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“No,” Paige shook her head. “Who even knew—?”
Taran puzzled over the look Wilma and Paige exchanged. “Knew what?”
Wilma tossed the clay shards aside. “That Aiesha kept her most precious possession in a leather pouch, inside that clay pot. Eight turquoise stones. She just showed them to Paige, yesterday.”
Old Man stood and walked to Taran, as several more people crowded inside. “Out!” Old Man said, not bothering to look at them.
Taran could hear the grumbles and accusations whipping through the crowd. Some in languages he couldnae understand, but the tone was clear enough.
“We trusted him,” someone in the shadows muttered.
“As far as I’m concerned, he still has mine. He’s earned it right enough,” Wilma said loudly.
“I never trusted him. Or the girl, either,” someone accused.
“Give him a chance to explain,” Finn bellowed.
“Like the chance he gave Aiesha? No way. He’s guilty. They both are.”
“Stop it,” Wilma barked, facing down the small gathering. “I said Aiesha showed the stones to Paige. I never said Paige took them. There’s not one among you that didn’t have as much opportunity to do this as the next man. Or woman,” she added. “So let’s stop pointing fingers and get some priorities set here. Elsie, go see what you can do to make a decent bed from what’s left of those furs. Lisette, find something to hold water and get it on the fire to heat. And we’ll need some clean rags. Taran, you and Finn see how gently you can carry Aiesha to that bed. Gently,” she reminded them as they went to do her bidding.
“Come.” Old Man said to the villagers pressing through the opening. A little over a dozen crowded inside, staying on their side of the fire at Old Man’s direction. The others huddled behind them, straining to see and hear. “Who knows of this?”
Several began surmising until Old Man help up his hands. “Knows!”
The mutters died down while a few voices cried out their support for Taran.
Finn stepped forward. “I’d like tae speak.”
“You know of this?” Old man asked.
“No, I don’t,” Finn stated. “But I’ll put up all I own in his defense. I’ve worked wi’ Taran. He didn’t do this, and neither did the lass. I vouch for both.” He glared at the onlookers. “But it doesn’t take a genius tae know who did. Does it?”
Arguments and agreements rose from the crowd.
“We all thought the same, Finn,” someone said, “until they discovered Taran’s knife.”
Finn turned to Taran. “Anything else missing from your tent?”
Taran shrugged. “Ye hauled me out of there before ’twas light. I havnae had a chance tae notice. Besides, we were there all night and there isnae anything that anyone would…” He suddenly remembered his sporran and the money inside. He’d set it atop his pack along wi’ the dirk before he’d laid down. What a bloody foolish thing to do; leaving ’em so close tae the tent opening. But he hadnae worried about anyone here. What use was money to them? But their two new visitors? They seemed to have an affinity for it.
He looked at Paige whose fallen face meant she’d come to the same conclusion and glanced at Finn and Old Man. “Let’s go see.”
They and the villagers went as one body to the tent where Taran, Paige and Old Man crowded inside while Finn filled the doorway. Paige grasped Taran’s arm as they stared at his sporran. Like Aiesha’s fur robes, his sporran had been shredded, its contents stolen. Taran pushed the remnants aside and frantically searched for Will’s dirk.
“You search for the coins?” Old Man asked. “You will not find them.”
“No,” Taran growled. “I’m searching for my dirk. I dinnae care about the money. But I care exceedingly about the dirk.”
And worse, the rotter had been in the tent while he and Paige slept. He cursed himself for being so careless. ’Twas a time no one could have come near wi’out his knowledge. When had he become so lax?
Fury burned through him as Paige released a whimper. But this time, he dinnae have it in him to stop and console her. They all knew where Will’s dirk, his money, and Aiesha’s gold-piece and turquoise had gone.
Taran looked at Finn, who nodded. “I will go with ye.”
Turning to Paige, he had no words as he watched a myriad of emotions play across her face. Finally, she put her hand on his arm. “He said there were around twenty ‘Others’. Please be careful. And when you come back,” she added emphatically, “you’ll find me with Wilma, helping tend to Aiesha.”
He held her gaze wondering if she truly understood. “Paige. Ye ken I cannae fully control what might hap—”
