“Yeah,” Erika responded.
“Remember how I was always saying how we should sell the poop for money. Well, good thing we didn’t because we’re spreading it all out so that we can plant in good fertile soil.”
“What happened to the llamas?” Vince wondered.
“They’re still over there at Bob and Cathy’s. We figured, why move them? They are fed and supplying fertilizer. We’re going to shave them for their wool next summer and eventually Cathy is going to try to turn them into pack llamas but for now they’re fine,” Nancy replied. “Let’s dump all that compost we brought out over there. Ricardo said he would send out a crew tomorrow to spread it and check the windmills.” Nancy pointed to a small pile in the field.
Erika remained in deep thought while they emptied the wagon. She just couldn’t get her father and brother off her mind. She wondered what became of them and if they still lived. She maintained small talk for her mom’s sake, but she couldn’t let it go. Vince knew that Erika was not impressed by all this. If anything, coming out here just brought up more issues that she would be preoccupied with. Being that they had no control over any of these issues, Vince found it all rather pointless to worry. Worry over his family was buried deep in his mind and he didn’t want to think about any of it. Staring at Erika and reading her mind, Vince knew she wanted to leave this place. She was not interested in what would be happening here next summer. Nancy still hoped that Erika would take an interest and want to stay, but she understood Erika’s feelings as well. Nothing felt safe anymore and seeing the old ranch again made her think of much better times.
Even though the trailer was loaded to the brim with compost, it slid out easily once the trailer was tipped. Soon they were walking back. The negative feelings subsided as the afternoon sun cut through the clouds.
Chapter 31
Ripper plodded along, worn out from all the excitement of returning to a familiar stomping ground. The wind shifted, and Erika was overwhelmed with the smell of horse. The horse training grounds were close to the bridge they crossed at the start of their day. This proximity kept the horses close, but far enough away that their mess didn’t muck up the camp. The creek that ran under the shifty bridge supplied water to the horses. This ensured that water did not have to be bucketed in from far away. Erika hardly noticed the facility hidden in the forest when they headed out.
Vince saw her interest and remembered his promise to her earlier that they would go see Kit. “Want to head over and see Kit now, Baby,” he asked.
“Sure,” Erika replied cheerfully. “I wonder if Kim and Jen are out there too?”
“Let’s go check it out,” Vince said positively. “Do you want to come with us, Nancy?”
“No, I’m whooped. I’m going to go back to camp to shower before everyone comes in for the day. I’ll meet the kids when they get home. You guys have fun, maybe go for a ride,” Nancy explained. Her body was tired from the long hike, and her mind was exhausted from trying to convince her daughter of something that she knew wasn’t what Erika wanted.
“All right, Mom, I love you.” Erika told her, giving her a big hug and kiss. “Oh hey, will you take Ripper with you?” she asked. Ripper was skilled at spooking horses, and Erika didn’t want to worry about him getting kicked or causing trouble.
“Sure, no problem,” Nancy said reassuringly. “Now, go have some fun!”
They headed down a wagon-rutted trail. It looked like something straight out of the Old West. The property used to be someone’s home at one time, but the home was demolished, and the property was all that remained. Most of the trees were cleared, leaving a lush patch of green. The ground shifted dramatically in the quake, but the horse activity was stomping it back down. Stepping into the pasture, Erika saw an area where the horses slept at night by the creek. It made sense to her. The horses were able to access the water. Adjacent to the stable area, there was a circular ring used for training. They called out, “hello,” but no one was around, except for some horses tethered in the area where they slept.
It smelled richly of horse, not manure but the smell of animal. The whole area was meticulously cared for. The horse crew put the manure forks they salvaged to good use, ensuring the horse area was free of refuse. The manure was hauled out biweekly to help boost the quality of the soil in the gardens. It was also mixed with water in large buckets to make a nutritious tea that could be fed to the existing plants to encourage their growth.
Erika and Vince surveyed the setup, impressed.
As they stood there, a tall, skinny man approached with about eight horses in tow.
