intense annoyance, that she had forgotten to bring any food with her. She wondered if she would be able to earn her keep by singing. The idea did not appal her as it would have done a few months earlier now she had had experience of singing before an audience, but she knew that for a girl on her own it would be a very different proposition from being with the rest of the tribe. She determined she would make do without food, and only in desperation approach an innkeeper, offering to share her takings in exchange for food, and in that way hoping to enlist his protection.
She had been walking on, thinking out this plan, and when she had decided it was practicable, she quickened her pace. Then she heard a sound from behind her and swung round, taut with fear. Pedro stood a yard or so off, eyeing her sardonically.
'So you thought to escape me this way, did you? Not very flattering for me. I shall make you pay for this disobedience, my love, for you are mine, and I do not intend to let you go.'
He approached silently and Yasmin backed away, too terrified to speak, for the expression on his face was cruel and gloating. The distance between them narrowed and eventually, as if released from a spell, Yasmin turned to flee. He leapt forward and grasped her arm in a grip so painful that she cried out.
'Let me go!' she pleaded with him. 'It would harm you with the tribe if you married me, and I do not love you! What good would there be for you in that? Pedro, please let me go! I will go away, I will cause no more trouble.'
'I mean to tame you, my wild beauty, so you will be my adoring obedient slave, as well as my complaisant wife,' was all he vouchsafed to this.
He pulled her to him and bent his head towards hers. It was futile to struggle, and Yasmin closed her eyes to shut out the triumphant, exultant look in his, and tensed herself to receive his kiss. It did not come. Instead Yasmin felt him dragged away from her, and she opened her eyes to see Leon, his hand on Pedro's sleeve, his other fist clenched ready to punch Pedro's face as it turned towards him, twisting with hatred into an ugly sight.
* * * *
The fight was long and bloody, but eventually Leon pummelled Pedro into momentary insensibility. He was in little better state himself, bleeding from several cuts, and with one eye closed and puffy.
'Come, we must be away before he recovers,' he panted, and reached for Yasmin's bundle.
'I will carry that,' she said hastily, and he did not argue, knowing how little strength he had left.
They plunged into the woods, following a narrow track for some time and then, when Leon felt they had put a sufficient distance between Pedro and themselves, they took to the trackless parts.
'He will not suspect this, and so if he tries to follow us it will confuse him,' he explained.
'Where shall we go?' Yasmin asked, breathless with the speed he was setting.
'Anywhere away from Pedro,' he replied tersely. 'He is like a mad bull when he is thwarted.'
'But the tribe! What will you do?'
'I have told you I would go anywhere with you. If you will have me I will finish with them. They would not take you back now, and I can only protect you by leaving them. It was fortunate I was watching Pedro today, and saw him leave the rest.'
Yasmin, unable to think of an adequate reply in the face of such devotion, simply urged him to greater speed. After an hour she suggested they might now rest for a while, but Leon would not hear of it, even to wash his injuries.
'Pedro is too determined. I halted him for a short while, but he will soon have recovered. We must go on as long as we can.'
They plodded on, more slowly now, and helping each other, not speaking. Suddenly there was a noise behind them and Leon swung round.
'Run!' he ordered urgently, but Yasmin was incapable of it, and stood wearily beside him as he peered through the gloom, for by now it was almost dusk and the woods were dense.
A dog appeared, and Yasmin gasped, but it was not such a
She had been walking on, thinking out this plan, and when she had decided it was practicable, she quickened her pace. Then she heard a sound from behind her and swung round, taut with fear. Pedro stood a yard or so off, eyeing her sardonically.
'So you thought to escape me this way, did you? Not very flattering for me. I shall make you pay for this disobedience, my love, for you are mine, and I do not intend to let you go.'
He approached silently and Yasmin backed away, too terrified to speak, for the expression on his face was cruel and gloating. The distance between them narrowed and eventually, as if released from a spell, Yasmin turned to flee. He leapt forward and grasped her arm in a grip so painful that she cried out.
'Let me go!' she pleaded with him. 'It would harm you with the tribe if you married me, and I do not love you! What good would there be for you in that? Pedro, please let me go! I will go away, I will cause no more trouble.'
'I mean to tame you, my wild beauty, so you will be my adoring obedient slave, as well as my complaisant wife,' was all he vouchsafed to this.
He pulled her to him and bent his head towards hers. It was futile to struggle, and Yasmin closed her eyes to shut out the triumphant, exultant look in his, and tensed herself to receive his kiss. It did not come. Instead Yasmin felt him dragged away from her, and she opened her eyes to see Leon, his hand on Pedro's sleeve, his other fist clenched ready to punch Pedro's face as it turned towards him, twisting with hatred into an ugly sight.
* * * *
The fight was long and bloody, but eventually Leon pummelled Pedro into momentary insensibility. He was in little better state himself, bleeding from several cuts, and with one eye closed and puffy.
'Come, we must be away before he recovers,' he panted, and reached for Yasmin's bundle.
'I will carry that,' she said hastily, and he did not argue, knowing how little strength he had left.
They plunged into the woods, following a narrow track for some time and then, when Leon felt they had put a sufficient distance between Pedro and themselves, they took to the trackless parts.
'He will not suspect this, and so if he tries to follow us it will confuse him,' he explained.
'Where shall we go?' Yasmin asked, breathless with the speed he was setting.
'Anywhere away from Pedro,' he replied tersely. 'He is like a mad bull when he is thwarted.'
'But the tribe! What will you do?'
'I have told you I would go anywhere with you. If you will have me I will finish with them. They would not take you back now, and I can only protect you by leaving them. It was fortunate I was watching Pedro today, and saw him leave the rest.'
Yasmin, unable to think of an adequate reply in the face of such devotion, simply urged him to greater speed. After an hour she suggested they might now rest for a while, but Leon would not hear of it, even to wash his injuries.
'Pedro is too determined. I halted him for a short while, but he will soon have recovered. We must go on as long as we can.'
They plodded on, more slowly now, and helping each other, not speaking. Suddenly there was a noise behind them and Leon swung round.
'Run!' he ordered urgently, but Yasmin was incapable of it, and stood wearily beside him as he peered through the gloom, for by now it was almost dusk and the woods were dense.
A dog appeared, and Yasmin gasped, but it was not such a
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