by Gina Manis
Behind the house are hundreds of tall beautiful pine trees, so high in the sky I think they will grow to touch the clouds. The front is more clear, the grass a little tall and needing cleaning up. When I look out at the view it will all be worth it. The mountains are so beautiful, and I don’t think I have ever seen anything as pretty before.
I watch Arrow move to the porch with a hammer as he pries the nails from the boards on the door. He then does the same to the windows and opens the shutters to allow in light.
“Stay here, and let me check inside,” he tells me from the porch and goes in. I watch him step inside as I step onto the porch and move to the open door. I hear him banging around inside and stroll closer to see what he is doing.
Suddenly I hear a hissing noise and see a huge snake heading right for me. I scream, backing up as Arrow cuts it in half. I step back off the porch, losing my footing and fall to the ground on my backside.
“Aww!”
“Stay there!” he shouts as he moves around in the house again, making all kinds of noise. I look at the snake on the porch and cringe when I realize there must be a nest of them inside. I scoot back on the ground, hoping I don’t see another come out the door. I hate snakes, and they terrify me.
Arrow comes out and jumps off the porch, “I got most of them, but I will need to check it a few more times before you go in. Are you okay?”
“Yes,” I say as he offers his hand and helps me up.
“Let me check the barn, and we may be able to sleep in there tonight,” he says. “I need to make sure the house is clean before we start setting it up.”
“I will pull the sleds over there while you do that.”
The barn is good, and Arrow and I check the coops next, fixing one of them before we put the chickens in. The cow we let graze in the grass under a tree, and I milk her while Arrow fixes the door.
Arrow makes his way back into the house a little later and then sets out some poison around the house. I build a fire close to the barn and put on some beans for tonight. Then I get busy straightening up the barn and cleaning it out. There are only two stalls and a place inside for storage. There isn’t much in it but some tools and such for farming. I am thankful there are no snakes, at least.
The wind is starting to blow harder as I come out and finish with our dinner. I look up and see dark clouds moving across the sky and there is a hint of rain in the air.
“Tomorrow, the house should be safe to go in,” Arrow says, coming to sit by me at the fire. “It is only one room, but there is a cookstove with some pots and pans—a table for eating and some shelves for supplies. The bed looks good but will need some cleaning. I pulled the mattress onto the porch and will give it a good beating in a while. Make sure there are no bugs or such in it.”
“I brought plenty of cleaning supplies and stuff for that,” I tell him. “It is all packed away still.”
“We will get it out and go through it tonight. I’ll go ahead and put up the tools in the barn here and get it set up that way I can help you with the house tomorrow.”
“It looks like it is going to storm soon,” I say, looking to the sky again. “That hole in the roof is going to make it a mess inside.”
“There is nothing I can do about that now. If it lets up tomorrow, I will try and repair it then,” he tells me. Things still seem a little tense between us, and I want to lighten his mood some.
“I’m glad you are here. I don’t think I would have ever gone in the house with the snakes in there.”
He smiles at me for the first time, “They have made a mess for sure. There are skins everywhere. The poison will kill them or send them running, though.”
I am happy that he smiled at me at least. “How about we finish getting the barn set up for tonight and I will finish cooking dinner once the beans are almost done. We still have some bread, and I have some eggs from the chickens. We have milk, also.”
“That does sound good,” he says as we get up and get to work. While he is putting up the tools, I make us both beds in one of the stalls for tonight. It doesn’t leave much room, but I felt comfortable having him close by instead of in the other one. I am kind of scared of the idea of a snake climbing in bed with me tonight, but I wasn’t going to tell Arrow. I didn’t want him to think I was so weak.
I know I am not cut out for this life, growing up as I did in Star Kingdom, but I have every hope that I will figure it out. Arrow never puts me down for not knowing something, and I learn so much from him.
Once I am done, I go out and start cooking, calling for him to join me when it is done. We sit and finish the food as the night comes on earlier from the storm building. We turn in early, knowing tomorrow is going to be a busy day. The next few days are going to be active by the looks of things.
I make myself comfortable on my pallet and watch Arrow as he slips his shirt off and leaves on his pants. He then blows out the light and I hear him lying on his bed for the night. Lightning flashes outside the barn and it finally starts to rain.
“Goodnight, Jenna,” he says softly in the dark.
I think of last night and what may have happened again. He is close enough to me that I could reach out and touch him if I wanted to. I don’t though, not sure if he would want me to. Things seem to be getting back to normal between us again, and I didn’t want to mess it up.
I turn away from Arrow and face the wall. “Goodnight, Arrow.”
I lay there for the longest time listening to the storm building outside. It scares me a little but I make no move to share that with Arrow. For some reason, the storm seems like a warning to me. I don’t know why as things seem to be okay with Arrow and me. Still, there is a feeling that something is blowing into the area. Maybe it is something good but I have this dread inside that it isn’t.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Jenna
I sink in the tub and sigh at how good the warm water feels on my tired, achy body. It has been three days since we arrived, and finally, everything is put away and repaired enough I can relax.