“Hello there,” he called.
“Hello,” Erika and Vince responded.
“Name’s Drew Goddard. I take care of the horses,” he explained.
“Vince and Erika Moore,” Vince introduced himself. “Got some experience with horses?”
“I’ve been training horses since I was a boy. Used to work at a ranch not far from here before the quake,” he replied.
He projected a contented, peaceful aura. Erika was sure he was right at home here. She saw his tent nearby.
“You sleep out here?” she wondered.
“Yeah, I must admit, sometimes I feel more at home with the horses than I do being in the midst of all those people. I go up to the garden camp every other day or so to use the shower there,” he explained sheepishly.
Erika thought she had seen him before, but there were so many strangers around she couldn’t be sure. He was a very nice man but spoke as little as possible.
He told Erika, “Val will back soon. She’s out collecting horses as well.”
Erika asked him, “Where are Kim and Jen?”
“They went out late this morning. They were just leaving when I went to get the horses that were used in this morning’s training session. The other horses will be brought back by the soldiers that utilized them for the day. I’m training soldiers in basic care as well,” he boasted proudly.
“You know the little bay horse, Kit?” Erika asked.
“Yes, I love that animal. He has a great temperament. He pulls a cart wonderfully but because of his awesome demeanor he’s mostly been out with the scouts. You’re in luck because he rested today and probably wouldn’t mind a nice leisurely ride with his owner.” His genuine concern for the horses was evident.
Erika was thrilled that Kit was receiving such wonderful care.
“Sorry I haven’t come out sooner,” Erika noted. “I’ve been preoccupied with hunting and training.”
“A fighter?” Drew remarked curiously. “I know lots of good fighting techniques I can teach you to perform from horseback. It probably wouldn’t hurt to get Kit more used to being around gunfire, even though he’s a very calm animal and handles it well already.”
“I promise I’ll make my way out here more in the future,” Erika professed.
Erika got her bridle from the station where they were all hung, and Drew gave Vince one for another horse that was tied up beside Kit. She was a well-tempered bay like him.
As they were saddling up, Drew stopped them “Just a heads-up, Kim took out a young horse that we’re trying to get used to the trail. I wasn’t happy about the two of them taking her out on their own. Keep an eye out for them,” Drew urged the couple.
Vince put a saddle on his horse, but Erika had always loved riding bareback.
They headed out down a trail leading away from the main camp and the gardens. It wound through a mountain pass. The silence was eerie, but Erika focused on Vince riding next to her. They chatted and enjoyed the ride. Erika noticed the birds chirping tentatively, and the squirrels ran and hid. It was so relaxing and quiet, but at the same time there was some haunting feeling on the breeze. The horses began to get nervous, which was very unusual for this set of animals. Suddenly, their ears perked as two horses came flying down the trial toward Erika and Vince. It spooked their horses, but given their calm demeanor, Vince and Erika were able to keep them under control.
“Is that the girls’ horses?” Erika questioned Vince.
“I think so,” Vince replied. He caught hold of the bridle of one of the animals as they were running by and the other slowed to a stop by its partner.
A scream tore through the air. It came from around the bend of the trail. Erika kicked her heels into Kit and they galloped off around the corner. Vince, dumbfounded by the sudden sequence of events, jumped off his horse, and tied the other two to a tree nearby. He quickly remounted and galloped off after Erika.
As Erika rounded the bend, she saw Jen standing over her sister with a large stick in her hand. She quickly assessed the situation. A mountain lion paced around the girls. Erika flew off her galloping horse and pulled out her pistol in one motion. She was running at the girls and the lion but could not shoot for fear of hitting the girls. The mountain lion was spooked by this sudden divergence to his easy meal and began to charge at Erika. It covered the ground so quickly it was like lightning. Erika shot once, twice, three times, but the lion kept coming. It launched in the air with its paw extended straight at Erika’s head, when bang, a blast came from Vince’s rifle. His horse reared and yelled. The shot blew the lion back through the air away from Erika. It lay on the ground with its head blown open. Blood began to run and stain the ground as the four of them stood in awe.
