The City of Gold (Part 1)

Chapter 7

<<<<<Chapter 7>>>>>

The sun had long passed mid day, illuminating a scene of dead oaks and struggling pines. Each group had been walking for hours. Dales feet had blisters on them and his mouth thirsted for water. The air was still cold but the piercing sun made a contrasting sensation on his skin. The effects of the meager bread had long worn off.    

     Dale wondered about Headmaster Stumpton. Where would he go? Indeed, it was his house that was gone. To tell the truth, Jeff wondered the same thing. His younger sister had married a wealthy man with land and cattle to spare. Maybe he could house with them for a while. 

     “I’m too old to be homeless,” Jeff muttered to himself.

     “I agree sir,” said Kip. 

     Jeff looked down at the youngster with a puzzled look. He didn’t realize that his speech was audible. He smiled at the boy.

     “My dear boy, you still have many years ahead of you. I wouldn’t worry if I were you.”

     “But sir, I’m almost completely grown up now.” He said bewildered, “I climbed the old pine tree in the back of the orphanage just a few days ago.” 

     “Did you now? Well, then you truly are growing up. Maybe in a few years you will have a house of your own and you can invite all the lords and ladies for a grand ball,” Jeff stated.

     “Oh yes!” Thomas exclaimed, “There will be a hundred rooms with servants for each one. It will have two floors and great garden in front of it. Except my home will be fireproof.” 

     “Learn from experience my boy. Learn from experience.” 

     “Sir, if you don’t mind me changing the subject so quickly, what’s that?” he pointed to an object in the distance. By the side of the trail lay a mass of rock, each rock clung together with mortar. A wooden roof protruded from the top of the rocks while a lonely rope holding a pale was the only other noticeable feature of the object. 

     “Sir, there’s a well up ahead,” called Judy from the other group. 

     That was just what they needed, their canteens had greatly depleted. The young ones had begged for hours for a drink while Jeff told them that they had to conserve it for later. Word spread like wildfire that there was water up ahead. Dale was the last to hear. His mouth was so dry he couldn’t even spit.  

     “We will take our break here to fill up on water,” said Jeff, “Children with canteens, come to the front and form a line, youngest to oldest. Make sure that every canteen is filled, I’m not sure when we will be able to fill up again.” 

     The others slumped their tired bodies onto the grass while Dale and some others hastily stepped into line. The first orphan grabbed the bucket. It was filled with cobwebs and dust. He lowered the bucket by the delicate rope attached to it. The bucket swayed throughout the dark hole as it descended. The bucket lowered endlessly, occasionally hitting the side of the hole as it lowered. They heard a thud, it had reached the bottom. Something was wrong, they should have heard a splash. Jeff’s heart sunk, it was empty. 

      This was indeed a bad sign. If this well was empty, then countless others would be as well. The droughts had been getting longer.  Jeff knew that the situation was bad, but not this bad. Brondolia was always a place plentiful with water, even in the midst of draughts. Once called “the well of the world,” Brondolia was a place filled with lakes and streams, the soil was always wet with the morning dew. It would rain almost continually. Sure, he had seen his fare share of dangerously low wells and scorching summers, but it had never been this extreme. It wasn’t just low water, the well was bone dry. 

     Jeff told the orphans something to calm their nerves. He didn’t remember what it was. He himself didn’t believe it. They kept walking. That was the only thing they could do now. They would walk until they found rest in Chapton. It would only be a few hours more. They could make it before nightfall if they kept a brisk speed. 

     Kallin was lagging behind. Landon noticed his slowness and scolded him. 

     “But my legs hurt! This isn’t fare, you said we could take a break hours ago. Five minutes, thats all I need.”

     “Kallin stop you badgering. Were all tired and we all need a break, but the Headmaster wants us to keep walking and that’s what were going to do. You have two choices, you can complain like a nine year old or you can be a respectable young man. I suggest the latter.”

     Kallin cursed under his breath as he picked up his pace. 

     Nash looked around nervously. For the last miles he had a shiver in his spine. Something was wrong. Caretaker Judy knew something as well. Something that widened her eyes and stiffened her stride, but what? Everything was exactly as he would have expected. There were no wolves, no strangers, there was nothing. Maybe thats what frightened her. There was something menacing in the silence. Even the Headmaster was rather jumpy. Then, Nash heard it. He thought it was the wind at first, but its sound was constant. The clink of hooves on the rocky path. They all froze. 

    “Everyone follow Landon!” The Headmaster said in a horse whisper.

     Without further hesitation Landon climbed the side of the forested hill.

     “Quickly now!” He said. 

     Each orphan scrambled up the side of the hill, Nash’s heart beat hard within his chest. Landon peered his head from behind a tree. The entire group of children waited with wide eyes and empty stomachs. A universal thought brooded over the inhabitance. A thought that this was a group of Bledsworthians coming. A thought that they may take up ‘volunteers’ for the Bledsworth Empire. Fresh blood for the workforce. The driving fist behind the entire country. They waited there motionless. The sound of hooves growing near.