The Storm: War's End, #1 Read online

  Jess sat in the chair and let out a small groan of pleasure. It was a canvas sling, suspended on a wooden frame, and then lined with soft furs. It felt delicious. She arranged her wraps, offered Jacob her breast and settled back blissfully content in the most comfortable seat she had sat in since the week at old Cooper’s place. Her eyes closed and she slowly drifted towards sleep as the others moved about the cave preparing dinner.

  Jess was startled awake by a steaming cup of tea thrust under her nose a half hour later. The tea was followed by a hearty bowl of ramen noodles, thick with dandelion greens, and small bits of savory squirrel meat floating in it. They ate in shifts, for there were only two bowls. The light from the natural skylight had dimmed and disappeared as night fell. The fire was built up, and they made little niches of blankets or backpacks to curl up against and stare at the old woman. She had promised them a story, after all. She reached over and plucked Jacob from Jess’s arms, cuddling and cooing at him and began to speak.

  “One day, the chief of the Quiet Earth people was hunting in the forest. He was looking for a symbol to give life to his people. He came upon the tracks of a giant deer and he became very excited.

  ‘Grandfather Deer,’ he said, ‘surely you will show yourself to me. You will be the symbol of my people.’

  He followed the tracks. His eyes were on nothing else as he followed those tracks, and he ran fast through the forest. Suddenly, he ran right into a huge spider web that stretched between the trees, across the trail. When he got up, he was terribly angry. He struck at the spider who was sitting at the edge of the web. But the spider jumped out of reach. Then the spider spoke.

  ‘Grandson,’ the spider said, ‘why do you run through the woods looking at nothing but the ground?’

  The chief felt foolish, but he answered. ‘I was following the tracks of a great deer,’ the chief said. ‘I am seeking a symbol of strength for my people.’

  ‘I can be such a symbol,’ said the spider.

  ‘How can you be a symbol of strength?’ said the chief. ‘You are small and weak, and I didn't even see you as I followed the great Deer.’

  ‘Grandson,’ said the spider, ‘look upon me. I am patient. I watch and I wait. Then all things come to me. If your people learn this, they will be strong indeed.’

  The chief saw that this was so. And so the spider became one of the symbols of the people.”

  Madge looked around. Tina was nearly asleep, curled in a ball near the old woman’s feet. David was staring attentively and Jess was nearly asleep herself. She smiled at David, “What did you think of the story?”

  He didn’t smile, instead he looked sad. David thought of the old farmhouse and the blood and of Erin. In his memory, so fresh and raw, he could still hear Jess’s screams as she held her friend’s hand.

  “I should have watched and waited more, but I didn’t and then Erin died.” The old woman nodded slowly. Jess opened her eyes, stared at David and Madge, but said nothing. She wondered where this was going.

  The old woman’s voice was kind and matter of fact, “This happens. Many have died this past year and even more will die in the months and years to come. You are young, you are Min’-dse, the bow. You bend, and you learn and grow strong. You stay alive, someday you will be Ku'-rux, the bear,” she smiled at him, then made a fierce face and growled playfully, her wrinkled hands imitating the claws of the bear.

  “You will be a fierce warrior. But you must first learn patience, to watch and wait for the right moment; this will make you a strong man someday.”

  Madge nodded then at Jess and stroked Jacob’s sleeping cheek, “You too are young, but you and your family have seen much hardship, will you tell me your story?”

  David interjected, “We aren’t family. Jess and Erin found Tina and me in Clinton. Our parents are dead. And Erin is dead now too. The soldiers killed her.”

  The old woman stared at David for a moment, “Min’-dse, you are all family now. In the past, my people warred with other tribes. When too many of the warriors died, my tribe would go out and take people from other tribes to adopt and bring into the tribe so that our numbers did not dwindle and be gone forever from this world. You have found each other, bonded together in a common need, and this means that you are family.”

  She reached down and stroked Tina’s hair.

