The Sword in the Tree (4 page)

He started to the door. She caught his arm. “Where are you going?”

“To settle with my uncle,” he said.

“How can you settle with him? You cannot fight him and all his friends and their servants. Shan, there is only one way for us to save ourselves.”

“What is that?” he asked.

“We must leave here. We must leave quickly.”

“And give up our castle to my uncle?”

“If we stay, we cannot save our castle. If we go, we may save our lives. Do you understand?”

“I understand,” he said.

She opened a chest and took out a cloak and a purse. “I have some money and my jewels,” she said. “And here is the bread and cheese left from our supper.”

“I have a little money,” he said. He went to his room. From one of his chests he took a purse and a cloak. From another he took a knife, some string, and a tinderbox.

Back in his mother's room, he said, “I saw no one on the stairs. I think it is safe to go.”

“The night watchmen are on the wall,” she said.

“The fog is thick. The night watchmen cannot see us.”

“Then let us go,” she said.

They went down the stairs. She looked out into the night. “Can you see?” she asked.

“Only a little,” he said.

They felt their way through the fog. They came to the castle gate. It was closed for the night.

Shan found the small door in the gate. He opened it. He helped his mother through.

They found the road and began to run. When they stopped for breath, Shan turned for a last look at the castle, but he could not see it. He could see only the night and the fog.

All night they walked. When morning came, they hid in the woods. They did not stop at any of the farms near the castle. They knew that Lionel might find them there.

All day they hid. They ate the food that Lady Marian had brought from home. There was only a small piece of bread and a smaller piece of cheese.

At night they started on again. Once they heard horsemen on the road behind them. They hid by the roadside until the men went by.

“Do you think that was my uncle and his men?” asked Shan.

“I do not know,” said his mother, “but I fear the roads are not safe for us, even at night. We had better take to the woods.”

They walked through the woods. Slowly they made their way, until Lady Marian said, “I must rest.”

They sat down on the roots of a tree. Shan felt the cold fog on his face. All about him he heard strange sounds. Some were the sounds of animals moving among the trees. He knew there were deer and foxes and rabbits in the woods. They would do no harm. But he knew there were wolves, too. A fire would keep them away, he thought.

He dug among the roots of the tree until he found dry leaves and sticks. From his purse he took his tinderbox. He struck a spark with the flint and steel. The spark fell into the tinder and caught fire. He lighted the dry leaves and sticks.

In a little while the fire was burning brightly. His mother held out her hands to it.

“It feels good,” she said. “Now if only we had something to eat.”

“I'll find something tomorrow.” He sat down by her. “Mother, where are we going? What are we going to do?”

“The only plan I have is for us to go on—so far from Weldon Castle that your uncle can never find us,” she said. “Then I hope we can find friends who will help us.”

“I hope that will be soon,” said Shan. “I am tired of hiding and running away.”

He leaned back against the tree.

“Go to sleep, Shan,” she said.

“You sleep if you can,” he said. “I'll stay awake and keep watch.”

She lay down by the fire and was soon asleep. Shan tried to keep watch, but he was very tired. He began to nod. Slowly his eyes went shut.

When he woke, three strange men stood in the light of the fire. They were looking down on him and his mother. Their swords were drawn.

One of the men came closer. He wore a fine velvet hat with a feather. The rest of his clothes were in rags.

“Who are you?” he asked in a rough voice. “Why do you come here?”

Lady Marian woke and cried out.

Shan got to his feet. “My mother and I are going to the next town,” he said. “We stopped here for rest and sleep.”

“Are you alone?” asked the man.

“You can see we are alone,” said Lady Marian.

“Stay and rest, then,” said the man, “but we'll have your purses before we go.”

Lady Marian threw her purse at the man's feet. “You are brave men,” she said, “to rob a woman and a boy.”

“Hold your tongue.” The robber said to Shan, “Quick, boy, your purse!”

Shan gave the robber his purse. “There is nothing much in it,” he said. “Only a tinderbox, some string, and a few coins. Will you take the coins and leave me the rest?”

The robber looked into the purse.

“We have not had food for a long time,” said Shan. “I need the string to make a trap to catch rabbits. I need the tinderbox so that we may have a fire.”

