The Wise Women

Chapter 6

In the cold night air, tears chilled Nesta's face. The full moon lit the deserted streets with an eerie pale light. Toes cramping in her too-small boots, she hurried furtively through the cobbled streets.

Nailed to the wall of Rosamund Heywood's house was another poster printed in royal blue ink. Nesta knew what this one said without reading it too.

'By proclamation of Her Imperial Majesty Empress Sapphira Celestria, Marsilia, Richolda,
No flowers except yellow roses may be grown within the city walls.'

On the day of that proclamation, Mrs Heywood's exuberant window boxes had disappeared, replaced by a single yellow rose in a terracotta pot on the front doorstep.

Now the pot lay cracked on its side, spilling soil on the mat. The front door's wooden panels were split and splintered as if they'd been kicked repeatedly. A shiver crept down Nesta's spine.

Thank God she got away in time. She pulled her hood lower over her face, forgetting briefly that if anyone saw her, it was Delphinia Webb and not Nesta Barnes they would see.

Head down, she skirted the market square, keeping to the shadows. In the middle of the square a vixen and her three cubs foraged for discarded fruit and leftover scraps. Nesta's belly stirred with the tiniest of movements. She cupped it protectively with her hand.

She'd made it as far as the Black Bull and was about to turn into the street that led to the city gates when the sound of commotion up ahead stopped her in her tracks.

Thump, thump, thump.

'Open up!'

'We know you're in there!'

More thumping, followed by the tinkling of broken glass. Instinctively Nesta ducked down behind a collection of barrels in front of the pub and angled her head to peer through a gap between them.

The three royal blue-cloaked Imperial Guards, who'd evidently made good use of their afternoon in the Black Bull, were hammering on the door of the small house tucked between the baker's and the milliner's. Several panes of the house's leaded window had been smashed. Glass shards glittered on the pavement beneath.

That's Theresa Brown's house.

The faint glow of a candle through the broken window told her that the one-eyed wood carver was still inside.

Oh God!

Nesta wracked her brains to think of a way of distracting the guards so Theresa could make her escape. Her first thought was to run straight up to them shouting 'Guards! Guards! Come quickly!' and tell them they were urgently needed to stop a fight that had broken out three streets away. But she knew that when they got there and realized she'd been lying, they'd come after her. Or rather they'd come after the real Delphinia Webb. She couldn't risk getting the Erithean woman into trouble.

There was only one thing for it. She wrapped her fingers round a stone the size of a hen's egg and straightened up. The hours she'd spent competing with her big brother to knock an old boot off their yard wall had made her an excellent shot. Closing one eye, she pulled back her arm, took aim and Clang! The stone connected with the back of the tallest guard's helmet.

'Hey!' he reeled backwards, clutching his helmet with both hands. Nesta ducked back down behind the barrels just as he turned to look blearily in her direction. 'Wha' wazzat?'

'What was what?'

'Somefing 'it me on the 'ead.' He swayed on the spot.

'What you talkin' about?' his bearded companion scoffed. 'You're wearing a helmet!'

'Tha's what I mean. Somefing 'it me on the 'elmet. Someone frew somefing.'

'Look around you, Martin!' The third guard threw his arms wide. 'There's no- bo- dy there!' He exaggerated the words.

Crouching behind the barrels, Nesta tried to make herself as small as possible - a difficult task in her new body. Something small and furry scurried over her foot and a long, hairless tail disappeared into a gap between the barrels. Her skin turned to gooseflesh. She held her breath.

'You're imagining things,' he scratched his beard. 'Now listen to me, will yer? If all three of us run at the door at once, we can knock it down with our shoulders.' The three guards staggered a few paces back from the door and wobbled towards each other to form a line. 'Ready? One, two . . .'

Nesta took aim. Clang! Stone connected with helmet. The bearded guard pivoted on the spot.

'Hey! Something hit me!'

'I told yer! Didn't I tell yer?'

'We're the Imperial guard.' Beardy beat his leather-jerkined chest with his fist. 'How dare they throw things at us!'

'Where'd it come from?'

'I dunno. Somewhere over there.' He made a broad sweeping gesture (knocking himself off balance in the process) that took in the pub and the market square. He lurched unsteadily in Nesta's direction, his two companions teetered after him.

'Hey!' Martin Archer jabbed his finger in the air. 'You who's frowin' fings! Fink yer funny, do yer?'

Behind them, Nesta saw the door to the house crack open and a hunched figure in a dark cloak slip out. The figure tiptoed a few paces down the road towards the city gates, before breaking into a run.

Phew!

'When we catch you, we'll arrest you and frow you in the dungeon!' Beardy mimed throwing someone into a cell, a movement which sent him careening into the barrels Nesta was crouched behind. Several of them tumbled over and rolled away. The sozzled guard fell to the ground, inches away from her hiding place. His alcoholic stench filled her nose. She froze and held her breath.

'Look!' shouted the third guard. 'There they are! They're the culprits!' He pointed at the fox family in the middle of the square. Spooked by the noise, the foxes darted off in the opposite direction.

'They're getting away! Quick! After 'em!' The two guards stumbled after the foxes, shaking their fists in the air. 'After 'em!' echoed Beardy, staggering to his feet. Muttering, 'Foxy little so and sos' under his breath he tottered after his friends

Nesta closed her eyes and exhaled with relief. Wasting no time, she clambered over the upturned barrels and sped off down the street towards the city gates as fast as her cramping feet would allow.

Thank you for reading The Wise Women 😊

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