Arrow has gone out to set some traps, leaving me alone, and I can’t ignore the tub in the house's corner any longer. I cleaned it up yesterday, looking forward to getting a chance for a nice soaking, and today, I am taking advantage of it—no more baths in the washbowl for me.
I spent the last half hour heating water and lugging several buckets in just for this. Arrow got the water pump working the other day, so we don’t have to walk down to the stream anymore. The pump is just on the side of the house and not too far away. He promises to get me a handle so we can bring a line inside the window. That way, I can have running water in the house. It will have to wait until we can go back to the village.
I hurry to wash, scrubbing what feels like a month's worth of grime from my body. My hair is no better, as we haven’t taken care of such needs in the past few days. Once I am done, I will clean the tub and get another bath ready for Arrow. I’m sure he would enjoy being clean, too. But for now, it is my time, and I lie back to enjoy it.
Looking around my tiny little house, I think to myself it’s all mine. Everything is now clean and put away just as I like it. My sister Beth liked to make fun of how tidy I was, always telling me it is impossible to be so with little kids running around.
My sweet nieces and nephew come to mind. Tommie, Shea, and Marie, I miss them so much. They were my entire world at Star Kingdom, and I left them behind. There is a chance I will never see them again. The journey here had been long and hard. If I see them, they will have to come here. There is no way I can return to that life. Star Kingdom is not for someone like me, a person who hates the city and the crowds.
Relaxing more in the water, I think of all the things I look forward to building here. There will be plenty of chickens for eggs and cows for milk to make jars of butter and cheeses. The fruit trees out beside the barn that line the trail will make some wonderful jams and pies. I love apples, and there are two trees of them.
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I wonder what Arrow’s favorite fruit is. I see him as more of a nut man, which is great because we have a pecan and walnut tree as well.
Whoever the last owner was had to have planted all of them. It makes me wonder why they left. You don’t plant trees that take cycles to bloom and then just leave. Whatever the reason, I am grateful to them for doing so.
I am startled awake when I hear footsteps on the porch, and suddenly the front door is thrown open.
“Don’t come in!” I shout as I try to cover myself.
Arrow is in the door and sees me but turns away quickly. “Sorry… I will…” He doesn’t even finish before he steps out and closes the door behind him.
I sigh, realizing I fell asleep in the tub. I had wanted to be finished by the time Arrow got back and have him a bath ready. That plan is shot now. I hurry and get out, dry off and put on some fresh clothes, and brush my hair. At least I am feeling better. My body still hurts, and I have a pain in my neck, most likely from sleeping on it just now. I don’t know how long I was in the tub, but it was long enough for the water to get cold. Maybe I am more tired than I thought from all the work.
I let the water out through a pipe that goes out beside the house. I hurry to wash the tub out and stir the fire back to life in the cookstove, putting the bucket of water I need on to heat. Picking up the other two buckets, I go outside.
Arrow is sitting on the edge of the porch sharpening some knives. “I’m sorry I walked in on you. I should have knocked.”
“I fell asleep in the tub.”
“You are tired, but you should be careful about doing that,” he says, not bothering to look at me.
“I know,” I say and walk around the side of the house to fill the buckets with clean water for him. My shoulder and neck are still bothering me, but I push through the pain, determined to do something nice for him. He has worked twice as hard as I have, and I am so grateful he is here to help me. This place is my home, and it is feeling like it now. I owe much of that to Arrow.
I come back around and unto the porch, and he looks up, “What are you doing?”
“I am preparing a bath for you,” I tell him. “It has been a week now, and I know you can use one.”
“Here, let me help you,” he says, standing up and reaching for the buckets.
“No, I am doing this,” I say, pulling back before he can take them. “I want to do something nice for you, and this is what I am doing.”
“Jenna, I don’t mind helping,” he says, reaching for the buckets again.
“You touch these buckets, and I will throw them on you instead!”
He backs up then and smiles at me. “Okay, firecracker, do what you have to do.”
He has been calling me that over the last few days and I have to admit, I kind of like it. I never liked nicknames before, but I can live with being called one. At least from Arrow.
I go on into the house and pour the water in the tub, checking the heating water. It still has a way to go, so I head back out for another two buckets. Just one more for the tub and the other I will use to clean the dishes tonight.
I have prepared a nice stew from the deer Arrow killed the other day. I put in plenty of the vegetables we brought, making an enormous pot so we can eat off it tomorrow also. Arrow has said he likes stew, and deer makes an excellent one.
I even made an apple pie from Brit’s recipe. The orchard growing beside the barn has a peach and pear trees also. I will make some fantastic dishes with them in the coming cycles. Yesterday, I picked a bunch of them and was hoping tomorrow to make us some preserves. There are plenty of jars on the shelves just waiting to be filled.
I go back outside and sit a little ways from Arrow, picking up a knife to help finish with the set he has laid out. He’s been showing me how to sharpen them and says we will often clean meat and furs with them. Apparently, that is something mountain people do up here.
This life differs significantly from what I was expecting. People here have different experiences than those at Star Kingdom, but I am determined to learn.
