Chapter 20. One More to Go

About four hours after dash the Rose reached the burrows. A cairn had been built on the beach, just off of the rocks and wood smoke drifted up, marking the spot for them Minnie laid on the steam whistle to let everyone know they had arrived. The passengers couldn’t wait to get off, even as much as they appreciated the help. The first two loads were dropped off with many calls of ‘Thank you, see you soon, I miss toast already’. Will and Minnie quickly rowed back for the second, waiting not so patiently on deck. The last to step off the Rose was Lizzie, carrying baby Sab, “Goodbye Naomi, well like you say ‘see you later’, I like that, it’s sounds better than goodbye, making sure we’ll meet again, cause we will, right captain”. As she talked, they were loaded up, rowed to shore and dropped off to waiting family and friends. Surprisingly Sab reached out to Will, then Minnie to say goodbye as well. Thankfully she wasn’t quite at the talking stage, but her mother more then made up for it. Next to come to shore were the sleds.

The crew didn’t need the cranes to off load the sleds. “Is it sleds or sleighs, cause they used both when I talked to them about it?”, Naomi asked, lowering one to Will. “Funny, I was thinking the same.”, Minnie laughed as she hefted the sled/sleigh and carefully placed it across the dory’s gunwales. “Surprisingly I do know the difference.”, Will said, “A sleigh is usually pulled by a horse, maybe a reindeer or two or eight, and carry’s people or cargo.”. Oh no, before he knew it he was whistling, that tune. In just a few minutes he had started singing the song, and Naomi and Minnie immediately loved it. “At least it’s the right time of year for Christmas songs.”, he said, knowing what was coming. Minnie put up her hand before Naomi could ask, “Hold on, so what’s a sled then?”. “A sled is much simpler, pushed by one person or dogs, still carry’s stuff.” He answered, “Kids use them for playing outside too, down hills and so on.”. Naomi gasped “Pulled by dogs, that’s pretty cruel isn’t it.”. Will sighed “It can be, if done by uncaring or inhumane people. But you could think of it like riding horses, people love their horses and take care of them. Most mushers do too, their dogs are like working family members, treated well.”.

The others still didn’t like the idea much. But it was just a story to them, another of dads ramblings. It wasn’t really real. “Okay,” said Naomi, as they continued to load sleds on the dory, “What’s a Christmas song, you mentioned that a long time ago, said you would explain later.”. He remembered now, asking about holidays. “That’s a holiday that comes in mid-winter that celebrates, hmmm, it’s a bit hard to explain. There’s a religious part to it about a special baby born. And another part about a jolly old guy who travels the world giving presents to children.”. Minnie was excited about presents, as he explained more about Santa, “ So I just write a letter to some old guy, and he breaks into the boat and gives me stuff, right?”. Naomi added “Sounds creepy, it’s bad enough we got one old guy on the boat, we don’t need another.”. Will had been tying the sleds down and when he heard that he nearly fell in the lake. “It’s not really like that, it’s more of a story you tell your children to entertain them.” he said. The dory was loaded so they rowed to shore.

Several groups were waiting for their sleds and there was a bit of rummage while they were sorted out. This time Will left the unloading to the waiting families, they could figure the sleds out. He and Min steadied the dory while the sleds were argued over, examined for damage and greeted like old friends. Arno and Therd had retrieved their sleds, two each. “These have been in our families for generations, my great grand papa build this one, and my grand papa this one.”, Arno pointed proudly. Therd had finished checking his sleds out, “Yes but this one.” he pointed at his, “Has metal runners from captain Eric, my grandpapa traded all his furs.”. Both men laughed, “Our families have been arguing about this forever.”. Boat empty it was time to go back and get the rest. Will looked around for Naomi and found her visiting with the three Obb lads, she looked tiny surrounded by Tor, Din and Cal, especially Cal. “Oi”, he called, “Going back for another load, coming with?”. He could see her nod, so he and Minnie waited til she got back to them.

“They’re exhausting, each has caught the biggest trout, or killed the biggest wolf. Show offs, all three.” she told them. Minnie poked her on the arm “They want to be your Prince Charming, your sweetie pie lambkins honey suckle.”. Naomi gave a loud laugh, “Those three louts? Not likely, I’m just friends with the family.”. They climbed aboard and rowed back, Minnie still funning with Naomi. Will popped down belowdeck and retrieved a few items from their trade goods and out them in a couple of duffles. When he got back up, the rest of the sleds were carefully tied on. Quickly rowed back and dropped off to the eager hands on shore. While they were here they decided to see how much progress had been made. The weather was still cooperating, it was cold but not awful. A fair bit of snow had fallen here, drifts over six feet were against trees and the huge rocks the last ice age had left. A rough fence had been put up around the village, which now consisted of three of the rock ringed burrows. There were rock chimneys poking up here and there. As the crew walked up to the gate, still talking about Santa Claus, Uma appeared from one of the holes, quickly followed by her sister. “Who is Santa”, Oona asked. Minnie was only too happy to tell them everything she knew, and what she thought he would do. Uma asked “Will he bring us presents too, if we ask nicely?”, Minnie shrugged, “Maybe, if you’re good.”. Uma led them down, down into a large room, much larger than the first time they had visited. Katya and, of course Lizzie and Sabrina were there, sitting near a stove and fireplace carved out of the rock. Like the other burrows the temperature was quite warm and the smoke went up the chimney with barely any trace inside.

