Finding Home

by Ali Spooner

  “This isn’t your first grizzly, is it?” Maggie asked, as Nat’s hand went to her neck.

  “No, I killed the one that mauled my father to death,” Nat said.

  “Then this has brought back painful memories,” Maggie said, as she watched Nat stroke the bear claw hanging around her neck. “You kill, only when necessary, to feed and protect the people you love, which is right.” Maggie’s arm slipped across Nat’s shoulder. “You gave the bear the opportunity to turn away and when his instinct to eat kicked in, your instinct to protect took over, just as your father trained you,” Maggie said with a smile.

  Nat looked up at Maggie with tears in her eyes. She knew Maggie spoke the truth. As she had done with the bear that took her father’s life, Nat would take a claw from this bear’s body and add it to the necklace she wore as a memory of her father. Unfortunately, she would also bear a scar as a reminder of the encounter, from the wound she had taken.

  “Are you ready to go get that wound looked at?” Maggie said.

  Nat nodded her head and stood from the cart. Maggie led Quincy to where the bear was hanging in the tree and lowered his body onto the cart as Nat helped Marissa back onto Buck and then mounted Hardy.

  “We head for town and you go see the doctor while Marissa and I drop the lobster off at the hotel,” Maggie said. “I will take care of the bear and buck while Marissa takes you home for the night,” Maggie instructed. “You can care for the horses correct Marissa?” Maggie asked.

  “Yes, I have seen Nat do it so often,” Marissa answered.

  “Good. When we finish in town, take her home and put her straight to bed,” Maggie said. “She will probably insist on helping, but stand firm and make her rest.”

  “You are worse than a mother,” Nat teased.

  “Someone needs to watch over you,” Maggie said with a soft chuckle.

  Nat knew Maggie was correct. The side of her face had already begun to swell and become painful. The doctor would sew the wound closed after cleaning it, which would not be pleasant.

  “Yes ma’am,” Nat said, as she tried to relax back in her saddle as she held the compress against her face.

  They traveled for another two hours before they passed the cabins on their way into town. It was just after midday when they arrived and Nat went in search of the town doctor as Marissa and Maggie pulled the cart in front of the hotel. Smithy had witnessed their approach and walked out to meet them as they hitched Buck and Quincy outside the hotel.

  “Nice haul you have there, but where is Nat?” he said.

  “She is over at the doctor’s office,” Maggie said. “She took a swipe from a bear who tried to take the buck from her,” she added.

  “Dear child is she okay?” he asked.

  Maggie chuckled. “She is no mere child, Smithy, you of all people should know that and yes, she will be fine.”

  “Do you two need help here?” he asked as his attention was drawn to the doctor’s office.

  “No, you go ahead and check on Nat,” Marissa said with a smile to Maggie.

  Smithy walked across the street as Nat sat down on the doctor’s treatment table and removed the poultice Maggie had made.

  “What on earth happened?” the Doctor asked.

  “I had a little run in with a bear,” Nat said.

  “I certainly hope he paid for this nasty little swipe he took at you,” the doctor said as he examined the wound. “This will leave a nasty scar.”

  “His head will be hanging over someone’s mantel piece soon,” Nat said with a grin that made her flinch with pain.

  Smithy walked in at that moment. “Dear God, Nat are you okay?” he asked when he saw the swollen, bloody side of her face.

  “I will be fine, Smithy, I had no choice, he started to charge us, so I had to take him down.”

  “The hell with the bear, are you okay?”

  “I will be fine, once doc here finishes with me,” Nat said.

  “I won’t lie to you,” the doctor said. “This is going to hurt.” He looked at Smithy. “Will you bring me that bottle of whiskey?” he asked, pointing to the bottle in the cabinet.

  Smithy walked over and took the bottle from the cabinet and pulled the cork from its neck before handing it to the doctor.

  “Thanks,” he said as he poured some of the alcohol on a clean cloth. “You may want to take a nice long drink,” he said as he handed Nat the bottle.

  Nat lifted the bottle to her lips and took a long drink of the whiskey, flinching at the strong taste. She welcomed the dullness to her mind as the doctor cleaned her wound then as gently as he could, applied ten stitches to close the wound on her face. He handed her the bottle for another drink.

  “Does she have someone to help her home?” the doctor asked.

  “Yes, I will see to it,” Smithy said as he paid her bill.

