The Long Road To... - 27. Wheat Has a Thorn

The young man’s name was Thorn.

There was only one, there would only ever be one, and yet here sat another.

“I saw you leave Wild Crossing with Wheat. I couldn’t get a horse until after you’d gone. I got here in the middle of the night.” He gulped from the tankard.

“Pretty dangerous. Alone at night.” There was admiration in Foal’s voice. Youth impressed by impetuous youth.

“I love her.” Thorn shrugged. The motive was the same as with Foal: doing something dangerous for people they loved.

“You know she… she is, was…” Foal looked at me and stopped.

“It doesn’t matter!” Thorn pounded his fist on the table. Other patrons looked up at us.

“Calm down,” Foal whispered.

“What is it to you anyway?” He looked between us.

“He’s her uncle,” Foal replied simply.

Thorn looked at me and his appearance changed from one of anger to surprise. His cheeks colored.

Satisfied with the expression on Thorn’s face, Foal leaned back against the wall. “What do you intend to do then?”

Thorn stared at me. Foal nudged the forgotten pitcher of ale to him.

“I want her to be my mate.” He kept his head up, strong, sincere.

“Is that what she wants?”

Thorn grinned. “I can be very persistent.”

Indeed, riding through dangerous country, by himself in the dark. Stupid, honest, young. Maybe he would make a good husband. If she could be made to be a good wife, his wife.

“You couldn’t go back to Wild Crossing. She has enemies now…” Foal prompted.

“We can go anywhere she wants. I can work. I’m apprenticed to a blacksmith. Everyone needs a smithy.”

“Family?”

“Been on my own for a while.” He looked down for a moment, then straight up at me. “I can earn enough for us. I can support her.”

The desperation in his voice troubled me. Was he asking my permission?

I shrugged in response. It would be a tidy way to fix her, to bring her back into the respectable life she should have never left in the first place. He was willing to overlook her failings. She could not ask for more. But there had been something. Something about the way she had spoken about him to Wolfshine. If only we still lived in the times where arranged pairings were normal. How different this would be. How different my life would have been too.

“Well, we won’t know anything until we talk to her…” Foal began. “Whenever Wolfshine is done with her that is.”

“She said mid-day,” Thorn reminded.

“What do you think?” Foal, then Thorn turned to me.

I shrugged again.

We sat around waiting impatiently for mid-day. Foal didn’t have to pry very hard for more information, Thorn had no problem talking. On some internal level, I smiled and remembered how my Thorn had no problem talking someone’s ear off. In some ways, I was practiced enough to not hear everything, just enough.

Thorn’s family was gone, scattered and unreturned like mine. Some had been through the burning of Oxenajo, some had marched with a militia to the Ramparts. As far as he knew he was the last of his line. Until recently, I had thought the same of myself.

Wheat had come to Wild Crossing with my brother, her uncle, Bark. When he left for Oxenajo, she had been left in the care of a merchant friend of Bark’s acquaintance. Not long after that the merchant disappeared and she was drawn into the world of pleasure and money. That was around the time when Thorn had first seen her. She had been praying in the temple across from him.

He was genuinely smitten with her in spite of her profession. He seemed to never have lost faith and tried to talk to her, to pull her out of that life. He was working hard to make the money to take her away and make her his own.

She resisted, but he thought that was because of her masters. Now that they away and he could surely convince her that he was husband material.

“We could go to the Bluffs maybe,” Thorn was saying, “Or Arrowpoint.”

“I don’t know about the Bluffs, but Arrowpoint is rather desperate right now. There is not a lot of work to be had, even for the skilled,” Foal sighed.

“We can find somewhere. I know we can.”

There were places of course, but the Bluffs were the closest and safest. No enemy armies had breached the gates and soiled the valley behind us. If Thorn took his profession there, he would be welcomed. If Wheat gave up her current life, no one would be the wiser, maybe. We were still only a day’s ride from Wild Crossing here, and slightly less than a day to the Bluffs. Maybe it was too close. Men and boys talk and if word got around, they would be looking for a new place to live within a year.

“Talon. Talon?”

Hearing my name brought me back.

“Do you think it is time to head back to Wolfshine’s?” Foal looked up into the sky.

I nodded. It was time to hear what Wheat had to say for herself.

~ ~ ~

“She’s not here,” Wolfshine said without emotion.

“What?! Where did she go?” Thorn shouted.

She stared him into silence. “She is not a prisoner. She is free woman and can do as she pleases.”

“He only wants to talk to her…” Foal said gently, putting his hand on Thorn’s shoulder.

“He can if she wants. I won’t stop you.” She smiled slyly. “Or them…” she nodded back over her shoulder at two wolves watching us intently. “If she wants.” She turned slightly and stared into my face. “And you? Her uncle? Want to talk to her as well then?”

I nodded.

She nodded back. “Have a seat then. She went into town. She should be back soon.

