“Brother, that is your title if I am not mistaken.
My name is Larry. You welcomed me to camp the other day. You went out last night looking for brigands, no?”
“That is correct. Come, sit down and we will have a talk beside the fire.”
Larry sits down. He puts stevia leaves in his coffee. It is a sweetening substance.
“LR and SG is marked with a branding iron on convicts from Last Rites and Silent Gallows.
You must have a dozen men here from the prisons. You have a lot of thefts in this area.
What are you going to do about it, Brother?”
“Larry, you are welcome to the camp. I told you this the other day when you came to the fire asking lots of questions that I really cannot give the answers to. Let me give you a quick rundown of what is going on here.
My friend Jeptha Berengar who I adopted as kin was in trouble in La Longi. I appealed to the king himself to let me take my friend who is also known as Beast to the Northern Lands for a fresh start and he consented.
The King gave direction for me to go to take prisoners and resettle Northwich and has sent the means for me to get started.
Bluntly, I have absolute authority of Northwich by the King’s word.
Larry, I will be honest. I do not know what more to do. I will say that yesterday I actively engaged in reducing assaultive behavior in the camp and last night I began looking for Brigands.
Now let’s discuss LR and SG brands. At this time I have 16 men on my payroll that have narrowly avoided the noose or worse. They have brought their families. This is an opportunity for them. Upon completion of the projects I have given them, they will be granted parcels of land.
Any misconduct on the part of these men would result in expulsion of the offender and their family. I am just the man that would follow through and they know it.
Larry, where does a man with such a mark as they have go if they do not make it here? Do you think it makes sense to steal for the most part?”
Larry: What I hear you saying in a nutshell is the thefts are from outside of the camp. Come now, there is no one around for miles.
Where did you come from, Larry?
I don’t wait for an answer.
It’s time to assemble some men.
Author: Benjamin
Benjamin Thiel is a husband, father, correctional professional and author of The Ongoing Tale at Brothers Campfire.
Where did he come from, indeed?