Scarlet

The women hooted at this, and the girl were giggling too.

I left Nottingham fair quick; it were a walled city, and they closed their gates at dark. For the hour after the end of the market, in the late afternoon, the city emptied of people, and I could hide easy in the tide.

I went to Edwinstowe and got there just before dark. Men were out corralling their livestock, and women were taking in the laundry. I went through the town and passed out the rolls where I could, and I gave the hose to Mistress Clarke. She had three growing sons and her husband’s harvest hadn’t done well.

I tried to leave the things in such a way that I wouldn’t have to face their thanks. I didn’t like being thanked for my sticky fingers. It ain’t me going to Heaven, so no need to fuss about it.

I were due at Tuck’s, which were by the road, a little farther away from the villagers and the manor, and I were on my way there when I heard someone bawling. And then a crack, like someone got hit.

I crouched down to the ground, listening. I heard it again, and I whipped around the corner to see two of the sheriff’s men holding Amy Cooper by the dress front. She’s bare nine, a little slip of a girl. She were carrying on and had a big cut under her hair, like the brute hit her with his armored hand.

I slipped a knife from inside my vest and aimed at the brute’s open hand, the one not shaking Amy, with the unprotected palm toward me. I whipped it at him and yelled, “Amy!”

He dropped her with a roar of pain, and she shrieked and ran to me. I crouched down and caught her. “Run to your mam’s; don’t open the door for them,” I whispered to her.

She continued to cry but she obeyed me, running like the Devil himself were on her heels.

The man pulled out the knife as his counterpart unsheathed his sword. Swords are terrible. They are naught but big, heavy knives that most don’t know how to use right. I drew two more knives as they came at me.

“You’ll regret that, lad,” the one said. His hand were dripping red, though, so I were fair sure I wouldn’t regret that.

“Make me,” I challenged.

They ran at me and I turned and bolted, hearing them chuckle as they chased me against the tanner’s fence. ’Course, this were my plan.

I didn’t hesitate, leaping up and using the fence to flip over their heads. I dropped behind the uninjured one and sliced my knife along the back of his knee, and he screamed. I didn’t like to kill people, but that kind of slice meant he couldn’t do much chasing from here on.

The injured one hammered his sword down, aiming to hack my head, but I slid back and he caught just my knife, snapping the blade.

“Son of a whore,” I snarled. His blade stuck in the soft ground, and I slammed a punch to his crotch. He let go of the sword with a growl, but he cuffed me with his bloody hand.

I twisted away with stars in my eyes, but the instant thought of John Little saying I couldn’t take a punch gave me iron in my blood. I turned back to the guard and threw a fist as fierce as I could muster to his face, the little of it not covered by chain mail. He fell and hit the ground, and I took off running into the forest.

I didn’t go far, ’course. I wheeled back through the woods and came up on Mistress Cooper’s house. Seeing a light go out, I looked in the window and started swearing.

Mistress Cooper were there with Amy. The others weren’t; they must have gone on to Worksop already. They had a bundle on the ground, and I reckoned they must have been packing up a few more things. I climbed the thatch, hanging on the ridge of the roof to watch over the door. I still had three knives on me; if they came to bother Amy or any other Cooper, they’d have me to deal with.

My heart beat like the drum of a Scot, hard and even. I had that animal’s blood on my face, and I tried to wipe it off. The hand that I punched him with were bleeding and hurt—I never punch people. I just cut them. Bastard broke my knife.

It were pitch-black and more than an hour before I moved, and then only when I saw John walking through town, his eyes casting over the Cooper home.

I gave three short whistles and he stopped, looking up into the trees. He lowered his gaze a little and squinted at the roof. Even he couldn’t see me. I dropped from the roof and went around the side of the house.

“Christ Almighty,” he said, grabbing my face and twisting it. “What happened?”

Swiping at the blood again, I pushed his arm off me. “It’s not my blood. The sheriff’s men went after Amy Cooper.”

“Why wasn’t she in Worksop? I thought the whole family went over earlier.”

“I ain’t a mind reader, John,” I snarled.

“Is she hurt?”

I nodded. “He smacked her up a bit. She were terrified. She and her mam are here. We can’t move them till dark, and even then we best use the forest.”

Swears jumped from his mouth. “All they had to do was listen to us and no one would have been the wiser to them in Worksop. And who the hell hurts a little girl?” He shook his head fierce and crossed his arms over his big chest. “Are you hurt?”

“He broke my knife,” I told him, showing him the hilt with the jagged remnant.

“I’ll fix it for you.” As he picked it up, he brushed my knuckles. I hissed.

He grabbed my hand and tried to see it in the dim light. “What did you do, punch him out?”

I pulled my hand away from him. “Yes.”

“You busted up your hand pretty good. You might have broken it.”

“It ain’t broken.”

He took my hand again, pocketing the remains of my knife to push his thumbs over my hand, working each finger in turn and testing the bones. It hurt, but I grit my teeth. “Not broken.”

“Told you.”

“Get over to Tuck’s and have Robin clean you up. I’ll keep watch.”

I shook my head. “I’ll stay.”

“Scar, you know I lost my little sister, right?”

I swallowed. I did know that. A little sister and little brother and his parents in a fire. He never told me that, though, so I weren’t sure if I should fess to knowing it. “Yeah.”

“So, they aren’t going to lay a finger on that little girl while I’m standing in front of this house, you understand?”

“If they come back with more?”

His eyes glinted even in the dark. “I’m hoping they will.”

“I’ll be back soon with Rob.”

He nodded.

I jogged over to the inn. My head hurt and, with the anger gone, I were starting to feel a little dizzy. I went in the back door to the side room, checking that Rob and Much were there before edging into the doorway. “Rob,” I said soft.