5 Chapter 4: A Path into the Unknown
Once the scripture lesson is completed Vincent reports to the kitchen to help with the food as he is supposed to. He carries out each meal and makes sure it gets to whom it is meant for, but as he does so the lesson he had went to willingly remains on his mind.
When he awakes the next morning it is still on his mind. What does it mean to love something or someone? How do you love someone? How do you know when you love something or someone? How does it feel to love something or someone? These questions burn in Vincent's mind like a piece of iron in a furnace and it irritates just as if that same piece of metal was put on his flesh.
He walks with Mother Margret to Sir Marvin the baker's shop so that he may confess and apologize for taking a piece of bread without permission yesterday. The sky is clear overhead aside from an occasional cloud. A breeze would blow through every now and then, but other than that the town itself is quieter than yesterday although no one doesn't seem to notice it. Selena comes with them, for afterwards they would go and buy some things for the orphanage at the marketplace and it would be easier to carry everything back.
As the three of them come upon the bakery they stop just in the open doorway.
"Sir Marvin, are you here?!", calls Mother Margret. Sir Marvin is near the back preparing dough to make a new batch of creations. At the call of Mother Margret he turns with kind, bright, blue eyes to the mother and two orphans.
"Well if it isn't Mother Margret. How are you this day? Have you come to buy some bread perhaps?", he greets friendly.
"No. Not this time. I was wondering if a batch you made yesterday came up short by chance?", Mother Margret goes on. Sir Marvin looks thoughtful for a minute.
"Now that you mention it I did. It was a batch I was letting cool just in my window actually.", he finally answers.
"I see. In that case I believe young Vincent here has something to say to you.", Mother Margret reveals. The mention of his name brings Vincent back to the bakery. He notices Sir Marvin's eyes on him and remembers what he is meant to be doing. He steps forward, faces the baker and takes a breath.
"I am the one who took the bread, Sir Marvin. I am sorry and I ask for your forgiveness. What I did was wrong and it should not have been done.", he says calmly, but genuinely with a bowed head. When he brings his head up to look upon Sir Marvin he is met with a stern look.
"Boy, if you don't stop these shenanigans of yours you're going to end up not being trusted or wanted by anyone. Now what would you have done if I was like some of these hard-hearted people and didn't accept your apology.", Sir Marvin tells him. Vincent's eyes lower to the ground, but he doesn't lose his demeanor. He remains unemotionally involved. Sir Marvin sighs.
"Vincent you've got do better. You just have to or else no one will care you about when you need them to.", Sir Marvin warns. As he takes in the baker's words a thought comes into Vincent's head.
<i>Care. To care for something or someone is to love them.</i>
Does that mean that no one could end up loving him if he were to stay on the path he is on? The idea causes Vincent to look up from the ground, but he doesn't say anything instead he takes heed to the baker's words and nods in understanding.
"I forgive you.", Sir Marvin says with a sigh. As Mother Margret exchange parting words with Sir Marvin Vincent looks over to Selena. She has a pitying look in her eyes. Probably because of what Sir Marvin had just told him. Vincent shrugs at her in order to show he is fine. At that moment Mother Margret leads them out from the bakery and they head to do the marketplace.
On their way Vincent's mind is calmer and he is more focused than before, however, an uneasy feeling comes over him as he approaches the marketplace. He gets the feeling something is telling him not to go there; to just turn around and go back to the monastery, but why. He stops for a moment with an expression of confusion. Selena and Mother Margret stop as well and turn around to him.
"Are you alright Vincent?", Mother Margret asks him. Vincent quickly looks to Mother Margret. He debates in his mind whether to say something or not. He decides not to.
"I'm fine I was just thinking was all.", he instead says. Mother Margret looks at him for a bit with a questionable look. "I'm fine. Truly.", Vincent assures her.
"Very well. Come on then we don't have all day.", she says. She turns around and continues on down the street. Vincent goes on and comes to walk beside Selena.
"Don't let what Sir Marvin said get to you, Vincent.", she says turning to him.
"Huh? Oh, I'm fine. That wasn't what I was thinking about.", Vincent admits. A curious look comes upon Selena's face.
"So what were you thinking about?", she asks curiously. Before Vincent can answer her he hears a shout in his direction. He and Selena look up to see a group of people standing in front of them and Mother Margret. The shout they had heard sounded as if it had come from a man and sounded like 'there he is'.
Mother Margret had stopped as well and now the people were heading toward them as they continued to shout angrily. Vincent begins to feel uneasy. Is it him to whom they are referring to? As Vincent takes a step back Mother Margret steps in front of him and Selena.
"Hold on just a minute! What is the meaning of this and to whom are you referring when you say he?!", Mother Margret says addressing the crowd.
