“What do you mean, I haven’t thought about it? Do I look that stupid, do I?” She hisses, her dark eyes blazing, her lips pressed together. Tears stand in her eyes as she continues, “I have thought about nothing else these last few weeks. I can’t stay here, I don’t want to stay here. I need to leave. For one thing, I want to serve God with all my being and in order to do so, I need to learn more, know more. I can’t stay here by myself. Anyway, I know my friends have become suspicious. It is a matter of days and I will be picked up by the guards, especially now. They will connect us all together, I know. I have dreams too, dreams of where I want to serve, where I want to help and reach my people. In order to do so, I will need to leave. And I know everything will be different. Other people have done it though, so I can too, for I’m not alone. God is with me wherever I go, it says so in the Book. He will watch over me and give me the courage I need. I want to be with people who can teach me more about God. I need to grow in grace and knowledge. And I want to see what freedom is like,” she says quietly as an afterthought.
Gax nods, he understands that and he feels his heart growing with pride that she is so keen to learn, so ready to serve. “My only fear was that you had left already, even though the coracle was still here.” Gax dips his head, his face hot, his head heavy. He rubs his forehead, his eyes on Caecilia. “I left a note for my parents, explaining it all, although making it clear that they’re not to blame at all. I don’t want them punished too much for my disappearance. I did want them to hear about the message though, so I did put in why I love God and believe in Him.”
Gax nods, he understands and he opens his mouth to ask her again if she is sure, but snaps his mouth shut, knowing that she is and his question will only make matters worse. “Did you bring a bag?” he asks.
“Just a small one,” she says as she picks it up, puts it on her shoulders and hands him the gliders for the coracle. Even though he hasn’t a choice and part of him is relieved that he doesn’t have to say farewell to her, part of him cringes when he thinks about her losses and steep learning curve ahead. Let alone the fact that she will be by herself, alone, in a foreign country. Yes, God will be with her, but that is still different from having people you know around you.
“We better go,” she says, her voice wobbling a tiny bit. “You never know, if they expect trouble they might set up guards around the exits.” Gax nods, yes, he had worried about that too, hence the white sheet. Caecilia tugs at something from her bag, then produces a white sheet as well. She grins and Gax tells her how great minds obviously think alike. “Yes, well, or fools seldom differ,” she says, her smile a bit too bright. Together they work hard to attach the gliders to the coracle. Once that is done Gax ties the snowshoes on. They are ready. Caecilia blinks away tears, then together they push the coracle out of the tower, their rucksacks in the little craft as well as the paddles. Within a few steps Caecilia has slipped twice already and Gax stops the coracle.
“We can’t go on like this,” he hisses. Caecilia’s face turns white, her eyes dark and she opens her mouth to protest. Gax lifts his hand in a placating gesture and adds, “I know, but it’s not working. This is what we’ll do, you get in the coracle with the bags and I’ll push by myself. My boots are waterproof, I have snowshoes so better grip on the snow. You can just keep an eye out for the route, as you know Elabi better than I do. We basically need to get to your father’s lighthouse, to launch the coracle at the little cove.” Caecilia hesitates, then dips her head, admitting that it does make sense, as long as it’s not too heavy for Gax? Gax can feel himself growing that little bit, his headache ignored, he assures her firmly, “Not a problem. The coracle will slide on the snow anyway, so I’ll hardly notice you in there. And it’s handy to have a navigator,” he grins at her, suddenly overjoyed that Caecilia is coming with him. Caecilia is coming to Mataiox, to his family, his friends, his church and team. They will explore his world together. His grin widens. Caecilia climbs into the coracle, makes herself comfortable and they’re off. Gax looks back one more time at the stone tower where they would meet. He sighs, then he looks at the dark braid, the sweet form of Caecilia wrapped in her white sheet sitting on the little seat in the coracle and all thoughts of the stone tower are forgotten.