Vince jumped down off his horse and hugged Erika. “Oh my God, baby, are you okay?” he exclaimed, backing off and frantically looking her up and down.
“Yeah, I’m fine, but what about the girls?” Erika asked. She was still in shock and was only thinking about how bravely Jen stood guard over her obviously injured sister.
“You girls okay?” Vince questioned as he carefully stepped around the lion and ran toward them.
“I’m fine, but it got my sister!” Jen exclaimed, still standing over her sister, breathing heavily.
Erika followed Vince over toward the two girls. “Holy shit! That was crazy!” Erika laughed with relief, feeling the effects of the intense adrenaline boost.
Kim lay motionless on the ground. Jen backed off her sister, and she and Vince stood by while Erika checked her for injuries. Her leg had been swiped by the lion and would need immediate medical attention. It appeared that the horse reared when the lion attacked, and Kim fell off. She hit her head when she fell but her skull was whole, and she was probably just knocked out.
“We’ve got to get her to Stan,” Erika urged Vince. Then she turned back toward Jen “You did it! You saved your sister, with just a stick!” Erika praised. She turned back to Kim and wrapped her leg with a bandana to apply pressure and stop the bleeding.
“You sure did, Jen,” Vince said, getting the horses ready.
“I did?” questioned Jen. “Yeah, I did! Thank God you guys came when you did. How did you know we were even up here?”
“Drew told us, it was just lucky we arrived when we did,” said Erika.
“What about our horses?” asked Jen.
“I have them tethered just around the bend,” Vince reassured her. “Look, guys, I’m going to take my horse and Kim and ride her down into camp. Can you guys manage the other horses?”
“You bet, babe.” Erika confirmed, still pumped with adrenaline. “I’m going to gut that thing and bring it back with us. That hide is too valuable to leave for the scavengers. Plus, it’s a nice trophy for a wild experience,” she exclaimed.
Vince gave her a sideways look. She’s enjoying this, Vince thought, unsure how he should feel about that. “You guys just be careful,” he cautioned. “The scavengers are exactly what I’m worried about. Get it done quickly and meet me at the medical building. I’ll stop and tell Drew to alert Harold and Betsy on my way,” Vince urged them. Kim needed help and there was no use in wasting time arguing with Erika. She wouldn’t let this animal go to waste. It was best to just let her gut it and bring it. She’s fast at gutting anyway, he told himself.
Erika helped Vince hoist Kim onto the horse in front of him, and the two of them rode off down the trail. Erika’s knife was out, and she went to work splitting the belly of the lion. Jen had never seen an animal gutted before and she watched attentively. Before long, its innards were lying on the ground in front of it. Erika wondered exactly how they were going to get the lion and the three horses back to the camp. Erika tried to put the animal on Kit, but even with his good temper he was not going to have a predator of that status on his back. They ended up strapping the animal to a couple of logs with some extra leather from one of the saddles. Erika hooked the logs to the saddle of the horse that Jen was riding earlier, forming a travois that the horse could pull down the trail. Erika mounted Kit and led Jen’s horse along behind her.
“You ready, Jen?” Erika asked, looking back at the young woman.
“I’ve almost got it,” Jen declared, attempting to mount the jittery young horse that Kim took out earlier.
Kit waited patiently as Jen finally climbed onto the horse and took the lead down the trail.
It was not an easy ride home. Jen’s nervous horse smelled the animal that had attacked them not far behind and was dancing all the way. Jen pulled at its bridle and talked softly to it, but the thing was spooked badly. Its eyes rolled in its head and it almost went sideways down the trail instead of straight. Kit, upset by the other horse’s nerves and the smell of the lion, danced a little as well. Usually, if Erika was riding bareback and the horse was spooky she would just hold a handful of mane, but she had Kit’s reins in one hand and the lead rope for the other horse she was towing in the other. She gripped hard with her legs and held on for dear life.
