The Dark Path

by James M. Bowers

  “I'm going with you. You have no choice in the matter. You saved my life from those soldiers. There is nothing keeping me here anymore.” She waited till he nodded then she took his empty mug of cider and walked back into the cottage. Sally stood in the kitchen making herself look busy. She turned when Anouk walked in and sighed in relief when she saw that she was alone.

  “George will be here soon,” she said with a worried look.

  “We'll be gone soon. All you did was help him. George shouldn't get mad over that.” Anouk wrinkled her brow in worry.

  “You don't know George. I hope you are right though.” Sally was wringing a dry towel over and over in her hands.

  “Did he hit you again?” Anouk asked directly.

  “No. He accidentally pushed me and I fell off the porch. That's all. I was in his way. I should have watched where I was going.” She didn't meet Anouk's glare.

  “Hun, he has no reason to hit you. And you shouldn't let him. He only treats you this way when no one else is around.”

  “He didn't mean to. I was just in the way,” she repeated. Her hands wringing the towel harder.

  “I'll talk to him.” Duncan's deep voice filled the room. “He won't hurt you again.” Sally looked up, her eyes filled with fear.

  “No! It was my fault! I was in the way! You don't have to talk to him! Please! Just go!” She looked from Duncan to Anouk. Her expression was like that of a trapped rabbit.

  “I have dealt with his kind before. I swear to you that I will talk to him and he will never hit you again.” He walked into the room and smiled. “That stew smells good. Anouk, You should eat some before we go. You will need a full belly as we will be walking all night.” He walked past her and stood before Sally. He gently placed a hand on her shoulder and watched as she flinched. He squeezed very gently and whispered into her ear. She looked up at him then burst out laughing. He winked at Anouk then walked out the back to get his leather pants off the line. After he left, Sally sat down at the table as her laughter slowly died down.

  “What did he say to you?” Anouk asked as she filled a small bowl with stew.

  “It's secret,” Sally said giggling.

  “Oh, now you have to tell me!”

  “Sorry hun, I can't.” She fought to keep from laughing.

  “Okay, Okay. You win.” Anouk made herself busy eating and Duncan came back in shortly wearing his leather pants again. He had on his boots again as well. He walked through the kitchen and she heard him rustle through his pack. He came back and sat his pack down by the table. He took one of Sally's hands and opened it. She looked up questioningly but he didn't say a word. He just placed something in her hand and whispered in her ear once more. She smiled and Anouk could see that she was trying to hold in her laughter. He stood up and turned to Anouk.

  “Eat two bowls at least. I'll be out back chopping some firewood.” He turned to go but Anouk reached out and stopped him.

  “You should rest. Not even an hour ago you didn't know who you were. You're not in any kind of shape to chop wood.” He smiled at her. That just made her more mad. He didn't need to aggravate his wounds.

  “That reminds me. These bandages are itchy.” He pulled his shirt off and before she could stop him he flexed the muscles in his chest and back. The bandages tore off with a loud ripping sound. He gathered them up from the ground and wrapped them up to place them in his pack. As he bent over, Anouk and Sally gasped as they saw his back was fully healed, though there were scars where the arrows had been. It could have been her imagination but she thought she saw the tattoos on his back glow a faint blue before he pulled his shirt back on. He walked out of the kitchen, whistling a foreign tune. It wasn't long before they heard the sound of splitting wood. Anouk just shook her head. What had she gotten herself into? Anouk and Sally talked awhile as Anouk put a small travel pack together. She would have liked to go home but she really didn't have much there. She spent most of her time with Sally. After they finished the pack, the two of them walked out back to watch Duncan. They both gasped as they stepped out the door. Duncan wasn't using an axe. He set the piece of wood up as anyone would do, but then he moved his hand down rapidly, the side of it contacting the wood as if his hand were the axe. The wood split cleanly and he stacked the pieces and set up a new one.

  “How does he do that?” Sally whispered to Anouk.