Chapter 46
The journey is harder than Gax had led Caecilia to believe, but they make good progress. Gax is sweating, doing his best to breathe quietly. Caecilia turns round every now and again to check he is alright and he answers cheerfully, “Yes, thanks, are you warm enough?” She assures him she is, but he has seen the way she shivers and guesses she is also doing her best to stay positive. His legs hurt, even with snowshoes, jolting over the uneven terrain.
Suddenly, Caecilia sits up straight, and raises her hand. Gax stops the coracle, peering around the snowy landscape. His heart stutters as he sees a group of small dark dots moving together in the distance . He crouches down, and looks at Caecilia. She nods, “Guards. They patrol the borders, just to check on unwanted activity.” Gax dips his head, shivering now he’s sitting still.
“We need to keep going,” he breathes softly, “but we’ll have to go slow, and stay low. Hopefully they won’t spot us.” They both check they are fully covered by their white sheets, then Gax pushes the coracle off slowly. Soon his arms are shaking from the extra effort of keeping low and constantly stopping to check the progress of the border patrol. His mood matches the temperature around them. Here he is, in the middle of the night, sneaking out of Elabi, with nothing to show for his mission. One dead, one possibly lynched or taken off to the Hills, one escaping with him. That’s it.
Also, Gax feels grieved for Elabi. So much sadness and darkness in that city, and who will now share the Good News with them? It had been his task, his calling, but here he is, slipping out under cover of darkness with the one remaining person who believed his message. God’s Message. A movement from Caecilia breaks though his gloomy thoughts. “We will have to be lower,” she whispers, and slips out of the coracle.
Together they move slowly through the wet snow, half crawling, half stumbling in a crouched position. Every few steps they stop, to check on the guards and catch their breath. Yet Caecilia smiles at him. “Not long now,” she whispers, “they’ll be going towards the river, and will soon be past us. I don’t think they suspect we are here.” Gax nods, hoping she’s right.
Finally they’re in the flatter, lower area, the lighthouse beam just visible ahead. The guards disappear, hidden by a dip in the landscape and with a sigh they both stand. Caecilia begins giggling in relief and Gax, soaking wet with knees numb and bruised, almost feels like joining her. But they are not out yet and Caecilia clambers back into the coracle, pulling her cloak and white sheet tighter around herself. The smoother terrain means they can move faster and Gax is glad to warm up from the exercise.
Caecilia lifts her head, listening carefully, then whispers, “Did you hear that?” Gax listens carefully, then he looks at her, his breath stuck in his throat. Yes, he hears it too. It’s dogs. One dog. Maybe more? The sound seems to come from far away, and he shrugs and tries to smile at her, as he can see the fear in her eyes. “What is that noise?” She whispers again. Gax is surprised, then remembers pets were banned long ago in Elabi, so he tells her it sounds like a dog. Caecilia dips her head, looking around as if trying to locate the dog, then asks, “Is it dangerous?” Gax shrugs again.
“Some dogs can be dangerous, most are wonderful pets. Do the guards use dogs at all?” Caecilia shakes her head and Gax thinks about it. “How about beyond the hills, will they use dogs there?” Caecilia hesitates and tells him that she has never heard about it. “In that case, I really don’t know,” Gax says, feeling a little shiver inside. The good news is obviously dogs are not used to track fugitives. On the other hand, the bad news is that dogs are not kept as pets either. So this dog, or dogs, could be wild? Will there be wild dogs?
After a while he admits that he needs a short break. “Not for long. Once I have had a
rest I will be able to make better time,” he explains. Caecilia nods and struggles to get out of the coracle. Gax can see her shivering. She swings her arms, moves her legs, obviously cold and stiff. He grins at her, his cheeks tight and she smiles back, rubbing warmth into her cheeks as well. Caecilia jumps up and down, just to get warm, she says and when she stops to climb back into the little craft they can hear the dog barking again in the far distance. Or has it come closer? Gax is sure the barking is clearer and is pleased to note at least it is just one dog.
