4 December 1123

　　William happily helped his family work in the fields, mindlessly slashing wheat with a scythe while his mind was occupied pondering deeper questions. It had been months since William first discovered Matilda at her cave yet he remained obsessed with the mysterious woman. Her visit had awoken something within him. Not the desire to understand things, that had already been there. Instead, she had shown that answers to his questions actually existed. It was only a matter of finding them.

　　Long days helping in the fields no longer felt tedious as William distracted himself by asking questions about the world around him and trying to intuit sensible answers. Matilda had explained how a bird could soar without flapping its wings, the answer simple and yet so complex. William found similar riddles everywhere he looked. A duck floating in a pond or ash flying up the chimney. The sheer number of puzzles might`ve been overwhelming and driven others to simply give up. William found them enthralling.

　　Each question prompted at least a handful more, just as it had when he`d met Matilda. William`s family rapidly tired of his constant wondering and deflected his constant barrage of questions with replies of "so what" and "who cares". They sent him to cut the fields alone, claiming it was one of his increased responsibilities since turning sixteen but really just seeking a few moments of respite.

　　As always, Elizabeth was most sympathetic and often humoured William. Although she too had limits, some of William`s questions - usually those related to plants - struck a chord and she also suffered bouts of staring into distant nothingness. Pa was similarly tolerant of William`s incessant questioning. It seemed that merely spending time with the Redhead was enough to awaken the mind.

　　William was yet to revisit Matilda`s cave, despite his inflamed curiosity and his promise that he would do so. He worried that returning to the cave would prove underwhelming. Or worse, remind him of yet another adventure he couldn`t join.

　　Instead, William spent his rare free time to build experiments. He worked all day in the fields, using the time to concoct new ideas and consider the results from previous experiments. When the day was over, he raced home to start new projects, using Matilda`s knife to cut or carve and burning things over a small fire behind the cottage. Ma`s untrained eye only saw mess and his noisy work often prompted bellowed warnings from his weary family. But despite constant exhaustion, William knew he was learning.

　　Looking up from his scythe, William saw that the family had stopped work and gathered under the giant oak, their heads already bowed in prayer ahead of their midday meal. Losing his train of thought, he threw the scythe over his shoulder and traipsed over to join them.

　　The family had already started eating when he arrived. He sat down and Rachel tossed his food at him as he washed his hands. The bread roll bounced off his shoulder and onto the grass. Too tired to retaliate, William just picked up the bread and half-heartedly brushed it on his tunic.

　　"Stop that," Ma scolded Rachel, seeing the fatigue in her son`s eyes. "You look exhausted Will. Why don`t you take the afternoon off? Go find Ralph and explore the woods."

　　William`s mind was elsewhere and he barely registered what Ma had said. "Um, yeah? Ok. That`d be nice."

　　"Good. But no more experiments. You need a break." Ma gave him a concerned smile before helping the rest of the family pack up and return to the fields.

　　William watched them leave and finished his food before heading to find Ralph. He was shocked to see that Ralph`s family were weeks of ahead with their harvest and already ploughing for their winter crop. Ralph yelled at William from the other side of the field. His voice barely carried across the distance but Ralph`s wild arm movements screamed "go away".

　　With strict orders to relax but no one to accompany him, William decided to stroll through the woods alone. He visited some favourite childhood landmarks but found that they no longer sparked the same level of excitement. William knew he was procrastinating, avoiding the one place in the forest he truly wanted to visit. He changed course and headed towards Matilda`s cave.

　　William enjoyed the pleasant trek through the woods. It was midafternoon when he arrived at the gully and casually strolled towards the cave entrance. He felt uneasy before he could pinpoint exactly why and stopped to look around. Something wasn`t right.

　　The camp was different. Untidy. Matilda`s stack of dry firewood by the door was gone, replaced by chaotic jumble of damp sticks. The neat circle of rocks around the firepit were scattered and carcases of small rodents had been haphazardly discarded and left to rot. The door to the cave hung ajar from a single strap.

