The Traveler’s Tall Tale (Part 1)

Cerpen Karangan: R. Safir

Kategori: Cerpen Bahasa Inggris
Lolos moderasi pada: 18 May 2021

“Ash?”
“Hm.”
“Are we there yet?”
Ash glanced at his brother beside him, an amused smirk on his face. He reached a hand and
ruffled his little brothers dark brown curls gently.
“After three days and a half we journeyed across woods and shrubs alike? Why, of course not yet.”
His brother scowled at him and swatted Ash’ hand away from his head. Ash just chuckled quietly
and leaned back to the wagon where they and several other people had been rode along.

Ash and his brother were on their way to Glasgow, to where their closest relatives resided. Their
father died seven years ago when Rowan was a wee baby and Ash only nine years old. They used
to live only with their mother until, she left them too. After their mother’s funeral two months ago,
Uncle Shawn asked them to live with him and his family in Glasgow. And thus began their journey
with other travelers to a distant place. Ash half closed his eyes and pushed aside any sad
memories to the back of his mind. The gentle sway of the wagon and the beautifully mundane
sight of the forest in the afternoon sun lulled him into tranquility.
But of course, when Ash started to doze off Rowan must disturb the peace with his not-too-long-
ago-already-answered-questions.

“How long will it take to reach Glasgow?”

“I’ve already told you.” He answered without opening his eyes.
“How long?” the little urchin insisted.
“In two.”
“In two what?”
“Two weeks! Now be quiet. I want to take my nap.”
“You need a nap like a baby,” Rowan grumbled.
“Said the baby,” his brother shot back.
Gilda, A woman with bright red hair and a red haired little girl sleeping on her lap, smiled benignly
at them and muttered. “Boys.”
The brothers glared at each other but the wagon rode away without further arguments.

Ash woke up with a start as their carriage had ceased to move. The world outside the wagon had
changed to dusk and it seems their companions decided to rest and camp. He glanced down and
found his little brother asleep on his shoulder. Ash nudged him gently to wake him up.

“Rowan, wake up.”

Rowan looked around confusedly and finally he met his brother’s eyes and then nodded solemnly.
“We’ve arrived, then.”
Ash snorted.
“Sure. We have arrived in another camping area. Now, get up! We need to help the others to
prepare camp. ”

That night, the brothers were given the job to gather firewood and fetched water for the horses.
Once the horses were watered and fed, supper had been distributed, and sleeping arrangements
had been made, everyone in the company was ready to rest. Some had already asleep. But a few
who found themselves could not sleep, gathered around the fire and shared a tale or two. Ash and
Rowan were among them. Listening to their stories made Ash and his brother relaxed. Some were
funny and some were just plain stupid but nonetheless amusing. And then when the night grew
late, a man offered the folks a horror tale.

An old fellow with saggy grey hair and beard called Modred begun his tale with solemn face.
“This was a tale that happened a long time ago when I just a wee lad,” he began, “my father and
his mates had gone hunting deer in the Bleak Forest that spring. There were six of them if I
remembered correctly. They were Will, Alfred, Fjold, Jack, Chadwick and my old man.”
Their hunting trip was very promising and true to be told, in no time they already got two.”
Modred told the captivated audience with a gap-toothed grin. “But for one man, it was not only
promising a good fortune, but also a terrible thing that would haunt him for life.” He added. His
eyes were hooded and glinting eerily in the fire light.
Only the sound of crackling fire, muffled snores and an owl hooted in the distance could be heard.
Rowan shivered and moved closer to his brother’s side. Modred continued his story.
“That night was the third night of their trip and they made a camp not too far from a marsh. The
merry folks were ready to head home by morrow. They were all gathering around the fire, sharing
jokes and drinks and sang cheerful songs together, enjoying the night.
And so when the nature calls came, Chadwick, without the slightest hesitation got on his feet and
told his friends that he need to go fetch some water and relieved himself. His friends waved him
off and only warned him not to get lost. With a laugh, Chadwick promised them that he would be
back in a jiffy.”
Modred paused, before said in a voice that barely above a whisper.

“But he did not come back.”

A man who sat to Ash’s left with bushy eyebrows, Edgerton, asked the storyteller;
“What happened to Chadwick then?”
Modred smiled mysteriously and answered him,
“Patience my good sir,” he said, “We shall get there, eventually.”
The old man shifted on his seat and continued his tale.

Almost half an hour and there was no sign of Chadwick. At first, they ignored it but then some
started to worry.
‘Should we look for him?’ Jack, the youngest of the group, asked the others, ‘perhaps he got lost
or need our help.’
Jack was only seventeen and that was his first hunting trip, so he got jumpy and frightened almost
all the time. My father, barely past twenty himself, thought that Jack’s concern was not entirely
unreasonable. But Fjold waved it off and said; ‘Nah, fret not lad. I think he just needs to… take
care of bigger business, the old goat.’ The older man said jovially and the others laughed.

