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Jack filled his rucksack with clothes. He packed his small book of arithmetic and his bible. As he looked around the attic, his warm wool blanket ended up in his bag. He went downstairs to his father's room and knocked. From the kitchen, Byron said, "I'm over here." Jack turned, and his father stood in the doorway to the kitchen carrying a great duffle bag. Byron said, "I've packed all the jerky and dried apples. I've all our coins. We're taking the horses." Jack nodded. They went to the barn and saddled the horses. "We need to stop at the Partridges and ask them to look after our farm," Byron said. The boy started to ask another question then paused in a daze over these new events. Evil men were going to try and kill him? Why he thought? Simply to stop him from growing into a man? It made no sense to him. They rode to their neighbor's farm and climbed off their horses. Byron rapped on the door. Beth Partridge answered. She wore a clean light blue dress that had a few patches but was still solid. Her black hair gleamed in the twilight. She stepped aside and motioned them into the house. "Byron and Jack Winter! To what do I owe the pleasure?" Byron spoke with a trembling voice, "Jack will be a warlock. I'm taking him to the fortress at Le Mans. I need you to watch over my livestock and harvest what you can. Please." The wrinkled in Beth's face tightened up a few notches, and her mouth twisted into a frown. "Then his is the thunder I've heard these last two days?" Byron looked away into the distance. "Aye, my lady." Beth bent down close to Jack. She smelled of burnt hickory and wine. She reached out with her hands and caressed his cheeks. She gently kissed him on the forehead. She whispered, "Stand by your faith in God, young sir, for it'll protect you in your darkest hour." "I will." Beth stood back up to her full height and looked at Byron. "Do you need anything for the road? We have venison in the smokehouse. I could spare a few coins..." Byron shook his head. "That won't be necessary. We've everything we need. We just need you to watch over the farm." Beth placed her hands on her hips and paused for a moment. "We'll move the livestock to our barn and treat them well. I'll send the boys to do the harvesting, and we'll save the coins from the harvest's sale for you." Byron clasped his hands together. "Thank you, my lady." Jack asked, "Is Billy around?" Beth laughed. "He's here." Then she shouted out loud, "Billy!" A tall, thin boy about sixteen came running with a confused look on his face. He had the same black hair as Beth only shorter. Jack looked him in the eyes. "I'm going away, Billy. I don't know when I'll be back." "Where are you going?" "Le Mans, to study magic." Billy raised one eyebrow and cocked his head to the side. "You know magic? Since when?" "Since yesterday." Billy straightened up his eyebrow, but his head remained slanted. "I heard your thunder two days running now. At first, I thought it was the storm, but it had a bit of a musical quality to it, and I knew it was no storm cloud." Jack sighed. "I guess I'll see you around, Billy. If I return, I'll look for you." Billy reached out and touched Jack on the shoulder. "Perhaps in a few years, I'll seek you out in Le Mans, and you can teach me magic." Jack laughed. "We'll meet again someday, my friend. I'm sure of it." "Let's make haste, Jack," Byron said. "I would like to stop and talk to Father John." Jack nodded, and they climbed back on their horses. Byron kicked his horse into a gallop, and Jack followed suit. The church loomed on the edge of town, and Byron steered his horse around back to the nestle of rectory buildings. He knocked loudly on Father John's door. Father John answered and let out a slow shallow breath as if he had been saving a tiny portion of air and let it out. He made the sign of the cross. Byron spoke with a hard tone in his voice. "Bless our journey, Father John." Father John stepped out of his house and pulled the door closed. He looked the two of them over. He began to say the Lord's prayer. Jack and Byron said the words along with him. A strange bit of power welled in Jack. A very different sense of power pooled in his chest than when he focused on the white granite. A subtle feeling of warmth and safety filled his heart. Father John paused for a long time after the prayer. He spoke quietly, "You're going to Le Mans?" Byron said, "Aye." "I'll spread the word that you're in danger," Father John said. "If I can reach just one warlock, they may well send an armed party to meet you half way." "Splendid idea, Father," Byron said. "That's the best news I've heard all day." Father John made the sign of the cross again. He spoke loudly and as if in a trance, "Bless this journey, oh Lord. May the wind always be at their backs. May their horses run strong and true without injury throughout the day. Let them steer clear of bandits and thieves. Let them find sanctuary and rest in the Lord's houses along the way. Oh Lord, protect Byron and Jack Winter from evil with all your holy might." Byron wiped a single tear from his eye. "Thank you, Father." "Make haste, Byron Winter, and protect your charge as you have protected him over these last fourteen years." Byron and Jack climbed on their horses and kicked them into a gallop racing down the road. The sun set, and they made camp a ways off the side of the road. They didn't light a fire. Jack curled up on the hard ground and wrapped his wool blanket around him. Byron whispered, "We made good time today, Jack. We'll have to ride hard tomorrow, but we have to be careful not to push the horses to hard." "Aye, Father." Jack drifted off to sleep. He dreamed of a woman with a round face, green eyes, and long red auburn hair. When she smiled, deep dimples showed on her cheeks. He dreamed of her plucking apples from high up on a tree with magic. A young man that resembled his father embraced her in a great hug smiling broadly. The scene in the dream drifted to dinner time, and the woman shed tears. She whispered, "Byron, I think I'm pregnant." The young image of his father laughed with glee. "It's not funny!" she said. "I'm just happy, my love." Jack woke with the sun. He turned on his father and asked, "My mother? She had red auburn hair and deep dimples when she smiled?" Byron smiled thinking back to her precious form. He nodded his head. They ate a quick breakfast and took to the road. |
