Thus, he had to have information. He had to know what was happening in the realms. He had to have time.

He had to plan.

He had his own work to do.

And in the now that work meant he was allied with Marian in one thing…

He had to delay.

134

The Finding

Teddy

Westernmost Lesser Thicket Forest

WODELL

“I think we’re far enough away, we can seek a road,” he said to Moira.

“I think we need to continue to be cautious,” she replied.

He shifted closer to her. “Moira, as I’ve said, we have much more of a chance of running into someone who can help if we travel the road.”

“Yes, and they know we’ve escaped,” she returned. “They were very intent on what they were doing, Teddy. They could be seeking us, and they can also find us on the road.”

She was frightened, as were all the women, and they had reason. He understood this.

Thus, he held tight to his patience, something he was learning well to do these past days.

“We have passed many a farmstead where we could have stopped and asked for succor,” he reminded her, still uncomfortable that they had, indeed, stopped, but not to ask for succor.

To take it.

They were now thieves.

Of course they would not have eaten in this past week if they had not stolen a cooling bread loaf from a window sill, several jars of preserves and pickles from a canning locker, a bag of shelled pecans left on a back stoop after the sheller was called away from their task, and a slab of cured ham from a meat stall.

But need was no excuse.

By his estimation they were still a three to four week walk away from Notting Thicket.

At least.

Not taking the road was adding to that and who knew what that creature had been up to in the meantime.

They needed to run into somebody.

They needed a conveyance.

They needed to be at Birchlire Castle three days ago.

“What do you think?”

Moira’s question brought him back to their conversation, and when it did, he saw she was asking the women.

They had, over the days, created a democratic way of going about their business. Although Teddy and Moira were looked to as leaders and to make final decisions, everyone had a chance to have their say.

And sometimes, like now, when Teddy and Moira could not decide, it was put to a vote.

“I’m not going on the road,” Terra said.

“Me either,” Kate added.

A number of the rest of them shook their heads while those who did not, did not seem averse to staying off the beaten path, they simply looked undecided.

This meant they would remain hidden by the forest and sneaking through fields, maybe adding weeks onto their journey.

While the Beast walked the earth.