Caecilia climbs into the coracle. Gax gives his hands a last rub, putting his freezing cold fingers against his forehead for a moment, revelling in the relief it brings. Then he is ready again. “I feel better,” he smiles, shrugging his shoulders in place, “and it’s not long now either.” Gax walks on and on, his hands and shoulders numb, his legs shaking. He hasn’t been working out in the gymnasium much recently, trusting that he was in good enough shape. Struggling to keep his breath, he regrets his casual attitude. But there is nothing he can do about that now; he simply has to go on.
The night air is cold but clear, the moonlight an eerie silver. As the lighthouse rises before them, Caecilia trembles and whispers: “It’s so strange, seeing my father’s lighthouse.”
Gax swallows. How hard this must be for her. “If you want to change your mind about leaving, I would never hold it against you,” he whispers back gruffly.
She shakes her head resolutely. “Definitely not!” she hisses, adding, “It’s not that. It’s a strange feeling, like an emptiness inside me where all those memories and important items are, but I know I’m doing the right thing, the only thing I can do.”
Gax hesitates, gazing at her shrouded upright form. “I am glad you are coming,” he tells her quietly. She looks round then, and he can tell that she is blushing, and his own cheeks glow as well.
As they near the lighthouse beam, the dog barks again, louder and clearer. Caecilia gasps and looks at Gax, who just shrugs. He waits till she is looking ahead again, then he frantically scans the white landscape. It isn’t long before he sees a tiny dark speck moving around. The speck grows and Gax recognises it as a dog. Will it be friendly? Does it have an owner? He looks beyond the dog, but can’t see anything else that indicates trouble. Caecilia looks at Gax again, anxiety lining her face. “What do we do?” Gax isn’t keen on the situation himself, but at least he has seen dogs before and he knows it is up to him alone to deal with it. He thinks through his baggage, then stops the coracle. Walking over to the front, he digs around in his rucksack, pulling out some flatbread. He tears some chunks off , pushes them into his pockets and resumes their trek, keeping an eye on the slowly approaching dog.
“We need to avoid the lighthouse beam,” he tells Caecilia, “or at least stand still every time it lands on us. Hopefully that way we stay undetected.” Caecilia gasps and points at the bounding animal. It isn’t a large dog. With its gangly legs, bent tail, and floppy ears it’s almost comical as it keeps losing its footing in the snow, rolling over in large snow clouds. It jumps up on all fours again, shaking its droopy face and hanging ears. It comes closer and closer, barking joyfully. Gax grins, the animal really reminds him of his grandparents’ dog, so excited to have someone to play with. He stops and gets the bread ready. He doesn’t mind dogs, his main worry at the moment is the noise the animal is making. Will it alert anyone?
They’re a long way from the city, but noise travels at night. They still don’t know exactly how far the guards have gone, or whether there will be more. Gax flinches at each bark and vaguely registers Caecilia’s muffled shriek as the dog rushes up to them. He holds out the bread, muttering nonsensical endearments, ignoring the gripping fear that perhaps he has misread the animal. He notices that his hand with the bread is shaking and fervently prays the dog will accept the bread, rather than go for the hand. The dog happily eats the first chunk of bread, not too greedily, which Gax sees as a mixed blessing. It means the dog is probably not wild or starved, but it might mean that there is a caring owner nearby. He chatters to the dog a bit more, gives it more bread, then throws a piece as far away as he can.
The dog is after it in a flash, tumbling and rolling in the loose snow, barking wildly. And loudly. Gax rubs his neck, his thumb follows his fringe along his forehead, and sighs when the dog returns with the bread. “Well done, mutt,” he says, rolling his eyes then gives the bread to the dog to eat. He points towards the hills and says sternly and firmly, “Right, off you go. Go home, go to your boss. Go!” The dog looks at him, a funny grin on its face, tongue lolling out, panting. “Go on, daft mutt,” and Gax points firmly towards the hills again. The dog suddenly barks, turns round and starts running off, losing its footing every now and then. Gax sighs with relief and finds himself shaking again.