　　William felt sick to his stomach. He cursed himself for failing Matilda and allowing someone to invade the place she had tasked him to protect. William had little doubt that her precious possessions would be damaged. Or stolen.

　　He was just about to run into the cave to check when another thought stopped him in his tracks.

　　Who was using the cave? Were they still in there?

　　William had been cautious about outlaws only weeks earlier yet was suddenly prepared to barge into the cave without a second thought. He`d been fortunate that Matilda was the original inhabitant but it was unlikely that the new residents would be so friendly.

　　Nevertheless, William`s guilt compelled him into the cave. Plucking up all of his courage, he drew his knife and peered inside through a gap in the door.

　　William`s eyes adjusted to the dark. There were no signs of life but inside was chaos. The intruders had looted the entire chamber and Matilda`s furniture was strewn in pieces across the floor.

　　William headed inside but the smell of rotten food and human waste made his eyes water. William gathered what he could and piled anything salvageable at the foot of Matilda`s cot. He eventually discovered Matilda`s magical torch amongst her possessions which made the tidying process much quicker. William was on edge the entire time, listening for the smallest sound that might hint at the vandal`s return.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

　　He had just leaned Matilda`s shovel against the cave wall when he heard shuffling sounds coming from deeper within the cave. He froze and listened for the noise. Everything was silent. Then he heard the shuffle again.

　　"Hello?" William called out delicately, casting the torch around the cavern and illuminating a cloaked figure crouched in the far corner. The figure shuffled again in the torchlight. Its blanket dropped and a matted curl of red hair fell out.

　　Matilda!

　　William flooded with excitement, his mind instantly racing with the questions he had most wanted to ask her. But as the reality of her ragged appearance sunk in, those thoughts were quickly replaced with concern.

　　"Matilda? Why are you here? Aren`t you supposed to be in London with the King?"

　　Matilda brushed her hair back into the blanket. She ignored William`s question, refusing to look him in the eye.

　　William considered the sight before him. The hunched figure was a shell of the brilliant woman he had met only weeks before.

　　"Are you alright?" he asked, his voice full of empathy. "Of course not, what am I thinking. Oh Matilda, what happened?"

　　She finally stared up at him with hollow eyes. Tears rolled down her cheek but still she remained silent.

　　"You should have come back. To my family," William continued. "We could`ve helped."

　　His final comment prompted a response, though not one William had hoped for.

　　Matilda glared at him with unbridled hatred before surging to her feet and storming from the cave. Still without a word.

　　William heard the door wrenched open and was left standing alone in the dark cave. He took a moment to compose himself and wondered what could`ve happened to Matilda. He was hurt by her sudden animosity. He`d only been trying to help.

　　Unsure what to do, he returned to the front of the cave and finished cleaning Matilda`s mess. He organised the pile at the end of her bed and then swept out most of the accumulated filth. William left the cave door open as he departed, judging that the risk posed by the filthy air was worse than the chance of a wild animal getting in. With that, he made the long and lonely journey back to Holford. Confused as ever.

　　+++

　　William repeatedly replayed his encounter with Matilda over the following weeks. Analysing the interaction became more important than his thought experiments. William longed to tell his family about the Stranger`s return but, feeling the news would only stir trouble, kept it to himself.

　　William returned to the cave several times over the following week, resuming his childlike habit of shirking family duties whenever possible. The weather had taken an early turn for the worst and the family urgently fought to save their crop. But William somehow felt the Stranger could help. He knew it.

　　William began eating only half of his meals and saved the rest for Matilda, determined to lift her from her malaise. His stomach always rumbled as he returned from the cave but he was sustained by the righteousness of the deed.

　　Matilda tried to avoid William at first. She quickly learned his schedule and was rarely at the cave when he arrived, though he sometimes spied her darting into the undergrowth like a startled deer. Undeterred, he left his small packages of food by the cave entrance and hoped that Matilda would return before it was snatched by some other forest inhabitant.

