"It's just… through… this… Aha! There it is!" Aedgar pushed through the brush at the top of the hill. "See? I told you we were close to the edge of the forest."
Agnes glared up at him. "Yes, and if you had listened to me earlier, we wouldn't have needed to bother looking for it."
"You sound like my mother," Aedgar teased, "always acting like a know-it-all. But I was right in the end. We're here, we can get home now."
With a huff, Agnes climbed the hill. It was steep, and the carpet of slightly-damp maple leaves did nothing to aid the ascent. She ignored Aedgar's hand as he reached down to help her up. "I can climb by myse-" she started to tell him off, only to be cut off mid-sentence as she slipped on a patch of leaves.
Aedgar roared with laughter. She had managed to grab hold of a small sapling to avoid falling down the hill, but the look on her face was priceless. He offered his hand once more. This time she took it, and tried to pull him down as well, but he had his other hand around a slender sapling.
"Are all girls as bad at climbing as you?" Aedgar teased.
"Are all boys as bad at directions as you?" Agnes shot back. "Now, let's get out of here. My parents will be furious with how long we've been out."
"It's not my problem when they get mad."
"It will be when I tell them it was your fault!"
"They can't do anything to me. You're the one who'll get punished."
"I'll tell your-"
"Not if I tell them first that I was out rescuing you!"
"You- you can't-"
"Come on, let's go. Enough arguing. It's getting dark." Aedgar pushed his way through the dense brush. He tripped on his way out, and ended up falling forward and rolling down the hill on the other side.
Agnes stepped out much more gingerly, picking off a few twigs that had been stubbornly clinging to her clothes. She blew off a spider that had decided to make her shoulder its home. She looked down at him as he lay giggling on the grass.
"You are so clumsy," she said, "it's a miracle you can get out of bed in the morning without falling down."
"Who said I don't fall out of bed?" Aedgar stood up, brushed off his clothes, then scanned the area ahead. "Let's see…" he mused, "the stream we followed into the forest should come out somewhere over there… Do you see it?"
"Do I see what?" Agnes was focusing on getting down the hill without falling.
"The stream! You know, the one we followed?"
"Oh, that. No, I don't think I saw any streams from up on the hill."
"Well, that's what we need to follow to get home."
"Are you telling me we're lost again?! You said you knew the way as soon as we got out of the forest!"
"Hey, hey, we aren't LOST, we just… don't know the right way home. Until we find the stream. Which is likely right around the corner. So, don't panic."
Agnes clenched her teeth. "This is the LAST time I follow you with one of your stupid stories!" She had to hold herself back from hitting her friend.
Aedgar glared at her. "I SAID that I saw a ghost, and I DID see a ghost. It didn't show up this time, is all. Let's get moving, it is getting dark."
"I'LL lead this time. YOU follow."
"If you say so…"
Agnes headed out south along the edge of the forest, with Aedgar following. The sun was setting to their right, and they took more than a few glances over to see how low it had gotten. The edge of the forest went quickly from very hilly to completely flat.
Time ticked by as they walked. Agnes became more upset with each passing minute, thinking less about missing dinner and more about whatever punishment her parents would dish out for being out so late.
Aedgar's worries were of a different sort. It was getting late, and should they need to spend the night outside they had no protection. It was a long way to winter so the temperature would be livable (although very cold), but he had nothing but a small knife if wolves or a bear attacked them.
He was trained relatively well in the art of survival, but fending off a wolf or a bear would be no easy task, especially with Agnes to worry about. He was just wondering what he should do to prepare for that when he noticed the sun glint off of something to the side.
"Hold up a moment," he said. He walked over to take a look at whatever it was he had seen. He found it easily enough: A sword laying on the ground. He knelt by it and examined it closely.
It had no dust or rust on it, it had clearly fallen there recently, although the blade itself seemed to be very worn and dulled. There was an inscription on the hilt, faded and scratched letters that could scarcely be read.
"What is a sword doing out here?" Agnes asked.
"No idea… But it- oh!"
"What? Did you cut yourself?"
"No, Agnes, look! Written on the handle, can't you see?"
"It's… I can't quite make it out. What is it?"
"My surname, Agnes! This is a sword that was owned by my family- or one that was meant for me!"
"Meant for you?" Agnes said incredulously.
"Well, you see, this whole time I've been wondering what to do if a wolf or a bear were to show up. I had just thought to myself that I should be very happy if God himself were to give me means to protect us. And now this appears!"
"I… I don't believe it!"
"It is here, Agnes, for sure this was left by God for us."
"No, I mean… I had just thought to myself that I should be very happy indeed if God himself were to point us in the direction of home. And then this appears, pointed…"
Aedgar followed Agnes' gaze. Southwest. "Do you think…?" he said.
Agnes nodded. "I do. I have made up my mind. Come, we will follow the path of the sword."
It took a moment of thinking before Aedgar agreed. Using the sword for protection was one thing, but taking it as a sign for what direction to follow seemed a bit much for him. He agreed, and picked up the sword.
"For just in case," he said.
