiction. “I didn’t know.”

“And it should never have been needed. It took Wes weeks of discussions and several clashes with council members before it was eventually agreed by majority vote,” Sister Carol said.

“That was only through your influence,” Wes said.

“Yes, but without you, it never would have even been considered,” Sister Carol said. “I only got involved after we spoke.”

Wes flushed again. He wasn’t one for receiving praise well. “I only did what any good townsfolk would do.”

“No, Wes. Many have turned their backs on Harm, and there are still many who do now. It will take time to incorporate into the township, and we always expected there to be problems. I just didn’t think they would be made-up lies,” Sister Carol sighed.

Harm couldn’t express in words the extent to which the two of them had gone out of their way to support him. He would always be grateful, even if he could never repay them for their time and support.

“Look, there are still a few hours before nightfall. I can leave town,” Harm said. 

“No,” Wes said. “If you ran from the charges, then all that would happen is that your details would be sent to the surrounding towns and villages. Your details could even reach the city, if Satil wished, and then you would be hunted by whoever wished to claim a bounty.”

“Over a lie?” Harm said incredulously.

“I have seen lesser people be affected by the workings and connections of Satil. If he wishes to, he has a far reach.”

Harm thumped the back of the pew he had sat down on. Then looked at Sister Carol and apologised. “Sorry.”

“If that is the extent of your anger, then I am grateful,” Sister Carol said, smiling. “Right, let’s eat, and then we can prepare to go to the jail later. I will need to open the chapel for evening service as well, so I will require you to stay in your room. I will ask Jeffer to remain here. He can stand watch.”

“I need to get back to Tanya. I left in a hurry,” Wes said.

“No problem. Thank you for coming, and don’t be hard on yourself,” Sister Carol said as she stood and moved to unlock the chapel door. Once Wes had left and it was locked again, Sister Carol turned to Harm. “Come on, let’s eat.”

Harm followed Sister Carol to the kitchen, where she proceeded to cook a meal. She talked to Harm about matters in the town and stayed off the topic of the issue. It was only after they had finished eating that Harm brought up the topic. 

“You don’t need to come with me, you know.”

“Yes, I do. I am the one who has your defence. I was a witness to the initial attack on you and also to the conversation I had with Noah and Belinda. Do you believe that they will accept your word without question?”

Harm knew that they wouldn’t; his recent actions were being held against him vehemently by some. He still had no recollection of what he had done or the hurt he had caused so many in the town, stealing from them, and it was likely he never would. The alcohol-induced reality he had been living in had no memory.

“When is evening service?”

“It starts soon. Once it is over, I will come and get you from your room, and we can head over,” Sister Carol said.

Harm just nodded as he pushed back from the table, standing. “Thanks,” he said as he returned to his room.

He flopped heavily onto his mattress and, in doing so, felt the stiff resistance of the short sword and dagger he had hidden underneath. He climbed back off the mattress and then removed both of them. He gripped the short sword in his hand and swung it deftly several times. For a basic sword, it was well-balanced. Then he placed it in his inventory. He didn’t feel safe with what was happening without them, and he wasn’t going to put himself in a position of potential danger unarmed.

The time passed slowly, and Harm lay on his mattress, his mind in turmoil. He could hear the singing from the chapel as the evening service was underway. Their melodic tones brought him no ease. It was only when there was a knock on the door that Harm brought himself out of his dark thoughts, where he argued with his demons. 

“Are you ready?” Sister Carol said, opening the door once Harm answered.

Harm stood and straightened his clothes. “As ready as I will ever be.”

“Let’s go then.”

Harm followed Sister Carol through the chapel and out of the main entrance. Thankfully, there was no one waiting for him, and the evening air was crisp. The cool air on his arms sent goosebumps over his skin. “I need to get a jacket at some point,” Harm said, rubbing his arms.

Sister Carol smiled. “I am sure Wes can get you one.”

“I feel so guilty about how much I have cost Wes over all the problems I caused.”

“Wes still feels guilty. I don’t think he will ever get over it,” Sister Carol said.

