Chapter 24. Finishing Off with a Flourish

Will had asked all the new arrivals to gather around, and as they did he started passing out the baggage. The people knew what was who’s, he was glad they did because it all was similar to him. Bag after reindeer hide bag, many bundles of clothes, dishes, what have you. They had been carefully carried in the Roses hold, it wouldn’t do for them to be damaged at the last moment. For once the weather was cooperating, not much wind, the sunlight warm. Hoping this trend would stay as they made their way south again, he opened the neck of his coveralls, it was a warm one.

Everyone was eager to get their possessions and find the new burrows. As this was going, most of the residents had come to greet the arrivals. Therd and his sons had made their way over to Will, greeting him happily, “Well met captain, well met. Glad to see you and your family.”. Shaking hands all around Will was just as glad to see them, “Your all looking well, things are coming back on track?”. For a second the lads didn’t get it but then Din burst out laughing, “Back on track! I get it, we were off track, but now we’re back on, do you see father?”. Nodding at his son Therd laughed as well, “I see, yes, things are coming along nicely, the rock is perfect and with the tools you gifted us we have cut three burrows now, and a great hall.”. This was good news, there was hope for their survival now.

“Is everyone back now, last couple of times there were still hunting parties out.”, Will asked. Therd shook his head, “No, they’re still out, the young people have made a far camp, near the mountains. Hunting, fishing, culling the herds. We all did it, that's how I met Katya.”. Minnie had been visiting with Uma and all her littles, but came up to Will and asked if he needed a hand with the barrels of supplies. “Oh yeah, they’re a little heavy”, he said with a laugh. She yelled at Naomi, but the wind took up her words, so fixing a larger than normal snowball she launched it at the young girl. It took her in the back of the head and threw her face first into a drift. When she dug her way out she was a little annoyed, searching around for the culprit she spied Minnie, hiding behind Will. “It was you!”, she hissed and began to stalk over like a cat. Minnie squeaked and began to back away, “It was dad, he did it, laughed too when you fell in the snow, should have heard him, a big old bald guy laugh, then he said I’m gonna blame you Minnie, I cried but he laughed more, really really.”. Naomi wasn’t buying it and picked up a pile of wet snow, “This is going down your pants Min.”. She sprang after Minnie who ran with a yell of “Hah, I’m not wearing any.”. Will smiled at the shenanigans of the two, reached down and made two snowballs and threw them at the running targets. Missing Minnie, he hit Naomi in the legs and knocked her over. “See?”. Minnie screeched from behind a tree, “Told you.”. From that moment, for the next ten minutes or so, Naomi chased Will and Minnie. From the village to the coast, a running snowball fight, until they collapsed beside the dory. They had to be careful around the village, one of their snowballs could do some real damage, an errant throw had knocked the stuffing out of Cal. “I’m all right”, he managed to puff out, as Minnie tossed back “Sorry guy.”, as she sped by.

After the epic battle they returned to the drop off site, to find all the baggage had been claimed and carried off. Therd and his sons were waiting by the ration barrels. By the scuff marks they had tried to move them but had no luck. “Sorry captain, we tried but they’re just too heavy.”, he said when the crew came back. “It’s me that should be sorry Therd, I loaded them to what we can handle.”, Will replied. Minnie picked up a barrel and balanced it on her shoulder, Naomi did the same. Will had brought a net and tied two of the barrels up and slung them on his back. “Try rolling them boyos, keep control though.”, he advised. Din and Cal managed to tip one and carefully started rolling. Lucky the snow had been trampled into a path so the two lads managed to trundle it along. It was about a mile from the lakeshore to the burrows but everyone made it without dropping or breaking a load.

When they arrived in the centre of town, the differences were obvious. Much more rock shards rimmed three more entrances and there were more chimneys with smoke drifting out. “Busy huh?”, Minnie said as she and Naomi carefully dropped their load down. The boys struggled to stand up the rolling barrel and left to get another. Therd nodded happily, “Oh yes, those new tools cut the rock like it was air. With ten people cutting and shovelling we are cutting fifty feet a day.”. Shaking his head in admiration Will asked “Well if we can help with that let us know, we are planning to leave today though.”. They were walking back to get the last three barrels of rations. Still not a terrible day, but the warming trend was lifting and there were some heavy clouds to the far north. Tor had joined them, but when he heard they were leaving today he huffed “Good”, under his breath. Minnie of course could hear and immediately confronted him, “What’s your problem?”. Not expecting that anyone would hear, or perhaps call him out, he backed off quickly from the irate person in front of him. “Well?”, she demanded, not backing up inch. He looked to his brothers and father for help, but none was incoming. “I told you to let it go, but you wouldn’t listen.”, Din told him. “Let what go?”, Will asked. Cal answered “He thinks you’re going to take Jeri with you, she said to him she’d go if you asked, that he was just a friend. He got mad, left the far camp and came home.”. Will sighed, I should have expected something like this, he thought. Spying a couple of felled trees, he asked the boys to sit. Therd went along with Naomi to the burrows. Minnie stayed beside her dad, very much not happy.

