Carl had never been happier to step off a ship in his life. Lamar was of a like mind, judging from his expression alone. Gabriel smirked irrepressibly at the two of them, hefting his bag once more.
"Oh, Thank God," Carl murmured at feeling solid land, as opposed to a swaying deck, beneath his feet. "We're walking to Boxborough?"
"Is that a problem?" Lamar asked warily. He moved so that Carl was now sandwiched between himself and Van Helsing.
"Not in the slightest," Carl replied happily.
Gabriel laughed outright. "What are you going to do about the journey home?" he teased lightly, gazing leisurely around the lightly crowded dockside. He caught sight of a young boy and a dog walking in their direction, and familiarity hummed through his soul. A smile began to form.
"I'll jump off that ship when I get to it," Carl tartly retorted, surprising another laugh out of the hunter.
"I cabled Boxborough when from Rome before we left," Lamar muttered, also beginning to scan the docks. "The cable's been down, there, for quite a while. The best I could do was send a cable to Acton, requesting that a message be forwarded. With any luck, they sent us a guide."
The boy was closer now, and it was clear to see that he was a towheaded youth somewhere between thirteen and fourteen, with something of a seafaring air about him. He was a little pale, despite his confidence, and the black Labrador next to him pressed encouragingly against his side.
"If not - " Carl began worriedly, also starting to peer around with interest.
"If not, it's somewhere west of here, and this is Boston. Someone has to know how to get there," Gabriel pointed out reasonably.
"Hello there," the boy called out cheerily, waving as he approached.
"Um, hello," said Carl.
"Good morning," Lamar replied precisely.
Gabriel was silent, gently dipping into a memory as he quickly looked the boy over. Yes, it was him.
"Just in off the Philadelphia?" he asked, steady blue eyes twinkling at them. "My name's Ben, and this is Ned." The dog barked enthusiastically, and the boy grinned. "If you're the ones I'm looking for, then I'm here to see you to Boxborough."
"How did you know it was us?" Lamar asked, somewhat suspiciously.
The boy seemed a little embarrassed. "You gave your names in the cable you sent ahead," he explained, shoving a hand in one pocket. The other rested on the dog's head, scratching just behind the ears. The dog plopped down on the boy's foot, his tongue lolling happily. "The mayor described you to me. And beggin' your pardon, but folks like you don't come through every day, what with being monks and all," he nodded at Carl.
"I'm still just a friar," Carl protested Lamar's chuckle at his expense.
Ben grinned, flicking his hair out of his eyes. Ned gained his feet and barked once. Gabriel smiled, and saw the boy's eyes, as well as those of the dog, turn to him in frank appraisal. The silence between the two youngsters was thick with meaning decipherable only to the boy and his dog.
"Well then, if you've got all your things, we'll be setting out," Ben said cheerfully, after looking them all over. "Follow me, mates!"
Gabriel trailed at the end of the party, making sure the group stayed together and keeping an eye on his fellow travelers. Ben and Ned were a wonderfully matched pair, who seemed to have been friends their whole lives. The boy was just smaller than Carl and Lamar, wrapped in a thick wool coat, an extra pair of trousers and boots to accommodate the cold weather. Ben was surprisingly confident for a boy his age, unless one knew the truth as Gabriel did.
"No, my name's Neb backwards, short for Nebuchadnezzar," he replied amiably to Lamar's question. "Ned's name is Den backwards, short for Denmark. Bit of an odd name for a dog, eh?" Despite living in America, the boy's voice had a lively English accent.
"Nebuchadnezzar?" Carl asked, his interest peaked. "Nebuchadnezzar II was the son of Nabopolassar, most powerful of all the Chaldaean kings. He laid Ninevah to ruins, destroyed Judah, and brought Babylon to glory, rebuilding the city and delivering it from dependence on Assyria."
Ben's mouth dropped open, and he paused to look back at the friar. The boy exchanged an incredulous glance with Ned. The dog whined, and Ben said, "I didn't know all that. I was curious, and a few years ago I read about the dream interpreted by Daniel in the Bible."
Lamar nodded. "I have studied the Bible myself. Nebuchadnezzar dreamt of a man made of metal, with a head of gold, arms and chest of silver, whose waist and thighs were composed of bronze, with legs of iron and clay feet. Daniel interpreted this dream to show Nebuchadnezzar the nature of the kingdoms which would rise after his, the kingdom of gold."
"Yes, well a more modern interpretation shows then that the Babylonian empire equates to the chest and arms of silver. The Greeks were the bronze – what was it -"
"Waist and thighs," Ben supplied, grinning at Ned. The Labrador gave him a doggy smile in return, dropping back to walk between Carl and Lamar.
Carl smiled. "Thank you. And the Romans were the legs of iron. Apparently we are now in the stage of feet of clay."
Ben giggled.
"Such a scientific outlook," Lamar mused provocatively.
Gabriel recognized the challenging tone in his voice and groaned laughingly. "No, please, we have a full day's walk ahead. I'd rather not spend it listening to the two of you embark on one of mankind's greatest arguments."
