Tayletha stiffened. She had heard something. What was it? She looked carefully around. The sound seemed to be coming from behind her; in the alley maybe. Just then a donkey brayed. 

"Duck!" she seized Stephanos by the collar and nearly threw him back down the hole then sliding after him. Heart pounding, she clung to him for several long minutes before lifting herself up sufficiently to look around. There was a host of receptacles crowding the area behind the fruit market. It probably looked disorderly from any other vantage point, but while crouching, Tayletha found the narrow twisting path throughout the containers to the door they were to enter. She took one more backward glance towards the alley then beckoned Stephanos to follow her. 
"You shouldn't have pulled me like that," Stephanos said accusingly. 
"Shh!" 
They crept forward even more cautiously than they had while following the beggar boys which now felt as if it had happened a lifetime ago. She opened the door a crack. There was a square of bright sunshine out front where Manasseh was doing a brisk business. Behind him was shadows. 
After a while Thia Priscilla's round face came into view in front of the market and Tayletha pressed back against the wall. Manasseh pretended to ignore Priscilla until there was a lull in business then whispered. 
"They are in the back. I heard movements." 
'Hmm, I thought we had been so quiet.' 
Tayletha leaned forward and saw Thia (aunt) Priscilla nod then disappear from sight. The children huddled behind containers while they waited for their aunt to tell them what to do next. 
Soon she reappeared and removed a double-edged wooden comb from the small basket she was carrying over her arm. While she gently combed Stephanos' locks and brushed the damp sand off his clothes, Tayletha attended to her own toilette. She knew they must appear as normal as possible. As a final change, she donned her headscarf in the Arabic fashion. Thia Priscilla looked at her thoughtfully, and then shook her head; no. 

"The desert dwellers are nomadic people, and do not go around with carts like we'll be in," she explained, so Tayletha draped her wimple over her hair more in the manner of Jewish women. 
Priscilla took Tayletha's reed shopping bag, and went next door to purchase an assortment of dried fruits and nuts for the journey. As Tayletha huddled in the shadows, she sort of wished she could go shopping with her, but was glad she didn't have to. Shortly after she returned, Tayletha heard another loud sound. Even though she had been expecting it, it still startled her. It was the squeak and rumble of wheels coming to a stop somewhere in the narrow side alley. Just then the sun hit the horizon, and soon it felt cooler. Priscilla motioned them to follow, and they crawled up behind Thios Aaron and Thia Priscilla. The donkey plodded slowly out of the narrow lane and into the intersection. 
Stephanos looked frightened, and Tayletha realized he had never ever used any method of travel besides his own two feet. Gradually he relaxed however, and looked interestedly around. It wasn't so easy for Tayletha. She unconsciously tightened her hands into fists. This is the very place where the guard captured me! Her eyes darted this way and that to see if he was anywhere around and then saw him yelling while dashing after some light fingered ruffian. 

"Help yourself to a peach, or a bunch of grapes," Thios Aaron suggested in a low voice. It sounded more like a command than an invitation. "And act normal," he added firmly. 

Tayletha reached into the basket behind her and chose a cluster of grapes. "Pretend to wrestle it from me, but not too hard,' she whispered to Stephanos, keeping her voice low. 

Stephanos nodded and they quietly tussled over who would get the largest and tastiest of the grapes. 'What a strange time to be eating such delectable fruit for the first time in my life! 
Tayletha heard a cock crow right next to her neck and screeched. She looked around and saw a small wooden cage with slates and the beady eye and beak of a red and black rooster. 

"That is for you," Thios Aaron said out of the side of his full, bushy white beard. "We purchased a small flock to get you started." 

Tayletha and Stephanos beamed at each other. Oh how nice it will be to have some animals of our own! 

"I'll gather the eggs," Stephanos crowed. 
"Nay, I will." 
"Hush, children!" Priscilla looked around anxiously. 

They made it to the gates of the city without anything unusual or frightening happening. There was a long line up of shuffling, impatient, or bored pedestrians as papers were checked and taxes paid. Tayletha feel rather conspicuous sitting up so straight and tall in a four wheeled cart while all around her people on foot were crowding towards the exit. Tayletha and Stephanos munched on grapes while they waited and glanced furtively around. She prayed no one would suspect they were Christians trying to escape! 

Just then Tayletha caught a glimpse of shining armour coming their way and instantly dragged Stephanos off the seat while flinging herself on top of him. He huffed indignantly at her rudeness but she clasped her hand firmly over his mouth and whispered what she had seen. There was a large shawl draped between her uncle and aunt. Thia Priscilla let it slide on top of the children. The youngsters flattened themselves as much as possible and Tayletha tugged the meager covering this way and that to conceal as much of their bodies as possible. Oh if only the cart had a roof on top! She heard the cavalry pound past and it shook the cart. It shook her, too. 

"Is it safe to get up?" she whispered after things had calmed down, somewhat. She saw her relatives hurriedly consult each other before Thios Aaron looked back at them and nodded. 
"Get up slowly, one at a time in case someone is looking this way. You first Tayletha: and watch!" 

In one way it was a relief when the long wait was over and they were almost at the front of the line. Just ahead of them there was a ruckus going on concerning some arrogant and very irritated Arabian camel merchants who were shouting at the guard. While Tayletha was trying to figure out what the problem was with her limited knowledge of his Arabic tongue, the guard distractedly motioned for his young apprentice to take care of 'that fat farmer couple and their two kids.' 

