"That dimglow has harassed my daughter for the last time!" the holder roared, trying to step past Tahmalkalran to get to his brother, who was cowering a few feet away.

"That's exactly it, sir, he is a dimglow!" Tahmalkalran insisted, hand going to his belt knife. "He doesn't know any better! He just likes the colors on her dress, that's all! He didn't mean to rip it!"

"Dimglow or no dimglow, a man his age shouldn't be grabbing the dresses of little girls!" the holder snarled. "Poor little Asira's probably been scared away from men for life! She might never marry or give me heirs! All because of your brother! And I will punish him for it."

"He's no smarter than a babe, sir," Tahmalkalran explained. "He may look like a man, but he's got the mind of a babe. He can't understand why he shouldn't look at pretty colors, he doesn't know the difference between the dress on a girl and the rug on the floor. You can't punish him for being born a half-wit!"

"Halfwit or no halfwit, he won't harass my daughter and get away with it!" the holder snarled and, shoving Tahmalkalkran out of the way, lunged for Maton, who whimpered like a pup and tried to cower against the wall. The holder's belt knife appeared in his hand and be brought it down towards Atamlak. But before it could connect, his arm was stopped mid-arc, a whole length of it engulfed by Maton's paw.

Maton may not have been smart, but he was huge, and strong. Stronger than he knew. His grip lifted the holder a little ways off the floor so that he dangled from his arm. The holder's face was contorted with pain as he tried not to scream. Maton was still whimpering and looked scared to death.

"Let go of him, Maton," Tahmalkalran told his brother gently.

Maton only turned terror filled eyes on his brother and then on the struggling man he held in his grasp. Tahmalkalran repeated his order, and Maton let go. The holder crumpled to the floor and Maton cowered against the wall.

"I didn' wanta hurt 'im, Tam, honest!" Maton whimpered. "I didn'!"

Tahmalkalran clapped his brother on the shoulder. "Sure you didn't, and you didn't did you?" The last part of his question was directed at the holder who was still holding his arm.

"What you trying to pull?" the holder asked, narrow eyes flicking first from Tahmalkalkran to Maton. Tahmalkalran squatted down at the holder's level. "Listen. If you're smart, he didn't hurt you. He didn't lay a hand on you. I think something big and heavy fell on your arm, didn't it?"

The holder glared back at him. "Now why would I want to do that? That man is dangerous and he deserves punishment for his crimes! And you, you're covering up for him!

"He was acting in self defence," Tahmalkalran reminded the holder coldly, fingers brushing the hilt of his belt knife. "Now if you just agree not to mention this ever again, we won't give you any trouble."

The holder's belt knife appeared in his uninjured hand. "Over my dead body."

"Be careful what you ask for," Tahmalkalran snarled and drew his belt knife.

Maton was watching the entire scene with horror. He wasn't sure why or how, but he knew Tahmalkalran was in trouble. Grabbing a shovel, he ran up behind the holder, who was concentrating on Tahmalkalran, and brought the shovel down on his head with a hideous crack.

The holder crumpled to thr ground before a suprised Tahmalkalran. Maton dropped the shovel in terror. "I done a bad thing, huh Tam?"

Tahmalkalran kicked at the body of the holder. "I'm not sure, Maton. Come on, we're leaving."

"But I like it here!" Maton protested. "They got good wherry an' tubers! I don wanna leave!"

"You crazy dimglow, you probably just killed the man! If you didn't, he's sure gonna be mad when he comes to!" Tahmalkalran exploeded. "We have to get out of here before someone finds out and comes after us for murder! Then where'd we be if they caught us, huh? Stuck out on some island somewhere. Is that what you want?"

Maton dropped his eyes. "No Tam. I don wanna live on no island."

"Good, then let's go," Tahmalkalran ordered. "Go get your things."

"I can't 'member where I put 'em," Maton admitted as quietly as he could.

"Shard it, can't you remember anything?" Tahmalkalran roared and instantly regretted it the next instant when Maton's eyes teared up. "Don't do that," he sighed. "I'll show you."

Ten minutes later, they were running across the fields they had worked towards the stables. Tahmalkalran dropped his bag at the entrance and peered inside. The stable boys were on their break and the stablemaster was elsewhere.

"You stay out here, ok?" Tahmalkalran told his brother, who nodded. "I'm going to bring you a runner, and you'd better be gentle with it! Don't pet it, just climb up and hang on! Can you remember that?"
Maton nodded enthusiasticly. "Sure I can! Don' pet im', jest climb up an' hang on!"

Tahmalkalran nodded and silently entered the stables. A few runners nickered a quiet greeting to him as he tread silently over the hay. He picked the gentlest mare for Maton and a spirited dark brown stallion the mare would follow anywhere for himself.

The stallion snorted nervously as Tahmalkalran put his bridle on but was quieted with a lump of sweetner. The mare accepted her bridle and saddle and within minutes Tahmalkalran led the two runners out to where Maton was still wating.

"Do I getta ride the big one?" Maton asked, gazing at the stallion in awe.

"Nope, he's for me," Tahmalkalran told him. "Climb up on that little mare. She's small, but she's sturdy. Don't try to steer her, just let her follow my runner."

Maton sighed dissapointedly but did as he was told. He gave her a soft pat on the neck then looked at Tahmalkalran to see if he had petted to hard. Tahmalkalran nodded his approval and Maton's face glowed with pride.

Tahmalkalran secured both his and his brother things on the stallion's rump and then swung himself up into the saddle. He kicked his heels in and the stallion, half-rearing, started at a gallop. The mare followed, first with a canter and then, seeing that she was losing sight of the stallion, an all out gallop.

"Whee! This is fun, Tam!" Maton shouted above the wind. "I feel like I'm flyin'!"

"Shut up, you dimglow!" Tahmalkalran yelled back. "You want them to know we're leaving and stealing their runners?"

"We ain't really gonna steal them, are we Tam?" Maton asked, suddenly worried. "We ain't 'sposed to do that!"

"Why not?" Tahmalkalran demanded.

"This lady tol' me never to steal!" Maton told him. "I 'member she did! She said it was a bad thing an she tol' me if she ever caught me doin' it, she'd thrash me, she did!"

"Don't you even remember who that lady was?" Tahmalkalran sighed. "That was our mother, dimglow! Can't you even remember your own mother?"

Maton frowned. "Not very well. She's gone now, I know that. But she still tol' me never to steal!"

"Yeah, well, she's dead," Tahmalkalran snapped, effectively ending the conversation.