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Best to move swiftly

He whistled The hounds loped toward hi those teeth He grabbed the little boy and hoisted hie at either side strode into the forest All the way through the woodland he heard the, but none ca"

He reeked, the poor thing, and as they ca the land around the distant walls, he peed Warm liquid trickled down Alain’s side There wasn’t e barked, swinging his head around to sniff Alain’s hip

Out here farh it was late in the season for such work A pair of soldiers patrolled on horseback They cantered over, looking hier was a freckled lad about sixteen and with a tentative grip on his spear His coe, with darker hair and a scaly patch of skin on one cheek that had been scratched until it bled

"Who are you?" the elder asked "What’s your business in Autun?" He indicated the child with the blade of his spear "Beggars not allowed in Autun Go elsewhere"

"I found this child abandoned in the woods Has the biscop no foundling home? Is there no monastery nearby that takes in orphans?"

"I don’t know," said the h to feed the lady’s household and her army Certain there isn’t spare for a dirty crippled brat like that one See you there, Jochis"

"He’s crippled," said the lad brightly

"So he is, but was he born with the twisted legs? Or did his ive bread and coin?"

"Nay" The lad shook his head "Nay, no ht Or a handsome uncle, like this one who carries him Look at his decent clothes, who leaves a babe wrapped in only a bit of torn cloth He found a babe forgot in the woods? I knohat lurks in the woods All those driven out of town by my lady’s order Thieves and whores and murderers Nay, fellow" He lowered his spear to block the path In the distance a pair of farmers looked their way "We want none of your kind in our town"

"His cloak is shorn off," said the lad "See? That’s what the babe is wearing Why would he tear his own cloak, if it’s true he cares nothing for the babe but only his own co and save the cloak"