Page 6 of The Piper's Pursuit

A woman ahead of them was carrying a large cloth bundle in front of her, across her arms, obstructing her view.

“Watch out!” the girl with the crossbow yelled, hurrying toward the woman, but it was too late. The rodents surrounded the woman’s feet. She lifted a foot, teetering, then fell to her knees among them and screamed.

Steffan slid from his saddle and ran toward her, but the young woman with the crossbow raced ahead of him and began kicking a path through the rats.

Steffan used his booted feet to sweep the rodents out of the way. The girl reached the woman first and grabbed her under her arms, yanking her to her feet. Steffan picked up the woman’s bundle. He shook off a rat that had sunk its teeth into it, then kicked at the rats that were still swarming around them, clearing a circle of safety around the two women.

Finally, the herd of rats moved on down the street.

“Thank you, Fräulein Katerina.” The woman let out a loud breath, then laughed shakily. “And you.” She took her bundle from him. “Thank you.”

So the girl’s name was Katerina.

“You are welcome, Frau,” Steffan said.

“Frau Walpurg, this is Steffan of Hagenheim.”

“I thank you, Herr Steffan.” Frau Walpurg bowed, then smiled at him.

It amused him to hear someone call him “Herr” when the proper way to address him was “Lord Steffan,” but he didn’t correct her.

“We shall walk with you as far as my house,” Katerina said.

Her house? Was she a servant of the Bürgermeister? Steffan would have to speak to him about letting his servant girl go hunting alone with the beast stalking about.

“Are you not one of our town’s guards, a big strapping man like you?” Frau Walpurg asked.

“I am not.”

“I’m sure the Bürgermeister would be grateful to have your services.”

“Steffan of Hagenheim is only passing through,” Katerina said.

“That is probably true, Fräulein Katerina, though one never can be certain of the future.”

She frowned and leaned away when he spoke her name.

Frau Walpurg turned to Katerina. “Please tell Herr Hennek to find someone to get rid of these rats.” The woman’s eyes filled with tears.

“Of course. I will.” Katerina laid a comforting hand on the woman’s arm.

“Fare well, Katerina,” Frau Walpurg said, moving away from them, “and thank you again, Herr Steffan of Hagenheim.”

“You are most welcome.” He gave her a gallant bow.

“The Bürgermeisterwill think of a way to rid us of these rats, and the beast too. God will reveal it to him. Hennek is a good Bürgermeister.”

Steffan noticed Katerina cringing at the woman’s words, then she gave the woman a weak half smile. “Can you make it the rest of the way home?”

“Yes, yes.” With one last “fare well,” the woman hurried away down the street.

Katerina strode toward a large, four-story, half-timber house, colorfully decorated with fantastical painted-on animals and flowers. A young man was coming around the side of the house.

“Please take this man’s horse to the stable.” Katerina inclined her head toward Steffan and his horse.

“Of course.” The young servant reached for the reins and Steffan handed them over.

Steffan waited for her to go first, then followed her to the giant wooden front door with the head of a lion two feet wide carved into it at eye level. She opened the door and went ahead of him, her shoulders tilted back, her head high, unlike any servant girl he’d ever seen.