Ocean Walk Village
Stories similar to this that you might like too.
The village stood on the shoreline of a small lake, nestled in among thick green forest. There were few buildings, no roads, and almost no lights, save for the one or two oil lamps that hung from poles at some of the larger homes. The only noise came from the occasional creak of an old wooden boardwalk as it was walked upon, and the soft sighing of a gentle breeze rustling through trees.
It was not a large town by any means; there had to have been less than three hundred people living here, and many more would be gone during the coming days. They had spent weeks traveling downriver in boats made of logs, carrying supplies that they would exchange for food once they reached their destination.
A man who could easily pass for a young boy approached, holding out his hands to help me off the back of his horse. His dark eyes sparkled as he looked up into my own, smiling broadly and bowing his head deeply. “Welcome!” He said with joy. “What brings you so far north? We’re not used to seeing travelers this way.”
“I am glad I decided to go,” I answered. “It has been good meeting all of you, but I must get to New York quickly. My business is in need of attention, and I can’t leave it unattended while I am away. If I may be of assistance, please let me know.”
He seemed pleased to hear me say it and nodded. “If I can offer any services to aid your trip, please feel free to ask! I’m afraid our resources are rather limited right now, though…”
With a nod, I thanked him again, then moved toward the main group of buildings and began speaking with those around. As we passed the lake’s edge, I spotted one of the larger structures in the center of the village – a huge barn made entirely out of wood. It was lit from within, casting light over everything inside and out.
People sat at tables, working with various materials, making things. Some worked at looms, weaving colorful rugs together, while others cut wood for chairs and beds.
They saw us approaching, and began getting to work gathering things. A woman ran out of the building with a stack of rags, running over to the horses that pulled my wagon. She handed them each a handful of wet cloths and wiped the sweat from their brows, before moving on to the next.
When she got close enough, I leaned forward and spoke to her quietly. “Is there anyone here who can tell me where to find a boat?”
She nodded happily. “There’s a ship waiting just beyond the woods,” she told me. “It has been here for several days now and is due to sail tomorrow morning. You should be able to catch up to it if you hurry.”
“Thank you!” I replied, waving my thanks over my shoulder as I continued to speak with others.
As I did, I noticed a few women looking my way and whispering amongst themselves. Most of the villagers wore long skirts and shirts that covered most of their skin, hiding the fact that they didn’t have much hair. They were thin and pale and looked like they hadn’t seen the sun in quite some time.
Their clothes seemed worn out and stained, but I couldn’t blame them when I thought about how much travel they’d done in such a short period of time.
“How far is it to the city?” I asked another, hoping to speed up my journey a little more. “I don’t want to arrive too late… I’ve left things in my shop that must be attended to immediately.”
One of the women glanced my way and pointed toward the forest. “We’ll have a carriage waiting for you on the road, and will take you there in no time at all. Just make sure you’re ready to depart soon, as we won’t wait on you.”
I nodded. “I’ll be there as fast as I can. Thank you again for your help!”
The woman smiled, waving her thanks as well, before going back to what she was doing. I turned and went back to where I had been standing, where another man was busy loading a pile of crates onto a cart. “Excuse me,” I said politely, “but do you know where I might be able to find someone who can help me with my bags?”
He gave me a look and raised an eyebrow in question. “You’ve arrived without anything but these? You’ve traveled all this way and only brought this small amount of luggage?”
“Yes sir,” I answered. “I am very grateful for your concern, but my goods are not heavy, and it would not take long for someone to bring them to me if needed.”
He looked over his shoulder and motioned for a woman to come over. “Take this gentleman’s items,” he ordered her loudly. “And be careful with them!”
She took my belongings and loaded them onto the cart, giving me a nod of thanks as she did. Once everything was taken care of, I thanked the two again and made my way back toward the woods. The sun hung low in the sky, and I knew that if I wanted to make it there by sunset, I would need to keep moving.
After taking my first step away from the village, I stopped and leaned against the tree. After everything that had happened to me over the last week or so, I wasn’t sure if I was up for any more surprises. But after a deep breath, I forced myself to go on; I had no other choice than to push through if I didn’t want to miss the boat.
***
The path leading into the woods was well-worn and wide enough for three people to walk side-by-side, and the trees provided plenty of shade throughout the day. There were a few times that I had to step over a fallen branch or tree root, but otherwise, it was nothing too difficult to get used to.
The road eventually led me down off the hill I had originally been on, and along a small stream until it came to the shoreline. The area was mostly flat, with the water coming up to my ankles, but a little deeper as it wound around rocks and fallen logs. I could see boats tied to various trees and stumps, and could hear the distant sound of waves hitting the shore.
When I reached the beach, the sounds were a lot louder, as a large wooden ship was being readied for departure. It looked as though the sailors had finished preparing it, and were now putting up sails and tying ropes down. As I got closer I could tell it was definitely going to leave today. And there was nowhere for me to tie up my own boat!
A man stepped out from behind the ship, and I hurried over to him as quickly as possible. “Excuse me, sir,” I began as I reached him, “I believe I may have arrived too late. The ship was ready to leave when I came here, but it looks like it was already leaving. Can you tell me what time it leaves each day?”
The man looked at me blankly for a moment and then gave a slight chuckle. “Ah yes, sorry about that. Each day, the ships leave at dawn. But I’m afraid I don’t know what time it arrives in the next port.” He looked at me as if expecting me to give up on the whole thing already. I shook my head, determined to get this done.
“Well,” I replied as firmly as I could muster, “can you tell me what time it leaves today? Is it still morning?”
His eyes widened slightly in surprise. “Why… yes, it is. It should leave in an hour or so.” He seemed to suddenly remember that he was speaking to a stranger, and looked around as though searching for an excuse to leave. But I just stood there quietly, giving him no reason to leave.
After a minute he returned his attention back to me. “It’s still early yet though. Why don’t you stay and relax for a bit while you wait? My name’s Thomas, by the way.”
He gave me a quick introduction, and we both walked over to one of the nearby trees and sat on a low branch together. I was still trying to wrap my mind around why this man would just randomly invite me to his house for some breakfast. And why he was so eager to talk to me, considering that he barely even spoke to anyone else at his shop.
As much as I tried to ignore those questions, they kept resurfacing in my thoughts as I ate my breakfast. When we had finished, Thomas motioned to a rope hanging from a nearby tree, and pointed to a small pile of clothes on the ground underneath. “You can change into these before we go back to town,” he said simply.
I couldn’t quite understand why he was doing so much for me, given how much I must have seemed like a strange person to him. We had spoken only briefly on the dock, and now he was acting as my personal assistant. I felt like he was treating me like a child who didn’t know what she needed—like he had all the answers for everything.
Maybe it was because he was an old man. Or maybe it was just because I was new to the island. Either way, I didn’t feel right asking him more questions. Instead, I nodded my agreement and climbed down onto the pile of clothes.
The End