All The Dark Places

23. Myth Maker

    Crickets chirped throughout the open fields they passed through. They had decided to avoid the main road. With some basic hiking skills, they would be able to loop around and meet up with the road near the small hamlet of Abbot's Rest. It was no more than a handful of houses surrounding a centuries-old abbey that was badly in need of restoration; Toby assured them. They hoped to avoid any conflict, or at least most of them did. The sun was out again, though the breeze was pleasant, and the soft meadow grass under their feet felt like walking on puffy clouds.

Toby had his rifle.

Ramona armed herself with a long thick stick that she had sharpened into a spear. She wrapped leather around the end to make a passable handle and glued it down in a braided cord pattern. It was an impressive design though primitive. For show, she had tied a ring of raven feathers onto a beaded cord that hung a few inches from the sharpened end. Rosalind thought she looked quite mythical with her huge eyes and cloud of flame red hair. Even her clothing could have been a costume, but that was simply how Ramona dressed; A cotton tunic embroidered at the neck with deep crimson and green celtic patterns, a brown leather vest that fit her body like a glove, a pair of brown leather pants and matching bracers meant for her raptors to perch on. It was likely what she wore to impress castle guests who saw her bird demonstrations, but for her, it seemed natural. She could not imagine her in anything else. Ramona brought with her a Peregrine falcon named Drago, which perched on her wrist and occasionally flew in circles above them, searching for prey.

Ethan had Toby's buck knife and Rosalind hoped that was enough. He would have his rifle soon. When they stopped for water breaks and to rest, Ivy showed him how to nock an arrow, draw a bowstring, aim, and fire. Her bow was not sized for him, but he did the best he could. She seemed impressed and more than a little interested in him.

"You would make a fine archer." She complimented him, a rarity for her. "I can teach you."

Ivy, of course, had her long bow, and Rosalind her recurve bow. The two of them stayed to the back of the group with their bows out and ready.

"Has anyone really thought this out?" Rosalind asked as they walked through a meadow. "I mean, what happens if we do come across these thugs or someone else who has ill intentions? Are we prepared to fight for real? How far do we go with that? Are we really willing to do that? I am, but I want to know how far that goes."

Toby snorted and shot a well-aimed booger out of his nose and onto the grass, making her wince.

"We defend ourselves and we defend these guns," he said. "They're a precious commodity now and whoever has them has the power. You want a bunch of thug kids to have guns? I don't. So, we defend ourselves and our property. We try to avoid any bullshit but if it comes at us, we take care of it."

"If that means killing someone, I'm not comfortable with that idea, Tobias." Ramona admitted.

"Why the hell not? Do you think everything's pink roses and fantasy land around here? We've been isolated; you know. We haven't even seen what's out there. We don't know what we're facing. The fact is, we've been better situated at the castle than most folks have been, and they're hungry and desperate. People do crazy things when they're desperate. If we've got something, they'll take it. I don't care much if someone is coming after the rations I have with me. I brought enough for three days, just in case, but I do care if someone is after my gun, my knife or God help them, my daughter. So, yeah, I will kill a man if he comes for what I love most."

Toby put his arm around his daughter and kissed her forehead in an unusual display of affection. Ivy clapped him on the back and smiled.

"I can take care of myself, you know."

"I know that but it's my job to protect you and I plan to keep you from harm. I'd rather you weren't here on this little foray into stupidity, but you're stubborn like your mother and there's nothing I can do to stop you."

The subject of rape was one she would rather not think of, but the awful fact of it had crossed her mind before. He was right; they were isolated, and in times like this, even in the most genteel of places, the bad apples came out of the woodwork. Everyone was in danger. Young Ivy was in danger, and Ramona... and me, she thought. The compass that Hannah loaned them led them toward the hamlet of Abbot's Rest easily enough, though the walk was longer than any of them expected. They had been walking for ten hours, and Rosalind's feet were blistering in shoes she borrowed from Ivy.

"I think I need a break. A serious break," she announced, and the rest of the group nodded in agreement. They found the edge of the creek that was the same creek that flowed through Athelgate and up through Thornwood. It ran all the way out here; it's creek bed widening to something like a narrow river. She took off her shoes and gritted her teeth when a blister broke open and oozed. She dipped her feet in the cool, clean waters of the creek and sighed, the relief almost overwhelming.

"I brought bandages," Ramona said, eyeing the blistered feet. "Soak your feet and I'll patch you up."

"Um... where is Ivy?"

Ramona smirked.

"Off behind the trees with Ethan. She fancies him."

"Oh. I thought she was with Jory."

"She is. Well, he is with her, but I believe the lad is more interested in her than he is in him. She's been upfront about it. Everyone knows. She wants to have fun, and the boy just can't get that through his head. To be honest, I think his obsession with her is a bit unhealthy. He has domestic life and children flashing in his eyes when he looks at her and Ivy... she just wants to be young and free."

Ramona tended to her raptor, Drago, and Toby pulled out rations of flat bread, and salt-cured pork. Rosalind stood on a flat stone in the babbling water, letting it wash over her feet up to her ankles. She gathered up her hair and wound it up into a twist, securing it at the crown of her head in a knot. No matter how hard she tried, her hair would not stay like that for long. The breeze blew the curls around her face again.

"You look like a fairy." Ethan's voice came from behind a tree. She turned to see Ivy bounce across the stones, half dressed and smiling. "I mean you, Rosalind Pyrne."

She whipped around and shot him an annoyed glare.

"Didn't you just finish up with Ivy?"

"Yes. She's quite friendly," he smirked. "But you do look like a fairy, all windblown curls and eyes as bright as emeralds. I just wonder if you know that you're part of history now."

"What are you on about?"

"This is a new epoch."

"You know the word epoch? I am impressed."

"I went to Cambridge, Rosalind."

"Oh." She had to admit; she was surprised. He seemed more cowboy than Cambridge. "Then what's your story?"

"I studied law at Cambridge but later I got tired of being boxed in and wanted to live a more authentic life. I started an organic farm with my wife, Theresa."

"Four years ago, she passed on. Cancer. It took two years to take her. We knew it was coming, but it hit me so hard... I sold the farm to a developer who put up a shopping center in its place, some outlet mall. Horrible really. It was just the kind of thing Theresa and I fought against, but I couldn't live there anymore. I couldn't wake up in that place where she had been every day. Since then, I've made my way doing what I need to do. Odd jobs here and there. I like the outdoors. In fact, this feels more natural to me than anything. I could teach, but I don't want to. At least, not at some stuffy soul-devouring boys school. So, here I am."

"You are full of surprises." She bit her lip.

"And still, you look like a fairy. You're the leader, you know."

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are. You are the leader because you took the initiative when no one else would. They still won't. Plenty will want to rule around here, but most of them shouldn't. They can't make the decisions you can. They don't want to take responsibility. So, you are the leader, and I think everyone is starting to realize that. Their leader; a raven haired fairy with a bow and arrow and a plan. You'll go down in history, Rosalind Pyrne."