by AJ Adaire
***
They left the next morning after a hearty breakfast of eggs taken fresh from Zeke’s chicken coop. Pitching in together to clean up, made for a short job. Zeke’s four-seat ATV was comfortable. At Zeke’s request, Peri rode in the front with him, while Paige, Kim, and Murdoch squeezed into the back. A short way from Zeke’s house, they came to an overlook. The sound of a small waterfall could be heard. He pulled over and pointed to the bank. “Look. There’s a cow with a calf.”
“Cow?” Peri looked puzzled. Following his pointed finger, she chuckled. “Oh, you mean a moose.”
He pulled out binoculars from below the seat for them to hand around so they could each see.
“I’ve never seen a moose in person before. They’re massive,” Peri said.
Proud of his knowledge, Zeke puffed up a bit. “They’re even more impressive when they’re in the middle of the road. I saw a male once, a bit north of here. He was the biggest one I ever saw. Probably over a thousand pounds, although they grow bigger in Alaska, I’ve heard.” He took the binoculars Peri handed back and passed them back to Kim.
Paige soothed Murdoch. “It’s okay, boy. It’s no threat.”
“No antlers on female moose. That always surprised me. Cows have horns.” Paige tapped Peri on the shoulder and handed her the binoculars.
“The male’s antlers can be impressive. Some are as wide as a man’s arm span.” He extended both arms out perpendicular to his sides. “Five or six feet across. The most amazing thing to me is that they shed them at the end of the mating season, and then regrow bigger and better ones the following year.”
Kim took the binoculars back from Peri. “They have such long legs. Sort of gangly looking.”
Zeke looked back over his shoulder. “Yup. They can be as tall as seven feet at the shoulder, and sometimes it looks like six feet of that is legs.”
Kim laughed at his joke.
The cow raised her head and sniffed. Zeke said, “Uh oh. She’s got wind of us.”
The female moose entered the river, followed by her calf. “Will the baby be okay?” Peri asked. “The water is pretty swift.”
Zeke nodded. “Moose are good swimmers, even the little ones. Watch.”
They observed as the mother and calf swam across the river, exited the water, and evaporated into the forest.
The rest of the trip was less eventful. They pulled into the Heartpence homestead. The blonde couple emerged from the cabin and greeted Zeke with affection, before he introduced the women.
“Come in, come in. Have some mint tea with us.”
As they sat with the couple over tea, they again related their story. Heather glanced at Hector. “It’s a good thing we both have blue eyes, then.”
Heather had many questions about the illness. They discussed it as they ate their snack. Eventually, the conversation took a natural turn to the medicines Hector and Heather produced. Peri brought up the topic of replacing their antibiotic ointment.
“If you’re interested in doing that, Peri, I’d be happy to show you our lab.” Heather led the way to the shed at the back of the property.
Peri followed along as Heather showed her around. She gave her several vials of ointments and drops, along with directions for their use. Despite Peri’s offer of payment, in whatever form she’d like, Heather steadfastly refused. “Let’s say that you owe me a favor and someday you’ll repay me, or someone else. We’re comfortable with that.”
The others accompanied Hector on a tour. Hector was a wealth of information about plants and herbs. As he showed them their garden, he picked some greens. “Growing season isn’t that long here. It’s pretty much over mid to end of September. We start the plants early in the hoop house, and transplant them here in the garden as soon as it’s warm enough.” The tour ended when he’d cut enough greens for lunch.
By the time Kim, Paige, Zeke, and Hector returned to the table next to the cabin, Peri was just finishing up setting the table. “Heather has the rice and mushrooms on. She said they should be done soon.”
“I’ll give the lettuce to Heather,” Hector said, “so she can make the salad. Then, I’ll show you that old farmer’s tool I use to set the plants. The one you asked me about, Kim. While we’re there, I’ll get some wild berry vinegar from the barn. Can’t wait for that. Heather’s is the absolute best.”
Zeke said, “We’ll head back up to see if the others need any help,” He and Paige turned toward the house. “I know Peri and Kim are planning to stay with Kim’s friends. Kim said the wife and she have known each other since high school.”
