Early in the morning, the house was bustling again as Earl was packing up his sons for their journey. I was awakened by the noise, and feeling that I might again have an important opportunity, I hurried out of bed to find out what was going on. It turned out that Earl had instructed Klim and Falco to take some of the harvest to a neighboring village that had also, by some miracle, survived these hard times. This was a great opportunity for me, and I begged Earl with all my might to take me with them. It didn't take long - Earl quickly relented, handed me a sack full of vegetables, and sent me on my way with my sons.
Each of the brothers took two sacks, throwing them easily on his shoulders, and I, with some difficulty, put my sack on my back and hurried after him. As soon as we left the house, I was immediately enveloped by the morning chill, as if winter itself were warning of its approach. The cold air burned my face, and steam billowed from my mouth. Goosebumps ran up and down my body, but my brothers kept up their pace. I, though I struggled to keep up, was already feeling the first hints of fatigue.
We were out so early that the sun was barely beginning to rise above the horizon. Orange rays were just beginning to pierce the gloom of night, casting a gentle light on the sky, and the trees cast long shadows on our path. The journey to the neighboring village would take all day, and we should be there by evening.
It would have been a real pleasure to walk through the morning fields if it hadn't been for the heavy sack on my back, which was gradually cutting into my shoulders and taking all my strength. I threw it over my back, hoping it would be easier, but it was too big and kept slipping. Klim and Falco didn't seem to feel tired at all and walked on steadily, while I walked along beside them, feeling each movement getting harder and harder. The thought flashed through my mind: "Was it worth it to go with them at all?" Despite months of training in the forest and a meat diet, the strength of my eight-year-old arms was still a far cry from my brothers' mighty endurance.
The sun had already risen high enough to light our way when I felt my legs feel like lead and my muscles burn with tension. I couldn't help myself, though, and asked if we could take a break.
- Klim! Falco! - The panting was knocking my breath away, - Will there be a rest break?
- Are you tired already? - Falco snorted, looking over his shoulder at me. - I told you you shouldn't have come. What was that old fool thinking sending a child with us, anyway?
- They will, don't worry," Klim said with a grin, continuing on his way.
After two hours, I couldn't feel my arms or legs, and sweat was dripping off me in rivulets. I wanted to throw the sack on the ground and go back to the village, but my pride wouldn't let me give up. Suddenly, the brothers stopped, calling a five-minute break. They put their sacks on the ground and sat down beside me, and this was a real relief for me. I could barely hold back a sigh of relief as I dropped my sack to the ground and practically collapsed on top of it.
"Bliss," I thought, lying on a bag of vegetables. But, unfortunately, the long-awaited rest was too short. After a couple of minutes, the brothers again announced the end of the break, and with a heavy sigh I picked up the bag and continued to follow them, dragging my feet on the ground.
We walked for a long time, and then the sun rose to its zenith. We reached the halfway point, and the brothers, to my joy, announced a big break. They took out a large flask and a slice of bread, and I, hungry and weary, looked at the food as if it were something sacred. Klim, noticing my gaze, took pity and gave me the flask. I drank greedily, but Falco, frowning, quickly took it away.
- What are you drinking so much for? We have half a day to go!
I was given a piece of bread, which I immediately began to eat without thinking about the taste. Hunger had done its work, and the food seemed divine to me, even if it was stale and tasteless. After we had eaten, we were on our way again.
The road led through wide plains, with the expanse stretching as far as the horizon. The air was clean and fresh, and even though I was tired, I had to admire it. Fields of withered grass, groves scattered here and there, and distant hills like sentinels stood guard over the peace of the world. But the longer we walked, the more my thoughts drifted away from the beauty of nature-my arms and legs had long since ceased to feel anything but fatigue.
In the evening, when the sun was beginning to sink, we finally reached the village. I was so exhausted that I couldn't even hold the bag properly. We came to a large wooden house, and an elderly man, obviously an elder, came out to meet us.
- Hello! - Falco said cheerfully. - And we brought you some goodies.
- What's that in your bags? And who is that behind you? - The old man asked with interest, looking at me.
- That's the boy Earl took in. He's with us," Klim answered.
The old man regarded me with a smile, then laughed loudly:
- That boy's about to fall off! Come inside, get some rest.
We carried the bags into the house and settled down to rest. I threw myself on the nearest bench with relief and almost fell asleep on the spot. The brothers continued to talk to the elder, telling him about our village and the miracle that had happened in the fields. The old man was extremely surprised, and after thanking us for our help, he offered us dinner. It was a simple meal, but I didn't care; I greedily ate all that was offered and fell back on the bench.