"How would you care to view the situation?" Carl asked his companion with exaggerated politeness, utterly ignoring the hunter. And so the debate began. Gabriel threw his free hand in the air, rolling his eyes. He caught Ben's gaze as the boy glanced back at the two, and winked. Ben grinned, and looked at Ned. Gabriel stifled a laugh at the sight. The dog was steadfastly walking between Carl and Lamar, his attention focused on each speaker in turn. But as the two grew more animated, the dog grew more agitated. Finally, with a little whimper of disgust, Ned bounded out from the midst of the discussion to walk next to his master.
Ben and Ned seemed content with each others' presence, leading the members of the Order around and through the outskirts of Boston. Gabriel stayed at the rear of the group, keeping a sharp watch on each member in the party. Several times he saved Carl from tripping, as the friar's attention was intently focused on the discussion.
The group traveled at a steady pace, Ben proving to be a sure leader as they continued moving westward and slightly north. Three hours after leaving Boston, at roughly one o'clock, they stopped to rest for a short time. The pause in physical movement also brought a pause in the running debate as well, to Gabriel's quiet relief. Surprisingly, Ben produced enough food for the men as well as himself. "Mathilde sent it with me," he explained as he doled out sandwiches.
"Mathilde?" Carl asked, unwrapping the thin cloth to reveal home-baked bread and fresh chicken, only a little squashed from having been secreted inside inner coat pockets.
Ben shrugged, sitting on a log free from snow. They were following a rough path, which wound through the woods. According to their guide, the entire trail looked mostly like this, except for where they passed through Acton. That would be some time the following day, shortly before they reached Boxborough. "Widow Austin," he elaborated quietly. "She and Mr. Austin took me in a few years ago, and I've helped her with her daughter Tanya, and with work around her home, since . . . ." The boy shook his head, changing the subject. "She sent us with so much food, we nearly sank into the snow, didn't we, Ned?"
The dog nodded, and Carl and Lamar stared. Gabriel hid a smile, biting into his sandwich. "Did -"
"Oh, it's just his collar," Ben brushed off Lamar's comment nonchalantly. "It sometimes bothers him when it gets cold out, rubbing. Isn't that right, boy?" Gabriel laughed quietly at the look on the others' faces when Ned nodded again. The dog turned dark, moist eyes on the hunter at the sound and trotted over. Gabriel crouched down, and held out a hand, letting the dog touch him before he presumed to pet the animal. Ned nudged his fingers, and Gabriel smiled, moving to stroke the black animal, scratching gently.
"This is a fine dog, Ben," Gabriel said quietly, smiling. "Though I don't think you, or he, need me to tell you that." Ned licked his fingers, and Gabriel tore off a bit of his sandwich. Ned happily gobbled up the treat, and Ben grinned. "How far are we from Boxborough?" Gabriel continued, deftly changing the subject.
"Well, it's not too far. If it were summer, I'd say we could be there tonight, but I don't want to chance loosing the path in the dark. Ned'n'I've camped out here in the winter before. It's a bit cold, but better than getting lost. We'll probably be there before this time tomorrow."
Gabriel nodded, agreeing with the boy's assessment. "Do you have any particular camp site in mind?"
Ben grinned. "I know just the place."
As they finished their food, Ben continued to describe the site, which was apparently less than three hours away. "We need time to collect wood, and get a fire going before full dark," he explained.
Setting off once more, silence reigned for only a few seconds before it died an all-too-premature death, in Gabriel's eyes. The debate began at full speed once more, the verbal combatants having used the short break to augment their stores of point-counterpoint arguments. Ned dropped back to wander next to the hunter for a short time, curiously sniffing him before trotting contentedly alongside. A particularly vehement exclamation caused the man to sigh. Hazel eyes closed for a moment, begging patience, and the dog's brown, moist gaze turned to Gabriel. "Are you as tired of this as I am?" he asked Ned, tilting his head toward the civilized argument taking place in front of him. "I don't think even pushing them into the snow will help," Van Helsing finished after a moment's pause. The dog looked at him, and he winked. With a short bark, Ned bounded between the two scholars, who paused in their deliberations for a moment to stare after the animal, and then continued as if the interruption had never taken place.
Taking his place at the boy's side, Gabriel pretended not to notice the mock-affronted look Ben shot Ned, which swiftly changed to a more contemplative stare. He also ignored the boy's speculative glance as it rested momentarily on him.
The merits of science versus theology were battered back and forth until Gabriel, Ben, and even Ned would have undoubtedly been able to argue for either side. The debate itself was diverting through the somewhat tedious journey, though Gabriel only half-listened, aware at all times of the forest around them. When they finally reached the campsite, the good-natured bickering was set aside until more important matters were settled.
While Ben directed the others around the site, Gabriel walked a quick perimeter, noting a nearby creek that would provide fresh water, and the many pine trees overhanging the small clearing provided thick shelter from the elements. He returned to find Lamar clearing out a fire pit with Ben's help, and Carl unrolling bedrolls beneath a lean-to that looked as if it had been standing since Columbus had first arrived on these shores. Ned was tugging at Ben's blanket, straightening it out. "Ben, do you know if any farmers have herds nearby?" Gabriel asked, though he could pretty well guess the answer.
