“What did she do to pass the time?”
“She read a lot of books.”
“And she knitted,” Miriam offered with a gentle laugh. “Oh, your mother knitted quite a lot of things. All of my children wore something while growing up that had been knitted by your mother.” She looked at Astrid and Teofil. “You both wore hats and socks she made. And, Astrid, you loved to wear a soft, alpaca wool jumper.”
Thaddeus grinned at Teofil, imagining him in small hats and socks. “You wore things my mother made. I love that.”
“You did too, Thaddeus,” his father said. “I recovered quite a few items she had made and brought them along with us when we… when we left.”
“Really? I never knew that. Did you keep them?”
“Of course. They’re in a bin in the basement. I’ll show them to you when we get home.”
Thaddeus noted the optimism in his father’s words and sent a wish up to the stars, to Flora, to God, or any all-knowing entity who might be listening, that they would, indeed, all make it home again.
A short time later, they were all trading off yawning and decided it was time to sleep. They divided up times for someone to keep watch, Miriam volunteering to take the first post, and the others turned in. Thaddeus lay down alongside Teofil and smiled when he felt his arm slip around his waist. Maybe sleeping outside wasn’t so bad after all.
The next morning, they were packed and ready to move by the time the sun was up. Thaddeus took the lead once again, checking his compass to make sure they were headed in the right direction. It couldn’t be much farther to the end of the forest; he had to believe they would be coming out of the trees before too long.
Hours later, Thaddeus was glad to set foot out from the dark of the Lost Forest into the sunshine that seemed to flood another stretch of grassy plain. The mountain range was clearly visible now. The tall, rocky spire of Wraith Mountain at the center loomed closer than ever, and the others gathered around him to stare at it.
“I can’t believe we’re finally leaving the forest,” Astrid said.
“I’ve only left the Lost Forest once in all my life,” Dulindir said.
“Just once?” Astrid asked.
“Just once,” Dulindir replied, fixed on the mountain off in the distance. “A long time ago.”
“Sun’s almost down,” Thaddeus’s father pointed out. “We should make camp here on the edge of the forest, just inside the trees. It will provide us some shelter for the night, and we’ll get a fresh start across the plains in the morning. We’ll be exposed to the sun tomorrow, so be sure we have enough water for the trip.”
They all got busy getting things ready for the night ahead. Thaddeus set out to look for firewood and found his father a few yards away from the others. He stood with his head down, supporting himself with a hand on a tree. He looked tired and pale, and Thaddeus’ stomach clenched at the sight of him in this condition.
“Dad?”
His father started and looked around. “Thaddeus. I didn’t hear you come up.”
“Are you all right?”
“I’m fine. Just tired.”
“You look more than tired. You look worn out.”
His father shook his head. “I’m fine. Really. I just need a moment to catch my breath is all.”
“Well, let’s gather firewood together, okay?”
“I’d like that,” his father said with a smile.
They worked in silence for a bit, Thaddeus wondering if this moment might be the right time to ask about the family secrets. But when he saw how pale and used up his father looked, he realized his curiosity could wait.
“I performed magic while we were gone,” he said instead.
His father looked at him in surprise. “What? You did? What kind of spell?”
“We were being swept away by the Wretched River at night, so it was dark,” Thaddeus explained. “Water sprites grabbed me and pulled me under. I was about to drown and panicking and I conjured a ball of light.”
His father smiled and held the sticks he had gathered close to his chest. “You’re coming into your own, Thaddeus. I’m very proud of you. Very proud.” His smile turned a little sad. “Your mother would be very proud of you as well.”
The faint moonlight peeking through the canopy of leaves sparkled in the tears in his father’s eyes, and Thaddeus felt the sting of tears of his own.
“I want to learn more. Magic that is. There’s so much I don’t know.”
“I will teach you,” his father said. “We’ll work on spells during the journey to the mountains.”
Thaddeus smiled. “I’d like that.”
“Come on,” his father said. “Let’s get this wood back to the campsite. We’re closer to Wraith Mountain, but we’ve still got a ways to go.”
Thaddeus walked beside his father through the forest, back to where Teofil and the others waited for them. Just through the trees and beyond the grassy plain, the moon hung above the rocky peaks of the silhouettes of the mountains, and Thaddeus sent thoughts of love out to his mother.
“Soon, Mom,” he whispered to the night gathered in the woods around them. “We’ll come to rescue you soon. I promise.”
THE END