Finally, they reached the horse paddocks. Each girl was sweating heavily, and the horses were lathered, completely exhausted. Drew was there waiting for them and grabbed the horses by the bridles as they approached.
“I already went and told Harold and Betsy what happened,” he informed them. He tethered Jen’s horse to a post. It stamped nervously in the setting sun. Jen jumped down and breathed a sigh of relief.
“I hear you’re the hero of the day,” Drew said to Jen as he reached for Kit and winked at Erika.
“I wouldn’t say that. I just protected Kim, but it was a good thing Erika and Vince showed up when they did, or I think we would have both been in big trouble,” Jen explained humbly.
“I don’t think you’re giving yourself enough credit. You stood with a stick, fending of one hell of a mountain lion to protect your sister. That takes guts, girl,” Erika praised her. She knew this was the perfect opportunity to get Jen out of her shell and confident about herself again. “Check it out,” Erika told Drew as she unhooked the travois from the other horse.
“Wow, that thing is huge! I would call you a hero for sure,” Drew said to Jen.
“It’s pretty big. I never even thought about it. I just knew I had to protect Kim,” Jen explained, staring at the lion, impressed that she thought she could beat that animal with nothing but a stick.
“You’re darn right it is,” agreed Drew as he led the other two horses off to the tether. There were buckets of water ready for them. Drew was going to give them a good bath to settle their nerves. He cared deeply for the horses and knew they would need some loving after their traumatic experience. “Now get that thing the hell out of here, you two, before it spooks all the horses and I have a stampede on my hands,” he said with a wink.
They each grabbed one of the travois poles and pulled the beast all the way home. Darkness was closing in as they entered the light of the fire. Everyone from the garden camp minus Vince, Harold, and Betsy were there, clapping for the two heroes. Dexter and Star ran to Erika and just about knocked her down with a hug. Erika’s mom just stood there with a look like I told you not to get yourself back into something dangerous. It was a great feeling and Jen’s smile stretched from ear to ear. Everyone gathered around the lion and gawked at the size of it. They looked at the claws and wished they could have seen its teeth, but Vince blew them out of its head. Erika and Jen left the animal in Br
ett’s capable hands. He didn’t care for hunting anymore, but he certainly knew how to survive off the land. He was quite skilled at skinning. Erika and Jen were bloody and messy with horse sweat and dirt, so they headed off to the showers.
After the shower they left for the main camp. The night had fallen, and most people had already come and gone from the food line, but Nancy assured them there would be something they could eat, and they needed to go and check on Kim. They headed off down the trail, pretty tired but still in high spirits. The camp was buzzing with the news of what happened. The main fire was burning bright and people were gathered around it. They knew eventually the participants from the big drama of the day would show up. Penni and Greg were at the kitchen when Erika and Jen arrived. Clay and Laurie were exhausted from a long day of preparing food for the camp and when they heard everyone was okay, they went to bed. Penni, being the excellent caretaker that she was, knew Erika and Jen would still need to eat something, especially now. She had some hot leftovers ready for them. Erika thanked her deeply and immediately knew why Greg was so smitten with her. She was always so considerate.
They ate their food at the communal fire, while they enchanted people with the tale of what happened. Vince heard the commotion from the medical tent and came over to meet with them.
“Kim’s going to be fine,” he assured them. “She bonked her head pretty good when she fell from the horse. She’s just coming around and starting to answer basic questions. Stan’s more concerned with the slashes the lion put on her leg. He thinks they’ll get infected.”
“Good thing we brought in those antibiotics,” Erika commented, concerned for Kim. She knew even with medication an infection like this could still a big problem.
“Stan’s hoping he can save her leg. That thing just about ripped her calf muscle off. Stan has to stitch the muscle and then the skin. He’s not sure if it will ever function like it did before,” Vince informed them. “Congratulations, though, young lady,” he said acknowledging Jen’s courage. “Without your bravery, Kim might not be here to worry about at all.”
The Changing Earth Series (Book 1): Day After Disaster Page 29