Zeke was up before the sun, but it was well after eight of the clock before the ten families started rolling once again toward Norfolk. Today’s path would take them past deep swamp infested with criminals and Tories. More than one attempt had failed to clear the area of the ruffians. Zeke offered a prayer for safety and primed his rifle.
“Can ye drive the sheep behind ye wagon?” He asked Beti and pointed to the area in front of him.
“Is it not a bit early for jesting?”
“I do not jest.”
“The swamps are dangerous,” Toby muttered.
She watched Toby disappear around her wagon before looking up into his eyes. “Surely we will be safe in so large a group?”
“I would like to think that, but we cannot be too careful.”
“While I should not like to disparage my precious lambs, they are not God’s most brilliant creatures. I need them to arrive at our destination. Therefore I shall have to drive them behind yer wagon.” With a saucy grin she turned her back and headed for the tavern presumably to retrieve her sheep.
Silly woman. Didn’t she know that predators wait for stragglers? Zeke proceeded to untie the ducking from his wagon.
It took her less than ten minutes to retrieve her cargo and take her place behind him. A raised eyebrow greeted him as he watched her from his driver’s seat. She made quite a picture with her crooked staff. Beti turned her back to him to face the flock. She gave Nellie a command in a low voice he could not quite make out.
Beti stifled a grin at the sight of Zeke’s wagon naked of its duck covering. It was sweet of him really, but she couldn’t believe anything dangerous could happen to them between here and Norfolk. From what she understood it was a well-travelled road. Of course, there was always a chance that one could encounter a ruffian on any road, and yet she’d traveled from the Outer Banks all the way to Kemp’s Landing and had no trouble whatsoever. And that time she’d traveled alone. This time there were ten families traveling together. Surely no one would dare to bother such a large group.
The swamp reminded her of the woods around her home. Her heart warmed at the memories of the hours she’d spent there safe from the taunts of the village. Tall, broad pines scented the air. New green budded across winter-gray branches. Spanish moss dripped into the shadows of the wood like overly large spiderwebs ready to tangle the hair and tickle nightmarish fantasies.
None of which bothered her last night. She dreamed of snow-covered crowns and twinkling amber eyes.
Silas wandered off toward a patch of new green.
“Look back.” Nellie trotted toward the errant ram.
As the dog approached, a child toddled out of the underbrush toward Silas. Nellie barked. Beti ran swooping up the tot before Nellie could sound again.
“That was close.” She smiled at the little girl wriggling in her arms. She looked to be about three years of age. She must belong to one of the families Beti had yet to meet in the front of the wagon train. Although, she’d not seen any of the children so far clad in such a way. Dirt covered the child from the top of her curly hair to her grimy homespun dress and bare feet. Beti didn’t have much experience when it came to children, but she surmised that it wouldn’t take long for a child of this age to get fairly dirty if left alone for the time it would take for the wagon train to pass. Assuming she came from the wagon train. Beti held on to the child while scanning the woods for a parent. “Is anyone there?” Beti called into the trees.
“Down.” The girl flung herself backward and Beti nearly dropped her on her head.
“Here ye go.” Beti set the girl down on her bare feet and tried to take her by the hand. The girl promptly set off into the brush. Beti glanced back to Nellie. Silas and crew were sufficiently grouped. The girl made steady progress into the wilderness. Beti made her decision before the child had taken another step.
“Wait!”
It was ten steps past trees before she saw the child lifted into the arms of a woman as filthy as the child herself. An arm clamped around her waist and a hand fastened itself to her mouth. Panic rose in her gut as Beti flailed against her attacker. The man held strong like one of the giant trees surrounding them. The woman’s face widened into a grin. Beti’s shoe found its mark and the man who held her leaned in to breath in her ear. “I like a fighting woman.”
Cold fear spiked in her belly. She kicked him again. His hand came away from her mouth to cover her hips.
“Nell, come,” Beti said as she tried to stomp his feet.
“Keep wrigglin’, girl.”
“Stop it, Charlie.” The woman put the child down and stepped in front of Beti.
“We’ll be taking them sheep and anything else ye got.” The woman ran her hands across Beti’s waist and down over her skirt.
A rustle of leaves. Beti twisted her body to give a thrust so Nellie could see. She needn’t have bothered. Nellie flew into the back of the man pitching them both forward. The man released his grip, and Beti landed on one knee. Wobbling to get to her feet quickly, the woman grabbed Beti’s arm.
“Oh no ye don’t.” She sneered.
“Let go of me.” Beti wrenched her arm free. The woman grabbed the other. Charlie howled as he tried to shake Nellie off his right forearm.
“Let her go.”
Stunned Beti looked up into the barrel of Zeke’s long rifle. The woman picked up her child who’d been moving in and around the tree trunks.
“Don’t shoot my baby!” She screamed over top of Nellie’s barking and Charlie’s grunting as he tried to fight off Nellie nipping at his backside.
“That’ll do, Nellie.”
The dog nipped a few more times.
Beti raised her voice and steeled the soft timbre. “That. Will. Do. Nellie.”
The dog growled. She paused never taking her eyes off the man.
“Heel.”
Nellie came to rest at her side. Chest heaving.