“Why would Wes feel guilty?”

“If he had been able to heal your herd, you would never have been in this position. He is only doing what he believes is right to make up for it.”

Harm was shocked. “He did nothing wrong. He tried to help as best he could.”

“That’s the point. He tried and failed, and that’s what hurts him more. Not just your herd, but your family. He blames himself for failing to identify the problem. If he had, Dahlia and the kids may never have drunk the milk.”

“That’s stupid. We had no idea the milk was poisonous.”

“It may be, but a man’s guilt can be all-consuming. We all have our demons that we must fight. Even I.”

Harm looked at Sister Carol quizzically. He now knew she was a half-elf, but what demons could a cleric and now sister of the church have?

Sister Carol noticed Harm’s gaze. “One day, I may tell you. As I have said before, I didn’t start as a sister.”

The streets were mostly empty as they moved into the town centre; the jail was situated near the town hall. Harm was grateful that most were inside as the sun started to lower in the sky and dusk set in. Most people they passed nodded politely, although several turned their backs as they passed by. Harm tried to ignore them but could feel the hatred that seeped from them as he did. Had I really hurt so many? He thought. 

The town square was a wide-open area surrounded by the main buildings. The town hall looked imposing as the light faded and the lanterns that hung from its poles swung in the night’s breeze. The jail was only a single-storey building with a pitched roof, and Harm had never been inside. Sister Carol walked confidently up to the door before rapping on it.

After several moments, it was opened, and a short man, almost as round as he was tall, opened the door. “Sister Carol,” he said, looking past her to Harm. “I see you brought him. Mr Satil said, you may arrive this evening.”

“As requested,” she answered as she stepped aside, allowing Harm inside. 

The building wasn’t much; it was a single room with plain stone walls and two desks. Behind the desks, there were six cages. They weren’t even cells. A woman lay on the floor of one cell, and the stench of alcohol and sweat filled the room.

“I see Marissa is here again,” Sister Carol sighed.

“Aye. She tried to attack Mrs Pomfrey in the market this afternoon,” the jailer said. “Right then. That cell there, please,” the man said, pointing to an open cell. 

“I thought I came to answer questions? Not be locked up,” Harm said to the man, frowning.

“I’s just followin’ orders from Mr Satil. He said if you arrived, you were to be locked up overnight.”

“That wasn’t agreed,” Sister Carol said.

“Sorry, Sister. I’m just followin’ orders,” he repeated.

Sister Carol looked at Harm. “It’s okay. You stay here, and I will go and see Satil. We don’t want to give him any excuse to make things worse.”

Harm looked at her before he shook his head and entered the cage. He turned to look back as the jailer closed the cage door behind him, locking the door with a heavy set of keys.

“I will be back as soon as I can be,” Sister Carol said.

Harm didn’t reply as he looked around the cell. There was no mattress, only a blanket and a bucket inside the cage. He sat down, leaning against the iron bars, picking up the blanket and wrapping it around his shoulders.

Marissa rolled over on the floor and looked over to where Harm sat, his back against the cold bars.

“Satil’s got you now,” Marissa slurred, before rolling back over.

“What do you mean?” Harm asked.

“You’ll see.”

Harm felt a sense of dread as he sat huddled on the floor. Why did I agree to this?

Once Sister Carol had left, the jailer locked the outer door and sat at one of the desks, picking his feet up and placing them on the surface before removing a flask from his inventory and popping its cork. The smell of alcohol wafted across the room, and Harm’s demon screamed inside his mind.

“Can I get some water, please?” Harm asked, his throat scratching and demon wishing for the liquor.

The jailer ignored his request, swigging from his flask.

Eventually, Harm drifted off. Sister Carol hadn’t returned anytime soon, and the jailer hadn’t spoken to him once. The woman in the cell, Marissa, had stirred a couple of times, but only to say some mumbling comments that didn’t make sense in her drunken stupor. 

The first Harm knew of anything was as he was roughly grabbed. In his shocked state, he didn’t have time to react as a sack was placed over his head, and he felt the blow on the back of his head, losing consciousness.