Seal Two

by Sara Shanning

  Reds and yellows were starting to spread over the horizon, merging with the edges of the leaves that were beginning to turn on the trees. A fish jumped, trickling the water into shimmers for a few moments. Mist rose as the warmth evaporated off the dew.

  “I’ve missed this,” Irv said softly.

  “Stay.” Ashar already knew he wouldn’t, but he was afraid for his friend.

  Irv was shaking his head, confirming that he would leave. “Things are going to change quickly, and we’ll need to know what’s happening.”

  “John and Drew want to go with you.” Ashar explained the brothers’ arrival and their mission. His stomach clenched when Irv agreed it was a good idea.

  “There are caves in the mountains.” Irv motioned toward the majestic rise on the horizon. “It might be a good idea to break camp and go explore. If you can find one that’s near water and not occupied by an animal, it will provide better shelter from the elements and be safer.”

  Wild animals were always a concern. They’d always been careful to watch for fresh tracks indicating they were in territory better left avoided. Deer, coyote, moose, fox, they’d seen those. But bobcats and black bear were a danger, too. They’d avoided the caves on purpose, not wanting to roam too close to the possibility of an encounter.

  Irv was right, though. Stone walls would provide better protection against snow and wind, enable them to keep a fire burning. He had learned how to recognize the tracks of animals, to know when he was in their territory. He would do as Irv suggested, and use the skills he had been taught to keep the group safe.

  They talked about options, possibilities, avoiding anything related to the outside world. Surviving in the wild was easier to pick apart than the state of the world.

  What needed to go on the supply list was a priority and Irv decided a wish list from everyone would be a welcome addition, give everyone something to look forward to. Ashar was glad to see more of the Irv that he knew, although his demeanor was still far more sober than was typical of his friend.

  There was plenty to say about the formulating plan, from everyone, and as Irv, Drew and John prepared for the excursion over the next few days and finalized their lists, it was a constant topic around the fire.

  Irv woke Ashar early while the rest of the camp slept. He, John and Drew were preparing to leave. “Come and see us off,” Irv asked with a quiet smile.

  John, pack in place, reached out to grasp Ashar’s shoulder as he joined the trio a few minutes later. “Listen, I gotta tell you to keep an eye on Monty.”

  Drew slid his own pack in place and nodded in agreement. “A close eye.”

  Confused, Ashar glanced between the brothers, quickly searching his memory banks for a reason he might have missed. “Why do you say that? Has he said something to either of you?”

  “Nope.” Drew took a step back and lifted a hand in a half point, half circle. “Here’s the thing. That boy is off.” He pointed to his temple with his index finger and made a face.

  “Off?” Ashar questioned, needing a little more. Monty was grief stricken, just like the others. Angry, but he couldn’t recall ever thinking the emotion was out of place in any way.

  “He’s just not right,” John said patiently. “His anger far outweighs his grief, and there’s something odd about that.”

  “Plus, we just feel it,” Drew said, slapping his palm against his chest twice.

  “I haven’t been paying attention, but trust their gut, Ash.” Irv was looking at the sun spearing over the trees. Breathing in deeply, he closed his eyes for a few seconds before facing his friend with a steady look. “I’ll do my best to get us all back alive,” he promised.

  Irv held out a hand and Ashar took it, grasping it firmly. He expected to feel something as he had before, but this time, no impression transferred between them. Letting go, he stood and watched the backs of the three men as they departed, praying for their protection, and that God would bring them back.

  Since he was up, he got the fire going and then started the trek to the lake to fill the bottles. He was glad that the water was safe and not polluted. It was something to be grateful for.

  If they had had more time, he would have asked the brothers to teach them all how to process the furs of the animals they caught to be used. It was possible Marcus knew. He was adept at handling an animal carcass, but Ashar hadn’t seen him do anything with the leftover parts of the animal that had been caught, except keep parts of it for fish bait.

  When Drew and John returned, he would utilize their knowledge and have them educate the group on the process.

