by D C Little
“That’s because the fibers are still strong.” He bent the switch almost in half. “Can you do this with a dead branch?”
“No, it would break.”
“Right. Would you say this branch is stronger than a dead branch?”
“Yes,” Tucker said, his brows scrunching together.
“Do you know what makes this branch stronger than a dead one?”
Tucker stuck his tongue out as he concentrated, a habit he had picked up from his mom.
“Because it can bend?”
“Exactly. This branch is flexible.” He whipped the switch against a tree next to them. “That flexibility gives it strength because it can bend and not break, because it can whip and come back to normal.”
Blake went for another whip, but a small hand stopped it as he met the glare in Ryan’s dark eyes.
“A man doesn’t show his strength by using it on those smaller than him,” Ryan said, putting himself between Blake and Tucker.
Blake’s training had him shifting in the moment as he read what was happening. He slowly handed the stick over to Ryan. “I completely agree with you,” he said. “In fact, I was teaching Tucker about how flexibility gives more strength, and was about to tell him that not only should a person not use his size to inflict harm, but also their skill.”
Ryan cocked his head. “You weren’t hitting him with the switch?”
“I would never hurt my son, Ryan.”
“My dad said that only weak men punished their children physically.” He crossed his arms.
“Your dad was wise.” Blake took his seat on the rock and motioned to the log next to Tucker. “He had good lessons to teach you.”
Ryan nodded, his throat bobbing in a hard swallow.
“Why did you make it look like you were going to punish Tucker with the switch?”
“People are allowed to make their own assumptions. Maybe you are right, though. I should have waited to get the switch once we were hidden in the trees.” Blake watched Ryan. “You thought I was going to hit Tucker so you came out here to stop me.”
“Yes,” Ryan said, still watching with those dark wary eyes.
“That was very brave of you.”
“Tucker was defending me. I wasn’t going to let him get punished for that.”
“Do you think the way Tucker acted was the best way to handle that situation?”
Ryan glanced at Tucker, who bit his lip and looked down at his hands.
“He doesn’t, Dad. He already told me so.”
“Oh?”
“He said I should have ignored Darius.”
“Do you think that would have solved the problem?” Blake asked.
“He might eventually walk away, but that kid is mean, Dad. He has it out for me.”
“That’s where this comes in,” he said, taking the switch back from Ryan.
“You want me to switch him? I thought you said no violence.”
“Of course I don’t want you to switch him. I want you to learn how to bend with strength.” He handed the switch to Tucker and stood up. “Why don’t you boys ponder that while you hunt us up some lunch? I’m going to check the traps. Meet you back at home.”
Blake heard them start whispering as soon as he got a few feet away. A smile tugged at his lips. He was glad that Tucker had a friend he could confide in, and one that would stick up for him, even against an adult. Ryan would make a good addition to the community. So, why did Blake’s desire to take them and go on their own never leave?
****
Kris bent over the moccasin she had been working on while Mercy took a nap beside her. She stretched her fingers before using the thick piece of hide to push the massive needle through the edge again. She missed her sewing machine, but when she found this leather needle in her kit, gratitude had filled her.
Mercy would soon be up and about more, so she took advantage of these quiet moments as much as possible. Every time she thought she heard the crunch of boots, she would hold her breath and listen. Her boys were still not back.
It was past lunch and her stomach growled. She could only imagine how hungry they were. When Blake had finally taken him out for the big talk, she worried that he would be too hard on him. She had seen the conflicting emotions in Blake’s eyes when she told him what happened.
Knowing that her husband had taken the time to process before talking to Tucker eased her worry a tad, but when he had winked on the way out, she knew she had nothing to fear. It was the first time Tucker had attacked another kid. Surely Blake would use it as a learning opportunity and not a punishment.
The altercation with Darius before they had left the first camp had been self-defense, but this one seemed to have been more. That behavior couldn’t be tolerated, but neither should verbal bullying. She would talk to Blake, but she thought they should involve Arland before it got out of hand.
Her hands paused as she cocked her head listening for another step. Sure enough, this time, the sound actually was someone coming. The crunch of the snow indicated a heavy person, and she only heard one set of steps.
She set her work aside as Blake ducked into the dwelling. No one followed him.
“Where’s Tuck?”
“He and Ryan are hunting.” He shrugged out of his coat.
“By themselves?”
“Why not? The kid made it from the cabin here by himself, even spent a night out alone in the snow. Let them be independent.”
“But Tucker is only seven...”
“Ryan won’t let anything happen to our son.” He warmed his hands over the fire, while shaking his head. “Do you know what that kid did?”
“I’m assuming you’ll tell me?” She raised an eyebrow and pulled the moccasin back in her lap.
“He followed us out into the woods and as I was demonstrating how a green branch can bend while it whips, Ryan stopped my hand and stood in between me and Tuck.”
“What were you doing with a switch?” Her hands froze as her eyes coolly met his.
“Making a demonstration. That’s not the point.”
“What kind of demonstration?” She heard the iciness in her voice. They had specifically talked about no hands-on punishments from the time they were trying to have children.
