Beyond the New Horizon (Book 3): Living on the Edge

by Conaway, Christine

  Sam looked up at the volcano and saw that they were probably right. There was no smoke coming from anywhere on it that he could see. He had felt the minuscule trembles under his feet since they returned to camp and thought they had been going on the whole time without them noticing. He nodded, “It sounds good to me.” Before Gina could walk away, Sam pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her and tightened them. He felt Gina slip her arms around his waist and rest her head on his chest. They stood for just a few seconds, and he let her go with a sigh, “I’ll be glad when this is all over so we can have that honeymoon…someday.”

  “If we’re waiting for it to be over, we may never get the honeymoon. I’d be content to just get somewhere that we all consider safe and settle in. Journey reminded me, and I think she’s right, that we’re all forgetting that if we don’t find somewhere soon, we’ll have missed the growing season and next winter will be a hard one without food. We can’t survive on meat alone, and we don’t know when winter will be. If Mark is right and Australia is having winter now, we’ve probably missed the start of growing season, but we need to get some root vegetables in the ground, and see what they do.”

  “Then what are we standing around for? Let's go.” Sam looked around and noticed everyone but Olivia, “where’s Olivia? I haven’t seen her since we got back.”

  “She’s up in the tree keeping an eye out. As soon as she heard about the campfire smoke at Minnakers, she’s been worried. Andy gave her a boost up, seeing as the ladder is on the wagon. If she sees anything out of the ordinary, she’ll be down here.”

  “Define ordinary and should she be up there alone?’

  “Why? Because she’s a girl or you think she’s too young to be trusted to do the job?”

  Sam saw where Gina was going and raised his hands in submission, “Say no more.” He went to help Willy hook up Sham and Joe to the wagon.

  Ben helped Lucy fit the harness to Sherry’s mare, and they put the cart of animals behind her. She had settled into the weight of the cart as if she had pulled it her whole life.

  With the addition of their new horses, Gina, Lucy and Journey would ride herd while Sam and Joe would lead the procession. Ben had run up and brought Olivia down, and she would drive the buggy with Willy at the reins of Sham and Joe who would pull the wagon. The others would either ride in the wagon bed or walk. Whoever drove the goat cart could sit on the front edge and ride or walk and lead the mare.

  The trail that John had left was easy enough to follow, and once they left the valley behind, they followed the tracks made by Charlie’s wagon and the tractors.

  The loose horses were content to follow along with the three women riding behind and beside them. After several hours, Lucy traded places with Sierra who had been riding in the buggy with Olivia. She’d complained about her leg hurting, and at Journey’s suggestion, the two women had swapped places. Journey and Gina had exchanged looks, about Lucy’s complaining because it was so unlike her to say anything.

  The land to the south of the ranch belonged to the state of Idaho and was crisscrossed with forest service roads, and it appeared as if John was making use of them when he could. It would have been impossible for them to move the wagons without the use of roads with the changes in the landscape. At one point, they saw where Charlie must have gotten stuck crossing a creek bed that had a steep bank on the opposite side and they had obviously had to pull his wagon out with the tractor. They had taken the time to fill in the bank with sawn logs and brush, making a usable ramp for them, or so Sam thought until he saw the gaps between the logs. There was no way he was going to chance one of the horses getting their leg stuck and possibly breaking it.

  Sam rode up the stream until he found an easier crossing and he wondered why John hadn’t come the same way. There was a bank, but it was minimal as if the stream had not gouged the dirt out along the edges yet. He could still see Willy watching him and waved him forward.

  Willy guided Joe and Sham into the shallow water and turned upstream. When he got to where Sam was directing him up the bank, Willy slapped the reins on their backs as they neared the middle of the creek. It wasn’t something that Willy had ever done to them before, and both horses lunged into the harness dragging the wagon up the other side onto dry ground. Both horses were frazzled, and Willy had to get down, go to their heads to quieten them both down. Sailor plowed his way through with the buggy, and the little mare, with Sierra holding the reins, followed Sailor and never slowed down until they were well clear of the muddy bank.

