Page 98 of The Piper's Pursuit

Steffan gazed down at Katerina. “You aren’t hurt, are you?”

“No. But I am glad you came when you did.”

“If you stabbed Hans, you must have been doing well on your own.”

He immediately regretted his words, as tears filled her eyes.

“It was—” She stopped and pressed two fingers against her lips. She let out a breath and started again. “It was horrible. I didn’t want to hurt him. He was my friend.” Her voice suddenly took on a harder tone. “Or so I thought. He let Hennek hurt my mother. But it was still very hard to stab him.” She pressed her face against his shirt.

He rubbed her arm. “I wish I’d been here to protect you. I’m so sorry.”

“You are a good man.”

He leaned down and kissed her temple as she hugged him tight.

***

The next several weeks were a blur. Katerina was still trying to learn all her duties and do them well. Steffan was the new captain of the guard, and he was busy training new guards and managing all the others. But Steffan made time to take Katerina on picnics, go for a ride in the hills, and take a long walk. And he made certain that everyone knew he was there to protect the town, but his first loyalty was to the mayor.

One day he came to see Katerina at the end of the day, and a man was complaining to her, very loudly, because he’d been arrested for assaulting a vegetable vendor in the marketplace. Steffan heard the man berating her as he walked in the door. Kat was trying to reason with him, but Steffan took him by the collar and escorted him out.

“No one talks to the mayor like that,” Steffan told the man. “You will mind your manners or you will not be allowed the privilege of speaking with her at all.”

The man picked up his hat, which fell into the street when Steffan ushered him out the door, and hurried away, grumbling as he went, but under his breath.

“You probably only made him angrier.” Katerina was waiting for him when he came back inside. She smiled and wrapped her arms around him.

“I had better not hear of his coming in here to you again with his loud complaints.” Steffan hugged her in a gentle squeeze. “No one shouts at my mayor.”

She stood on her toes and kissed his cheek. He kissed her lips, but only briefly, as there always seemed to be someone nearby bringing her a proclamation to sign, or showing her the records of the treasury, or some other thing.

“Should I give you my report of the day’s activities?” Steffan asked, still holding her in his embrace.

“Is that why you came? I thought you were here to give me my daily kiss and chase off grumpy men.”

He kissed her again, this time making her lose her breath. When he pulled away, he said, “I came to inform you that I will be getting rid of our town’s rat population this evening, just at sunset.”

“Oh! How do you plan to do it?”

“First I wish to know how much reward money the mayor is offering for ridding Hamlin of its rats.”

She placed a finger to her chin. “Hmm. Ten silver guilders?”

“I’ll take it.” He released her, then took her hand in his. “Now come and see.”

They went out onto the main street of town. Steffan took out his pipe. He took a deep breath, then began to play a lively tune.

The people on the street looked startled and searched for the source of the pipe playing. No doubt everyone in town now knew how Hennek had lured the children away. They all watched as Steffan stood there playing for a few moments, then started walking.

Rats were coming down the street toward him. Kat backed away, pressing herself against the wall of her house and standing on a little stool to get away from them. The rats continued to come down the street from both directions and from the smaller streets and alleys. And Steffan continued to play and walk, moving toward the marketplace.

Katerina followed. People opened their windows and looked out of their homes. Others followed, curious to see what would happen to all the rats following him.

Once he was in the marketplace, which was the center of town, he led them down the street until he came to one of the town gates. He led the rats through it, still playing his lively tune, onto the road and up the hill just outside town, the same hill where the entrance to the silver mine was hidden. A few people, including Katerina, continued to follow the massive herd of rats that accompanied Steffan out of town, but the rest stood at the gate and watched until they were out of sight.

They went the rest of the way up the hill, and Steffan kept playing until he reached the opening in the mine. He went down into the hole, holding the pipe. Would the rats follow him into the hole? The rodents crowded around the opening, then began to fall into it until they had all disappeared into the mine.

The people standing around the entrance to the mine looked at each other. Finally, Katerina stepped forward and went down to see what was happening.