Chapter 14 Going Down

After a refreshing nights sleep the crew was up early. Going on deck to check the boat Will was pleasantly surprised to fine the sun out and, while not warm at least not freezing to death cold. Which was great for the villagers, currently eating oatmeal in the mess. They were going to be ferried to shore as soon as they ate, lots of work ahead for them. The Rose was going to head back north and pick up a second load of people, bring them here. Repeat this for the next few days until everyone was here, except for the hold out Eld. Hopefully the new burrows would be ready soon, winters grip was just coming to this land. Starting to shiver Will headed below, not really dressed for standing around.

The mess was quiet, everyone was finished eating and had dressed in their furs. Carrying their supplies for the next few days and their tools and weapons there was a long line heading up the stairs to the deck. They were one boat short now so Will dropped the folder and all the bags and packs were tossed in. Minnie and Naomi had put the dory in the water, pulled it around to the stairs and the villagers gingerly got in, after scanning for waiting sharps. Settling at the oars Minnie stroked fast for shore, Will followed and it was definitely not a competition. Even though Minnie did a victory dance when she won, nope, not a competition. The young people spread out on the shore, thankful to be away from the water. It was likely they would never go near or on the lake again, more than likely, more like a 100 percent surety.

The herds had responded again to the steam whistle and were hovering near a stand of trees. Several of the young people had started constructing holding pens and paddocks already. There were a lot more trees here than where they had lived. Will had quickly unloaded the smaller boat and piled all the supplies nearer to land than water. Minnie had made her rounds of goodbyes and was waiting by the beached dory. Tor stepped up “Captain, we have something for you and crew. Worked on it last night, in secret while you snored.”. Minnie and Naomi stifled a laugh, but nodded in agreement. “I do not snore.”, Will said “I just dream that I’m a steam engine.”. This time there were no stifled laughs, just a straight out belly laugh from both of them, followed by the villagers. After they settled down Tor continued “We made this for you and for us too, to remember this trip.”. He opened his furs to reveal he was wearing a sharps tooth necklace, in fact they all were. Jeri reached in her pouch and too out three more, placing one around Naomi’s neck, one around Minnie’s. The last was for Will, as she placed it around his neck he could see reddish threads mixed in with the rawhide. “Your hair.”, he said, not a question. She nodded “To remember us, for you this was one trip of many you have taken but for me it’s the only one I’ll ever have.”. He held the tooth in his hand, feeling the hard edges, the feel of the rawhide and the smoothness of the long red strands that had been woven around. “Thank you Jeri, I will treasure this forever. And I wish…”, he sighed. She threw her arms around him for a long hug, then pulled away, rubbing her hand over her face, “I understand Will, I just wish too.”. Standing beside her Tor raised his hand “Thanks for the ride and the excitement captain, I won’t forget this trip.”.

Din shouted “And what a trip it was, I found out about oatmeal, I love it.”. Minnie just shook her head in disgust, what a guy. There was one more thing Will unloaded from the dory before they pushed off. He lifted another barrel of the emergency rations, “Just in case we’re late returning, a blizzard or something else. It’s a few days of food, and oatmeal for Din.”. Tor and Arnon lugged the barrel to where the tents were being set up. There was lots for them to do and they were eager to get going. With a wave the crew cast off “See you in two days”, called Naomi and they were off.