  After a brief rest, they pressed on. The hillside on the right side of the road began to rise until they began to feel like they were being walled in and the drop on their left increased. It looked as if the road had been carved out of the sidehill. The trees on the uphill side looked in danger of sliding down to the road, and in several places, some of them had been uprooted lying on their side. Then gradually the valley floor became closer, and they passed a meadow that would have been nice to stop at if they hadn’t felt pressed for time.

  It seemed to Sam like the roadway wound around the base of the hill, and when the road disappeared around a corner, Sam had them stop while he rode on ahead to check it out. Sam reined in and gaped when he came to the part where the wagon and tractor tracks disappeared under massive boulders and fallen trees. It looked to Sam like the hillside had slid down after the group had passed. Tree trunks, rocks, and dirt blocked the road or what there was left of it. There was no way through for their wagons.

  When Sam didn’t come back, Gina rode up the side their convoy, following Sam’s tracks and stopped. Sam was sitting slump-shouldered staring at the mess, “Can we go back around where that other road was?”

  “That other road is a mile or more behind us, and we don’t know where it goes,” Sam snapped at her.

  Gina didn’t take offense because she had already wondered as soon as she saw the slide if the others had made it through or were they trapped somewhere in the middle of it. Sam had to have had the same thoughts.

  “We didn’t know where this one went either except for following John’s tracks and John couldn’t have know either.”

  Sam nodded at her, and they turned around to head back. As they got closer to the first wagon, Gina looked down the line of their vehicles and realized what they would have to do to get turned around. “Well, crap!” She looked at Sam, “What now?”

  Sam shook his head, “I’m in uncharted territory. I think as dark as it’s getting we’d better make camp for tonight and we can ride ahead at daylight and find a way through. We can’t go any further this way, and we have to unhook the horses to get the wagons turned around anyhow.”

  Back at the wagon, as soon as Sam told them what was in front of them, the whole group seemed to deflate. Jesse and Joe had been keeping an eye on the horses who were browsing alongside the road and had walked up when they saw Sam returning.

  “How did the first settlers do it? They didn’t even have roads to travel,” Lucy asked as she climbed down from the buggy, “It sure makes you appreciate their tenacity.”

  Lucy stumbled and caught herself before she fell, “I can’t even imagine what they went through.” She stood rubbing her thigh with one hand the other making small circles on her belly.

  “Lucy, are you okay?”

  Gina heard Journey ask and looked at Lucy. She saw that no matter what Lucy said, she would not be telling the truth. Lucy was a good one for hiding what was really going on especially with her leg, and now with being pregnant too, they would have no idea which part to worry about first.

  “Yeah. Just stiff from bouncing around in the buggy. So do we have a plan here?”

  Sam, Andy, and Ben had their heads together in front of the wagon. Willy climbed down to join them, while Journey and Lucy handed out water. They had bottled some of their own up rather than drink from the creeks they had crossed. They had no other way but boiling more to sterilize it well enough to drink. They had eaten before leaving, and no one se
emed to have an appetite, so Journey handed out squares of the pemmican.

  Gina leaned back against the buggy wheel. Sitting in the dirt wasn’t comfortable, but she thought it beat standing. She hadn’t slept well the night before, and they had put many miles on the horses the past week, and she was tired. When Journey sat down beside her, Gina opened her eyes. “Hey. How are you doing?”

  “I’m okay. I’m worried about Lucy. She’s not telling us everything, but I guess there’s nothing we can do about that until she’s ready to talk. I’m worried about getting to where ever we’re going and how we’re going to get there with the roads messed up. I’m worried about the others and how they’re doing. I’m worried about…”

  Gina put her hand across Journey’s mouth, “Okay I get it,” she laughed. “You’re being you. You always did worry more about everyone else. I asked, how you were doing.”

  Journey pulled Gina’s hand away and shrugged. She pretended to spit and wrinkled her face up as if Gina had put dirt and germs on her lips, “Geez! When’s the last time you washed that hand?”