  “I don't know. I've never seen anything like that before.

  “It's just a matter of knowing where to hit the wood,” Duncan said. Sally blushed that he had heard her whisper. “Here, I'll show you. The force doesn't matter. You just have to find the right spot.” He placed his hand on the log before him and closed his eyes. He slowly lifted his hand and lightning fast brought down his index finger onto the top of the log. Anouk winced as she thought she heard his finger snap. Sally gasped as the log fell perfectly in half. He held up the finger and bent it. He looked to Anouk and winked.

  “See. Just a matter of knowing where to strike. I've seen seven year old children that could do this.” Sally opened her mouth to say something but a loud crash sounded from the kitchen followed by loud cursing in a male voice. Sally grew pale and rushed into the kitchen. They heard the shouting continue and then a loud slapping sound. At that, Duncan walked calmly through the door. George looked up just in time to see a large hand reach out and pick him up by the neck. Duncan carried him out the front door and slammed him up against the nearest tree. George choked and sputtered in confusion. Duncan leaned close to his ear and whispered a long time. Finally he let George go. George fell a foot to the ground and lay on his hands and knees coughing. Duncan stood calmly waiting. Eventually, George stood up. His face was pure red. The veins stood out in his forehead. He took a swing at Duncan. Duncan met the man's fist with his own. A loud crack like the logs had made echoed around the clearing. George screamed in pain and fell to the ground clutching his hand.

  “Remember all that I told you today. Do any of the things I said not to do and I will find out. Trust me, I will know.” He walked over and caught Sally as she was running to help her husband. She struggled against him till he turned her to face him.

  “Splint the hand so that he cannot move it for three weeks. If he does that he may regain the use of it again. You know what to do if he ever mistreats anyone again.” He let her go and went inside to gather his pack. He came back out with his pack and Anouk's. He handed her pack to her and walked toward George. He stopped and looked down at the man writhing in pain. George looked up with pure hatred in his eyes.

  “Thank your wife tonight. She saved my life and yours today. Always remember that.” As Duncan walked past him, Anouk watched as George reached for his belt with his left hand. He pulled out a long knife and stood up ready to rush Duncan from behind. Before she could shout a warning, Duncan struck out at a nearby tree. His arm was so fast it looked like a blur. Duncan took two steps and the tree began to crack where he had hit it. Cracks ran all the way up the trunk. George stopped and just stared. The tree quivered and as Duncan took his third step, it exploded outward from the direction he had hit it. It turned into nothing but splinters. The splinters shot through the trees behind, some of them sticking into the trunk four fingers deep. The knife fell to the ground from George's limp hand. He followed the knife and lay crying. Sally held and rocked him like a small child as she whispered in his ear. As Anouk went to follow Duncan, she saw George reach around and hold onto Sally in what she hoped was a loving embrace. She nodded. Maybe things would go back to the way he used to treat her before the Eremian soldiers had gotten to him. She trotted to catch up to Duncan. The sun was just setting and they had a long way to walk.

  XXXI

  Homecoming

  They traveled throughout most of the night. When they came to the nearby village, they went wide around it. Anouk could see a few lights in windows but the village was silent with sleep. A few more hours of walking brought them to the outlying fields of wheat. The breeze that had grown through the night made
the fields bend in waves the way she thought the ocean must look. Duncan had remained quiet through the whole trip and she had respected that by not trying to make conversation. She was quickly growing tired. It had been a long day and they had traveled a good distance. Soon they would be past the areas she had seen before. She grew a bit nervous about that. She didn't know how Duncan could see so well in the dark night. The moon was waxing but it wouldn't be full for a week yet. She stumbled many times but he was always sure footed. She was thinking of her small bed back in her home when her foot caught in a root. She couldn't catch herself in time and she crashed to the ground. Duncan turned and helped her stand. Her mouth had struck a rock in her fall and she knew from how it stung that it would begin bleeding soon.