  “But it is late and you are all tired. Let us share more stories tomorrow, when our bodies are well-rested.”

  She pulled herself upright and brought Jacob back to Jess, watching approvingly as Jess carefully folded the infant back into the sling without waking him. She showed them a sleeping chamber that branched off to the left of the large inner chamber. They were surprised to see that the sleeping chamber had six cots in it.

  Only one cot had blankets, and it was obviously Madge’s cot. Jess and David looked at each other in the flickering lantern light. It felt as if they had hit the jackpot. First they had eaten a hot, satisfying dinner and now they each had an actual bed to sleep in. They smiled for the first time in days.

  Madge bustled about and reached into a box and pulled out blankets for each of them. David went back and woke up Tina and held her hand as she stumbled sleepily into the small dark chamber. Madge had lain down on her cot, and hummed some wordless song for a few minutes, lulling them into sleep. All that could be heard after that was the occasional pop or spit from the fire and the soft splashing of rain.

  Sanctuary

  “There was something about Madge that spoke security, knowledge, and peace. She knew so much, instantly cared for us and pulled us into her world. We were safe, loved, and protected. I learned more about the ancient people who had occupied this land, and how relevant their lives and knowledge were to us right now, then I ever imagined possible. Somehow too, she helped me find some peace with Erin’s death and my part in it. She was a mother, favorite aunt, and revered grandmother all rolled into one. Madge reminded me that family is not always who we are born with, but who we choose to love. She helped me to see how much we all belonged together.” – David’s Journal

  The fire crackled merrily, flames licking over the newly added wood. The skylight in the cave showed that dawn had barely arrived, the light was still gray and indistinct when Jess awoke to the sounds of Madge bustling about. She was muttering to herself and had a list and pen in hand. When she looked over and saw Jess’s eyes open she smiled at her, “There is much to do today, child, so much to do. We must make this place into a refuge for you and yours. Winter will be coming soon.”

  Jess wasn’t sure what to say in response. Winter? Stay in a cave for a full winter? A nice meal and a night’s stay, that was fine, but a full winter? She wondered if the old woman was stable. Perhaps she was suffering from dementia or was just old and crazy. With all that had happened, it was a wonder they weren’t all crazy. The memory of Erin’s empty staring eyes flashed through her mind. And the bodies, so many bodies to the north. How would they ever survive to get past the fighting?

  Were there others out there looking for them? As her mind tumbled through its fears and concerns she began to waver. Perhaps a winter here wasn’t such a bad idea. Her thoughts were interrupted by David yawning and stretching at her feet. His eyes widened in momentary fear as he looked around, his sleep-fogged brain not remembering the night before for one short moment.

  As the others woke, Jacob kicked and grumbled a moment before letting out a wail of hunger and discomfort. He was wet again and Jess realized they were almost out of diapers.

  Madge eyed the dwindling stack of diapers her and added to her list, “We’ll need grass and rabbit skin for Mi'-da-in-ga, wood for bowls, at least two deer.” David had already made his way to her side, reading over the list.

  “Who’s Meedah, Meedah...” He stumbled over the word.

  “Mi’-da-in-ga,” Madge replied, stressing each syllable, “It means Playful Sun.”

  “Okay,” David looked confused, “Who is that?”

  “The little one, the boy.
You call him Jacob, yes?” Jess nodded, “Well he needs diapers, and there’s no Pampers factory around here. So we must get sweet grass and rabbit skin for his wraps.”

  David and Jess exchanged raised eyebrows. In the coming months they would find Madge to be an enormous wealth of information, support, and love. Throughout their stay, however, she would insist on calling them by strange names they had difficulty pronouncing. No matter how often they referred to each other by their given names, she would always respond with a correction. It was her one idiosyncrasy and one that they soon came to accept.

