A Deadly Choice - 1. A Deadly Choice

In a land long forgotten and during a time when the path men’s lives took was cast in stone from the moment of conception and little could be done to improve one’s lot in life, I seek to tell you a tale. It is the story of several boys who were among a select group that were fortunate enough to escape the shackles of their less than noble birth, but this miracle did not occur as the result of anything these boys had done. It was merely the byproduct of a heart wrenching decision their parents were forced to make, which would not only help their sons, but would also ensure the survival of the rest of their family. Although it is true that these boys still had to work very hard in order to reap the benefits now made possible as the result of this stroke of good fortune, it was mostly fate that had been responsible for the chance encounter their parents had that led to this opportunity.

This all took place in a kingdom ruled by a group of noblemen who lived on huge estates and were the unquestioned masters of the sprawling expanse of land under their control and all who lived within its borders. The only other group that might be able to compare with the nobleman’s vast influence was the clergy, who ministered to the many needs of the commoners and helped to maintain the status quo in the land.

The church had constructed monasteries in locations where they could service the lands ruled by three or more of these noblemen, but the church Elders limited the number of monks that served, due to the expense of their upkeep. For this reason, it was very rare that a new class would be selected and trained to take over the duties of the aging, infirmed and deceased monks, so it was a great honor to be selected. Those chosen would, in turn, fare much better than others working the land or performing other menial tasks, but they wouldn’t live nearly as well as the Lord, his kin or his soldiers.

As luck would have it, the Council of Elders, which was in charge of the local monastery, decided it was time to recruit a new class and dispatched a small group of monks to seek out and test potential candidates. The recruitment process was extremely rigorous and the monks needed to examine each of the potential candidates for physical suitability, mental acumen and a desire to serve the church. It would take a great deal of time and effort before those chosen would be ready to be ordained into the order, which also helped to explain why recruitment classes were very rare and so much time often passed in between their formation.

In an effort to find suitable candidates, the monks traveled to the various towns and villages within their sphere of influence and announced their intentions, so those wishing to present their sons for examination could be considered. The monks also moved about the countryside, going from hovel to hovel, to present the same opportunity to the sons of the rural peasants.

“If you think your son is bright enough to learn new tasks and would be willing to serve the gods, then please allow us to test him for suitability,” the monks announced. “The boy must be at least ten summers of age, but no more than thirteen summers old, and if he is chosen you will be given a gold coin in payment for his services, before we take him back to the monastery to begin training. You will receive an additional gold coin each summer your son is in training, which will take several more summers for him to complete,”

Although it would be difficult to give up one of their children, the parents often felt the payment they’d receive as compensation would help to feed and provide for the rest of the family. Be this as it may, many a mother still wept bitterly as her son departed, while other mothers often went so far as to attempt to retrieve her child, even after she’d already agreed to allow him to be tested or trained.

“Please, I’ve changed my mind,” one mother pleaded. “Don’t take my son. My husband and I will find another way to take care of our children, but I can’t let you have him.”

This happened because the woman knew that if her son was selected, then her chance of ever seeing him again was practically nonexistent.

Once the monks found boys interested in being tested, they would take them to a nearby city or town, where this process would be conducted in small groups. Since one of the skills the monks were trained in was to serve as healers, they started the selection process by having each candidate strip down, so he could be examined thoroughly. This way the monks could determine if the lad was sound of body and free of any defects that might limit his future effectiveness.

The boys that passed this process then had their mental abilities evaluated. To do this, each candidate was taught various games and other tasks, and then they would compete against the other boys, and on rare occasions against some of the monks. This allowed the monks to determine how quickly each boy picked up and retained these new skills, as well as allowing the monks to evaluate each boy’s ability to put this knowledge to practical use in multiple situations.

Once this process was completed, the monks would question the candidates about their desire to serve the church, and then they would return the boys that failed to meet their stringent requirements. At the same time, the monks would also pay the parents of those they deemed suitable, and the gold coin the parents received would usually be enough to sustain the rest of their family for an entire year.

The boys that had been selected as new novitiates were then taken back to the monastery, where they were cleaned up, given new garments to wear and then housed in the same large room with the others chosen for this training. The boys would have very little privacy as they underwent tutoring in the various skills they’d be required to master before being fully accepted into the order, which wouldn’t happen for quite some time.

