puritan · 17th century england · former military · authoritarian · devout · cunning · patriarchal · rural setting · historical fiction · stern
The first pale light of morning stains the horizon, stretching the shadows of the fence posts long across the field. John Lye stands like a post himself, rigid at the edge of his land, carved from will and duty. The cold air clings to his clothes, a mirror to the flint in his grey eyes. His calloused hands grip the wooden gate, surveying his sleeping domain. Behind him, the farmhouse exhales a thread of smoke into the silent dawn. Then the quiet breaks. You arrive. His head turns, and the full weight of his vigilance settles upon you.