The path forward seemed perfectly made for them. Hills came and went on each side, but the path was level. A small patch of marshland came up, but they walked past two bogs without turning. They came across a small copse of pine trees, with a narrow passage between the trees.
"Oh!" Agnes exclaimed as they left the trees behind. "Look! Home!"
The town opened up not too far ahead of them. The sun was now only a glint on the horizon, and lanterns had already been lit. Both Agnes and Aedgar let out sighs of relief. Aedgar glanced to the side and noticed the stream they had followed all those hours ago.
He gripped the sword tightly as they entered town. This would be a keepsake for him- an item God himself had delivered to protect and guide them on their journey.
They walked into town. The tavern door opened as they walked by, and Edmund walked out. He wasn't quite the town drunk but he was getting there; he was generally known as a ne'er do well and a has-been. He was fond of reciting tales of his past adventures and accomplishments.
He spotted the two children, and the sword carried by Aedgar. "Oi," he called, "Where did you find that?"
Aedgar felt nervous for a moment about explaining it, if anyone would believe that it was a sign from God. He stammered for a second.
"It is a sword given to us by God," Agnes said proudly, "to help us get home."
Edmund roared with laughter. He walked up and looked closely at the sword. "I had wondered where I dropped it!" he exclaimed. "I went wandering the other day after one too many ales, and I dropped it. That ain't no God sword- that's my arse-scratcher!"
Aedgar and Agnes looked at each other, feeling slightly horrified.
"Yes, I use that to scratch my arse, it does a wonderful job. Too dull to cut, but just pointy enough to satisfy the itch. Your father gave it to me, if I recall…" Edmund held out his hand. "May I have it back?"
Aedgar wasn't sure if he wanted to hold the sword closer to him or toss it away. "It- it's not your sword anymore," he said, "we found it. It is ours by right of finders-keepers."
"Alright, alright. I've been making do with a branch. Still, you don't want to know where that blade has been, sometimes I used it when I wasn't even wearing any-"
"Yours! It's yours!" Aedgar tossed the sword away from him. "It's yours now! We'll be heading home. Thank you."
Agnes laughed as she started to walk to her house. "I think it was a gift from God. Good night, Aedgar! I feel a lot less like clobbering you now. I will still tell my parents that it was your fault!"
Aedgar stayed put for a moment before heading home. Edmund thanked him one final time before he left. He walked to his house and sat at the kitchen table, supper was laid out for him. His parents didn't question why he was out so late, though his father commented on some twigs in his hair.
He did his nighttime studies by candlelight before heading to bed. He ran through the events of the day, and about the sword they had found.
In the end, arse-scratching sword or not, he felt that it was from God.
Agnes glared up at him. "Yes, and if you had listened to me earlier, we wouldn't have needed to bother looking for it."
"You sound like my mother," Aedgar teased, "always acting like a know-it-all. But I was right in the end. We're here, we can get home now."
With a huff, Agnes climbed the hill. It was steep, and the carpet of slightly-damp maple leaves did nothing to aid the ascent. She ignored Aedgar's hand as he reached down to help her up. "I can climb by myse-" she started to tell him off, only to be cut off mid-sentence as she slipped on a patch of leaves.
Aedgar roared with laughter. She had managed to grab hold of a small sapling to avoid falling down the hill, but the look on her face was priceless. He offered his hand once more. This time she took it, and tried to pull him down as well, but he had his other hand around a slender sapling.
"Are all girls as bad at climbing as you?" Aedgar teased.
"Are all boys as bad at directions as you?" Agnes shot back. "Now, let's get out of here. My parents will be furious with how long we've been out."
"It's not my problem when they get mad."
"It will be when I tell them it was your fault!"
"They can't do anything to me. You're the one who'll get punished."
"I'll tell your-"
"Not if I tell them first that I was out rescuing you!"
"You- you can't-"
"Come on, let's go. Enough arguing. It's getting dark." Aedgar pushed his way through the dense brush. He tripped on his way out, and ended up falling forward and rolling down the hill on the other side.
Agnes stepped out much more gingerly, picking off a few twigs that had been stubbornly clinging to her clothes. She blew off a spider that had decided to make her shoulder its home. She looked down at him as he lay giggling on the grass.
"You are so clumsy," she said, "it's a miracle you can get out of bed in the morning without falling down."
"Who said I don't fall out of bed?" Aedgar stood up, brushed off his clothes, then scanned the area ahead. "Let's see…" he mused, "the stream we followed into the forest should come out somewhere over there… Do you see it?"
"Do I see what?" Agnes was focusing on getting down the hill without falling.
"The stream! You know, the one we followed?"
"Oh, that. No, I don't think I saw any streams from up on the hill."
"Well, that's what we need to follow to get home."
"Are you telling me we're lost again?! You said you knew the way as soon as we got out of the forest!"
"Hey, hey, we aren't LOST, we just… don't know the right way home. Until we find the stream. Which is likely right around the corner. So, don't panic."
Agnes clenched her teeth. "This is the LAST time I follow you with one of your stupid stories!" She had to hold herself back from hitting her friend.
