Chapter 3: Altha

Summary

• The protagonist, Altha, is forcibly taken from the gaol (jail) and walked through the village square, feeling shame under the gaze of the villagers.
• Passing the bakers' stall prompts memories of Altha nursing a sick child and uncertainty about the villagers' support, including thoughts of her friend Grace.
• She is placed in a cart with a starved mule and given water and stale bread, which she vomits back up.
• During the journey, Altha reflects on childhood memories related to a nearby beck (stream) and recalls her mother and a crow.
• Overcome by memories and sensations, she eventually loses consciousness and fades in and out until they reach Lancaster.
• Lancaster overwhelms Altha with its unfamiliar sights, sounds, and smells, including the hustle and bustle of throngs of people.
• Arriving at a large stone building, which she recognizes as the place for the assizes (legal proceedings), Altha is taken inside.
• The courtroom contrasts sharply with the natural beauty she knows; it intimidates her with its grandeur and sunlight shining on stone pillars.
• Altha observes the two judges, who seem unhuman in their attire, and a jury of twelve men, one of which looks at her with what may be pity.
• The prosecuting magistrate, marked by pox scars, represents an imposing figure across from her with cold, pale blue eyes.
• When charged with witchcraft and the murder of John Milburn, Altha pleads not guilty with a clear voice despite her fear and the tension in the courtroom.