Dance of the Damned

Apples

"Micah!" Briar shouted at the boy wondering off deeper into the garden while he ran after him. "Micah!"

Finally catching up, he grabbed the boy's arm to stop him from walking right into a tree.

"Micah." Briar scolded while catching his breath. "What do you think you are doing?"

"I miss walking out, Bradie," Micah said, extending his hands out. "Listen. The birds, the brook. Everything is so ... alive."

"I get it, you have been confined for so long you are starting to miss everything," Briar said, shaking his head. "But ... next time, don't just go wandering off.

"We don't know the dangers that are in this house. Tell me and I will come with you.

"Sure," Micah said, holding his stick out. "Want to go on a walk with me, Bradie?"

"Did you hear nothing I just told you?"

"I heard you." Micah coiled his arms around the boy's arms, "You want to go on a walk with me. So let's go!"

"Why are you like this?" Briar asked, shaking his head but he is still following Micah as they walked around the garden. "You know that you can't always have things your way."

"I know," Micah said, still holding Briar's arm as he turned to him beaming. "As long as it is just you then it is fine."

"I know you do not mean a word you say," Briar said, rolling his eyes at his friend. "I know your tricks. You say this to people and they give you what you want. But I am immune to them, Micah. I will not give you everything you want."

"Is that an apple?" Micah asked, feeling something brush against his feet. He picked it up and was about to eat it but Briar took it from him.

"Don't eat apples from the ground! And you haven't even had breakfast yet." He scolded. "You need to eat a balanced diet to be healthy, you are scrawny. How will you survive?"

"But I want an apple," Micah said, pouting. "Aren’t they healthy?"

"They are, but breakfast first."

"Oh! Let's have an apple together, Bradie." Micah said, feeling around for the tree the apple fell out of. "I think this tree has a ton of them. We can have one each."

"Didn't you hear-?"

"Let's have an apple, Bradie! I will get you one!" Micah was practically jumping now as Briar looked at him try to reach branches that were way too out of his reach. He could jump forever but he would not get them.

Sighing with defeat, Briar took off his shoes and climbed the tree as quietly as possible and stopped on the branch Micah was aiming from.

Using the branch above him for support, he stood on the ends of the lower branch and looked down at the boy still struggling to jump. 

"What happened? Giving up?" Briar teased as Micah stopped jumping to catch his breath.

"No way!" Micah shouted, getting ready to jump again. 

The instant Micah took a big jump, Briar jumped down on the branch at the same time, making it bend to Micah’s reach. Holding on tight, Micah grabbed some apples before releasing the branch and falling to the ground with a soft thud.

Briar managed to dodge the rebounding branch by running away from it and clinging to the trunk of the tree. He watched Micah jumping around in delight, a contented smile coming on his face.

"I did it? I did it!" Micah shouted, holding the four apples in his hands. "Bradie! I did it."

"You sure did."

"Let me try one more time!" Micah shouted, getting ready to jump again but Briar rushed down the tree and grabbed his arm, stopping him.

"No! Enough!" He said trying to catch his breath as the leaves stuck out of his hair as though they grew out of it.

"Ok. Ok." Micah chuckled. "Why do you sound so tired? I was the one jumping, not you."

Letting out a tired sigh, Briar fell back onto the grass. “Come and rest with me then. Why aren't you gasping for air?”

“I told you that I am stronger than you.” Micah teased, sitting next to Briar as he began to wipe the apple on his shirt. “Here you go. Did you bring your knife?”

“Give it here.” Briar took the apple from Micah and pulled out a small pocket knife as he began to peel the apple and cut it. “Here you go.”

“I am impressed you still have that knife with you,” Micah said taking the slice from him. “Is it not old yet?”

“It is,” Briar said, looking at the clumsily made blade that is lumpier in places than it should be. Instead of being smooth like blades were supposed to be.

The wood around the blade is also crooked in places where, what looked like, a sculpture of a tree was supposed to be there.

“Shouldn’t you throw it away then?” Micah asked, biting into the apple. “I could get you a new one.”

Briar looked at the Knife in his hands with a slice of apple at the tip before putting it into his mouth.

“Will you?”

“Sure. A better one.”

“Only if you make it for me this time too,” Briar said, grinning.

“I made one for you and you can see how it turned out,” Micah complained pointing to the knife. “Look at that abomination.”

“I will not use a new knife unless you make it for me.” Briar insisted stubbornly.

“Why? I can commission a master of the art to make a really good one for you. Don’t you want a proper knife?”

“I do,” Briar said, cutting another slice and giving it to Micah. “But I like seeing you struggle at something more.”

“Sadist,” Micah mumbled but the smile on his face did not falter as he placed the apple to his lips. “How about this, I commission a proper sword for you, a good one. But I will still make a pocket knife for you. Ok?”

“But, I want to see you struggle to make a sword for me.” Briar chuckled while Micah gently shoved him. “Ok. Ok. Fine. Why do you want me to learn how to wield a sword anyway?”

“So that you will be able to cut down anyone in your path,” Micah said nonchalantly, startling Briar.

“Why would I need to cut anyone down?” He asked, laughing nervously.

“We never know,” Micah said, hand over his shoulder where Briar remembered the blade sticking out of it. “But then, I just you to have a weapon with you, in case you need it.”

“Would it not be better to learn how to shoot using a gun then?” Briar asked, pursing his lips as he turned away from Micah.

“You could learn that too,” Micah said brightly. “Learning how to use several weapons at a time is really helpful. Should I find you a teacher? Oh, I should talk to your father first. Let’s go visit him.”

Micah got to his feet and begin to walk away, holding the rest of the apples he got, without giving Briar the chance to understand what he just said and had to run after him before he could trip and fall somewhere.

“Micah! Why do you keep- Micah! Wait up!”

_______________________

“Are we here?” Micah asked as Briar guided him through the path and to the little gate that leads to their cottage.

“Yes. I think dad is in the garden.” Briar looked at the man standing in the middle of a field of vegetables. He pulled his hat back, wiping the sweat from his face as he noticed the two.

“PHILIP!” Micah shouted, beaming and waving at him.

“Young master?” Philip asked, turning to Briar who waved at him as well. “Briar? What brings you two here?!”

“I plucked apples!” Micah held up the two apples in his hands proudly for Philip to see.

“Let’s go to him,” Briar said, helping Micah walk into the garden. He did not bring his walking stick and has not been to their house often so he is a little bit unfamiliar with it.

As soon as Philip saw the two walking to him, he walked to them as well, taking off his gloves as they stopped in front of each other.

"Look, Philip," Micah said, a bit of colour coming on his face as he held the apples to him. "I plucked them."

"Really?" Philip asked, looking at Briar who looked away quickly.

"Yeah, dad. He plucked them all by himself." Briar patted the boy on the head. "The young master is stronger than you all make him out to be."

"I see," Philip said, smiling at the two. "He certainly looks much stronger as well."

"I am stron-" suddenly they heard a growl come from Micah's stomach, his hand falling to his stomach. "I suppose I am hungry AND strong."

Philip laughed, "I suppose so. Would you two like to have breakfast here? I am currently making pork stew."

"Ok!" Briar and Micah said at the same time, both with hunger written all over their eyes.