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You approach her from the side and, without saying anything, enfold her in an embrace which on any other occasion she would have refused. It is a return of the kindness she showed you on your birthday. You go down the path together, still in silence, but by the time you have reached village square, Mabel has calmed down. She thanks you a second time, going so far as to give you a peck on the cheek. As you march back to your house a thought suddenly comes to you that maybe Mabel isn't so bad--then you catch yourself. You have to be careful, this is Mabel you're talking about.
The next few days pass placidly enough. Many are busy with reconstruction efforts, rebuilding houses the raiders burnt down, either their own or that of others. The only building that went untouched was the church, which has been opened by priest to those who no longer have a roof above their heads. The raiders also created many new orphans and the church cannot accommodate them all.
Those of the raiders who were captured were publicly executed, first by stoning (in which all the villagers were eager participants), and then hung from the castle ramparts. Renault's ransom will take some time to arrive and for now he remains in the lord's dungeons, with rats and criminals for company. There are murmurings of a possible war between the two fiefdoms (or what passes for war between petty barons). The lord is gathering his men and sending word to his king and the other vassals, the one for permission, the others to see who will side with whom. Some will undoubtedly send men, the better to unite themselves with the lord's family, as his son is now of marriageable age. The majority will remain neutral, which is just as well, for the lord has many more fighting-men then the enemy and far more experience. There are even rumors of the secret construction of new weapons of siege, which the lord picked up from his time abroad. If he wins the enemy lord's castle, that will represent a shift in a balance of power which has been stable for many years. Should he fail, the result may prove the same.
In such war time, the peasants are often called upon to serve as waiting-men, to carry weapons and supplies, to clean, cook, and pitch the tents. The lord can compel into service any who do not own the land they reside upon, but many are all too eager to revenge themselves upon the enemy.
As for you:
>You find this an opportune moment to purchase the land (for the lion's share of your savings) and release yourself from these obligations
>You plan on joining the lord's army on this campaign, if only to spare yourself the label of coward
>You will get special permission, through the reeve (while he still has his powers), to be absolved from the draft.
>Write-in