Free The Wandering Harlot (The Marie Series) by Iny Lorentz

eldest son stopped and pointed toward a tree. “Look, there’s a dead woman lying beside the road.”
    Soon the entire group had gathered around the lifeless body. Even Hiltrud left her goats and came closer, curious. At that moment, Hiltrud noticed the girl’s lips moving slightly, and she shook her head. “She’s not dead yet.”
    While the troupe eyed her doubtfully, Hiltrud bent over the motionless figure. Despite the layer of dirt and the pained look on her face, it was evident that she was strikingly beautiful. Her yellow robe suggested she had been driven from one of the nearby cities, and judging by her bloodstained shirt that clung to her back when Hiltrud tried to lift it gently, the girl had been whipped mercilessly.
    In general, the behavior of maids and women of the lower classes didn’t attract much attention in the cities. If they got out of hand, they would quickly be put in a penitent’s robe and chased out of town, but they weren’t whipped until they were half-dead. Puzzled, Hiltrud glanced at the girl’s hands. Such smooth, delicate fingers didn’t belong to a maid or day laborer. The girl had to be the daughter of a well-to-do citizen or even a nobleman. That made the matter even more mysterious, since if the daughter of a rich family got into trouble, she would usually be quickly married off to a willing liegeman, or sent to a nunnery. Hiltrud was intrigued and felt sympathy for the girl.
    “If she isn’t dead yet, she will be soon. We can’t do anything for her.” Shrugging, the leader of the group turned away and climbed back onto the coach box of his wagon. The performers were about to move on, but Hiltrud couldn’t make up her mind. Though the girl was no concern of hers, it was against her nature to leave someone helpless by the side of the road. As the leader mounted his horse and clicked his tongue, Hiltrud stepped in front of him.
    “Please wait a moment, Jossi. I want to bring the girl along.”
    The bearded leader shook his head. “If we dawdle, we won’t get a good place at the fair.”
    “Just a few minutes,” Hiltrud pleaded.
    “You can stay behind if you want to deal with the dirty whore.” The leader’s wife emphasized the word whore in order to offend Hiltrud.
    Hiltrud had been the target of so many insults that by now they just bounced off her. Annoyed, she watched as the leader raised his whip and drove his draft animals forward without waiting to see if she would get out of the way. After a short glance at the unconscious girl, she stepped aside and turned to one of the younger men.
    “Please help me load her onto my wagon. I’ll care for her after we arrive in Merzlingen.”
    With his help, Hiltrud lifted the girl onto her wagon, but while she was still thanking him, the leader’s wife turned around and sharply ordered him to come back.
    Hiltrud smiled as she gently prodded her goats to move forward, but her laughter died away quickly when she saw that her animals couldn’t pull the wagon’s additional weight.. She had to tie a rope around the wheel shaft and hitch herself up to the wagon as well.
    That’s what you get for having a soft heart, she chided herself in silent thought. Now you can play the part of your own draft animal, and all because of a woman who will probably die this very night. With this luck, you’ll have to bury her with your own hands and pay the priest a few pennies to say a blessing over her grave.
    With every step she took, her mood worsened. It was an arduous job, pulling the wagon in this heat. To get her mind off her situation, she thought about what to do with the girl if she survived.
    I could use a maid to help me pitch my tent and cook for me. Besides, she’s a pretty lass who will attract customers. When she’s able to work I’ll get good money from the men.
    Now greatly concerned with making sure the girl lived, Hiltrud stopped briefly at a brook, soaked a cloth in the water, and dampened the unconscious girl’s