“But she could disappear or return to…” Foal ate his question.

“She is old enough and capable enough to take care of herself if given the chance,” Wolfshine snapped back at him. Her glare stopped any more from the pair.

“So what are you boys going to do?” She looked between Foal and Thorn. “Duel it out over her? She may not want either of you.”

“Not me. I tried to tell you. I have a family already.” Foal gritted his teeth.

“Makes no matter to me. Anything goes now in the big cities. That is what I was telling Wheat. She can do what she wants and not belong to anyone.”

The world was changing without me. Foal’s family of three, and now independent young women. Not that I did not know they were there, of course they were. In the smaller villages like mine, they were extremely rare and usually by accident. Most would end up under the care of a man, a relative, one way or another. They would not be by themselves for long. Wolfshine was an exception, but why? Mari had been alone. He had his goats and she had her wolves.

“… might go to the capitol, it is safe enough there. She can work for herself. She might have a talent for medicine…”

There were old healing women, but she was young. She would need someone to watch over her for a time, but look at who had looked after her in Wild Crossing: a pimp.

I looked at Thorn. He was leaned in to Wolfshine taking in what she was saying. His expression was not happy, but he was listening all the same. I felt a nudge on my arm. I turned to Foal. He pointed down the lane.

Wheat was walking easily toward us. She was dressed in a pretty peasant’s dress that covered everything appropriately. No blood stains anywhere. They had cut her hair, short, but still an appropriate length. It also did not seem as red as before, more of a mixture leaning toward brown. She looked so much more like she had when she had been a little girl. Sweet and innocent, so lovely and free. The image of her father and mother. Her grandmother was visible in her eyes. I almost felt a tear escape from me.

“Wheat!” Thorn rose and started toward her, Wolfshine caught his arm.

She stopped before us and smiled.

“What do you think?” Wolfshine grinned.

“You look great!” Thorn could barely contain himself.

She blushed. “Thank you.”

“So then Wheat. You have three gentlemen here to speak with you. What are you going to do about it?” Wolfshine grinned. She knew something.

“Wheat, I…” Thorn began.

She held up her hand. “Wait. Please.” He stopped himself. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to sound ungrateful.” She looked across us. “To any of you. But I need to figure out some things for myself.”

“But…” Thorn pleaded.

“Thorn, I just don’t think I am ready for all that right now. I don’t know if I ever will be.”

“Do you know what you plan to do?” Foal leaned toward her.

She thought for a moment. “I don’t know yet. For now I want to stay here, with Wolfshine. I want to figure out what I want.” She turned to her. “If that is alright with you.”

“For now my dear.” Wolfshine smiled. “You must find your own way. I am not the solution.”

Wheat nodded.

“So what about you lot then?” Wolfshine turned to us.

“I’m staying,” Thorn said quickly.

“You can’t stay here,” Wolfshine replied equally fast.

“I can wait. I will find a job, a place to stay. I will wait as long as it takes.”

Wolfshine shook her head.

“We can’t.” Foal interjected suddenly. He looked back at me. “I’m sorry. If Wheat wants to stay here, that’s fine, but we got to get back to Arrowpoint.”

I stared at him. He stared back. “We can come back. Later. To check on her.”

What plans I had had, seemed to disappear suddenly. I felt beyond my years. The young were in charge.

“If you want to stay, I can go alone. I would understand,” Foal said quietly.

No he couldn’t. Not safely. Maybe he could. I was not sure anymore.

I had thought to bring them all together somehow. They would do well in each other’s company. They could have kept an eye on each other. It would have been wonderful for them. I could have been there to. They all would have homes and I could stay with them. Not now.

Wheat was in front of me. I looked into her young eyes, so like my mother.

“Thank you for finding me Uncle Talon.”

~ ~ ~

During the night I resolved myself to the fact that I had to honor the promise I had made about Mane and could not wait on Wheat. The talk amongst this young group the previous afternoon had helped ease my mind in my decision. They had talked about the future with hope. They had been thinking ahead.

As for my promise to Colt, Foal was an ever-present, very visible reminder of it. Even though he might make it back alone safely, I had given my word and Foal had been very patient.

When we hunkered down for the night, the amorous soldiers were not in the bunkhouse. I could not sleep regardless. I walked out among the stars again. There was no temple to pray at so I knelt down and touched the earth. It was indifferent, it did not welcome nor repel me. The Earth Father was not at my beck and call, I knew that. I was on my own for now.

Wheat was in a better place here. She was on a new path. Wolfshine and to a lesser extent Thorn would watch her. I would need to come back and find her as soon as I could. Leaving her behind felt wrong, but so had sending Hoof and Hay out into the wilderness.

Thorn, my own Thorn, would have had an opinion but would have trusted and supported whatever I did. I needed that support, it made me feel like I was doing the right thing. I needed to support and feel my own support, for myself.

