Waking up to the loud crowing of a rooster was unexpected, and unwanted. Abel rolled over in the bed, pressing firmly up against a sturdy, warm form. He wasn't really sure what it actually was until it began to move.

Oh!

Jerking upright, the arm around his chest drifted to his waist as he looked over at a wakening Kirin. The lawman was visibly struggling to open his eyes as he nuzzled against a thick down pillow. The rooster stopped crowing, leaving the house in a quiet state. Abel couldn't really think that it was silent, though, because every once in awhile he could hear cows mooing in the pasture or the wind gusting against the large windowpane to his right that looked out over the rolling hills. It truly was beautiful... and would never be his.

Stay positive. You will have something at the end of this. New skills. Possibly a job. Hopefully both hands.

Glancing down at them where they rested in his lap with Kirin's right arm, Abel frowned. He had slept fitfully with the man's arm around him, but it had at least been better than the previous night. He thought about trying to leave right then, but that would forsake him to the life of a seamstress or cook, which was unfitting for a male. I cannot leave yet.

Facing that fact, he looked back down at Kirin, surprised when the man's eyes were open, staring up at him with a tired smile. "Good morning, Abel."

"Good morning, sir."

Kirin stretched and yawned, nuzzling back into his pillow even though Abel had a feeling that the rooster was there to wake them for the day's work.

"Sir? Do we not need to get up now? The rooster has crowed."

The man's right eye blinked open and he yawned again. When his eye closed a second time, Abel thought that was answer enough, but then Kirin pushed himself up to sit next to Abel. After a minute of silence, he tossed the blankets aside and removed his arm from Abel's lap, then slowly got to his feet. Abel couldn't help but stare at the man's mostly nude body. He only wore a pair of thin shorts that hugged his skin. What caught Abel's attention and held it, however, wasn't anything a woman might stare at. He had one himself, so he didn't need to ogle Kirin's through the thin clothing. What he was curious about, though, was the curly black hair roaming over parts of his upper chest and the trail it made downward before disappearing into his shorts.

Looking down at his own bare chest, Abel frowned, not seeing more than a few tiny hairs that weren't even visible unless one intentionally looked for them.

"Do not worry, Abel. You will finish maturing in time."

Abel frowned as he looked back up at Kirin, who was now standing by the door.

"Come, let us go," Kirin said as he disappeared beyond the doorway. Abel quickly followed him downstairs, finding him in the bathroom relieving himself.

"What is that?" Abel asked, directing his question to the odd chamber pot that Kirin was urinating into. The man finished relieving himself and tugged his shorts back up before nodding to the pot with a grin. "It is not perfect, but it is much easier than keeping a real chamber pot. It is connected to a tunnel I dug before building this house with a metal pipe inside. It takes the excrement out to a hole I also dug a short way from the house. I have to clean it out every year or so, but it keeps the feces and urine away from the house."

Abel stepped closer, eyeing the odd looking chamber pot before tugging his pants down and sitting. Kirin didn't bother staying, but did mention to rinse the container with water from a pail beside it when he was finished. Abel did as told, tossing half of the water from the container into it before replacing the lid and heading to the kitchen, where he heard Kirin moving about.

"I got some eggs from the chickens outside," the lawman said as he moved about, getting a pan down on the already burning stove.

"Okay, do you have any meat you want me to cook with them?" Abel asked as he took his spot in front of the stove and added a small amount of lard to keep the eggs from sticking to the pan.

"Let me see," Kirin mumbled while walking over to the box he stored his meats in. "I have some thick slices of pork."

He took out a slab and held it up, making Abel lick his lips as he reached for it. "That will work. I will cut it up and cook it."

Kirin nodded, letting him take the meat before disappearing into the other room. Abel got busy slicing up the pork, adding a good sprinkle of pepper to the four pieces he cut from the slab before putting the remainder back in the box. He then stepped over to the hot pan and started cooking six eggs.

"Stand still for a moment."

Hearing Kirin's voice suddenly from behind had Abel jumping from surprise, but he stayed where he was as Kirin knelt down behind him and fastened the chain back to his ankles. He didn't like the idea of having his feet bound again, but he knew it had to be done.

I will just be glad that I did not have to sleep with them on. Even though I dislike his arm around my waist, it is better than the heavy metal on my ankles.

He finished cooking the eggs, then added the pork slices to the pan.

"I have a lot of work to do in the vegetable garden. I have been gone for two weeks and it needs weeding. The horse stalls also need mucked out since my workers are likely focusing on the orchard today. That will be your job once we finish eating."

