The Boundary Cairn

Two jagged halves of a heavy red brick lay sunken in the alley mud beneath a peeling mortar wall. I did not leave them scattered like cowardly debris. Gripping the heavier chunk in both gauntlets, I hauled it upright and ground its fractured base deep into the gravel until it bit firm. Upon its flat shoulder, I hoisted the second slab, grinding their jagged teeth together until the balance held rigid without a shudder. To seal the claim, I drove a rusted iron nail into the top seam with the pommel of my broadsword. The marker stands tall. This ground has a spine now.