“Kim said she’s not sure the husband will survive. She’s hoping since they’ve been out here away from everyone he’ll be okay. He has light eyes. She wasn’t sure if they were green or blue. She thought they were hazel.”
Zeke stopped to ask, “Will you stay there with them? Peri said you and they had met on the trail, and you were just tagging along to see they were safe.”
“I doubt I’ll stay.” Paige plucked a sprig of tall grass from the side of the trail and played with it as they again moved up the trail. “I might travel back this way. If I do, I’ll stop and say hello for sure.”
“Maybe you’ll end up being my neighbor.” Zeke gave her a grin. “I can’t use both houses and I could use some company. The winters get long here if you’re alone.”
“Zeke, you know there’s no chance…”
He batted the rest of her sentence away with a gesture from his meaty hand. “I figured. Doesn’t matter. I’m just talking friendship.”
“Thanks for the offer. I’ve been weighing my options. Coming back this way to stay was something I’ve seriously considered. I thought maybe we could work something out so I could pay my way in exchange for use of the cabin. I’m pretty good with a hammer and saw, if you want to add a building or something. I can chop firewood too. Anything you need that I can do.”
He emitted a lecherous chuckle and arched a brow. “Anything?”
“Make that almost anything.” She reached up, patted his broad back, and gave him a grin. “You’re barking up the wrong tree here, my friend.”
“Damn! Three women, and not one of them interested in men. What are the odds?” He shook his head. “Here I thought I’d nearly found my dream woman for a minute. I’m always on the lookout for a good woman.” He chuckled and then looked away. “I still miss my family.” As they approached the house, Zeke put a hand on her arm. “I can’t use both places myself. Seriously, consider my offer to come back here. It’s a lot of work for one person to survive out here.” He chuckled and pointed to his head. “You can pay me with hair and beard cuts.”
“I promise, Zeke. I’ll seriously consider your offer.”
With the remains of the delicious lunch cleared away, Zeke suggested they head up the road so he could set them on the path to their friends. They profusely thanked their hosts, Heather and Hector, and waved goodbye as they pulled away. Saying goodbye to Zeke was more difficult. They each gave him a warm hug.
“I hope to see you again,” he said. “Maybe this fall, when I come up that way to do some trading, I can look you up.”
“We’ll look forward to it, and we won’t forget your kindness, Zeke.” Peri and Kim gave him a group hug.
“I can die a happy man now,” he joked. Dropping to one knee, he ruffled Murdoch’s ears. Murdoch had developed an easy relationship with the big man. “Don’t forget to come back.” Although he spoke to the dog, he looked up at Paige after he said it.
Paige nodded. She gave the big man a hug, shouldered her pack, and followed the other two women into the forest. She paused, turned, and gave him one final wave. She hoped she’d see him again.
Chapter Eighteen
MURDOCH LED THE WAY up the path. They hiked for two hours before coming to the stream Zeke had described. From there they had to hike northeast along the bank. He’d described that there would be a downed tree a short ways ahead that would enable them to cross over the water with
out getting wet.
Kim crossed first, extending her arms for balance. Paige glanced down at Murdoch, who was sitting at her feet, tongue lolling. “How are we going to get you over there, fella?”
Peri asked, “Is there anything I can do to help?”
Paige turned toward Peri and scratched her head. “Likely, he’d prefer to swim over. I, on the other hand, am not too sure that’s a good idea. The water here is moving pretty fast.”
“Oh you. Stop!” Kim yelled, holding up her hands in a feeble attempt to protect herself. Murdoch had taken the decision into his own paws and had made it across the stream on his own. With a vigorous shake of his fur he was busy giving Kim a shower.
“Ha! I guess he didn’t want to wait for me to help him. That boy knows I’d have killed both of us trying to carry him over on that tree trunk. Sometimes, he’s smarter than I am.” Paige shook her head. “Okay, you want to go first, or shall I?”
Paige followed Peri across the trunk of the massive tree, each successful at avoiding the water.
Kim dropped an armload of wood. “Figured that this is as good a place as any. We could probably go a bit farther if you want, though here we’ll have water without having to haul it.”
