Page 7 of The Robber Knight
Margret had been very restrained: aftereverything was stowed away, only half of the available space wastaken. Ayla told the woman to get more, and after a short argument,protesting that it would be too much for the lady's fine horse,Margret did as requested.
Ayla returned to the back of the house. WhenFalkenstein's troops approached, she did not want to be caught offguard.
However, instead of an enemy soldier, shefound a small girl at the back of the house, her hands behind herback, staring up at the lady garbed in fine clothes with eyes asbig as saucers. This had to be one of Gelther and Margret'sdaughters.
“Hello.” Ayla bent down and smiled at thelittle girl. “What's your name?”
The girl gave a frightened squeak and ran tohide behind a pile of firewood that was stacked against the side ofthe house.
“You know, I'm not in the habit of eatingchildren,” Ayla said to the empty air. “It's not something Igenerally do.”
No reaction.
“And even if I did,” she added, “I do it onlyon Mondays and Saturdays. Today's Wednesday, so you can comeout.”
For a few more seconds, there wassilence.
Then a big eye, topped by a tangle of blackhair, peeked around the corner. “Really? Only on Mondays andSaturdays? Promise?”
“Promise,” Ayla said with a solemnexpression, holding up her hand as if she were swearing an oath.“On my honor as a maiden.”
For some reason, that made the girl come outat once, which made Ayla wonder whether she looked that innocentthat everybody believed her immediately when she said she was avirgin. That thought annoyed her, so she tried to push it away andbent down to the girl, who only reached up to her waist andcouldn't be more than five years old.
“Are you really Lady Ayla from the castle?”the girl asked. She was a bit hard to understand because she keptbiting down on a fold of the old dress she wore, probably stillslightly afraid that this strange, colorful creature would eat her.“I've never seen a real Lady before.”
“Well, you have now. But it's nothing toospecial. I see myself every day in the mirror, and I'm none toopleased about it.”
“Why? You're very pretty.”
“Um... thanks.”
I'm blushing,Ayla thought furiously.A five-year-old justtold me I'm pretty and I'm blushing. Can you get any morepathetic?
“Have you come to take Mommy and Daddy andAndris and me away?” the girl accused.
God, this was becoming uncomfortable! AndAyla used to think she was good with children! When this littlething grew up, she should join the Inquisition.
“Err... yes. But it's not like youthink...”
“I don't want to go away!”
“I wouldn't either, in your place,” Ayla saidwith a sad smile. “But, you see, there is this evil man coming whomight do evil things, so you have to go somewhere where it issafe.”
The girl scowled. “Can't you just kick him inthe butt? You've got knights, haven't you?”
“Well, yes, but he has more.”
“That wouldn't matter if yours were better,”the girl proclaimed, sagely. “You see, I know. I hear from thebards every time they come to the village. A really good knight isbetter than a dozen bad ones. He can rescue princesses and fightdragons and bump baddies on the head and all that stuff.”
Ayla didn't know whether to cry or smile.“Well, unfortunately, I haven't got any knights like that.”
“Didn't you train yours properly?”
“Yes, that must be it. Dear me, how carelessof me. I'll be sure to get some good knights as soon as I can findsome.”
The little girl nodded, satisfied. The sillygrown-up had obviously learned her lesson. But then she rememberedher original subject. “I don't want to go away,” she repeated.
Ayla wished she could just vanish into thinair.
