The Puppeteer

Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

They were just about done packing their things. It was imperative they hide all evidence of having lived there so if anyone were to stumble upon their old home, no one would think to tell authorities. As long as the government didn’t know where they used to live, there would be no way to be trailed.

Cam smiled at the empty cave, remembering what it had looked like when they had just left the witch’s house. It had been hope to them, safety. But now it wasn’t enough. Times had grown so much more dangerous, and they, meanwhile, more paranoid. She knew it wasn’t just her, Luca would often awake screaming, and proceed to fall asleep, not to remember that moment in the morning. She never talked to him about those moments. His personality had always been such that to discuss anything personal was irrationally embarrassing.

“It’s funny, I know we’re going to be so much better off now, but I think I’m going to miss this place,” Luca said, breaking the silence.

“I know what you mean.  We’ve been living here for so long.  Sometimes we have stay inside for so long we’re ready to go crazy and rampage the city.”

“Oh no, you’re the one who goes crazy. I am calm, cool and perfect,” he said in such a pompous way that Camden just had to snort and punch him on the arm.

“Hey!” he cried. “You’ll pay for that!”

He dove for his sister, tickling her to keep from getting pinned. “Ha! I beat you!”

“Did not!  Tickling is an absolutely inaccurate measure of combat skills.”

“You’re just jealous.”

“Of what?  I’m better than you in every way!”

And so the wrestling resumed. In the end Cam did win, but she knew Luca was getting stronger. In a few short years he’d be able to beat her in a fight.  For now, though, she could still take him.

“Okay, that was certainly fun. But we need to get going, if we are to meet that wise man in time.” Cam held up the instructions she had found on the table, looking over them for the first time. “This place is really far. And the directions are so complicated! Look at this, Luke!”

It looked like it would be physically impossible to walk that far in just three days.

“I don’t know if we could make it, even if we didn’t need to sleep and we don’t get held up anywhere,” Luca commented.

“I realize that. He’s probably looking for us to be resourceful. We have some savings, what if we bought a horse?”

“We were going to use that to buy a house!” Luca reminded her, maybe a little too forcefully.

“We’re about to get an opportunity to live in a house. I think that’s worth a horse, don’t you?” Cam knew Luca would give in at that, and so they were off to the local farmer to purchase a horse.

They left their things at home, deciding to go back for them later, with the help, of course, of their new horse.  At the horse trader’s door, Cam whispered, “You do the talking.  You’re better at that.  Just don’t insult the guy.  He’s the only person around here who sells horses. If he won’t give it to us, we’ll never get to leave.”

Luca nodded, and as there came no response from within, again rapped quickly against the polished wooden door.

On the fourth knock, the door finally opened a crack, out of which popped the head of a scruffy, unshaven man in peasant garb. The only intimidating thing about him was the pitchfork with which he was armed.

“Whoa! Sir, what’s the pitchfork for?” Luca exclaimed, caught off guard. “Could you spare some time to consider selling us one of your lovely horses?”

“Are you kidding me? It must be five in the morning! I thought you were thieves, by the way. Though most thieves don’t include the courtesy of knocking in their service. Couldn’t you have waited a few hours to approach me? My store in town opens at nine.”

And with that the door slammed in their faces.

“I didn’t even notice how late, or early, I guess, it is. Should we wait, or start off?”

“Well there’s another village where we could buy a horse just a few miles down the road, and walking there shouldn’t take more than a half hour. But with all the things we have to bring with us, to walk so far and expect to run from any soldiers we happen upon is not a likely prospect.” Cam said.

“Good point. Would it be possible to hide all of our things and return for them when we get to the wise man’s house?”

“I suppose, but what if they are found?”

“Well, we could find a witch. They’re always eager to do anything that would go against the government.”

“That’s a good idea. Except the witch that helped us that night lives far enough away that it would take as long as going to that other village to get to her home and back by foot. And we aren’t guaranteed that she would be there. What if she’s been caught?”

“There have to be more witches in town, don’t you think?” Luca asked, clearly desperate to get out of the suddenly suffocating village.

“Yes, of course, but will we be able to find them?”

Luca stared at his sister, disappointed.

“You were totally ready to leave, huh?” asked Camden, to which her brother nodded.

“Well, we can still leave in a few hours when the horse trader’s store opens. I’m just kind of worried I won’t be able to barter with him as easily, he seemed rather upset.”

“True. Let’s go get some sleep until then. We’ve got a lot of work to do over the next few days, and some rest might help.”

And so they returned to their cave for one final time, both resting, but neither getting a moment of sleep.