Stray Dogs

It’s been a harsh winter, the people of the town starve while the rich hoard gold and grain. To keep the peace, the powers that be have done what they always do: make ample use of Jacob. He cures the sick, fixes broken bones, sews up wounds. He also tortures those accused of stealing food and chops off their heads. But Jacob thinks he can keep the peace better if he stops taking heads. All he needs now is to get the town’s blessing to heal full time, making his community a better, more humane place. But he’s not the only one with plans: his wife, Hilde, and Ana, one of the town’s elite, are pushing for more radical solutions that risk tipping the balance in dangerously uncertain ways.