The return to the Rose was quick and they had the boats up and tight, anchors pulled and were steaming away in just a few minutes. It was almost like they knew what to do. Gathering in the wheelhouse, with a hastily fetched teapot and juice jug, there was a odd mood. It was unnaturally quiet, so Will decided the air needed clearing a bit. “Yes, she’s very pretty, but I still consider myself married. I might look like a younger man but inside I am still a slightly crotchety old guy. For a minute I thought why not, but no it’s not gonna happen, okay?”. Naomi was a bit pensive “You told me if I ever found someone they would be welcome to join us, I can’t dislike someone that you choose.”. She did have a point, Will thought, except for one thing. “I look around 35, a year from now I will look 35, same for a hundred years from now, two hundred years the same.”, he sighed. “So when I check my menu it says my age is stabilizing, when it’s done then I’m set, forever? Like you?”, Minnie asked, “Cause I am still only six years old, that better change, I am not a little.”. Will nodded “ Yes, I’m very sure it will Min, this is who we are now, you too Naomi..”. She nodded “I thought so, it’s kinda scary, the thought of living that long.”. “It is,” Will agreed “But we just don’t age, I don’t know about diseases, accidents could still happen too. We don’t talk about this much because it’s,”, he searched for what he felt, “Frightening but exciting, I’m looking forward to those years with you both.”. “Me too dad, you know I’ll always be with you.” said Minnie, “Oh yes, I feel the same way, it’s just a lot.” Naomi added.

After this talk they were all a bit tired, drawn out, feeling raw. So Naomi went below for a rest and to start a evening meal. Lunch would be a ‘whatever you can find’ meal. Which suited Minnie just fine, same for Will. Big meals were a lot of work and besides, he missed barbecuing on the bow, or fish fry’s. This weather it was not a good idea to be standing on the bow in the snow, the wind and the freezing spray, cooking. Besides they had no fresh meat to make burgers anyway. Absently he poured another cuppa, doodling in his notebook as Minnie kept an eye on their course. They were staying in view of the coast and after a few hours at full speed came across a sight on shore. The current had brought all the frozen sharp carcasses and washed them ashore, the beach was strewn with them. All sizes, from three feet to over twenty. Minnie steered them close and they slowed down for a closer look. Will whistled down and Naomi came up for a look too. “Horrible things.”, she said. “Yeah they are”, Minnie added “We got them good though, next time it’s gonna be arrows though, pew pew in the eye.”. Will laughed “I wish we had though of that first, less of a mess.”. Going back to full speed and heading out further again. They had many miles to go.

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It was nearly full dark when they called it a day. Currently anchored in a slightly protected cove about fifty yards off shore. The anchors hadn’t gone that deep before they hit bottom. They had dug in right away and stopped the slight drift towards shore, they had reversed just to make sure but it was a good catch. The boat was safe for the night. After a quick deck walk around Will and Minnie went down the stairs and revelled in the warmth. The wheelhouse was okay, not too cold but there was a lot of glass, single pane windows don’t keep a lot of heat in. “Maybe we could figure out double pane glass, it would be a lot warmer.”, he remarked as they removed coats and over pants. Their one piece coveralls were still drying after a very thorough washing. The thick quilted material with leather reinforcement and an inner woolly liner were very warm and windproof but took forever to dry. Even after hanging in the engine room for a day, there were still damp spots. Tomorrow morning they would be ready to wear though. All the crew had other, just as warm gear, but not as hardy. These were very durable and next time they hit Newton Will planned on getting two more sets for each of them. Boots too. He remembered some winter boots he had years ago. Huge things with two thick felt liners, a good inch and a half of dense felt kept his feet warm forever. The cobbler would be busy.

“Oh good, I was just about to send out a search party, thought you guys got lost.”, Naomi said as they entered. The crew table was the only one up now, the others all stored away for next time. Chairs stacked and tied in place, the room was both bigger and cosier at the same time. Only a single lantern was burning as well, so shadows danced in the far corners of the room. Dinner was on the table, and what a meal it was. A fine meatloaf liberally stuffed with cheese, fried potatoes and carrots dripping butter. The savoury smell was enough to get Wills mouth watering and Minnie’s stomach made a long rumbling growl of anticipation. “Looks great Naomi”, Will said, helping himself and dodging Minnie’s hands as she cut a large slice of the meat, “oh yeah, this is wonderful, I was sick of oatmeal.”, she said while stuffing in a bite. Naomi laughed, “I had to do something with the sharps left on deck, they turned out well hmmm?”. Minnie stopped in mid chew, eyes wide, “You didn’t, did you, not really, cause this is great, dad help me out here, did you really really Naomi?”. “No, I didn’t. Just salt pork, but it was funny.”, Naomi told her. Min growled but continued eating, “Can you eat them”, she asked. “In the old world you couldn’t eat certain sharks, different name but mostly the same. These ones are like great whites, very aggressive and dangerous. They had too much of a mineral called mercury, make you real sick.” Will answered.

