Day 3 - Scene 5

Down on the road Bolvar turned left – continuing in the direction Enar and Rolf had walked earlier – and kept on walking. Enar came shortly after, but as he reached the road he stopped and looked to the right. That way lay Rolf's burrow and the orchard and safety. To the left lay the unknown in the company of a dog so big he'd first mistaken it for a pony.

He could turn right, try and sneak into the guest burrow and hide there all day and then pretend he'd been to that tree on the hill. He pushed the idea away – probably the stupidest thought he'd had in years. It'd never work. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if he tried. No way he could look Rolf or Beired in the eye when they found out. His mom would have been disappointed.

He went left.

Bolvar stood a bit further up the road and waited for him, but started walking again as soon as he saw Enar moving. The sun warmed the road and the trees. Flies buzzed and butterflies flew from flower to flower, doing the things butterflies do. On both sides the pines grew dense and dark, but the road was wide and where he walked no shadows fell.

Good thing he didn't bring his coat. He'd have had to take it off and carry it. Maybe he could have hung it on a branch and picked it up in the afternoon. It would probably have hung there still when he got back. People here didn't steal things like they did in the city. Everyone was nice and no one locked their doors at night. It was that kind of place, right?

He toyed again with the idea of moving out here. Perhaps when they went to the inn to help out he'd meet Jolene again. Hopefully he'd get to spend some time with her, have a little chat. It could work. He'd have to try at least. It couldn't hurt, could it?

A bit up ahead, where the road took a sharp left around a large boulder, Bolvar had stopped. The dog waited, looking back. When he was sure Enar had noticed him, he turned around and disappeared into the forest.

“And so it begins...” Enar mumbled to himself.

When he reached the spot where the road turned he saw a trail lead off down to the right. He stopped and looked for a while. The trees and branches opened up just wide and high enough to let the path and its wanderers through, like the mouth of some mountain tunnel. If Bolvar hadn't alerted him to it, he'd surely have missed it and gladly wandered off as far as the road would take him – for better or for worse.

The beast was in there somewhere, waiting for him. He shaded his eyes and squinted. Nothing moved in the shade under the trees. Perhaps he was further in. Maybe he'd run off. Only one way to find out. He'd made up his mind. He'd go where the dog would lead him. He wouldn't chicken out.

Enar swallowed, stepped off the road and onto the trail and into the tunnel. The world changed. Past the first low branches the forest opened up. What had seemed a compact darkness became a grey twilight once his eyes adjusted to it. The pines still grew as close as ever, but their branches had long since withered and died – all but the top ones; the ones that still fought to catch some light.

Here and there along the path, rays of sunlight did shoot through, showing just how full of particles the air really was – like some dusty old gallery in a mansion everyone forgot about. No butterflies fluttered here.

He stepped slowly, trying not to make a noise and enjoying the feel of the soft cool dirt against his feet. He passed a bend and saw Bolvar standing a bit further down the path, starring at something out in the forest. As Enar got closer he turned and continued moving. Enar stopped to try and see what the dog had spotted but saw nothing.

Something rustled down on the ground behind a tree.

Curious, Enar took a step off the path to have a closer look. He craned his neck to try and see what was on the other side. A bolt of furry, black, rage shot up the path and came to a halt two steps from Enar. Bolvar stared at him, a low growl deep in his throat. Enar's heart beat loud enough to wake the dead.

“Easy big boy. Easy.” He raised both hands and slowly stepped away, back on to the path. “See... there... I'm good now. All good. Good boy." He swallowed. "Lead on. Off with you. Shoo. Shoo.”

He waved his hands at the dog but Bolvar just stared at him, refusing to move. Enar started to sweat and backed away another step.

“I'm sorry. I didn't mean to go off the path. I won't do it again. I promise. Don't look at me like that.” He glanced around, without taking his eyes off the dog. No way out, nowhere to run. His mouth went dry.

Wait. Pocket. Castanet. Yes. He thrust his hand into the pocket of his jeans, grabbed the castanets and fished them out. He fiddled with the little bricks and then clicked them together – twice.

The sound came loud and clear. Every creature in the forest would have heard it. Enar's triumphant smile slowly faded away as Bolvar just stood there and looked at him. Then, as Enar raised his hand to click the castanets a second time Bolvar finally moved. He snorted loudly, turned around and started walking down trail again.

Enar fell to his knees, let his head fall back and released a long slow breath. The things worked, but Bolvar obviously had a will of his own. Better stay on the path from now on.

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Continued in Day 3 - Scene 5 - Part 2.

Back to Enar's Vacation.