WayFinder (The Fool's Journey)

Chapter 8: Part Two

It was cold inside the hollow shed by the time I had risen. The place offered zero insulation. I had checked on the water level twice throughout the night with favorable results, and retrieved more food from the trailer. Breakfast was still the most important meal of the day. As I set out the bounty of food, I thought back to early this morning, when I had the chance to meet the animated Dante. I had just come back from checking the water for the second and final time, when a tired looking Jace asked me to give Dante a check up. I had to once again remind him that I was not a doctor, but to this he just laughed and gave me the cutest puppy eyes. I jokingly rolled my eyes and followed his lead.

When I emerged behind the curtain, I found Dante reclining on the thick blankets with his bandage still firmly in place. He grinned from ear to ear at my entrance while Jace introduced us.

“So you're the lady that bandaged me up? Jace says you're a witch or something,” Dante laughed.

DeAndre hid his own laughter behind a cough while Jace did a thorough job of inspecting the ceiling. I couldn’t help the wide-eyed stare I focused on Jace. I was pretty sure my mouth was gaping open too. 

He thought I was a witch?

“I did not call you a witch, I just said that you worked your magic on all of us, or something along those lines,” Jace muttered while glaring at Dante.

“Babe you are just digging a deeper hole,” DeAndre shook with laughter.

“Well I assure you, I don’t have a book of spells or a flying broomstick,” I grinned at Dante.

The rest of my visit was spent inspecting his wound, changing the bandage, and making sure his vision was clear, while Dante put his full personality on display. Even with his injury and the loss of his older brother Eric, Dante was a kind, welcoming soul with eyes like his older brothers’. He seemed wise beyond his fifteen years, especially when he spoke of Eric and his many troublesome adventures. At one point, he had retold a story of Eric twisting his ankle trying to outrun their neighbor's pitbull. 

The way Dante shook his head at the memory reminded me of my father hearing that gas prices had gone up. The weariness was spot on. Both brothers had tears falling by the time each story was finished. I listened quietly. They needed to do this. A send off of sorts to sixteen year old Eric and his friends, Ryan and Montey. All of them had been taken far too soon.

DeAndre had kept his arm around his brother while I inspected his bump and gave him more ibuprofen. It was clear the older brother was afraid to let the younger go, even for a second, and for very good reason.

"Thank you for taking care of me, and for the soup, bread, blankets, and juice," Dante listed off. While DeAndre nodded in agreement.

I laughed and reiterated that I was just doing what I could to help, and also explained that the juice was all Taylor's doing. I glanced over to Jace as I changed Dante’s bandage. He had settled in next to the freezing metal wall on his side, with the blankets pulled up to his shoulders. Looking as comfortable as a person could on such hard ground. I was certain he could feel the night air creeping through the many cracks, but after knowing him for only a few hours, I understood that he probably wasn’t going to let DeAndre and Dante suffer in such a way. 

"He was amazing today. I really couldn't have asked for a better partner," DeAndre followed my gaze to Jace’s sleeping form, setting a gentle hand on his shoulder.

I nodded in agreement. The two were connected beyond the physical relationships found in this dimension. Whether they realized it or not was to be determined.

“My brother said that you’re looking for some caves to live in and that you invited all of us to go too,” Dante said.

I smiled, “I am, and yes I did.”