After making her way through a stretch of tall grass, Sally arrived at the top of the hill. Farmer James was still there, off to her right, looking out over the river. But he was far enough away that he hadn't noticed her.

Crawling on her belly, which her mother would not appreciate because her clothes would be stained with dirt, Sally crept just beyond some hedges that lined the top of the bluff. She peeked out and stared at the encroaching darkness. Indeed, it looked to be a terrible storm, although she was unable to tell if it had gotten any closer than the last time she had seen it.

Sally looked to her right and examined Farmer James's face. He squinted as he gazed at the storm. It was difficult to be certain from this distance, but he seemed concerned. It was an expression she had never seen him wear and that worried her a bit.

She turned back toward the dark sky. What could it be? A storm or something worse? From left to right the darkness spanned the entire horizon.

How can a storm be that big, she wondered. And how can it last so long? The people in town had been talking about it for days. Surely a storm would have come and gone in that length of time.

"OOOHH, DEE-DEE-DEE!"

Sally cried out and rolled over onto her back. "Farmer James!" Her heart was racing from the scare.

A smile formed on the farmer's face and he began to laugh. "That's what you get for sneaking! You get sneaked on!"

Farmer James helped Sally to her feet and lead her down the bluff and then past his cottage. "Run along now girl," he said. "Don't forget these," he added, handing Sally her basket full of berries. "Take some corn on your way through the gardens if you'd like."

"Okay, I will." Sally turned to leave but said. "Are we still going to have a lesson today?"

"Of course, my dear. Just after school."

"Good," she said, twiddling her fingers.

Farmer James leaned over, one hand on his rake, the other on his knee. "What's troubling you?"

"Well..." she bit her lower lip.

"Out with it now," he said with a grin.

"I was going to ask you something...."

After a moment of silence, the farmer said, "Well...I cannot provide you an answer to a question unless you first ask it."

Sally scrunched her nose and said, "Do you know about the rider last night?"

The farmer searched her eyes and his grin faded. He nodded. "You saw him, did you?"

"I did. I felt the horse on the road."

"Mm-hmm...me too."

"I snuck out into my yard. They were right there – the rider and his horse, the guards, the Mayor..."

Farmer James looked up into the sky. Haste had stopped circling and was perched in a tree overhead. "Yes. I saw him."

Sally gasped. "You did? Why did the Mayor take him away?"

Farmer James shook his head. "That I do not know. But I am going to find out." He gave her a broad grin. "But don't you worry about that, okay?"

She nodded. "Okay, but...how can I not?"

Rising to his full height, the farmer looked down at her. "Well, you just go ahead with the things you are supposed to go ahead with, like school, chores, lessons..."

She frowned. "He looked like he was from the north."

"Young lady..."

"Was wearing purple..."

"Sally..."

"Belmeade colors..."

"Sally Mordigan!"

Sally started at his stern tone, but then he smiled and she relaxed.

"Run along. After your schooling we'll meet for your lesson."

"Okay," she chirped.

"Off you go, now."

Sally waved and then departed. After picking some corn for her family she skipped through the gardens, the approaching storm and the mysterious rider momentarily forgotten.

•

Farmer James watched her weave down the winding garden path until it curved out of sight. A child's innocence was a precious thing. But he feared that soon Sally and the other children in Lush Acres would have to grow up before their time. For most children, a tiny lie would've done more good than harm considering such a matter...but not for Sally. She was different. He could have simply said that he hadn't seen the rider, but he didn't feel comfortable doing so. It was right to tell her the truth. He had seen the rider and it did concern him.

Farmer James turned around and leaned on his rake. The sun was rising in the morning sky and the day was already warming considerably. Wiping the sweat from his brow, the farmer looked around at his yard and his home. He watched his wife as she passed back and forth beyond the cottage window. He viewed his gardens, in which he had toiled through the summer season and the cathedral spire, off in the middle of the village, rising high above his crops. And he wondered what would happen to it all once the dark arrived.