“Don’t touch him.” The woman snarled the words at him, reminding Forrest of a tiger protecting her young.
“I mean him no harm.”
“Leave now. I will get my brother to safety.”
An odd choice of words, and delivered in a voice that would not be out of place in his world.
“Safety or home?”
She lifted her head, and he had a fleeting glance of a thin face, wide eyes, and soft, pouty lips, and then she looked down once more. He wanted to rub his chest, as suddenly he felt a burning sensation there.
“Help me rise,” the boy rasped.
Forrest rose and then bent at the waist. Grasping the boy, he lifted him to his feet and held him until he steadied.
“My thanks, sir,” the boy said.
“Are you hurting?”
“His head is bleeding.”
“Ouch,” the boy said as his sister inspected the wound.
Pulling out his handkerchief, Forrest handed it to her. She took it with a muttered, “Thanks.”
“Hold it there, brother, while I gather our things.”
She turned, gasped, and ran to where two men were stealing their belongings.
“Stop!” Her scream didn’t stop them, so she set off in pursuit.
Forrest followed. “Halt!”
They turned and saw him advancing. Both men dropped the woman’s things.
“Come at me then,” one of them said, raising his fists. “I’m happy to take on a nob like you.”
“Easy pickings,” the other snarled.
“You are thieves!” The woman came to his side.
“Get back.” Forrest tried to push her behind him, but she would not budge.
“I will not! Those are our belongings. I will not have two unscrupulous scoundrels stealing them.”
The men advanced. Forrest nudged her sideways, then crouched as his cousins had taught him and prepared to fight.
“He can’t even fight like a man,” one taunted, jabbing his fist at Forrest.
Swinging his leg, he struck out and dropped the man. The next ran at him, so he jabbed him in the face, then swept him from his feet using his leg.
The men did not get up.
Forrest stepped over them and collected the woman’s belongings.
“Take the hat box.” He handed it to her and held the other bags in a hand, then grabbed her elbow and marched her back to the hackney where her brother waited.
“You can take my hackney to your lodgings,” Forrest said. “I will find another.”