Abel had never done anything involving horses, but he was more than willing to learn a new skill. While eating breakfast, he kept that same eager attitude, but when they walked out to the barn and Kirin handed him a shovel, then pulled a rickety wheelbarrow into the first stall, Abel's enthusiasm dropped.

"All you need to do is scoop out all of the soiled straw and feces. Then sweep out what the shovel could not get. Once the floor is cleared, load straw from the pile near the hay bales into the wheelbarrow and bring it inside the stall, then spread it over the floor."

"Yes, sir," Abel said as he took the shovel Kirin had retrieved and got to work. After watching for several minutes, Kirin left, leaving Abel to his work. And work he did. Abel had never worked hard enough at something that he actually began to sweat, but after only an hour, he was dripping from exertion, and he was just beginning to spread the clean straw over the first clean floor.

No complaining.

He knew this work was simple and many lads his age made themselves a wage doing it. His muscles ached and he was panting hard, but when he finished the first stall, he actually felt a small inkling of pride well up in his chest.

I did it! It may have taken more time than it would if a trained boy had done it, but I will not let it get me down. I will get better. Even better than most, so people will hire me instead of them.

Nodding to himself with a reinvigorated grin, Abel wheeled the wheelbarrow to the next stall and got to work. Even with his aching arms and legs, and several blisters beginning to form on his hands, he managed to finish the stall a few minutes earlier than the last.

Two more left.

"Abel?"

Hearing Kirin's voice at the entrance to the barn, Abel quickly walked out of the stall he had just finished. Seeing the lawman approach, he leaned his shovel against the wall of the stall beside him and walked forward to meet him halfway.

"Here, it is already past noon so I thought you might need a bit more energy."

Abel noticed that the man was holding something out to him and took it. After looking at the item, he realized that it was an apple, but the color threw him a bit.

"I have been playing around with the color. That man they have been calling crazy recently had some interesting ideas on changing plant characteristics. I think his name was Mendel, or something of that sort. He works with pea plants, but I wanted to give his tests a try with my trees."

Abel remembered hearing about the man, along with a few other loonies, but mainly Darwin had been the one getting most of the attention in his home province. Considering his previous predicament, Abel hadn't paid much mind to the gossip. Staring down at the green and red apple, he couldn't help but feel a little upset with himself for not bothering to at least listen to what people had to say about the odd men. Looking back up at Kirin, Abel held the apple a little higher, near his chest.

"You changed the color on purpose? How?"

The light in Kirin's eyes brightened as his smile turned genuine. "I am not really sure of the specifics, but I actually hand-pollinated several of my trees when the flowers were just beginning to bloom. I only did four trees because I wanted to see how things would change. The first year there was barely any differences, but this year they actually bore fruit earlier, as you can see. The other trees are still dropping their flowers or beginning to make fruit, but the ones I pollinated by hand are already bearing fruit."

Abel nodded, eyes wide as he soaked up the information.

"Those are sourer than the others, too. They don't taste quite as good to me, but the color was really what I was interested in. Having green and red apples all over the trees has made my little experiment a success."

Seemingly done with his science lesson, Kirin walked past Abel and looked into the stall he had just finished. After taking a bite of the apple given to him, Abel followed, stopping right as Kirin leaned out of the stall.

"You have done well with the first two. Are you okay to do the other two? You look worn out."

Frowning, Abel nodded and took another big bite of the apple, then handed it back to Kirin and grabbed the shovel. He got an odd look from the lawman, but when Kirin just shrugged and turned to leave, taking a bite of the apple as he moved, Abel hastily got back to work.

He wasn't finished until the sun was nearly down behind the hills. After returning the wheelbarrow, shovel, and pitchfork to their appropriate places, Abel hopped up on one of the clean hay bales and promptly fell back. His legs dangled over the edge, the chain clattering against the hay for a moment before everything went still.

I am exhausted.

His stomach growled loudly as he yawned.

And hungry.

"Abel?"

Sitting up abruptly, Abel looked around, blinking in the darkness that had fallen over the barn. He noticed Kirin standing a few feet in front of him with an oil lantern, suddenly realizing that he had fallen asleep after cleaning. Judging from the sounds from the stalls on either side of the barn, Kirin had already brought the horses in before waking him, too.

"Sorry," Abel mumbled as he began sliding from the hay.

"Wait a moment. Stay there," Kirin said, making Abel stop at the edge of the bale, confused. He watched the lawman set his lantern down on the floor, then reach around to untie something he had fastened on his belt.