Down from me, in the field, I caught a glimpse of a man looking up into the face of the moon. His arms were raised. I could not make him out very well but his pose suggested prayer towards the sky. I had seen the same gestures before but toward the sun, like when Galehault pretending to be Phaetheon, had invoked the sun against the Duke. This man could be a moon worshipper. It was not unheard of. He fell to his knees and bowed his head.

I looked up at the moon. Cold, white, distant. How someone could believe it would hear their prayers was beyond me. I guess they believed what they believed. Whatever brought them comfort. Earth Father bless them.

I stood in the night air and watched the sky and stars. The constellations were familiar here. The patterns I had seen while I had stayed with Mari still played in my mind. Mari almost as timeless as they were. He flashed through my mind: feeding his goats, chopping wood, dancing in the rain. A simple life, the same day to day, peaceful perfection.

The man stood back up and pulled his cloak closer to himself. I pulled back slightly by instinct. He turned slowly and began walking across the grasses. I didn’t want him to think I was spying on him so I quietly withdrew and crossed back into the light from the fires. I needed to get some rest for the walk in the sun.

~ ~ ~

The night had been strangely restful. Maybe it was because the men from the night before did not have another go with each other, more likely it was because I had been done with thinking for the day.

I woke just before the sun. Foal was waiting outside with food. He handed me some fruit and we headed towards Wolfshine’s hovel again.

Wheat and Wolfshine sat with Thorn on the stoop. The wolves were nowhere to be found. The mood was happier this morning and they chattered easily.

“There is a team going to the cliffs. We are going back to Arrowpoint from there,” Foal said with a smile.

“Ahh…” Wolfshine nodded. “Back to your family.”

He nodded in response.

I listened to the ponderings of the young about their fresh starts in life. I studied Wheat closely. I wanted to memorize her face in case, when I would return this way again, I might not find her.

A horn sounded in the town.

“We’ve got to go.” Foal stood quickly.

“Good travels, friend,” Thorn shook his hand. Wolfshine turned to me. “She will be fine. I will keep an eye on her as long as she wants me to.”

I nodded.

“Will you be alright?” Foal asked Thorn.

Thorn shook my hand. “No worries.” He leaned to me. “I told you, I can be very persistent.” He smiled and glanced at Wheat.

Foal stepped back and onto the path. Wheat hugged me tightly and I could swear I saw a tear in her eye. “I will make you proud.”

I hugged her back and turned quickly before I was caught showing emotion. I started down the path passing Foal. He fell in right behind me.

“Good luck,” he called back to them.

I was composed by the time we reached to open gates. Part of the train of wagons and horses was already through. We pushed into the column near the rear, behind a cart and in front of a group of former-Bullmen on horseback.

The sun was bright on the horizon as we passed out and into the barrens. We turned away from the gates with our backs to the path to Wild Crossing. It had been years since I had been this way. With the withdrawal of the enemy, the morning proved boring. Still, there were enough troops with us to tell me that trouble was expected at some point. I prompted Foal to try to get news.

At quick glance, there were extremely few walkers. The fast pace, more of a march, was not for the unfit or timid. I walked quietly by myself. I could hear the wagons turn and creak forward. Men talked, the horses clomped. Foal let me be. He seemed more than willing to leave me alone. He was used to it by now I guessed. I still was unsure if he actually liked the silence between us. Every now and again I could see him chatting with one person or another.

The caravan took its mid-day break well past mid-day. In the distance I could see smoke. We had to be relatively close to an enemy settlement.

“They are not worried about that,” Foal said and pointed out toward the smoke. “Since the alliance began falling apart, they don’t attack from there anymore. Defensive only.”

He pointed to the group of now un-mounted former-Bullmen. “They told me that the danger will be from the Boars. Their people have been holding them off, out of the cliffs.”

The Boar People. They had been in the back of my mind. They used to have tribal areas located at the tops of the cliffs. They were not always unified from tribe to tribe and relied on numbers more than brains. I had thought them largely crippled as a group, caught between us and our enemies.

“We stopped here to rest up for the final push to the cliffs. If they attack, it will be in the ravines.”

It made sense. If the Boars had been driven into the ravines just before the cliffs, they would defend themselves ferociously. They were trapped between the wars in the barrens and the defenders at the cliffs.

We began to move forward again. The people were more wary now. Everyone had a hand on a weapon as we approached the hills and ravines marking the end of the plains and start of the walls of cliffs beyond.

I glanced at Foal. Once we got past, to the cliffs, and down the narrow paths to the waters, we would be one boat ride away from Arrowpoint and his family.

I wondered how they were doing. I wondered if Colt was even still alive. With what Foal and I carried, we have enough to get them started somewhere away from the wars. Of course there were other places to pick up more. Some were in the same direction that we were headed now. Whatever it took, I would do what I had promised.