“We don’t talk much about our lives to shore people. It’s no offence, but that’s just how we think of you all. We live very differently than you all. Tor, I talked with Jeri and, yes she could have been more to me.”. He stopped to gather his thoughts for a moment. Minnie was close to him and was a comfort, as always. Going on “You know how the lake effects you, it doesn’t us. We love the water, sharps and all. To live on shore is not for us.”. This was the difficult part “I am over seventy of your years old, I will look like this for the next thousand years. When everyone we have ever known, and their great great great grandchildren are long forgotten, we will still be sailing the lake.”. Hearing this Tors face paled, “We didn’t know captain, this is, it’s, I don’t know what to say.”, he stammered. Din and Cal were equally stunned. Minnie spoke up “it’s just us, it will always be just us. Me and dad and Naomi, she’s my sister you know. We’ll remember you all, dad will write it down, me too but it hurts my hand a bit, he’ll write about your family, then about your kids, I’ll come see Uma and Oona, and then their littles. I’ll tell them about the mirror girls and how they made me happy. But it will always just be us, and the Rose, see?”. She held out her hand with the tattoo on it.

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Tor stood, held his hand out to Will, “Captain I’m sorry for how I acted. I was jealous and bad tempered.”. Taking the man’s hand Will shook, “No harm done my friend, love can make fools of us all.”. Taking in the land around them, the rugged plains with the forest near. Dark trees hiding secrets in the depths. Snow capped mountains in the distance, riding up to impossible heights. The herds of reindeer and elk grazing near the hidden village. “This is a wonderful place to live. Challenging for sure, but this is what makes you strong.”, he sighed, “But never for us, we have miles to go and places to see yet, before we rest. Now, let’s get all of these supplies below ground.”. It was just a couple of hundred yards back to shore, that took just a few minutes and they were heading back with the rations. Will and Minnie hefting one each and the Obb boys rolling the last. They passed through the rough, but sturdy fence that surrounded the village. Logs dug into the ground then frozen in place, strong and high enough to keep out the local wildlife. There were higher towers in two corners where a watch would be kept, but the tall gate would be closed at night.

Naomi was waiting with Katya at the entrances and catching sight of Will and Minnie, ran to meet them. “Did anyone get a talking to then?”, she asked. Tor looked down, “I was acting poorly, captain set me straight, and Minnie.”. Naomi patted his arm, “Don’t worry, we’re still friends.”. Minnie added “Yeah guys, tell us who you want to be your sweetheart, don’t be shy, who’s your sugar pie, honey bunch?”. The boys laughed and blushed, glanced at their ma and started down the curving passage below, chatting to Min and Naomi. Katya caught Wills arm, “That was nicely done captain, thank you for being gentle with him.”. He laughed, “You’re welcome, those are three good lads there. I hope the bad times are done with now, time for family and grand babies soon I think.”. She nodded “I hope so, I miss the babies, they grow so fast.”. “My wife loved babies too, all ages but the tiny ones most of all.”, Will remembered. “Were you together long captain, had many children?”, Katya asked. “We were married for just over fifty five years, had two children and four grandkids, a wonderful life.”,Will sighed, “Just wonderful.”.

They headed down the fresh cut ramp into the warm caves below. At the bottom they found a mess of broken wood and ration packages. Cal was trying to clean it up, but laughed nervously when his ma and Will came into view. “Ahaha, it just got away from us, and Din couldn’t stop it, and the lid was loose cause he was looking for oatmeal, and we’re sorry.”. “It should be okay still, looks mostly okay. That stuff is packed tight in there.”, Will said, poking through the rubble. They picked up all the packets and piled them on top of the other barrels, neatly lined up to one side of the large room.

