Winter and Nathaniel

Chapter 2. Friends

Winter could stay in camp while he found a way to get back to the Patriot war ship, or Nerica.

He helped out around camp by hauling wood for the fire, and gathering edible plants to add to the big pot of stew they had every evening for supper.

It was a happy camp, and some nights Winter found himself wondering if he truly wanted to leave. He hadn't made any attempts to leave, and he wondered if he would. The camp was so cozy and inviting.

But one day he made up his mind, he would leave. He had spent too much time here already. Winter didn't say goodbye to Nathaniel, he didn't like goodbyes, and believed the Outlaw Leader would manage, so he left.

Nathaniel wondered what he would do if Winter actually left. In the small time Winter had been in camp Nathaniel had come to care for Winter.
Nathaniel had given Winter freedom to do as he pleased, and so far he had.

But when Nathaniel found Winter missing, he acted in rage and ordered that Winter be found and imprisoned in the pit they used for the prison of the camp. That was, for the most part, vacant.

"How could Winter have run away like that? With no sign just decided to go! How could he?"  Thought Nathaniel. Although his better judgement said, "The boy had perfect reason to leave. You gave him freedom, so he left to find his family and go home."

In the days Winter had stayed in camp, Nathaniel had learned that Winter was about fourteen years old, and had many siblings he used to help look after before he joined the war. That was all Winter would tell him. Even if Winter seemed at ease in camp, he was still reserved with his past, and they all respected the boy in his privacy.

Winter walked all that day in one direction. He figured at some point he would come to the shore, then he would walk around the Island until he came to a town. "If there is a town on this Island it will be by the shore, to get supplies from the nearest trading port."

Then when a shipment did come, Winter would sign on as a cabin boy or what work he could find on board. And somehow make his way back to Nerica, home.

Home, the idea seemed foreign. To finally be home after such a long time at sea, at war.

Darkness fell too soon for Winter, he was in the middle of the woods and at every sound he jumped, hoping it wasn't the Dirish searching for him. He climbed a tree, thinking if it was the Dirish they wouldn't look for him there.

Nathaniel's search party went all through the night. In the morning they returned with no clue as to where Winter was.

Nathaniel was furious, but couldn't help commending the boy on his woodsman skills. He searched his mind for where Winter could be. Nathaniel had passed his childhood on Small Island and knew every tree, every place possible to hide.

He knew every place, but there were lots, and it would take some time to look everywhere. So Nathaniel started walking, he'd have to cover a lot of ground if he wanted to find Winter.

The next morning Winter woke up stiff, he wasn't used to sleeping in trees. The wind had kept him up late into the night. Then, when sleep finally had claimed him, it was shallow, because it was cold and His army coat was thin.

When Winter finally was awake enough to get on his way, he realized the foolishness of not packing enough food. Before he had left he only had tossed some bread in his pocket for supper that night, he hadn't thought to to pack more.

Though he was hungry, Winter continued on his way, walking in the same direction as before.

While walking in the woods, Nathaniel had time to think and cool his anger, deciding against throwing Winter in the pit. Now all he wanted to do was make sure the boy was safe.