Each boy generally had a difficult time adjusting to having been torn away from his family, because he knew he might never see his parents or siblings again. Even though the boys understood they would be much better off than the rest of their family, it still was not an easy transition. As a way to cope, the boys began to bond with each other and slowly formed their own little family. As their training progressed, this particular group of ten boys became extremely close with each other, much closer than most novitiates become with those in their group, and they eventually became as close as brothers. Since they were also together during the period of their lives when their bodies went through a sexual awakening, they also engaged in various forms of sexual exploration with each other.

Although novitiates in the past were also known to have similar sexual encounters with others in their group, these boys went far beyond merely helping to relieve each other’s sexual needs. They also became emotionally connected and dependent on one another, although not merely with any one particular member, but to each of them in a similar fashion. In other words, they felt the same way about each of the others in their group and would move from bed to bed with equal ease and accompanying satisfaction, as they eventually became lovers with them all.

Shortly after the boys first arrived at the monastery, they went through an indoctrination period, during which they were schooled in the rules they were expected to follow. After this, they were given their first lessons in the religious dogma they’d be required to spread.

“As part of your duty,” the monk in charge explained, “you are to convince those living in the territory you serve that it is the will of the gods that they perform the tasks they have been assigned to the best of their ability. They are to do this without complaint, showing envy or expressing a desire for the situation to change. When they do they will then receive their reward in the next life, according to how well they have lived in this life.”

While the boys were undergoing this training, they were also taught how to read and write, which were skills very few others possessed. These abilities would also be essential in helping them to master their remaining training, so they could carry out their duties as monks later. This, combined with their religious training, totally dominated the first couple years of the boys’ formal education.

Once they had satisfactorily mastered those areas, the novitiates then began instruction in some other skills as well. First, they were taught some basic, and then more advanced, self-defense techniques, so they would be able to protect themselves from those that might wish to do them harm. They also received instruction in how to perform some minor magic, and this magical training included some basic incantations, spells and potions they would need in order to carry out their duties as healers.

“Some of the magic you will be taught is designed to make your lives easier,” their instructor informed them, “such as learning how to light a candle or a torch by merely snapping your fingers, instead of using the cumbersome process of having to strike two pieces of flint together. You will also be taught a variety of incantations, such as one that will help you find the herbs you will need to heal the sick and injured, as well as another that will allow you to locate the reclusive and less common animals whose organs and other body parts you will require in order to make some of your healing potions. These, however, will only be a few of the magical skills you will be taught.”

The final stage of the boys’ training included instruction in the healing arts, because they would be required to keep everyone in good physical health, as well as seeing to their spiritual welfare. Along with becoming healers, the boys were also instructed in the intricacies of the law and how to apply it, because they would also be required to serve as the Noble’s representatives in settling minor disputes and making legal contracts.

Only the most learned and proficient monks in each of these disciplines provided instruction to the boys, but they were also extremely demanding when evaluating their students’ progress. Once each novitiate had completed this training, they still had to pass a series of oral and competency based examinations, before they were elevated from being a novitiate to becoming a full-fledged monk and given their first assignment.

Even though the completion of their training was a joyous time for the boys, it was also a period of great sadness. Part of the reason for this was that the boys recalled one novice they had started their training with who had not made it through the entire process. He had been bitten by a venomous snake while out collecting herbs and other ingredients to make potions and had died before he could be treated, since he’d been doing this alone. This incident greatly impacted the others and would later affect how they approached their duties.

The other situation that left them less than thrilled was now that they had become full-fledged monks, they would be assigned to range over a designated area of the kingdom, by themselves, until they were scheduled to return to the monastery and receive their next assignment. This meant that the friendships they had formed and the love they shared for each other would suddenly come to an end. Since they wanted to avoid this fate, the boys came up with a plan to keep this from happening, but they now had to convince the Council of Elders that this would not only be a good idea, but it would also be far superior to the way the other monks currently functioned.

“Jem, you are one of the oldest, the best student and the most eloquent speaker, so you should be the one to present our idea,” Glom, one of his friends urged. “You know what we are hoping to accomplish and can best put our ideas into words that the Council of Elders might agree with, so I beg you to be our spokesman.”

The others concurred with Glom’s suggestion and urged Jem to accept the charge to be spokesman for the group. When he finally acquiesced, he spent a great deal of time trying to decide how to best present this idea to those in charge. When the day arrived that he was to meet with the Council of Elders, he had mapped out how he wanted to proceed.