  When Tina crossed her legs and looked nervously about, Madge led the children out of the cave and made a sharp turn to the left. The path through the trees was narrow and less than a hundred feet away there was a small opening in the trees. An outhouse sat squarely in the middle of it. Despite its function, it did not emit a smell. Inside the rough-hewn walls was a toilet seat mounted over a bucket filled with sawdust. Beside it was a barrel piled high with clean sawdust. Madge instructed Tina to throw a handful of sawdust down when she had finished and cover any waste.

  A few yards from the outhouse there was an outdoor shower. The shower could be used by first pumping water through a small pump from the local stream to a water tower nestled high in the trees. They would do this first thing in the morning and the black walls of the water tower pulled in heat and warmed the water quite efficiently during the warm months. It was usually enough for two showers if they took short ones.

  After everyone had had a chance to use the outhouse, Madge directed them back to the cave, stopping only to cut down several swaths of milk thistle along the way. She carried them gingerly, her worn hands encased in thick gloves to avoid being pierced by the thorns.

  Breakfast was dandelion tea and thick oatmeal sweetened with some wild berries that David had collected the day before. Madge had stripped the leaves and flowers off of the milk thistle and set them to boiling in a pot over the fire. As they sipped the last of their tea and handed the bowls around, Madge told them about her work as an anthropologist and explained that the cave site was an archaeological dig from the Middle Woodland era (200 B.C. to 450 A.D.).

  “I headed a team of five up until a year and a half ago. Things just went from bad to worse in Kansas City, where I was based, and when everything fell apart I headed up here after the first big thaw in the spring. I was hoping that some of the team might make it back here, but so far no one has. My children are long grown and gone overseas. I haven’t heard from any of them for more than a year.” Her dark eyes shimmered, “I’ve been alone here until you children came along.”

  Quincy quietly gnawed on a small pile of rabbit bones at Jess’s feet and then licked the bowls clean after everyone had finished eating.

  The next hour was spent sharing their histories with Madge, including the loss of Erin just a few days past. Jess passed Madge the note describing Jess and Erin and listing Belton as their hometown and probably destination.

  “We were planning on heading for Belton but with all the fighting...and this note David found on one of the soldiers...I just don’t know what to do.” Jess confessed, tears in her eyes, “I want to go home, but I’m trying to keep us out of danger.”

  Madge read the note and said nothing for a few minutes. “I haven’t seen hide nor hair of another living soul in over four months until you children showed up. And I’m pretty sure that’s likely to continue. This cave is not on any of the common maps; it isn’t obvious or noticeable from the water line. And the nearest road is a hard-going seven mile hike from here. It was most certainly used in the past for shelter by my ancestors. That was a long time ago, but I think we could do so again and make it work, even through winter. In the spring you could move on if you liked.”

  She paused and smiled at them each in turn, “I’m not saying it won’t be hard. But if my people lived on this land for centuries, I know we can manage to do it for a few months. I’ve been fine here all summer and I had packed enough for a team of six, so there are plenty of food stores plus the natural resources nearby. I’ve been a student of the old ways since I was as young as Min’-dse here.”

  She nodded towards David. “Some hard work and preparation and we will be fine. In the spring, once your trail has grown cold and your pursuers have given up, then you will be free to return to your home in Belton.”

  Jess was conflicted. Should they try and survive the winter in a cave? Could they actually do that? Or should they take their chances heading north again, knowing they could be heading straight into danger? A part of her was exhausted and heartsick. She missed home dreadfully, even though she knew that home might not even be there anymore.

  Another part of her simply wanted to stop running and rest for a while. It was exhausting, constantly being afraid of every movement in front of you, behind you, and all around you. To stop and breathe, to sleep in one place each night sounded like heaven to her.

  She made eye contact with David and even Tina. Tina was young, but she still had a vote. Both seemed eager to stay in the cave. The thought of heading north and encountering bodies, being caught in a firefight or encountering more like those at the farmhouse, was terrifying to them both. Although they said nothing out loud, the answer on their faces was clear. Jess asked, “So...what will we need to do to prepare for winter?”