Shoes?

"I got you some boots at the market. I went while you were working."

Kirin glanced up as he tugged the first shoe onto Abel's left foot, looking down with a smile. "Good, it fits."

Kirin carefully tied a knot with the first shoe's laces, then slid the other on and began to tie. As Kirin worked on the second shoe, Abel couldn't help but wiggle his left foot. The shoe wasn't nearly as tight as the ones he had worn in the past while being a girl, but they were already far more comfortable.

"Alright, slide down. See how they feel walking in them," Kirin said as he stood, picking his lantern back up and stepping back. Abel did as told, sliding from the hay bale onto his covered feet. He stumbled from the odd feeling of the shoes, but after a few small steps, he got his balance back and beamed down at the worn leather items.

"I have never worn such comfortable shoes."

A hand on his back drew Abel's attention up to Kirin, making him notice that the man was looking down at him with a grin as he began guiding him out of the barn. "Really? I am glad you like them. They probably need a few stitches to be sure that they hold up, but I think they will be perfect for your work here."

Abel nodded with a smile. "I will sew up anything that might need tended, sir. Thank you so much for the gift."

"You are welcome, Abel. You did a very good job with the stables and with cooking, so I thought I would get you something to keep your feet from being hurt."

They stepped inside the house as Kirin finished speaking. The lawman led Abel over to the table and sat down after putting the lantern down on the old wooden surface.

"Go wash your hands in the sink, then let me see them."

Abel did as told, returning a moment later and sitting. He then reached his hands forward, wincing when Kirin took them and began massaging the blisters with a type of paste he'd gotten from a small container on the table. "It is going to hurt for a minute, just bear it, please. It will make the blisters heal faster and not hurt as badly tomorrow."

Not interested in arguing, Abel bit his tongue and waited as the medicine disappeared into his skin. When Kirin finally released his hands they did actually feel much better.

"Thank you, sir."

With a nod, Kirin slid from his chair and got the chain unlocked from around Abel's ankles, then stood and headed for the kitchen. After rubbing his red ankles for a moment, Abel followed, eager to cook.

"What would you like for supper, sir?"

Kirin straightened, an apple in his hand.

"You want to cook again? You do not have to, Abel."

Abel quickly shook his head and walked over to the storage box of meats and opened the lid. "Sir, I really enjoy cooking. What would you like?"

Seeming a little shocked, Kirin opened his mouth, then closed it several times before stuttering out, "Fish. I, um, think there is a salted fish fillet in there."

Abel looked, moving a few pieces of beef before finding it. He wasn't very versed in cooking fish, but he was definitely willing to try. Taking the fillet out, he rinsed off the salt, then carefully began cutting it into manageable pieces.

"Sir? Will you please go fetch another vegetable from the garden? Whichever you would like with the fish."

Without a word, Kirin headed outside, leaving Abel to get the fire in the stove going and a pan ready. Instead of using lard this time, he found a small jar of butter and added just enough to cook the fish without the risk of burning it. Since the fish seemed to cook fast, he was already moving it off of the pan by the time Kirin returned and washed off the potato he'd dug up. It was a bit surprising to see the vegetable, as he normally only saw potatoes in large acres, but Abel quickly took it and got it cut up, then began cooking the slices in the pan.

"Would you like to bathe after dinner, Abel?" Kirin asked as he walked over to take a deep breath of the cooking potatoes.

"Yes, sir."

"Very good," Kirin returned as Abel put potatoes on the two plates he'd taken down. He was assuming, of course, that he was allowed to eat. When Kirin only took the plate with more food and headed for the table, Abel closed up the stove so that the fire would die out and grabbed his own meal before following.

When he sat down, he noticed Kirin already half done with his fish and chuckled under his breath, drawing the man's attention.

"You cook very well," he said, instead of questioning his laugh.

"Oh. Um, thank you, sir," Abel mumbled as he took a small bite of fish. Because he was eating far slower, Kirin finished his food first and cleaned up the dishes from the day and yesterday before returning to stand near the table.

"I am going to go bathe. Once you finish your food, I would appreciate help with washing my back, then you will be free to do as you wish for the rest of the night. Whether it be bathe, sew, or whatnot."

Abel nodded, watching as Kirin disappeared down the hall. He heard the man begin to pump water into the bathing tub and quickly finished his meal. After cleaning the dish and fork in the sink and setting them out to dry, he made his way to the bathroom. Kirin had lit a second lantern and set it on a stool in the corner, giving the room a small amount of light. The lawman was leaning back in the large tub, though he had to bend his knees to fit.