“Really, Krista? You think I would hit our son?” He blew out a breath and sat with a grunt. “Well, Ryan thought that, too, and he was willing to stand up to a grown man to protect his friend.”
“That’s a good friend. It doesn’t answer my question.”
“I was trying to show him that the ability to bend was stronger than...” He sighed. “Yeah, guess I need to work on my analogies.”
Kris humphed and concentrated on her moccasin. Her heart warmed for Ryan. A child willing to go against an adult to protect his friend would be a good friend. She would be sure to express her gratitude to him when she was able.
Boot steps crunched the snow outside their dwelling, but they weren’t as light and quick as boys. She looked up and saw Blake do the same.
A man cleared his throat outside the tent.
“Come on in, Arland,” Blake said like he expected him.
“How’d you know it was me?” Arland ducked into the tent.
“I know your walk. Besides, I expected you to come.”
“You know why?” Arland asked, pulling at the collar of his ratted jacket.
“Yep,” Blake said, picking up the ski and working on it.
Kris watched the men feeling like she should leave, but Mercy still slept soundly. Thank goodness she was a hard sleeper.
“You know we can’t condone any type of violence in the community.”
“He’s just a boy, Arland. He won’t do it again,” Kris said, her heart thumping.
“I wasn’t talking about Tucker, Kris. Not that I approve of what he did, but Darius has had a whooping coming for a long time.”
“Oh,” Kris let her gaze fall on her husband, who kept sanding away on his ski.
“I didn’t whip my
son,” Blake said as if it were everyday conversation.
“Well you sure made a show of it.”
Blake shrugged. “In hindsight, my actions weren’t the most thought out.” He glanced at his friend. “It won’t happen again.”
Arland nodded. “Where is Tucker?”
“He’s hunting with Ryan.”
“They’re hunting alone?”
Blake stopped sanding. “Why does everyone think that’s a bad thing?”
No one answered because quick, urgent footsteps came running up to the dwelling. Kris caught her breath. Had Tucker been hurt?
“Kris? Blake?” Lexi’s voice called out, unnaturally shrill.
Kris set her work aside and stood up to let her friend in, but Arland beat her to it, pushing out the door and letting the frantic-eyed Lexi in. She scanned the dwelling as she blinked to accustom herself to the dimness.
“Have you seen Ryan?”
“He’s hunting with Tucker,” Kris said, walking to her friend.
“Alone?”
“Fine. I get it. I’ll go get them.” Blake pushed the ski off his lap and stood up.
Kris knew by his actions that irritation coursed through him. He had done well holding his outburst in, but today might be too much.
“You know, if we don’t ever let them show us their capabilities, they won’t learn how to be independent,” Blake huffed as he pulled on his coat.
No one said anything as Blake moved through them toward the door, but as he held it open to step out, letting the chilly air in, he turned back toward the room with a self-assured grin. A grin that she couldn’t help but like.
“I think the boys just proved me right,” Blake said.
He held the door open wider as the boys slipped in, their grins going from ear to ear.
“We brought lunch! Hi, Arland! Hi, Lexi! Will you guys stay? We’re having rabbit!” Tucker said, slipping out of his coat and standing near the fire. “It’s pretty cold out there today.”
Ryan smiled shyly at Lexi while he held the skinned rabbit out to her.
“You boys even cleaned and skinned it yourself?” Blake asked, his stance as brazen as ever.
“Yep! Ryan let me help a little, but he did most of it. He’s really good at skinning, almost as fast as you, Dad.”
“Impressive,” Arland said, smiling at Ryan. “We all work together, and I see that your skills will be a great asset to our community. Speaking of which, I wanted to speak with you and Lexi about something.”
“Yes, sir,” Ryan said, averting his eyes and focusing on his boots.
“You’re not in trouble,” Arland said, relaxing a hand on the kid’s shoulder.
“Well, maybe not with you, but we will be having a talk about disappearing without letting me know.” Lexi stuffed her fists on her hips.
Ryan’s dark eyes flashed toward the woman who had decided to take him on. Kris couldn’t be sure, but she thought she saw admiration in them. “I didn’t mean to upset you. I will have to learn your rules.”
Lexi took two steps toward him and pulled him into her arms. “We’ll have plenty of time.” She pulled back to look at him. “I’m just glad you are okay and still here.”
“I have no other place to go,” he said so quietly Kris hardly heard the words.
“And that is our fortune.” Arland squeezed his shoulder and stepped back. “Laurie already fed me a great lunch. As wonderful as your rabbit looks, I need to get back. Will you two come speak with me when you are finished?”
“Of course, Arland.” Lexi wrapped her arm around Ryan and led him toward the fire.
“See you all later then,” Arland said as he pushed open the door.
After saying farewell to Arland, Kris and the others heavily laid on the praise for the boys. Mercy even woke up to join in the celebration.
It would take some adjustment to think of Tucker hunting without her or Blake. He was only seven after all, but this was their way of life now. As usual, Blake’s unconventional ways of thinking once again made sense.
