the common-room windows. Kit could hear Timothy’s muffled voice.
"Dante wrote…"
Kit peered around the mossy stone foundation. Motion
by the stables caught her gaze, and she tensed. "What is it? Did you see
something?" Yuzu whispered.
"…Paradise…" Timothy’s voice fluttered into her ears.
The moon peeked from the clouds. It’s silver light
slipped into the stable, revealing the mule tied just inside.
Kit closed her eyes and breathed for a moment. She wanted
to take the wagon, but it would slow them too much. She hated leaving all those
supplies behind. She had a time finding apples and berries this time of year. She
had to keep her shepherd healthy after almost losing him at Honheim. He couldn’t
get sick again like that. He was still too thin. She didn’t want him to travel in
this cold, but they had to move. With luck, they would be able to get to Belafonte
before Daeric knew they were gone. The main road had to take them there.
Her eyes snapped open. "It was nothing. Ready?"
Yuzu nodded in the wane light.
Kit slipped around the corner of the lodge and dashed
on silent feet across the clearing. Yuzu followed close behind. Kit slammed her
back against the wagon’s wheel and slid to the ground. Her heart thumped. Yuzu fell
beside her, gasping. The fool girl wore an excited grin.
"Listen for anyone coming." Kit felt like a horsefly
was pestering her ears. They wouldn’t stop twitching.
Yuzu widened her eyes and watched the lodge. Yellow
lamplight lit the lodge’s windows.
Kit lifted part of the oiled canvas tarp covering the
wagon. She hoisted herself over the wagon’s edge until she balanced on her
stomach. Her feet kicked the air as she reached into the wagon with both hands.
Using memory and touch more than sight, she found the three knapsacks. She stuffed
the first one with packets of hard bread, smoked meat, and a small pan. She slipped
the first knapsack out of the wagon. It thumped on the ground. She began to stuff
the second. After a few moments, the second sack thumped on the ground for Yuzu.
Kit squirmed deeper under the tarp as she blindly filled the last knapsack. There
was a box of tea somewhere here. The edge of the wagon dug into her stomach,
and her legs dangled.
Kit heard Yuzu hiss. Hands snatched Kit’s dangling legs
and heaved her into the wagon bed. She smacked her face on one of the lanterns.
Yuzu peered over the wooden rail. "Tell’s coming
this way. We have to hide." Without waiting for Kit she snatched the edge of
the tarp and sank out of sight, pulling the tarp closed.
Kit blinked in the sudden darkness. And you didn’t
think to pull me out of the wagon instead of pushing me into it? She checked
her teeth with her tongue. The lantern hurt!
Tell’s voice drifted to Kit’s ears. "Tell, do this. Tell,
do that."
Suddenly the wagon jolted as something shoved
against it. The motion bounced Kit’s face off the metal lantern again. The
wheels creaked as the wagon rocked back and forth."It’s been awhile since I had
any fun." The tarp muffled Tells voice. The wagon jostled again. "And this is
balanced enough. They are all gone."
A mule brayed.
"No. I don’t need you," Tell said. "I can—" Kit
heard him grunt and the wagon began to move. The wagon steadily gained speed.
The motion combined with the darkness made Kit feel
disoriented. She shoved aside the various wrapped packages and lay flat. That
helps a little. I’ll just wait here until he is done moving the wagon and then
slip out.
The wagon lurched at an unnatural angle. Wrapped
packages, pots, and other supplies sluiced over her. The uncomfortable vision of
teetering on the edge of a cliff flashed in Kit’s mind.
Without warning, the wagon’s floorboards dropped away.
She floated in the air for a stomach-wrenching moment before crashing back to
the hard wood. Her teeth clicked off a curse. The wheels groaned and protested.
Supplies slid and skidded around her. A part of her mind wondered if a
"Dante wrote…"
Kit peered around the mossy stone foundation. Motion
by the stables caught her gaze, and she tensed. "What is it? Did you see
something?" Yuzu whispered.
"…Paradise…" Timothy’s voice fluttered into her ears.
The moon peeked from the clouds. It’s silver light
slipped into the stable, revealing the mule tied just inside.
Kit closed her eyes and breathed for a moment. She wanted
to take the wagon, but it would slow them too much. She hated leaving all those
supplies behind. She had a time finding apples and berries this time of year. She
had to keep her shepherd healthy after almost losing him at Honheim. He couldn’t
get sick again like that. He was still too thin. She didn’t want him to travel in
this cold, but they had to move. With luck, they would be able to get to Belafonte
before Daeric knew they were gone. The main road had to take them there.
Her eyes snapped open. "It was nothing. Ready?"
Yuzu nodded in the wane light.
Kit slipped around the corner of the lodge and dashed
on silent feet across the clearing. Yuzu followed close behind. Kit slammed her
back against the wagon’s wheel and slid to the ground. Her heart thumped. Yuzu fell
beside her, gasping. The fool girl wore an excited grin.
"Listen for anyone coming." Kit felt like a horsefly
was pestering her ears. They wouldn’t stop twitching.
Yuzu widened her eyes and watched the lodge. Yellow
lamplight lit the lodge’s windows.
Kit lifted part of the oiled canvas tarp covering the
wagon. She hoisted herself over the wagon’s edge until she balanced on her
stomach. Her feet kicked the air as she reached into the wagon with both hands.
Using memory and touch more than sight, she found the three knapsacks. She stuffed
the first one with packets of hard bread, smoked meat, and a small pan. She slipped
the first knapsack out of the wagon. It thumped on the ground. She began to stuff
the second. After a few moments, the second sack thumped on the ground for Yuzu.
Kit squirmed deeper under the tarp as she blindly filled the last knapsack. There
was a box of tea somewhere here. The edge of the wagon dug into her stomach,
and her legs dangled.
Kit heard Yuzu hiss. Hands snatched Kit’s dangling legs
and heaved her into the wagon bed. She smacked her face on one of the lanterns.
Yuzu peered over the wooden rail. "Tell’s coming
this way. We have to hide." Without waiting for Kit she snatched the edge of
the tarp and sank out of sight, pulling the tarp closed.
Kit blinked in the sudden darkness. And you didn’t
think to pull me out of the wagon instead of pushing me into it? She checked
her teeth with her tongue. The lantern hurt!
Tell’s voice drifted to Kit’s ears. "Tell, do this. Tell,
do that."
Suddenly the wagon jolted as something shoved
against it. The motion bounced Kit’s face off the metal lantern again. The
wheels creaked as the wagon rocked back and forth."It’s been awhile since I had
any fun." The tarp muffled Tells voice. The wagon jostled again. "And this is
balanced enough. They are all gone."
A mule brayed.
"No. I don’t need you," Tell said. "I can—" Kit
heard him grunt and the wagon began to move. The wagon steadily gained speed.
The motion combined with the darkness made Kit feel
disoriented. She shoved aside the various wrapped packages and lay flat. That
helps a little. I’ll just wait here until he is done moving the wagon and then
slip out.
The wagon lurched at an unnatural angle. Wrapped
packages, pots, and other supplies sluiced over her. The uncomfortable vision of
teetering on the edge of a cliff flashed in Kit’s mind.
Without warning, the wagon’s floorboards dropped away.
She floated in the air for a stomach-wrenching moment before crashing back to
the hard wood. Her teeth clicked off a curse. The wheels groaned and protested.
Supplies slid and skidded around her. A part of her mind wondered if a
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