Daughter of the Raven

by Cherime MacFarlane

  Was that the trouble? She had not really seen who and what he was, because he was so familiar to her? Anya worried he would not be free, now that she realized the extent of her foolishness.

  The dark months were truly darker than those of the island during winter. She knew the reason was because Yakutsk was further north than the island. Anya was not unduly upset at the constant twilight. It did not alter her mood.

  The atmosphere in the house was a continual, good natured acceptance of the country they lived in. What did change was the men in the family did not go out quite as much. Chores were dispatched as quickly as possible and no one went out alone.

  The cold was such that one could not be out long without risking the loss of fingers or toes. Facial skin could freeze solid in a very short amount of time. In Yakutsk, it was time to be still, to wait on the change of the season.

  The Nativity celebration marked the turning point of the year. For Anya it meant they were closer to starting the reindeer drive over the mountains. The Nativity season had always been her favorite time in winter. This year it did not bring the joy she usually felt. She was happy to pay homage to the Christ child. Yet, Anya longed for home so much, the celebration in an alien land did little to lift her spirits.

  She and Petyr sat by the fire one evening shortly before the beginning of the celebration. As Anya stitched a wolf fur sleeping bag together, Petyr was braiding a long leather lead.

  Petyr watched her for a few minutes before returning to his task. "You are not enjoying this time." It was a statement. Petyr knew her too well.

  "These are good, kind people, I know they care, but it is not home."

  He kept his eyes on the lead he was working on. "They are very good people and it is not home. For me it could never be so. I am too far from that which is most sacred to me."

  "Forgive me Petyr. Sometimes I find it hard to remember how much you have given up." She would have reached out to pat his arm, but knowing it bothered him, restrained herself.

  "It was taken from me Anya. I did not willingly leave." His dark eyes glanced up at her for a moment before he returned to the task at hand.

  "You will be home soon, probably by the end of this coming year. There is something out there for me, I know. I enjoy it when Losif reads from the Book, but I want to be able to again, study Torah. I need it as I need food and drink." His hands had stilled and his dark eyes stared into the fire.

  She quelled the urge to hug him. He was so young, yet so old. "In the spring, you will be fifteen?"

  Petyr brought himself back to the present and resumed braiding the strands together. "Yes. I wonder where we will both find ourselves then."

  Petyr glanced up at her. Anya noted there were a few hairs on his chin. "Petyr, you are growing a beard!"

  He grinned at her. "So it would seem. And my voice has not changed in nearly a month!"

  Anya smiled at her companion. "I think by the end of this year you will be nearly man sized. I see you have filled out considerably and gained several inches in height."

  Laughing softly, he responded. "Our little excursion has put muscles on me I did not know I possessed. I hope the rest of the journey will be easier."

  Anya's sewing dropped in her lap as she considered his statement. "Oh, I think from what I have heard, the journey over the mountains to Okhotsk will be very hard. Losif is hoping by leaving before the snow melts, we can escape the flooding of the rivers. As he has done this countless times, I think he is our best chance, but it will not be easy."

  "I know. I have thought about it. I do not look forward to the trip. I am looking forward to being away from Russia and in America. Things are always difficult for Jews, but I think, I may at least have a chance to better myself there."

  "It is difficult for those not in power in any nation. Being a half breed in America, is as difficult as anywhere else. My father's position and money have insulated me from most of it. Also, living in our own little world on the island, further kept me from the worst of it. But I do know of what others have suffered. Yet, if you work hard, there is a capacity in Alaska, in America, for great things."

  Petyr nodded as he neared the end of the lead he was making. "I have considered it and I think it is as you say. I am not sure where I will find myself, but it will be where He has a purpose for me. Of that I am sure."

  "Further Petyr, you are to let me and my family help you when we do finally reach Alaska. You gave me a reason to go on when I might have just died where I slept. You are like my little brother, I do not want to lose you when we are home."

  "Truly?" His eyes were wide.

