Guilt made the backpack heavier until he came to the realization that spending part of the money to fight Breslau and prevent an invasion of their kingdom was helping the dead’s family and friends. Instantly, the backpack rode easier.
The forest they traveled held few evergreens, but the dense growth of trees with wide leaves made a canopy so thick it was nearly impossible to see the blue sky. Between the trees grew a tangled undergrowth of weeds, shrubs, bushes, vines, and flowers. The mass of growing plants crowded each other and had crept onto what had once been a small road. It had narrowed to a path, and in some places Shell had to look ahead to see where it went because of the overgrowth. In a few more years, it would fade from existence when the plants took better hold.
They traveled in single file, with Shell at the lead. He watched for footprints of people, or other signs anyone else had used the path in recent times, but the only thing he noticed unusual were the tracks the wolf left near soft dirt or mud. He knew the wolf was ranging ahead, as usual. It had flushed rabbits, an owl, squirrels, five deer, and a porcupine it knew to stay away from.
Camilla followed him and asked in a voice it would be hard for Henry to hear, “Do you think I’m right about what we found back there? I’m talking about keeping the money.”
For Shell, the answer was simple. “If you knew, or had any way to find out who the rightful owners are, it would be different. Even if you somehow knew all the names, who was carrying what? How would you divide it?”
Later, when they were taking a break in a patch of rare sunshine in a clearing, Henry said to Shell, “I don’t understand what you meant about my share of the farm’s crops.”
“The family that bought your farm didn’t have enough money for the full price I asked. They paid you what they could, and each year they will send one of them to find you with the worth of a portion of what they grow.” Shell kept it simple, ignoring the percentage or term.
“I’ve been thinking. You are taking me to live with relatives that I don’t know.”
Shell glanced at Camilla before continuing. He didn’t want her entering the conversation when she didn’t have all the facts, but she seemed to understand. “You share the same blood with your relatives.”
“They might not like me, or even know that I’m alive. Their house might be too small, or I might not like them. What if the father beats his children?”
“All valid questions we don’t know how to answer. But I will tell you this to ease your mind. When we get there, you tell me your concerns, and we’ll deal with them.” Shell kept his voice soft and understanding, trying to alleviate the boy’s fears.
“What can you do?” Henry asked.
Shell shrugged. “To begin with, you own enough silver in my purse that you can find a house or small farm to buy, along with a few animals, seed, and a farmhand to show you how to make a life. If meeting your relatives doesn’t work out, we’ll find you a nice place and set you up. Or you can buy a house nearer the city and work on the docks or anywhere else. You’ll have a home and money to buy food.”
Henry scowled. “I know I’m only fourteen, but then tell me this. How can you sell a run-down farm with no animals or crops and buy another with all those things, and still have money left over for a farmhand? Can you tell me how that works?”
Shell exchanged another look with Camilla, who nodded her preapproval of what he was about to say. “Henry, you have helped us, and we appreciate it. So, I will use a little of the money we found at the cabin to supplement buying you a nice farm if that is what we decide. Don’t argue. Your money will pay for most of it, but you are part of this, and we owe you.”
“What I was going to say is that I’d rather go with you than have another farm. I don’t like living on them.”
Shell nodded in understanding. “Listen, if Camilla and I were going on a business trip or visiting our families, you would be more than welcome. What I have not shared with you is a secret.”
“You can’t tell me?”
“I am going to tell you part of it, but I’m searching for the right words,” Shell said.
Camilla placed her hands on her hips and said to Shell, “For the sake of the Old Gods, let me do this. Henry, we’re heading on a mission for our families, a dangerous one. One of both of us may die before the new moon.”
“I still want to go.”
She shook her head. “If you were five years older, maybe. But if we took you along, our families would be so disappointed in us for placing a child in danger, but what we can do is stop where you live on our way back and visit you. Maybe things will change by then.”
Tears fell from wet eyes. “Pudding could protect me.”
Shell said, “The wolf is a fighter. I may need him to protect me, in fact, I probably will.”
Henry said, “Promise to stop and see me. If I’m unhappy, you’ll take me away?”
“We want you to be happy. If you’re not, we’ll need a different plan,” Camilla said. “Now we change the subject. We talk about our story.”
“Story?” Henry asked, obviously confused.
Camilla said, “I think we’ve almost reached the road, so we’re probably close to the nearest village. There are dangerous things to speak of, and you don’t know which is which, so you should speak when spoken to, but say little. Say good morning, if it is said to you, but say nothing about Pudding, or the dead bodies back there.”
“I wouldn’t get you into trouble, I promise,” Henry said.
“We know that. But here’s the thing. We may have to lie or to keep some things unsaid, so none of us is suspected of what happened back there. If the sheriff or constable gets a whiff of a lie, all three of us may spend the winter in a cold, wet cell. If they decide we had anything to do with those murders, three ropes will have nooses with our heads in them.” Camilla’s words were striking him like stinging insects. Henry almost flinched at them.
He said, “I won’t talk to anybody, and I won’t leave your side.”
Shell said, “They might talk to us separately, to make sure we are telling the same story. So, we need to discuss it now, and then if they do that, only answer what questions you must, and do not volunteer anything. Tell them about your beating and that you are getting things mixed up in your head and don’t remember.”
Camilla said, “By the way, the bruises on your face look better, and the swelling has gone down a lot since yesterday.”
“Before that my one eye was swelled almost shut.”
She said, “You’ll probably have bruises for a ten-day, but each day will be better.”
Shell realized it neared noon, and they needed to get to the village, or town, and report the murders quickly or they would be spending at least one additional day. This time, Camilla took the lead and before long they came to the road. She looked left, then right and shrugged over which way to go.
The clop of horse hooves came from the right. Soon a tall horse with an old man leading it came into view. He stumbled to a stop and took a careful look at them before coming closer, but even then, he halted a dozen wary steps away.
Shell said, “Good day, sir. Can we ask which way will take us to the nearest town?”
“Bretton is right behind me a short way.”
He couldn’t help himself. Shell said, “Sir, you seem scared of us.”
The old man didn’t introduce himself, nor did he relax. “Things happen around here. A man must watch out for himself. I suggest you do the same.”