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hoped his promise
would not turn into a mistake. Hunters were the worst of her troubles, right?
    "Sleep well, my
shepherd."

 
    Chapter 5
    "Wake up! Timothy.
Wake. Up."
    Timothy bolted upright.
Kit's fingers dug into his shoulders. "What is it? Is it the
hunters?" He scrambled to stand. His vision spun from sitting upright too
fast.
    "I need
breakfast." A single sharp tooth poked through her grin.
    Timothy flopped back
into the straw. "Don't do that to me. I thought they caught us."
    "You will wish
they caught us if I don't eat soon." Kit sat on her knees in the straw.
The white fur on the tip of Kit's tail teased his nose.
    "I thought you
didn't want my fleas."
    She hissed and snatched
back her tail. She combed through the white tip with her fingers. Cat
stretched.
    "No fleas. Lucky for
you." Kit rose to her feet. She still wore only the brown shift. A few
beads of sweat clung to her forehead. Timothy wiped his own brow. Would the
heat of summer ever end?
    "Now go earn some
food! I want more raspberries!"
    "Why don't you
earn it?" Timothy worked a knot in his shoulder.
    Kit leaned in so the
shift fell open at the neckline. "I will in my own way."
    "Will you stop
that!"
    Kit laughed. "Our
teasing truce ended with the sunrise."
    Timothy staggered to
his feet. "Fine. I'll go." He jammed his shirt into his trousers and
stalked toward the barn door. "I just saw a flea jump from your ear."
    Kit squeaked and tugged
at her ears. Timothy grinned. Served her right.
    Timothy found Abel
across the field mending a fence that was beyond mending. Despite the stoop in
his back, the farmer stood taller than Timothy. The man reminded him of a tree
that stood in his favorite pasture.
    "You're looking
better, lad. Still tired, but better. Hope your red slept well."
    "Better than since
we started our travel. She wants some breakfast. Oh, and I am grateful for the
clothes." Timothy adjusted his collar. At least Kit's short shift covered
better than that blanket. Now if only she would put on the rest of the clothes
Abel provided.
    "So you're looking
to get to wherever you be going. I made some morning meal with berries for you
on the porch. Can't be having you starving on me. Anise would have my hide when
I see her again."
    "Actually, we
would like to stay for a few days if you don't mind. Of course, we will work to
earn our meals. I am not in a hurry to take her home with me yet."
    "Oh, I see, lad.
Your mother and pap haven't yet seen her, eh? I remember my boys being the same
with their ladies. Anise and me never were for forcing weddings. Made my boys
think about who they chased." Abel smiled.
    "Yeah, you could
say that." Timothy ran his fingers through his hair.
    "You're welcome to
stay as long as you work. Plenty to do around here. Work gets ahead of me
nowadays."
    "I will first feed
my…my wife and then join you."
    "You can start
with scything the field over there."
    Timothy swallowed his
sigh. He needed more sleep. His nerves felt frayed.
    Abel was as good as his
word. Two bowls of porridge waited with fresh wild raspberries and
blackberries. Timothy finished his before he made it to the barn.
    "Breakfast!"
Kit wrenched the bowl out of his hands before he was through the barn's door.
She wore the clothes Abel provided. The simple cream blouse with a laced
neckline hugged her, and a long skirt of deep green ended at Kit's ankles. A
matching green scarf hid her ears. Cat brushed past him on her way to her own
breakfast.
    "Berries are truly
wonderful!"
    "Well, you should
be able to enjoy them for at least two more days," Timothy said.
    She spluttered.
"What! We are supposed to be going to your home. You promised!"
    Timothy wiped porridge
from his face and breathed deeply. His voice still sounded strained to his
ears. "We will. There is no hurry. We still have people hunting us,
remember? I doubt they will look for us on a run-down farm like this. They will
know you will want to stay away from people and the main roads."
    "The fat man is
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