Gwyneth

by Christine Sterling

  “Yes, Miss Gwyneth,” he said, as he got up from the ground. He held out his hand to help her get up as well.

  “What is your name?” she asked, as she wasn’t prepared to call him Stinker.

  “Arnold, Arnold Kidwell. But people call me…”

  “Stinker,” she finished. “But that’s not a proper name. So, I’m going to call you Arnold.”

  Arnold smiled. “You may call me anything you want, if you’d like.” He threw his arms around her, pulling her into another hug. “My brothers will be so happy.”

  Gwyneth welcomed the contact, feeling the admiration coming from his touch. She missed familial love, not being able to be near her parents anymore. Even though her relationship with Clint was not the best, she missed having company in the evenings.

  Arnold released her and told her he would meet her at the house soon with his brothers. When he left, she watched him run down the hill, as she made her way back to the house to prepare a good supper for the boys.

  When the boys came by later that night, she was happy to see them. Harley and Jess Kidwell looked just like their brother, with the same curly red hair and green eyes. They were almost like little triplets.

  They too hugged her as soon as she saw them. She had made dinner of the fish in the traps and a roast from the meat left over in the smoke house. As she watched them clamor around the table and eat, she was happy. She hugged her belly and whispered to her unborn child, this is your new family. We are going to be better and stronger because of them.

  Chapter Three

  “I’ve never seen anything that big,” said Arnold, as they were working around the creek, opening the fish traps. “It had the biggest horns I have ever seen!”

  Gwyneth chuckled to herself as she took the fish out and set it in the basket. The boys had been staying with her for nearly two weeks now. So far, they had gone hunting a few times. Arnold had proven to be a very helpful huntsman. “It was a moose. And those horns are called antlers.” The moose meat and several prairie chickens were smoking in the smokehouse. She would be taking them to town the next day.

  Whatever Olive didn’t take, Gwyneth planned to sell to the restaurant and boarding house. If there was anything left after that she’d head the four miles over the hills to Curdy’s Crossing and sell it there. She was fortunate she found her husband’s ledger which told her exactly what everyone paid for their meat.

  Arnold was very excited when they went to hunt. He loved to go out and be in the woods with her. His brothers would stay behind, usually helping with tending to the garden. She had been teaching them to set snares, and Harley and Jess were pleased as punch when they started catching rabbits around the house and creek.

  They fell into a routine and Gwyneth felt very content. She never yelled at the boys and tried to give them as much love as possible. When she realized none of them could read, she started teaching them in the evenings. At night they would open the bible and Gwyneth would teach them their letters.

  With the money she made selling meat and furs she was able to buy some fabrics to make the boys new clothes. She burned the ones they were wearing when they came to her, right after she made them take a bath and wash off what she thought must have been ten pounds of dirt each. As she dumped the dirty water in the garden she thought there was enough soil on them to grow potatoes.

  She also repurposed some of Clint’s clothing, tailoring the shirts so they could be grown into. She saved his pants and buckskins. They would grow into them one day. Kimama gifted them with buckskins that had been dried and scraped to a buttery softness. She was helping Gwyneth make them into outfits for the boys. It would keep them warmer in the fall and winter. They weren’t as necessary right now, the cotton shirts and pants worked just fine.

  The boys had given her so much happiness, she felt her heart bursting at the seams. She thought back to how lost she felt after her husband had died. In those moments, she felt she had no purpose, worrying about whether she was going to make it or not. But now she was confident with the boys by her side, there was nothing she couldn’t accomplish.

  The threat of Mortimer was still heavy in her heart, but since she took in the boys, the gentleman callers had come to a stop. She wasn’t sure if this was by design or a part of a greater plan. She was, however, grateful for the break. She prayed that maybe Mortimer had forgotten about her and would leave her be.

  There was a rustling to their right side, that made Gwyneth and Arnold stop in their tracks. “What was that?” Arnold asked, a little louder than Gwyneth would have liked.

