Erik was about to tell Vickie that they were hopelessly lost when the distant sound of crying saved him from his confession.
“Todd!” Vickie screamed, immediately recognizing her son’s cry with a mother’s instinct.
A man’s deep, voice returned her call with a muffled “Over here!”
“Where?” Erik screamed.
“Just stay put,” the voice replied. “I’ll find you.”
Sure enough, the crying grew louder.
“Todd, are you all right?” Vickie shouted.
“He’s fine,” the man answered. “Just a bit shaken up.”
The owner of the voice suddenly appeared in the beam of Erik’s flashlight. It was Dovecrest. He carried Todd in one arm, and held a rifle in the other. Todd hung on with both hands around the man’s neck, sobbing like an infant.
“Oh, Todd!” Vickie cried and ran to him, oblivious to the briar bushes that snapped and picked at her.
Todd’s arms were clenched so tightly around Dovecrest’s neck that she had to pry the fingers apart.
“Oh my poor baby!” she soothed. “What happened? You’re drenched with sweat!”
“Todd, what happened?” Erik asked. But his son couldn’t stop crying long enough to answer.
“The rock…the rock…,” was all he could manage, and Erik thought he was talking about the wrestler on TV by that name. Then Todd burst into tears again and couldn’t talk.
“I thought I heard something,” Dovecrest explained. “So I decided to come out and take a look.”
Even though Erik stood in complete darkness, he was certain that Dovecrest could see him, could see not only his physical body, but right into his very soul. The man came out without a flashlight and found his way effortlessly through these woods. Erik shivered at the thought.
“I found him running through the forest,” Dovecrest said. “He ran straight into my arms.”
The Narragansett paused for a moment.
“He was carrying this,” he continued, pulling Todd’s geologist’s hammer from his belt and giving it to Erik.
Erik looked down at the tool as he accepted it from Dovecrest. The pointed end of the hammer had broken off neatly, a full inch away from the tip.
“I don’t know how we can thank you,” Vickie said, hugging Todd close to her. “I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t come along.”
Dovecrest shrugged. “These woods are very deceptive. Not a good place to be, especially at night. It would be very easy to get lost. Would you mind if I walked you back to your home?”
“Not at all,” Erik said with obvious relief.
The house wasn’t really far away at all. Dovecrest didn’t say anything until the lights finally came into view. Todd’s sobbing had stilled under Vickie’s hugs.
“You asked me how you could thank me,” Dovecrest said. “There are two things you can do.”
“Anything,” Erik said, sensing that they owed Todd’s life to this man.
“First of all, promise me that you won’t go off exploring these woods by yourself. I don’t think you’ll have to worry about your son going back.”
Erik met Vickie’s eyes and the both nodded.
“Second. The gift I gave you. Hang it over your door. Your back door. Do it tonight.”
“Consider it done,” Erik said.
“Good. Don’t forget. It’s very important.”
Then, just when Erik was about to ask the man to come in for a cold drink, he was gone, stepping out of the flashlight beam and vanishing like a creature of the night.