The Piper's Pursuit Page 19

  Lady Rose embraced first Katerina, then Steffan. She let go of her son as the duke wrapped an arm around her. “We must go.” Then he bent to kiss her lips.

  What would it be like to be loved as Lady Rose was by the duke? Katerina wished she knew, and she wished her mother knew. But instead, her mother had married Hennek and suffered through his accusatory, bragging, hypocritical abuse. Life seemed so unfair sometimes.

  But she didn’t have time to dwell on that.

  Steffan helped her mount the horse Duke Wilhelm had provided for her, boosting her into the saddle, his hand clasping hers for a moment as he stared up into her eyes. Then he went and mounted his own horse.

  She was glad no one asked her if she was uncomfortable riding with so many men. She took it as a compliment that they didn’t try to talk her into staying in Hagenheim. Truthfully, it did make her uncomfortable to be the only woman riding with these strange men. But Duke Wilhelm was a good man and would not allow anyone to harm her. Still, she was thankful Steffan stayed close to her, even though they were not able to talk freely.

  The first night on the road, they camped in a fallow field beside a stream. Duke Wilhelm invited her to sit between him and Steffan as they gathered around their fire and ate. She liked to think that if the other men weren’t around, Steffan would have tried to hold her hand. And she would have let him.

  While the other men were mostly talking amongst themselves, Duke Wilhelm asked them questions and Steffan and Kat told him more details of the past week’s events.

  The duke’s expression was very intense as he listened to her, his eyes only leaving her face to glance at his son.

  “Your son is very brave and noble. He protected me several times. He placed himself between me and the giant wolf that was attacking us. And he helped the children escape who had been trapped so long in the mine they hardly remembered what the sun looked like. He killed three guards and carried the children out. He was tireless in seeing that they were safe.”

  “Katerina is the one who deserves the praise,” Steffan said. “She was determined to save the children. I was only helping her. She risked her life constantly.”

  “You are too modest.” Kat’s eyes met his and they exchanged a look that made her heart flutter. But when she glanced back at Duke Wilhelm, he seemed to have taken note of the look as well. Her cheeks heated and she stared down at her feet.

  She slept near Steffan and Duke Wilhelm, and she felt as safe as she had at any time in her whole life. The guards also seemed like good men. They did not eye her salaciously, did not send crude grins her way or look her up and down the way Hennek’s guards did, and they did not even try to talk to her. Duke Wilhelm had treated her like a daughter, even though he had only known her for a day.

  Anyone who thought wealthy, powerful dukes were arrogant and conceited had never met Duke Wilhelm.

  And with that thought, she drifted off to sleep.

  Twenty-Two

  Steffan kept thinking about Katerina’s words praising him for being brave, and it was as if a deep wound were being healed, even more so when his father said again, in front of Katerina, that he was proud of him. But Steffan wanted more than anything to be able to prove himself somehow, to redeem himself in his father’s eyes and prove his worth to Katerina. He had told her about the bad things he had done, and he wanted to show her that was not the kind of man he intended to be in the future.

  After almost a full day of riding, they made it to Keiterhafen and stopped within sight of the gate.

  “Father, let me go in first. Too many men riding into town will attract Hennek’s attention. Let me go to Frau Goschen’s home and see that all is well, then we can all take charge of the children and get back to Hamlin.”

  Father seemed to be thinking about it. Finally, he said, “I will let you go in and speak to Frau Goschen, but then come back here. If you aren’t back in an hour, we’re coming to find you.”

  Steffan nodded, then urged his horse forward, slowing to a walk as he went in through the gate.

  A man on the street up ahead, tall and broad, caught Steffan’s attention. Was he one of Hennek’s men? The closer he got, the more he was sure he had never seen him before. But he could still be one of Hennek’s guards.

  He checked his surroundings, then headed to Frau Goschen’s home. He went around to the back and knocked on the kitchen door. He encountered a servant, a young man.

  “Is Frau Goschen at home?” Steffan asked.