  “I don’t know,” she whispered back. She put her finger to her mouth, indicating for Arnold to be quiet, as she walked carefully towards the noise. While Gwyneth was aware of animal dangers, she didn’t know if she could handle a large animal at the moment.

  The rustling became stronger and Gwyneth braced herself for the animal to come charging. She closed her eyes, only to have Arnold gasp. “I’ve never seen one before!”

  Gwyneth opened up one of her eyes to see Jolon staring at her from the brush before her. Next to him was a solemn Maska. “Jolon! You scared us!” she said, clutching her chest.

  “That was not my intention,” said Jolon, as Arnold stared at him in wonder. “We heard you through the trees and thought to check on you.”

  Gwyneth looked at Arnold, who was gaping at the two Indians. She grabbed him by the collar and pulled him back. “Arnold,” she harshly whispered, “it is not polite to stare.”

  Arnold shrugged his shoulder. “I can’t help it; I’ve never seen one before,” he hurriedly whispered back.

  Jolon nodded towards Arnold. “Is the boy yours?”

  “Yes, well, I guess,” she said, as her cheeks pinked. “He is my responsibility. Arnold and his brothers are living with me. They help around the house.”

  “I am glad. Kimama speaks very highly of you, Mitena. She says you are her sister.”

  “I am pleased to call her the same. I greatly enjoy her company. She has been helping me cut out outfits from the buckskins you gave me. It was a great gift.” She immediately thought of something. “I have the moose hide. I was saving it for the next time Kimama came by. I thought you could use it. As a way to say thank you for helping me.”

  Jolon nodded. “It will be used to line the teepees. Kimama won’t be able to visit for a while. It is time of the birthing in the village. Her people need her.”

  “It’s all right, I understand.” Although she missed Kimama’s company, she knew that she had had obligations to the tribe. She knew that Kimama wasn’t going to look after her forever. And with the boys, she didn’t feel as lonely as she did before.

  Maska grunted behind Jolon. When Jolon turned around, they exchanged a few words. Gwyneth couldn’t understand what they were talking about, but by the look on Maska’s face, she knew it was important. Jolon put his hand up and motioned toward Gwyneth. “We also want to warn you,” he said, as Maska went to grab the horses that were near the tree shade.

  “Warn me of what?” she asked.

  “We’ve noticed that there are big cats running around. They are pretty merciless.” Maska brought the horse for Jolon to jump on. “Be careful as you are out in these woods.”

  “We’ll be ok,” said Arnold, while catching Gwyneth’s eye. “Sir,” he added when he saw the look on her face.

  Jolon smiled. “You take care of her,” he said.

  Arnold nodded, as Jolon galloped away with Maska trailing behind.

  Arnold turned around, looking at Gwyneth with wide eyes. “I didn’t know you knew Indians!” he exclaimed.

  “They helped me out after my husband died. You could say they are my friends now,” she said, as they started walking up the path to the house.

  “Maybe one day they could be my friend,” he added, smiling to himself.

  The two chatted, not noticing their surroundings. If Gwyneth didn’t hear the rustling next to her, she would have never heard the crackling of leaves next to her
. She pulled Arnold close to her. “Arnold,” she whispered. “Do you hear that?”

  Arnold listened to the sound. “It doesn’t sound like anything,” he said, louder than Gwyneth would have liked him to speak.

  Then she heard it again. Backing into the bushes behind her, she grabbed Arnold and pulled him with her. She settled behind a large bush, peaking around the other side. Arnold crawled up to see above. “What is it?”

  “I’m not sure, but I’d rather stay behind this bush while we see what it is,” she said, pushing back the side leaves. At her side, Arnold tried to stand a little taller on his knees, so his short body could see over the tallest branches. He stretched so far, he started to lose his balance. Before Gwyneth could pull him back, he fell through the bushes, landing with a thud.

  He let out a high-pitched squeak.

