A dark, overcast sky the following morning made Kit a little late for breakfast, but they waited. The travelers and their guest ate a last meal together in the cavern, sharing little memories about mussel stew and squabbling seagulls. Kit mostly listened, sometimes nodding or smiling.
Finally Ilika and Boro sat down to pack their gear, and the others took the hint. Those with rucksacks cut lengths of rope from the coil to lash on their bedrolls.
Ilika, Sata, and Mati left first, climbing up to the road by the shortest route. Their job was to make sure the town looked safe for the others, reporting back quickly if not.
Toli, Buna, and Rini departed the cave half an hour later, going around the hill to the cove, then along the beach to the town.
Next came Miko and Neti, again along the road, appearing to be a young farmer and his wife, shovel over his shoulder.
Boro and Kibi followed their resident guide. Kit led them an easier way into the town and directly to the bakery.
“I would like to buy three hundred loaves of bread,” Kibi said to the baker.
“I can’t make that many, even if I keep my oven going all night long.”
“But I only need one or two a week.”
“Ah! That I can do. Are they for little Kit here?”
“You
know
him?”
“Sure. See him just often enough to know he didn’t run off when his
mother died.”
“Yes, they’re for him.”
“You got three great silvers?”
“I’ll give you four if you’ll give him a treat with each loaf, a sweet biscuit or a tart.”
“You’ve got a deal!”
“I’ll be checking,” Kibi said and looked the baker in the eyes.
“I’m an honest man, and you can’t say that about many around here.”
“So I’ve heard.” Kibi handed the man four great silver pieces without letting anyone else see them. Kit received his first loaf of fresh bread, clutched to his chest like a beloved doll.
On the way to the meeting place, Kibi explained to Kit that if he got a loaf about every three days, he could get them for three years.
He smiled, tore a little piece off the end of his loaf, and ate it.
At the junction north of town, one road went east into green hills toward the capital city, another north across grasslands to Lumber Town, and a narrow trail wound its way through scrubby bushes and trees toward the beach. When Kit and his two companions arrived, the entire group of eleven walked a little way down the trail. A dry, sandy place witnessed their final moments together.
Kibi told them about her success with the baker, and Kit held up his loaf to prove it.
Buna presented him with her extra comb.
Kit smiled with happiness as he stuck it in his hair, so tangled it stayed right where he put it.
Sata handed him a bedroll cover, complete with two new blankets inside.
“Kit dry!” he said, making a simple sentence for only the second or third time.
Neti handed him a small cooking pot.
Inside Kit found a wooden spoon, a small knife, and a piece of flint.
“Stew!” he said and grinned.
Mati opened a cloth bundle to reveal eleven sweet biscuits, offering the first to Kit.
“Mmmm!” the boy said with gleaming eyes.
When they finished eating biscuits, all the girls lined up to give Kit farewell hugs. Their faces and wet eyes showed their longing to ask, just one more time, if he would come with them. But Ilika had already reminded them that he had made his decision and given them his answer. If he changed his mind of his own accord, he was still welcome.
The boys offered warm handshakes, and after a moment of hesitation, Kit accepted.
Finally they prepared to depart, shouldering packs or saddlebags, boosting Mati onto Tera, and taking up the shovel and rope.
“Bye,
Kit!”
“Stay
dry!”
“We love you!”
“Bye!”
“Remember bread at the bakery!”
Kit stood with his bedroll under one arm, and his cooking pot and loaf under the other, watching his friends leave on their journey. Having friends was very nice, and gave him the same warm feeling that Mommy gave him.
When they were out of sight, he turned his feet to the trail from this end of town to Mommy’s place. He wanted to show her his new things, and maybe take a nap.
But later, when the tide was low, he wanted to go down to the cave and pry mussels with his knife, and make a fire like he had seen his friends do. That would make Mommy very proud of him.
Deep Learning Notes
In what ways will the gifts Kit received (including the arrangement at the bakery) make him more, or less, self-sufficient?
In your opinion, is it a good change for Kit to become more self-sufficient?