She was sickened. But the answer was easy. Thief had protected her, risking the dog’s attack. What would have happened to her if he hadn’t broken the dog’s leg? Was it any different than if she had put an arrow into the beast, which was what she should have been prepared to do? She drew a breath. While not liking what had happened, she should accept that Thief may have saved her from serious injury or even death. She had it almost reconciled in her mind when the next thought crashed down upon her.
James was waiting at that inn. She felt he was waiting for her. He had mentioned he wanted to reach the Summer Palace quickly, by dark today, yet there he was sitting in an inn at a table where he could watch people on the road as he ‘gambled’ with a local. No doubt his room also fronted on the road. For the first time, James scared her.
“We have to get away from here,” she said. “I know it’s getting dark, but we have to move.”
Thief shrugged. He pointed to the whimpering dog.
“I know, but there’s nothing we can do about it. If we try to carry it, the dog will bite us.”
Thief’s eyes flicked to the Inn.
“That man James is in there. Waiting for you and me.”
Thief shook his head. Then shrugged in a fatalistic manner. What happens, happens.
She took the lead again. At least she knew James was now located behind them, and she intended to keep it that way. He’d mentioned that he was going to the Northwoods so if she slowed they might meet up again. There were only two roads leading to that area of the kingdom. After they had moved past the small community, she felt safe to take to the road again where they could move faster. They were tired and exhausted, and the lack of sleep was catching up, but they doggedly kept on. The night sky didn’t provide enough light to prevent a few trips from exposed roots and one fall from a hole, but neither mentioned slowing, not that Thief mentioned much of anything unless prompted and then it was usually a one-word response.
She had heard the creaks of wood and the jangle of chains before she heard the steady clomp of a mule. Turning, she found another wagon approaching from behind so she stepped aside with Thief to allow the wagon room to pass on the narrow road.
Instead of passing, the wagon pulled to a stop. A man wearing a drooping felt hat perched on the edge of a seat peering down at them. “What’re the two of you doing out here at night movin’ so fast? Somebody chasin’ you? I didn’t think I was ever goin’ to catch up with you.”
Anna muttered the brief account of going to help her grandmother who had taken a fall.
“Doin’ a good deed, are ye? Well, might as well climb in, I got lots of room.”
He didn’t have to ask twice. They climbed into the empty wagon bed. Anna asked warily, “Where are you going with an empty wagon?”
“The morning market at the Summer Palace. Hoping to buy me’self a few lambs and maybe a calf or kid. That’s a baby goat before you get all concerned and think I’m buyin’ a baby.”
Anna didn’t laugh at his joke. “The ride will be wonderful. Can we sleep in back?”
“Wouldn’t recommend it with all the bouncin’ and shaking this wagon’s gonna do, but you sure can try,” he laughed as he spoke. The mule walked on with the flick of a rein.
Thief sat with his back against one side of the wagon bed and watched the stars, and the few lights from farmer’s cabins in the distance, and the road ahead. Anna curled up and went to sleep, but after a jostle where she bounced her head on the floorboards painfully, she woke up. Thief reached out and pulled her head to rest on his thigh. She went right back to sleep.
She woke several more times, and with each of them, she heard the farmer telling tall tales and talking. Now and then Thief grunted a response, and that seemed like enough for the farmer to continue. Anna noticed Thief kept one hand on the handle of his new knife as she slept. Thief didn’t trust anyone. With what she imagined of his history, he had little reason to trust—but she trusted him, and the reverse seemed to be true.
Later, Thief shook her shoulder. When her eyes opened, he jutted his chin ahead. The day was breaking although the sun was not yet up. She sat and saw the high walls of King Ember’s Summer Palace in the distance. The road rose ahead, giving the impression the walls were even higher than they were.
The correct thing to do was thank the farmer for the ride, and then she and Thief could skirt around the palace, but Anna hesitated. Dragon Clan seldom left their families and villages. She had never been inside the Summer Palace, let alone any other palace. She saw the flags and streamers flying above the pointed tops of the watchtowers and along the ramparts she found other colorful flags and pennants. Palace guards marched their rounds on the ramparts in their red and gold uniforms, the rising sun reflecting off their shiny buttons and polished helmets.
Her attention was so fixed on all the newness that she didn’t notice how close they were getting to the main gate. The wagon, and her and Thief, were in plain sight of the soldiers standing guard. She imagined anybody climbing out and running off would be suspect. They might even send men on horseback to chase them down.
“We’ll stay here,” she whispered to Thief.
“What’s that you say?” the farmer asked, turning to hear better.
“I said, we’ll go to the palace with you if that is agreeable.”
He shrugged, “Why wouldn’t it be?”
Anna, in her guise of the petulant little girl, couldn’t simply let it go. “I was just trying to be mannerly.”
The farmer snorted in what may have been laughter, but she wasn’t sure. When the wagon pulled up to the guards at the gate, one stepped in front with his arm raised for them to stop. Two other guards approached; one with a gold rope looped around his shoulder. That one said while holding a stylus ready to dip into a small bottle of ink, “Your name and business.”
“Names Richter. Hopin’ to buy a few animals for my farm.”
The pen poised to write. “Can you spell your name for me?”
“Nope.”
“Tell it to me again.”
“Richter.”
The soldier made a notation on the scroll and motioned for them to continue. But the farmer sat waiting for the soldier to look at him again. When he did, the farmer leaned closer. “Can I see?”
“What?”
“My name. I’d like to see what it looks like.”
There was a pause during which Anna held her breath, but the soldier relented holding the scroll closer. The farmer studied it and then smiled his thanks, and the wagon was moving again.
When they were out of earshot, she said, “They didn’t ask for our names.”
The farmer answered, “Must have thought you were with me, which you are, I’m thinkin'.”
That made all three of them laugh as he turned the wagon to the right and found a place to pull in beside twenty other wagons, most of which were filled with beets, carrots, firewood, leather goods, clothing, and a hundred other things for sale.
A boy rushed to the farmer and promised to feed the mule enough grass and grain to make it fat . . . If the farmer would give him a thin copper for his services. Before the farmer could refuse, Anna had a thin pulled and handed it to him. “Fat you say? If we return and find our mule not satisfied, I’ll hunt you down.”
“No worries, I’ll fetch him some water, too.” The grinning boy promised.
Walking in the direction of the market and hundreds of stalls, each a brighter color than the last, the farmer said, “Ye didn’t have to do that.”
“Would you have taken payment for our ride?”
“Nope.”
“Well, your mule did all the work so it’s only right he gets fed and watered.”