The Wayfarers by J. Patrick Mahony

Author:J. Patrick Mahony [Mahony, J. Patrick]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2016-03-30T00:00:00+00:00

Deuteronomy 3:21

Do not fear them, for the Lord fights for you.

North of the field of cereal, where the crop gave way to a tangled wood of untamed rowan trees, Larissa, Sacha, and the twins, stood beside Friedrich who continued to gasp for breath, waiting within a small clearing domed by knotted growth. Having obeyed the priest’s sincere plea to follow Friedrich’s flight, the children now stood with eyes trained on the thorny opening through which they had entered the wood, each daring to hope for the return of both Piotr and Father Nikolas. Beneath the great many diagonal shafts of sunlight penetrating the leafy ceiling, their floor was a hazy carpet of interwoven twigs and fallen berries, and so atop that melodious surface, the children heard the footfalls of the returning pair long before they sighted them.

“Piotr, Father Nikolas!” Larissa rushed forth with open arms.

Esau looked to Piotr in disbelief, “Wait… how did you… ah it’s just great to see you both!”

“You did it, you actually did it,” Jacob added, as he, his brother, and Sacha, each landed congratulatory pats upon Piotr’s slight shoulders.

Straightening his posture, Friedrich gave Nikolas a humbled nod, “Larissa told me what you did, how I wouldn’t have reached this far had you not distracted that Trencher. You put your life on the line for me… it’s more than I deserve!” He looked to Piotr, “And you? You went back for him; you could have both been killed because of me.”

Nikolas fired a doleful smile, “There’s no need to come down so hard on yourself, you were frightened.”

“We all were but I was the only one who ran!”

Larissa stepped closer, “We’re all running Friedrich, but even so, sometimes the only way to get where you’re going is to take a moment to stay where you are.”

Piotr gestured at the bare wrist where he vowed he would one day furnish with an extravagant timepiece, “Though I do love a good reunion, I think it best we get moving!”

“You’re right,” Nikolas answered, “we’ve still yet to reach the midpoint between Olesno and Sopot, if we’re going to reach there by tomorrow evening we need to press-”

Nikolas’ speech was interrupted by some creature unseen amongst the woodland, one which sounded a vigorous burble that seemed to vacate the trees of their nesting birds.

Sacha rubbed his hand over his hollow stomach and grinned, “Sorry!”

Nikolas smiled, “Though none are quite as… vocal, as Sacha’s, I’m sure each of your bellies need something to eat, no great deed was ever achieved on an empty stomach.”

Jacob moved his eyes across the thriving wood, “Safer to pick some berries rather than enter another town no?”

“It’s October!” Larissa replied.

“So?”

She shrugged, “So, this time of year the berries are too bitter for even the birds, as soon as you’ve put one in your mouth your body will want to send it out the other end!”

Nikolas began to walk down the corridor formed from braided branches, and beckoned the children to follow, “Come, we’ll keep moving onward

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.