Time passed, night grew late and still there’s no sign of Chadwick. More begun to worry, and not
even Fjold assurance could lift their growing wariness.
“I say, we should send a team to drag him back here,” my father said in annoyance and the others
nodded their agreement.
“One of us would do,” said Alfred curtly.
“I don’t think that’s very wise,” Will retorted rather hastily, He was the leader of the little hunting
group.
“We shall go in pairs, and leave one in the camp to look after our belongings.”
The men exchanged glances at that but said nothing. No, until Jack voiced their very thoughts.
“Er, alone in the camp?” he said rather unsure about that. My father could detect fear in his voice.
Well, he didn’t blame him. That was his first trip, and problem already showed its ugly face.
“I don’t see why not,” Will answered loftily, “I’m sure it is safe enough here, with fire going and
all.”
Jack still looked unsure and glanced around nervously. The others looked thoughtful, considering
the options.
“I’ll stay,”
Everyone looked up at that and stared at Alfred’s unblinking dark gaze.
“I’ll stay here, so you all can go and bring that git back,” he said more firmly and fingering his
broad sword’s handle. “I can defend our belongings and myself good enough.”
“I have no doubt of that,” Will said promptly, and he swept his gaze to the rest of the men. “Fjold
and Jack will go to the left, Herman and I will take the right side. If any of you find him, hoot twice
and get back to the camp as soon as possible. If help is needed, keep hooting and the other group
will follow the voice. Understood?”
No one surprised when Jack raised his hand.
“What if we did not find him?”
There’s a pregnant pause. But only a moment later Will broke the silence.
“We will.”

—
“Did they find him?” Rowan inquired. His head rested comfortably on his brother’s shoulder, eyes
dropping but quiet determined to hear the end of the story.
Modred chuckled and gave the boy a small grin.
“Well, perhaps they found him or perhaps not.” He said. “You must keep listening to the story if
you want to know, lad.” And with amusement the old man added; “though you should sleep rather
than listen to a scary tale that would keep you awake in the wee hours”
“Told you,” Ash muttered above his little brother’s head. He tried to persuade Rowan to sleep but
he would not listen and insisted he was not sleepy yet. Though the occasional nod off and lolled
head said otherwise.
“Sod off,” Rowan said sullenly but snuggled deeper into his brother’s chest.
And so, Modred continued his tale.
“All of the men began looking for the missing Chadwick. Deeper and deeper they wandered into
the forest but to no avail. Chadwick was nowhere to be found, it was like he vanished into thin
air.”

“I think we should come back to our camp, Will. There’s a chance that Chadwick already there.”
Said my father. They already walked around the dark forest for an hour on end and found nothing
but vegetations and some nocturnal animals.
“No. We will continue in our search until we find him,” a pause, “or at least something that could
explain his whereabouts.” Or a body was left unsaid. Will and my old man knew that nonetheless.
If they couldn’t find Chadwick alive, then they had to prepare for the worse. Death on a hunting
trip was not uncommon, many men and boys alike had died in their venture. But still, my father
hoped Chadwick wouldn’t meet the same fate as them. Especially the gruesome and gory ones. He
really couldn’t help but picture himself with weary and guilty face, knocking on Chadwick’s house
door like an ill-omen harbinger. Chadwick’s wife would wail and claw on his face like a demented
hag, he was sure.

On they go with aching legs and throbbing back to resume their mission. Will, stubborn as he was,
would likely continue searching until his legs (or pride) fell off. My father’s only hope was; his
stubbornness would safe Chadwick and not only left sore feet on its wake.
And his pray was stumbled a moment later, literally. A wheezing, shivering and thoroughly soaked
and filthy top to toe Chadwick was crouched before them. Terrified eyes darted to left and right,
searching for unseen threat. A hesitant hand touched the come-out-of-nowhere-missing-man
muddy shoulder and questioned him quietly.

“Chadwick?”
Chadwick jumped violently, like the hand had just burned his shoulder. His terrified and utterly
panic pair of dull grey eyes snapped up to the owner of the voice. He whimpered.
“Chadwick? You all right there?” My father asked. His friend was a mess. He looked so scared and
rattled. It made his gut twisted unpleasantly.
The man only whimpered again but it soon turned into sob.
My old man and Will stared at their once lost companion, unsure what to do or said. But finally
Chadwick started to mumble softly, they didn’t catch what he said at first, but soon…
“..m..srr’y…m sorry…” he kept saying, “..am sorry…M’rdit..Meredith…”
Will suddenly crouched beside the trembling man and put his hand on his shoulder, ignoring the
flinch, and said quietly but clearly;
“Chad, she’s gone. Gone for a long time, you know this.”
Chadwick shook his head feverishly.
“…no.. no… she.. she’s here..” Chadwick croaked, lips quivered and body trembled. In the torch
light his filthy visage looked absolutely savage yet devastated.
“..she said-she said…I left her..” Chadwick told Will, “…she said I left her to die!”
Chadwick moaned.
“There’s no time for this, we should go back to our camp immediately.” Said my father, he prefer
to bring the desperate man to the camp as soon as humanly possible. His instinct told him
something was amiss, and so his instinct told him no lie.

Cerpen Karangan: R. Safir