“I know those of us just completing our training have been told that we will be servicing different areas that are also under the rule of different Nobles,” Jem began. “If I may, I would like to offer a proposal that I believe will not only improve what we are able to do, but it will also allow us to ensure our safety as well.”

“And how do you propose to do these things?” one of the Council members wondered.

“We request that you assign us to split up the same Noble’s realm and reassign those already there to the other areas we were to service, because we feel that we will be more effective serving as a single group,” Jem began, “If you will allow this, we plan to find a fairly central location from which we can easily journey out to all of the areas we are to tend to and then we can travel out in pairs to carry out our duties. By working in tandem, we hope to avoid any situations such as happened to our fellow novice whom we lost during the training period, since there will always be someone with us that could tend to any injuries that might result from an animal attack or any illnesses that we might contract.”

The Chief of the Council of Elders was nodding his head slightly, indicating he was in agreement with or at least saw the logic behind this proposal, which gave Jem the encouragement he needed to continue.

“We will stay in those areas for a certain amount of time, so we can tend to whatever needs the people have, but then we will return to our central location where we’ll be able to discuss the things we had done and seek advice about how we might have performed our duties better. In cases where one of the other’s strengths are better suited to attend to the needs of a particular area, then we’ll be able to change assignments, even if only temporarily, so that person can better serve those we minister to.”

The Chief of the Council looked at him again, while exuding a thoughtful countenance, which gave Jem hope that he was succeeding in convincing him.

“This is a very interesting proposal, but where will you set up and how will you survive, seeing there will be so many of you?” another Council member pressed. “Most monks usually board temporarily with an agreeable subject or find room at an inn, but I doubt that either of these options would be suitable for such a large group.”

“First, we will seek permission to use a parcel of land on which we’ll set up tents that we’ll live in for the duration or we’ll seek other suitable lodgings in a central area, possibly utilizing an unused stable or another abandoned structure,” Jem answered. “We will also use our share of the goods and coins we receive in payment for our services to provide for our nourishment and expenses, but then we’ll send the remainder back here, to repay the costs of our training and help support the monastery.”

As Jem scanned the faces of the Council members, they all looked impressed by the amount of thought that had been put into this proposal, so Jem was anxious to hear if they were going to give them approval to proceed.

“If you will leave this chamber for a brief time and give us a few moments to discuss your proposal,” the Chief of the Council began, “then we shall summon you back shortly, so that we may give you our answer.”

Jem agreed and left the chamber, but as the door closed behind him, he began to wonder if he’d done enough to convince them. He sat outside for several agonizing minutes, as he literally rehashed every word he had uttered and questioned whether he could have explained things better, but that all came to an end when the door opened and he was summoned back inside. As he walked up to take his place in front of the Council members again, he nervously studied their faces, as he waited to hear their decision.

“We’ve discussed this matter thoroughly and have agreed to grant you permission to try this novel approach, providing the Noble also gives his consent. You will have to go to his estate and meet with him first, so you can explain what you hope to accomplish,” the Chief of the Council agreed. “As long as the needs of the population are addressed and you have the Lord’s approval, then we shall not stand in your way and will allow you to implement this new approach.”

Encouraged by this stroke of good-fortune, the nine new monks set out for the Nobleman’s estate. Even if they weren’t hoping to change the way they did things, they would still have had to meet with the Noble anyway, because he demanded to know everyone involved in representing his interests when dealing with his subjects. It was after the formal introductions had been made when Jem took the opportunity to inform the Nobel that his group wished to try something different in the way they carried out their assignments. After explaining the idea to him, they were surprised by the Noble’s thoughtful and thorough questioning about the proposition, and after many minutes of this intense interrogation, it finally appeared as if he was ready to give them his answer.

“I am intrigued by your proposal and would like to see how it works when put into practice,” the Noble began. “I am also pleased that I will be able to help you with finding a suitable location that you can work out of. About three leagues from here is a house that my father had built for his younger brother, my uncle. He lived in this fine house for many years, but as he grew older the house fell into disrepair. It has been vacant since my uncle’s death, because I am my parents’ only child to survive to adulthood, so I have no siblings that would benefit from living there. Rather than seeing it deteriorate further or having to send my soldiers there frequently to chase off squatters, I am willing to offer you the use of the house. All I ask in return is that you do any repairs necessary to bring it back to its original state and that you continue to maintain it for the duration of your time there. Is this agreeable with you?”

