Back on the road

After the pleasant night Gia spent with Ruthie and Agustus she felt refreshed and ready to go. They had travelled almost a hundred miles since they left the castle, and Gia knew they still had several days to go, despite what she had told Ruthie the night before. Whispering Willows was about five hundred miles from the castle, give or take a few miles. She now felt confident in her ability to take care of Braelyn until they reached the safety of Whispering Willows.

As Gia was loading the clothes that had been so generously gifted to her Ruthie came out of the house carrying a large basket and Agustus followed carrying two very large water skins, they were definitely not the type you carry on your person while walking.

"What is this?" Gia asked confused and Ruthie smiled.

"Provisions for you and that sweet baby of yours." Ruthie said as she stopped beside Gia.

"I got ya a skin of cow's milk and a skin and clean drinkin' water from our well out back." Agustus said, loading the skins into the wagon without being asked to.

"You've already done so much for me, really this is too much." Gia tried to protest.

"Nonsense dearie, we're happy to do it. With all you and that sweet little girl have had to deal with lately you can use some help. And you should let an old woman act the part of a granny every now and then, especially if she can't be a granny to anyone else anymore." Ruthie always looked a little sad and wistful when she talked about taking care of someone or being a granny

"I'll accept, but once I get to my destination, I am determined to send you a thank you, one way or another." Gia promised.

"The only thanks we ask for, youngin', is for ya ta take good care of that babe you have there, we can tell that she's special. I don't know how yet, but I do know that she is going to be someone important."

"He's right dearie, we both said so last night, there is something amazing in that girl's future." Ruthie beamed at the baby sleeping in Gia's arms.

"What makes you say that?" She asked, not sure if she wanted to hear the answer.

"As we said last night, youngin', we was on our nightly walk when we came up to yar wagon."

"Yes, we often walk just before we start prepping supper." Ruthie added.

"That we do, but we usually only go for about half a mile one way then turn around and head back. It's not far but it's sometimes all these old bones can handle after working in the fields all day." Agustus said as he stretched causing his back to make a loud popping noise.

"Agustus does most of the field work, and we sold off most of our land because we can't work it alone anymore, but what we have left provides for us well enough."

"But anyway," Agustus continued, "let's not get sidetracked here, the thing is, youngin' that last night we walked nearly three miles in one direction before we found ya, somethin' just kept tellin' us we had to walk further, that it would be alright when we got where we was goin'." Agustus was smiling happily at Gia.

"And no matter how tired we were getting by then we didn't even feel like stopping, and then as soon as we came upon your wagon, we heard you needed help. It was like a sign that we had to help you." Ruthie finished in a huff, excitedly talking about the experience of the night before. Gia once again remembered her own train of thought last night, the one telling her that meeting these two wonderful people was surely a sign that she was on the right path. The kind words and loving smiles they were giving Gia made her eyes mist over as she almost cried in happiness.

"I am awfully glad that you happened across us last night, you have been like our heroes. I don't know what I would have done for the baby's food if it weren't for you."

"I guess it was fate that led us to you, since I knew exactly what it was you needed. Fate works in mysterious ways, Bette, if you're a good person it will give you signs to help you on your way." Ruthie's voice was full of wisdom as she spoke those words.

"I can't thank you enough." Gia said, bowing her head a little in thanks. Agustus and Ruthie beamed at her, and after a few hugs and encouraging words they sent Gia off on her way. It broke Gia's heart a little to be leaving them. She knew they would be lonely again, but she also knew that she had to keep moving.

Invigorated from the long rest they had the horses seemed to be making better time than before. Gia kept the pace steady as they continued to follow the road east. She didn't feel as if she had to avoid everyone quite as much anymore, but she was not going to go out of her way to meet them unless she had to. She wanted to get to their destination as soon as she could. She decided not to abandon her plan of travelling mostly at night, she had many more items in the wagon now and she did not want to chance things if there should be a bandit on the road. Moving at night would keep them safer.

At the first rest of the day Gia decided to see what it was that Ruthie had put in the basket she brought out that morning. The large water skins had indeed contained water and milk as Agustus said, but Ruthie had never clarified, she had just called them provisions. Digging through it she found some sugar that she would need for Braelyn's milk, some bread, more dried meats and fruits, some fruit preserves, jarred vegetables that should keep well, and a plate wrapped up with a note tied to the top. For tonight, it said. Taking off the wrapping Gia found that it contained some of the left-over chicken from the night before, some braised beef, some very delicious looking vegetables, and a small cake made with cocoa and topped with white cream. The sight of a meal that Ruthie obviously made with love had Gia's heart melting. She ate that meal for her lunch and savored every bite of it.