  "Yes. The only reason I am not giving you a hug, is because I do not want to cause you embarrassment."

  Petyr ducked his head. The blush traveled far up into his hairline. "I claim you as sister. You have taken a place in my heart you will always occupy."

  Celebrating the Nativity marked the turning of the year in the mind of Losif's family. Then came the Feast of the Annunciation. To the family it also meant the winter would soon be over.

  Warmth would come to the Yakut and a party was planned. One of Losif's kinsmen, along with his family, would join with Losif's family to celebrate the feast and the turning of the season.

  The women of the house baked for days, using up the last of the dried berries. Their store of sugar was drastically reduced, as was the flour. A great deer roast was brought in well frozen, several days in advance. The haunch was hung far up into the chimney so it would thaw and smoke at the same time.

  The day before the feast, all took to the bathhouse amid laughter and joking. There were bets made on who would be able to stay up the longest. Bets were laid on who could consume the most amounts of food and kumiss.

  They had kumiss, a mildly alcoholic beverage, made from mare's milk. The Yakuti did not allow it to ferment as much as some of their neighbors to the south. Drunkenness in the extreme cold could be deadly and was not encouraged. A lifting of the spirit was another thing altogether.

  There was a bit of cloud cover the day of the gathering. One could feel a slight rise in temperature.

  Arms full of wood, Stesha dropped it beside the fireplace and announced the day was a good one for travel.

  Kole and Petyr were readying a large stack of hay to accommodate the animals of the visitors. Losif put Stesha to work helping to move piles of unfinished hides out to the bathhouse so there would be more room in the main house.

  Pillows in the sleeping nooks were plumped. Rolls of furs were tucked under the main coverlet in one bed to act as a deterrent to infants falling from the tall bed onto the floor.

  Several infants were coming to the party. Losif's brother had four sons and three of them had recently become fathers. Everyone was looking forward to meeting the new members of the family.

  It was the sleigh bells which alerted the excited group to the arrival of Vasilly and his family. The families came together in a wave of back slapping, kissing and hugging. Anya and Petyr were introduced and immediately treated to the same greetings.

  Blushing clear to his ears, Petyr was unable to escape. Anya finally prevailed on Bell to allow him to see to the sleigh and the four horses pulling it. Stesha went along to help.

  Once everyone was inside, the feasting began. Losif, the oldest, proclaimed the blessing. Then, every one set about devouring the huge amount of food set out. Vasilly's family brought additional dishes as well. By the time the meal was over, everyone was stuffed. Anya could not believe the amount of food the men were able to put away.

  Losif read the scriptures for the day, as everyone sat relaxing with a cup of tea. The children were put to bed and preparations were made for the younger folk to dance. The young men pushed the large table against the wall to free up floor space.

  Vasilly brought out a violin. Those still too full to move, kept time by stomping on the floor. The young couples took turns dancing, as there was not enough room on the floor for all at once. Losif and Bell danced two rounds befo
re Vasilly declared he needed a rest. Filling a large glass of kumiss the big man dropped into a chair.

  Anya approached him shyly. "Might I play for a while?"

  Vasilly looked at the violin, his most prized possession, then at Anya. His smile was broad, as he held it out to her. "Here. I would welcome a chance to dance with my sweetheart."

  Anya carefully took the instrument. After plucking each string, she adjusted one, put the instrument to her chin and raised the bow. A dance melody sprang from her fingers as she tapped her foot.

  "Inna! Come!" Vasilly roared as he quickly propelled his wife to the middle of the floor. Kole and Lana jumped up as well. Round and round they spun as Anya played. When she stopped playing, Anya would have quit and held the instrument out to Losif's brother.

  Vasilly shook his head and pointed one large finger at her. "Ah no, young woman. This is the first time in a long while I am able to dance with my Inna. Play another."

  Anya played several more songs until finally she pleaded aching fingers.

  Vasilly smiled at her as if she were a prize pupil. "One more. It need not be for dancing."

