Rud and the Damsel

Chapter 8 - The Valley

Patience was the first to wake. She opened her eyes and took in her new surroundings. She half hoped to see her bedroom and that the last two days were only a dream, but she knew better. She saw the man who brought her here sleeping in front of the fireplace and her little brother sleeping in the bed next to her.

The cabin was not large but not too small either. It had stone walls, two windows, a sturdy wooden door, good size fireplace, and a very nice stove that looked out of place in a wilderness cabin. The cabin was also definitely in need of a good cleaning.  It was well-built, and Patience felt safe inside it. After the horrible things that had happened, safe was all she could hope for right now. She quietly woke William and asked him to do her a favor.

Rud did not wake when Patience and her brother slid the tattered old rug, Rud included, further away from the fireplace. The boy built a fire as Patience looked for food to cook. Although they had lived a privileged life, Patience had learned to cook, clean, and sew from her mother. Her brother had learned to build a fire, split firewood, sharpen knives, and make simple things from the men who served his family.

Only when Patience shook his arm and softly said "Rudolph" did Rud wake from his deep sleep. He looked into Patience's eyes, saw the smile on her face, felt the warmth from the fire, saw the food waiting on the table, and the boy bringing in the last of the supplies. Rud smiled again, and Patience's eyes brightened with his smile.

She pointed to the washbasin and instructed Rud to wash before breakfast. Rud had been alone for a very long time, and hearing her voice echo slightly off the stone walls of his cabin was very pleasing. His head cleared, though, and the gravity of the situation became apparent. Rud's smile slowly disappeared.

Rud had survived these past seven years because no one knew him. He was always careful to cover his tracks, to change his routine, and to stay as invisible as possible. If the men who killed his family were still looking, they were looking for a young boy with no family or friends, not a self-sufficient woodsman.

But now there was a dead rich man and his wife, and at least nine other men dead. And there was a young woman and an even younger boy from a prominent family missing. Someone was going to look for them.

He did not regret intervening and could care less about the men he had killed. Taking Patience and the boy where they would be safe not only kept his promise to their mother, it was the right thing to do. But with three of them living in the valley, it would be nearly impossible to remain invisible.

And then there was Patience. It was a bit of fun when the shopkeeper's daughter convinced him to buy the fancy vest and a bag of seeds. Living a solitary life, he could forgive himself for giving in so quickly when the shopkeeper's daughter paid him some attention. But Rud would need to keep a clear head and his guard up around Patience.

After all, she was from the town, the same as the shopkeeper's daughter, and townspeople could not be trusted. Rud realized it could have been Patience's father, the well-dressed man shot by the river who had paid the men to kill his family. Even if it had been their father, Rud knew what happened seven years ago was not Patience's or her brother's fault. They had no blame for what happened to his family or their own.

But they were town people and would eventually want to return to a town. Even though she seemed comfortable in the simple clothes he had bought her, Patience was accustomed to fine things and would eventually want her old life back.

Patience felt a chill in the cabin. The smile on Rud's face was gone, replaced by a distant, concerned look. She sensed the change in Rud but forced her smile to remain. Maybe it was just gratitude for saving their lives, but there was something about Rud she had liked from the moment she noticed him staring at her next to the pile of wood. With his smile gone, a nervousness settled in her stomach. She hoped his smile would soon return.