Chapter 17: A Peaceful Life
RATHER than being sad for having left her mother forever, Unen was preoccupied with anxiety over what the future would bring. However, receiving three proper meals a day soon eased most of her worries. Inn beds proved a thousand times more comfortable than her old cot, and she even got to snuggle up in a soft, warm blanket whenever they camped outdoors. She had never known blankets as anything other than sharp, filthy scraps of cloth before.
The man—Hereh—was beyond kind. Not only did he feed her real food, he also taught her many things: about the plants growing along the road; about the forests, land, and rivers they traversed; about their current location with in-depth descriptions of the surrounding terrain; and about the travelers they passed by. The more Unen came to understand, the clearer her thinking became—just like how she was building stamina from receiving good food for her empty belly.
At the same time, discoveries of what she didn’t know increased with every new piece of knowledge. Hereh would always patiently answer her questions of “how” and “why,” but occasionally she would ask a question even he didn’t know the answer to. Yet, he never dismissed or belittled her questions.
But there was one thing Unen could never bring herself to ask him: why had he taken custody of her? What did he say to her mother when he’d left to speak with her? What happened during that conversation?
Just imagining the kind of answers she might receive squeezed her chest with indescribable dread.
There was one thing she knew for sure—she was worth less than a hair decoration to her mother.
The sight of the silver hair ornament adorned with many augites had burned into the back of her eyes. Unen slammed her eyes shut to rid herself of the image before slowly opening them again.
“Shall we get going, Unen?” Hereh held his hand out to her.
He had finished packing their bags, and it was time to move on to the next town.
Unen gave a big nod. “Yeah.”
No matter what Hereh is thinking, I will do what he wants me to do. Unen flattened her lips into a tight line, and reached out to take Hereh’s big, warm hand.
✦ ✦ ✦
HEREH discovered an abandoned cabin in the middle of a forest after about a year of wandering with Unen. After visiting the nearby towns to confirm the cabin no longer belonged to anyone, he laid claim to it and set about repairing the building, reviving the tiny field overrun by wilderness, and making the home livable once again.
Hereh didn’t introduce himself to others as a doctor now that they had decided to settle down in one area. They had more than enough gold saved up, so he instead donned the title of apothecary to supplement their livelihood, selling the medicine he made to the doctor of the nearest town.
Fortunately, the doctor Hereh selected as his business partner was a skilled and reasonable man who knew what he was doing. Thanks to his high appraisal of Hereh’s medicine, they were able to live a humble, yet comfortable, life deep inside the forest, all without even scraping the surface of his savings.
✦ ✦ ✦
“CHECK,” Unen said softly, feeling guilty as she moved her piece on the chess board.
Her opponent slammed his hands on the table in protest. “Wait a minute! I was still thinking about my move!”
Milosh chuckled mirthfully and mussed his son’s hair with his big hand. “Don’t be a sore loser, Simon. You’re older than Unen, aren’t you?”
“Is it okay to cheat if you’re smaller?!”
“Cheat? When Unen asked if you were done with your turn a second ago, you told her to go ahead with hers.”
“I immediately took it back right after!”
“I didn’t hear you say anything of the sort?”
“…I said it under my breath, so you might not have caught it…” Simon pursed his lips.
Hereh gently placed a steaming cup in Simon’s hand. “Thank you for playing with Unen. Why not drink some tea and take a short break? Unen, here are the baked sweets Simon brought with him. I heard Zola baked them. Let’s eat them together.”
“Wow! Thank you, Simon!” Unen speedily set about clearing the table. The few times she tried Zola’s home cooking, it had been mouth wateringly delicious.
“You’d better be thankful,” Simon smirked.
Milosh landed a karate chop on Simon’s head, wiping the expression off his face. “Don’t brag when you weren’t the one who cooked it.”
Hereh flipped open the woven basket’s lid and removed the cloth covering, unleashing the sweet smell of fruit and nuts into the cabin. Unen’s mouth watered as she brought over plates.
“Let’s dig in,” all four said in perfect unison. Only the sounds of them chewing furiously followed.
Milosh looked at Hereh after downing his biscuit. “Hey, Hereh, why don’t you just move to town already? You’re actually a doctor, aren’t you? You can live a comfier life if you move to Yezero.”
“What good comes of inviting competition to your town?” Hereh gave him a teasing smile, but Milosh wasn’t about to give in.
Flashing an intrepid grin, he countered, “No skin off my back if I get a single competitor. Besides, Unen will be turning eight soon. You can’t keep her locked up in this forest forever.”
The comment took Hereh off guard, and his brow wrinkled. But a moment later, it softened as he let out a small sigh. “…I do understand why you bring Simon here with you sometimes. I’m very grateful for it.”
“Then pack your bags and come to town. I don’t care if an adult like you chooses to cut himself off from the world, but you’ve got issues if you’re forcing it upon a child too.” Milosh put his elbows on the table and leaned forward, holding Hereh in his glare.
Unen squirmed uncomfortably in her chair. She had absolutely no complaints with her life in the forest. She was kept busy with farming and chores, and truly valued and enjoyed assisting Hereh with making medicine. Any remaining free time she had was filled with Hereh’s lessons, so she had no time to spare for what Milosh was constantly harping on—the supposed importance for children to spend time with other children their age.
“I fully understand what you’re trying to say. But I—we—can’t leave this forest.”
“Why not?” Milosh huffed gruffly.
Beside him, Simon stood up with a straight face and said, “Thanks for the snack.”
Milosh and Hereh looked away from each other simultaneously, awkwardness coloring their faces.
“Unen, I challenge you to tree climbing next. I’ll give you the special privilege of choosing what tree we’ll climb.”
“…Ah, okay.”
Unen was curious to know what direction the adults’ conversation was going to take, but decided to accept Simon’s considerate offer anyway.
“We’re going outside to play,” Unen informed the adults, and followed Simon away from the table.
Hereh’s distressed voice slipped out the door before she could close it.
“Please, Milosh. Don’t ask me anything right now.”
Unen quietly shut the door without waiting to hear Milosh’s answer.