  Gina looked at the offending appendage and frowned. “I honestly don’t know. Maybe yesterday, but I can’t swear to it.”

  “You think we need to go and see what the plans are?”

  Gina turned her head toward the men. She could only see four pairs of legs under the wagon and between the horse's legs. “Nope. At least I’m not going to get up. As uncomfortable as this ground is, I’m too comfortable to move right now.”

  “Yeah. I guess you’re right. They’ll come and tell us when they’re ready.” Journey relaxed against the wheel. “So, what do you think?”

  “Didn’t I just ask you something similar? What do I think about what? The way things are, my life in general, the move, all of the new people, how much fun I’m having being married? What are you asking?”

  Journey burst into laughter and Lucy came around the end of the buggy, “What’s so funny?”

  They used to have a saying that when one of them was having a problem, they used a certain expression regarding that person.

  “Oh, Gina has her bra on backward…and the funny thing is that she’s lost so much weight…it probably fits.”

  Lucy looked at Gina’s red face and realized that maybe Gina wasn’t taking their joke quite like Journey had expected her to.

  “Why would she put her bra on backwards?” Olivia asked, her voice displaying her puzzlement. “It only goes on one way.”

  Gina’s whole attitude changed hearing Olivia’s explanation, she broke down and laughed with Journey, “You are such a bitch at times, Journey,” she managed to choke out.

  Sierra walked up, surprised to see them sitting on the ground laughing, “Did I miss out on something?”

  Olivia explained it to Sierra as she’d heard it and shook her head, “I have no idea why that would be funny, but oh well. At least they’re laughing and not crying.”

  Gina wiped her eyes, “Doggone that felt good. Now, what was it you were asking me, Journey?”

  “Never mind. Here come the guys.”

  “Breaktime is over. Gina, we passed a small meadow about a quarter of a mile back. Can you and someone else take the extra horses back there? You’re going to have to set up camp somewhere while Andy and I go on ahead. We’re going to see if there’s a way through on another road, so you guys need a safe place to park until we get back.

  “What about the wagons? We can’t leave them here unattended.”

  “There’s no other choice unless you can get them turned around. We haven’t enough hay left to feed them all, and there’s nothing for them to eat here, so you figure it out. We’ll be back when we can.” Sam turned away and went to where Andy held his sorrel and Bess. Both men climbed on and rode off through the trees.

  “What was his problem?” Journey asked.

  “He’s just worried about John and the others. Right now we don’t know if they made it through this mess or got caught somewhere in the middle of it. I told him that I would try and hike up through it a ways and see.”

  “Can I go with you, Ben?”

  Ben looked at Gina, “Would that be okay? I could go alone, but Sam didn’t want any of us going anywhere by ourselves.”

  “Why are you asking her? I have my say in what I do and where I go.”

  Ben looked from Gina to Olivia, “Actually, that’s not true if you’re going to be with us. Everyone answers to someone. It seems to me that Gina has taken you under her wing so you would answer to her.”

  Olivia looked at Gina. It was hard to tell by her expression what was going through the girl's mind. Gina nodded, “Ben’s right. You have to answer to someone, and I do feel responsible for you, so to answer Ben’s question, you can go with him. Just be careful, both of you.”

  While they were debating guardianship, Journey had packed one of their smaller backpacks with water and pemmican. She handed it to Olivia, “In the outside pocket is my nine mil. Leave it there unless you have trouble. You know how to use it?”

  “Duh!” As soon as Olivia let the word escape she saw how wrong it was. “Sorry! Yes, I do. My Dad taught to shoot most everything he had.”

  “You sure you don’t want one of the guys to go with you too?” Journey asked.

  “No, we’re good. I’m just going to the top of the hill and see if the road comes out the other side or not. Besides that, a couple of you might have to stay with the horses. We shouldn’t be long.” Ready Kiddo?”

  “Ready!” Olivia told him. Before she followed him she turned and leaned down giving Gina a brief hug, “Thanks,” she whispered.

  Kenny and Joe unhooked the horses from the wagons, while Jesse turned the goats loose. He had to do a lot of arm flapping to keep the chickens inside the wire cage, but he finally managed to get the goats out.