  The man stared at him a moment. “Yes.”

  “And the children? It’s all right. I am Frau Goschen’s friend.”

  “Yes.”

  “No problems, then?”

  “No.”

  “Very good.” Steffan went inside, brushing past the young man, and went through the corridor. He hadn’t gone very far when he heard a childish voice yell, “Steffan!”

  He turned and spotted one of the boys from the mine, one of the little ones whom he had carried part of the way to Keiterhafen.

  Steffan squatted and waited for the boy to walk to him.

  The boy was shy now, walking slowly. Steffan hugged him. “Where are the others? Have you been a good boy? I think you’ve grown since I last saw you.”

  The boy grinned. “We are playing with Frau Goschen’s puppies. I told her that my mother likes puppies and would let me take one home.”

  “Puppies, eh?”

  “We are all ready to go home. Are you here to take us back to Hamlin?”

  “I certainly am. Just as soon as the Duke of Hagenheim gets here.”

  The boy whooped and jumped up. Then he grabbed Steffan’s arm. “Come and tell the others.”

  “I can’t stay long,” Steffan said, “but I’ll be back.” But his last few words were drowned out by children’s squeals and yells when the rest of the children saw him and came running. They jumped on him, some clasping him around the ankles and knees, until he collapsed on the floor and started tickling them.

  Much laughter and squealing ensued, until Frau Goschen and another woman started clapping their hands to get the children’s attention. They quickly quieted so that Frau Goschen’s voice could be heard.

  “Our friend has returned, I see.” Frau Goschen affected a serious, scolding expression, but her eyes were twinkling.

  “Were you afraid I’d leave you with these little rapscallions forever?” Steffan chucked a little girl under the chin and ruffled a little boy’s hair. His heart expanded and filled his chest at seeing them so lively and happy. When had these children become so dear to him?

  “All right, children. It’s time for your midday meal. Anka will take you to the table.” She clapped and shooed them off down the corridor with the woman who had been waiting behind her. When Steffan stood up, she said in a low voice, “I suppose this means the Duke of Hagenheim is nearby?”

  “Yes.”

  In a whisper, she added, “Your Bürgermeister, Hennek Grymmelin, has been asking all around Keiterhafen about a large group of children who ran away from Hamlin.”

  Steffan’s blood quickened. “He is here, then?”

  “He and his men. I regret that I do not know any of our town’s officials well enough to go to them and explain the whole story. I was afraid, lest whomever I told be corrupt. They might betray us and hand the children over to Hennek Grymmelin.”

  “That is wise.” He had to find Hennek quickly, before he discovered the children. No doubt he’d be surrounded by his men, but perhaps . . .

  “Frau Goschen, do you have something I could use to disguise myself? Perhaps some padding to make me look different? A walking stick and a large cape?”

  “You should not be thinking of trying to find that bad man.” The plump woman shook her finger at him. “You are far too handsome and distinct for anyone to mistake you for someone else.”

  “Handsome?” That made him smile. Did Katerina think him handsome? Distinct? What did she mean by that? “Do you not think I could disguise myself?”


  “How will you cover up that scar over your eye? You have one under your eye as well. You’re taller than most, and your hair is unusual as well. You will need to cut it.”

  “Will you do the honors, Frau Goschen?”

  “I do not approve of you going after this bad man without the duke and his soldiers.”

  “I will be careful. I need to at least locate Hennek before Duke Wilhelm and all his men scare him away, so we can capture him. Can you cut my hair?” Katerina wouldn’t mind him with shorter hair, would she? “Can you make it not look bad?”

  “I have been cutting hair since I was a girl. I will make it look good.” She gave him a knowing smile.

  Soon he was sitting on a stool next to a window in the main room of the house. Using shears and a razor, she began cutting the hair he’d been growing for the last year. He knew it had gotten long, but he’d seen no reason to cut it. He’d had so very little money, he’d thought a haircut was an unnecessary expense. And he was too vain to just chop it off himself.

