“Agreed. Let’s carry on, shall we?”

  “Yes, let’s do.” Nodded Ignatius. The four wandered further into town and came upon a small but busy market selling wares. Almost everyone in town waved to Hoxley in a friendly manner as she passed.

  “Any parcels today?” they asked time and again. “Do you have a letter for me, Hoxley?”

  “None today, I’m afraid.” She replied with a pleasant smile while returning the wave.

  “They seem to like you here.” Observed Morell.

  “Yes, it’s a regular part of my route. Woodford has regular business and is known for their horses and strong drink which they make themselves. It’s a quiet place.” The companions carried on, stopping in the market to gather rations for the road ahead. More nuts and cheeses and breads as well as some more gumfruit went into a bag Ignatius slung over one shoulder. They were walking along and minding their own business when a voice called out from the edge of the crowd:

  “Hoxley?!” The voice shouted excitedly. “Hoxley of the plains is that you?!”

  All four looked to find a young man of about twenty summers dressed in filthy ragged garb held captive in a pair of thick wooden stocks next to a building. When they turned to look at whom the person might be, the person perked up even more. His hands went spastic as he gesticulated through the contraption holding him in place.

  “Yes! yes! come here! hoxley! IT’S me! come over here!” Morell and the witches looked to her with some surprise.

  “Do you know this strange person?” Morell asked.

  “As a matter of fact, I do.” She sighed. “Come along, let’s see what the little criminal wants now.” The four crossed the street to stand before the thick wooden stocks with holes big enough to fit a criminal’s head and hands to hold them in place. Such things were on display for the public to show the consequences for minor offenses, or more likely in this case, a pirate with a penchant for thievery. As they stood before him., the big iron locks holding the stocks together looked like magnificent metal beetles. As they drew near the boy was almost to the point of joyous tears.

  “Oh, thank heavens you’ve come for me!” he said. “Has my father gotten news of this terrible misunderstanding and sent the best messenger in the land to negotiate with the authority for my freedom? Oh, happy day! I’ll be out of here in time to find some food for a midday meal! I really am in your debt my dear!” hearing his words, Hoxley nearly rolled her eyes out of her head with frustration.

  “Everyone, I‘d like you meet Loxor Santium Balthazar the Fourth.”

  “If you’re friends of Hoxley’s, you may feel free to call me Loxo. All my friends do.” Despite being nearly incapacitated in place, the boy attempted his best courtesy. Hoxley crossed her arms as her brow furled.

  “What have you gotten yourself into now, Loxo?” she asked.

  “It’s a simple misunderstanding.” He said ever so nonchalantly. “I had struck up a conversation with most beautiful daughter of a local noble. She and I were having some cups of wine and having the most marvelous of times when she happened to mention that her father had been just entrusted with securing a regional gold cache. Now as you know, Hoxley dear, I am something of a gold expert and aficionado and I told her of my masterful expertise in appraising and such matters. Anyway, she thought it would be a stupendous idea for me to accompany her back to her father’s place so that I could witness such splendor for myself and perhaps even inspect the gold for abnormalities. Having been extended such an offer I could hardly refuse and did as she asked. Once arriving-“

  “Loxo,” Hoxley sighed. “Speak the truth, you found out about a gold cache, got a poor girl drunk so you could use your charms to get your hands on her father’s gold and you attempted to flee with it. The only question to be asked is how far from the noble’s home with the gold you got before you were apprehended?”

  “Wonderful Hoxley, you simply must understand I was merely taking the gold to be appraised by others more trained so that the true value of the cache could be appraised as I thought it was undervalued.”

  “Loxooooo.” She prodded. “The truth.” Hearing this, the pirate blanched and hung his head.

  “I-I’m afraid the gold was heavier than I anticipated…. and had hardly made it the back door before the noble set his guardsmen on me.” Hoxley rolled her eyes so hard they almost fell from out of her head.

  “So, the charge is removing large amounts of gold from a noble’s house through deception.” She deduced. “Tell me, Loxo. What are the penalties in this region for such an offense?”

  “I’m afraid they’re quite severe.” He said, looking up at her with panic in his eyes. “I’m told that if this whole misunderstanding isn’t settled by tomorrow morning I’m to be hung from a tall tree until dead! Dearest Hoxley, I’m in something of a jam here and I would be ever so grateful if you would use that sharp looking spear of yours to pry open these stocks the tiniest bit as the wood is dry and beginning to agitate the skin around my neck and wrists.”