At last night came, and the elder showed us places to sleep. The brothers went to rest, and I stayed to talk with the master of the house. We talked about life, about hardships, about my past. When the conversation reached an impasse, I decided to say the most important phrase for which I had come on this journey:
- Maybe if you reseed your fields like we did, a miracle will happen to you?
The old man hesitated, but answered nothing. It was his food for thought. I realized that I had done all I could, and I went to bed feeling satisfied that the plan had been accomplished.
In the morning we prepared to go again. We were given a loaf of bread and a flask of water. When I tried to get up, my body ached in every muscle - the crepature was making itself felt - but there was nothing to do but keep going. When we left the house, we saw again the same picture as three days ago, when the whole village had gathered to plant the fields. Everyone - men, women, children, old people - were working together. The elder took my advice and decided to do the same as our village.
My plan had succeeded, but it wouldn't be completed today. We set off on the return journey, and this time it was easier, without the heavy sacks on our backs, though the pain was still evident. The people of the village gave us tired looks, their faces reflecting the hard work they were doing to survive.
During the journey, I decided to practice with the energy that was circulating inside me. The most amazing thing was that its movement made the pain subside little by little, and it became easier to walk. I kept the flow of energy moving the whole way, and after a few hours the pain was almost completely gone. I was amazed by this discovery - perhaps I had just discovered the healing properties of my abilities.
We returned to the village before sunset and went straight to Earl to report our journey. There was no special news; the brothers had only passed on a couple of rumors from other villages. Earl praised me for my stamina and for not giving up on the journey. After that, I sat down at the table and thought about future plans. I decided that the next day I would go back to that village, but I would tell Earl that I was going back to Arschard to look for my mother.
Later, I approached Earl, who was already talking to someone. Waiting until he was free, I said:
- Earl, tomorrow I'm going back to my home village. But I promise I'll be back.
Earl raised his eyebrows in surprise:
- What? But why?
- I'm going to try to find my mother, who disappeared that very night," I answered, feeling a slight thrill.
- Okay, I won't stop you. A mother is important. Just wake me up in the morning when you're ready to go and I'll give you some things for the road.
His caring words warmed me from the inside out. Despite the harshness of life, there was still kindness in this world.
At dinner, Klim approached me:
- Are you really going to Arschhardt?
- Yeah, but I'll be back," I nodded.
Klim, grinning, stood up and soon returned with a dagger in his hands. It was an old but sturdy blade with a carved hilt, covered with light traces of rust. The blade had clearly seen a lot of use, but its sharpness was unquestionable. The handle was covered in leather, tattered in places but still strong. It was a time-honored tool, and that made its value even greater.
- Here, take this, it'll come in handy on the road," Klim said, holding out the dagger to me.
- Thank you, Klim," I thanked him from the bottom of my heart, and his face lit up with a warm smile.
The next day I woke up before dawn. After packing my things-my spear and Klim's dagger-I threw away the old bone knife, deciding that a dagger would be more useful. After waking Earl, he didn't hesitate to hand me a bag with a flask and vegetables. He also handed me a pair of boots, explaining that they were Priya's and she wouldn't need them now. I wanted to refuse, but the boots fit me perfectly. Thankfully, I said goodbye and went on my way.
I enjoyed the warmth of the sun breaking through the morning fog as I greeted the first rays of dawn. The road to the village was familiar to me, so I walked confidently. It was a moment when I could finally be alone with my thoughts.
On the way, I decided to experiment with the energy: I poured some of it into the water from the flask and tasted it. The water had a subtle flavor, but there was no special effect. Then I repeated the experiment with bread - the result was the same. Tasting and playing with my abilities, I stealthily reached the village. The sky was already beginning to darken, so I hid and waited for night to fall.
When everything was dark and the village was asleep, I began my "special operation". I cautiously crept into the fields, made sure that no one would notice my presence, and began pouring energy into the soil. The fields came alive before my eyes as the plants began to glow, and I hurried to finish before anyone happened to come out and discover me. Soon the light began to fade, and my work was done.
As I wandered through the village at night, I noticed a cloak hanging on a hook in the window of one of the houses. I couldn't resist the temptation, so I decided to take it for myself-perhaps I could use it in the future. That was my first theft in this world.
With a sense of accomplishment and a renewed sense of strength, I left the village and headed back to my now home village.