Deeds of Their Past - 11. Chapter Eleven

Nathan sat on the veranda in the late afternoon sun, testing the bowstring he’d restrung. Despite being worse for wear, there was still flexibility left, and the majority of the arrows were in fine condition. Stepping down, he took aim at a nearby tree. The flight was true and hit the mark. In the corner of his eye, Brohm’s figure lumbered into view, returning from his hours-long walk.

“That was my pa’s bow,” the big man called out.

“I hope you don’t mind me using it.”

“Nah.”

Stepping up to the tree, Brohm pulled the arrow free and handed it back to him. “Sorry about before,” he mumbled.

“We all have our daemons,” Nathan said, suddenly reminded of his vision from the night before.

“We have to go, don’t we,” Brohm said.

“Yeah. Looks like you were right.”

“In my gut, I knew we wouldn’t be able to stay here. Any idea where we should go?”

“North. I know someone in Morringstone who can probably hide us.”

“Probably? That’s a long way to go for probably.”

“You’ve got a better idea?”

Brohm thought a moment and conceded, shaking his head.

“We’ll only travel at night. It’s going to be a long way around the northern mountain range,” Nathan said.

“What about dead man’s pass?”

Nathan looked up from his work. “It has that name for a reason. You ever been through it?”

“Yuh, once.”

Nathan was surprised, but realized he shouldn’t have been by now.

“It’s really not that bad,” Brohm continued. “It’s just cold when you get higher up. I reckon it’s safer than the long road around. No patrols and such.”

“Good point,” Nathan said. “Okay, if you think we can make it through, let’s do that.”

“When?”

“We ride tonight. I don’t want to be here if those men come back.” Nathan headed back toward the house with Brohm in tow. “There’s only one problem. If we’re going through the pass, we’ll need warm clothing. Where in hells are we going to get that?”

“I reckon there’s old clothes in the crawlspace,” Brohm said. “Pa was about your size, and there was stuff I never took when I left home.”

With a lamp in hand, Nathan rummaged in the crawlspace while Brohm waited at the mouth of the trapdoor, nervously rubbing his hands. Amid the junk, he discovered old fur cloaks, thick woollen clothing, and blankets in two burlap sacks.

“We’re in luck,” Nathan said with a smile, pulling up the sacks.

Laying out the clothes to take inventory, they found them musty, but serviceable. He managed to arrange two sets of clothing for himself. Brohm only managed one set with an extra pair of trousers.

While Nathan packed the clothing neatly into small bundles, Brohm brought the horses to the front of the house and readied them for travel. Wineskins were filled with water. Blankets and the food that remained was packed. Weapons were belted.

Nathan secured the last saddlebag while Brohm performed a final pass through the house, confirming they’d not forgotten anything. After closing the door and stepping down the veranda, he turned back to look at the house one last time.

“Bye home. See you soon . . . I hope,” he said to himself.

Nathan offered a pat on the back. “Don’t worry. When this blows over, you can come back.”

Brohm seemed unconvinced. “Yuh, I guess.”

“C’mon, big guy. Let’s head out.”

The golden setting sun was brushing against the grassland horizon by the time they hit the main road. Nathan felt the urge to look back at Brohm, and catching his eye, the big man offered him that same crooked smile. He still couldn’t understand why he’d be willing to follow him anywhere, but felt elated knowing his back was covered. He hoped he could offer Brohm that same sense of security.

They rode hard into the deepening gloam, and birdsong gave way to the buzz and chirp of crickets. Into the darkening hours, Nathan was heartened that their way remained deserted, and his thoughts returned to the unknown ahead of them. They just needed to reach the crossroads and continue north. From there, they’d likely be safe from patrols and could travel at a more reasonable pace.

The moon had yet to rise, but the skies were clear. The long grass shifted to a bluish hue in the starlight, and the landscape took on a mysterious quality. Nathan found himself lulled by the repetitive scenery, and his eyes soon grew heavy.

“What’s that?” Brohm called out, pointing down the road.

