Interlude 1

I watched Revlis and Apemantus until they disappeared around the bend in the river and was turning to go back to where we had left the rowboat, when I was spotted, I will be the first to say, I should have seen the boy first but my mind was on other things.  Did I say spotted?  A better word would have been targeted.  He ran by me like a blur and to my credit I recognized what had happened instantly.  He had cut my purse from my belt with a deft flick of his wrist.  I had to admire the skill.  I gave chase.  We were running down the coast toward a road that came in from the East and then bent South with shoreline.  He looked to be a boy of about eight or nine with brown wavy hair.  The scamp had built up a decent lead and I feared if I didn’t catch up to him soon, I would have to give up the pursuit and catch my breath instead.  That’s when I noticed the woman with the pie wagon coming in our direction.  The little thief ran right up to her gave her my purse and vanished somewhere behind the wagon.

“Can I interest in a hot meat pie M’Lord?”

“No, thank you, and I’m certainly not a Lo—Menolly? Is that you?”

“It’s been a long time Captain Gerard.”  And she emphasized the title.  “How long has it been?”

“Longer than either of us care to remember.”

But I did remember to the very hour.  It had been ten years since I had seen her.

“You sure I can’t interest you in my pastries?  I baked them myself in the kitchens of Lufkin this morning.”

I had been so shocked to see Menolly again, and it seemed like she was acting as if we were little more than strangers, that I had almost forgotten about the boy.

“That boy… Does he work for you?”

A wry smile crossed her lips.  “You could say that.”

“The purse he gave you…He stole it from me.”

“Really?  So, the Dread Pirate is getting some of his own back?”  She tossed the purse back to me..

“Are you angry with me?”

“No, just sad.”

“You didn’t have to leave you know.”

“I most certainly did.  It was a Decree from your father, the Mayor of  Kleine.”

“But you could have found me.  We could have stood up to him.”

“You know your father’s men weren’t going to let me come within a mile of you that night.  You weren’t even in the city.  Your father had you attending his brother’s banquet in Herald Home.  In the end I did what was best for you, me and…”  She trailed off.

“And what?”

“And I haven’t regretted it.”