"I don't think so," the boy responded. "Why?"
"Less chance of the creek water being fouled if not," the hunter's eyes took in the activity of the clearing, and he dropped his pack for the first time in hours. Leaving the satchel at the base of a large pine, the hunter rolled his shoulders, easing out the ache. "Are there any stockpiles of firewood for the pit?" he asked, taking in the organized layout of the site.
"Yes sir!" Ben answered smartly.
Gabriel laughed. "Anyone can see you've been well-raised, Ben, but my name is Gabriel. I don't think we stopped for a proper introduction. As I'm sure you've gathered, that -" he pointed to the friar in his robes, unfolding his blanket on a bed of pine needles "- is Carl. The other fellow is Lamar."
Ben quirked a grin, sticking out his hand. "Pleased to meet you. I'm Ben, and this is Ned."
Gabriel shook his hand, before lightly clapping the boy on the shoulder. "My thanks for your patience and good manners, Ben," he said. Neither of the other men noted this exchange, and the hunter smiled. "They'll remember what their mothers taught them soon enough," he said. "Now about that firewood . . . ."
By the time darkness rolled over the camp, a fire was crackling in the ring of stones, and each of the group had a section of the lean-to allotted him. Watches had been divided up, and Ben had surprised them all by insisting he receive one as well.
Gabriel disappeared into the woods, and returned with two rabbits, cleaned and ready for roasting. Dinner was hot and fresh, blessedly free of controversy, though that didn't last long.
As was the tradition, by now, for the conclusion of these debates, both men asked for the hunter's opinion, since he had been listening to them all day.
Gabriel, however, refused to choose between the two options laid out before him. "Both science and theology have their strengths and weaknesses," he pointed out fairly.
"But the story itself," Carl persisted, knowing the hunter would listen patiently and answer honestly.
Gabriel hesitated. "You must remember, Carl," he said very softly, "That the Bible is only a book. It was always intended to guide, not to govern. The Church teaches that the Bible is infallible, that it relates in fact, though not detail, the exact events that occurred. In my eyes, however, religion and the Church can be two entirely separate things. The lessons in the Bible are for each human to take as he or she will. It was written years after the stories it records takes place. It may have truly been inspired by God – I do not really know. The child is never privy to all that a parent does."
The last remark made Ben and Ned glance at each other, and Lamar stared into the fire, poking it moodily with a stick.
"And?" Carl prompted.
Gabriel raised a brow, and then shrugged.
"That's it?" the friar demanded, just a little put out. "You've heard the sides examined from every possible angle, and . . . that's it?"
"To be honest, I stopped paying attention just as we left Boston behind us," Gabriel admitted straightforwardly.
Carl gaped at him.
"I was thinking about what's waiting for us in Boxborough," the hunter finished, glancing out of the lean-to towards the open clearing.
"Hmph," Lamar grunted.
The silence around the campfire was thick with trepidation, and Carl finally broke it. "What's the use of setting out watches if you're all going to try to take mine?"
Ben grinned, and said around a yawn, "I think that's our cue, Ned. Goodnight, mates!"
Gabriel smiled at the boy's irrepressible exuberance.
Lamar grunted, "Wake me for my watch." Gabriel had overruled them all and taken the third watch, graveyard shift, insisting that Ben and Ned take the last. Lamar had agreed, and willingly took the second watch of the night, leaving Carl with the first.
The hunter waited a short time, seeing Ben and Ned curled up in their blankets and Lamar hunched in his bedroll before retiring to sleep himself. "If you need me," he reminded Carl.
The inventor just nodded, quietly asking, "Do you . . . sense anything?"
Gabriel shook his head. "Nothing. But there are still wolves and wild animals. If you have trouble staying awake, let me know and I'll finish your watch." After their journey through Transylvania, neither really needed the words, but Gabriel wanted to make sure that Carl knew nothing had changed despite the circumstances.
Carl nodded, though he had no intention of turning the watch over to anyone but Lamar, when the time came. He turned away from the fire, towards the opening of the lean-to, and began to watch and listen for unusual noises in the forest.
Confident in the friar's ability, Gabriel rolled himself into his blankets, listening to the muted sounds of the night as he slowly allowed himself to be pulled into sleep.
(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-
Ben and Ned, sweet as they are, do not belong to me. They are property of the wonderful Brian Jacques, and are being used without permission. That's why they call it fanfiction, folks. To clarify: I will explain their full stories later, of course (grins), for those who haven't read Castaways of the Flying Dutchman or The Angel's Command. Great, light reads for a rainy day, perfect for anyone of any age. I recommend them. If you've already read them, then you'll realize that this is my first crossover ever, and your reviews on how in-character Ben and Ned are will be even more valuable to me. I found the needed impetus for this story, despite doing something I never do and planning it all out beforehand. It's running along now, but I make no promises as SHIDACHI is starting to steal some of my concentration. Hope you've enjoyed, and shoutout once again to all my fabulous reviewers! You rock!