"That dreadful child behind you!", comes one voice over the others who seem to intensify.
"What on earth could you possibly want with this child?! Why the anger?!", Mother Margret demands. An older man comes forward from the crowd to address Mother Margret personally. Meanwhile, Vincent looks on with wide eyes of shock.
What's going on?, he thinks dreadfully to himself. He watches as Mother Margret and the man who stepped forward speak.
"Mother Margret, the marketplace has been ransacked. Stands have been destroyed and vendors' products defiled and rendered utterly unusable.", the man informs her.
"What?! How can that be?", Mother Margret says shocked.
"Ask that child behind you. He is nothing but trouble and you know it. We know he did it.", the man says accusingly while pointing to Vincent. Vincent eyes widen at the man and the people's accusation.
"I would never-", Vincent begins to defend himself, but stops when Mother Margret raises the back of her hand while facing the crowd.
"And what proof do you have of these ridiculous accusations against this poor child.", she says instead.
"Proof?! That boy has wreaked havoc on this town since you took him in.", the man counters as the crowd roars in agreement.
"The occasional joke and prank hardly makes him capable of doing what you have described.", Mother Margret defends. Vincent begins to think of all the things he has done. Sure he pulled the occasional prank, made a little trouble, but the worst he had ever done was stolen and that was a fairly recent development. He looks to the crowd and thinks if that is really enough to be blamed for destroying property. Vandalism probably, but surely not destruction.
"How do you know he wouldn't do it?", the man challenges.
"Because it offers no reason for him at all.", she answers.
"Bah, criminals don't need reason nor do demons!", the man's words hit Vincent in the chest like an axe and splits his heart. Tears begin to swell in Vincent's eyes and his body begins to shake.
"How dare you call this child a demon!", Mother Margret words come in a hoarse tone with a horrified expression. She stares at the man and the crowd with hurt eyes as if she was the one called a demon. At that moment the situation becomes too much for Vincent and out of hurt and fear he clenches his fist, turns and runs away in the opposite direction. As he begins to run the crowd spots him and erupts in a series of shouts.
"Vincent!", he thinks he hears his name but can't tell who was it that said it. Tears flowing and fearful for his life Vincent runs as fast as he can away. He turns a corner as he can hear the sound of footsteps behind him.
They're coming for me.
He panics and looks around without stopping. He first considers going back to the convent, but decides not to due to the fact that they would easily find him there and it would endanger everyone else there as well. No, he couldn't do that. No matter what he couldn't endanger anyone else.
So instead he heads out of town to the forest in the northwest. He will go and hide there then find out what to do next. In order to escape the mob behind him he cuts through an alley between two buildings that he could fit through. Breathing heavily he looks back; he could hear them but couldn't see them. He decides to go on before they can catch up; it wouldn't be long. Making his way through the town he takes short cuts and back ways. Luckily no one can quite navigate the town like he could.
By the time he reaches the forest edge he is tired and still hurt, but his tears had stopped for now. Mother Margret, Selena and the others at the convent should be safe, and he will soon be too. Nonetheless, he couldn't help but think of what happened and the fact that the town turned against him the way it did. It is clear now to Vincent that he would not find love here. With that in mind Vincent turns to the woods and quickly but actually reluctantly makes his way into them leaving behind what had been his home for as long as he knew.
He makes it a safe distance into the forest exhausted and drained. So much so that he doesn't pay attention to where his feet lead him. The only thing on his mind is the scene that occurred near the market and the faces of the people he left behind.
Finally, with dreary, half closed eyes his body gives and young Vincent collapses face first on to the earth. He remains there unmoving and without a sound. A ray of sunlight finds its way through the treetops to young Vincent and a gust of wind blows as if the forest itself wishes to comfort the lonely orphan.
As he lies on the ground the sound of footsteps approaching are heard and a young woman comes upon him. She spots him from a distance and cautiously approaches the sleeping child. Her looks are gentle and fair and looks to be the age of twenty. She tentatively turns him over by his shoulder and sees that he is still alive, desperately exhausted, but alive. She looks around confused.
Where did he come from? Is he really all alone out here?, she wonders.
A small moan from Vincent causes her attention to go back to him. Gazing upon him her eyes feel with pity. The woman then decides to help and gently picks Vincent up in her arms.
"It is okay child. I will help you.", the woman says to him sweetly. She takes him to a clearing where a large oak tree stands. In the tree is a cavity. She puts him down near it and goes inside. Shuffling sounds are heard coming from inside as she rearranges the bedding inside.
Once it is ready she reemerges and takes her patient inside. Laying him down on a pile of soft leaves she makes him comfortable. When she thinks he's okay she sits up and looks at him for another moment. She never seen a child in such a condition as this before and her heart swells, but she is also curious about how he came to be here. What could it be he has possibly gone through? She reaches out a hand and comfortably touches his forehead.