  “Are you alright?” His deep voice finally broke the silence.

  “Yes I just need to rest a bit.” She found she was shaking from the fall.

  “Here.” He picked her up before she could protest and started walking again. She fought him a bit at first but he hushed her. Slowly she relaxed in his arms. He carried her easily and she rested her head against his large shoulder. She opened her eyes after what had felt like a moment and noticed it was almost dawn. She sat up a bit and Duncan looked down as she moved. He smiled down at her.

  “Could you walk for a while? My arms are starting to cramp up.” She blushed as he sat her back on her feet and she walked beside him.

  “I didn't mean to fall asleep,” she apologized.

  “You needed the rest,” he said in dismissal.

  “You need rest too.” She gave him a stern look that he ignored.

  “I rested too long at Sally's.” He smiled down at her. “We're almost there.” His smile grew bigger and he picked up his pace a bit. She had to double step to catch up to his long strides. She looked around but didn't recognize any of the woods around her. A short time later they broke out of the woods and all around her were fields of grass broken here and there by patches of wheat. A small log-house sat on top of a hill in the distance. He pointed to the house.

  “That's it!” he said excitedly. She found that she was smiling too. They walked on till they were near the house. A small well stood halfway up the hill and Duncan stopped there. He pulled off his shirt and pulled up a full bucket of water. He used the water to wash the dust from his hair. He filled the bucket again and offered her a drink. The water was cold and refreshing and she found herself wake up fully. He pulled his shirt back on and started to walk on toward the house. He stopped suddenly and grabbed her arm. She turned to look at him and he frowned.

  “When did you cut your lip?” he asked.

  “Oh it's nothing. It must have happened when I fell earlier.” She could feel the blood start to run down from her lip. It must have split back open when she drank the well water.

  “Come here.” He pulled her close and before she knew what was happening he leaned toward her and kissed her gently and quickly upon her lips. He pulled away before she could return the kiss and she saw that he blushed slightly. She started to ask him why he had done that when she felt that her lips were still warm where he had kissed them, just as her head had when he had kissed it before. She reached up and found that the wound was closed. She looked up at him to ask what he had done but he put a finger to her lips and winked. Then he held her hand and walked on toward the house.

  Anouk heard a rooster crow from behind the house as they arrived at the door. Duncan reached out with a large fist and knocked lightly upon the door. They heard movement inside and the door opened to reveal an elderly man dressed in tattered wool pants. He still had muscles and Anouk thought he looked as though he had worked hard his whole life. The man had the confused look of one just woken up. He looked up and then up some more to look at Duncan's face. The farmer opened his mouth to speak but recognition suddenly lit his eyes and he ran out and threw his arms around Duncan. Duncan returned the hug and they stood for a time, tears running down both their cheeks. Duncan finally pulled away.

  “Can we come inside? I'm a bit hungry.”

  “Of course! Come in, come in!” The farmer rushed inside and Anouk could hear him saying something in the back room. She walked into a humble kitchen and noticed that Duncan had to bend his head down slightly so he didn't bump the ceiling. The door to the bedroom flew open and an elderly woman wearing a tan sleeping gown flew through it and into Duncan's arms.

  “Mama!” Duncan said through fresh tears. Anouk saw that Duncan's father stood in the doorway with a proud look on his face. Duncan pulled his mother away and kissed her cheeks. Duncan turned to face Anouk.

  “Mama, Papa, this is Anouk. Anouk, this is my Mama and Papa.” Duncan finished the introductions then turned and picked up two buckets that sat by the door. “I'll go fetch the water.” Before anyone could protest, he was out the door and away. Anouk stood awkwardly and didn't know what to say.

  “Come have a seat. I'll start breakfast,” Duncan's mother said kindly.

