"I Know the Way"

I tell them I know the way.  They say how can you.  I say I do.  I have been there before.  They say how could you have been there.  No one has ever seen it.  I tell them I have.  I will show you the way.  They ask why not just tell us the way.  I say because if I do not go along one or all the members of your team will die.  They laugh.  Surely none of us will die.  We can not risk the fact that you may get lost.  We will get blamed.  I say I must go.  I know now that none of you will make it back.  For if I was a man, then you would let me go.  They say there is no way this relation would work.  I say you may not want me to go, but with out me you will die.  You must learn to live life to the end.  Maybe one day it will be your daughters and my son saying all the things we have said.  They laugh and leave.  A few days have past since I told them the way.  None have returned, I fear the worst may have happened.  I dare not tell the townspeople that they may not return.  But I must know what happened.  I tell my son to pack food for a two day trip.  I decided it was time to show my son the way.  Once he had the food packed we waited tell dusk.  My son asks why are we waiting till dusk.  I tell him, I fear the townspeople will blame me for the disappearance of the men.  He says, surely, mother it was not your fault.  I was the last to see them alive, I tell him.  At dusk we leave our house and start walking.  My son is following behind me, all excited and ready for adventure.  I tell him to be quiet for some things are sleeping.  As we get to the first turn I see the body of one of the men.  He is all moldy and decaying, slowly going back into the ground.  We walk further, about half way there we see two more bodies.  One of them is full of claw marks and has only half his body.  The second one, looks as if it were dessert for the animal that got the first one.  That means there are three more men to find.  My son asks why we have not yet been hurt.  I tell him it is because the forest likes only those with kind hearts.  After the two bodies is two more turns.  After the second turn we find two more bodies.  They are so mangled from being ripped and torn that its hard to tell who is who.  When we make it to the center of the forest there is the last man.  Barely alive.  I go to him and ask how long have you been here.  He answers long enough to know why you said none of us would make it.  I tell him, you have found the kindness in your heart and that is why you have made as far as you have.  Son, give him some water from the stream.  As my son goes, the man says I apologize for the way I have acted.  I will remember that it is not whether you are man or woman.  It is what is in your heart and mind.  That it is better to be kind, then be unkind.  The next day we head back to town.  The women and men are happy to see that at least one of the men has made it home.  The man’s wife asks me, however did you find him.  I told her I followed my heart and the birds told me the way.  The man tells the townspeople how I had warn them of the forest.  But they were foolish and did not listen and that he was happy to know that someone was willing to risk their life for his.  After that people were willing to listen to what my son and I had to say.