Free The Amber Legacy by Tony Shillitoe Page B

name?’
    ‘Megen Farmer,’ Axle explained, ‘and she thinks she’s too good for everyone else.’ She screwed up her face in contempt.
    ‘Flame-haired Meg,’ said the soldier. ‘Fiery. Foreign name, too. I think you’d be a fine piece of flesh in the sheets.’ He moved closer, his lips curling with anticipation, his hand reaching out. Meg tensed, prepared to swing the basket to ward him off, but Sunfire leapt, latched onto the man’s arm and dragged him off balance. Gardner wrestled his arm loose and kicked, but Sunfire dodged effortlessly, and took up guard again between Meg and the soldier, snarling viciously. ‘Looks like your bloody dog needs some lessons,’ Gardner said, shaking blood from his wrist. He drew his sword.
    ‘Gardner!’ A blond, thickset individual, who had been leaning against the bar, straightened up and strode towards Meg’s harasser. Gardner sighed heavily and stepped back, glancing once at Meg to grin evilly as hesheathed his weapon. For a moment she wondered if these men had been Samuel’s killers. The man who intervened looked warily at Sunfire. ‘I’m Leader Stone,’ he said to Meg. ‘Please excuse Gardner’s poor manners. He’s been a long time at war. I’ll take your basket into the Archer family. If you’re not interested in staying, it might be wise to go home now.’ He held out his hand to accept the basket. Sunfire growled quietly.
    ‘Will you give the food to the Archers?’
    ‘You have my word,’ said Leader Stone, and his eyes sparkled beneath his bushy blond eyebrow ledge. His expression satisfied Meg. She passed the basket to him. ‘I’ll take it straight in to them,’ he said. ‘But I’ll wait until you leave safely,’ he added, casting a wry smile in Gardner’s direction. The disgruntled soldier forced a false smile in return.
    Back in the fresh morning air, Meg headed for Button Tailor’s house. Clay Potter nodded as she passed his house. She crossed the bridge, glad to be away from the soldiers. Her father had gone to join the army, but she was certain he would never act like those men. Except perhaps Leader Stone. He seemed nice enough.
    The Tailor house was a three-roomed place, with a colourful array of flowers in the front garden. Brightday Tailor was digging in her vegetable patch, at the side of the house, and Meg glimpsed her husband, Needle Tailor, bent over a task in his shed. ‘Hello, Brightday,’ Meg called as she reached the dark-haired woman.
    Brightday straightened and brushed moist earth from her hands. ‘Meg Farmer,’ she said with a broad smile. ‘What brings you here this morning?’
    ‘I was looking for Button.’
    Brightday’s expression clouded. She beckoned Meg to come closer, and whispered, ‘He’s not here. If the soldiers or anyone else asks, tell them Button went south some time ago.’
    ‘Why?’
    ‘They’ll take him away, Meg. They’ll force him to join the army. That’s why they’re here. They’re looking for young men like Button.’
    ‘What about Loaf Baker? Or Oak Carpenter?’ Meg asked.
    ‘All the boys have left the village. If the soldiers can’t find anyone, they’ll move on. You have to pretend you haven’t seen any of the boys for several cycles.’
    ‘But why take them away?’
    ‘The war isn’t going as well as the Queen would want. She needs more men to join her armies.’
    ‘What are you going to do with that horse you found?’ Needle Tailor asked, as he emerged from the shed.
    She’d forgotten that Nightwind’s presence would interest the soldiers. ‘I haven’t thought about it,’ she responded.
    ‘They’ll want to take it back,’ Needle reminded her.
    Meg excused herself and walked briskly home, keeping to the left of the road as she passed Archer’s Inn. The soldiers stared again, so she moved purposefully, Sunfire loping protectively by her side. The day was heating up as usual, yet the air felt heavy. When she looked up, shielding her eyes with her hand, she saw that