Chapter 7. Welcome to Wonderland

The boat was covered with snow, six to eight feet deep. Where the wheelhouse used to be was a twelve foot pile. So hard from the wind that you could nearly stand on the surface. Every surface caked in snow and ice, the dory was just a lump of ice hanging from the chains. The snow had stopped falling but the wind hadn’t let up an inch, still howling through and over him. Will estimated the temperature at around minus 20, adding windchill to that it was more like minus 40. This was too much for them and they had to get moving to more protection, hopefully they could find a harbour or cove near. First though he had to clear the decks. There were scoop shovels in the stair shed and he put one to use right away. It hurt to scrape the decks but the snow had to go, and over the side it went at a great rate. Digging and hurling great blocks over the side, shaking the dory until the clogs of ice broke off the chains and davits. Clearing a path to the wheelhouse and bow took at least thirty minutes of furious shovelling. He took great pleasure in banging around over top of his and Minnie cabin, and Naomi’s. Shovelling his way back he was greeted by a snowball to the head, courtesy of Minnie’s outstanding aim. “Holy moly dad, this is a lot of snow.”, she was dressed in her coveralls as well as hat boots, the whole arctic gear.

She, in turn was smacked by a snowball hurled by Naomi, also dressed for the winter. They huddled in the stair shed for a minute. “I didn’t really mean to wake you guys, but wow, this snow is crazy.”, Will puffed out. “Yeah we know, and we would have been up sooner but we started the stove for brekky.”, Minnie answered. Naomi shivered and said “Let’s get this done, I am beginning to freeze, warmer if we’re shovelling.”. They got back to work and with all three the decks were soon cleared. After checking the wheelhouse and finding it snug and, well not warm, but liveable. Will checked the radiator and found it was turned to low, ‘Oops.’, he thought, and cranked it open to full. It creaked and popped but the difference was noticeable right away. The boat safe again, it was time for a break. Going back down to the warm mess was heavenly as was the kettle that had freshly boiled, pouring a steaming cuppa was was even better.

Minnie and Naomi were drinking warmed juice, apple and grape. Breakfast of the promised pancakes and ham had been started, everything was good for now. There were plans to make for the day but step one was get moving and find shelter. “I don’t want the first pancake dad, it’s always the weird one.”, Minnie said. “My pancakes are not weird Minnie.”, Naomi said, setting a large stack on the table, Will brought in the fried ham and more tea. They settled to their regular seats and dived in, Will speared the top three pancakes and so on down the stack until the bottom was revealed. “Okay, the first is a bit weird.”, laughed Naomi. The poor thing was still devoured and appreciated though. Through breakfast the goals were finalized. If they could find safe harbour they were going to make contact with whom ever started the signal fire. But if not they would have to head back south, this weather was too much. Will wasn’t sure if the lake would freeze this far north, but it was likely. Being salt water it would freeze at a warmer temp and being frozen in ice for months was not happening. “We will just have to play it by ear.”, Will said. To his surprise he didn’t have to explain.

Cleaning up after didn’t take long and soon they were redressed in the winter gear. It was easier to get on deck now, but some drifts had reformed under the relentless wind. Minnie was in the wheelhouse, Will and Naomi were cranking up the anchors. The chains were crusted in ice and rime, necessitating hammering them clear before the windlasses would hold them. While doing this the sky was grey and completely clouded in. Seeing your breath was pretty normal for Will, he had lived in a very cold country. But for Naomi it was new, “I never knew it could be like this, a couple of cold days now and then.”, she shivered. “It helps to keep moving, but not too much, if you start sweating under all this it will be worse.”, Will said. “It’s just my face gets coldest, and my feet, I think I need bigger boots to hold more socks.” she answered. “There’s a few extra in storage below, left over from before us, we’ll have a look later.”, he added. That was agreeable to Naomi, and they pressed on with the anchors.

It was finally done and Will signalled Minnie to start moving. With a toot of the whistle they surged ahead, bow on to the cold north wind. Will and Naomi hurried to the wheelhouse for a warmup. “Chilly out there is it?”, Minnie asked as the entered with a bang, and a quick door close. “Yeah, just a little.”, said Naomi, tossing a handful of snow at Minnie. With a squawk of indignation she nearly fell off her stand at the wheel. “Not fair, I don’t have any to throw back.”, she laughed. Will gestured at the door “Feel free to go get some.”. “Nah, you win this time Naomi, I’m never going out there.”, she said happily. They had brought up an insulated teapot and juice jug so the next step was a cuppa while they travelled on to where they had seen the fire sign.

At the village the Obbs were all waking in their underground dwellings. Digging down deep in the soft limestone they were well beyond the frost line. Blankets hung at every door to prevent heat escaping to the surface and to stop cold air tunnelling down. It was very easy to create more space simply by digging out whatever size room you need. It had also happened for a neighbour to dig into another’s dwelling space, but not too often anymore. The population was shrinking, old ones passing and not enough children coming into the world. There had been meetings but there wasn’t a lot of advice except for “Have more children.”. Times had been hard and the reindeer herds that fed and clothed people had migrated south, to milder climes. Then the earth had cracked, a great turmoil a few weeks ago. The herds had been trapped south of the disaster. There was much talk of doing the same, relocating the same as the reindeer. But how, the land was impassable now. As usual there were this who wanted to and those who didn’t.