A few other people were sleeping on pallets of fur and branches, close to other warming stoves built in or out of the walls. Katya saw their curious looks and pointed out where tapestries or other hangings would separate living areas, eventually. “When we get every family their own we will spread out more, but for now we share. We are all kind of related anyway, now more than in the past.”, she told them. Minnie had sat near the stove, by the twins and was telling them more stories of her life and adventures. Uma was enamoured with the whales they had seen many months ago. She paced out how long she thought they were, “More”, Minnie called, further and further she walked away, reaching the far wall. “How about here?”, she was about 15 feet away. “Now do that seven times, that’s how big they are.” Minnie told them. The little girl was speechless at first, then a dozen questions. Naomi had sat by the warmth, playing with the sleepy baby and listening as Lizzie talked of this and that and everything.

Stolen novel; please report.

After spending a little while visiting the trio tightened their buttons and donned hats and gloves again. “We’ll see you soon, one or two more trips for us.”, Will said. Leaving the warmth of the burrow was a bit of a shock, but they quickly got used to it. Will caught sight of Arno and Therd, surrounded by their sons and Arno’s daughters, three of them. All tall and strapping. “Hey, follow us to the boat, got a gift for you all.”, Will called out. They made it first and Will retrieved the bags he had brought from the Rose. Minnie opened the bag and snorted at the contents, “You give the best gifts dad.”. “Trust me, they’ll love it.”, replied Will. The two families finally made it. Will passed the bags out, not realizing their weight the bags hit the snow and nearly sunk out of sight. “Oops,”he said, Minnie lifted one out and Naomi the other. Arno whispered “Maids of iron.”. Opening the bags they found axes, hammers, chisels, knives, spear heads. Just about every iron tool you could imagine. Will had remembered the knives, wore down to a shadow. “Oh captain, this is, we have no words but thank you.” said Arno. “This will make digging so much easier, skinning, well everything will be easier now.” added Therd. The younger ones were gasping with awe at the brand new tools, they had never seen the like. Promising to share these out by need, Therd and Arno took charge of this gift. It looked as though a new Eld was in the making.

Bidding the families goodbye it was time to ready for the next trip.

They returned to the Rose, there was a few things that needed doing. First off was a good cleaning of crew quarters and the mess. Then emptying and rinsing their waste tanks, filling up the fresh water, just like our old RV Will thought. Only thing I don’t have to is level it, and clean that darn roof, what a hot job that had been. After the chores were done it was time for the crew to have a wash too. This took a hour or so, but they sure felt better. “I can hardly wait to go swimming again dad, it’s been forever you know.”, Minnie griped while carefully drying her ears and tail. “Yeah, it sure feels like that. I’ve been cold forever it seems.”, Will said. Naomi bobbed her head but couldn’t talk, she had a mouthful of hair pins and was carefully braiding her wet hair. They were all sitting in the mess, enjoying a quick meal before heading back north for more passengers. Since Will had no hair he had been elected to make dinner and tea. So fried ham and potatoes it was, toasted bread and jam.

He was, of course, doodling and jotting things down in his notebook as well as cooking. Mostly about Christmas, all the songs he could remember, where to put up a Christmas tree, things like that. Whether it was a good idea to bring this holiday in, eventually others would see or hear about it and maybe copy it. But without all the history, all the stories and the religious base of the whole holiday, it wouldn’t mean much. Then again it was such fun. He could imagine Minnie and Naomi opening gifts, sitting around a decorated tree. Then sitting down to a nice dinner, spending two days doing nothing but relaxing. Playing games, reading, just enjoying each others company. That part sounded great to be honest. But before that, this task they had set themselves needed to be complete.

Naomi decided to sleep for a while, just a couple of hours she said. Will wasn’t going to, Minnie usually slept in the wheelhouse, curled up in a nest of blankets and pillows she had brought up. It looked very comfortable but sadly too small for Will, he had tried to lay down and get comfy but he was much too heavy and bones poked into odd corners. He had given up on that and just leaned back in his captains chair if he needed to rest his eyes at all. There was room to bring a cot in, and that might happen still.

After all this dithering the boat was ready, engine room coal bunkers topped up, boiler water level maxed. Everything that needed oiling was nice and oily, anchors up and half ahead.

Will stood on the bow, dressed warmly again. Goggles on and scarf over his mouth and neck. The wind on land was broken by trees and other natural windbreaks, not so much on the water. When the wind came screaming down from the north the only thing to stop it was the Rose. So it was pretty brisk on the bow, but it was a wonderful viewpoint. They were still fairly close to the shore, searching for that coal. The rugged land was beautiful under the afternoon sun. Weather was holding clear, if cold and the water was still mostly smooth, just the long heave that lifted them. But nothing like the roller coaster from a couple of days ago. The sky had sunny blue breaks but to the north the clouds were were white then grey with a bit of threatening black in them. “It’s gonna get busy again dad,”, Minnie called to him through the open door, “Better get back in here before you freeze.”. She was right, in the fifteen or twenty minutes he had been on deck the temperature had dropped quite a bit, mostly windchill but it was time to go in.

The little wood stove kept the wheelhouse much warmer then just the radiators did, and it made tea so it was there to stay. The kettle was on now, starting to sing, and a warming cuppa was just minutes away. On the map table the little metal Rose was steaming her course to the north. A quite familiar run now. He hoped this would be last trip, if the Eld didn’t want to come, then they could stay. Not his problem. He was looking forward to Newton and Laketown. Next trip was south, make contact with…now what was that place called again? FarHarbour, that’s the name of the place that Magnus had brought fruit from, years before. That’s where we’re going then, a nice long slow trip to the south. As he wrote and planned his eyes drooped and finally shut. Minnie saw and gently took his pen from his fingers, closed his book and put both on the table beside him. The tea could wait until dad woke up she decided. Covering his legs and arms with a warm throw, she got back to the business of steering. Keeping an eye on him, just to make sure he was safe, she increased to three quarters speed. Singing Jingle Bells, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer they made their way north.