Copyright Matthew Burden, 2001
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~47~
It was a
long journey, but a joyful one. Thirteen Scots, two Northumbrian knights,
two Saxon brothers, and a young Jewish woman and her uncle made a happy company
as they returned along those same roads that they had traversed so quickly
before. The weather had grown slightly colder as they faced the onset of
the winter months; chill winds descended upon them from the west. In
every village they approached, their reputation had already preceded them by
days, sometimes and they found many of the villagers had withdrawn from their
daily tasks to see what the group of travelers would do in their settlement. Edward
would often take the time to stop, to speak to the local people—the priests,
the magistrates, the leaders of the Jews—to spread the message of Christ’s love
for all people.
The journey northward,
back toward Newcastle and the Scottish border, proved relatively uneventful compared
to their former travels. The greatest event of that journey proved not to be a
battle, a chase, or a desperate escape, but the slow transformation of one man’s
life. Hannah’s uncle Eleazer, who up to that point had kept his involvement in
the group fairly withdrawn, was struck by Edward’s message as they wound their
way along the journey. He began listening attentively to the Gospel story,
began sitting in on the friends’ times of prayer together, and lent his
strength to help in their work for the poor. He began to brighten to this new
friends, and, even though he still did not appear to wholly agree with their
philosophies, he enjoyed their company. Hannah was delighted to witness the
change in her beloved uncle. It seemed
that at long last, the scattered shards of her life were beginning to re-align
themselves into something beautiful.
After passing York, the
travelers pressed north with a renewed sense of urgency. Time was slipping by, and winter was setting
in, wrapping its icy fingers around the land.
They were drawing so near that it felt like a daily call on their hearts
to make it home, and the desire to see their old friends burned ever
brighter.
The roads seemed to stretch
out longer and longer each day, and their feet felt as though they were weighed
down by lead ballast. Yet as they drew
nearer to Newcastle, Edward felt an issue heavy on his heart, which he had been
too frightened to approach. But it was
coming, and he knew it. Soon he would be
forced to decide, and his heart was split.
Then they saw them--the
walls of Newcastle reaching out like the welcoming arms of friends long
missed. The sky was overcast, sporting
dull gray tones, but that did not succeed in keeping down the spirits of the
travelers. They practically ran over the
old Roman bridge to the city, their feet flying. They gathered one last time for prayer and
bid a fond farewell to Thomas and Stephen, who set off for the castle.
The rest of the group stayed
with Hannah as she proceeded to the house of Ruth. He heart was beating with excitement, her
eyes filled with light. She rapped on
the door, biting her lip with hopeful anticipation. The door swung inward, and Ruth stood there with
little Samuel in her arms. As soon as
she saw Hannah, Ruth let out a cry of joy and rushed out to embrace her.
“Jacob!” Ruth called happily
into the house. “It’s Hannah! She’s back!”
Her eyes wandered over the company until they fell on Eleazer, and she
smiled brightly. “You did it!” she
whispered happily.
“Yes,” Hannah smiled. “And I had some help, too.”
Ruth’s eyes widened as she
looked over the company of Scots, and she nodded. “I can see that. There’s obviously quite a story behind all of
this.”
“More than you know. I have
so much to tell you.”
Samuel reached up and
grabbed a lock of Hannah’s long hair.
“Han! Han!” he bubbled with the
sheer joy of young laughter.
“Oh, I’ve missed you,
Samuel,” she said, taking the boy out of Ruth’s arms and twirling him around.
Eleazer came up close to
them and laid a gentle hand on the child’s head. “Perhaps now we can begin to build another
life out of these ashes,” he said, placing his strong arm around Hannah’s
shoulders.
Hannah melted into his
embrace, taking comfort in his warm strength and remembering how her father
used to do the very same thing.
“Yes,” she replied, casting
a smile in Edward’s direction, “a new life.”
~ ~ ~
Raymond’s house appeared
much the same as it had on their last visit: quiet, peaceful, and quite
full. Edward, Malcolm, and Alfred had
decided to visit the place again, a place where so many memories had been
wrought for them. They were greeted by
several of the older boys who had been working in the fields, bringing in the
very last of the harvest.
One of the boys, whom Edward
recognized as Kurt, immediately set off running to the house to find
Raymond. They continued walking, smiling
and waving to the orphans as they appeared, gazing curiously at them from
across the field or from behind the house.
By the time they were almost up to the door of the house, Raymond
appeared from within, a warm smile on his face.
“Edward! Malcolm!
So, you’ve returned at last!” He
shook their hands vigorously, then turned to Alfred. “Ah, yes, and I remember you too. Brothers, right?”
Alfred nodded.
“Well, I’m glad to see
you’ve found the right company at last.”
“It took me a while, but the
good Lord was patient with me.”
“He always is,” said Raymond,
giving him a hearty pat on the back.
“Well, come in, my friends. No
doubt you’ve a story to tell, and I want to hear every word of it!”
They followed him inside,
out of the chill winter wind. Felice was
there, and served them each a small loaf of oven-baked bread. Alfred was hesitant to look at her, wondering
if she would blame him for what happened at their previous encounter. She, however, seemed calm and serene,
unperturbed by the visitors’ presence as she listened to the story from start
to finish.
When the long tale had been
told, Raymond and Felice sat in stunned silence.
“Well,” Raymond found his
voice at last. “The Lord was certainly
merciful to you.”
“Amen,” Edward said, putting
away the last of his bread.
They sat in silence for a
long while, each one contemplating the spread of adventures that had caught
them up in the past weeks.
Then Alfred rose, his brow
furrowed in thought. “May I speak with
you alone for a few minutes, Sir Raymond?”
