Dwellers of the New World Chapter Thirteen ( Pt 4 ) Family Gathering

It was early afternoon by the time Kalina and her son reached home. The snow had begun to fall leaving a sprinkling of white along the narrow path leading to their door. It would be a cold night too, as the wind had also picked up threatening to get worse as day became night. Kalina knew from experience, that a snow storm was on its way, which would create drifts leading up to their cabin if it continued through the night.

Mother and son entered the small timber building, the fragrance of pine cones that came from the pine trees that grew at the bottom of the mountains were burning, giving off a redolent fresh – clean welcome. Evelyne sat by the fire with Kalina's baby in her arms. Wind whistled through crevices in the cabin as the fire crackled and spat, its flames orange – gold and red giving a warm cosy feeling. Evelyne rocked back and fourth hypnotized by the colourful blaze, her cheeks rosy and her eyes sleepy. The age lines in her face wrinkled as she looked up. “How was your trip...did you manage to find plenty of logs?” She enquired heavy-eyed.

Kalina took the logs and bent down to set them on the hearth, her back clicked as she came up, though it didn't hurt she flinched slightly. Wiping the dirt from her hands and brushing the snow from her sleeves, she pulled her hood down smiling at her friend. “We found enough logs for the rest of the day, but I'll need to go out again in the morning.”

Kalina turned and watched as Fallow picked up a pitcher from the table and started to pour some milk very shakily. “Be careful son...we don't want to loose any of that milk!” She said quickly making her way over and taking the pitcher from her son. The woman looked over at her sleeping baby. “How's Tegan been? No trouble I hope?” Milk began to flow into a wooden tankard as she spoke.

“He's been a treasure as always...slept most of the time you were out.” Evelyne didn't want to move, she was so relaxed with the sleeping child.

As Fallow drank his milk, he spoke of the two men his mother had overheard talking. “Mama thinks there's some bad men...up to no good down by Hawk Entrance...don't you Mama?”

Kalina hadn't wanted to mention it to Evelyne at least not yet, it was more important that she report it to her man first. “I don't really know what I heard, but I'll mention it to Tariq when he comes home.” She stared at her son in annoyance for bringing up the subject, but quickly smiled knowing he didn't really understand. “Go and play outside Fallow...I'll be out in a while and you can help me build a fire in the lodge.” The lodge was a round straw and mud building that had a fire in the middle with a large hole in the roof for the smoke to escape. There was also a larger sweat lodge near by, where all the men would congregate to talk and make decisions; in fact most cabins had their own lodge where families could get together and eat at any time of year.

“The snow is starting to come down pretty fast and their could be drifts tonight...I don't want us to get snowed in, so I think we'll stay in the lodge tonight.” Kalina said as she watched her son disappear out the door in excitement of playing outside, then she turned to her friend. “Thank you for taking care of Tegan, I didn't fancy taking him with me today.”

Evelyne was only too pleased to cuddle the baby. “You know I don't mind looking after him...I'm getting too old to do much else and you've been kind to me and Nathen since we got here...I don't know where we'd have been without you.”

“It's always a pleasure to have you here and until Nathen and Tariq finish building your cabin you're welcome to stay.”

The two women carried on their conversation, until Tegan finally awoke crying for some milk. “Here...let me take him from you.”

Evelyne passed the whimpering baby to Kalina and came to standing, her legs were stiff from sitting for so long. “My joints aren't what they used to be...every Winter they get worse,” she protested.

“You go and have a walk outside, I won't be long...just got to nurse Tegan, then I'll be out myself.”

Evelyne went to leave, then remembered about the two men Fallow had spoken of. “Just out of curiosity; have you any idea what those men were up to down at Hawk Entrance?”

“No...I don't know Evelyne,” replied Kalina. “Please don't you worry about it, there's nothing to do until I speak to my man.”

“I'm not really worried,” replied Evelyne, “just being inquisitive.” Evelyne sometimes wished she had been more adventures when she was younger, but it wasn't really in her nature to go looking for trouble, she'd had enough problems with Fern when she was young, Fern had been fearless and was always going off where she shouldn't. Then she thought of Jay and his travelling as a healer and wondered where he was, it was so long since she'd seen him. She decided to say no more on the matter.

