The Winter Thief

34

Vera ran downhill through the forest until she came to a high wall. She followed it and found a gate. There was no guard, at least on her side, but it was locked. She looked behind her and listened, but couldn’t hear Sosi, only the baying of dogs. Breathless, she burrowed into a pile of leaves and pine needles behind a large boulder where she couldn’t be seen. It hadn’t occurred to her that they would send dogs. Dogs noticed movement, she remembered from home, though they also had an excellent sense of smell. She looked around wildly. Where was Sosi? She didn’t dare call out to her.

The gate in the palace wall opened and two guards rushed in. They stopped at the edge of the forest and listened intently, then had a hurried conversation.

Vera didn’t understand what they said, but while they were distracted, she scrambled up and, keeping her body low, ran through the gate as fast as she could, expecting at any moment to be cut down.