When the new day broke, Madlen took a drink and crawled to the mouth of the cave. It was still very early, and the snow had laid a white blanket over the land. She was tempted to take some snow from outside of the cave, but decided against it. It was too dangerous. Someone might notice. She craned her neck but couldn’t see anybody. Although she wore only her dress and cloak, it wasn’t cold inside the cave. Yet here the harsh wind stung her face and she shivered violently. She took a deep breath once again and crawled back inside. Where was Kilian? Was it possible that her brother had forgotten her? She shook her head angrily. What nonsense. He would never do that.
The hours dragged on endlessly. Every now and then, she poked her head out of the cave to see if someone had come for her. But there were no tracks. Some distance away, she could see a few figures, but nobody approached the massive stone face in which Madlen hid. She remained sitting until it got too cold. Then she crawled back and crouched down. This time, she didn’t fall asleep. Her heart beat restlessly, and every noise frightened her. A faint glow illuminated the cave; it seemed to be very weak as she listened. Was there something at the mouth of the cave? She sat up soundlessly. There! Someone was there. She held her breath and held her hand in front of her mouth; it was the crunching sound of footsteps in the snow.
“Madlen, it’s me, Andreas,” she heard him whisper.
“Thank God!” She sighed in relief.
“Shh. Be quiet and come to me. Do you still have something to eat?”
“A little.”
“Good. Bring it with you.”
Madlen picked up the linen bag and crawled toward the mouth of the cave. She could clearly see his outline and was relieved to finally see another person so close to her.
“We don’t have much time,” he said. “Kilian’s prepared everything. You must do exactly as I tell you.”
She nodded eagerly.
“Good. And take this.” He handed her a little pouch that Madlen recognized immediately. “You’re going to need it for your escape.”
“But that’s the money I paid you for defending me in court. It’s yours.”
“You need it more than I do now. Hide it. Who knows? Maybe one of these days, you can return it to me. I won’t miss a coin or two.”
Without thinking, she bent over and pulled him close to her. “I don’t know how I can ever thank you.”
Andreas von Balge cleared his throat. “Just do what I tell you,” he replied quickly. “You’ll be out of Heidelberg before you know it.”
“Thank you.” Tears welled up in her eyes.
He nodded, then briefed her on his plan. By the time she finally crawled all the way out of the cave, crippling fear had given way to fierce determination.
Andreas von Balge led the horse by its reins as it pulled the cart. Kilian walked on the right to ensure that the stacked goods did not slide out. They tried hard to seem nonchalant as they strolled over the bridge. A good half dozen guards stood at the watchtower, enduring the winter cold. Kilian saw one guard nudge his colleague and scrutinize them closely. “Hey, you down there. What do you have in your cart?”
“Just some goods that I need to deliver. Nothing special.”
“Wait a minute!” He signaled the two other guards. “We want to take a look.”
“There’s nothing here, I assure you . . .” Kilian fell quiet.
“Stop, I said!” Immediately, two guards stormed down, while the other tower guards started to gather, too. The horse balked as the men came running. Kilian threw Andreas von Balge a frantic look.
“Who are you?” asked a guard. Eight guards surrounded Andreas, Kilian, the horse, and the cart.
“What kind of question is that?” Andreas shot back. “Since when is it illegal to cross the Neckar River?”
“I’ll ask you one more time, who are you?” The guard bared his teeth.
“What is your problem?” Andreas replied snidely. Kilian threw him a furtive glance, one the guards didn’t catch.
“Say, you’re not the advocate who defended that child murderer, are you?”
“She didn’t kill a child or anyone else. But I don’t expect you to believe that.”
The guard ignored him and glared at Kilian. “And you, I’ve seen you before. Aren’t you her brother?”
Kilian shrugged.
“What are you two bringing to the other side of the Neckar?” The guard raised his eyebrows.
“Watch out!” Five craftsmen struggled to carry a heavy wooden beam on their shoulders across the narrow bridge. “We need to bring this beam to the boats over at the pier,” said the man in front. “Step to the side so we may pass.”