“Make sure you are sliding the blade along the rock,” He tells me. “You got a good supply of oil?”
“Yes,” I tell him as I change the angle a little more and do as he directs.
“Now that we have finally finished the house, we need to work on your hunting skills again.”
“You mean the bow,” I say, knowing I suck at it the most.
“You will get it,” he tells me. “It is light and powerful, which will be good for your slight frame.”
“My aim sucks, and we both know it. I don’t know what is wrong with me, but I can’t seem to align my target right.”
“We can work on it some this evening,” he tells me then, and I groan. “Don’t make that sound. The sooner you learn, the better.”
“But my shoulder hurts.” I whine, knowing I am being a baby about this.
“Well… I am more than willing to rub it for you,” Arrow says with a sly smile. I blush and look away. He doesn’t make comments like this often, but it makes me feel all warm inside when he does.
“I will check on the water,” I set the knife down and hurry inside the house. It is hot now, and I pick it up by the handle with a towel and tip it into the tub. I go back outside and sit down, picking up my knife again. “Your bath is ready.”
“Thank you,” he says and goes into the house and shuts the door. I hope he enjoys it as much as I did mine. Arrow has always seemed like a clean person, and I like that about him. The smell of unclean flesh bothers me. Another awful memory of mine, and I think it is why I am obsessed with things being clean.
I wait outside, finishing two more of the knives before Arrow comes back out. “That felt great. Now all I need is a shave.”
“Oh, that reminds me.” I get up and move back in the house and take the little box from the shelf. “I found this earlier cleaning out that old chest for your clothes. It is a shaving kit and a very nice one at that.”
He takes and opens it, admiring the blade and leather strap inside. “Thank you. It is nice. Will you heat me a little more water while I sharpen and clean it?”
“Sure,” I agree, moving back into the house and putting a little water in a pan. I take a small bowl with some more outside and set it on the little shelf by the door where there is a compact mirror. Leaning against the door, I watch him prepare the blade. The even strokes of the blade along the leather remind me of when I would talk to Thomas as he shaved. He may have been like a brother to me, but Thomas was also my best friend. I was close to my sister Beth also, but we were also very different.
Arrow puts the blade by the water bowl and turns to me. “I need to get my cream.”
“Oh, yes!” I say, moving inside to the stove, taking the heated water and pouring some in the bowl by the door. I set it back down and grab a small towel as he goes outside and removes his shirt. He then rubs the cream on his face as I lean back against the door again and watch him while he works.
He looks at me before he starts but says nothing. I used to watch Thomas, always liking how the hair disappeared from his face and neck. Arrow has had a beard since we left Star Kingdom, and I have forgotten what he looks like under all that hair.
Arrow and Thomas are about the same age, but where Thomas has ebony hair, Arrow’s is light. He is also more expansive in the shoulders and maybe a little taller. His skin is well tanned and I let my eyes run over him, looking at every curve and rippling muscles on his upper body. How does a man become so strong where a woman can’t?
His arms are as thick as small boulder rocks. He is so powerful and strong, and yet so gentle with me. Arrow rarely touches me, but I no longer have the impulse to pull away when he does. I only now realize that fact as I watch him.
The whiskers disappear from his face in sections, revealing the smooth skin underneath. The cream still obscures it, but little by little, it is all disappearing. He looks… attractive.
Is that the right word?
“Maybe you wouldn’t mind trimming my hair.” He startles me, speaking out of the blue, and I see him glance at me.
“I’ll go get the scissors,” I say, blushing and turning away from him. Did I actually just think of Arrow as attractive?
“Jenna,” he says my name softly, and I look at him.
“Can I have the towel?” he asks.
“Of course,” I say, pulling it off my shoulder and handing it to him. I move away to find the scissors in the house. Where did I put them? I snoop around on my shelves until I find them and walk back to the door and stop.
He wipes the last remaining cream from his face, and I see the sound structure of his jaw, the hair on his face no longer hiding his lips. I gasp. Arrow isn’t attractive. He is beautiful, and I am stunned.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Arrow
Jenna has never looked at me so before, and I feel myself growing hot under her gaze. What is she thinking?
Her eyes are sparkly gold and filled with wonder, like they are coming alive. I have seen sparks of light in them over the last few weeks, but they are shining bright now. To me, it feels like the awakening of desire, but it could be my wishful thinking. My own passion is strong, and yet, I hold any hint of it away from her. Still, the vibe in the air around me says it isn’t my own. I feel a new element in the wind, and it has her fresh scent all over it.
“I feel like a new man, already.”
“You look like one,” she says, shaking her head slightly as she pulls the chair closer to me. She stands behind it as I sit down. My sense of hearing draws in the waves of her heartbeat. The rhythm of my heart instantly reacts to the beat of hers, matching it.
She hesitates in touching me, as I don’t offer her this challenge often. When she is ready, I feel she will come to me, so I wait and let her explore her senses without fear.
She finally steps forward and runs a comb through my damp hair. “I’ve never cut a man's hair before. I don’t know how well I will do.”