  “Very well, let her know to return to me in two weeks and I will remove the stitches,” he said as he helped Nat to her feet and Smithy guided her back out to Hardy and helped her mount. The way she swayed in the saddle worried Smithy. “This is not going to work at all,” he said.

  He carefully led Hardy to the hotel where Maggie and Marissa were just completing their transaction with the owner. “We need to use the cart to get Nat home,” he said, as he gently took her off Hardy and carried her to the cart and sat her up. “I will accompany you to get her home and then I will help Maggie with the buck and bear, when we have Nat safely tucked in bed.

  “Thank you for your help, Smithy,” Marissa said.

  “No problem at all,” he said. “Why don’t you ride back here with Nat and I will take the horses.”

  Marissa climbed in beside Nat and held her close as they turned for home. Smithy took the horses to Nat’s barn and cared for them as Marissa and Maggie got Nat into Marissa’s cabin.

  “I will see to the meat and be back as quickly as I can,” Maggie said as she left Marissa to undress Nat and tuck her into the bed.

  “Thank you Maggie and tell Smithy thanks again too please,” Marissa said.

  “I will see you soon,” Maggie said and with a soft smile she left the cabin.

  Marissa returned to the bedroom and began undressing Nat. When she removed the work shirt from her shoulders, Nat opened her glazed eyes.

  “I love you,” she whispered.

  “I love you too,” Marissa said as she lowered a night shirt over Nat’s body. “Rest now my love,” she said as she kissed Nat and laid her back on the bed. She pulled the warm covers over her body and looked at Gyp. “I know you are worried, so for tonight, you can sleep on the bed,” she told the dog and patted the bed.

  Gyp jumped onto the end of the bed and laid her head on Nat’s thigh.

  Marissa lay wood in the fireplaces and started fires to warm the chilly house. She placed the coffee pot in the kitchen fireplace as she toiled putting away their supplies from the trip. She prepared a batch of biscuits and went to the spring house to bring bacon into the house. They would have fresh biscuits, bacon and eggs once Nat awoke from her slumber.

  Smithy walked with Maggie back to town and helped her unload the two carcasses. “Would you like help skinning this monster?” he asked as they unloaded the bear.

  “I will start on him if you will hang the deer meat in the smoke house and get the fire started for me,” Maggie said.

  “No problem,” Smithy said as he went to work.

  Maggie pulled out a sharp skinning knife and began removing the pelt. She was halfway done with one side when Smithy returned.

  “He is big even though not fully grown yet,” he stated.

  “He was well over six feet when he reared,” Maggie said. “Nat was fearless as she took him down.”

  “Nathan would have been proud,” Smithy said as he began cutting away the pelt.

  “Yes, he taught her well,” Maggie said as she smiled up at Smithy.

  Maggie cut away the large paws and took a claw from one of the front paws and tucked it in her shirt. “To a
dd to her necklace,” she said to Smithy who nodded his head in agreement.

  They finished skinning the bear and Smithy helped Maggie nail both pelts onto a wall to allow them to dry. “Looks like you all will have a very profitable trip,” he said with a grin.

  “Enough to keep Nat from going into the woods if she chooses,” Maggie said. “I really don’t see that happening though,” she added.

  “It’s too ingrained in her blood,” Smithy said. “Hunting, trapping and living off what she kills is her life.”

  “That is very true,” Maggie said. “Do you want to take these heads and claws with you tonight?” she asked.

  “I can and that will be one less worry for Nat,” he said. “She knows I will treat her fairly.”

  “More than fairly, usually,” Maggie said with a grin.

  “If she wakes tonight, tell her to see me if she needs anything,” Smithy said as he and Maggie walked to the center of town.

  “I will,” Maggie said. “I will stay with them tonight and drop by tomorrow with a report,” she promised.

  “Thanks,” Smithy said as he watched Maggie lead Quincy out of town.

  PART FOURTEEN

  Maggie knocked softly on the door and stepped inside when Marissa opened it. “How is she doing?”

  “Resting quietly so far,” Marissa said.

  “Good, you will need to watch her for fever tonight, in case an infection has set in,” Maggie warned. “I will stay tonight if that is all right?”

  “That would be great,” Marissa said. “Would you like some coffee or something to eat?”

  “Coffee would be good,” Maggie said as she took the claw from her pocket and pulled an awl from her bag.

  She took the cup of coffee from Marissa and took a sip of the steamy liquid. “Would you like to finish the boot laces?”

  “Did you bring them?” Marissa asked.

