to sit up, but a heavy weight pressed her to the floor. It took a few panic-stricken moments to realize that Samson had fallen
asleep on top of her, so she lay still, letting her heart slow down as the dog gently snored.
‘He doesn’t mind me sharing his bed,’ she muttered, untangling herself from his limbs and brushing dog hairs from her dress. ‘What a good-natured creature he
is.’
‘He stinks,’ Bramley said from behind her ear. ‘I could hardly breathe under there.’
Hazel passed Bramley some berries from her pocket, poured a cup of warm milk from a pan on the fire and sat down at the table. The wagon creaked and swayed like a ship rolling on a heavy sea.
Clanging pots and rattling dishes created a cacophonous medley that beat time with every lurch.
I must have been exhausted to have slept through that,
she thought.
Titus lay collapsed in sleep, his long legs hanging over the edge of the bottom bunk with one boot on and the other discarded on the floor. In his arms he cradled an empty bottle; the air around
him reeked of cider. Hazel gave him a cautious prod with her boot but he didn’t stir.
‘What a state he’s in,’ Bramley sniffed. ‘Still, we’re on the move anyway. It’ll be good to leave that awful town behind.’
‘David must have set off when Titus got back.’ Hazel wrapped the blanket around her shoulders and peeked out of the window. ‘I’m glad we met him. I think he’ll be
able to help us.’
‘You’re getting gooey-eyed over him.’
‘I’m
not
getting gooey-eyed,’ Hazel hissed, anxious not to wake Titus.
‘I know I’m right because you’re angry.’
‘Rubbish. It’s the opposite. I’m angry because you’re wrong – as usual. David’s going to help us find Ma and that’s all I care about.’
‘Oh yes?’ Bramley said, leaping on to the table and pointing at the slumbering Titus. ‘And what about him? He’s nothing but a dangerous liability. A drunken Witch Finder
with an evil temper.’
‘You’re such a nit-picker,’ Hazel whispered, refusing to admit that Bramley had a point. ‘It’s obvious that David’s the one who’s really in
charge.’
‘Mmm, well, the boy seems more capable than his master, I’ll give you that,’ Bramley conceded. ‘But you’ve chosen treacherous allies, Hazel. If they find out
you’re a witch . . .’
Hazel scooped Bramley up and held him close to her face. ‘I know. I’ll be careful, all right?’
‘You need to be
extra
-careful,’ Bramley wagged a claw at her. ‘I’ll be very angry if I get killed because of you.’
‘You’re a huge nag for such a small mouse.’
Bramley jumped into her curly red hair. ‘I do my best,’ came his muffled reply.
Hazel stared out of the window as the wagon rumbled through the darkness. The lantern glow struggled through the whirling fog, lighting up the road and the fields beyond. She
was grateful for the fire’s warmth; it looked cold outside.
The hatch above the workbench sprang open so suddenly that Bramley barely managed to hide behind Hazel’s ear in time.
He’s pretty nimble for a portly mouse
, she thought,
trying to keep a straight face as his whiskers tickled her neck.
‘Ah, you’re awake,’ David said as he poked his head inside. ‘Had a nice sleep? Good. We’re out of Watley now and heading for Wychwood. Time for us to get to
work.’ He pointed to a shelf over Hazel’s head. ‘There’s a book there that might interest you.’
Hazel ran her finger over the leather spines, reading the titles.
A History of Witchcraft
;
Malleus Maleficarum
;
Famous Trials and Executions
;
The English Witch
Plague
;
A Wonderful Discovery of Witches
.
‘Some of these books were written by Titus,’ she said, glancing over at the snoring old Witch Finder. ‘
Spells and Charms – A Study of Benevolent Magic
;
The
Trial and Acquittal of the Opperley Witches
;
The Persecution of the Wise and Cunning Throughout History
.’
‘I know,’ David said.
asleep on top of her, so she lay still, letting her heart slow down as the dog gently snored.
‘He doesn’t mind me sharing his bed,’ she muttered, untangling herself from his limbs and brushing dog hairs from her dress. ‘What a good-natured creature he
is.’
‘He stinks,’ Bramley said from behind her ear. ‘I could hardly breathe under there.’
Hazel passed Bramley some berries from her pocket, poured a cup of warm milk from a pan on the fire and sat down at the table. The wagon creaked and swayed like a ship rolling on a heavy sea.
Clanging pots and rattling dishes created a cacophonous medley that beat time with every lurch.
I must have been exhausted to have slept through that,
she thought.
Titus lay collapsed in sleep, his long legs hanging over the edge of the bottom bunk with one boot on and the other discarded on the floor. In his arms he cradled an empty bottle; the air around
him reeked of cider. Hazel gave him a cautious prod with her boot but he didn’t stir.
‘What a state he’s in,’ Bramley sniffed. ‘Still, we’re on the move anyway. It’ll be good to leave that awful town behind.’
‘David must have set off when Titus got back.’ Hazel wrapped the blanket around her shoulders and peeked out of the window. ‘I’m glad we met him. I think he’ll be
able to help us.’
‘You’re getting gooey-eyed over him.’
‘I’m
not
getting gooey-eyed,’ Hazel hissed, anxious not to wake Titus.
‘I know I’m right because you’re angry.’
‘Rubbish. It’s the opposite. I’m angry because you’re wrong – as usual. David’s going to help us find Ma and that’s all I care about.’
‘Oh yes?’ Bramley said, leaping on to the table and pointing at the slumbering Titus. ‘And what about him? He’s nothing but a dangerous liability. A drunken Witch Finder
with an evil temper.’
‘You’re such a nit-picker,’ Hazel whispered, refusing to admit that Bramley had a point. ‘It’s obvious that David’s the one who’s really in
charge.’
‘Mmm, well, the boy seems more capable than his master, I’ll give you that,’ Bramley conceded. ‘But you’ve chosen treacherous allies, Hazel. If they find out
you’re a witch . . .’
Hazel scooped Bramley up and held him close to her face. ‘I know. I’ll be careful, all right?’
‘You need to be
extra
-careful,’ Bramley wagged a claw at her. ‘I’ll be very angry if I get killed because of you.’
‘You’re a huge nag for such a small mouse.’
Bramley jumped into her curly red hair. ‘I do my best,’ came his muffled reply.
Hazel stared out of the window as the wagon rumbled through the darkness. The lantern glow struggled through the whirling fog, lighting up the road and the fields beyond. She
was grateful for the fire’s warmth; it looked cold outside.
The hatch above the workbench sprang open so suddenly that Bramley barely managed to hide behind Hazel’s ear in time.
He’s pretty nimble for a portly mouse
, she thought,
trying to keep a straight face as his whiskers tickled her neck.
‘Ah, you’re awake,’ David said as he poked his head inside. ‘Had a nice sleep? Good. We’re out of Watley now and heading for Wychwood. Time for us to get to
work.’ He pointed to a shelf over Hazel’s head. ‘There’s a book there that might interest you.’
Hazel ran her finger over the leather spines, reading the titles.
A History of Witchcraft
;
Malleus Maleficarum
;
Famous Trials and Executions
;
The English Witch
Plague
;
A Wonderful Discovery of Witches
.
‘Some of these books were written by Titus,’ she said, glancing over at the snoring old Witch Finder. ‘
Spells and Charms – A Study of Benevolent Magic
;
The
Trial and Acquittal of the Opperley Witches
;
The Persecution of the Wise and Cunning Throughout History
.’
‘I know,’ David said.
Similar Books
