“What is he doing in town?”questioned Arik. “We had hoped the witch in the blue dress wouldstumble into them when she left thinking she would follow us north.Now she may come back when she finds out we didn’t leavetown.”

“I don’t know,” pondered Tedi.“I just got frightened and took off. Still, I think I’d rather facesome bandit killer than that witch with her magic and questionsabout our age.”

“Maybe we should just go spendthe day at our campsite until our fathers return,” suggestedArik.

“I think that is a good idea,”responded Tedi. “I don’t want that bandit to know anything aboutus. He might even start asking questions like the witchdid.”

The two boys rose to continue along thepath, oblivious to the man dressed in black that had been squattingnot ten paces away.

The boys crossed over the coastalhighway and reentered the woods to make their way to theircampsite. Once along the way, they heard rabbits and managed to bagtwo of them for dinner. Arik laughed. “See, when you are quietenough, even the animals don’t know that you are there. Maybe wecan spend the afternoon by me teaching you some of the tricks Ilearned from Trapper Grein.”

The man in black smiled slightly asTedi agreed to the lessons and the boys continued down the path. Ittook longer getting to the campsite through the woods, but the boysfelt safer keeping out of sight of anyone in the town who might belooking for them. When they reached the campsite Arik retrieved thehidden duffel bag and started a fire. The man in black crept off asArik started teaching Tedi his tricks of quietness.

When the men returned from fishing, theboys had a dinner of rabbit stew waiting for them. Master Markelwalked over to the pot and inhaled deeply. “That smells mightygood, boys,” he remarked. “Master Clava and I have kept some oftoday’s catch for dinner, but what you have smells a bit moreappetizing.”

“I think we can have the stewand the fish,” added Konic. “It’s not right to waste good food. Didyou have a good day hunting?”