Page 8 of The Robber Knight
“Sorry,” she said. “You have to. But it'sonly for a time.”
“Really? You promise?”
Ayla nodded, and then wondered whether thiswas a promise she would be able to keep. “I'm here to help youmove,” she said, trying desperately to change the subject. “I'vegot a horse; it can carry a lot of things away so they will be safefrom the evil man.”
“Aye. I heard you and Mummy and Daddytalking.” The girl bit down on her dress again.
Ayla noticed for the first time that duringtheir entire talk the girl had been holding one hand behind herback.
“What is it?” she asked, sensing that thegirl was battling with whether or not to ask something.
“Y-you... you can bring stuff where it'ssafe?”
“Yes.”
“C-could you take Agnes?”
“Who's Agnes?” Ayla wanted to know.
In response, the girl pulled her hand outfrom behind her back and showed Ayla what she had been holding: itwas a little leather doll with a painted face that could be female,or male, or could just as well be canine.
“I don't want the evil man to get his handson her,” the girl explained. “He'll lock her up in a tower orsomething! Baddies do that kind of stuff to girls.”
Ah. Female.
“Yes,” Ayla said, thoughtfully. “They do.”Then she smiled and took the doll. “Of course I'll take Agnes. I'lltake really good care of her, I promise.”
The little girl threw her arms around Ayla'swaist and hugged her with astonishing force for such a scrawnylittle creature. “Thank you! Thank you so much! I hope you find areally good knight real quick!”
“Yes,” Ayla laughed, stroking the littlegirl's hair. “I do too.”
Under the girl's watchful eye, Ayla storedthe doll named Agnes in the most comfortable part of thesaddlebags.
After packing the last of their treasuredgoods and with many expressions of thanks from the grateful couple,Ayla said her goodbyes and started back up the same path she hadcome down. As she threw a last look back at the farmhouse andbeyond, she thought she could see a metallic glint at the easternedge of the valley, heading down the road.
But it was probably just a trick of thelight.
Hopefully.
*~*~**~*~*
Sir Reuben heard her coming up the path longbefore it was necessary for him to move a muscle.
So he just sat there until he'd finished therabbit he'd roasted over an open fire. It was really delicious,particularly with those spices he had pinched from the merchant.Every person he robbed should come with a supply of spices, hedecided. It was really inconsiderate of them to only ever carrymoney. Oh well, as a poor robber knight you had to take what youcould get.
Lightly, he sprang to his feet and put hishelmet on. The shiny red armor he was wearing did not hinder hismovements in the slightest. There were knights who couldn't evenget onto their horse without help in full armor. But not SirReuben, oh no. He was a very different sort of knight.
Easily, he swung himself easily into thesaddle. From the brush where he was hidden, he could hear the lighthoofs of the horse, approaching fast. The rider seemed to be in ahurry. Just when the animal was about to pass him, he pressed hisfeet into the sides of his stallion and broke free from the brushto block the path of whomever was unfortunate enough to be his preythis day.
“Halt!” he shouted.
The Red RobberKnight
He came out of nowhere. One moment Ayla had beenriding along peacefully, the next, a huge black stallion wasblocking her path, bearing a tall figure in shiny red armor.
“Halt!” the man shouted.
Ayla's horse seemed to understand him. Shereared and almost threw Ayla off. It took her a few minutes to calmEleanor down, during which time the stranger—a knight judging byhis armor—just sat on his horse and did nothing.
