James yelled when Ginger’s rifle fired. He ran behind the woodpile hoping the bear would not attack him. Instead, the bear fell over backwards as it tried to escape. The animal landed on its back and flailed its feet in the air as its heart pumped one last time.
After a few moments, James slowly walked up to the bear and kicked its leg. It did not move. Ginger carefully removed a bullet from the chamber of the rifle and insured the gun was safe. Then she walked up to the bear and kneeled down beside it. She hated that she had just killed this marvelous animal, but she realized that she had little choice. The bear obviously had no fear of humans and was dangerous. When Ginger checked and discovered that the bear was a young male, she felt a little better about killing it. At least it was not a nursing sow: For that, Ginger was thankful. She would hate to have to shoot young cubs, but she realized that she would have to do exactly that if she had killed their mother. The wolves would eat the cubs alive if she allowed them to wander the forest.
When the raven landed on the head of the bear, it looked at Ginger and then flew off towards the north. Ginger said, “We should get this animal skinned out and cut up. We will have help in a few minutes to care for the meat. It will be dark before we know it.” James looked into Ginger’s eyes but did not question her words.
James cut a six-foot long pole and found some rope to pull the animal into the forest. Once they had pulled the bear a few dozen meters from the cabin, they hoisted the animal into a tree and began the nasty process of skinning and gutting the animal. By the time they completed the task, the flies were horrible. James cut off the hindquarters, carried them into the kitchen and placed them onto a heavy wooden table. Then he helped Ginger split the front quarters with a small axe and then carry them into the kitchen. They had gutted the animal on the hide they had skinned off the animal and then used the hide to move the gut pile off into the forest. There they dug a deep hole, pulled the hide into the hole and covered it over.
When they returned to the kitchen, they began cutting the meat into smaller pieces and then wrapped the meat with pieces of bed sheets they tore into long strips. Once they had covered the meat to keep it clean and insect free, James heard the sound of human voices. He picked up his rifle and racked a bullet into the chamber. Ginger laughed and said, “James, please don’t shoot my friends or you will have to carry this meat up to the cabin by yourself.” James looked again at Ginger, but this time he could keep his thoughts inside. He unloaded the rifle, placed it into the scabbard and then stepped up to Ginger. He said, “I have no idea how you and that raven can communicate, nor do I know how you summoned help to pack out this meat. I am also confused as to how your friends arrived here in just a few minutes when it would normally take four or more hours to make the trip. I must tell you now; I intend to get the answers to my questions before this day is done. Do you understand me, Ginger? I expect you to explain all of this to me in the very near future.” Ginger stepped up to James and said, “I promise you, James; by the end of the day, you will have a full understanding of what you have seen take place today.”
When James and Ginger stepped outside of the front door, they saw Monique, Natalie, Ginger, Sally and Charles walking up the trail with external frame packs and their rifles on their backs. Ginger took hold of James hand and introduced him to everyone. Ginger explained how the bear threatened James, would not back down and how she had no choice but to kill the animal. The crew quickly fastened the bear meat to their frame packs. Once they were ready to travel, James filled everyone’s canteens with fresh water from the spring.
The hike up the mountain along the river was tiring, but not so difficult. They had split up the meat so that no one had to carry a heavy load. As they turned up the trail that led to the cabin, James realized that the top of the mountain was still quite a long ways up. When they turned off the river trail and began walking up the small trail that led up to the cabin, James could see the cabin, barn and fenced in pasture. Up above the cabin, were huge oak trees, possibly the largest oaks he had ever seen. James wondered why such large trees grew so high up the mountain, normally the trees thinned out this high up. James could see an area where a flowing well drained into a small stream, which began just east of and behind the cabin and flowed down towards the river below them.
When they reached the cabin, they all began removing their packs. Once they had unstrapped the meat from the backpacks, they hauled it to an area near the barn where a small building sat on top of six tall wooden posts. There was a ladder attached to one of the wooden building supports that traveled up five or so meters above the ground and gave them access to the building. Once Ginger and Natalie had climbed up and had opened a door on the side of the building, they dropped a rope down. It was then that James realized that the building was a smokehouse. It sat high up off the ground to keep the bears from gaining easy access. They had wrapped sheet metal around the tops of the support poles to keep the bears from climbing higher than two or three meters above the ground. Once they had hauled the meat up into the smokehouse, the girls hung the meat up on ropes and then removed the cloth they had wrapped around the meat to keep it clean. Then they climbed out, closed and then locked the door on their way down to the ground. Then Charles stood up three tree stumps that lay on the ground under the smokehouse. Once he had the forty-five centimeter diameter stumps stood up, he climbed up on them until he stood on top of the tallest stump so he could reach the firepot under the wooden floor of the smokehouse. Once he was there, he handed down the firepot to the girls. They quickly made a fire in the pot and passed it back up. After Charles put the firepot back in place, he began adding small dried wood to the fire. After a few minutes, he had enough coals to keep the fire burning. At that point, he added in some green hickory wood and let the smoke begin to fill the smokehouse. After a few minutes, the smoke was seeping out every crack in the wood frame building. When Charles climbed down, he tipped the logs over to prevent the bears from climbing up to the firepot.
