Snowfall

This became a pattern for the next night I found Goody Nachton standing there watching me again. I came inside when I was done and sat watching her make more bread.

\"So, was it good, Angel?\" She smiled, kneading the dough with sure hands.

\"I am sure it was delightful and the monks at the Abbey put it to good use.\" I returned, leaning back in the chair.

\"Ah, well then, I do suppose that is a good use for it.\"

And so we kept up this ritual, I would work in the field and she would bake bread that I would deliver on to the doorsteps of the church. She had a charm about her and I became so caught up in our nightly chats that I seldom visited the other members of the family and the Abbey as I had done. If I had perhaps I would have seen it coming, perhaps.

There had begun a new trend among the Church, the finding of heretics. It was not yet the Inquisition but the stirrings of it had begun in more and more frequent cases. Such suspicion of one and another had not yet reached my home town, that was until Father Michael saw it as a way to bring attention to his Abbey and works. I should no longer be surprised at the cruelty of man but yet I was not prepared for this kind of atrocity in the little village I had been born into.
They came for Goody Nachton during the day. I came to work her field at night and found her gone. I then went to the houses of each of my kin listening for her voice or some word of what had happened. The first night yielded nothing, everyone seemed to be more quiet than usual. Something was wrong, it was not until the next night that I got an idea of what happened. One of families were worried about Goody and the wife wanted to go down to the jailhouse to visit her. Jailhouse? They did not say much about why she was in such a aweful place, apparently it was a thing that had already been much discussed before night arrived.

I hurried to the jailhouse, of course. It was not very large and had been built mostly underground, having been originally a wine cellar as I recall. The stone walls were dank and cold, death hung about the place like damp clothes in winter. There were several people in the building to go through before getting to the cells. There was no other entrance but the main one, unless I wanted to dig a tunnel and then pull rocks from the building. My only choice was to either try to sneak past the two men in the front portion or attack them both.
I debated with myself. Not for my sake but my kin\'s, I could not be there to protect her during the day if I pulled her from this place what would I do then? Go on the run with an elderly woman? I could bring her safely to another village and set her up but she would be away from her family. I waited yet another night before deciding that I needed to do something.
I went back to the family the next night and heard the explanation for her encarceration. Father Michael accused Goody Nachton of consorting with demons and being a witch. She had been known to use herbs and brews. What good farmer of that time did not? The most damning evidence against her was the work that always seemed to be done in her field without anyone ever seeing her out there to finish it. Father Michael stated that her family had a past of \'strange\' aid. He condemned many of the Nachton\'s of the past as being demon worshipers as well. I wondered if this included his mentor, Father Patrick. Father Michael planned to have one of the bishops come and try the case. He had the Abbey in an uproar preparing for the arrival of such an important personage. You\'d think he was receiving a guest on some friendly visit not bringing in someone to judge a old woman that you\'ve accused of witchcraft.

With this news I knew that I had to get her out of the jail no matter the consequences. I would move her to another town and perhaps after a while I could bring her back to her family. I truly had not planned much other than the jailbreak itself. This was my fault, my aid had caused this woman to be on trial for abondoning her faith. That and the cruelty of Father Michael. His part in this did not escape me either.

I carefully set fire to a storehouse near the jailhouse after making certain that it was empty. Fires were large concerns in those days and the whole town would be roused to fight it if it became large enough to become a threat. I made sure it was going to get that large. Soon enough the roaring flames caught the attention of those people in adjacent buildings. The town bell was rung to bring people out into the streets, including the two guards. They argued about leaving someone to guard the jailhouse for only a minute but they agreed that the place was secure and the fire was a much larger threat. I slipped inside while they were gone and quickly searched through the small dark cells.
I found her towards the end,lying in a huddled heap of clothing on the floor. I forced the bars off their hinges, not having the keys, and quickly scooped her up. Goody Nachton smiled at me with eyes bright with fever.

\"I knew you would come, my angel. \" She whispered hoarsely.

\"I\'ve come to take you away from here, Goody.\" I quickly left the jailhouse and moved out of the town. I brought her to her own home. It was not my original intent but somehow I felt that I could not take her away just yet.

Setting her gently on the bed, I found extra blankets to cover her with. I knew that we must move on before morning. They would look for her here and among the family\'s houses as soon as they found her missing.

\"Albin.\" She said my name for the first time, I paused in my search and turned to look at her. She was quickly fading, I doubted she would have lasted another day in the cell. \"Thank you for bringing me home. I never doubted you.\"

\"Goody, I will get something for you.\" My eyes scanned for a cup that I could add some blood to and some herbs to mask the taste. Her hand touched my arm lightly and I ceased my search to turn and watch her.

\"I do not need anything else now.\" She smiled at me kindly, like I was a child overly eager to help. I was confused at her calm. \"Addam, how fine you look.\" I peered at her closely and then turned to look in the direction of her gaze. There was nothing. \"Yes, I am ready.\" I reached for her hand, frantic to hold on to her. She was merely seeing things, Addam, her husband had been long dead. Still I felt fear. I was strong and could fight many things but spirits were beyond my power.

\"Don\'t go, Goody. Not yet.\" I pleaded. It had been so long since I had spent my nights in the company of another human soul and I could not bare to lose her.

\"I will see you soon. We\'ll continue our chats, my angel.\" Her eyes closed and did not open them again, a smile of peace on her face.

\"No!\" I screamed. \"Why?!\" I got up and ran from the small home. My anger had only a few places to go, myself, the priest and God. He had taken Amar, Alin, and now, Heather...Goody Nachton\'s name had been Heather.