The other two agreed and went about setting up camp. By this time they functioned like a well-oiled machine, and less than an hour later they were set for the night.
Paige looked at the water. “Think maybe I’ll take a pole up there a ways and try my hand at catching us some dinner.”
“If neither of you mind,” Kim said looking back toward the lean-to they’d built, “I think I’m going to take a cat nap.”
It seemed to Peri that Paige had been distant for several days. They’d spent no time alone, and Peri missed the opportunities to get to know more about her. “Would you like some company?”
Paige glanced upstream and hesitated long enough to make Peri wonder if she was going to say she’d rather go alone. Finally, she said, “Sure. I’ll get the rods.”
Single file, they walked in silence up the stream from their campground. Murdoch roamed around them as they hiked. They came to a feeder stream more suited to their gear. Together they searched for worms. They’d yet to exchange more than a few words.
Once settled, Peri tried to start a conversation, only to be reminded in a gentle way that they should be quiet so as to not scare the fish.
Murdoch came to settle at Paige’s side, his head resting on his paws, watching. Suddenly, he raised his head at the distant sound of a rustle in the woods. He made a low growl. Paige commanded, “Murdoch, down. Stay.” To be sure, she grabbed his collar with one hand and reached for the rifle with the other. Keeping her voice low, Paige asked, “Can you hold him for me?”
“Sure.”
They flattened themselves on the rock they’d been sitting on and slid lower behind it and then waited to see what had alerted Murdoch.
“What is it? Can you see?” With a hand linked into Murdoch’s collar, Peri resisted the urge to pop her head above the rock, relying on Paige to tell her what she saw. Peri breathed out a long breath and took in another, in an attempt to calm the pulse pounding in her neck before exhaling again.
“Not yet. Could be an animal,” Paige whispered, before she popped her head above the rock. She slid down again and whispered, “It’s a bear…about four hundred feet away. We’re downwind of her so I don’t think she knows we’re here. You take Murdoch and the rods and head over there beyond the berm. I’ll cover you.”
Peri put her hand on Paige’s arm. “No! We go together, back to back. I won’t leave you.”
Paige nodded. Reaching above her, she got the fishing rods. They backed away from the bear. Once they’d crossed over the berm, they turned and left the area. “I think maybe we’ll fish downstream. Maybe we should be extra careful with the food, since we know there’s a bear around. Tonight, I’ll make sure the packs hang a bit higher than normal.”
“Although I’ve done a good bit of hiking and camping, it’s never been in an area this wild or remote. I’ve never encountered a bear before. There was probably too much racket for one to get anywhere near our groups. Do we need to keep watch tonight?”
“No, Murdoch will let us know of any danger. As a rule, bears aren’t aggressive. Only if you surprise them or if a sow thinks you’re threatening her cubs. They can be a bit more unpredictable then.” Seeing Peri’s serious expression, Paige patted her on the shoulder. “Really, no need for concern. You’re more likely to be killed by lightning than you are a bear attack. You can relax. I don’t think there’s any need to worry.”
Peri made a mock gesture of swiping her fingers across her forehead and shaking off sweat. “Phew! I’ll trust you know what you’re talking about. Can we fish downstream? My stomach is growling.”
“Sure. Let’s go.” Paige led the way back beyond their camp. Murdoch hesitated as they passed by. “What’s up boy? You want to go keep Kim company? Go ahead.” Murdoch sauntered over and curled up at Kim’s feet. She was still sound asleep.
Together, Peri and Paige hiked downstream, where they found a creek feeding into the larger stream. They found a spot Paige thought might provide them some luck.
Peri tossed her line in the water as Paige had taught her last time. Before long, they had already caught three medium-sized brook trout. Her fingers tapped on her knee as she waited for a bite. She looked over at Paige who seemed to be studiously trying to avoid looking at her. She knew enough not to try talking while Paige fished. Still, she missed the chats they often had at quiet times. She’s been different ever since we met Zeke, although I can’t put my finger on what may have caused her withdrawal. She studied Paige’s profile. Her bangs were hanging over her eyes as she studied the water, waiting for a nibble. She is so handsome. Strong nose, full lips, killer body…
As if on cue, Paige licked her lips. Licked was perhaps too vigorous a term to apply to the maneuver. A more apt description might be that her tongue caressed her lips, leaving a light sheen of moisture, as it passed over them. Peri swallowed hard, feeling a blush creeping up her cheeks. Don’t look now, Paige. Aww! I told you not to look.