  As Gwyneth moved to pull him forward, a scream sounded through the air followed by the sound of a man cursing the beast. Gwyneth realized it was a horse when it lifted its front two legs in the air, stretching his muscular body over them. Gwyneth involuntarily leaned back, away from the horse’s legs. She stared in awe at the height of the horse; it was the biggest horse she had ever seen. Suddenly there was a loud thud and the rider fell backwards hitting the hard earth next to them. The horse jumped over her and ran into the forest, neighing all the way.

  When she felt safe, she sat up and checked to see if Arnold was all right. When she saw the boy sit up and scratch his head, she moved over to the stranger. A tall, thin man laid on the ground. She didn’t see anything out of the ordinary, as she knelt next to him. He was lucky there wasn’t any blood when he hit the ground.

  “What’s wrong with him?” Arnold asked.

  “I don’t know,” Gwyneth said as calmly as she could. “Sir?” she asked loudly, shaking him. He didn’t stir, so she felt behind his head. A small bump was forming on the back of his head. She put her hand in front of his nose, the same way her father had once taught her when they had found an unconscious cat in the alley behind their house when she was a child. She could feel air flow, so she knew he was still alive.

  “He hit his head badly,” she said, assessing the rest of him. Although he was rather thin, she could see from his muscular arms and legs he must make a living through hard labor. His tan skin glistened in the sun and his short, black hair was cut close to his scalp. Because of his size, it was going to take her and the boys to pick him up.

  She turned to Arnold. “I need you to go back to the house, get your brothers, and bring the wagon back here. Remember how I showed you to hook up Betsy.”

  Arnold’s eyebrows shot up. “You want me to leave you?”

  She looked from him back to their injured companion. “I don’t think he will be waking up while you are gone.” When she turned back to Arnold, she could see the skepticism in his face. “Just hurry and get the wagon. The sooner you leave, the sooner you’ll be back here to help me.”

  Arnold nodded and ran back in the direction of the house. Gwyneth looked back at the stranger. Now that she had a better look at him, she noticed how handsome he was. She didn’t recognize him from town; she wondered where he came from and why he was traipsing around the woods. She moved to cup his cheek with her hand. He felt warm, which was a good sign that he was still alive. She shook his shoulder, hoping this would wake him, but he didn’t flinch.

  Thirty minutes passed before she heard the rustle of wagon wheels. She turned to see Arnold with the wagon, pulled by Betsy.

  His brothers jumped out of the back of the wagon, as Arnold set the reins aside and jumped down. She directed the boys to carry the top of the man while she collected his legs. They lifted him and brought him towards the back of the wagon. He was heavier than she had initially thought, but they managed. Once he was safely in the back of the wagon, she climbed up in the seat of the buckboard. The boys rode in the back with the unconscious man.

  She got them back to the house, and they moved him inside. She and the boys placed him on her bed, as that was the only place big enough to fit him. His feet dangled off the side. She thought it would be comical if the situation weren’t so dire.

  “Arnold,” she said, wrapping the boy in a side hug. “I need you to go to town and get the doctor for me. Can you do that?”

  “Uh-huh. Harley and Jess, I want you to take real good care of Miss Gwyneth. I’ll be back soon.”

  Gwyneth grabbed the medical supplies that she kept in the house and started to work on the cut behind the man’s head. She hadn’t noticed it until they lifted him from the wagon.

  She dressed his wound, using her needle and thread to close the gap in his skin. She had the other two boys help her get water from the creek and more blankets for him. In what seemed like little time at all, Arnold brought the doctor to them.

  Doctor Spense examined the man, not asking too many questions. Finally, he informed her that the man was alive, just unconscious. Gwyneth wanted to roll her eyes, but she abstained.

  The doctor directed her to not move the injured patient and to keep loud noises away. He wasn’t too sure when he would wake up again, but he reassured her that if she did this, it would be the best chance he had at a recovery.

  She thanked the doctor as he made his way out of the house. The boys looked at her, as she looked back at the man. The scared looks on their faces was about as scared as she felt.

