On The Run - Chapter II

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When the light shining through the shutters in my room awakened me, I was trying desperately to remember where I was, or why I was there. I faintly heard a man and a woman talking outside my door and started to remember what had happened the previous day. As I turned my feet to the floor I noticed the room I had fallen asleep in the night before. The one window to the east was shining brightly with what must have been the 10 or 11 o’clock sunshine. The window to the north wasn’t much dimmer than the east window. There was a strange device on a shelf on the west wall which looked to be something I had thought I had seen in a dream. I had to get a closer look. As I stood up to look at there was a knock on the door. “Come on in, I’m up.”

Zordith walked in and asked if I slept well. “Oh, it was wonderful. I hadn’t slept on a decent bed since the plague. I didn’t know how to make one this wonderful and pretty much have been sleeping on the ground since.”

“Stranger I wish I knew your name, why don’t you just use your father’s name until you remember yours. If you ever do…”

I hadn’t really taken the time to worry about a name, my interaction with people had pretty much come to a halt, and I didn’t really need one. I couldn’t understand why I would remember my father’s name, my mother’s name, but not my own. So, I nodded in recognition and without thinking said, “You have a good point, but my name is going to be Jerrod.” She looked at me with really big eyes, but quickly recovered herself and without another word walked out the door. I didn’t know what to think and decided to follow her out and see if I could find out from her what was the matter. But, I noticed that there was a basin on the table with a towel. So, I freshened up with it before heading out the door.

By the time I entered the main room I noticed the smell of bacon and eggs. I realized it must be earlier than I had first assumed and noticed Zordith whispering into the old man’s ear. He straightened up and turned to look in my direction. With a very stern look on his face he asked how I came to choose the name Jerrod. I didn’t know as I hadn’t given it a second thought….I just decided on it when she asked, and told him just that. He squinted his eyes slightly, as if he didn’t believe me, as Zordith whispered to him, “He tells the truth.” That seemed to calm him, but he never seemed to fully trust me.

The entire day he kept looking at me and I tried to drop the matter all together but the silence between us was making me very uncomfortable. I hadn’t read anything since my flight and was pleased to find a bookshelf where I took a book to read. It was a book I hadn’t heard of and its pages were well worn. The first few chapters were about the makings of a civilization with machines and towering buildings. I loved fiction and was interested in finding out more.

But the old man came to where I was reading and asked me if I could let him know what my plans were. I told him I didn’t know what to do, and he told me that I had to figure something out because he no longer had the energy to build another room, had no where for me to sleep, and didn’t plan on sleeping on the ground for more than 2 more nights. I thanked him so much for allowing me to sleep in his bed but insisted that I didn’t need to since I was so accustomed to sleeping on the ground. He nodded his head and asked if I would like to eat dinner with them I need to do some work as well.

I asked what it was he needed, which he quickly answered as if he was just waiting for me to ask. “You have already told us about your experience farming. I have never been good at getting things to grow. The few vegetables in the stew were foraged from the forests and it would be nice to have a crop to save me the trouble.”

I quickly agreed to do the farming and was at that point glad I had taken a number of seeds in my travel bag. It wasn’t much…but I didn’t need much. In just a few weeks I could have more crops than he knew what to do with, so I just took a couple of seeds for; peas, corn, green beans, green peppers, apple seeds, & a cherry pits. Even after I left, the trees would provide fruit for them that wouldn’t need much tending.

Pulling out the leather pouch that was in my sack I examined it closely. It had been only about a week since I held the contents in my hand. Yet I couldn’t believe how long it seemed. It was as though there was a burning inside to once again feel it in my hands. To make use of its power, feel the fire coursing through my soul. Slightly afraid of what it meant I hesitated, but I knew it hadn’t harmed me in 7 years and wasn’t going to now. Slowly I untied the leather straps that held it closed. As I unfolded the leather a fresh rush of exhilaration pressed into my gut. Having never remembered feeling such a longing to use its power before, I began to contemplate what it could mean. At that moment I began to realize that I really needed someone to explain exactly what my gift was and what it could do. The lack of having a teacher frustrated me, and knowing there was nothing I could do about it more so.

There it was. The cross guard is curved into a half sun, with 13 spikes along the outside as though they were rays from the sun. The hilt bore seven stars on one side, and the moon on the other. It wasn’t especially beautiful and appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary dagger. My father had given it to me before I could remember. Seeing it brought back the memories of the first time I had felt its power course through me.

