It seemed unbelievable to me that I had only been walking in the woods that morning. Now sitting here in the deepest dungeons of The Hawks castle, with only the memory of light to see by, I was scared and cold and not a little hungry. I wondered if my family had heard that I was here, locked in this black pit. All for want of a few stray pheasant that belonged to The Hawk.
I wondered how long I had been sitting here, the guards had stripped me and were familiar with me in ways I can not talk about, because they were casual and cruel and not done without malice. I had spent what seemed like hours pacing the floor, cursing my fate and praying for another chance. It was with these very prayers on my lips that I heard the sounds of steps echoing off the dark, dank walls outside my cell. The guards had returned or would it be worse? Was I to meet The Hawk? Other men of our village had been held here before I ever was and none would speak of what was done to them and none of them had ever poached from his lands again.
The door swung open, banging against the walls and echoing away down the corridor to the stairs. I was roughly grabbed and pulled along the hallway towards the steep stairs that lead to the hall. I was so ashamed of my nakedness and this was made worse when one of the guards pushed his finger inside of me. The pain felt immense and he had worked another into me by the time I realised that we were moving upstairs.
"Devil" I said to him and spat in his face.
He laughed and said "You'll thank me later, make no mistake."
The other guard smiled at me then slapped my face hard enough to rock my head back. "Don't mark him!" warned the older guard as he worked on my already sore arsehole. The younger guard looked scared and rubbed his hand on his leathers as if this would remove the evidence of his having hit me and no-one spoke again until we reached the chambers of The Hawk.
I had plenty of time to ponder this and all I had heard of him whilst in the cell, but to see the door to his chamber, so big and strong was terrifying. The Guards banged on the door and a deep voice boomed out that we should enter, my legs felt weak with horror, what was it that was done to you that was so horrible that the village men never stole again.
Throwing open the doors to the chamber, They dragged me inside. In the middle of the room was a wood hewn thrown, it's surfaces artistic, but rough, masculine looking. All over the room were a variety of odd devices. Some had an obvious purpose and others were beyond my imagination. Sitting on the throne, dressed in floor length bearskins was The Hawk. All that I had heard was that he was a big man and popular with the ladies. I had not expected to find such a handsome man. His eyes glowed with intelligence and he wore a smile that was at once friendly and a warning. I lowered my head in deference to his power.
