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CHAPTER 4
"Wait here," Je
Sebastian dropped heavily onto a low projection of rock that made a convenient seat. "You just tell her what I said, that I'll understand if she doesn't want a stranger spending the night at your place. I know it wouldn't be an unreasonable fear."
Je
"My mother and I have reason not to fear a visitor."
She was not alluding to common weapons, and by her tone he knew it. For the first time since she had met him, she saw a spark of uncertainty in Sebastian's steady blue eyes-a shadow of uneasiness not elicited by her expertise with a knife.
A hint of a smile came in turn to Je
He lifted his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Then I'm as safe as a babe in his mother's arms."
Je
Should they be threatened, Je
Ever since Je
The seldom-used trail around the lake, from where the soldier had fallen, was as close as any trail came to them. Je
Since she was six, Je
Just as Je
When Je
"Je
"I did, Mother," Je
Her mother paused only momentarily; then, without further question, she embraced Je
"Come inside and get yourself dry. I see you have quite the catch. We'll have a good di
Je
Her mother halted, suddenly searching her daughter's face for any outward sign of the nature and depth of the trouble. "What do you mean? Who would you have with you?"
Je
"What? Stay here? Je
"Mother, please, listen to me. Something terrible happened today. Sebastian-"
"Sebastian?"
Je
Her mother's face went ashen. She said nothing.
Je
Her mother canted her head with an admonishing expression. "What aren't you telling me, Je
Je
"Mother, please, let me tell it my way?"
Her mother cupped a hand to the side of Je
"I was searching the soldier, looking for anything important. And I found something. But then, this man, a traveler, came upon me. I'm sorry, Mother, I was frightened by the soldier being there and by what I found and I wasn't paying attention as I should have. I know I behaved foolishly.»
Her mother smiled. "No, baby, we all have lapses. None of us can be perfect. We all sometimes make mistakes. That doesn't make you foolish. Don't say that about yourself."
"Well I felt foolish when he said something and I turned around and there he was. I had my knife out, though." Her mother was nodding with a smile of approval, "He saw then that the man had fallen to his death. He-Sebastian, that's his name-he said that if we just left him there, then, more likely than not, other soldiers would find him and start questioning us all and maybe blame us for their fellow soldier being dead."
"This man, Sebastian, sounds like he knows what he's talking about."
"I thought so, too. I had intended to cover the dead soldier, to try to hide him, but he was big-I could never have dragged him over to a cra
Her mother looked more relieved. "That was wise."
"Before we buried him, Sebastian thought we should take anything valuable, rather than let it go to waste in the ground."
One eyebrow arched. "Did he, now?"
Je
"Sebastian insisted that I take it all. There's gold marks there. He didn't want any for himself."
Her mother took in the fortune in her hand, then glanced briefly to the trail where Sebastian waited. She leaned closer.
"Je
"I considered that, too."
Her mother's tone softened sympathetically. "Je
Je
"And why not?"
Je
After a moment of silence, Je
"Did he? Well, Je
Je
She remembered, then. "He said that he wanted you to have this, so you wouldn't have to fear a stranger sleeping nearby."
Je
Staring in astonishment, her mother slowly lifted the weapon in both hands as she whispered, "Dear spirits. ."
"I know," Je