He had taken to scavenging the countryside for food wild fruit, roots - anything he could find. He had to be careful, because they could shoot you if they found you on the lord's land. He kept, as much as possible, to the uncultivated places. And he set traps for small animals. Sometimes he caught a rabbit or a hare and took it home to his mother. She gave him a tight, worried look, but she never asked where he got it from. It was meat for the pot and not to be scorned.

Then ...