At dawn they started on their journey with Quincy waving to Rusty. Russ wasn't sure what would happen to the chicken while they were gone. Going down the familiar, rocky path, they reached the quince orchard and stopped for a short rest. This was the place where Quincy got his name, and Russ always smiled whenever he passed its crooked trees.
"It's said that a traveler brought these from a far away place and planted them here," Russ said to Quincy. "Now the three of us are travelers too. We're bound to find good things along the way and maybe bring back something with us."
Quincy smiled up at him then reached up to be held high so he could have a good look at the branches as they walked on. Russ put the boy on his shoulders and they went on like that. Ahead of them to the north, Perchdow Hills were furry with oak trees. Above the curve of the hills, the tops of clouds looked like spires reaching for the sky.
If they hurried on, Russ hoped they might cross those hills before sunset and reach the village of Dovely. They took the less traveled pass through Watcher's Glen then climbed up a steep path. As before, Quincy was a good climber and Will could hold his own. Reaching the highest point where the hill crested, they stopped for a rest. From there, they could glimpse weeping willows along the riverbank like sad ladies dipping their long hair in the water.
"I hope we won't have to cross the river. Quincy did not like it when I tried it a while back," Will said and looked at Quincy for confirmation.
Quincy frowned and did not look happy at the prospect of going near the river.
"We need not worry about it until we know where we're going," Russ said.
They continued downhill and entered Dovely Village before sunset. Heading for a tavern, they found it bustling with merry voices and drunk laughter. Taking a table in a quieter corner, they ordered supper and asked after Ula. The serving girl was of no help, but the proprietress knew just where they would find the witch.
"Head straight for the mountains and aim for Griffon's Peak. As you go along, you'll see ahead of you the Forest of Fallen Trees. If you go through it – and I wouldn't – you'll find Ula's hut somewhere on the other side, right at the base of the mountain. That's what I heard. But you wouldn't catch me setting foot in that accursed forest. Good luck to you," she said. "But you should leave the little one behind at least. That forest is no place to take a child."
Hearing this, Quincy grabbed Russ's hand and then Will's and held on to them stubbornly.
Though he spoke no words, the proprietress understood his meaning. "I see that the little lad will not be left behind. He is a brave one, isn't he?" She marveled at him as Will and Russ smiled at the boy proudly.
They had inquired about a room, but none was to be had at the tavern. When they went out looking for other lodging, there was none to be found. Seeing three boys who were no doubt running home for supper, they stopped them to ask if they knew where lodging might be had. The boys told them about a house that stood abandoned a ways out of the village.
As it was getting late and they had no luck in the village, Russ looked over at Will. "Should we go there?"
Will agreed and they set off where the boys had pointed. Not far from the village, they found the abandoned house, though to call it a house was generous. The walls were only half intact with most of the roof gone. What had once been the interior had been taken over with grass and bushes growing and vines climbing.
Russ looked up. "The hayloft will give us shelter." There was just enough left of it to fit the three of them. With no ladder to step on, Russ climbed up first. He checked the space for any vermin and to make sure it was sturdy enough. He then had Will pass Quincy up to him. Russ gave Will his hand next and all three of them were snug up there together.
The night was chilly but well lit by the moon. With hardly any roof left, there was nothing to keep them from seeing the night sky. They lay on their backs and looked up at the stars. Clouds skirted over the moon, but they were too wispy to cover it up.
They had a clear view ahead of them as well. Against the horizon at dusk, Calder Mountain stood gray and inhospitable. Its snowy peaks half hidden in the clouds.
With an owl perched somewhere above them and hooting away all night, Will and Russ couldn't sleep much. Not that they could have gotten much rest in a place like that while worrying about Quincy.
For his part, Quincy seemed to quite like his friend the noisy owl. When a moth flew above them, he followed it with his silvery eyes reflecting the moonlight's glow. All seemed well for a time, until Quincy's calm expression became anxious, and he whimpered, "Feet, no feet."
Both Russ and Will sat up and looked down. Water had taken Quincy's legs to the knee. In the light of the moon, it shimmered like molten silver. Without needing to be prompted, Quincy said in a commanding, little voice, "Quincy need feet to travel with Papa and Papa. Feet come back."
The legs and feet reformed, but Russ thought it took longer this time. All three of them held on to one another tightly. Quincy curled up, his arms wrapped around his legs, hugging them to him.
"My precious boy," Will said and kissed his hair.
His voice was thick with emotion and Russ knew how he felt. No matter how closely they watched him, they could do nothing to keep the child safe. Quincy was so little and sweet, he didn't deserve this uncertainty and fear.
"You are the best son anybody ever had," Russ told him and kissed his temple, feeling how cool his skin was to the touch.
Quincy turned to look at him, his serious expression bursting into a bright smile that made Russ want to cry. It was strange that even in troubled hours of a night spent in an abandoned house, this little boy could bring him so much happiness. Will reached over and clasped Russ's hand. His blue eyes had filled with tears, showing Russ that he felt all of his intermingled love, sadness and fear.