“Yes, my Lord,” Jem replied. “It is a most generous offer and we will be happy to do whatever work is required to rehabilitate the house and surrounding property. There will always be at least one of us remaining behind to maintain the place at all times, but we will also do our best to prevent others from either maliciously damaging it further or trying to take up residence there while the rest of us are performing our duties elsewhere. The person staying behind will also be responsible for taking care of any animals we raise for food, plus any other duties deemed reasonable.”

Once this had been agreed to, the Noble had one of his soldiers lead the boys to the property. Although it was a much smaller and far less grand than the Noble’s home, it was more than adequate to meet their needs. The boys could also see where a small garden had once been cultivated near the house and the pens that had once housed the livestock the Noble’s uncle had raised to slaughter for food were still there as well, though also in need of repair. After careful scrutiny, they decided this place had plenty of potential and would be a great location to work out of.

After they got established in their new home, the nine new monks took out the map the Noble had given them and divided the territory into four distinct regions, with their new home being at the center. Then, they agreed upon a way to determine who would be paired up with whom, which area each pair would cover and who would stay behind, and this would all be done by drawing lots.

All of their names were written on a piece of parchment and placed into a pot, and then they were paired up according to how Jem pulled their names out. The one name that was not paired up then became the one left behind to take care of their new home until the others returned to get their next assignment. Once they had been matched with a partner, Jem then selected a slip from another pot that listed the name of the territory they would cover, since they used the four cardinal directions to indicate which of the four areas they had been assigned. This was by far the fairest way to divvy everything up.

The boys also agreed to go out for four weeks at a time, so they would have plenty of opportunity to perform their duties, before returning for a two-week hiatus. During their time back at their headquarters, the boys would work on the house and land, while at the same time making preparations to go out for their next stint in the field. They would also use this time to discuss the various situations they had been confronted with, including all legal, health and safety issues, and then they would listen to the others offer suggestions about alternative ways they might have handled the various situations. Doing this would help to shape the way each of the boys looked at future problems and allowed them to expand the possible solutions they were able to offer the next time something similar came up. This helped to make each of them much more effective in carrying out their duties and their little experiment was eliciting huge benefits for those they served.

The two weeks they were back also allowed the boys time to interact and be intimate with each other again, and not merely with the one they’d been paired up with during the course of their last duty. This allowed them to renew the bonds that made them care so much for one another and retain the closeness they still felt. In fact, this arrangement was working out so well that they eagerly agreed to continue carrying out their duties in this fashion.

This went on for the next couple of years and everyone was pleased with how everything was working out. After their most recent four-week stint in the field, Jem and his current partner, Dar, were delayed in returning from their assignment. This was due to the fact that Jem and Dar wanted to be certain the current outbreak of a particularly troublesome disease had been completely taken care of before they left to rejoin the others.

As they were approaching the stone house that served as their headquarters, they immediately noticed there was a severe lack of activity around the place. Since the others should have all been back by now, Jem and Dar expected to see at least a few of the others outside working, but the place looked as if no one was there. For that reason, they approached the building cautiously, to see what they might discover.

When they went inside the house, they looked around and found the place completely deserted. After finding none of their friends there, they began to search for clues about where they might have gone or what happened to them. It was during this search that they discovered a note on the table that they would sit at when they all dined together. It read as follows:

“We have taken seven of your number and will hold them until the next full moon. By then, we expect you to pay the sum of 70 gold coins or we will kill your friends. You will be able to find us camped out near the Step Falls and it is there where you will bring the coins and retrieve your friends. Come alone and don’t try anything foolish, or you will not like what you find.”

This was dire news indeed and Jem quickly addressed the issue with his partner.

“Dar, I want you to stay here and watch over the place while I am gone, but I also want you to locate a place where you can hide if those scoundrels return. I’m going to go to the monastery and then to the Noble’s estate to see if I can get them to give me the ransom amount, because it is a considerable sum. I will do what I can to convince them to assist us in our efforts and then I’ll meet you back here, just as soon as I can.”

Once Dar agreed, Jem left for the monastery and it took two days for him to travel there. He immediately went to meet with the Council of Elders to present his case and show them the note he had found when Dar and he had returned from their duty. Once he provided the Elders with all of the information, he still had to wait for their decision, because they wanted to have a chance to talk it over first. Jem thought this would be a no-brainer for them to make the right choice and do whatever was required to save his brothers, so he eagerly looked forward to being called back into the chamber to receive their answer. When he was finally summoned again, he returned anticipating a favorable result.

