The Forgotten Door

The sun was high and the town was close. They hid on a hill, in a patch of tall, yellow grass. Bob could see the big stone gate where people and carts went in and out. It was a busy place.

Traveller and Lum were talking, their voices low whispers.

"We wait for a merchant cart," Traveller said. "Hide with the barrels."

"Too risky," Lum answered. "They are watching."

Bob was bored. The gate was boring and the talking was boring. His eyes moved away from the gate and looked at the big stone wall. Next to the wall was a small shop where a man with a hammer was trying to fix something. On the ground was a small, metal bird. Its wing was bent. It looked sad. A broken toy.

Bob tugged on Lum's sleeve and pointed. "Bird... broken," he whispered.

Lum glanced at it, then her eyes snapped back to the gate. "Not now, Bob."

Bob watched the gate again. He saw them. Two people in dark robes, The Forlorn, were standing near the gate pretending to be travellers. Their eyes were not looking at the carts. They were looking at the people. The sad-faced people were here.

Traveller saw them too and let out a quiet, frustrated sigh. "The gate is not an option."

They were stuck.

Bob looked back at the broken bird. He wanted to see it. He wanted to fix it. He looked for a path, not to the big gate, but to the bird. His eyes followed the big wall and he saw something. Hidden by green vines, near the sad bird, was a small door. It was made of dark wood and had a rusty metal handle. It was his size. A Bob-sized door.

He tugged on Lum's sleeve again, harder this time. He did not point at the bird. He pointed at the small, hidden door.

"Door," he said. The word was a simple fact.

Lum and Traveller stopped whispering. They followed his finger. They had been looking at the big gate, the big threat. They had not seen the small door. They looked at each other, the quiet between them different now. It was a surprised quiet.

Traveller's plan was smart and Lum's warning was right.

But Bob's plan was simple. And better.

Traveller nodded slowly. "Good eyes, Bob."

They began to move, low and quiet, not towards the busy gate, but towards the forgotten door.