  It started to become routine, Gwyneth thought, as she wiped the stranger’s face with a cloth. It had been at least five days since he had arrived at their house and he hadn’t woken up yet. He was still breathing though, which was a good sign. Gwyneth spent her days taking care of him, making sure that he had enough blankets, but mostly to make sure he was still breathing.

  She delegated tasks to the boys, telling them to go check the traps, while she tended to the garden. She had the boys reset their snares and clean the animals that were caught.

  At night, she put Arnold in charge of the stranger, as she went hunting for new game. She had gotten better at being by herself; she even caught a young adult bear. Though she was definitely scared of it, she was proud of herself for being able to take it down. The meat alone from the bear would bring a hefty sum of money, not to mention the fur and the 5-dollar bounty because the bear was too close to the town.

  She heard the door open, and saw Arnold come through the doors, his brothers walking behind him. He was carrying a basket of fish with a solemn look on his face. “What’s wrong?” she asked, as she took the towel back.

  “It’s nothing,” Arnold said, putting the basket on the counter and walking towards her.

  “He doesn’t want to upset you,” said Harley, as he filed in behind Arnold.

  Gwyneth looked towards Arnold. “What do you not want to upset me about?”

  Arnold looked at his brother crossly and then turned back to Gwyneth. “It’s nothing to worry about,” he said again, with more passion than before.

  She turned to Harley. “What is your brother not telling me,” she said with determination to find out the secret Arnold was keeping.

  Harley looked back from his brother to Gwyneth, seemingly weighing his options. When he looked back at her, he seemed to make his decision. “We went to the smokehouse to pick up some of the meat for dinner tonight, but Arnold noticed that some stuff was moved around.”

  Gwyneth turned to Arnold. “Is this true?”

  “I’m not so sure now,” he said, moving his weight from one leg to the next.

  Gwyneth could tell he was lying to her. “Was anything missing?”

  “Not that we could tell,” Harley answered. “Maybe it was just animals?” he said hopefully.

  Gwyneth nodded, though she was skeptical about it being animals. “We should probably look into buying a lock for the smokehouse. Arnold, I’ll give you some money and you can run to the hardware store for me tomorrow.”

  “Ok,” he replied.

  Suddenly, she felt something stir next to her. She and the boys turned towards
the man, as he started to move. Harley leapt back, as Jess ran forward. “I want to see!” he exclaimed, jumping in front of his brother.

  Gwyneth stood up and walked back, dragging the boys with her so they were a few feet away from the bed.

  The stranger tossed and turned, making the bed creak. Then he opened his eyes, looking straight at the ceiling before setting them on her and the boys. They were the color of steel and looked confused at the sight of them.

  He lifted up on one elbow and looked directly at Gwyneth.

  “Where am I?”

  Chapter Four

  “You are at my cabin right outside Wildcat Ridge. You hurt yourself. Your horse ran off, but we found him the next day. He is in the barn.” She pointed out the window to the building in the distance.

  “Who are you?” he asked, as he started to get up from the bed.

  The sharp movement winded him as he trembled back into a lying position. Gwyneth moved to the side of the bed and grabbed Arnold’s arm. “Run and get Doctor Spense again. Let him know the man has woken up.”

  Arnold nodded and was out the door in a flash.

  She picked up the wash cloth and placed it in the basin of water next to the bed. She attempted to wipe his forehead. He flinched, and she pulled back. She looked at him a moment and he nodded, so she went about wiping him down.

  She must have proved that she wasn’t there to harm him, as he settled back into bed. He still gave her a very skeptical look, staying silent as his steel-colored eyes bored into her.

  “My name is Gwyneth. These are my sons. You’ve been asleep for about five days. You must be hungry. How about some broth?”

  The man nodded, and she disappeared out of the room, returning a few moments later with a bowl filled with steaming liquid and a glass of water.

  She placed the tray on the side table and gave him a sip of water from the glass.

  “More,” he demanded. His voice was raspy.