  Carl yawned around a good morning as he joined Ashar at the fire and gathered fishing line. “Is there still fox? Should I fish? Irv leave this morning?”

  Ashar nodded. “No, it’s gone. No, I already caught some. Yes.”

  Compassion flickered over Carls face. “You good?”

  “Yeah. I should be used to it by now.”

  Carl quirked a corner of his mouth at him, an odd smile that maybe was meant as one, but failed. “Guess these days, losing a friend, even temporarily, hurts more because we know what losing them forever feels like.”

  Carl didn’t wait for a response but went to the slab to hack at the fish. The observation struck a chord in Ashar, reminding him of how alone he’d always felt. He wasn’t like the others. There hadn’t ever been anyone close enough to lose himself in grief over. His eyes flickered after Carl, wondering who he had lost.

  He watched Carl’s clumsy attempt at filleting the fish. They had to learn, so he didn’t intervene.

  The others trickled in, and Adam headed out with Patrick to check traps. Chloe led her sleepy-eyed children in and claimed hunting for edibles for breakfast. The kids liked searching for berries and playing ‘I spy’ for plants that you could eat.

  Marcus emerged, eyes bleary from yet another probable restless night. He suffered from nightmares, but he had never been willing to say anything about them and pretended they didn’t happen. Mariah’s shelter was next to his and she had told Ashar of the restless nights that she had heard.

  Ashar watched Marcus settle on one of the logs around the fire and stare into the flames. He looked more haggard than usual, and the circles under his eyes were deeper. His shelter was on the outskirts so the others were unaware as far as he knew.

  Ashar finished building up the fire and went to get a spit for the fish.

  Mariah settled on a stump beside Marcus, picking up a bottle of water and taking a drink. “Good morning, Marcus. Ashar, what would you like me to do?”

  “We’re good, it’s all under control this morning. You get to relax.”

  Mariah nodded, taking another drink, watching Marcus.

  The fire crackled in the silence.

  No one seemed to want to talk. Chloe came back with the kids and they set to divvying up what they had found. Patrick and Adam came back empty-handed. The silence shrouded them.

  Monty wandered out when the smell of the fish was signaling to all of their taste buds that it was done. He didn’t hesitate to grab a leaf and poke at the fish.

  “Do you ever think about anyone but yourself, Monty?” Adam asked irritably. He was picking at a hole in his sleeve.

  “Not my fault all of you are sitting around like lumps. I’m hungry.” Monty turned his back to Adam and took one of the pieces of fish over the spit, sitting down and defiantly taking a bite as he looked around to see if anyone else was going to challenge his actions.

  Ashar shook his head, rising to dish the rest of the fish out. He waited until everyone had a share before filling a leaf for himself and settling back down.

  “Irv thinks it’s a good idea for us to break down the camp and relocate somewhere for the winter. I think we need to get started on that as soon as possible.” Ashar watched for reactions. He knew most of the group didn’t care for change, and he was expecting a pushback.

  “Why do you get to make that decision?” Monty demanded. “You didn’t think to incl
ude any of us in talking about what we should do about our future?”

  “Monty, enough,” Mariah scolded firmly. “Ashar is our leader. He has successfully kept us alive out here and we will listen to what he has to say.”

  Monty shoveled the last of his food in his mouth and stood to throw his leaf into the fire. “So we pack up and do what? Doesn’t sound like he has much of a plan to me.”

  “We’re going to head higher into the mountains, find a cave to set up in for the winter.” Ashar knew Monty would find something to disagree with, no matter his plan.

  Marcus shifted his focus from the fire and heaved a long deep sigh. “Mariah is right,” he said quietly. “There’s always gotta be a leader. Someone who will make the hard decisions. It’s a good one, and if you’d look past that attitude of yours, you’d realize that.”

  Ashar cleared his throat. “There are caves in the mountains and the plan is to find one big enough that we can all settle down comfortably. The cave walls will shield us from the elements, and being higher will give us a better vantage point to see enemies, animal and human alike.”

