Life After The Fall by GJ Ogden

Author:GJ Ogden [Ogden, GJ]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ogden Media Limited
Published: 2019-05-14T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 5

The strange old man seemed to watch for a while from the top of the hill, while Ethan, Summer and Dorman did what they could to help the surviving nomads and get their caravan moving again. One of the four carts had to be abandoned completely, but Ethan and the others managed to transfer most of the valuables, mainly food and water, onto the other three. Dorman had grown frustrated with trying to convince the leader of the group to abandon their nomadic lifestyle and head to Forest Gate or Hill Top; they were still insistent on continuing their journey, despite the ever-present danger.

“They will all end up dead sooner or later,” grumbled Dorman as he rejoined Summer and Ethan, “their stubbornness will get them killed.”

“Not everyone can handle the confines of four walls, Dorman,” said Summer. “For some people, the freedom to go where they want, when they want, is more important.”

“What good is freedom if you’re dead?” Dorman went on, drawing a bitter look from Summer. Ethan knew why; Summer’s mother had been a member of an ill-fated caravan, and as with the travelers that were again making their way along the old road, she too had suffered for her freedom. It was how Summer had come to live in Forest Gate, a fact Ethan considered reminding Dorman of before his insensitivity got him punched in the nose, but he was at that moment distracted again by the old man on the hill, who seemed to be moving off.

“That strange old man is leaving,” said Ethan, pointing up the hill. “We’d better check he hasn’t stolen any of our gear.”

“He won’t have done,” said Dorman, in a manner that suggested he thought Ethan’s statement was stupid. “That’s the old hermit. You must have heard of him?”

“No, should I have?” said Ethan, both offended by Dorman’s tone, and intrigued.

“He’s well known, at least to the older rangers,” Dorman added haughtily as they all set off on the climb back up the hill. “He wanders all over, occasionally stopping at the settlements he passes to trade this and that.” Then he smiled and added, with a touch of theatricality, “People say he’s over a hundred years old and that he can conjure magic.”

Summer scoffed, “Sure, Dorman, and it’s also true that there are faeries in the woods, and that there’s a songbird that sits on the wall at River Side and recites poetry...”

Ethan laughed, but Dorman was not amused, “They say sarcasm is the lowest form of wit...”

Summer smiled, “If ‘they’ are the same people making crazy claims about this hermit, then I think I’m fine ignoring them.”

Ethan reached the top of the hill first, eager to confirm Dorman’s claims that this old hermit would not have stolen any of the gear, but everything still seemed to be where they had left it. More surprising was how far away the old hermit was, considering his diminutive stature and apparent age. He was already so far down the side of

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