"Rest well young one. I shall return with herbs and food.", she speaks to him. With that she stands and makes her way out of the tree; looking back at him one more time before vanishing.
.......
Sunlight finds its way into the cavity where Vincent lies and the resulting warmth causes him to stir. Screwing up his face with a grunt he opens his eyes slightly to a dimly lit space. He doesn't recognize it as his eyes lazily sweeps the roof of the shelter. Finally, he looks to his left and spots a young woman sitting not far away by the wall. She leans toward him with grateful eyes.
"You're awake. Thank goodness.", she says to him relieved. Vincent realizes he doesn't know who she is and attempts to sit up, but the woman rests her hand on his shoulder.
"You shouldn't try to move so soon. Your body is still quite weary.", she says to him. Vincent looks to one side of the woman and notices some berries and herbs by her. They look to have been used recently, for in a bowl is a mixture of those very things. Vincent once again looks to the woman as his mind and body begins to awake and process the situation.
"Who are you and where am I?", he finally asks. The woman sits back onto her legs and blink.
"Your strength is returning. I am glad.", she first comments.
"Who are you?", Vincent ask again.
"I save you and bring you to my home and the first thing you do is question me. You could at least thank me first.", the woman says in a sharp tone. Vincent is taken aback by her tongue and simply stares with wide eyes, yet the woman's stern look doesn't last for long. Instead, she releases a slight chuckle and a humorous look comes into her eyes.
"Then again, I suppose it's only natural to question a stranger first. Don't you worry child. You have nothing to fear from me. As for who I am; my name is Ryanah. Who may you be?", Vincent relaxes at her words, but soon realizes that this woman is more than what she seems.
"I'm Vincent. Thank you for helping me. It is nice to meet you Ryanah.", Vincent says in return bowing his read respectively.
"Vincent? What a nice name.", Ryanah comments. She pauses for a moment and her expression again grows serious. "You were quite exhausted and your body was worn out unlike I've ever seen for a normal child. What happened to you? How did you find your way into the forest?", Ryanah asks tentatively. Vincent looks down to his bare feet wondering; how did he get here?
He notices his feet are bruised, cut and swollen and as he stares at them he suddenly remembers what happened. Instantly the memory replays. He remembers walking to the marketplace and coming face to face with the angry crowd who blamed him for the destruction of the marketplace. His mind then flashes to him running away towards the forest. His head jolts up and he finds himself back in the tree. He meets Ryanah's brown eyes. With a sigh, his eyes become half closed and he looks away.
"I lost my home.", Vincent says simply. Sensing he doesn't want to talk about it Ryanah leaves it alone.
"You don't have to say any more than that.", she says simply. "Now you are alone with nowhere to go. What are going to do?", she asks instead. Vincent's eyes reopen fully. He had not thought about that. Granted he didn't have time to. All he knew was that he had to get away from Gordowe as quick as he could. Where would he go? What would he do now? What could he do or go now? He turns his attention to Ryanah with a blank expression.
"I don't know. I never lived on my own like this before.", he says simply to her. Ryanah takes a deep breath and exhales it.
"Well that's not good.", she comments. Vincent's face turns to one of worry and fear. He brings his legs up to his chest and rests his head on his knees. "Now, now I was only being curious. Seeing what kind of person ye are and what you were thinking was all I was doing.", she says waving her head in a way to get him to forget what she said after noticing Vincent becoming frightened by his predicament. "Honestly, you're not fit to go anywhere yet. You are much too weak. Now...until you are better and have a plan you can stay here. I will happily offer you shelter and food, but unless it seems like it is meant for you to stay here I suggest you find out where it is meant for you to be. Understand?", Ryanah continues. At her words Vincent again brightens up with relief.
"Thank you so much!", he says ecstatically. The two smile at each other and at the new friendship the two of them have made. The moment is then broken by the sound of Vincent's stomach growling loud enough for them both to hear. Vincent chuckles with a smile of embarrassment.
"Sounds like someone could use something to eat. How about I go and get us some food? You can sit here and wait for now because of your lack of strength.", Ryanah says getting to her feet with slight laughter. Vincent nods compliantly as Ryanah makes her way to the exit of the tree. Before she is completely out she turns back to Vincent.
"Be sure to eat the rest of that poultice. It is what recovered your energy so far.", she tells him pointing to the bowl of crushed herbs and berries. Vincent looks over to it and nods his head in understanding. With that Ryanah turns and goes on the rest of the way out the tree. When she is gone Vincent reaches over and drinks the mixture as Ryanah instructed. When he finishes he lays down thinking of what is happening back at Gordowe and about what he will do now.
