Jake approached the two men, barely standing on his legs. "I think I need a glass of milk," he said. Harlan patted his shoulder, "Yes, we all do." They silently entered the inn. After they were gone, the cow slowly walked toward the circle of flattened grass. It sniffed at it, nibbled a bit, then it looked at the inn and commented, "Moo?"
The three men drank their milk in companionable silence. Gareth didn't seem in a hurry to explain the other reason for his visit. Harlan rolled his eyes and finally broke the spell, "So, old friend, what did you want from me?" Gareth blushed, both at being read easily, but also from excitement. "Look at the boy! He's Ed's son!" Harlan stared at Gareth intently; it felt like the world had stopped. The grey eyes slowly glazed over. The pressure made Jake feel dizzy. Then the tension evaporated as Harlan sighed. "You're serious! You believe you found him." His gaze shifted to Jake, growing gentler and more thoughtful. He took in all his features. Then, looking back at Gareth, he whispered, "His son…" Gareth grinned. Harlan shook his head. "That will require another round, and not milk this time."
They shared a few beers and made small talk. It was like they were carefully circling the goal of the discussion, no one wanting to show their cards. When Harlan finished his glass, he shook a finger at Gareth in rebuke, and in a mock stern voice, he said. "You still haven't asked, tss tss." Gareth blushed and looked down. In a small voice, he asked, "So, will you do it?" Harlan lay back his head against the wall and looked at the ceiling. "You're not dead yet." Gareth's eyes grew hard. "But I will be soon, I need your word, now!" Without changing his position, the one-armed veteran looked at the ferocious brawler. "Hu… scary." He chuckled. Gareth didn't budge. "Fine, if you die, the boy can come to me." Gareth's grin returned as if all of it had been a pleasant joke.
Harlan then turned to Jake. "So what did he tell you about your parents?" Gareth's anger smoldered silently behind his eyes. "Oh, come on, the boy has a right to know. Go outside, breathe some fresh air if you can't stand the talk." Gareth hesitated. Harlan continued, "Talking about parents, did you tell her about the eye?" Gareth got up angrily and exited the bar, slamming the door behind him. His friend looked in that direction, a pensive look on his face.
Jake was gaping, then he found the strength to ask, "You'll tell me about my parents? Really?" Harlan hunched slightly on the table to be closer to Jake and said. "Actually, I lied, I needed him outside. There are things I have to tell you. For your ears only." Jake's shoulder dropped, the disappointment seeping outward. The one-armed mentor nodded slowly, "But I'll tell you a bit about them." Jake's eyes widened.
Harlan's gaze wandered as he organized his thoughts. "I'll tell you about your mom. You'll learn more about your father by staying at Gareth's side eventually."
One thousand questions were struggling to be asked in Jake's mind. But he kept control. All his focus was on the man who had the key to his past. "Your mom often felt like she didn't fit in, as if it was her against the world. She was shy, keeping to herself, not having friends. She had an unyielding will, though. And she was brilliant, a master strategist." Jake interrupted, "It sounds like you're describing me!" Harlan smiled, "All that changed when she met your father. When they were together, it was like their happiness was a bright flame illuminating the world around them." Jake mimicked the smile, enjoying the warm feeling himself.
Harlan's hand slightly hit the table, snapping the young man out of his reverie. "Now listen, we don't have much time. To save Gareth, you will have to do things he doesn't want to do. Do you understand?" Jake, still reeling from the emotional revelation about his parents, was confused. "No, I don't." Harlan set his massive hand on Jake's shoulder. "That's a good answer." He smiled, "Remember my words, they will make sense at some point." The veteran got up and started walking toward the door. Jake blew a long breath. "I guess that's the end of the discussion. Pretty intense guy." He got up and muttered while following, "I wish my self-proclaimed mentors would be clearer though… Do they learn to be this cryptic in the mentors' school?" He chuckled at his own joke and stepped outside.
Outside, they found Gareth. He was gently petting the cow. They seemed to get along. He didn't look at them. Harlan glanced at Jake and rolled his eyes. Jake smiled. Then the one-armed warrior winked. "Gareth," he called, "We will meet again, this is not the end, I've seen it." The cow protested as her new friend turned away, "Really? Will we meet again? When? How?" Harlan shrugged, "You know how it works, I see snippets, never the full pictures." He then held his chin and muttered, "It seems you're stronger next time, but I'm not sure." Gareth slammed his hand on his friend's back, "Of course I'll be stronger, your reign of terror is coming to an end." Harlan looked at Jake, the young man tipped an invisible hat.
Gareth and Harlan's hug was as manly as the first time. Then the one-armed mentor looked at Jake and held his hand. "You'll never be truly alone, even in dark times, remember that." The young man playfully rolled his eyes and said, "Drink a milk for me." The veteran smiled and said, "I'll drink several."
Gareth and Jake were on their way. Harlan looked at them walking in the distance and muttered, "So fate decided you would find each other." Moving his shoulder and cracking his neck, he added. "For now, it's my turn to do the thing you don't want to do." He looked around at the quiet village. "It's a shame, I liked this place."