***
It was dark by the time Charles had finished lighting the fire under the smokehouse. When James had washed up and sat down at the kitchen table beside Ginger, he watched his new friends prepare the evening meal. They were a feisty bunch, but they truly enjoyed each other’s company. When it was time to set the table, Natalie moved everything off the table and wiped it down. When she stepped around into the kitchen to move the dishes and silverware from the cupboards and onto the counter where they could reach them to set the table, Monique giggled and said, “Please, Natalie. Let me set the table. It is time that our guest understands the world he has entered. I suspect he has already figured out the true identity of the raven and now it is time he gets firsthand knowledge of the powers of this mountain.” James looked into Ginger’s eyes and then quietly spoke. He said, “Did I miss something. Do I know who the raven is?” Ginger giggled and took hold of James hand as she said, “I will explain after Monique sets the table. For now, shush.”
Monique pointed her fingers at the stack of plates and they began to rise up off the counter. Then they individually moved towards the table. The plates then settled into place where each person sat. When Ginger looked at James, his mouth was hanging open and he looked as if he was about to flee from the cabin. She took hold of James hand and said, “I will now explain about the raven if you are still breathing.” James looked at her and said, “I cannot believe what I just saw. How did she do that?” Ginger said, “Monique is many thousands of years old; even she does not know when she was born. She is a graceful, stealthy feline that knows how to survive in a world dominated by humans. Monique has recently learned to take on a human life form and has begun interacting with humans. She and Blacky mated and have two living offspring. A male named, Ahti and a female named Fatin. They had a second son, but he died a while back when the state was trying to build the highway through the mountain.
Then Monique pointed her finger at the silverware drawer. They all heard the drawer open and then th
ey watched as a line of knives, followed by a line of forks, followed by a line of spoons moved towards the table. As the silverware rested neatly beside each plate on the napkins Ginger had folded, they all heard James take a deep breath. When he let the breath of air out, he said, “I surely don’t understand any of this, but it is too dark to hike down the mountain tonight. I guess I will have to stay and try to accept what I have seen here tonight.” Monique giggled and said, “Maybe Ginger can explain it to you when you join her in her bed tonight.” James turned his head and looked into Ginger’s eyes, trying to discover the meaning of Monique’s words. Finally, Ginger giggled and said, “There will not be enough beds if you wish to have your own. You certainly can swallow your modesty for one night and sleep in the same bed with me.” James chuckled over Ginger’s words and said, “I guess you are right. I will just have to make do.”
***
When the evening meal was over and the dishes were washed, Charles said, “We need to check the fire under the smoker before we go to bed. I would like a couple of rifles backing me up while I work. The bears may have discovered our smokehouse by now. Would you all join me?” As they all walked out to the smoke house, they all talked loudly, hoping that a bear would have second thoughts about attacking them in the dark. When they had properly stoked the firebox for the night, they all headed back to the cabin. When they were on the porch, they decided to all use the outhouse before going in for the night. Once they had all taken their turns, they went inside and dropped a board across the heavy door. The board set into metal brackets on each door casing, preventing even the largest bear from breaking through. The girls called the simple lock a night bolt.
As Ginger crawled into her bed beside James, she turned to face him and asked, “Did you enjoy this day?” James said, “All except when I stepped around the side of the house and was confronted by a bear. The rest of the day seems a little unreal, at least at this moment. I never realized that mages actually existed. Is mage the word I am looking for, or is this practice of magic called something else here in the Seines?” Ginger giggled and said, “Yes, it is as good a word as any. I should tell you that Monique and Blacky have the powers of the mountain, as do Charles and Sally. You do understand that Charles can appear in the form of a raven, do you not?” Charles looked into Ginger’s eyes and asked, “What about Sally?” Ginger said, “She was first a wolf, then later in life she took on the life form of a human. When she perished, her spirit took on the life form of a raven. The mountain called to her and she joined up with Charles as she traveled here. She too can and does take on the form of a raven. Sally and Charles live in a gold mine up near the top of the mountain. Charles was once human, but was bitten by a rattlesnake in the gold mine and died there. He too took on the life form of a raven. Charles has the ability to allow humans to look through his eyes as he soars over the mountains. The view is quite breathtaking.” James and Ginger talked until the wee hours of the morning before they fell asleep.
When Blacky jumped up on the bed beside Ginger, she yawned and rubbed him behind the ears. James woke to the sound of a purring cat. He rolled over, faced Ginger and watched as Blacky moved his head around so Ginger could rub just the right places. Ginger stared into James eyes and said, “I liked talking and sleeping with you last night. I could get used to having you near me.” James said, “I do not believe in love at first sight, but I do believe that two humans can be so in tune with each other that they feel as if they were meant to be together. I had that feeling when I first met you in my back yard. I feel as if you are my best friend, even though I have only known you for a short time.” Ginger leaned forward, kissed James on the lips and said, “I feel the same way about you. However, I need to make a trip outdoors. Now!”
