Ash's Arc

Chapter 2 of 3

By dusk, Ash had swept the barn and stacked wood while Leila finished her rows. She wiped her hands and looked at the farmhouse. "My father has to say yes," she told Ash. "I can't just leave. Wait here." But Ash followed her to the porch. If she was risking this for him, he would not hide. Inside, Leila's father sat at a rough table, mending a boot. He was a broad man with black hair and deep wrinkles, dressed in a worn colorful coat. Two younger children played near the hearth. He looked up when the door opened. His eyes went to Ash's muddy fine robes, then narrowed. "Who's this?" "His name is Ash," Leila said. "He lost his memory. He doesn't know where he's from." She stood straight, chin up. "I want to help him find out. I want to go with him." Her father set the boot down. "Go where? For how long?" His voice was low and hard. "Who does the water? The goats? Your chores don't do themselves, Leila." "They can," Leila said. She pointed at the two younger children. "They're old enough. I'll teach them the goats before I leave. The water too." The man stood. He walked close to Ash and studied his face a long moment. Ash held still and did not look away. "You've got no boots," the father said. "No coin. You'd lead my daughter into the cold with nothing." "I never asked her to come," Ash said quietly. "She offered. She's the only one who believed me." The father's jaw worked. He looked at Leila, then back at the fire, then at the two small ones who had gone silent. For a long time he said nothing. Ash's heart pounded. "Your mother was the same," the father said at last. "Couldn't leave a hurt thing alone." He rubbed his face. "You teach the little ones every chore before you go. Every one. And you come back." He pointed a thick finger at Leila. "You come back." Leila crossed the room and hugged him hard. "I will," she said. "I promise." He held her a moment, then pushed her gently away and turned to his boot again, done with talking. Leila grinned at Ash. It was the first time he had seen her smile. That night she gathered rope, a waterskin, and dried fish into a pack. She showed her brother how to milk. She showed her sister the water bucket. By morning it was settled. Ash had a companion, a plan, and a road to walk. He stepped off the porch into gray light and stopped. At the edge of the forest, half hidden in the trees, sat a white creature. Soft feathers covered its wings. A cat's body, an owl's face, blue eyes fixed on him. It did not move. It did not flee. It simply watched, as if it had been waiting for him to leave.