  Once again, tucking the instrument under her chin, Anya was still for a moment. Then a gypsy melody, one she had learned from her father, softly began. Anya let all the feelings she had bottled up come out through her fingers and into the now silent room. Sweet, yet sad, it sang as only a violin could.

  When she finished, Anya handed the instrument back to Vasilly. There were tears in his eyes and her own.

  Anya ducked her head. Excusing herself to check on the little ones, Anya went to the bed nook where the children were tucked away. She crawled into the bed where the infants lay. Brushing the tears from her eyes as she cuddled into the nest the young woman lay quite alone in the crowded room. In a few minutes Vasilly could again be heard as he tapped out the beginning notes of another melody.

  Anya fell asleep with the babies in the softness of the bed nook. She dreamed of her father in the back yard of the old log house. He was playing his violin in the moonlight. It was the same gypsy melody she had played.

  Camille lay with her head on his chest. Dmitri lifted the fall of dark hair away from her face as she wiggled closer and placed one leg over his. As she ran the arch of her foot up and down his leg, Camille's fingers played with the curls on his chest.

  Dmitri stroked her neck. Letting his fingers stray down her shoulder, he traced the gentle curve of her waist and hip.

  Camille rubbed her cheek against his chest. "I think I am more than ready to leave here, cher. I do not care if it is winter on the island, or not. I am done with this place."

  Dmitri turned his head to one side as he placed a kiss on the top of her head. "Leontine and Samuel should be able to cope now. Yes, it is time to go home."

  She licked him. Lightly allowing the tip of her tongue to skim his chest.

  "Camille, as I recall, you think I am too old for some things." Dmitri laughed as she tugged his chest hair hard before nibbling on his skin once again.

  "Not for everything, you insufferable male!" She stroked his whole leg with hers. "Only for fighting and carousing."

  She continued to lick and nip at him. "Do you think we can convince Samuel to move Leontine and Jean a bit closer?"

  "My brain is not capable of jumping from one thing to another while you are doing those things to my body." He objected.

  Drawing her up, Dmitri pulled her on top of him. Running his hands down her back, he pressed his wife's lower body tightly to him.

  Lifting her head, Camille licked a small circle around one nipple. Then she nibbled on his chin. "Poor bebe. How sad for you!"

  Camille slid upward to kiss him, as she reached out to run her fingers through his hair.

  "Woman, whatever am I to do with you?" Dmitri wrapped his arms around her. Turning, he placed her beneath him.

  Camille wrapped her legs around his waist. "Oh, come now, cher. You know the answer to the question. There is no need for you to even think about it."

  Dmitri lifted himself up and locked his elbows, suspending himself above her. Camille wrapped her arms around his neck. She allowed herself to hang from Dmitri's body. He bent his head to kiss her and Camille rose to meet him. Dmitri slowly lowered them both down to the bed.

  "I will be glad to get you back into our own bed in our own home." He whispered.

  Camille smothered his words with her lips.

  In the morning, they sat at the kitchen table. Dmitri and Camille had divided the morning paper between them. They were drinking coffee as they listened to the children playing in the yard. Dmi had instigated the building of some sort of dam system, which he planned to fill with water later. Lexie was helping with the excavation.

  Camille absently lay her hand on Dmitri's arm after taking a sip from her cup. "Do you think it is possible?"

  "Do I think what is possible?" He ran his fingers over her hand. Dmitri loved how she was constantly touching him. Camille was such a tactile person, it pleased him immensely. Over the years he had learned to respond in kind.

  She laid the paper on the table. "Is it possible for us to convince Samuel to move away from here and closer to us?"

  "Closer?" Dmitri put down the paper. Taking her ever busy fingers into his hands, he raised them to his lips to kiss them. "I take it this is a continuation of the earlier discussion?"

  He chuckled as Camille blushed. It always amazed him how she suddenly became so shy at times.

  "Well, what do you think? Might we be able to manage it?" Her fingers linked with his for a moment before flitting back to her coffee cup.