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  “Loxo.” Hoxley huffed. “The penalty for attempting to help a person in stocks escape is joining them in their sentence. And since I like my neck unbroken, I’m afraid I cannot accommodate your request.” The boy looked more frantic now.

  “Dearest Hoxley, merciful, sweet and honest Hoxley, I accept your forthrightness. But seeing as how I’m unable to speak with the local authority directly, I was wondering, no hoping that you could speak to them on my behalf? I would be more than grateful.”

  “This is a friend of yours?” asked Morell.

  “Oh yes, fine boy!” Loxo perked up. “She and I have traveled the width and breadth of this land enjoying one another’s company!”

  “We’ve crossed paths three times.” Interjected Hoxley.

  “Yes! That’s right! She’s marvelous, isn’t she? If you don’t know…” the young man began to suddenly get weepy, his eyes filling up with tears as the full weight of the consequences he was facing had come to rest on his shoulders. “Everyone should…should…have a friend like Hoxley to help keep them out of…of trouble!” He then collapsed in the stocks in pitiful cries of despair, to which everyone looked to the faun.

  “Can’t you do anything to help him?” asked Siouxsie.

  “What would you have me do? He’s a thief who got caught! No one robs a noble by accident.”

  “Puh-leeeaaasssssee!” Loxo begged and begged. “Hoxley, you simply must do something or I’ll be dead by tomorrow morning! I’ll do anything you ask! Absolutely anything! I’ll- I’ll carry your saddlebags for you as you travel across the land! You’ll never have to carry another parcel for the rest of your days! I’ll be your faithful servant! I’ll sing songs and tell stories to keep your days from ever being dull! I’ll tap dance and cartwheel and tumble at your command if you’ll but do something to keep the hangman from having me!” Ignatius, Morell, and Siouxsie looked to Hoxley to who crushed her eyes shut and grit her teeth.

  “Loxo the fourth….” She grumbled. “Why must you be a caravan of calamity?”

  “Please be reasonable, Hoxley.” He said as he wept. “This is all a big misunderstanding.”

  “This is NOT a misunderstanding!” Hoxley stomped her hoof. “You are not a victim here!” Hoxley closed the distance between them and bent low to look him in the eye. “I’m not going to lift so much as a hoof to help you unless I hear you admit to what you’ve done.”

  “Please, Hoxley.” Loxo said between tears. “Please, if you could just find the nobles daughter. She’s quite lovely, has bosoms the size of gum fruit. Ellis is her name I think.”

  “I’m not going to search this town for buxom women, Loxo!” Hoxley stomped.

  “Could the rest of us?” asked Ignatius attempting to tease her. The question was enough to make the centaur girl’s head twist with aggravation.

  “That does it!” she stomped again. “I’m done! I’m done with this situation! I’m leaving!” Hoxley turned on her hoof and was two full strides away before Loxo bellowed the truth.

  “IT’S all my fault!” He yelled after her. “Everything! it was all my bad choices from start to finish! PLEASE DON’T leave me to hang!” Hoxley stopped and turned around with a long finger pointed between his eyes.

  “Loxo, your life wouldn’t be such a mess if you’d just live right! How many hangmen have you come to fear?” she asked

  “Four.” He frowned.

  “And how many days before now did you constantly have to look over your shoulder wondering if some authority was onto you about some crime you’d committed?”

  “Most of them.”

  “And are you sorry for what you’ve done, not just because you got caught?”

  “With every fiber of my being, Hoxley.” He said staring down at the ground in front of her. “Please help me. I don’t want to die.”

  “I can’t guarantee I can do anything or change anything, but I will attempt to undo this grand kerfuffle you have no one to blame but yourself for.”

  “Oh, thank you sweet Hoxley! Please try your very best! Oh, sweet blessings upon you and your friends! Please let me kiss your divine hooves!” Hoxley’s face twisted in a grimace

  “You’re not kissing my hooves. Where is the man with the key to your stocks?”

  “He’s around the corner in the stone building, a large man with a big grey beard he is.”

  “Very well. I’ll see what I can do but I make no promises.”

  “Bless you, oh sweet children, bless you all so much, thank you!” The others followed Hoxley around the corner and out of sight.