Ch12 – Reflection
Young Henry sat by the fire while Henry the senior comforted his wife the best he could. He was holding her while she wept from it all as they both sat on their bed. He held her and listened giving as much reassurance as he could until she fell asleep. He carefully laid her down and left her to speak to his youngest and newly found son. As was his usual custom before speaking he filled the bowl of his pipe and lit it with a small stick from the fire. Once a soothing and aromatic smoke began to rise from the sides of his mouth he asked, “What was that you were carrying son?”
This seemed an odd question to ask and Henry who was quite lost in thought on other matters was struggling to gather his thoughts to answer. “What? I, nothing, what is it you asked father?”
“I asked what it was that you carried all this way from wherever you were.” Only then did the younger glance over beside the fire to see the staff of hardwood that he found and practiced with in the woods. To be honest he hadn’t given much thought to it and was somewhat amused he had brought it here and set it beside him.
“It is a staff, well sort of. I found it in the woods and was using it to learn.” Henry the younger whose eyes had been staring into the flames were now fixed on the staff and there remained a while.
“What was it you were learning, son? Who was teaching you?” The elder man felt as if he knew the answers but had learned over many years to leave questions rather open so as not to get the answer you want to hear, but rather the truth of the matter which is always more important.
At this the young man turned and looked at his father straight in the eyes and though he didn’t know it his father thought in the moment he looked like a man rather than a boy for the first time. “Father, it has happened to me. I am ashamed of how I acted towards you all and especially William but now I see it. I was reading William’s books in the woods when it happened.” His father did not have to prod him to go on as he was anxious to share. “I know now why I could not understand your teachings before. I rebelled against them. I did not believe them. It was as if I was awakened right there and the weight of all these things came down upon me. I wasn’t afraid of the watchers even though I saw them coming. I just knew in that moment that the King was real; He was there and was calling me to Him. I was ashamed and asked forgiveness for what I had been but by the time I could say the words it was as if I had no need to. I can’t say how it happened or how I knew, but I knew that I was His and He showed me the truth. I have to share it, father. I am as full inside as I have ever been with so much to say. It makes no sense, but it also makes perfect sense.”
Henry’s father could never have imagined the warmth he felt inside. Could it be that his own son would be a cleric as he was? Even in the midst of missing William he was overjoyed. Henry’s mother rushed in (neither had noticed her entrance or that she had heard the whole exchange) and embraced her youngest son. The three of them shared in this time of joy together and even though William’s fate was unknown in this moment they were all comforted. That was overshadowed by Henry’s news.
“There is so much I have to share with you, son. Your calling has come at a needful time for there are none other in Kidron. The old ways will be again and you my son will play an important role. I must reflect tonight on my path and yours. Tomorrow I will show you things you have never seen before. For now your mother needs rest and we need to focus. There is no time to waste.” Both Henrys spent the remaining night meditating and in prayer. The elder on the past and what he foresaw coming quickly, and the younger on this change in him and all he had read.
~
William’s progress back to consciousness was a slow one. His vision seemed to fade in rather than return at once. Even sounds were muffled for a time and thoughts even were slower. He could barely move any part of his body. There were two reasons for this. He was bound hand and foot with thick ropes but also his entire body felt as if it had been pummeled repeatedly such that anything not broken was sorely bruised. In fact it felt that way because that is exactly what happened although it would be a while before clear memory came back to him to confirm. He knew he lay on the ground and although the ground was wet he felt very dry. His lips were cracked and his thick eyelids moved thickly across his eyes in want of tears. He was not gagged but also not in danger of giving away position as even a deep breath was painful.
Sounds came to him and though it clearly was some language, it was none he knew. Mostly he didn’t move but tried his best to look around and remember. Both the looking and remembering were proving difficult and then… This continued for a few days coming to and then losing consciousness such that William wasn’t entirely sure what was dream and what was real. It was more like a collection of light and darkness than memories. He may have been given something to eat and drink at one point, but then again he might have dreamed it. He wasn’t sure of anything but he had the idea he had been moved. Perhaps they were traveling quite a lot during this time. It really was hard to tell. He was trained and practiced at finding his way in the woods but only looking from the ground up and continuing black outs in between any coherent thought was simply more than he was equipped for.
A sudden jarring of his bones from being dropped onto the ground awakened William. As his eyes began to focus he saw a door of sorts closing that appeared to lead outdoors. Slowly he began to look around to see he was in some sort of rough made wooden shack. There was only earth beneath him and it certainly was not water or wind proof but shelter nonetheless. The door was made of reeds tied onto a wooden frame so that one could see through it easily but it was solid enough to prevent escape assuming it was latched on the outside. For the first time since the attack he tried to sit up and it was only when he reached out to steady himself that he realized he was no longer bound. His wrists and ankles borne the soars for having been so but he was in a limited sense free for now.
There was a plate with some slop on it and a jug of water. William was desperately in need of both but careful not to eat or drink too quickly as he had been without for some time. The food and drink gave him strength and helped to clear the cobwebs from inside his head. He thought they were in a village not far from Kidron, probably Jessup. He had never been there but since they had already been overtaken by the watchers William figured they just set up in the town for now. Apparently there were a few survivors kept as slaves as he heard them from time to time outside seemingly being forced to do labor and begging not to be treated harshly. William who was gaining clarity was storing all the images and sounds. He needed to remember as much as he could. It may prove useful later.
William had eaten a portion of but not all the food provided and continued to drink slowly and was surprised that he had been left alone for what he was sure were a few hours. He thought to himself that if he were to have strength enough to endure whatever lie ahead, he would need to turn his heart and mind to prayer and to reflect on the words that lived in his heart. Little could William know that at that very moment he, his brother, and their father sat in much the same position; praying about many of the same things; remembering the same writings; as if they were all reflections of one image.
~
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