A skittering sound in the dark is the only warning I get before I am pulled into one of the store rooms. I tense up but don't scream, knowing better than to alert anyone to my presence. Right now I'm only going to be scolded, if I disappoint the family more they may just get rid of me like the dead weight I am. Still, not being grabbed in the middle of the night would be an improvement. I make myself limp and follow through the stacks of goods, exiting through a wall that looked solid before a back entrance was revealed. I note it in my mind for later, always wanting more ways to get around the castle without being seen.
We go through a number of twists and turns, coming out in a hay loft that has a modest room adjourning it. The woman I have known all my life as the head of our family s