All thoughts of nervousness fled when Tayletha caught sight of the assistant. 'Is he ever good looking! Oh, I hope I can catch his eye! He seemed to be all business, however.' 

"Name?" 
"Ben Aaron and this is my wife Priscilla." 
"And the children's' names?" Then he did glance at her! 
"Tayletha and Stephanos." He blinked and seemed to have lost his train of thought for a second. 
"Wait! Uh, aren't those Grecian names?" 

"Of course they are! My wife is Grecian. Her sister's children are visiting us for the day!" 

Then their eyes did meet! Tayletha eyelashes fluttered. Her heart pounded, and she wished she could think of something clever or funny to say. 'He is so handsome! The poor, young man! He looks so worried that he isn't doing his job properly. I wonder how he would treat me if we met somewhere else.' 

Tayletha felt smugly satisfied that she had distracted him, if only for an instant. 

"State your business," he continued, acting a little flustered. 
"We went to the market to sell some produce and made a few purchases of our own." 
"What kind of produce?' He was all business now, but Tayletha was sure he was trying not to look at her. 
"We raise grapes and olives and peaches. We also sell herbs, mainly oregano when we are able to gather enough." 
"Why are you carrying grapes and peaches if you sell them?" 
"Just enough to snack on." 
"Next!" 
"Wait! Isn't that the couple that was caught smug--....." 

Tayletha did not hear the rest of the sentence because somehow, the convoy of irritable camels and the even more obnoxious drivers had gotten wedged in between them and the gatekeeper. Thios Aaron skillfully manoeuvred through the congestion and got out of there, fast! For a heart stopping moment, she thought the customs officer was going to go after them. But it was not only the camels that were getting more than a little annoyed at the long wait. Someone behind them had started to yell and shake a beefy fist, so the distracted gatekeeper felt compelled to attend to what appeared to be more important business. 

As soon as they were away from the congestion Thia Priscilla turned and grabbed Tayletha by the shoulders, shaking hard. 
"What were you ever thinking," she shrieked. "You should have hid your face from that--that--" 
"Priscilla, hush! You're drawing attention to us!" 
"What did I do wrong?" Tayletha demanded. 
"You drew attention to us by eyeing that young man! If anyone finds out you have vanished, we will be under deep suspicion! How can we ever go in and out of the city now?" 
All color seemed to drain from Tayletha's cheeks and she felt as if she could slide under the bench. 
It was a very silent and uncomfortable trip for the next few minutes, but when darkness deepened, Tayletha allowed herself to sneak a look around at all the bobbing torchlights in the hands of drivers and soldiers." Are we safer now that we are out of the city? What would happen if those soldiers pacing back and forth over there got wind of what happened at the gate? Why do they seem to be glancing our way so often? Are they talking about us? Everything looks so frightening in the flickering light.' 
Soon the traffic began to thin, or at least be spaced out more evenly. It felt strange to be going out of the city when so many were hurrying to get in. 'How far is it to Thios Aaron's farm? It feels so...unprotected... to be in the dark, open countryside. Will bands of roving bandits be a threat once we are further from the city?' Her exuberance had plummeted partly because of her aunt's scolding. 

Thios Aaron urged the donkey to quicken its pace so they could meet up with a group on foot further down the road. The weary travellers barely glanced at the conveyance as they plodded along in a huddle, until they recognized the driver as one of them by his Jewish apparel He stopped to offer rides to the two elderly widows and three of the smallest children. Soon the overcrowded cart, filled with protesting chickens, wiggling children as well as exhausted women, started lumbering down the cobblestone road once again. 

Tayletha felt squashed so got out to walk with the others, Stephanos hastily joined her. She pressed her hands against her hot flushed cheeks and bowed her head. 

'Dear Father in Heaven, she prayed silently. I'm sorry for drawing attention to myself. Thank you for bringing us safely out of the city. Guide us and protect us as we travel through the night and please, please keep Abba and Imma safe wherever they are. 

She looked up at the starry sky and the beauty of the night quietened her spirit. She breathed deeply of the fresh as yet unfamiliar, nighttime scents. They were so unlike the damp, stale odour in the catacombs or the mingling stench along the crowded, dirty streets. 
Her loving Savior felt near. The cart lumbered farther and farther away from the noise, smells, and bustle of the city. I wish I could live out in the country forever. I believe it will be a wonderful experience travelling to our new home. 

She continued to look around then back towards the city hulking in the distance. Those around her were chatting in Aramaic, which she didn't know very well, so she mostly ignored them. 

'Have Imma and Abba left? Did they get out safely? I wonder how they will get out. Lord, keep them in the palm of your hand.' 

She glimpsed movement near the horizon. It looked like something's or someone's was silhouetted against the sliver of a moon. She watched as they ducked and ran quickly towards a clump of trees. 'What were they doing out there in the darkness? Could they be thieves? If robbers are nearby would they be that stealthy or would they attack us like lions?' Her pulse quickened. 'Maybe evil men are eyeing us from that pile of boulders up ahead, just waiting to pounce.' She noticed that the heads of everyone in their group had pivoted in the same direction as hers, they had stopped talking, their steps had slowed considerably. 

Characters so far:Cedric: Latin/Greek husband of Lydda. Father of Silas, Tayletha and Stephanos 
Lydda: Grecian wife of Cedric, mother to the above children Silas: husband to Rachel; 
Rachel: Jewish orphan married to Silas