The next morning, Comfort introduced Seeker to the foreman, who led him to the mill across the bridge.
“Lunch at noon. Day’s over when the bell rings,” he said.
Seeker took his place at the arm of the wheel and pushed. It was harder than it looked. The wheel creaked and groaned as it turned. The fragrance of wheat made him daydream of Beautiful. He counted each rotation. One. Two. Three… Ten. Twenty… Ninety. Ninety-eight. Ninety-nine. One hundred. In endless circles—until he lost track.
Fatigue set in. His feet burned. His back ached. Still, he walked. Minutes stretched like hours.
The first bell rang. He dropped to the ground with a groan. Muscles he didn’t even know he had ached. He took a long draw from his canteen, then pulled away, panting for breath. His heart raced.
He blinked, and lunch was over. Still hours left. He wanted to weep. “Only babies cry,” he told himself. Sweat poured down his face. He imagined they were tears. Still, he kept on. On and on.
The second bell sounded—mercifully. Seeker wasn’t even sure he could walk back to his room.
Comfort was waiting as he left. She placed a silver coin in his hand. “You did well,” she said. “The first day is always the worst.”
They walked back to the village together. “It’ll get easier, I promise,” she said. “Make sure you eat—for tomorrow.” Before she left, she handed him a loaf of freshly baked bread.
Seeker ignored her advice and dropped into bed like a dead man.
***
Seeker still ached—even in the dream. How was this possible? But seeing Beautiful made it all worthwhile. He kissed her tenderly and reached for her hand.
She gasped in alarm, then gently took his hands in hers. “Oh, Seeker… what did they do to you?”
His hands were covered in blisters.
She kissed his hands again and again. “Oh, you poor, dear boy,” she exclaimed. Tears streamed down her cheeks, falling onto his palms. Where they landed, the blisters vanished.
“Do you hurt?” she asked.
“A little,” he said with a shrug—then winced at the pain in his shoulders.
“Come,” she said, placing her arm around his waist as she led him from the village to a quiet spot beneath a fig tree. She sat and pulled him down beside her. Then she sang softly and rubbed his back, shoulders, arms, and legs—until he felt like a brand-new man.
Yes. Definitely worth it.
