Chapter 35: Homeward Bound
DALE screamed for a long time trapped in that wooden box. Eventually, though, he stopped screaming and started thinking. He was never very good at that, but he knew with all his heart that he wanted to go home.
Scream no make go home, he’d finally realized.
Then he started trying to open the box. He stretched out and pushed up on the box, but it fell back in place the moment he let go.
Want go home, he thought, peering through the cracks to the outside world.
The wagon traveled steadily on, moving farther and farther from his beloved home.
No can go home. He curled up, hopeless, but that’s when the box opened from the outside.
“Hey, Squirt, time for food. All I’ve got is bread. You’ll have to make do with that,” said the merchant as he tried to stick a piece of bread in the box, but Dale jumped up and leaped from the box with all the force he could muster.
“Hey! Wait!” shouted the man.
I go home!
He ran at top speed the opposite direction the wagon was heading. His body told him what direction home was. He rushed along the road heading ever farther north.
But he wasn’t used to running long distances and quickly ran out of breath.
The man wasn’t chasing after him, which let Dale relax, and he continued to walk steadily on.
Hungry. Want eat meat.
The road was flanked by forests, and Dale could sense birds, squirrels, and mice. He had no choice but to go into the forest, where he caught a mouse and ate it. But the forest was dark, and the road was going to get dark soon, too.
Foxes scary. Wolves scary.
Remembering the rabbit blood he’d found on the snowy road, he moved away from the forest and kept walking along the darkening path. He ate a little snow because he was thirsty.
Cold.
The snow leeched heat from inside him. His instincts told him it was bad to eat too much snow, so he continued walking while thirsty instead.
He went north, frightened by any sign of animals moving in the forest. He walked all through the night, eventually giving into fatigue and resting at the base of a tree.
Rob’s bed…
Fond memories of the soft bed in a warm room filled his head as he curled up to sleep, but he heard a horse-drawn vehicle stop. Was it that merchant? Dale jumped up then realized he recognized the scent coming off the person who came out of the carriage.
Huh? Same smell…
The man smelled just like Olivia’s room upstairs that had all her dried herbs. The familiar aroma drew Dale in, and he approached the young man.
“Huh. It’s not often you see a cat so far away from any human houses. What’s going on?” he asked.
“Meow! Meow!” Hungry. Tired.
“Are you hungry? I’m not sure if I have anything cats can eat…” The young man went back into the carriage and rummaged through a sack to bring out some bread. “Bread is all I have that you might be able to eat. The only other thing I have is salty dried meat. Can you settle for the bread?”
“Nom nom nom.” I eat. I eat.
The man smiled as he watched Dale wolf down the bread. “You only have one eye, don’t you? I’d feel bad if you were eaten by a forest animal. Why don’t you come with me?”
When Dale heard that, he hurried to clamp his jaws on the bread and move away from the man. No. I go home.
“What? You don’t want to come with me? You don’t have to get all poofy like that. I won’t force you if you don’t want to. All right, One-Eye, just watch out for wolves.”
The carriage left, taking the man, Doctor Ulysse of the capital, along with it. Word had been sent that the prince ruling over the southern region, the king’s younger brother, had come down with a severe illness. Ulysse was dispatched by the king to take care of him and was now on his way back after treating him.
“Right. Soup Forest was on the side of this road, wasn’t it?” he said. “I’d love to stop by and have some of Olivia’s home-cooked food.” He got into the carriage and said to the driver, “You can set off again. There’s a restaurant on the left side farther along. I’d like you to stop there.”
Dale watched the carriage go while he finished eating the bread, ate a small mouthful of snow, then started walking again.