  “You sure you want to do that? We may play hell getting them back in there.”

  “But Gina, there’s not enough room for them to stand up and I want to clean out the mess in the bottom of it, and besides that, they love the cob. I can always catch them with it.”

  Gina frowned and watched the younger goats sniff at the weeds on the side of the road and following their mother's example they tasted the new green shoots.

  As soon as the horses were unhooked from the wagons, Joe and Kenny were going to lead Sailor and Sham and hope the others followed. Gina was happy that Andy had ridden Bess because all three girls knew how hard to catch she was.

  “Wait a minute you guys,” Gina ran to where the boys had stood the saddles on end and dug through her saddle bag. She held up the hobbles they normally put on Bess, “When you get them there, put these on Sham and turn the rest loose. Sailor is good about coming to me, and so is Joe. We’ll just have to hope they all are easy to round up.”

  “Why don’t you let me take the horses down there, and you all stay here for the night. I can watch them as good as anyone can.” He leaned toward Journey, “ You might want to keep an eye on that new girl,” Willy whispered, “She’s not been feeling well and is back in the wagon.”

  Journey sighed, “I thought I saw her throwing up earlier today. What do you suppose is up there?”

  Journey hadn’t directed her question to anyone, and no one bothered to answer. Journey walked to the back of the wagon, “Tammy? Willy said you weren’t feeling very well. Is there something I can get you?”

  Tammy sat up and groaned. She closed her eyes as if the light bothered them. Slowly she shook her head, “No, unless you have something for a migraine.”

  Journey knew the aspirin and Aleve they had wouldn’t be powerful enough to conquer a migraine if indeed that was the problem. “No, I’m sorry we don’t. Do you get them often?”

  Tammy had lain back down and nodded, “Often enough, but I ran out of my meds a long time ago. Now I just suffer through them.”

  “Are those the only medications that you take?”

  Tammy didn’t look Journey in the face, but simply nodded her head,
but Journey got the impression she wasn’t telling all. “Well, if you need anything just call one of us.” When Tammy didn’t acknowledge her at all, Journey walked back to see what she could do to help someone who wanted help.

  Willy left leading Sailor, and Joe and the others just followed along behind him as if he was the pied piper and they were his rats.

  When two of the new bay horses stopped and began to eat on the shoulder, Kenny looked at Gina and tipped his head as if asking, “Should I go?” Gina nodded, and with his arms spread wide he shooed the horses down the road

  Gina and Journey watched him go. “Okay, now we get to work.”

  Journey looked at Gina and frowned, “Get to work, doing what?”

  “We’re going to turn the wagon and buggy around. But first, we need to unload at least the wagon.” Gina looked around, “Guys? We need your muscle over here.”

  When Jesse and Joe, came over, Sierra was with them, and Olivia came to stand beside them. “What’s up?”

  “We need to unload everything from out of the wagon. Empty, the seven of us should be able to lift it and turn it around.”

  Joe walked up the side of the wagon and studied the terrain, “How much room do you think we need to turn it? I mean, why can’t we dig out the bank and jockey it around until we get it turned?”

  Gina walked up beside him shaking her head, “Because it’s not my idea and I never like to use someone else’s idea if it’s better than mine.”

  Joe stared at her a grimace on his face, “I’m sorry for suggesting it, but to me, it seems like it would require less time.”

  Gina laughed, “You will learn not to take me so seriously. You have an excellent idea, and I was just being a bitch. There’s a shovel in the wagon.”

  “Wait a minute! It was my idea, so I think I should be here in a supervisory capacity only.”

  “Not in this lifetime. You begin, and we’ll take turns. Lucy can supervise.”

  Taking turns as Gina had said, an hour later they had the bank dug away to the size of the wagon. Gina and Joe lifted up the tongue and cranking it to one side tried to back the wagon into the pit they had dug out. It didn’t move. When they all lined up down the length of the tongue and pushed, they managed to skid the wheels backward leaving drag marks in the dirt.