THAT AFTERNOON, WHEN WE left the town, Bear told me to play. So it was that we departed the village as we entered, I playing music while Bear danced. This time we were followed by a host of gleeful children.
Gradually, the children abandoned us. It was only when we were entirely alone that Bear ended his dancing. Then I stopped my playing, too.
“Did you hear?” I blurted out right away. “They’re accusing me of murdering Father Quinel.”
“I heard.”
“That priest also said Lord Furnival was their master. How can that be?”
“These lords of the realm own more land than God Himself. Now we need to hurry.”
“But when the priest named the courier that had come to them, I recognized the name.”
“Did you?”
“It was the man my village’s steward, John Aycliffe, met in the woods. Father Quinel spoke his name. And that young one-eyed man you teased, the one who grew angry—I’ve been trying to notice things—he was paying close attention to me.”
Bear shrugged. “We’re strangers. For some, strangers are threats, and they look at us accordingly. Pay it no mind.”
“But you told them we were going to Great Wexly.”
“A small slip.”
“Bear …”
“What?”
“You also called me your son.”
“Ah, Crispin, you could do worse. Far worse.” Usually such a remark came with a laugh. This time he was very serious.
“How did I do?” I said.
“Very well.”
My heart swelled.
“Shouldn’t we be worried?”
“Crispin, there’s an old soldier’s saying: ‘If you have to choose between alertness and worry, being alert will bring you more days of life.’Now, even more important, let us see what we earned.”
I had completely forgotten about that. Kneeling on the ground, Bear emptied his sack. We had earned four silver pennies, four farthings, and six loaves of bread.
“That’s so much,” I said.
“I’m not so impressed,” he said. “But consider, Crispin, it belongs to no one else but ourselves. Honest pay for honest work. And you deserve some, too.” He offered me a whole penny.
“But I’m your servant,” I said.
“Ah, but you have earned it,” he said, folding my fingers over the coin. “And we’re free men.”
I looked at the coin as it lay in my palm. “Are you sure?”
“Did you work hard?”
“I tried.”
“Then you deserve it. Now come, we need to earn some more.”
We started off again, my thoughts enraptured by the notions that we were indeed free. Then, when I reminded myself that I was still a wolf’s head and pursued, the luster of the moment dimmed.