Golden by Cameron Dokey Page A

it.”
    â€œIf they arrive before you are ready, come to me,” the farmer said, and now his voice was strong and resolved. “My barn can hold more than extra livestock. On behalf of my son and daughter, I thank you for this kindness.”
    â€œI’ll start bringing the animals tomorrow,” I said.
    And so we left one another.
    I got home to find the sorceress standing at our back door.
    â€œI’ve told Farmer Harris he can have the place when we leave it,” I said. “I’ll start taking over the first of the livestock tomorrow. If he already has them, it will be harder for others to take them away.”
    â€œThat’s good thinking,” Melisande said quietly. “Thank you, Rapunzel.” She made a gesture, the first I’d ever seen from her that looked anything like helplessness. “I meant to speak of this before now, but—”
    â€œIt doesn’t matter,” I interrupted swiftly. “As long as we both agree now.”
    â€œWe agree,” the sorceress said.
    â€œSo that’s all right, then,” I answered. “Now, what else needs to be done?”
    Melisande’s expression changed then, though I would be hard put to explain just how. It was as if I had answered a question for her, rather than asked one of her. And the answer had settled things, once and for all.
    â€œWe should decide what we want to take with us,” she said. “And have it ready, for we may have to go at a moment’s notice.”
    â€œThat is easily done,” I replied. “For there’s not much I want, save for you and the cat, and this kerchief, but I usually have it on.”
    â€œLife is very simple, then,” Melisande agreed. “For as long as you are with me, I am satisfied.”
    â€œA little food and water might be a good idea, though,” I said, amazed to feel myself starting to smile. I might share her heart, but for the moment it seemed that I alone was all that she required.
    â€œOh, indeed,” the sorceress replied.
    In the days that followed, we set about doing what needed to be done. By the end of that week, all our livestock—the goats, the cow, the sheep and the pigs—had been walked across the fields to the Harris farm. The belongings Melisande and I planned to take with us were tied in two large shawls, which sat in readiness by the front door. Melisande’ssewing basket, which had a hinged lid, stood ready to carry the cat. I spent many moments explaining this future indignity to him, promising that it was absolutely necessary and would be as short-lived as possible.
    And still the weather stayed hot, and the tinker and his boy did not come.

Seven
    Eventually, of course, the matter was taken out of our hands, for that is the way of things, more often than not. Returning from the orchard late one day, where I had been battling wasps for apples that the heat had brought down before their time, I saw a great cloud of dust. From the hill on which the orchard stood, I could trace the clouds path with my eyes: from the main road, off onto the several branching ones that, eventually, led to our front door.
    No!
I thought. It would be bad enough for the mob to catch us at all, but for them to find Melisande alone ...
    Without another thought in my head, I sprinted for home.
    Halfway there, my brain kicked in, reminding me that if I simply burst in upon whatever I might find, not only would I be unable to aid the sorceress, I’d hand myself over to our enemies as well. So I stopped, set the basket of apples down, and took a breath. Then, leaving the basket where it was, I continued more slowly.
    There was no one in the garden. The back door was shut, and I could hear no sound from inside thehouse. In the whole yard, there seemed to be not a single breath of air. The back of my neck prickled with tension. I crept around to the front and found a horse standing in our yard. Its flanks were covered with