The Angel's Command

It was quite a while before the girl stopped running. She chose a spot deep in the woods,

surrounded by trees and backed by an outcropping of several tall rocks. 'Get wood for a fire

before this torch burns down to nothing!'

Wordlessly, Ben and Ned foraged around for dry wood. As she built the fire, the girl took the

branches of dead pine that Ned was carrying in his mouth.

She beckoned Ben to sit beside her and stroked Ned. 'This is a good clever dog, I like him.

What's his name?'

The boy began opening the bag she had taken from the cart. 'I'm Ben, and he's called Ned.

What's your name?'

She snatched the bag from him. 'Karayna, but they call me Karay.' She took a small stale loaf

of wheat bread from the bag. Breaking it into three equal pieces, she handed one to Ben,

threw the other to Ned, and began tearing at her own portion.

Ben watched her face in the firelight—she was indeed very nice-looking. 'You were pretty

hard on the man, Karay. Why?'

She rubbed at her wrist where the chain had chafed it. 'Huh, that miserable gut bucket! We

were in prison together, at Leon, but we broke out and stole the cart. Since then he's used me

like a horse, making me pull the cart and get his food for him. He chained me to the cart every

night, said he was going to sell me in the mountains on the Spanish border. Don't worry about

that fat worm anymore—he won't find it so easy to get along with a broken ankle. Nobody

treats me like that and gets away with it!'

Ben chewed on the hard bread thoughtfully. 'What were you both doing in prison?'

Karay elbowed him smartly in the ribs. 'That's no business of yours. But, if y'must know, I

was a singer and he was a clown. We went from town to town, entertaining on market days.

He'd mingle with the crowd while I sang, and I'd do the same when he was doing his act.'

Ben frowned. 'Mingle with the crowd. What for?'

She smiled scornfully at him. 'To pick pockets and purses, of course. I'm good at it, you see.

'Twas that fat greasy ass who got us caught, not me. Anyhow, what are you and your dog

doing wandering this forest?'

Ben stared into the fire. 'Oh, nothing really, just wandering.'

Karay laughed. 'Hahaha, who d'ye think you're tryin' to fool? I bet you two are the ones those

sailors and townsfolk were searching for. Came off that pirate ship the navy sunk. I heard

them talking in the jailhouse.'

Ben felt a flash of resentment toward the outspoken girl. 'No, we didn't, and anyhow, I don't

want to talk about it!'

Karay pouted her lips and tossed her hair. 'And I don't want to hear about it, so there!'

Her gesture so amused Ben that he mimicked it. 'Huh, and I'm not so sure I should be keeping

company with a thief. So there!'

Instinctively they both burst out laughing. After that the atmosphere was a lot more friendly.

Ned joined them both by the fire. Stroking the dog's silky ears, Karay watched him blink

appreciatively. 'I wish I had a dog like good old Neddy,' the girl mused.

Ned immediately bristled, contacting Ben. 'Tell her!'

He stalked off to the opposite side of the fire and lay in the shadows while Ben explained to

Karay. 'He doesn't like being called Neddy, it makes him sound like a worn-out old nag. He

much prefers Ned.'

The girl stared into Ben's clouded blue eyes. 'How d'you know?'

Ben shrugged. 'He told me.'

She chuckled. 'I suppose you two talk together a lot, eh?'

The boy stirred the fire with a branch. 'When friends are together for a long time, they get to

know each other.'

Karay stared into the flickering flames. 'It must be nice to be like that. I've never known

anybody long enough to be really friendly with—parents, family or companions. D'you

suppose we'll get to know each other in that sort of way?'

Suddenly Ben felt a pang of pity, both for himself and for Karay. He could see her out of the

corner of his eye, staring into the fire. A barefoot girl clad in a long, tattered red dress with an

old black shawl thrown about her shoulders. Ben knew that someday he and Ned would have

to walk away and leave, never again to see her. Or to let her see him, an eternal boy, never

growing old.

He was about to concoct an answer that would not hurt her feelings when Ned's voice entered

his mind. 'Stay still, Ben, don't look around or bat an eyelid. We're being watched!'

Ben did as the dog bid him, though his mind was racing. 'Who is it, Ned? Is there more than

one of them? I've still got this branch in my hand to poke the fire. Are they armed? Can you

see them?'

Ned's mental reply came back. 'I think there's only one. He's just peeping round the corner of

the rocks behind you both. I've shuffled back into the bushes, so he doesn't know I'm here.

Now, I'm going to circle behind him. The moment he makes a move I'll jump on his back and

knock him down. Be ready with that branch, Ben, and lay him out if he gets rough. Here

goes!'

Unaware of what was going on, Karay sat back against the rock. Pulling her shawl close, she

began drifting into a doze. Ben's grip tightened on the branch as he tried not to look alert.

Slight crackling from the fire was the only sound in the still night as seconds passed like

hours. Ben tried letting his eyelids droop, acting as a decoy, though his whole body was

tensed like a steel spring.

Suddenly a slender-built young fellow, carrying a battered leather satchel over one shoulder,

stepped from behind the rocks. He started to speak.

'I saw your fire— oof!'

Springing pantherlike from the top of a rock, Ned landed on the intruder, knocking him

facedown. Ben leapt up but was pushed aside as Karay bounded past him. The girl jumped

with both feet on the newcomer's back, forcing the breath from him in a whoosh as Ned

nipped to one side, avoiding her feet.

She knelt on her victim's shoulderblades, grabbed a knife from the back of his belt and seized

him by the hair. Tugging his head back savagely, the girl pressed the knife blade against his

throat, growling like a tigress.

'Be still or I'll cut your throat!'

Ben guessed the intruder was about his own age. His eyes were wide with fear, staring straight

at Ben, who hurried over and grabbed Karay's wrist. 'Stop, don't hurt him!'

The girl frowned at him. 'Why not? He was carrying a knife—maybe he was goin' to rob or

murder us!'

Ben forced her hand to the ground and placed his foot on the knife blade. 'He doesn't look in

a position to rob or murder anyone at the moment, thanks to you. Now then, you robbing

murderer, what's your name?'

'Dominic,' the captive managed to gasp as he tried to regain his breath. 'I mean you no harm,

honest— uurrgh!'

Karay dragged his head further back, hissing viciously into his ear. 'Then why were you

sneaking around, spyin' on us an' carryin' a knife, eh?'

Ben had put up with enough of the girl's barbaric behaviour. He passed a swift thought to

Ned. 'Settle her, mate, before she breaks that poor fellow's neck!'

The black Labrador rushed her, pushing Karay off the young man with a powerful thrust of

his forepaws. Ben retrieved the knife and stowed it in his belt, then held out his hand to the

stranger named Dominic. 'Up you come, mate!'