my side of the mountain extra
Barely sixteen and he’s claiming he’s already married. Josiah has no idea what to do with his son, who won’t sit still for a second. It’s exhausting to try to build a familial bond that had broken four years ago, and even moreso when Charlie—no, Briar—wouldn’t spare a moment for his parents.
The first few weeks are spent catching the boy and bringing him back to the manor. Briar is dead set on getting back and finding his ‘wife’. It breaks Josiah’s heart to have to deny him that much.
The day it finally clicks, Josiah is sitting outside with him. Briar sticks to bland foods, much of the menu usually served being overwhelmingly rich. He gathers most of it still, as if intending to stay sharp for his eventual escape.
“Briar, she won’t be there anymore. We spent four years trying to find you, and it was only because of Master Wildhart’s magic that either of you were found.”
“We didn’t want to be found, Josiah!” The tears roll down his face. “I love her. She’s my family. She’s my wife. We had children… sort of…”
“Briar… you know that if you want to marry her for real… you have to grasp how the world works.”
“Why would I want to? We lived wild! Free! Nothing could stop us! Everything we did was all for ourselves! What’s stopping us from going back except for all of you!”
Josiah sighs. “Briar, what would you do if she ran away?”
“She wouldn’t.”
“Bear with me, please. What would you do?”
“I’d do anything to get her b… ah…” Briar looks at Josiah, maybe understanding for the first time the depth of his parents’ agony during his absence. He bows his head and pulls his knees to his chest and cries.
Josiah pats his back. The touch is allowed.