When they rose and dressed, they stepped into the kitchen area, which was located in the very center of the cabin. James immediately realized that Charles and Sally were not there and the back door still had the night bolt in position. When they picked up their rifles and walked outdoor towards the outhouse, James expected to see the couple, possibly putting a new fire under the smokehouse or caring for the animals in the barn. However, the barn doors still had the night bolt set on the outside, so they could not be in there. James spoke to Ginger and asked where they might be. Ginger turned to face him and said, “They flew back to their home in the gold mine last night after we went to bed. Remember me telling you last night that they lived there?”
Ginger and James took a few minutes before breakfast to set a new fire under the smokehouse. There were fresh bear tracks in the damp soil. The tracks covered the ones the humans had made last night before they went inside the cabin for the night. James watched carefully for any sign of the bears as he passed wood to Ginger while she stood on the top of the tallest post.
When they went back inside the cabin, they each cooked their own breakfast. Ginger wanted to take James up to the top of the mountain and then return to the cabin for the night. She intended to begin the trip back to James house in the city the following morning. When they had finished eating and had cleaned up their dishes, Ginger rushed James along and they soon had their backpacks on their shoulders and were ready to travel. Just as they stepped out the backdoor, Blacky walked up beside them and began following them. Charles spoke to Ginger and asked, “Do you allow Blacky to follow us or does he need to return to the cabin where he is safe?” Ginger giggled, stepped up close to James and said, “Blacky lives in this forest. He spends little time indoors. Do not worry about Blacky’s welfare. If we are attacked by a bear when Blacky is nearby, feel sympathy for the bear, not for Blacky.”
When they reached the top of the mountain, Ginger dropped her pack to the ground and leaned back against a large rock. They had hiked nonstop for three hours and the climb was steep. When James walked up beside where she sat, he dropped his pack and sat down beside her. The sun was warm and felt good on their bodies. As they sipped water and talked, James asked, “Do you ever get lonely and wish you had a partner to share your dreams and fears with?” Ginger leaned her head over on James shoulder and said, “I have those feelings all the time. It is wonderful having Monique and Natalie around me, but I long for a soul mate; someone I can share my most cherished thoughts and dreams with. Someone I can discuss my problems with and receive a second opinion. I have never been with a m....” Ginger ended her sentence in mid-stream and quickly changed the subject. James looked her in the eyes and said, “If you consider me to be a friend, you should be able to finish that sentence without fear of offending me or embarrassing yourself.” Ginger looked into his eyes and said, “I have never been with a man. I simply decided that I would not allow that to happen until I was married. I know it is a stupid thing to say in this day and age, but that is how I feel.” James smiled and said, “The way we manage our lives is a very personal thing with each of us. You have every right to decide when and where you share your body with another. If that is the way you feel than no one has a right to pressure you to change those feelings.” Ginger stood up and looked down at James, and said, “I have a question that I should have asked when I first met you, but I did not. James, are you married?” James started to laugh as he stood up. When he was facing Ginger he said, “Hiding a marriage from you would have been a very deceitful way to treat a new friend. No, Ginger. I am not married. I have had a couple of girlfriends over the years, but I have never married. You are the first woman whom I have ever really gotten to know.” He stepped up to Ginger and carefully kissed her on the lips. Then he stepped back, not wanting to pressure her into returning the kiss.
Once they had their packs on their shoulders again, James asked, “Would you consider beginning our hike back down the mountain to my home in the city today. We could stop off at one of the cabins for the night and then finish the trip in the morning. I would like to spend some time with you and allow us time to get to know each other better. I promise to keep my hands to myself.” Ginger giggled and said, “I would like to begin the tr
ip now. I too would like to become better acquainted. I seem to have fallen for your gentlemanly charm.”
As they passed the trail to Monique’s cabin, they met Blacky on the trail. Ginger kneeled down beside him and rubbed his back and ears. Then she said, “James and I are going to hike down to his cabin and spend the night. Then in the morning, we are going to travel to James house in the city. I am not certain when I will return, but I will send a message on occasion.” When Ginger stood back up, Blacky looked up at her and then headed up the trail towards Monique’s cabin.
When they arrived at James’s cabin, it was just getting dark. James walked ahead of Ginger with his rifle at the ready, but they never saw any signs of another bear hanging around the cabin. When James walked out where they had skinned the bear, he found fresh scrapings and footprints from the wolves that had discovered the kill site.
When they got the fire burning in the kitchen stove, they cooked up some food they had in their backpacks. They had packed light, only intending to spend one night in the forest. They both knew that if they did need to spend another night on the trail, they could easily kill fresh game or pick blackberries that had recently ripened.
Ronnie Coleinger: A Winter Collection Page 16