~13~
Blake didn’t care about the stares people gave him after the day he took Tucker into the woods. He didn’t really care about what anyone thought, but it did make him feel more confined. Every day he spent in the camp, he felt even more trapped, especially as the snow melted. He wanted to be out in the warming weather.
He didn’t have the freedom to do things the way he wanted, that was what bothered him. Arland coming to talk to him still irked him even though it had been weeks. It put a distance between them. He may be the leader of the community, but he was Blake’s friend, not his leader.
As much as he wanted to move his family out on their own, he knew exactly how Kris would react to that idea. Maybe once summer came, they could talk about moving further on their own, but still close enough they could visit every day. He needed space.
That was exactly why he was checking his traps for the second time that day. Soon it would be time to bring the cattle up. He looked forward to the break to the monotony.
“Blake! Blake, where are you, man?” Butler’s voice traveled to him.
Blake stood up from the crouch he was in, and Butler’s gaze immediately caught his movement. His friend didn’t bother with greetings or even waiting until he closed the distance between them.
“I’ve got to go, man. I’ve got to go back and get my family.”
“We’ve been working on that.” Blake leaned against the tree, reading his friend’s panicked face. “What’s the sudden urgency?”
“The boy, Ryan. He finally opened up.”
Blake pushed off the tree and leaned toward him. “What’d he say?”
“The coalition is terrorizing everyone, and you know how they promised to take care of our families if we died in service?”
Blake nodded, his mouth going dry.
“They stop all assistance. Did you hear that? Faking my death signed their death warrant! I don’t even know if they are still alive. I have to go back, now!”
Blake grabbed his pack and pushed past his friend. “Come on.”
“Where are we going? I can’t wait any longer, man. That’s my wife and kid!”
“Exactly. We are going to talk to Arland right now about allowing you to bring them back here.”
“What if he won’t?”
“Kris may want to kill me, but I wouldn’t mind living a bit further from camp myself. They will always be welcome with us.”
“Thanks, man. I’ve got to get to them first.”
Arland sat at the communal fire working on steaming the latest pair of skis they were making. By next winter, they would have enough skis to outfit a good-sized hunting team.
For a split second Blake’s stomach twisted with the irritation that kept him from feeling a bond with the man who had become one of his best friends. In fact, now that Blake thought about it, he had many friends here. Then why did he feel so suffocated?
“Hey, brother,” Arland said as they approached. “You two look like you move with a purpose.”
“We need to talk about bringing Butler’s family here,” Blake said.
“Well, that is very upfront.”
“It’s important. They’re in trouble and have been since December. I don’t even know how they made it through the winter, or if they...” Butler stopped, squeezing his eyes shut.
“I hear your distress,” Arland said, wiping his hands on his stained pants. “Let’s call an emergency council meeting.”
“You can’t just approve this? I thought you were the leader?” Butler paced back and forth.
Blake felt his own need for action building inside him. If it had been his family, he wouldn’t have even thought about asking permission. Why had he brought Butler to Arland? He should have just helped him prepare and sent him on his way.
“It’s how we do things here.” Arland met Blake’s eyes.
Blake knew the man missed their closeness, but that wedge stood between them, and he didn’t know h
ow to remove it.
“Call the council. We’ll meet in ten minutes,” Arland said with a nod.
Blake took the frantic and complaining Butler with him. Once they were out of earshot, Blake whispered, “You’ve got to remain calm. Let me handle this. If all goes well, we should have you on your way tomorrow morning.”
“I should be leaving now,” Butler mumbled.
“They have lasted the last four months. Another day won’t make a massive difference.” Even as the words left Blake’s mouth, he knew how much even a few moments could mean.
If Arland and his crew had arrived even ten minutes later when Chuck attacked, he most likely would have been dead, and he couldn’t even think about what might have happened to his family. A shiver traveled through him as he turned to his friend.
“Go. Prepare. I can’t see the council going against this.” Then why did his stomach roll and his muscles tighten? Something was going on, something he had been too preoccupied to pick up on.
Sure enough that sensation increased as the council convened. Kris must have picked up on it as well, for she sat closer to him and kept catching his eye. David shifted in his seat. He had been replaced as cattle guard a couple weeks ago and acting uneasy ever since.
Blake realized he hadn’t really taken the time to debrief with him privately, and now his friend couldn’t even meet his eyes.
“You all know why we’re here. Should we discuss or go right into a vote?”
“Let’s just vote so we can get Butler prepared to get his family,” Blake urged. He needed to get this over and get some air.
Tension in the dwelling only increased.
“Okay. We’ll vote,” Arland said evenly. “All in favor of Butler bringing his family here, raise your hand.”
Blake and Kris immediately raised their hands, but the rest didn’t move. Laurie hesitated, but soon her hand tentatively came up as well.
“I don’t get this? What’s the issue? You guys let all sorts of families come in.” Blake raised his voice.
“He’s not one of us. Everyone else was part of the community.” Mitchel shrugged.
“Neither is Lexi, not to mention myself and my family,” Blake snapped back.
“You all are needed,” Arland said.
