Page 24 of The Noble Servant

“If she wants to live, and wants her friend to live, she had best stay with her geese.”

Lenhart and the maiden both glared back at him, but he suddenly smiled, then laughed. “You cannot win against me. I am the stable master here, and I will do as I see fit. Lord Hazen listens to me, not some little goose girl and a mute puppy. You two.” He pointed at Lenhart and the other stable worker, whose eyes were cautious. “Get to work.”

“People in Wolfberg are expected to treat others with mercy and respect,” Steffan called after the man, but he did not even acknowledge Steffan’s words. What kind of fiends had his uncle hired to work in place of their old loyal workers?

He turned to the goose girl. “Are you all right?”

She nodded, still rubbing her neck gingerly, while Lenhart hovered next to her.

“Let me see.” He eased her hand away. Two red thumbprintsmarked the front of her pale throat. “I should have that man thrashed for what he did to you.” And he would, if he were still the Duke of Wolfberg and the ruler of this castle and town.

She looked at him curiously. Did she know he was the duke? Did she recognize him? Could it be that they were both in the same predicament?

But her gaze was drawn to the boy. “Lenhart, are you in danger? Do you think he would ... kill you?”

Lenhart took a breath and let it out slowly. Then he shook his head.

“Perhaps you should run away, back to Mallin.”

An uncomfortable look crossed his face, then he shook his head. Lenhart bent down and started writing in the dirt.I want to stay with you.But I will go back to get help if you want me to.

How did this mute servant boy learn to read and write? But he held the question for later.

The maiden seemed to think for a moment, then finally said, “No, it would be dangerous for you. It would take at least three days, especially if you had no horse, for you to make it back to Mallin, and anything could happen to you on the road. You might even get lost.”

He brushed the dirt with his hand, erasing his words, and wrote,Erlich said if I ran away, he would track me down, chop off my head, and hang it over the stable door.

She suddenly threw her arms around him. “I’ll find a way to save us,” she mumbled against his shoulder as they squatted in the stable yard.

His heart gave a squeeze at their affection. He shoved that feeling away.

She let go of Lenhart and stood. “You know where I am if you need me?”

He nodded, then gave her a wave. She waved back and turned away.

“Who is that insane man who tried to strangle you?” Steffan said as they walked back through the bailey toward the servants’ barracks.

“He is the stable master now. He ... does not like me or Lenhart.”

“And how do you know Lenhart?”

“I have known him for a long time. My father discovered his own father was beating him, so Father brought him to live with us. He is a good boy but can be stubborn with men who remind him of his father. It makes me furious to think of someone striking him.”

“I can see that.” He felt a strange warmth as he remembered the way she had stood up for the boy, the way she clenched her fists and raised her voice and demanded respect for a poor mute servant.

“So, you both arrived here from Mallin recently?”

“Yes.”

“You taught him to read and write, didn’t you?”

“I enjoy teaching others.” She did not glance his way as she brushed some dirt from her skirt.

He waited, but she wasn’t going to give him any more information. “I’ll walk you back.”

Her green eyes were quite beautiful, whether she was giving a death glare to a man twice her size or giving Steffan a suspicious side glance.

He should not be—but he was—looking forward to taking his sheep out to graze tomorrow.