Willow inspected the cart. The wheel was broken. It looked as if he had hit a big rock.
The old man smiled grimly, bending to pick up his fallen cabbage and put them into one of the barrels.
Willow picked up two cabbages and deposited them into the container. “Where are you going?”
“I was on my way to Chateau le Bezu.” He nodded. “Thank you, lady.”
Christian stared at the wheel, shaking his head. “It can’t be fixed. You will have to replace it.”
The man nodded slowly in agreement. “It was old.”
Thunder rumbled in the distance.
Willow met Christian’s gaze.
His lips thinned, and he shook his head.
She scowled. They couldn’t leave the man on the road alone. He would be robbed. “You can purchase a wheel in town.”
The merchant scratched his balding head. “Aye. But I’ve no way to get there.”
Willow grabbed the last two cabbages and placed them in the barrel. “We’ll help you get to the town if you get a message to the chateau for us.”
The merchant’s wrinkled face beamed with happiness. “Aye. It’s a deal.”
Christian and the merchant carried the wagon’s axle and, as a horse pulled the cart, they lugged it into town. Willow guided the reins of the steed while holding the broken wheel.
The skies opened, and a deluge of rain pelted them before they made it to shelter. They abandoned the wagon and wheel on the roadside near the inn and raced for the stables.
Christian hunched his shoulders, but it did little to alleviate the rain running under his tunic. He had let his anger brew in silence all the way to the inn.
As they entered the stables, a thin boy greeted them. He wiped a ragged sleeve across his nose. “Do ya have horses ya need stabled?”
Christian nodded. “The merchant’s horse is in the front on the road with the wagon.”
The boy bobbed his head and ran out into the rain.
“I’m going to get help,” the merchant proclaimed and started toward the stable door.
Christian caught his tunic. “It would be better if no one knew we were here.”
The merchant wagged his head and rushed out the door.
Christian whirled on Willow. “I thought you wanted to find Sage,” he stated.
“I do. But I have to get word to Raven and Father. They have to know where we are.”
“So that others can find us?”
“Are you saying my father and Raven would betray us?”
“No. I’m saying that merchant will betray us.” Christian pointed at the door. He lowered his hand. “You’ve always been too trusting.”
“And you’ve always been too cynical.” She wrung out her braid, and water dripped from it. “Not all people are bad.”
“It doesn’t matter whether he is good or bad,” Christian growled. “If his life is in danger, he will tell all.”
“What is there to tell?”
