The Secret of the 1000 Souls Well - Chapter 3

Katy was still animated when she lay down for the night. Somehow, some way she would have answers. Even if that meant returning to the Well. But the day had been long and soon she drifted off. There were no dreams, just silent darkness, and she didn’t stir until first light. Perhaps she felt some sort of peace in knowing that there was something more out there. A mystery no one had solved. Or, at least, hadn’t bothered to.

After she woke, she scrambled to get her chores done early. Harvest was winding down and the remaining farm hands from the village were more than enough help for Pa so no concerns there. It was the end of the week. There was no schooling that day, not that it would have mattered much. Katy had already consumed all that a backward hamlet education had to offer. She fancied she could probably teach the rest of the children - and quite a few of the adults - as well as anyone. However, there was still more to learn outside of the schoolhouse. Much more, it seemed.

By mid-morning, Katy had her satchel prepared and was ready to leave the cottage. She’d packed some hard tack and jerky, a cloak, her dagger (Pa was right, it was really just a fish knife), and a long length of rope. She wanted to be ready to travel if necessary. There was no telling what she’d learn from the old wise woman, but she liked being prepared regardless. As she stared at her pack, wondering if there was anything more she should take, her mother’s voice - unusually soft - floated behind her.

“I suppose it wouldn’t have mattered when we told you about the Well. You were going to have to find the answers for yourself anyhow.”

Katy turned to Ma. She looked tired. Like whatever peace Katy had gained in the night, Ma had lost.

“You don’t have to worry, Ma. I’ll be fine. I’m old enough now. Old enough to take care of myself.”

Ma’s voice cracked slightly. “Oh…my sweetest. No child is ever quite old enough to take care of themself in their mother’s eyes.”

Katy didn’t quite understand but she felt that one day she would. For now, Ma would have to trust her. However, that didn’t stop the girl from seeing her mother’s genuine concern and apprehension. She walked over and put her arms around the the older woman who began to cry. It was an odd sight for Katy. Ma had always been as tough as a wild warthog and she rarely wore her emotions outwardly.

“I’ll be careful, Ma. I promise. And…I won’t leave the village without letting you know.”

“That you’ll do, young lady,” Ma replied stiffening up but still holding Katy. “And your father will more than like have something to say about this as well. You’re clever and quick and old enough to mostly do what you will but…well, we’ll talk about it later when you get home.”

Katy let go of Ma and nodded, reluctantly. “I love you, Ma.”

Ma smiled and shook her head. “And you know I love you. Oh, just get going. Do what you have to do.”

Katy turned and headed for the door. She picked up her pack, just in case. She planned to keep her promise. She wouldn’t leave the village without telling her parents. But she knew life seemed to have a way with surprises. Better to have and not need than to need and not have, Pa often reminded her.

She stepped outside and walked along the path that lead to the northeast road. The road that would take her to Myrna’s. The morning fog had burned away and the sun shown warm against her forehead. But a crisp breeze quickly reminded of her of the season. Daylight’s dominion grew shorter every day now and Katy knew that time was not on her side. The road wound along the southern edge of the forest, rising up to meet the trees, and offered a prosaic northern view of the the village. A few dozen homes, smoke rising from a some of the chimneys, the sound of children playing, and perhaps a dozen people shuffling about in the town square. A fine day to go to market. In the distance, the nearly empty fields were peaceful except for a smattering of farmers and their carts finishing their autumn work. Katy noticed that things seemed smaller when one wasn’t standing in the middle of it all.

Myrna Hallas lived on the far edge of town in a rustic but peculiarly spacious shack. A shack that sat within the borders of the narrow hinterland between the sleepy village of Clear Fall and the Dim forest. For many years, she had been the town sage and physician. As a village elder of considerable knowledge and skill she was respected and feared. Respected, and perhaps revered, by the other women in the village and feared, of course, by the men who saw her capabilities as some sort of threat to their own. By and large, though, the people of Clear Fall accepted her and welcomed her talents, especially when a child fell ill or one of the rancher Beran’s cows was calving. She had been a fixture of the area for longer than anyone could remember.

It was a short walk from Katy’s home to Myrna’s. The smell of cinnamon wafted from the house and there was a warmth emanating from it that fought the chill brought on by the shading trees. The door to the shack was open slightly, letting the aromatic goodness from inside roam freely. It looked as if Myrna had been expecting company. Perhaps a customer or a friend or just a girl looking for answers. She politely knocked, waited a few seconds, then let herself in.

The first time she went to see the sage she hadn’t noticed the building’s design, but it was manifest now. The outward face of the cabin belied its true size. From the inside one could see that the structure was built like a longhouse. It was not wide but remarkably deep. Katy was tempted to step back out and look around the corner of the house to better understand its geometry but she didn’t want to seem rude. The inside consisted of a common area with a fireplace and a tall, long counter much like the sundries store in town. In the middle of the room, a table and chairs stood, reminiscent of a tavern. The walls were decorated with with jars of herbs and other natural looking reagents sitting on old, knot-holed shelves. A fire burned under the stone oven to the right. The air was warm and inviting and smelled like Katy’s version of heaven.

“I’ll be right out, dear.” A soft voice called from a door behind the counter.

Katy jumped a bit. She was suddenly nervous about talking to Myrna. What if the old woman didn’t, or couldn’t, tell her was she wanted to know? What if the information she’d already given Katy was all she had? What if Katy was simply expecting too much?

“Come in, girl.” Myrna said as she walked through the door behind the counter. “So good of you to come pay a visit to an old woman out here in the middle of nowhere.”

Katy let out a giggle and walked toward the counter, much of her apprehension fading away. “You know it’s but a short walk. You can see the chimney fires of Clear Fall from here.”

Myrna smiled back. “The visit is still much appreciated, my child. To what do I owe this pleasure?”

Her entire life, Katy had perceived Myrna as the old doctor. The ancient sage of Clear Fall. But today, at that moment, she was struck by the wise woman’s beauty and vitality. The smile lines on her face were brief and shallow. Her hair was long and dark with just a few locks of silver mixed within like gentle waves at low tide. And her voice was strong and steady. She looked more like a woman of forty than sixty-five.

“I’ve come back because I need to know more. About the Well. About the…soup…it still seems so very odd to say.”

“So your father finally told you, did he?”

“Yes, finally. But I don’t understand. You helped me learn so much about what wasn’t happening when I came to you before. Why didn’t you just tell me the rest? Why didn’t you tell me about the soup in the Well?”

“All knowledge requires some amount of commitment…and some times sacrifice. Some much more than other. I had to know that you were willing to take the first steps. That you were willing to confront your father then return to me.”

Katy nodded somewhat absently. She heard the words but wasn’t sure she entirely grasped their meaning. What kind of sacrifice was she making?

“In fact,” Myrna continued. “You took it upon yourself to gain the knowledge. Going up to the Well took both commitment and courage. Though I’ve always known you were a remarkable girl, I did not quite expect that.”

“You knew I’d come back.” Katy shook her head. “But what do you mean? What kind of ‘sacrifice’ have I to make?

“I can’t tell you that, my dear. For that knowledge, you’ll have to return to the Well.”

TO BE CONTINUED…

Cover Photo - Ashur Brown Durand: Thanatopsis