　　William felt dejected after each visit but stubbornly insisted on returning until he knew why Matilda wasn`t in London with the King. He was driven by Ma`s favourite saying, that even the hardiest cliff will be eroded by a gentle but relentless tide.

　　William gradually observed positive signs. The camp became tidier, firewood stacked more neatly and animal carcases piled together rather than scattered around the fire. The door had been hung back on both hinges.

　　Matilda stopped running and they eventually reached an unspoken agreement that William could talk while Matilda ate. He shared his observations and the results of his experiments. Although Matilda remained silent, her interest in each given topic told William if he was onto something.

　　Things were looking up, despite the worsening weather and its devastating impact on the family`s harvest.

　　Then Pa got sick.

　　It all happened too quickly. One day Pa was coughing in the fields and the next he couldn`t get out of bed. His harvest responsibilities were all thrust upon his only son and William found it impossible to visit Matilda. Mama soon came down with the same ailment and it ripped through the village, killing one of the elderly men. Between the weather and the illness, Holford was miserable. But William had hope.

　　An endless drizzle had settled over the lands and the forest`s once colourful leaves filled the air with the smell of rot. Rain lashed William as he trekked back to Matilda`s cave.

　　"You`re late," Matilda grumbled from her cot when William entered the cave. They were the first words she`d uttered since William rediscovered her.

　　William sat in his usual spot against the cave wall, water dripping from his wet clothes and pooling around him on Matilda`s recently swept floor. Exhausted, he tossed her the package of food and leaned his head against the wall before closing his eyes.

　　They sat in silence, though William could feel Matilda`s eyes on him.

　　"The harvest is going poorly. Pa and Mama are sick." He spoke casually, as though merely giving an update on threshing wheat. "I was wondering&" He paused, opening his eyes to look at the Stranger. "Do you know a disease that causes a rash across the chest? That wastes away even the strongest of men?"

　　Matilda stared back blankly, raising a chunk of cheese up to her mouth.

　　William ploughed on.

　　"I thought you might know how to fix it? Holford`s midwife doesn`t. We`re already so far behind with the harvest and really need Pa back to help. I don`t know how we`ll feed the family through winter without him."

　　"Why would I help your family William?" Matilda asked mournfully. "Particularly your dear Mama, the rotten old hag. After the way she and her parrot treated me?"

　　William was confused. "They were unkind but their words weren`t so bad."

　　"Rachel didn`t tell you?" Matilda replied. "I was attacked by your beloved Bishop, may he burn in hell. And when I returned to your family seeking refuge? Your damned sister cast me away, hurling plates and laughing as I fled into the woods."

　　William sat in shock, his eyes wide with disbelief. The cave fell silent but the echo of Matilda`s revelation continued to reverberate off the walls.

　　"We heard word that someone had performed a miracle for the Baron," William said to himself in little more than a whisper. "I thought it must`ve been you."

　　"It was. But I can`t keep giving. I`ve given everything. My family and friends. My security. My mission. I don`t know how I`m supposed to run around this land curing all ills and saving everyone. Lord knows that they haven`t done the same for me."

　　Silence descended once more and William watched the ghost of Matilda with sadness.

　　With a sudden realisation, William stood and strode back towards the door.

　　"Where are you going?" Matilda called out, a hint of desperation in her voice.

　　William turned back to her as he reached for the latch.

　　"I am truly sorry for all you have suffered. I`ve already warned that Rachel`s character is lacking but I apologise that you had to experience her wickedness firsthand. I pray that your wounds heal and your energy returns."

　　He gave a big sigh and blinked back tears of his own.

　　"Your refusal to help hurts. You came to us for a reason. You believed in it strongly enough to give up so much. Don`t forsake us all. Don`t judge the many by the actions of the few."

　　He paused again.

　　"This," he said, gesturing to Matilda`s cave, "isn`t living. What`s done is done. There is no changing the past, unless you can make that egg of yours work again. Pick yourself up and plough on. It`s what I`m trying to do. But I`ve got to take care of my own family now."

　　William wrenched the door open and strode from the cave. There was nothing more for him there.