  Old Madge’s face lit up and she pulled the small notebook out of her pocket and began to list off what they would need. It was an odd and varied list and she explained each item in detail. The next few weeks would be filled with frenzied activity, and a great deal of learning.

  Memories of Ancestors

  “You look around you and you see something from long ago. I look at the bones and the history and think of yesterday and tomorrow. What my people knew then, we must know now. Without that knowledge, we cannot survive. The memories of ancestors – how they lived, what they hunted with, even their rituals and legends hold great meaning to us, here and now. Never forget that. It may mean the difference between life and death.” – From the Journal of Dr. Madeleine Falling Water

  By mid-October the nights were quite chilly, but Jess had managed to bag a large buck with one clean shot with Madge’s deer rifle, a 94 Winchester model. It was easy once she had thought about their habits. They were active at twilight and at first light.

  Conveniently, Jacob was now sleeping a good portion of the night. He woke around 2 a.m. for a feeding and then slept until 8 a.m., sometimes even 9 a.m. Jess had fully recovered from his birth now and the extra time he was sleeping meant she wasn’t as sleep-deprived as she had been. Thanks to better living conditions, and nutritious food, she felt energized, especially in this quiet, peaceful place.

  Each morning she would get up carefully, nestle Jacob against Madge, and slip out of the cave and down to a stand of trees downwind from the water’s edge. She had studied the deer tracks, and it appeared that several of them always came to the same place to drink from the lake.

  The first day she headed out too late, and met a surprised buck heading back. The second day she moved at the wrong time, startling the small group of deer before they were in full range of her scope. The third day was success. One shot, into the shoulder as the young buck stood broadside 20 yards away, killed the great animal instantly.

  She stood over its body, thankful at the magnificent creature’s quick death. No suffering, and the animal was dead before it hit the ground. The hunting she and Erin had done at the cabin had not included deer. Not because they weren’t around, and Erin had certainly wanted to try, but the .22 Rimfire was far too small of a caliber to be an effective and humane kill. Jess smiled sadly at the thought of her friend. Erin would have been so proud of her right now.

  They had all quickly become familiar with the area and moved about the surrounding woods with assurance once Madge showed them other signs that would indicate the location of the cave if any of them got turned around or confused. There were notches on trees, rock piles, and rags tied to
branches to help point them back to the rock shelter.

  The cave was extensive. The back of the sleeping chamber led to three additional chambers – a section used to store dried foods was on the left and then the passage emptied onto a second small chamber which contained another dig site. Madge explained that it was a sacred burial site and asked them not to go any further than the food storage chamber. Beyond the burial chamber there was another chamber that had collapsed.

  “The burial site and beyond are not only sacred, but also in danger of collapse,” Madge explained, “We had to abandon efforts in that area until we could get it shored up better.” She looked sad, “And, of course, I couldn’t do it on my own.”

  The thought of the cave collapsing was frightening until Madge explained the architecture of the cave and showed them the supports that had already been put into place.

  “As long as we don’t get a major earthquake, like the New Madrid earthquake in 1811-1812, we’ll be just fine here.”

  She smiled crookedly, “If an earthquake that size hits, well, let’s just say it’s the last thing any of us will have to worry about. Even outside wouldn’t be safe. That 1811-1812 series toppled millions of acres of forest.”

  The rest of the cave traveled for miles. There was another large passage leading west from the back of the large inner chamber. David followed the stream with a lantern in hand for several hundred yards until it disappeared into a rock wall. The cave continued for miles, Madge informed them, but warned them of the dangers of becoming lost in the different passages and sub-chambers that branched off in different directions.

  One night, not long after they had decided to stay for the winter, David had dreamed of Erin. It had been more of a memory really. He had never spoken of what had happened in the farmhouse and Jess had never asked. He awoke with a shout and it had startled Jacob enough that the baby began to wail.