The Four

Redemption

He had raised him and provided for the boy, yes. However, Hadlem had never shown the boy any affection. Enrich had seen it first on the night that Ankel was born.

After the death of his wife, the man had been inconsolable. The mid-wife had taken the baby home with her to care for until Hadlem finally came out of his grief.

Enrich thought that he had never actually came out of it, and his disregard and neglect of Ankel over the years had proven this to be so. The man could hardly bare to look at his son.

So, the old tinker had shown him kindnesses here and there, had taught him things when he had the opportunity, had acted as a silent protector, so he thought.

About 3 years ago, Ankel had taken to spending a lot of time with Enrich, even though he had never made an outright effort to impact the boy’s life. When Enrich was with the boy he felt what he can only describe as a fatherly affection.

Enrich wondered what it was like to be a parent. The Four didn’t have parents as it was, they were a creation, a construct so to speak.

They had spent the first twenty years of their existence learning how to use their separate skills as one. Then the next 500 fighting the Wanderlocks.

They knew who their creator was, and what the purpose of their creation had been. Damned if Enrich knew if they had had any idea when creating the Four of how they would grow and change. Was it a part of their plan?

Shaking his head of these thoughts, he returned to the present and the boy beside him. Ankel was still mumbling about how Enrich was becoming a ‘doddering old fool’ and the man himself chuckled.“Trust me Ankel, the day that I become a doddering anything I will hand over my wagon to you and live out the rest of my days in languid peace.” He chuckled again at this picture of what could never be and flicked the reins again. 

Ankel looked at the old man in consternation and Enrich could feel his regard upon him. When he finally looked away the man relaxed a bit and let his mind focus on the future instead of the past.

Once the group of ragtag wanderers came upon the entrance to the village at last, the sun had fully set into the sea beyond.