The robbers went back into the shadows. They talked in low voices.

Shan saw one of them put something down on a stone. Then they disappeared into the woods.

Shan went to see what they had left. “Mother,” he said, “here is my tinderbox and string!”

“The jewels and money are gone,” she said.

“But here is something else,” said Shan. “Look.”

It was a loaf of bread.

“I want no gift from a robber,” she said.

Shan broke the loaf in two and put half down beside her. He began to eat the other half.

“The bread is good,” he said.

She looked at the half loaf beside her. She picked it up and tasted it.

“The bread
is
good,” she said, “and I should not be so proud when I am hungry.” She began to eat.

When they had eaten the loaf, Shan found more dry wood to burn. Then they lay down by the fire and rested until morning.

They walked all morning. They waded across a stream and pushed their way through vines and bushes that tore their clothes.

“This is a strange place,” said Lady Marian. “See how thick and dark the woods are.”

“I am glad they are thick and dark,” said Shan. “My uncle can never find us here.”

He saw how slow her steps had grown. He knew that she was very tired.

He stopped under a tree and made her a bed of leaves. “Rest here, while I look for food.”

She lay down. In a little while she was asleep.

Shan went on through the woods. From his purse he took the string he had brought from home. He began to make a rabbit trap out of it.

Then he had a better idea. He took out his knife and cut some branches off a tree. Quickly he made a bow and arrow.

He hid behind a tree and watched for a rabbit or a squirrel. There was a sound in the bushes. He set the arrow to the bowstring and waited.

Something came out of the bushes—something small and white with soft brown eyes. It was a baby goat.

Shan put down his bow and arrow. The goat saw him and ran straight into his arms.

Shan laughed as he rubbed the baby goat's nose and ears. “I wouldn't hurt you,” he said. “You are someone's pet.”

With the goat in his arms, he got to his feet.

“Stop, you!” said a voice.

Shan turned. There stood a boy and a dog.

The boy was as tall as Shan. He was dressed in goatskins, and his long hair hung down over his eyes. The dog was big and spotted. Its hair hung down over
its
eyes. Shan thought the boy and dog looked a little alike.

“What do you mean,” said the boy, “trying to make off with my kid?”

Shan put the goat down. “I wasn't making off with him. I was going to show him to my mother.”

“There's a fine story,” said the boy. “Maybe you wanted to show him to all your brothers and sisters, as well!”

He came up and gave Shan a push. Shan pushed him back. The dog began to bark.

The boy tried to catch Shan by the arms. He was strong, but he was slow. Shan bent low. He caught the boy around the legs and threw him to the ground.

The boy lay there on his back. With his mouth open in surprise, he looked up at Shan. “Eh! How did you do that?”

“Shall I do it again?” asked Shan.

“Don't trouble yourself,” said the boy.

“Tell your dog to stop his noise,” said Shan, “before he wakes my mother.”

“Stop it, Tick,” said the boy, and the dog stopped barking.

Shan went back to where he had left his mother. She was still sleeping.

The boy had followed him. “Who's that?” he asked.

“My mother,” said Shan.

“And I thought it was just a big story you were giving me.” The boy said softly, “She's beautiful as any queen.”

“We've come a long way, and she isn't used to walking so far,” said Shan. “I was trying to find her something to eat.”

“Come home with me,” said the boy. “We'll find food for the two of you.”

“Where do you live?” asked Shan.

“See that path? Take it to the bottom of the hill, and there's the house,” said the boy. “My father is a herdsman. He keeps a herd of goats and sheep, and my mother and I help him. You bring your mother. I'll run ahead and tell them so everything will be ready.”

He ran away, with the dog and the white kid close behind him.

Shan wakened his mother. “I've met a boy, a herdsman's son,” he said. “He has asked us to come to his home.”

“Do you think it is safe?” she asked.

“I think so,” he said.

They walked down the path. They came to the herdsman's house. It was a small house with walls of sticks and earth. Beside it was a barn, and all about the barn were pens for the sheep and goats.

The boy came down the path to meet them. He made a little bow to Shan's mother. “My father and mother both say you are welcome.”

“Thank you,” said Lady Marian. She and Shan went inside. They met Adam the herdsman and Phebe his wife.