"Sir..."

Instead of opening his eyes, Kirin just grunted.

"Sir, I could kill you right now."

That got the man's eyes to open. He turned his head to stare at Abel, then slowly sat up in the cool water. But when he didn't speak, Abel took a step forward, putting himself within arm's reach.

"Sir, I could have taken your pistol and shot you if I had known how to use the weapon."

"But you do not know how to use the weapon, Abel," Kirin finally replied. His words, however, only made Abel more frustrated.

"Why do you not treat me like a criminal? I may walk around free but for my chain sometimes. I can hold sharp knives less than a step from you. You allow me to sleep in your bed, for heaven's sake!" Panting, Abel lowered his arms, not having realized that he'd been gesturing with them the entire time his voice had risen.

"What would you like me to do, Abel?"

Abel took a step back, looking around the room warily before returning his gaze to Kirin.

"Sir, you are a lawman. I am, in your own words, a thief. Why am I here? Why do you not treat me like a thief?"

Kirin sighed, massaging his brow with his fingers. "I do not know, Abel. I am sure that the magistrate would frown upon the way I have been treating a criminal, but I cannot see myself locking you to the post in the barn each night."

Abel's stomach turned at the thought of sleeping tied to a post every night. Deciding not to push his luck, he took another step back, put his head down, and licked his lips nervously.

"I suppose I am just not being grateful. I appreciate your kind treatment, sir. May I go lie down, please?"

There was silence for a moment before Kirin replied. "Yes. I will be up shortly, Abel, so be sure not to fall asleep before then. I would not wish to startle you."

"Yes, sir," Abel mumbled before turning and heading up the stairs.

The next day was far quieter than the previous. Both Abel and Kirin talked very little besides Kirin directing Abel in his task for the day and the question of what to make for their morning meal. He could tell that the lawman was having second thoughts. Saw him look at the ropes sitting at the edge of the table repeatedly.

Abel hadn't noticed the post in the barn the day before, but as he worked throughout the day, he couldn't stop catching glimpses of it and felt unease swim through his belly. The day afterward was similar, as well as the next. Abel learned how to weed the garden and saddle the horses, as well as clean the tack. His chores began to repeat as the week wore on into another. The horses' stalls were cleaned once more. The garden was weeded and the tack cleaned after Kirin exercised his horses. The work was making him stronger. He could feel his muscles aching at the end of each day, but could also tell that he was slowly, very slowly, growing. When the second week came and went, Abel was freed from working while chained but was locked to Kirin when they slept, a shackle secured around one of their ankles because the lawman had noticed his restless sleep when held.

Abel had just finished mucking out the stalls for the fourth time during his punishment when he heard the sound of a horse-drawn carriage coming down the dirt road leading to the house. Curiosity and worry warred in him until he let the pitchfork drop from his hands and peeked out of the barn. He couldn't tell who the driver was, so he waited until the carriage stopped in front of Kirin's home and a man got out.

No!

The jailer. The magistrate climbed from the carriage, stumbling before catching himself with a curse. Kirin, having been in his home, walked out and met the man. Abel wasn't sure what was going on at first, but when they spoke for a moment and Kirin motioned toward the barn, he knew something was wrong.

Do not run, he thought to himself as Kirin disappeared back into the house, only to appear again a moment later with the chain. Then the two began walking toward the barn. Toward him.

Do not run, Abel.

Stepping back several times out of instinct, Abel swallowed and rubbed his sweating palms on his dirty breeches. The two men stopped for a brief second, silently telling him that they had seen him. They then took several more steps before they stopped and spoke amongst each other. Another moment passed before Kirin continued walking, leaving the magistrate where he stood. Abel watched, his breaths coming faster and faster until Kirin stopped ten or so yards away.

"Abel?"

Abel answered by stepping backward.

"Abel, I need you to come here."

Swallowing dryly, Abel took another step back.

He has a horse. You will not be able get away. That is why he let you out of the chain.

"Abel, come here. Please. The magistrate needs to ask you questions about who the items belonged to, the ones I found you with."

You promised that you would not cause him trouble, but... Father knows.

Feeling hot tears begin to fall from his eyes, Abel took another step back and shook his head slowly.

"I am s-sorry, sir. I-I am a liar, now."

With that, he turned and bolted off toward the orchard. The trees were arranged in neat rows for nearly half a mile. There was nowhere to hide. Kirin would be closing in on him very soon on horseback. Abel couldn't turn back, though. He had to run. Had to get away.