  "Perhaps he might consider a move. Samuel was talking about cutting back on his personal involvement in his shipping business. He may want to spend more time at home with Leontine and Jean. But I think the closest we might get them is, perhaps Seattle." Dmitri answered.

  "Will you talk to him?" Camille looked up at him, her fingers on one cheek.

  "I will. I have grown to like Samuel considerably these last few months."

  Her hand flew to his cheek. Camille smiled at Dmitri. "Thank you cher. I will put a bee in Leontine's bonnet as well."

  There was a screech from the back yard. Both Dmitri and Camille rose to see what the problem was.

  "What has our son done this time?" She asked as she quickly led the way through the back door into the yard.

  Leontine and Camille were amusing themselves with Jean in the garden. Dmitri and Samuel had retired to the study to talk business. Dmitri noted Samuel was more relaxed than he had ever seen him. The older man had reluctantly released the infant to her mother's arms. With a sigh, he followed Dmitri into the study.

  Shutting the door behind them, Samuel took a cigar from the humidor after offering one to Dmitri. "Must we talk business? I just do not believe I can think clearly at the moment."

  Dmitri lit his cigar and Samuel's. "There are a few things to discuss, nothing major at the moment." Dmitri reassured Samuel. "But I do want to tell you, Camille and I will be leaving for home shortly."

  "Unfortunately, Leontine and I expected it. We were hoping you might stay a bit longer." Samuel sat in a chair next to Dmitri with a small table between them. "This has not been an easy visit, we both realize that."

  "Neither Camille nor I have enjoyed San Francisco." Dmitri stared at the cigar then turned his good eye on Samuel.

  "Can you both be induced to leave this place, to move further north?"

  Samuel turned slightly toward Dmitri. "I am going to stop making the long voyages. I plan to stay home with my family as much as I can. I trust young Rakov to handle the affairs of our partnership. I see no reason why Leontine and I could not go further north."

  Dmitri smiled then took another puff of the cigar. "Have you given any thought as to where you might like to settle?"

  Samuel laughed. "Well certainly not Portland after the most unflattering characterization of the city a few years back. And I do not like the thought of crossing the Columb
ia Bar."

  "Understandable. The Bar has earned its reputation as a graveyard for ships. I was thinking perhaps of Seattle. Since Stanislaus is now living there, he might be able to find a good property for you to relocate to. The Great Northern Railway is available for freight services finally, so the town is growing at a rapid rate. I think you might find it conducive to your other business interests as well."

  "That is a very good possibility. I would need to sell out here. Where would we stay while the new place was being built?"

  Dmitri could see Samuel was seriously considering his options. "We do have a very nice home in Sitka. There is more than enough room there for all of us. You could spend the summer there while your home was being constructed in Seattle. That would give us a good summer together as a family while the children are still young."

  Devins was considering it. Dmitri could tell by the look on his face that a new adventure with Leontine and Jean was appealing.

  "Samuel I have been giving the future a great deal of thought lately. The traffic on the Inside Passage is leaving the island farther and farther off the beaten path. As communications get better and they will, I fear the island will become a vacation place only. Sitka does not have the gold deposits Juneau has. As much as I love Sitka, Juneau appears to be outstripping Sitka in importance."

  Samuel was very attentive. Dmitri did not often outline his business strategy. The Count was becoming quite animated as he spoke.

  "So, I believe you have a map of the territory. Bring it out and I will show you something I have been considering for many years."

  Dmitri placed his cigar in an ashtray. When Samuel opened his map drawer, the other man helped him to draw one out and place it on the large chart table.

  "See here, between the 60th and 65th parallel, just barely off 150 degrees longitude, Cook Inlet reaches into the interior."

  Dmitri traced the route with his finger past the Kenai Peninsula and up to what appeared to be a tiny finger of water below the Knik River delta. "There is a good protected anchorage there. Unfortunately, it is not ice free for a goodly part of the winter. In the summer it gives access to this whole interior area of Alaska, however."