“Look, if you’re going to steal all our things, the least you could do is to ask...” Guy began, but was interrupted by what he saw. It hadn’t been a child stealing their things, nor had it been a starving citizen of the town. It was a young girl, about his age maybe, and she stared right into his eyes.

     “I’m sorry,” she said, while trying to pull free from his grip. “I was just so hungry, and I needed money to buy somewhere to sleep at.”

     Guy looked at her to get a quick view at what he was dealing with. A young, beautiful girl, stealing money and food. No, he was not about to get into a discussion with her. He was better off just giving her the things.

     When he took another look, he realized that she didn’t have more luggages than the apple in her hand. For a person almost stripping a whole wagon of possessions, she had a very light packing...

     “Money, huh?” he said angrily. “Could you explain where the rest of our things are?”

     The girl lowered her head and stared into the ground. “I gave it to some children. They need money more than I do. Please let go of me, I promise to not steal anything more.”

     Guy decided to leave her alone. If she was so desperate to get food, she probably needed it more than they did.

     He let go of her arm and went back to guarding what was left of the packing. When he turned his head around, he saw that the girl was still there, watching him, while eating on her apple.

     “Where are you going?” she asked.

     “Across the border,” Guy explained tiredly. “Shouldn’t you go find your parents?”

     “I don’t have any,” she answered, throwing a glimpse over her shoulder. “Is it your wagon?”

     “I’m just guarding it,” Guy said.

     “You’re not very good at your job,” the girl shrugged. “Are you from England?”

     “Look, I don’t have time to talk to every small criminal I stumble upon. I wouldn’t have time for anything else but that, in that case. I won’t tell anyone you stole from us.”

     “Can I come with you?” she went on. “Are you going back to England?”

     “No, you can’t come with us. We don’t have room for you. And you’re too young; you would only be in our way, getting into trouble.”

     Guy took a deep breath of relief when Charlie suddenly appeared from out of nowhere. “We’re ready to leave. I got some food, and Fulton ate most of it on the way here. Where’s Adam? Who are you?” Charlie stared at the stranger next to him. “We don’t have any money to give you.”

     “Don’t worry, she knows that. She stole most of it while I was distracted by the boredom of being left alone here for what felt like an eternity.”

     Charlie climbed up on the wagon and threw a quick look at the packing. “I think she scraped us bare. Give it back, young lady.”

     “She gave it to some children,” Guy sighed. “Let’s just get going.”

     “I want to go with you,” the girl said again. “Please, just for a day or two?”

     Charlie laughed harshly. “We don’t need a baby in our packing. Go back to your Mom and Dad, okay?”

     “I’m an orphan,” she said. “Please, I just want to get back to England. I don’t take up much space, and if you really can’t stand me, just let me get off at the next town.”

     Charlie refused even more. “Forget it. You would only cause us trouble. A thief needs no company of another thief, do you understand? If we get in trouble, you would be the first target. Young girls like you don’t last a day out in the world. There are murderers, lunatics, rapists, everything you can think of.”

     “But...”

     “No, I won’t change my mind. We need no girl on this journey. Especially not a youngster. What’s your name?”

     “Connie.”

     “Look, Connie,” Charlie said. “I don’t want to be cruel, but you’re in no use for us. You’re too young, too inexperienced and way too pretty to go on a trip with four guys.”

     “I have experience,” Connie protested. “I grew up on a farm; my Dad treated me just like my brothers. I’ve been on my own for quite sometime now.”

     “Would you like an advice? Go back home to your brothers and live on that farm. Get married, have some kids, act your age. Don’t travel by yourself, and don’t ask strangers if you can go with them. Who knows, we could be murderers.”

     “Where are you going?” she asked yet again. “I could be helpful. I can’t cook, but I know how to make fire. I know how to fight and defend myself. If anyone tries to mess with me, I can take care of myself. All I ask for is to come with you, just over the border.”

     Guy decided to make himself heard in the matter. “Forget it; everything you know is in no use for us, because we all know how to do it ourselves. Eat your apple and go back to what you came from.”

     “I’m not too young,” she piped up. “I’m seventeen, eighteen in a couple of months. I’ll do anything. If I stay here, I’ll end up living on the street, begging for money. Please, it would only be for a while.”

     Guy looked towards the sky. It was beginning to get cloudy, and if they didn’t get going, they would find themselves in the middle of a rainstorm.

     “You’re still too young. You’re a minor, and we would get executed if they find you with us. We’re much older than you,” Charlie muttered.

     “How much older?” she wanted to know.

     “I’m twenty, Guy’s nineteen, and the other two we travel with are our age too.”

     “So, it’s not too bad. I could be in use, I promise.”

     Guy rolled his eyes. “Well, if anyone tries to mess with you, you could always talk them to death. Do you ever get quiet?”

     Adam came stumbling up to them, breathing hard. “We have to go, now! They’re on to us; they know that we are wanted.”

     Charlie put his hand on Connie’s shoulder and pushed her away. “You have to leave; you’ll get in trouble if you stay with us.” Just as he’d said that, Fulton came storming towards them as well. He had four guards on his tail, and they were getting closer by the second.

     “We need to go now!” Adam shouted and climbed up on one of the horses. “What’s she doing here?”

     Guy closed his eyes and tried to gather his thoughts. If they left her, the chances were big that the guards would think she was one of them, since she happened to be English too. If they took her with them, she would definitely become one of them.

     Much could be said about the four of them, but leaving a young girl to her own rescue was not something they could do. Guy didn’t even have to say anything. Charlie threw one quick look towards the guards, and then he reached out his hand towards Connie. “Come on, you can’t stay here.” With a quick movement, he picked her up into the wagon and made the horse turn around.

     Before they knew it, they were on their way out of the town, with less packing, but with more travelers than they needed.