It was an ordinary day, with wisps of clouds strewn across the sky. The sun was in its peek, preparing to descend once again to bring night upon our farm. I had been out in the field working with my father since before sunrise. A sandwich of stale bread, smoked mutton, and freshly sliced tomatoes was sitting beside me. Two boiled potatoes and a bunch of fresh green beans accompanied the sandwich. Never being a big eater and wishing for more delicious foods such as were served at the baker’s home; I sat toying with my knife instead of eating. My father was sitting a few paces from me, as was usual I was daydreaming.

Turning the blade over and again in my hand I absently decided to stick the blade into the ground. Simultaneously there was a crack of thunder from a storm, which had just announced its arrival. My father and I looked into the sky to notice that there was a storm that hadn’t been there a few minutes earlier. This produced a frown on my father’s face as he realized we would be unable to finish the leaky roof which was the next plan on his agenda since we were just finishing planting this season’s crops.

The hilt of my dagger began to feel warm in my hand that caused me to examine what was transpiring on the ground. My father must have sensed my uneasiness as his eyes were diverted off of the storm and on to me. Suddenly his eyes widened and his mouth agape. Just as he stood up to walk over to me the ground started to vibrate.

A feeling of peace and tranquility was surrounding my heart and the warmth traveled from the hilt up my arm. There began a yellow glow to circle the ground growing in intensity and circumference. My father stopped in mid stride as if all of a sudden unsure whether to react or to watch. The glowing circle began to branch out through the field. Stream after stream of light pierced through the furrows of the field, following them to their end. Just as quickly the light faded and everything returned as it was before.

Now as I stood contemplating the memories of the dagger’s first use I realized that those were the first vivid memories I seemed to have. The rest of that day and most of the years to follow were but a haze in my mind.

Lifting the dagger in my hand, digging holes for the seeds I realized that we were going to have rain for a few days and guessed I should have mentioned that to my new friends. Planting the seeds in the un-furrowed earth I knew might be a little tricky, but I figured the power I possessed would take care of any difficulties. At least I had hoped I had always farmed the way I was taught and never tested the limits of my gift. After sticking the blade in the ground, feeling the rush of power surge through me, I stood up and waited for the rain. The clouds were already gathered above my head as I lifted my face to the sky. After the first couple of times I began to enjoy the good soaking I received from the storms.

Slowly walking back to the cabin I remembered the books in the cabin. Excitement rose up in me at the opportunity I was going to have to read. Although I kept in mind that there might be repairs the old man might need help with. So, I was preparing myself for a possibility of being busy anyway. Arriving at the cabin I opened the door to Zordith and arguing with her father about the weather abnormality. As I stood there smirking they both looked at me and asked at the same time, “Did you have something to do with this?”

I explained to them the consequences of using my gift and that it would pass in 3 or 4 days. Both immediately frowned and looked as if they had just been delivered very disagreeable news. Neither said another word about it but turned and retreated to their rooms. Suddenly feeling unwelcome by two I thought were new friends I contemplated what I should do. Considering picking up and leaving I realized I didn’t know where to go or what to do. Fighting through the discomfort of my new situation I decided to knock on the old man’s door. He asked if I could just leave the two of them to dwell on the peculiarity of their new guest before being asked to discuss their feelings on the matters at hand. Obligingly I decided to start the reading I was so anxious to begin anyway.

Tearing through three of the books on his shelves I realized that I had read through the remainder of the day and into the very early morning of the following day. The first book continued to tell of the civilization, which had intrigued me so much. Most of the ideas and governments spoken of resembled very little of the oppressive kingdom which ruled the world of reality. I fantasized about how wonderful it would be to know a life like that. When I reached the ending I was saddened and needed some cheering up. So I had read the second book that was a comedy of a jester’s life. By the end I was in need of something a bit more instructional and picked a book about sword fighting.

My father had taught me a lot about sword fighting, but he was an unlearned man. It saddened him to think that his son would not know how to read so he went out the expense to hire a tutor when I was in my latter teens since my gift had blessed our farm with such abundance. Being unlearned, as was most of the town, he didn’t have possession of too many books and our town didn’t either. I figured with my physical knowledge of how to handle a sword could be further increased with the knowledge contained in that book.

Feeling the exhaustion of the early morning hour and the many hours of reading I fell asleep almost as soon as I had replaced the book in its shelf. I slept heavily and was still tired when the house’s activities were begun. Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, listening to the pattern of the rain on the cabin’s roof, I decided to greet those who had so heartily accepted me as their guest. They both nodded in recognition but said nothing further. The day continued with very little said between the father and daughter and nothing said to me. Our meals were eaten in silence and the day came to a close. Too exhausted to read I laid to rest and slept. The following day was pretty much the same. Except that Zordith wandered out into the rain without coming back. She appeared to be packed for a journey so I assumed she would not be coming back that day. The third day was a bit lighter around the house as the old man did begin to make small talk. Although he still seemed a bit hesitant to talk at length.

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