Free The Lifesaving Power: Goldenfields and Stronghold by Jeffrey Quyle Page B

gone uncut since before he went to the Well of John Mark, many months ago. He hadn’t cut it so far, because he felt it was some symbol of his commitment to attend only to his mission in Stronghold. Perhaps he could cut it now, he thought to himself, and nodded agreement. Inspir gestured a short, wrinkled crewman over. “Chips, go get your barber tools for Alec.”
    Half an hour later a circle of crewmen were rubbing their hands affectionately across the short stubble that remained atop Alec’s skull. “Be careful to wear a hat so you don’t burn your scalp,” one man advised.
    By late afternoon Parlton was awake, and Alec found him in his cabin to inform him of his wish to leave the ship. “I can’t deny you any request after what you did for us, Alec, but I don’t like to lose you now,” the unofficial acting captain explained.
    Although Alec felt bad in refusing the unspoken request to stay with the ship, he knew he could not stay away from his destined duty to revive Noranda. “Why don’t you put me and Walnut on the north shore of the river before nightfall?” he asked without making eye contact with Parlton.
    “ You look younger with your short hair,” Parlton replied. “No one who hasn’t seen you fight would believe what a battle you can give.” He paused, then pulled out a chart of the river’s course, and studied it for long seconds as his finger traced the lines on a page. “We’re about here, so the mouth of this tributary will be a good place for us to pull out of the current and get you close to shore. We should be there in less than an hour.”
    “ Do you have your things packed and ready?” he asked as he stood, stooped over in the short cabin beneath the deck. When Alec nodded affirmatively, Parlton led the way to the sunlight.
    Up on deck he called to the forward lookout to watch for an inlet on the right shore and to direct the ship into it, then looked at Alec. “Is there anything we can do for you?”
    “ Just let Natha know that I tried to help, and take care of your crew,” Alec said.
    Without a dock, Walnut was eventually put ashore only by pushing him into the river so that he swam to the swampy edge of the river and struggled up onto dry land. The late-summer weather made the swim in the river feel comfortable, and Alec turned to wave to the members of the Current Rider crew who lined the ship’s railing to watch him leave.
    Walnut carefully picked his footing through the muck and weeds that separated the river from the land, as Alec walked in front leading the way. At last the ground rose up a bank and the way was solid enough for Alec to mount his horse and begin riding. He took his time, calculating that he’d need at least two full days of riding to retrace the distance covered by a night and a day of sailing with the current down the river.
    The river flowed from east to west at this location, so Alec and Walnut rode with the sunset behind them in the west as they returned. The red glow from the western sky reflected off the trees in front of them, as Alec tried to intercept the road that he guessed probably ran parallel to the riverbank. The topography was gently rolling, and they crossed three valleys but did not find a road or track of any stature before near total darkness descended and Alec halted their journey for the night.
    Walnut still carried the load of fodder Alec had bought in Stronghold, while Alec had brought little food for himself away from the ship. He fed and brushed Walnut in the darkness, talking to the horse about the way he was floundering back to Stronghold without a plan. “Why couldn’t I have heard a prophecy about the next few days?” he asked the horse as he finished up his activities. He rolled out his blankets and lay on the ground, falling asleep quickly.
    Before dawn a hard rain started to fall and Alec woke up when a leaf dropped a small cupful of water onto the back of his neck. He rolled over and sat up in the dark, unable to see