Page 47 of Feathered Thief

She stepped aside for them to enter a low-ceilinged room with smoke-stained beams and walls and a small fire on the hearth. Two other patrons were quietly eating at separate tables.

The innkeeper named her price for two meals each and two rooms, and Lenka placed the coins in her hand, which had slender white fingers. “I will bring your meal,” the woman said. “You may call me Madame Kaczmarek. Sit where you wish.”

The food was simple yet flavorful, and the crusty bread was fresh. When the woman returned, Lenka was more than ready to follow her upstairs to a small private room while Papa waited his turn. When asked if she would like a bath, Lenka eagerly handed over more coins. “Also, for my servant,” she said. Papa deserved the luxury as much as she did.

After a restful sleep, she awoke early and sat up, savoring a real bed with a feather-stuffed tick. Her hair was still damp, so she set her little horse on her lap and combed through her tangled mane with her fingers, gradually working from the ends to her scalp, then hummed while braiding its length into a thick rope. She didn’t understand how it had come about, but her clothing was clean and warm. Last, she pulled on the woolen cloak that concealed all feminine curves.

She kissed her little horse’s nose and whispered, “I love you,” then tucked him into her pocket, smiling. As time passed, she chose to believe that the young man of her dreams might have a connection with her toy. A romantic dream, but why not?

After breakfasting on oat porridge, with Papa sharing her table, Lenka thanked the proprietress, who was as quiet and sober as she’d been the night before.

However, by morning light, something about her seemed familiar.

Lenka took a chance and asked, keeping her voice low, “Ma’am, do you know how I might find a golden bird?”

“A yellow finch?”

“No, a bird made of gold but alive. I’ve seen it, and I’m on a quest to find and capture it.”

She looked faintly concerned. “How could anyone know how to find such a thing?”

Feeling foolish, Lenka bade the woman farewell and entered the street. But the innkeeper called after them, burst through the doorway, and pushed a burlap-wrapped package into Lenka’s hands. “May God be with you,” she said without making eye contact, and quickly turned back.

Lenka barely had time to say, “And with you,” before the door shut. Confused, she looked to Papa, who merely raised his brows. So, she examined the package, which smelled of bread and cheese. “That was very kind of her.”

“She is a good woman,” he agreed. “She acted like she knows you. Did she seem at all familiar?”

Lenka shook her head. “I expect she’s just a kind person.”

Or was the innkeeper someone from her forgotten past? The idea was unsettling.

To her surprise, the inn across the way looked and sounded every bit as jolly and chaotic as the night before. Hardly the sort of place to get a good night’s sleep. No wonder the fox had advised her against it.

Smiling a little, she walked beside Papa, her spirits rising. Although the breeze was cold, the sun shone brightly. They continued northeast on the main thoroughfare, which soondwindled into a narrow track through a sloping meadow. They passed a dairymaid with her cattle, then a dog and shepherd with their flock.

The fox had promised to find her, she reminded herself, scanning their surroundings. But whoever heard of a talking fox? Why did?—

Oh! Not five paces ahead, the fox sat beside the path, its pupils like dark slits in its glimmering eyes. “You’re here,” it said, sounding surprised. “Who is this?” It eyed Papa, who returned the scrutiny.

“This is, um, Hrabik. My servant. I figured a fox couldn’t meet me at the inn, so I?—”

“A sensible assumption,” the fox cut her off. “Now, climb onto my tail. Time is wasting.”

“But . . . my servant.”

“You expect me to carry two?”

“If you cannot, then we will walk.”

The fox’s lips twitched, revealing sharp fangs. But it said, “Very well. I shall carry you both.” It turned its tail to Lenka, and she looked to Papa.

He stared at her as if she’d lost her mind.

She tried to explain. “We must ride on his tail. He carried me to the village last night.”

“You believe this is the wise thing to do?” Papa asked. “To trust a fox?”

Lenka nodded, but she couldn’t produce a smile.

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