“We have gone over the information you have provided to us and considered all of the ramifications it entails,” the Chief of the Council stated. “After a careful analysis, we have decided NOT to provide you with this sum, because we feel it will only encourage others to do something similar and lead to future problems such as this. We will pray for the safe return of all of the monks involved, but that is all we are willing to do. Due to recent events, however, we also feel that allowing your group to work out of a central location may not have been as wise a decision as we first thought”

Jem argued with the Council and tried to get them to change their minds, but to no avail. Frustrated, he left and went to confront the Noble and make his case to him. Although this decision came much quicker, it was no more welcomed than the last.

“I will not supply you with the money to purchase the others’ freedom for the same reason your superiors have stated, but I am willing to send my soldiers out to rescue the other members of your order.”

Jem thought about this briefly, before he answered.

“I’m afraid those holding my friends will kill them if they see your soldiers approaching, so please allow me a chance to go meet with them first and see what I can work out,” Jem stated. “If I’m lucky, I may be able to save some or all of my brothers another way, but I think it would be best to negotiate with these scoundrels first, to see if they might be willing to compromise. If I am not entirely successful, then you may send in your soldiers and exact your own form of justice for what they have done, since we are here to represent your interests.”

Once that had been agreed to, Jem took off and returned to find Dar. He quickly explained to him about what the Elders and the Noble had decided and then he made his own plan.

“Dar, I’m going to retrieve the coins we’ve kept back from the monastery and haven’t used thus far,” he began. “Then I will go to meet with those brigands, so I can attempt to retrieve our friends. If I don’t return by the eighth day after the next full moon, then it will mean that I was not successful and most likely been killed as well. At that time, you are to go tell the Noble what has happened and he will have his soldiers attack the criminal’s camp and make them pay for what they’ve done.”

Dar agreed and Jem retrieved the hidden coins. Unfortunately, he only found the equivalent of just over 20 gold coins, so he took them with him to negotiate for his brothers’ release. He arrived at the location indicated in the note before the full moon and found the camp quite easily. Then, he had to begin his own negotiations with this band of cutthroats.

“You have come with the coins we demanded for the release of your friends?” the leader of the group asked, as Jem approached their camp.

“I have not been able to raise the full amount, since the Elders felt that doing so would only encourage others to try this as well,” Jem began. “I have, however, been able to come up with 22 gold coins to purchase the freedom of my brothers.”

“That will only gain you the release of two of them, but I will allow you to choose which two you want us to let go,” the leader replied.

“I will not choose between them, so if you will not release them all for this amount then I will take the coins and return home, because you will have left me with no other choice but to let you do with my friends as you wish,” Jem bluffed.

Jem was hoping the leader would settle for the lesser amount, rather than end up with nothing at all for his troubles.

“Then I shall just kill all of you and take the coins you have brought with you,” the leader taunted.

“Yes, you could easily do that, but it will only make you all hunted men and you’ll never be able to do anything like this again,” Jem replied. “The Elders from our order and the Noble each know what you have done, so if this deal goes badly, then you will be hunted down by the Noble’s soldiers. If by chance you should survive, then any future attempts at doing something like this will only lead to you being attacked immediately, since they will know those you’ve taken will probably be killed anyway.”

The leader thought about this briefly, before he responded.

“Then you may say your farewells to those we have captured and leave,” the leader offered, although Jem wasn’t sure if he was bluffing as well. “They will all be dead before you return to your residence, so you can pass that message along to the Noble and your Elders as well.”

Jem knew he didn’t want to see everyone die, especially if he could save a few, so he decided to do whatever he could to save as many of them as possible. After thinking this over quickly, he had another idea.

“Are you a gambling man,” Jem asked the leader, which caused the man to look at him oddly.

“I live every day by taking chances and gambling on my fate,” the leader replied.

“Then I have a proposition for you,” Jem offered. “I will give you the gold coins I have brought with me for one roll of the dice. We will use the number that comes up to determine the fate of myself and the others.”

“Go on,” the leader agreed. “I’m listening.”