After their meal and cleanup Will did a few chores, just puttering about the boat, tidying this, arranging that. Minnie and Naomi were playing their instruments together in the mess and the sounds drifted through the ship, along with happy laughter now and then. At times like this he wished he was musical but nope, not a musical bone in his body. Finished with the harpoons, each had been sharpened and lightly oiled, their lines checked and re tied if need be. Hung up and ready for the next time. When he had found them first it was just a messy rusty bundle of iron and rope, reprehensible. “Magnus was a slob”, he muttered. It wasn’t the last thing he had to get back into shape either. The fishing nets were just as bad, it had taken him and Minnie days of work to get them into shape. Fiddling away with them while in the wheelhouse or while drifting under the stars, in the early days of their voyages. Same with coils of rope, lengths of extra anchor chain, fishing rods, toolboxes, in fact just about everything had been let go. A horrible state of affairs. It had taken him a few weeks but the boat had become shipshape. Still made him smile, it’s the little things, he thought.

After he had done a few needed chores it was, of course, time for tea. The music had stopped but not the laughter and he paused outside the mess to take a moment to enjoy life. “Hey dad, tea time already?”, Minnie asked. “It’s always tea time Min.”, laughed Naomi. He settled at the table with a grunt and a sigh of happiness finding a hot pot of tea waiting, “Long day guys, some busy ones coming too. I’m for bed after this.”. Minnie yawned and agreed “Yeah, me too.”. Naomi just nodded and began to tidy the mess, she felt about here and the galley like Will did, has to be done right. This, more than any other part of the boat, was where she felt the most comfortable. Her ‘Homemaker’ skill was showing in the pride and care she took here. This was the heart, where decisions were made, where family came together, guests entertained. More yawns showed it was bed time indeed, so with good nights and sleep tights Will and Minnie hit the big cabin and Naomi to hers.

For once he got the head first and quickly took care of his night routine. Minnie was waiting rather impatiently and rushed in, “There’s another head in crew quarters you know.”, he called with a laugh. “Yeah”, came the reply “But this one is the right size for me.”. True, he thought, he had added a couple of stools to make life easier for her. Pulling back the blankets he realized something horrible “I forgot the hot water bottles, the bed sheets are cold.”. A squeak of indignation came through the door, “You’re fired.”. He picked up the cold bottles and trudged tiredly to the galley and first emptied the cold water into the water pack on the wood stove, for tomorrow. Then to the engine room and filled both bottles from the hot reserve. Finally to the cabin again, to be intercepted by Naomi, who opened her door and looked at the nice hot water bottle with big sad eyes. “You forgot too?”. She nodded sadly “Yeah, but I’ll be all right, I don’t mind cold feet, don’t worry about me.”, with a laugh he tossed the hot one to her and took her icy one. Opened his cabin door, gave the other hot to Minnie and went back and filled the other. Walking back Naomi’s door opened again, he clutched his bottle to his chest, “No, my precious, you can’t have it.”. She just gave him a hug, “Night dad, thanks for the warm feet.”, and closed her door again. Going into the main cabin he found Minnie in bed already, feet resting near the heat. The radiators were ticking away, keeping the room warm. He hit his pillow, turned off the lantern, “Goodnight sweetie, it was a good day today.”. He searched for and found her little hand and held it as he drifted off, “Night dad, every day is a good one.”.