Furless in OakhavenChapter Archive

The Red Above the Trees

That evening and the following day

Toby chose for Miller and the mill driver to follow the branch toward the rise, with instructions to stop short of the settlement and report back. From the rise they saw a red water tower behind a fence, its ladder facing the road, strongly matching Toby’s memory and the old survey; they did not approach it or confirm who was there. Toby now has to decide what, if anything, he wants Miller to do next.

The Distance I Chose

The next day

Toby authorizes Miller and the mill driver to approach the tower only from the old road, with clear instructions to avoid the fence, make no contact, and return if they see anyone. They report seeing smoke from a chimney in Sootbank but no people, leaving Toby with evidence of possible current occupancy and no answer about Brindle.

A Question on the Road

The day after Miller’s return from Sootbank

Toby learns that an unnamed traveler has been asking farms along the northwest road whether anyone has seen a human boy. The traveler’s identity and connection to Brindle are unknown; Toby asks Miller to question Perren that evening, without following the stranger or returning to Sootbank, and insists on being told what Miller learns.

The Name He Used

That evening

Miller reports that Perren heard the traveler ask for a human boy named Toby who had left Sootbank, and say that someone wanted the boy returned; the traveler gave no name. Shaken by the word “returned,” Toby says plainly that he does not belong to the man and asks Miller to keep him informed, while the traveler’s identity and connection to Brindle remain unknown.

The Answer I Could Give

That afternoon

The traveler reached Oakhaven and identified himself as Harl, sent by Brindle to find Toby and bring back an answer. Toby chose not to meet him; Miller told Harl that Toby was safe and refused to go with him, and Harl left town carrying the message. Toby’s fear remains, and Brindle’s response is now the next question.

A Warning Before the Door

Four days after Harl leaves, through that afternoon

Harl returned with Brindle’s answer: Brindle intends to come to Oakhaven himself and expects Toby to speak with him, though he gave no date. Toby is shaken but tells Miller to warn him as soon as Brindle is on the way, before he reaches the bakery; the arrival and Toby’s choice about what to do remain ahead.