  Anouk took the seat nearest the door and looked around. The kitchen was smaller by far than hers had been when she had lived with her father. A wood-stove stood at the outside wall. The table was well built but she could tell from the many dents and scratches that it was old. Duncan's father took the seat opposite of her and smiled at her warmly. Duncan must have gotten his smile from him she thought. Duncan's mother put a few logs in the stove and soon the room heated up well. She was putting butter in a pan on the stove when the door opened again and Duncan brought in one of the buckets. He set it on a cabinet by his mother then sat beside Anouk at the table. The chair he sat in creaked alarmingly but didn't break. Anouk noticed that his chair was built twice as heavy as the rest of them. They must have gone through a few chairs before, she thought. Duncan's mother began cooking some eggs.

  “It's good to see you again, Son,” his father said as he lit the lamp in the center of the table from a taper he had lit in the stove. As the light from the lamp spread through the room, Anouk heard the sound of an egg crashing to the floor.

  “Oh my boy! What have you done to yourself?” Duncan's mother rushed over and looked down at her son. She reached out and touched one of the tattoos that covered his arms. Duncan blushed. He looked up to his mother.

  “I don't pass out anymore, Mama.” He said with a childlike smile.

  “Oh my baby!” She hugged him again and Anouk could see fresh tears run down her cheeks. Duncan's father stood and went to finish cooking the eggs. Duncan finally pulled her away and she sat where her husband had just been. “You were gone for so long. We had thought we had lost you forever.”

  “I'm back now. I know it was a long time. I had to go far away to find help.” His eyes grew distant. “I wish you and Papa could have come with me. The beautiful things I've seen!” He smiled his warm smile and reached out to hold his mother's wrinkled hand in his own large one.

  “Looks like we'll have to make you a new chair, M'boy.” Papa said with a chuckle. “I had thought that you were done growing! Looks like I was wrong.”

  “Hopefully I'm done now!” Duncan laughed. “I'll have to build a new house for you and Mama so I'll fit!”

  “Tell us about your lovely companion here. Where did you meet?” Mama asked looking at last to Anouk.

  “I met her yesterday.” Duncan said simply. “She had nowhere else to go, so she came with me.” He smiled to her.

  “You are welcome here anytime, hun.” Mama said lovingly. “Any friend of Duncan's is a friend of ours.” Her smile was warm.

  “Thank you,” Anouk replied. She didn't know what else to say and sat awkwardly for a moment before Duncan spoke again.

  “The fields look well. Did you plant them all yourself?” Duncan asked his father as his mother set out plates for the four of them. The plates quickly filled with scrambled eggs and Duncan ate like a starving man. Anouk ate hers quickly as well and found they tasted rather good. Duncan picked up the empty plates and took them over to wash while his father fixed a pot of tea.


  “Those tattoos will take some getting used to,” his father said when Duncan sat back down at the table.

  “Did they hurt?” his mother asked.

  “Not much, Mama.” Duncan smiled again.

  “Tell us about your travels,” Papa said.

  “Not right now.” Duncan's expression grew dark and his eyes held remembered pain. “Maybe later.”

  “Whenever you are ready.” Gwen placed a hand on his shoulder.

  “Come on, Boy. Let's go chop some wood. I could use your strong body and weak mind,” his father teased. Duncan smiled and led the way out the door. He squeezed Anouk's shoulder as he passed and she patted his hand.

  “So you met my boy yesterday?” Gwen asked.

  “Yes'm.”

  “Call me Gwen, Dear.” Gwen smiled her warm smile.

  “Would you like some help, Gwen?” Anouk asked.

  “In a bit. Let's talk first.” Gwen poured them both a mug of strong smelling tea. “Honey?”

  “Yes please,” Anouk answered. Gwen handed her a mug of tea and they both sat sipping at the strong brew. It helped to wake her up. The sun had risen higher in the sky so Gwen blew out the lamp and opened the two small windows in the kitchen.

  “Tell me about yourself,” Gwen said as she busied herself cleaning up the already tidy kitchen.

  “I grew up not far from here. A couple days north of here. Past the village.”

  “Oh you lived in the woods then?”