“Of course,” he replied,
rising from his seat. “Let’s step outside.”
They exited, leaving Edward
and Malcolm alone while Felice busied herself with tending the fire.
“Malcolm,” Edward said
softly, “I don’t know what to do.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, with…with
Hannah. I feel as though I belong in Melrose. But I also feel somehow that I belong with
her now.”
Malcolm nodded astutely,
rubbing a hand through his red hair. “I
wondered when you would bring that up.”
“Really?”
The Scot chuckled. “It wasn’t difficult to see. You’ve been brooding about something ever
since we passed York.”
“So…what do you think?”
Malcolm shrugged, leaning
back in his chair, his hands clasped behind his head. “How can I offer advice on this? I have my own feelings, certainly, but that
doesn’t mean that they’re right. I would
tell you to pray, and to talk with Hannah. She should have some say in the matter, I
think.”
Edward nodded. “All right.
That’s sound advice. But let me
ask you this: where am I needed most? Am
I needed in Melrose?”
He gazed around the little
lodge-house as if seeking inspiration for an answer. After a long period of silence, he
sighed. “I know this: you are loved in
Melrose. And whatever you choose, you will always have friends there. But in all honesty, Edward—we have heard and
learned the lessons that you came there to teach us.”
Raymond appeared in the
doorway and beckoned Felice to come out to him.
She left the fire, stepping outside and walking slowly with him down the
trail to the pond. They watched her
leave, then Malcolm turned back to his friend.
“Yes, I would definitely say
that this is something you should discuss with Hannah. I know the Lord will guide you in this,
Edward.”
He smiled at the Scot. “If I leave Melrose, though, I will sorely miss all of
you.”
Malcolm shrugged a little,
trying to downplay the wistful sorrow that showed clearly in the lines of his
face. “You’ve been a good friend to us
all. You will, of course, have to stop
by at least once. After what we’ve gone
through to keep you safe, we’re not going to let you get away without coming
back for a few days.”
“All right,” he
laughed. “I’ll return once more to while
away the morning hours on the banks of the Tweed. And then—who can say?” He sat back in his chair, a smile on his
face. “It’s a confusing matter,
Malcolm—to find one’s place in the world.
Some people are born and raised knowing what they will become, but for
those of us who don’t have that privilege…well, it’s rather frightening. Exciting, but frightening.”
“Live it out for Christ,”
Malcolm said, “and he’ll take care of the rest.”
The door swung open, and
Alfred strode in, beaming brightly, followed by Raymond and Felice. His boots thumped heavily against the wooden
floor, marching purposefully forward. It
was clear he had an announcement to make.
“Edward, Malcolm,” he nodded
to each of them in turn. “I’ve decided
that I will be staying here.”
“Here?” Edward repeated.
“Yes, Ed. I—I feel responsible
for what happened when my men were here, and I feel I owe Raymond and his
family a love-debt that I am obligated to fulfill. They’ve agreed together to take me on, and I
will be living here, working with them in the fields and with the children.”
Malcolm could not hide his
surprise, but Edward rose from his seat, stepped forward, and embraced his
brother.
“I can think of no better
place.” Then he paused, stepped half a pace back, and looked into his brother’s
face. “Not so long ago, I never thought I would be able to embrace you again,
Alfred. I thought you were too far out
of reach. I’m glad I was wrong.”
Alfred smiled. “Thank you,
Ed,” he whispered.
~ ~ ~
Twilight descended quietly
over Newcastle. Edward and Malcolm had
walked back from the house of Raymond, leaving Alfred to get adjusted to his
new home. The Scots had made camp along
the banks of the river, not far from the house of Ruth, where Hannah and
Eleazer were staying.
Malcolm bid his friend
goodnight and went to join his men by the riverside. Edward stood for some time, gazing out over
the dark waters of the Tyne. His breath formed puffs of steam in the cool
air as he contemplated what to do. His
body cried out from exhaustion, and his mind screamed against him, pulling him
in a thousand different directions at once.
“Lord, help me,” he
breathed, drawing in a great gasp of night air.
He spun on his heel and marched toward Ruth’s house, the flickering
light of candles still showing through the cracks in the wall. He was about to knock on the door when he
noticed a figure standing outside, in the deep shadows under the eaves,
watching him closely.
“Hannah?”
“I’ve been waiting for you,”
she said softly.
“Shall we go for a walk by
the river?”
She nodded. “Do you remember what happened last time we
took a walk by the river at night?” she asked when they were down near the water’s
edge.
“How could I forget? Let’s pray that such a thing doesn’t happen
again. I think I’ve had enough of that
sort of adventure.”
They came to the far side of
the bridge, a good distance away from where the Scots had pitched their
camp. The same thoughts were surging
through both of their minds, but neither spoke a word in the magic of the
moment, watching the night mist swirl over the river. The moon, a thin crescent hanging just above
the horizon, showered dim light down on them, just to enough to be able to read
each other’s expression.
“You remember,” Edward said,
turning to look into her eyes, “when I awoke after my injury—what we spoke
about?”
She smiled as he took her
hands in his. “I remember,” she
replied. “We spoke of—of life, the
adventure of it all—of living for Christ.”
“And we said that we would
face the adventure together.”
“Yes,” she murmured, leaning
close to him. Her voice was barely above
a whisper as they stood there, the sound of rippling water filling their ears.
“But where will the
adventure take us?” he wondered aloud.
“Does it matter? Wherever the need is greatest, we’ll be there
together—and the Lord will always be with us.”
“Yes,” Edward agreed, his
eyes flooding with tears as he looked at her, leaning in to place a gentle kiss
on her cheek. “Always.”
The End