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“Well I think we should go, I’m tired of the cold and nothing to eat.”, complained Uma to her sister. “Me too, let’s tell ma it’s decided then, we’re leaving.”, agreed Oona. They were sitting by the clay cook stove, on a woven float weed mat. Playing with carved wooden dolls, reindeer, even a wooden boat. These toys were handed down to each child from the olders as they were outgrown. Their older brothers were out, looking for rabbits in the family snare line, hopefully there would be some today. There was still some smoked river fish, and reindeer meat, smoked as well, it was getting lean though.

Therd could hear his girls talking and laughing, being cold and hungry wasn’t new though. This winter had started early and before they were prepared. There were tuber fields, growing fast and fat in the short grow season. These would be harvested by all the village and distributed as required. Not this year, the snow had come far earlier than usual, and much harsher. In the past there were other villages, a line up and down the coast, but no more. All the people had eventually come to this one, the last of them all. Nearly four hundred people, and not enough food for all. He drew his hands over his face, looked at his wife of many years.

Katya was cooking what little they had into a stew, warm and filling but it wouldn’t last too long. Their big lads would be home soon, hungry from the hunt. At that thought, Tor came rushing down the tunnels and into the home “I heard it again, closer, much closer.”, he gasped, “Do you think it’s them.”. Therd started throwing on his outerwear, “Go find your brothers and meet me at the cairn.”, he said as he dressed, “Katya, sing a song of hope for us.”. Finished, he nearly ran out, but not before kidding his daughters worried faces, “It’s all right dear ones, I think everything’s going to be all right.”, and he was gone.

Reaching outside it was beginning to dim, wind was still blowing hard and snowing again. There were several pitch torch’s bundled by the dwelling entrance, he tucked them under his arm and ran for the shore. Tor had indeed found his brothers and the three met their father halfway. Running toward the water was not something they did. The lake had claimed many over the years, shore fishing and weed gathering was fine. But there were always some who tried for more. Just a quick float out on a raft, better fishing they thought, but never returned. The cairn rose high and was surrounded by wood, ready to signal someone, but it had been many years since anyone had answered. The shrill scream rang out again, much closer, and then again. Therd handed the torch’s to his boys and fumbled with cold fingers for a flint and steel. Handed down for years the knife was worn to a shadow of what it once was. But still the sparks shot out and ignited the down tinder and eagerly started on the dry wood. “Light them up boys.”, he called and the lads dipped the torches into the reaching flames. Holding the torches high they waited.

Minnie had steered the Rose closer to shore, in places the rocks and scrub trees were only ten yards away, still no sign. They had been travelling this way for all of the long cold day. Naomi was pulling the steam whistle regularly now, and they we’re all keeping a keen eye for signs of life. Discouragement was starting to set in. “It could have been a lightning strike, and started the fire.”, Will mused, “The people we are looking for might just be gone, it’s been long, very long since the Rose was here last.”. “Yeah”, said Minnie “Way before that Magnus guy, I think it was Matt’s auntie, whatshername.”. “I don’t think it was that.”, giggled Naomi. “Not what?”, Minnie asked. “Whatshername, you said it was that.”, Naomi came back with. “Yeah, I know, whatshername.”,Minnie said, getting a bit agitated. Will held up a hand, “Look, just off the port bow.”. He cranked the wipers and there it was. Moving lights beside a high pyre. It looked as though they had found what they were looking for, finally.

Will tightened his gear and went out to light the large bow and stern lights. Their yellow rays seem to penetrate the stormy air, and showed the world they were here. Evening was coming on fast as well, the light was failing. Minnie had increased speed and they were drawing nearer and nearer to the fire. Soon it was clear it was man made and there were people waving torch’s. They slowed and stopped, Will rolled out the anchors, they dropped fast, deep down but finally hit bottom and bit hard. This stopped the forward momentum and they were at rest. Standing on the bow he was about forty yards from shore. They were in a slight curve of the land in a bit of a protected cove, but not much. He had brought a megaphone and he called out in a practiced bellow “Ahoy mates, this is the Rose, who might you be.”.

At the sound of that friendly voice and the site of the warm, lit up boat, was nearly too much for Therd. He called back “It’s so good to see you, are you the captain?”. His words were nearly lost in the wind but Will heard them. “Aye, Will Harris and crew at your service, would you like to meet on board or on shore.”. Hearing these words Din clutched his fathers arm, “We can’t go on the water, we’ll die.”. As if they had heard him the voice from the boat called “You’ll be safe with us, trust me.”. Even through the wind, distance and muffled by fur, the confidence and assurance rang through. Therd called back “Can I gather my family and come aboard, there’s six of us.”. “Of course”, came the cheery answer, “We’ll put a few more plates out for dinner, I’ll be there in a minute or two.”. Therd took Cals arm “Go get ma and the girls, be quick as you can lad.”. Without a word the boy took off like an arrow and gone. They could see some activity on the boat, another light went on and three figures were moving about. The black smoke of the boats chimney stopped puffing and it was quieter without the regular ‘chuff, chuff’. A few minutes passed and he heard footsteps behind, turning he saw the rest of his family near running to him, girls safely in their huge brothers arms. “Therd, is everything all right we were so startled that…”, Katya’s voice died out as a rhythmic creak and clank or oars came closer. A long wooden boat was nearing the shore, propelled by a man dressed in strange clothes. He reached the shore quickly, jumped out of the boat and effortlessly lifted it to rest halfway out of the water.

“Good evening, I’m captain Will of the heartboat Rose, would you all like to come to dinner?”, he said in a friendly voice.