“With two six-sided die there are eleven possible outcomes, since you cannot roll a one, so the totals will be between two and twelve,” Jem offered. “I will agree to take this chance for the lives of my brothers, if you will agree to the terms of my proposal.”

The leader nodded, but Jem knew he had the upper hand. Even though there were only eleven totals that could be reached by rolling a pair of dice, there were twenty-one combinations of the numbers on the two die, so the odds were in his favor that he’d save two or more of his brothers by doing this.

“If I roll a 2 or 3, then you may keep the coins and I will leave, and then you may do to the others as you wish. However, if I roll a 4 or 5, then you will release any two of your captives, using whatever means you determine to decide which ones go free, since the sum I brought with me should have purchased the release of that number anyway. This means, you will lose nothing if I roll a 4 or 5 and will actually make out better if I roll a 2 or 3, since you will still have the gold coins, yet have to release no one.”

The leader thought about this statement and then nodded in agreement.

“If I should roll a 6 or 7, however, then you will release four of my friends, if I roll an 8 or 9 then you will release six, and if I should roll a 10 then you’ll release everyone and bother us no more. Since there are two more outcomes we have not used, I will sweeten the deal for you. If I roll an 11 or 12 then you may keep the gold coins and kill all of us, including myself,” Jem offered.

The leader thought about this proposition briefly and discussed it with the others in his group. After an often-heated discussion, he turned to Jem and spoke.

“Since there are six outcomes that favor us and only five that favor you, then I will agree to this proposal. You will have to use our dice though,” he stated, emphatically.

“That will be acceptable, if I am first allowed to check and make certain they are not weighted,” Jem replied.

Once the leader agreed to his demand, one of his men handed Jem the dice. Jem dropped them several times, to make sure they didn’t always end up on the same number, before he got ready to roll them for real. He knew the odds were only 2 in 21 that he’d roll and 11 or 12 and they’d all die, and only another 2 in 21 that he’d roll a 2 or 3 and then the seven captive monks would be killed. However, the odds were 17 in 21 that he’d be able to save two or more of his brothers, along with his own life. With a heavy, yet hopeful heart, he shook the dice in his hand, said a quick prayer he hoped might help to determine the outcome and then released the dice.

The two die skittered and bounced along the ground, as Jem focused his attention on them with great anticipation. Would Lady Luck be with them and would the gods they worshipped be on their side, or would this effort be for naught? Would they leave here happy, if they were able to leave at all, or would they have to walk away bearing the tremendous sorrow of having lost brothers near and dear to them?

****Author’s Note**** This was where I originally intended to end the story, but WL suggested that I might want to offer alternative endings and then let you, the reader, decide which one to choose. You might even want to see what it might have been like for Jem and roll a pair of dice yourself, to see how things might have turned out, and then you can read the appropriate ending below.

Therefore, I will offer four possible outcomes, depending on the roll of the dice. After reading the appropriate section, then skip down to the last section, which will address what happened to the band of hostage takers.

If the dice totaled 2 or 3:

Jem’s face went ashen when he realized what was about to happen next, as the result of this unfortunate turn of events. He’d had an opportunity to save two of his brothers, but instead opted to take a chance to save more. That risk now seemed exceedingly foolhardy, because by making that choice he had managed to condemn all of them to death. Jem momentarily thought about attempting to renegotiate the outcome with the leader, but since he had been the one to offer the proposition in the first place, he knew the cutthroats would most likely kill him as well, if he balked at honoring his original agreement. With an extremely heavy heart, Jem slowly left the camp, alone, while wondering how he was going to explain what had happened to Dar.

After Jem returned and tersely explained the details of what had transpired to his sole surviving friend, he immediately set out again, but this time for the Noble’s estate, so he could relay the story about what had taken place.

If the dice totaled between 4 and 9:

The first die came to rest showing a three and Jem immediately realized he was going to lose at least one of his brothers, while at the same time knowing at least two of them would be saved. He still couldn’t be certain if any more than that would be joining him, so with a great deal of anticipation, Jem focused intently on the other die, as it slowly came to a stop.

Even though he wouldn’t be going home alone, Jem’s heart was heavy and he grieved over his inability to save all of his friends. He slumped forward, with his head hanging down, as he waited for the leader of the cutthroats to select which of his brothers would be returning with him. Jem was visibly shaken, and even though the others tried to find out what had happened and assure Jem that he’d done his best, he refused to answer any questions or discuss the situation further. Instead, they traveled back to their headquarters in nearly total silence, as Jem wallowed in self-pity. He knew he would never be the same person again, because he blamed himself for this unacceptable outcome.