“Are you okay? You seem flushed.” Paige returned her gaze to her line where it entered the water. “You’re not still upset about the bear, are you?”
“No, I’m fine now. Paige, I was wondering…”
“There. Got him!” Paige reeled in a good-sized trout. A grin spread on her face as she held him up for Peri to see. “Nice one! I think we have enough for dinner now, don’t you?” She didn’t wait for Peri to respond. “Let’s go get cooking, shall we?”
Damn! I wanted to ask her about what was causing the distance between us. Peri squelched her disappointment and turned to follow Paige back toward camp.
The smell of their dinner cooking roused Kim. “Wow! Dinner looks great. I can live with this. I go to sleep and dinner appears. It’s like magic.” She placed a hand on Peri’s shoulder and leaned across her to check the fish. “Looks like you two did well fishing.” She turned toward Peri and winked, an action that made Peri blush.
Heather and Hector had given them some dehydrated vegetables. Peri stood to pour half of their stash of potatoes and peas into some boiling water and flipped the frying fish.
“You two have done such a great job, just to show you what a sport I am, I’ll clean up.”
Paige rolled her eyes, before turning to face Kim. “When you go down to the stream to clean the pans, be sure you take the rifle and keep an eye out for the bear we saw earlier. We need to remove all evidence of food from the campsite, and hang any other food items we have.”
“You saw a bear? Where?”
Peri told Kim of their earlier encounter. “We weren’t in imminent danger. It was still a little disconcerting. I’ve never seen a live bear that close before.”
“I’ll be careful when I wash up, then, I promise.”
Everyone was so hungry the entire meal disappeared in a matter of minut
es. Kim patted her stomach. “That was delicious. Thank you both.” She gathered the dirty pots and pans and their dishes and headed for the water to wash them up. Murdoch trotted along behind her.
Peri and Paige tidied up the campfire and sat enjoying the embers of their cooking fire. Peri filtered some water and put it on to boil. Heather had given her some fresh mint before they left and Peri was eager for tea. “Paige, I was wondering about something. You know…”
Murdoch’s howl and Kim’s screams brought Paige and Peri running. Paige skidded to a halt in front of her dog. Blood dripped from the wound on his nose. “Murdoch, sit!” She tore off her shirt and wrapped it around his face applying pressure.
“I’ll get the first aid kit.” Peri ran back to camp.
A visibly shaken Paige asked, “What happened, Kim? What did this?”
“I’m sorry. It all happened so fast. It was a turtle.”
“What? A turtle? What kind?”
Kim had a hard time responding as she focused on the rapid rise and fall of Paige’s breasts. “I, uh, I don’t know.” Kim dragged her eyes away and raised them to look at Paige’s face. “I was busy, and Murdoch was playing with something. I thought it was a rock. Then he let out this howl. That’s all I know. I’m sorry.” She pointed to the water. “It went back into the water over there near that log.”
“You’re sure it was a turtle?”
“Yeah. Absolutely.”
First aid kit in hand, Peri hurried up to the two women. “Let’s take a look.”
“Down, Murdoch. Let me see your nose.” Murdoch whimpered, as Paige removed the bloody shirt. The bleeding had nearly stopped. She looked to Peri.
“I filled a bottle with the purified water we boiled earlier.” Peri washed the wound. With less blood, it didn’t look near as bad. “What did this?”
“Kim says a turtle.” Paige met Peri’s eyes. “Will he be okay?”
Peri put her hand on Paige’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. We’ll fix him up. I don’t see a puncture. It looks like there’s a chunk of skin torn off. Once we clean the wound we can apply some of that salve we got from Heather. I think he would benefit from stitches, there’s just no way to do it. I don’t know if we can bandage it. We’ll have to figure out something. Keeping it clean will be paramount.”