The Golden Braid Read Online Free PDF

opened and an angel of music. But all he saw were a few stars winking above him through the leaves.
    The sound was coming from beyond the fire, from the direction of the two women who had chosen to sleep a distance away. He thought he had heard every song that was sung in the Holy Roman Empire, as many troubadours, Meistersingers , and minstrels as he had encountered in his travels. But this was not any song that he recognized.
    He closed his eyes. The melody wrapped around his chest, which ached with the beauty of it, even though he couldn’t quite make out the words.
    His mother was only a hazy figure now in his memory, as he had last seen her when he was seven years old. He had a memory of her leaning over him. It was nighttime, and she was singing to him. Her voice was sweet and soft and gentle, just like this one. Her song had filled his chest with a beautiful aching love, and now, listening to the song, he was filled with a similar, sweet ache.
    It must be the young maiden who was singing. The voice was too young and clear to belong to the older woman. Where had she learned such a song?
    How strange it was that two women would be out walking alone on the roads for such a distance. Tomorrow he would ask them where they came from and what their names were. And if they didn’t tell him, he would threaten to take them to Duke Wilhelm under suspicion that they were indebted servants who had run away from their rightful lord.
    He listened closely to the melody of the song, trying to memorize it. If only she would sing a little louder.
    His prisoner made a noise in his sleep like a pig snorting.
    The singing ceased. The man rolled over and started breathing heavily again. Gerek waited, holding his breath, but the singing did not resume.
    He stared up the stars, letting the melody of the song and the sweetness of the voice play over and over in his memory. It was haunting, lingering, beautiful.
    He slept lightly, waking every time his prisoner moved, which was often. By morning he was glad the night was over so he could get his prisoner to Hagenheim and turn him over to the gaoler to await justice.
    While he kept a close eye on his prisoner and prepared to depart, the two women were already packed up and leaving. The young maiden was looking back at him as they started toward the road.
    So they were leaving without him, were they? Well, why should he care? Let them get attacked by robbers again.
    He and his prisoner set out, too, but instead of the sky becoming lighter, it seemed to be getting dark again. He could smell rain in the air as a chill stole over him. It had been unusually warm, as it was still late winter, but rain would bring colder weather.
    He kept at a slow pace, with his prisoner walking behind, occasionally complaining about his feet or being thirsty. Gerek made sure he had what he needed, but he mostly ignored his complaints. If the prisoner thought Gerek was too kind, he would be more likely to do something sneaky.
    Suddenly the wind began to pick up, and then, just as quickly, it became still. Thunder rumbled in the distance.
    â€œNow I will get wet,” the robber grumbled.
    Gerek kept on his same steady pace. Just as he noticed a strange feeling in the air, a crack of lightning split the stillness, so loud it seemed to numb his ears. Gerek’s horse leapt, all four hooves off the ground, then reared and pawed the air.
    Gerek fought to control the horse and stay mounted. When his hooves were all back on the ground, the horse snorted and danced to the side.
    The lightning seemed to have come from just ahead of them. Gerek urged his horse forward at a trot, forcing his prisoner to walk fast to keep up.
    â€œAre you trying to kill me?” he protested.
    But Gerek did not slow the pace. He pictured the beautiful young maiden with the unearthly voice lying on the ground, felled by the lightning strike.
    After a few moments, he caught a glimpse of them up ahead. The young woman turned to glance