After Jem returned and tersely explained the details of what had transpired to Dar, he left the others at their headquarters and set off again. This time he journeyed to the Noble’s estate, and once there, he quickly filled the Noble in about what had taken place.

If the dice totaled 10:

The first die came to rest showing a four and Jem held his breath, as he wondered if he was going to be able to save all of his brothers. This one die let him know they weren’t all going to be killed, but Jem still wasn’t certain how many more would be joining him when they left this place. Even though he knew he wouldn’t be going back alone, there was still a great deal of anticipation as Jem focused intently on the remaining die, while it slowly came to a stop.

When a six came up, Jem nearly jumped into the air to express the joy he now felt, but instead struggled to restrain his reaction, so he didn’t create another problem. He felt that if his reaction was too exuberant, he might unintentionally insult the hostage takers by rubbing his success in their faces, thus making them realize how badly their scheme had failed. With as much humility as he could muster, Jem waited patiently for the leader to release his brothers and then he encouraged the others to join him in getting as far away from the campsite as quickly as they could.

Along the way, the others began asking questions about what had happened and how Jem had saved them, so he shared the entire story with them, including his less than adequate ransom payment and how he made it work to their benefit. The other monks were greatly impressed by Jem’s quick thinking and unusual solution to their predicament, so they heaped their praise upon him for his quick wit and creativity, while also considering how this might have turned out differently.

Once they got back to their headquarters, the others explained the details of what had transpired to Dar, while Jem immediately set out again. This time he went to the Noble’s estate, so he could relay the story about what had taken place to him.

If the dice totaled 11 or 12:

As soon as Jem saw the results come up on the dice, he knew he had failed completely. Not only was he unable to save his brothers, but he had also managed to condemn himself as well. At least this way they would all die together and none of them, especially Jem, would have to live with the knowledge that he had failed to protect the ones he loved.

When Jem didn’t return by the eighth day after the full moon, Dar did as Jem asked and went to see the Noble, so he could explain Jem’s final request to him.

What took place after Jem/Dar told the Noble about the outcome:

Once the Noble heard what had happened, he dispatched messengers to deliver notes to the two Nobles whose borders were also close to Step Falls. In the notes, the Noble explained what had happened and then stated that something similar could occur on their lands as well, so they needed to be aware of the situation. He also asked his peers to send their soldiers to join up with his, so they could surround the brigands’ camp and make them pay for the unprecedented audacity of this crime. When the messengers returned with the other Nobles’ responses, they stated they were in agreement with his plan, so the three groups moved into position, surrounded the new camp the brigands had made, which was at a different location than where Jem had met up with them. Then, the soldiers attacked. And In the end they killed each of the rebels that were there, sparing no one.

Once the perpetrators had been dealt with, the soldiers divvied the corpses between the three groups, so the bodies could be displayed at prominent locations in the largest cities and towns in the area. They did this to show the other inhabitants what would happen to anyone foolish enough to attempt something like this again. It was a sobering deterrent to anyone else that might consider a similar option to improve his current situation.

The Noble also requested that the Council of Elders allow all future monks to be able to continue this current experiment, while explaining that he had seen many positive results from its implementation during the short period of time it had been in use. He felt the Council would be able to continue to staff this group with the appropriate number of monks, both now and in the future, so they could continue functioning in this novel manner. Even more than that, the Noble promised to do more to protect the monks while they were residing on his lands.

The Noble stated that beside the very public way he had taken care of the hostage takers, including the measures he had employed to deter others from trying something similar, he was also willing to add features to the house that would make it more secure. Those changes would not only benefit the monks, but the improvements would also be a boon to any members of his family that might reside there at some future date, once the monks no longer needed the premises. The Noble also planned to station a detachment of soldiers there as well, to help defend the monks from any future attacks.

Since the Noble was willing to do all of these things and seeing he was pleased with how this process had worked, the Council of Elders agreed to allow the experiment to continue. They were also going to talk to the other Nobles, to see if they wanted to try this on their lands as well, so they dispatched members of their order to talk with them about it. The Elders also ordered the selection and training process get underway for a new group of novitiates, since more would be needed to continue this idea, especially if more of the Nobles wanted to implement it as well.

THE END.