  “How much are you cutting?” he asked as hunks of his light-colored hair landed on the floor around him.

  “About a hand’s length. You do want to look different, do you not?”

  He grunted.

  “Worry not. That pretty maiden, Katerina, will still think you very handsome. I daresay she will think you even more handsome with a nice haircut.”

  He grunted again. Was he so easy to read?

  When she was finished, she handed him a looking glass. He did look better, less ragged and unkempt. “You did well, Frau Goschen.”

  “I know. Now come and let me find you some clothing to cover that handsome frame.”

  She found him a walking stick that had belonged to her father, she said. He practiced leaning on it, making himself look shorter.

  “Now, keep this hood over your head and pulled low so people cannot see your eyes. And I see you have a week or two of beard. That is good. But we’ll need to make it look gray so you don’t look so young.”

  She went into the kitchen and made a paste with white wheat flour and water, then spread it on his beard, sprinkling in some additional flour. She even put some on his skin. Oh yes. He would look very handsome when Katerina came riding into town with Father and his army. But at least Hennek wouldn’t recognize him, and that was the purpose.

  Steffan took the looking glass from her hand. “I’m not a bad-looking old man.”

  Suddenly the front door opened with a bang and a familiar voice, high and anxious, came from inside the house. It was Albrecht.

  Steffan gave Frau Goschen the looking glass and hurried into the corridor leading to the front door. Albrecht glanced at Steffan, but then ignored him, saying, “Where is Frau Goschen? I need to speak with her.”

  “Albrecht, it’s me, Steffan.”

  His eyes widened and he stared. Steffan smiled, which seemed to help him recognize him, because he exclaimed, “Steffan! Oh, thank God. I need your help. Hennek has found our house. He has found the children. I managed to escape. I ran and came here for help.”

  “It’s all right. We will save them. Can you tell me how to find the house where you were staying?”

  “I know it,” Frau Goschen said behind them. “It is on Hoherstrasse, and it’s not far. Go right, then right again past the Red Boar Inn.”

  “I have my sword, but I need a helper, and he’ll need some weapons. What do you have, Frau Goschen?”

  She hurried away and came back with her husband’s crossbow and arrows and a knife in its sheath.

  “Being a baker, he doesn’t have a lot of enemies,” Frau Goschen said, as if to apologize.

  “These are enough. I thank you. Now, Albrecht, I’m going to need your help. I need you to stay out of sight. Frau Goschen, can you get him a hooded cloak that will cover most of his face?”

  “Yes.”

  “And, Albrecht, I’ll need you to help me by keeping the weapons nearby until I need them, but you’ll have to stay out of sight. You’re tall, but Hennek and his men still might realize you’re one of the children.”

  Albrecht’s eyes were shining as he gathered up the crossbow, the daggers, which he stuffed in his belt, and one of the swords. But something about his face ignited a memory, and a cold shiver snaked down Steffan’s spine. Could it be that he was about to get this child killed, as he had little Heinlin? The memory of it was so painful, he wished he had a strong drink to dull it.

  No, he would not lead this boy into danger. “I’ve changed my mind. You have to stay here.”

  Albrecht’s face fell.

  “It’s just that I . . . I don’t want you to get hurt, and you know how evil Hennek and his men are.”

  “I have an idea,” Frau Goschen said. “I will have my servant Klaus go with Albrecht. The two of them can stay out of sight but be there to guard your weapons. Is that good?”

  Steffan nodded, even though he wanted to order Albrecht to stay far away. But he sensed that would hurt Albrecht’s pride, who had shown himself so brave.

  “And you should round up as many men as you can to defend this house, and get word to the other houses as well, but do it discreetly. You don’t want to attract Hennek’s attention.”

  So many children’s lives were at stake. Should he go and fetch Father? No, he didn’t have time to wait. Hennek had already discovered some of the children and would no doubt discover the rest soon.