  “But you mean we all stay together, in one cave, as in no privacy?” Chloe asked, glancing at her husband and then at Marcus. “I’m not okay with that.”

  “I don’t think you heard what I said a bit ago,” Marcus said to her, his voice firmer, harder.

  Ashar gave Marcus a look of appreciation. It was nice to know he had another ally on his side, especially since Marcus hadn’t been with the group long and probably had more knowledge than he himself did. It was unexpected. He addressed Chloe’s concern. “A cave doesn’t mean we can’t create our own personal spaces. We’ll still have access to plenty of wood and pine boughs, but we’ll also have the advantage of stone walls to keep snow and wind out.”

  Carl was bobbing his head. “Good point! I do hate being cold!” He lifted his hands and flexed his fingers. “You know when your fingers get numb and hurt to bend? Not my favorite feeling. We can have a fire inside the cave, right?”

  “Yes,” Ashar agreed.

  “No,” Chloe argued. “Wouldn’t that make it smoky? We’ll all suffocate!”

  “Actually, it wouldn’t,” Marcus interrupted the exchange. “You build the fire toward the back of the cave, not too big, and the smoke will rise and follow the roof of the cave out.” Marcus arched a hand through the air, and spoke at Chloe as though she were a child. “If you position it right the flames will heat the back wall of the cave too.” He transferred his attention to Ashar. “I have experience with hiding in caves, I can help with this.”

  Ashar nodded. Without Irv to refer to for help on the things he didn’t know, he would gladly accept the skills Marcus had in his arsenal. “With Irv gone, that would be great. We need to be careful we don’t stumble across a bear.”

  Mariah rose and began to gather leaves from people to add to the fire. “When are you wanting this to happen?”

  “The sooner, the better. The weather may change quickly, and it would be nice to be settled before any snow comes.”

  “It would be a good idea to send scouts ahead. Make it easier than dragging the whole group all over the place.” Marcus’s eyes shifted to the kids as he said it. Ashar realized he was right.

  “I’ll go,” Mariah offered. Ashar watched her eyes slide toward Marcus. He hid a grin, rubbing his hand over his mouth and beard. He was pretty sure Mariah had a crush on Marcus.

  Chloe let out a guffaw. “Seriously?”

  Mariah looked annoyed. “I’m old, but I’m not dead. And I’m in great shape. I’m a… was, a big hiker. I’ve got experience trekking through the woods.” The last she directed toward Marcus.

  Mariah was in great shape. Ashar had noticed her strength from the start, both physical and mental, and been grateful for it. She’d proven herself. She set about doing what needed to be done when it needed to be done and had made herself valuable to the group.

  “Fine by me,” Marcus said without hesitation. “We can get to work packing up and tearing down our shelters this morning and head out up the mountain tomorrow morning, first light.”

  “We can handle your shelters,” Carl offered.

  Marcus looked at Ashar. Ashar nodded his approval. “I don’t think we should waste any more time than necessary.”

  Chloe was obviously still annoyed and gathered her family with a few sharp words.

  Ashar stood, gesturing to Marcus and Mariah. They followed him to the clearing that led to the path toward the lake, and they all turned to peruse the camp.

  “I think you should stay, Ashar,” Marcus began. “Oversee tearing down the camp. Mariah and I will go on ahead and scout out a good location. It will give them all time to acclimate to leaving.”

  It was a good idea. Ashar nodded his agreement.

  “It will be better for everyone,” Mariah motioned toward Adam and Carl, who were talking quietly. The two had become friends. “This has been the closest thing we’ve all had to a real home since the war began. It might be difficult for some of them to be uprooted again.”

  “We’ll head north,” Marcus continued, not commenting on Mariah’s thoughts. “I’ll stack rocks if we can find them. If we can’t, we’ll mark the trees. The less of a trail we leave, the better, so take down the rock piles when you come across them.”

  “Are we taking the hard way or the easy way?” Mariah questioned.

  “Easy. Speed is a goal here. Watch for the markers every mile or so. Do you have tracking skills at all, Ashar?”