Gax finally looks at Caecilia in the new stillness. She is sitting in the coracle, on her knees, hands gripping the edge of the craft, looking at him with huge eyes. “You’re amazing,” she breathes finally, “you fed it, then just sent it away and it obeyed you! How did you know what to do? Was it a dog?” Gax blinks, what does she mean by that? Of course it was a dog! Then he nods.
“Yes, it was a dog. My grandparents have a dog. They like playing but can also be trained very well. They can listen and obey,” he grins, remembering his attempts at teaching their dog all sorts of things, usually unsuccessfully. Caecilia dips her head, her eyes glowing, her face one large grin.
“It does look like fun. I just wished it wasn’t so loud. Or wild,” she adds, wrinkling her nose a little. Gax nods, telling her that when they get wet they also smell. That makes her scrunch up her face and he laughs, relieved that the dog was innocent and harmless. Seeing the stand of the moon makes his smile slip a little. They really need to move on. His back aches, and he is sure that he won’t be able to walk for days. He doesn’t want Caecilia to know, of course, so he pushes the coracle again, often pushing with his whole body to give his shoulders and arms a rest. Gax is exhausted as the lighthouse towers over them, dark and protective, its soft yellow light flashing. The snow is less deep here and Caecilia clambers out of the coracle. It takes her a while to loosen her legs and arms, but soon they’re pushing the coracle together towards the little cove. Gax takes the gliders off, wondering what to do with them. Caecilia shrugs and suggests he just pushes them into a corner of the cove.
Together they lift the coracle to the water’s edge. Gax holds it for Caecilia to get in. She takes a deep breath, looks up at her father’s lighthouse and climbs into the wobbling craft, blinking fast. Gax’s throat hurts in sympathy, then he whispers for her to sit in the middle for a moment whilst he gets in. The coracle rocks wildly, dipping low into the water. Gax holds his breath, what if they are too heavy? The craft copes and although deep in the water, it should see them through the next stage of their journey. Caecilia rearranges the bags carefully and in the end sits on her cloth bag, facing Gax. He looks at her whilst sorting the paddles. He shivers, thinking of the cold water around the coracle, convincing himself that the rowing will warm him up.
He takes a deep breath, smiles at Caecilia, and pushes off, the current gripping their tiny craft immediately. They’re off, leaving Elabi behind on their way to freedom. Caecila looks until her eyes fill with tears, which she finally blinks away. Then she smiles at Gax through her tears and whispers, “We made it until now. We overcame, through grace.” Gax dips his head. Yes, never mind taking walled cities, they overcame, by grace alone. His mind rushes ahead to future possibilities of service, the sadness over Elabi given to the Lord. And foremost in his thoughts is the beautiful girl sitting on a cloth bag in a tiny coracle, looking at him with teary eyes.
Acknowledgements
Thank you so much for reading Walled City. I have felt so blessed, exploring Elabi, watching Gax struggle through, and all he had to go through.
I write to explore faith in life, enjoying the process. This might mean some unusual combinations, modern and not-so-modern items, as w
ell as some writing rules being broken! Please forgive me, and I hope you have enjoyed Walled City regardless.
I would like to thank my wonderful editor friend, Beverley Haagensen, for the fantastic job she has done. Without her help, I wouldn’t have known where to even start! She not only got rid of 99% of my exclamation marks, she also improved the entire story, helping me with some very big points, like southern hemisphere dates.
I’m grateful to Lily Musker for the beautiful painting she made for Walled City, encapsulating the main characters and atmosphere so well.
I’d like to thank my friends at ACW, who have supported, encouraged and taught me all along the way, providing evenings of laughter and lots of story ideas.
I’m grateful to my dear husband, Richard, and my four amazing children for giving me space and opportunity as well as encouragement, coffee and chocolate at appropriate times…
And I’m grateful to God, grateful for His Word, and the freedom we have to read it and share it with those around us. I’m eternally grateful for the Saviour, Jesus Christ, and His sacrifice on our behalf, giving us true and perfect freedom.
Do look at my website, www.vicarioushome.com I would love to hear from you. And look out for the next book in the series!
Walled City (The Elabi Chronicles Book 1) Page 28
