The Hermit & Heir | A Short Story

Part 4

Ted and Vera leaned over one of Vera's old maps. It was laid on the charred remains of her table. Ted examined the map to find their current location and then the location of his home. His finger eagerly pointed to the spot once he found it. Vera held her finger to the approximate location of her home and gasped when she saw the distance between the two points. Immediately, she began to regret her decision. Between the two points were miles of land that stretched for several miles. It would take days to reach his home on foot. There were mountains, valleys, forests, plains, and a winding river between the two locations. Vera wondered what she had gotten herself into. Ted appeared unbothered by the distance as his face held no expression. "We should start packing I suppose," she huffed.

The pair had packed what belongings from Vera's house they could find. Each had their own knapsack equally filled with enough food and supplies for the journey.

Vera looked back at her home before crossing over the stone wall that separated her home from the surrounding woods. Ted waited for her with the map open in his hands. He examined it and figured that the two would be going northeast. He wished he had had a nice map like this one when he started his endeavor.

Vera, still visibly upset, trailed behind him wondering what was going to happen now that she was leaving the one place in the world where she felt comfortable. She had never left home before, and she wondered how Ted had made this far away from his home alone. Vera reminded herself to question him later about it.

The first few hours of their journey were still cloaked in the darkness of night. Vera had estimated the sun would not rise for another few hours. Neither had spoken much whether out of awkwardness or exhaustion they couldn't tell. Ted began to grow tired seeing as how he hadn't rested well enough for about a week since he had begun his trip. He glanced back at Vera to see her filled with a similar amount of exhaustion present on her face.

He cleared his throat, "We should find a place to rest for a bit and we can continue once the sun rises." Vera nodded at the suggestion.

They continued walking for a few more minutes until Ted found a plush patch of grass canopied by trees. He gestured her Vera to sit.

Ted slid his knapsack off his shoulders and laid down on the ground using the bag as a pillow – an albeit uncomfortable pillow. Vera propped her back against a tree and curled up quickly falling asleep. The two rested for the first time in what felt like days even though it hadn't been more than four hours since they had drifted off in Vera's home. They were asleep within minutes.

Ted was the first to wake up. The air was cold, and dew had settled on everything making his clothes damp and uncomfortable. He tried repositioning himself for a bit before deciding to sit up against a tree. The young man had been so used to sleeping like this for the past week that he knew not to hope for any sense of comfort. Sleeping on Vera's floor by the fireplace had been the most comfortable place by far during his trip.

Quietly he unfolded the map and examined its contents trying to commit it to memory. It was an old map he could tell, but it accurately laid out familiar bodies of water and geographical landmarks he knew he had traveled through. It was nice to see the distance drawn out on a piece of parchment. Ted couldn't help but feel a little prideful that he had crossed the distance by himself even if it was a somewhat painful journey.

Vera began to stir in her sleep. Ted glanced up and watched her still curled up by the tree. He smiled. It was the calmest he had seen her. He knew she still didn't trust him, and he planned to fix that. She had been so kind to him, and he felt that it was only right for him to gain her trust.

The sun had just barely risen, and the forest felt like it was coming alive. Ted basked in the peace the forest had curated. He wished the atmosphere of his home felt like this, and he knew he would miss it when he returned.

Vera felt herself becoming aware of the cold that nipped that her. It grew to be uncomfortable, and she reluctantly opened her eyes. She saw Ted with the map in his hands and remembered she was laying on the ground, far from home, and her heart hurt. Trying to ignore her current emotional state, she stretched and made Ted aware that she had woken up. Her whole body felt stiff, cold, and damp.

"Good morning," Ted greeted. She hummed a response.

Vera didn't want to dawdle. She picked herself up and brushed off the leaves and dirt clinging to her clothes. Ted mimicked her actions, and they quietly gathered their things. They began walking once more in their stiff, cold state.

Ted was no expert navigator, but he knew how to work a compass and map decently. He decided to walk ahead of Vera with his eyes glued to the traveling aids. Vera sleepily stumbled following behind him the weight of their trip resting on her shoulders once more.