  Maggie smiled and handed her the strips of leather and watched as Marissa started to braid. Then she took the awl in her hand and began to bore a hole in the bear claw. When she finished drilling the hole, she stood and placed the claw on the mantel. She opened her bag and began working on the boots. She had one part of the leggings attached to the sole and was reinforcing the sections where she would bore the holes for the boot laces. If she were lucky, she would have the boots finished in just a few days.

  Marissa watched the ease of Maggie’s hands as she worked the soft leather. “How did you learn so many talents?”

  “Like Nat, my family lived off the fruit of the forests for many years when I was a child and we learned to use everything we harvested,” she explained. “We did not have money for new clothing, so we used the hides of animals we took for food, to sew our clothes and to make our footwear.”

  “Were you ever married?” Marissa asked.

  “I was in love once,” Maggie said. “He went out on a hunting party one day and never returned. The party he was with was ambushed by a warring tribe and he fell during the battle. ”

  “I am so sorry, Maggie.”

  “It was a great love, and one that will last me to the next world,” she said with a comforting smile. “You were married before, correct?”

  “Yes, for a few years before he passed away,” Marissa said.

  “So, you know what it is like then to miss someone you loved.”

  “Yes, I do,” Marissa said. “I was completely lost in my solitude until Nat showed up and taught me what it was like to feel again.”

  Maggie remained silent as she thought of the pain, Marissa would soon be experiencing if Nat chose to go back to the woods until next winter. She knew the two women had formed a special bond in the short months they had known each other, but they were from different worlds. Nat was like a wild animal roaming free in the dense forests and plains, while Marissa enjoyed the comforts and conveniences of town. Neither of them would thrive in the other’s environment for very long and Maggie worried what would happen when the call to return to the wild tugged at Nat’s heart.

  Marissa finished the second boot string and stood to stretch her body. “I am going to check on Nat,” she announced, leaving Maggie with her thoughts.

  Maggie continued sewing as Marissa walked quietly into the bedroom. Nat was still resting peacefully, tucked under the warm covers. The moon light covered her face and Marissa could see the dark purple bruise that had formed on the right side of her face.

  Marissa heard her stomach growl as she remembered that they had not eaten all day. She had baked fresh biscuits and had bacon ready to cook. She would fry the bacon and if the smell did not wake Nat, she would wake her long enough to get some food into her body and then send her back to bed.

  “I don’t know about you, but I am hungry,” she said to Maggie. I am going to cook some bacon and eggs to go with the biscuits I cooked earlier. ”

  “Would you like some help?” Maggie asked.

  “No, you keep working on those boots,” Marissa said with a smile. “If Nat doesn’t wake up from the smell of the bacon, I will wake her long enough to get some food into her.”

  “That is a good idea,” Maggie agreed.

  In the bedroom, Nat stirred as the smell of bacon cooking reached her nose. At first, she thought she was dreaming, but then she remembered they were home and she was hungry. Gyp jumped down from the bed and trotted into the kitchen to alert Marissa that Nat was awake.

  “I will check her,” Maggie said as she tucked her sewing away in her bag.

  Maggie walked into the bedroom and found that Nat was struggling to sit up in bed. “Here, let me help you,” Maggie said. “How are you feeling?”

  “Like I have been run over by a herd of buffalo and I haven’t eaten in weeks,” Nat said.

  “Well, it wasn’t buffalo, but you haven’t eaten all day,” Maggie said as she sat next to Nat on the bed.

  “Marissa is preparing a late dinner for us,” Maggie said.

  “The smell of the bacon woke me from dreamland,” Nat said.

  “She has made fresh biscuits and plans to cook some eggs too,” Maggie said.

  “That sounds wonderful,” Nat said.

  “Are you ready to walk into the kitchen?” Maggie asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Take it slow, there is no need to rush,” Maggie said.

  “Yes, Mama,” Nat said.

  “I would be proud to be your mama,” Maggie tossed back and then helped Nat stand.

  “Am I spinning or is it the room?” Nat asked with a grin.

  “Your head is a little off right now,” Maggie said. “Can you walk or would you prefer to eat in bed?”

  “I can walk,” Nat said and took a few steps forward with Maggie by her side.

  Nat walked into the kitchen area and sat down at the table. “That smells good,” she said to Marissa.

  “That’s a good sign you haven’t lost your appetite,” Marissa said. “Would you like some eggs?”

  “Do we still have some honey?”

  “Yes, we do,” Marissa said as she plucked a jar from a cabinet and placed it on the table in front of Nat.