Nathan snapped to attention, glimpsing a sparkle of light far ahead of them. “It looks like a lantern or torch. Can you make out any details?”

“No. Do you think it’s a patrol?”

“Let’s not take the chance to find out.”

They dismounted and led their horses into the grass. Once sufficiently far enough from the road, they crouched down and watched the light slowly grow in size.

“They’re taking their sweet time, yuh?” Brohm said impatiently after a few minutes passed.

Nathan shushed him and continued to watch in silence. The light revealed itself to be a lantern attached to a cart, a single rider at the helm.

“I think it might be a trader. Let’s go out to meet him,” Nathan said.

“I don’t like it. It’s risky,” Brohm said nervously.

“I don’t see anyone trailing him. We’re two, he’s one.”

Brohm glanced back at the road with apprehension.

“We need food,” Nathan continued. “If that’s a trader, he may be selling. We have to take this chance.”

“Okay, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

They broke cover and headed back to the road with their horses in tow, quickly enough to arrive before the rider reached their location.

“Hail!” Nathan said as the lantern light hit their faces.

The rider jumped back in surprise. He was an older man with greying hair sticking out at all angles, covered by a hat that had seen better days.

“Eh, thieves? Just whad’I needed,” he mumbled to himself, feebly reaching behind for a weapon in the cart.

“Whoa. Easy, friend. We’re many things, but thieves we’re not,” Nathan said.

The rider considered them with narrow eyes. “Whadda doin’ out here so late at night?”

“We could ask you the same thing,” Brohm said.

“Yah, y’could.”

He sat, unmoving, in silence. Nathan stole a look at Brohm, who shrugged his shoulders slightly.

“Are you willing to trade? We’ve got silver for food,” Nathan said.

“Do ye now? Lemme hear the jingle-jangle.”

“Jingle-jangle . . .” Nathan repeated slowly. “Oh, you mean this?”

He shook his coinpurse hanging from his belt. The few coins left inside chimed.

“Aye, ver’well. I thinks I can help ye.”

The trader climbed into the cart, taking the hanging lamp from its hook. He continued to mumble quietly to himself as Nathan and Brohm approached the side of the cart.

“What do you have?” Brohm asked.

“Lemme see now.” The man rummaged through his stock. “I gots some fruits and vegetables, hardbread, dried beef—”

“We’ll take the hardbread and beef. That should travel well,” Nathan said.

“Aye, it will. We’re ye boys headed?”

“That’s our business,” Brohm said with finality.

The trader eyed him suspiciously, and Nathan surreptitiously nudged the big man in the ribs.

“How much?” Nathan asked.

“How much ye got?”

Untying his coinpurse, Nathan dumped the few coins left into his hand.

“With that, ye could take th’ whole lot.”

They completed their transaction quickly and wished the trader safe journey.

“It’s lucky we crossed paths,” Nathan said as they watched the light of the trader’s lantern diminish. “You were worried for nothing.”

“Hey! Excuse me for being careful.”

“I’m just teasing. I’ve no doubt your caution will save our hides one day.”

Not long after they continued their way north, the moon broke from the horizon, and the additional light allowed them to safely push their mounts harder. The night seemed never-ending, and Nathan’s exhausted body ached for rest.

In the early morning hours, just as colour was returning to the sky, he caught a glimpse of the crossroads in the distance. Without looking in either direction, they sped through onto the rarely used path. It narrowed drastically, changing from gravel to hardened dirt, and the landscape altered from grasslands to scrubby brush. After ten minutes, Nathan gestured to slow down, and Brohm squeezed up beside him.

“You reckon it’s safe to stop?” Brohm asked, his voice tired.

“Yeah. Let’s find a place to rest.”

“There’s a bunch of trees over that hill.”

Brohm led them two hundred metres west off the road to a small copse, and upon arriving, both felt it was a safe place to rest. They quickly took care of the horses, and settled themselves nearby.

Nathan lay down on the hard ground as Brohm rummaged in a saddlebag for food. Nathan was starving as well, but his exhaustion was stronger still, and sleep quickly took him.