Baby brother 2/9

Sir George was whistling happily to himself as he drove his horse and cart back from Lower Dene towards Lurbridge. He’d already delivered one cart full of planks and was on his way back to collect the final load. Phil at the timber yard had been kind enough to ship two cartloads across Timber Creek, so that he wouldn’t have to waste any time driving all the way round the road to the other side of the river to fetch it.

The cart was safely taking the short cut through the forest, now that the witch who used to live there had been turned into a cat. If he hurried, he could reload and get back to Lower Dene in time to collect his money by the evening. Rather unusually the horse was happy as well. Although there was rarely any excitement nowadays, he was well fed and Sir had promised to get a proper carthorse as soon as he was able to afford one.

“I think we might be heading for trouble,” warned the horse all of a sudden, “there are several men hiding in the bushes on both sides of the road fifty yards or so ahead.”

Sure enough, a few moments later a man carrying a long wooden staff stepped out in the road holding up his hand. “Can you give us a lift to Lurbridge mate?”

“Of course I can,” said George, “whoa there!”

“Not blinking likely,” replied the horse and he broke into a trot, changing to a gallop as soon as he got the cart moving quickly enough.

The man ran at the cart waving his staff angrily, while four others burst out of their hiding places and tried to attack. It wasn’t really a good idea on their part. Although they managed to get a few whacks at the cart as it hurtled past them, they didn’t really have a chance of stopping it, while one of them was run over by one of the wheels and was left lying in the road holding his foot, screaming in pain.

“Told you so,” said the horse smugly.

“Well there goes our chance of a return trip tonight. I’ll have to wear my chain mail and sword when we go back to Lower Dene, or else go round the long way in future.