Aedgar glared at her. "I SAID that I saw a ghost, and I DID see a ghost. It didn't show up this time, is all. Let's get moving, it is getting dark."
"I'LL lead this time. YOU follow."
"If you say so…"
Agnes headed out south along the edge of the forest, with Aedgar following. The sun was setting to their right, and they took more than a few glances over to see how low it had gotten. The edge of the forest went quickly from very hilly to completely flat.
Time ticked by as they walked. Agnes became more upset with each passing minute, thinking less about missing dinner and more about whatever punishment her parents would dish out for being out so late.
Aedgar's worries were of a different sort. It was getting late, and should they need to spend the night outside they had no protection. It was a long way to winter so the temperature would be livable (although very cold), but he had nothing but a small knife if wolves or a bear attacked them.
He was trained relatively well in the art of survival, but fending off a wolf or a bear would be no easy task, especially with Agnes to worry about. He was just wondering what he should do to prepare for that when he noticed the sun glint off of something to the side.
"Hold up a moment," he said. He walked over to take a look at whatever it was he had seen. He found it easily enough: A sword laying on the ground. He knelt by it and examined it closely.
It had no dust or rust on it, it had clearly fallen there recently, although the blade itself seemed to be very worn and dulled. There was an inscription on the hilt, faded and scratched letters that could scarcely be read.
"What is a sword doing out here?" Agnes asked.
"No idea… But it- oh!"
"What? Did you cut yourself?"
"No, Agnes, look! Written on the handle, can't you see?"
"It's… I can't quite make it out. What is it?"
"My surname, Agnes! This is a sword that was owned by my family- or one that was meant for me!"
"Meant for you?" Agnes said incredulously.
"Well, you see, this whole time I've been wondering what to do if a wolf or a bear were to show up. I had just thought to myself that I should be very happy if God himself were to give me means to protect us. And now this appears!"
"I… I don't believe it!"
"It is here, Agnes, for sure this was left by God for us."
"No, I mean… I had just thought to myself that I should be very happy indeed if God himself were to point us in the direction of home. And then this appears, pointed…"
Aedgar followed Agnes' gaze. Southwest. "Do you think…?" he said.
Agnes nodded. "I do. I have made up my mind. Come, we will follow the path of the sword."
It took a moment of thinking before Aedgar agreed. Using the sword for protection was one thing, but taking it as a sign for what direction to follow seemed a bit much for him. He agreed, and picked up the sword.
"For just in case," he said.
The path forward seemed perfectly made for them. Hills came and went on each side, but the path was level. A small patch of marshland came up, but they walked past two bogs without turning. They came across a small copse of pine trees, with a narrow passage between the trees.
"Oh!" Agnes exclaimed as they left the trees behind. "Look! Home!"
The town opened up not too far ahead of them. The sun was now only a glint on the horizon, and lanterns had already been lit. Both Agnes and Aedgar let out sighs of relief. Aedgar glanced to the side and noticed the stream they had followed all those hours ago.
He gripped the sword tightly as they entered town. This would be a keepsake for him- an item God himself had delivered to protect and guide them on their journey.
They walked into town. The tavern door opened as they walked by, and Edmund walked out. He wasn't quite the town drunk but he was getting there; he was generally known as a ne'er do well and a has-been. He was fond of reciting tales of his past adventures and accomplishments.
He spotted the two children, and the sword carried by Aedgar. "Oi," he called, "Where did you find that?"
Aedgar felt nervous for a moment about explaining it, if anyone would believe that it was a sign from God. He stammered for a second.
"It is a sword given to us by God," Agnes said proudly, "to help us get home."
Edmund roared with laughter. He walked up and looked closely at the sword. "I had wondered where I dropped it!" he exclaimed. "I went wandering the other day after one too many ales, and I dropped it. That ain't no God sword- that's my arse-scratcher!"
Aedgar and Agnes looked at each other, feeling slightly horrified.
"Yes, I use that to scratch my arse, it does a wonderful job. Too dull to cut, but just pointy enough to satisfy the itch. Your father gave it to me, if I recall…" Edmund held out his hand. "May I have it back?"
Aedgar wasn't sure if he wanted to hold the sword closer to him or toss it away. "It- it's not your sword anymore," he said, "we found it. It is ours by right of finders-keepers."
"Alright, alright. I've been making do with a branch. Still, you don't want to know where that blade has been, sometimes I used it when I wasn't even wearing any-"
"Yours! It's yours!" Aedgar tossed the sword away from him. "It's yours now! We'll be heading home. Thank you."
Agnes laughed as she started to walk to her house. "I think it was a gift from God. Good night, Aedgar! I feel a lot less like clobbering you now. I will still tell my parents that it was your fault!"
Aedgar stayed put for a moment before heading home. Edmund thanked him one final time before he left. He walked to his house and sat at the kitchen table, supper was laid out for him. His parents didn't question why he was out so late, though his father commented on some twigs in his hair.
He did his nighttime studies by candlelight before heading to bed. He ran through the events of the day, and about the sword they had found.
In the end, arse-scratching sword or not, he felt that it was from God.