  Steffan had to stop Hennek from killing the children. He wasn’t sure he could live with himself if he allowed them to die.

  He took a deep breath, hiding his sword under his cloak, and set out toward Frau Gruber’s house.

  Twenty-Three

  Steffan prayed as he walked. God, I know I have a lot to confess. I’ve not been a very good person. But please let me save these children, not because I’m good, because I’m not, but because You are good. Bring about justice for these children and for Katerina, because You are a God of justice, and this man is evil.

  Albrecht and Klaus were keeping to the far side of the street, each of them carrying weapons in a pack on their back, too lumpy to show what was in them. As soon as Steffan spotted the house, they turned down a narrow side street and disappeared.

  A guard was standing outside the front door—Otto.

  Steffan remembered to disguise his walk by limping and using his walking stick. Otto was staring hard at him as he approached. Steffan said in a jovial voice, “I am Herr Obenfettel, the leader of the town council. I have learned that the Bürgermeister of Hamlin is staying at this house, and I wish to welcome him.”

  “How did you know that?” Otto narrowed his eyes at him.

  “Bürgermeister Hennek Grymmelin is an old friend, and he sent word to me. Did you not know?”

  “You have to wait here.” Otto turned and went inside the house, locking the door with a grinding of metal on metal as soon as he closed it.

  Steffan hurried to the corner of the house and turned down the narrow alley, where there was just enough room between the house and the one next to it for three men to walk abreast. And at the other end of it were Albrecht and Klaus.

  Steffan tried the latch on the first window he came to. It wasn’t locked and turned with ease. He looked inside and saw a small sitting room that appeared empty. He climbed in, knocking over a small table and all that was on top of it, making a loud crash.

  Albrecht handed him the loaded crossbow through the window. He already had his sword strapped to his back under his cloak.

  Heavy footsteps approached, then crashed through the door. Steffan used both hands to aim and fire the crossbow.

  The heavy bolt speared two men, one behind the other, sending them backward to the floor. When two more guards stepped over them to get to Steffan, he wielded his sword, clanging blades first with one, then the other, then leaping to the side to avoid being run through by one while crossing blades with the other as he placed the second guard’s body between him and the first one.

  Hennek’s voice boo
med through the house, “What is happening?”

  Steffan aggressively thrust forward and stabbed his opponent in the neck, but took a cut to the arm in the process. He didn’t have time to think about that as the other guard began attacking. But Steffan could see fear in his face as he beat the coward back against the wall and managed to take his sword away from him. The man’s face turned ashen, and he fell to the floor as though dead.

  Fainted. How could he kill an unconscious man? He turned away from him.

  Hennek arrived in the doorway with Otto. “Get him!” Hennek shouted.

  But at the same moment, a man’s voice from the other side of the house cried, “The children are escaping!”

  The plan had been for Albrecht and Klaus to sneak in the back during the fighting and commotion and help the children escape. They must have succeeded.

  Hennek ran back the way he had come. Otto looked after Hennek, as if unsure whether to follow him or attack Steffan. Steffan looked down and saw that the crossbow had been reloaded. Klaus and Albrecht must have done it before they went to get the children.

  Steffan snatched up the loaded crossbow as Otto roared, unsheathing his sword. But when he saw Steffan take aim, he turned and ran down the corridor.

  Steffan ran after him, but the big, burly guard was faster than he looked. Steffan was afraid of missing him. He saved his arrow for when he would have a better shot, as Otto disappeared around a corner.

  Steffan proceeded cautiously, lest another guard be waiting to ambush him at the end of the corridor, but no one was there, and the house was eerily silent. Then he saw the servants on the floor. They were tied up and knocked unconscious, it appeared.

  He hurried out the back way, hoping to catch up with Hennek and Otto—and hoping they were not catching up to the fleeing children.

  He lurked around the back alleys looking for Hennek and Otto. He had left his sword back at the house, having dropped it when he picked up the loaded crossbow. He had only the one arrow and a dagger hidden in his tall leather shoe.