Will was amazed at how much had been done in such a short time. This cavern? Cave? Was easily as big as the one at the old burrows had been. The same off shoot rooms, colourful hangings over the openings for privacy. Fires burning in carved stoves in the walls, very homey now. The temperature was perfect and there was oatmeal cooking on the hobs, Din would be happy. There were at least fifty people waiting, as before they were the representatives of each family. Minnie and Naomi were sitting on seats carved out of the living rock, in a circle around the central fireplace. Minnie waved him over to sit with them, and as he did the others had apparently been waiting for him. As one the villagers clasped their hands and bowed. Many calls of thank you, loud and whispered, echoed from the walls. The new Eld took their places before the remaining stone seats beside the crew, Katya, Arno, others that Will didn’t know. They bowed as well, nodding and smiling their thanks.

Will stood, his daughters beside him. Looked over at the crowd, whispered to Minnie, “What the heck do I say?”. She whispered back “Say you’re welcome.”, Naomi added “Yup, that’s the polite thing.”. Facing the crowd, looking at their faces, burning this moment in, “You’re welcome.”. At these simple words a sigh of relief passed through the crowd and they began to be a bit happier. Will asked Katya “What was that, they were a bit nervous about something?”. She gave him a serious look “Some were worried you would ask for much, for payment, I told the people that wouldn’t happen, but some were still concerned.”. “We don’t work like that, we help where we can, trade too but always fairly.”, Will said. She nodded, “We know.”.

Arno added “We have trade goods for you. Many furs, reindeer and elk hides, deer skins, all for you for saving us, it is all being brought to the shore now, for you to load when you go.”. Will was a bit stunned, they hadn’t expected to gain anything but friends from what they had done over the past few days. It hadn’t really cost them anything but time, and that was one thing they had. “Well, thank you. I’m sure they will trade well in Newton and Laketown. They have an odd way of doing things but it all works out I guess. They don’t use money, just trade credit.”. “What’s money?” Arno asked, and “What’s credit?” asked Katya. Will thought for a moment, patted Naomi on the shoulder and said “Hey, these guys have questions for you.”. As she turned to answer he slid out of his seat and walked through the lessening crowd to the ramp to outside. Minnie of course came with him. “Didn’t want to answer?” she asked. He shrugged “She knows their system better than me, and to be honest I was feeling a little closed in down there. Caves are not for me.”. Pointing at the sky, “It’s getting a bit late, we need to get back aboard and get cracking on, I want to find that coal Naomi saw. And I’d like to sleep in my own bed tonight,I’m a bit sick of the wheelhouse chair.”. “So let’s go, toss the furries into the hold til we’re moving, I’ll go get Naomi.” Minnie said and she turned and went back down.

A few minutes later and the two came back up. The cold was coming back as the evening came on but they were still dressed for it. Hats and gloves were put on quickly. As they prepared to go, what looked like the entire village was gathering around them. It was both happy and sad as they walked to shore and their boats. This chapter was over but a new one would start. Will was amazed at the sight of bundles of furs and skins, waiting to be loaded. Naomi and Minnie started loading and were quickly rowing the first load out. Will had asked Minnie to bring something back and was waiting for them to return. He could see them offloading on the Rose and the stack started to let out smoke. After a few minutes both boats were returning for the last load and Will. The boats beached with a crunch and four wooden crates were carefully lifted out, Minnie and Naomi taking care not to drop them. When Will opened them the villagers were delighted. It was more of the iron works from Laketown. Axe heads, saws of all types, knife blades, chisels for wood and rock, spear heads, hundreds of arrow heads. All lying in oiled paper to prevent rust. Four crates of this, the difference between life and death for these people. “Use them well friends.” Will called over the people talking. “We must be off, but we’ll be back. Twice a year we’ll come, listen for the whistle at the end of winter and at the beginning of the next.”. The furs were all loaded, Minnie was going through the crowd making her goodbyes to all her new friends. Same with Naomi, she always hit it off with the people her own age and they were gathered near her now. Much hugging and shaking of hands but it was time to go. Taking their places at the oars Will pushed the folder first then the dory, jumping in as it slid into the icy water.

The shore fell away and the torches held by some began to be lit, to show their way back home. As Will, Minnie and Naomi climbed aboard the Rose they quickly unloaded the heavy bales and threw then into the hold with the others. Boats lifted up and locked in place, anchors lifted. Minnie was behind the wheel with Will and Naomi beside her. She pushed the throttle to one quarter and the Rose steamed away. The shore and the people lining it falling away into shadow and mist. It was time to get moving again.