  “Some. Irv taught me what he knew. I know the signs of the animals in the area. How to watch for broken twigs and trampled ground cover.”

  Marcus was nodding in approval. “Good. You can tell if you’re in bear territory then?”

  “Yes,” Ashar confirmed.

  “If you see any signs, know that I’ll have veered off course to avoid it. If I can, I’ll keep on the north trajectory. Do you have a gun?”

  The question startled Ashar. “Uh, yeah,” he admitted, not sure if he should be sharing the information.

  “Can you shoot it?”

  “Well, no.” Ashar hadn’t given a thought to the possibility that he would have to. He'd tucked the gun away and forgotten about it. A flurry of fall-tinged leaves fluttered and broke away in the breeze and fell around them, gathering with others on the ground that had already fallen.

  “Then be careful you don’t run into any bear,” Marcus cautioned. “I wouldn’t wait longer than a few days to follow. The weather changes in the higher altitudes. If you hit snow, it will make it difficult to track us.”

  Ashar helped them to gather supplies for the journey. Within a few hours he was congregating everyone to say goodbye. Kate cried as she hugged Mariah. The others, except Monty, simply hugged her and told her they would see her soon. Marcus received handshakes and then they were walking away.

  Ashar deliberately turned his back and suggested they get busy tearing down the shelters of those who were gone.

  Patrick and Chloe both protested. Monty stared with cold dark eyes that gave Ashar a pause as he remembered Drew and John’s warnings. Not sure if the stare was defiance or not, Ashar, with help from Carl and Adam, got to work tearing down Marcus’s shelter.

  Patrick and Chloe were bickering about something from where they worked on Mariah’s shelter next to him.

  As he added piece after piece of wood to the growing pile, Ashar thought about what had gone into creating what was around him. In essence they had created a small town and a lot of work had gone into building it up, and just as much would be needed to take it all down. It had been a while since Ashar had carried all of his belongings on his body.

  There had been many times that he had missed it. The simplicity of it. The camaraderie that had existed between just he and Irv as they gloried in the beauty of nature. They were memories he would cherish always. He wasn’t sure how long those around him would remain in his life. The war held everything in a suspended state of unkno
wns, left the future uncertain for all of them.

  Wiping sweat from his brow, Ashar marveled at how quickly the shelter was coming apart. Marcus’s had been the newest addition and had taken them several days to finish. Now, it was stripped down to stacked log walls, sections missing as he, Adam and Carl each focused on their own.

  Beside them, the family had barely managed to dismantle the roof from the walls. The kids were pulling away moss and dragging away the pine boughs that had been tossed down from the roof. Chloe looked as though she were pretending to unwind cording. Patrick was perspiring heavily as he grappled with the logs spread from wall-to-wall to toss down to the ground.

  Ashar was glad for Adam and Carl. Neither of them complained about the work, both applying themselves steadily. Adam had come a long way. He’d built up muscle, and lost some of the ‘if I have to’ attitude he’d had in the beginning. Monty was nowhere to be seen, of course.

  When the last log from Marcus’s shelter had been added to the pile, the three of them moved to help the family. Chloe was drinking water, watching Luke try to drag a pine bough almost larger than he was into the forest behind them.

  “I’m sure the kids are getting hungry,” Chloe remarked, taking another long swallow.

  “Let’s get this done and then worry about food,” Patrick groused at her irritably. “Why don’t you help Luke with that?”

  Chloe held up a hand. “My hand is scratched up.”

  Kate was beside Ashar, reaching for another branch. Ashar watched her pause to look at her mother, and turn her own palms up to look at them. He saw several scratches on the little girl’s hands. Her eyes lifted and she looked at Carl, then at Adam. One was taking logs from her father, the other hauling wood away. He watched her press her small lips together before reaching down to take hold of the branch and follow her brother back into the forest.

  “We will eat after this shelter is down,” Ashar said, and didn’t bother to watch for her response as he got back to work.

  Chapter Seventeen