Kalina however, was convinced she would get to the bottom of whatever it was. As Evelyne was about to turn to leave, Kalina spoke. “I intend to find out...if its the last thing I do.” Then she remembered her son telling her about the new ship he'd seen arriving. “Oh! By the way it looks like another ship has docked down at the jetties...I wonder how many new people will be arriving and which valley they'll be going to? I hope it's not in our valley, we've got enough people here as it is.”

Evelyne shut the door and came back into the room, deciding to stoke the fire before she left the cabin. Quietly she thought about the mainland and her family her and Nathen had left behind. A tear ran down her cheek as it always did when remembering her daughter and her grandchild Netty, wondering if they were okay. She had wanted to say goodbye to Fern before she left, but the men that offered them a better life, had told them they would have to leave straight away; or miss out on the chance of a life time. Things hadn't turned out exactly as they'd planned, but Evelyne was tired of travelling, so they'd decided to set up home on the new Island.

Kalina felt so sorry for the poor woman and knew why she was crying. “Leave the fire, you go on out and watch Fallow, I won't be long.”

“Sorry I'm being silly!” Replied Evelyne, wiping her eyes and escaping quick, before she shed any more tears.

Shortly the men came back cold – hungry and tired after a day working on the cabin for Evelyne and Nathen. They found the two women in the lodge where the deer was browning over a huge fire.

“I see there's plenty of food to go round...me and Nathen have been working hard and that weather hasn't been good to build in at all.” Tariq approached Kalina and gave her a kiss, while Nathen did the same to Evelyne.

“Soon be ready my love, then we'll have a cabin all of our own,” declared Nathen, brushing a bit of hair behind Evelyne's ear.

“Listen to the two love birds...I remember when we used to talk like that.” Tariq winked at Kalina and gave her a smile.

“Ha...ha!” Replied Kalina as she cut some meat from the deer to see if it was ready to eat. Fallow turned the handle which kept the meat revolving on a spit over the fire, so it would be prepared evenly on all sides. The Deer was cooked as the smoke rose up through the roof. Kalina had prepared some dried mushrooms to go with the meat.

The two men milked the two goats that remained in the lodge for the night with the family, then washed up from a wooden bucket of water that was kept in the cabin and went back outside to the lodge.

Everyone helped themselves to meat and wooden tankards of milk, then sat down on bear skins that Kalina and Tariq had bartered from the main land. There was plenty of meat to go round and the bones would make a stock for some soup the next day.

“So...how has your day been?” Enquired Tariq, eager to hear any news.”

Before Kalina had a chance to reply, Fallow spoke up once again. “Mama's going to find some bad men tomorrow...aren't you Mama?”

“Fallow...I wish you wouldn't interrupt all the time when Tariq's talking to me.”

“Sorry Mama, I just thought!” The boy bit his lip.

Kalina looked at her son sternly. “Well you know what thought did...got in trouble.”

The boy looked down at his food sheepishly and picked up some meat, his face red with embarrassment. He mumbled under his breath, wishing he were a bird and could fly away.

“Don't worry son...I'll speak to you later and you can tell me all about your day, before you fall asleep.” His father looked at him sympathetically.

Fallow looked up at his father and smiled, happier now he knew his father was going to put him to bed.

Turning back to Kalina, Tariq enquired. “So tell me all about these bad men.” He was now curious and eager to find out what was going on.

Kalina rested her hand on Tariq's knee. “I don't know...it's just a gut feeling, but while we were down at Hawk Entrance, I overheard some men talking about someone or something moaning and groaning, and it was a secret that they would be going back tomorrow; so I plan to go back and have a look for myself.”

Tariq put his meat down, the grease coating his lips; he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and protested. “Well you're not going alone...if there's men up to no good, then I'll come with you; I'm sure Nathen won't mind taking one day off.” He looked over at Nathen and Evelyne for reassurance.

“No...that's fine Tariq!” Uttered Nathen. “You go and explore, see what you can find, I can manage on my own for one day. If this weather gets any worse, we might not be able to do any building tomorrow.” Evelyne was quite happy looking after the children, so plans for tomorrow were decided.

Once their supper was finished and darkness drew in, the family talked into the night, enjoying the flames of the fire until sleep overtook them. Finally they decided to sleep in the lodge for fear of being snowed in. The bear skins kept them warm, as the wind whipped up the snow outside, whirling around the lodge.

Dwellers of the New World Chapter Thirteen ( Pt 5 ) Hope of a Brighter Tomorrow | ABCtales