JOURNEY TO THE MIDNIGHT SUN
James Sheldon
LOVE CONQUERS ALL
Book 1 of 3
Chapter 22
Emma sat in a patch of sunshine amid the pines. Her makeshift bench, the trunk of a fallen tree, offered a clear view of the river and lowlands beyond. Not an hour before, the kids had come back from exploring the tunnel, at which point she had gone away from camp to be alone. She had done so against the wishes of her daughter. She had not gone far away at least, and in fact when she had made herself comfortable, brushing snow from her log bench and settling in, she turned to look behind only to see Jessie a stone’s toss behind with bow in hand.
Emma looked up through snow-laden boughs to blue sky. The air was crisp and windless, the silence golden. “I wish you were here, Engle. It’s such a beautiful day.” And tiredly rubbing her face, “It’s hard doing this alone. I shouldn’t have allowed the kids to go down into the Nith. I’m sure you know they’ve come back changed.”
Jessie watched as Emma got down on her knees to pray. She didn’t need to hear the words to know her mother asked for strength and wisdom. The moment had scarcely passed when seemingly from nowhere, a breeze from the south caressed her cheek light as a feather. Gently building, it swept through the trees as if to let itself be known. And no sooner had it came, than it was gone.
Back at camp, Cody used John’s bucksaw to cut firewood, “What’s taking grandma so long?”
“She’s trying to figure out what to do with us,” Laureal replied, looking up from scraping her wolf's hide.
“Maybe she’ll have some insight to those verses.” John had put the empty sled up on its side. He was waxing the runners with a brick of bear lard, already having used his bucksaw and knife to round their back edges.
“It takes a lot to impress her,” deliberating beyond her nineteen years, “but Ellie has impressed her greatly and I think that, once she gets over her anger with us, she will decide we should have at least one or two more Ellies.”
“Why not a dozen!” Cody injected, stacking the pieces of firewood, “I can’t stop thinking about it.”
“I’m still trying to believe it,” said Mia, turning the meat on the racks.
“I swear, Mia, it’s true,” taking up John’s hatchet, that he might split the larger pieces. “Whoever built this,” gesturing with hatchet to fallen walls, “they hoarded like chipmunks in autumn. And now,” looking like a boy that couldn’t wait to be a man, “we’ve struck it rich!”
“We were rich before you went down there,” stated the Matriarch, entering camp with her daughter alongside. Everyone stopped their work with the exception of Jessie who had insisted her mother allow her to make supper that evening.
Emma seated herself before the fire, “Has anyone here thought of the time and energy we would spend getting the glass out of the pit without breaking it? Has anyone here thought of how we would transport it miles and miles, again without breaking it? And what are we to say when our people ask how we got it? Are we to tell them we dug it from a Nith? Perhaps we could track down a shady dealer, one that would ask no questions. I know of only one place to find such a man, and there are many such men in that place. But alas, we would have our fortune. And the wrong men would know it. And without our men, how should we expect to make the long trek home without being set upon?”
“Grandma…”
“Cody!” sharply, “I am not finished,” and turning to the Seeker, “John, the treasure belongs to this family, of which you are part. We found it, and it is in our territory. However,” turning to the others, looking from one to the other, “we have no need of it…at least not presently. In fact, it is a stumbling block between us and that on which we have staked everything. Therefore, I would have us each take an oath of secrecy. For the future of this family, it will be as if this day never happened. But later, when we have rebuilt, we will hold a full clan council to decide what to do with this treasure that has fallen into our hands. And for my part, I think acquiring horses would be a good beginning.”
Looking at John, Laureal felt relieved to see he appeared satisfied.
“If I may,” Summerfield began, “I will be first to take the oath. But it must not include the verses, save to guarantee that I never so much as hint that they exist physically, let alone tell of their whereabouts, which would betray the location of our treasure.”
“Agreed,” said Emma. And reading the others, she could tell all were satisfied. She then turned back to the horseman, “John, I confess, I find the verses to be, well, a bit intriguing. And I believe I see a thing or two. If I may?”
“Please do, for I am wholly confounded.”
“Well, the first verse tells of goodwill. It is simple and straightforward, whereas the following verses are enigmatic. Obviously the three verses are a riddle. And being chiseled in stone very prominently, the author, or authors very much wanted it to last and be found. And yet, he, she, or they, purposefully hid whatever it tells of in an odd compilation of clues which, according to its beginning at least, are offered in goodwill.”
For a brief moment John and Emma sat staring at one another in silence. Emma then smiled and said, “I wish I could tell you more.”
“As do I…but thank you. I appreciate your insight.”
By the time they had gone round the campfire with each person giving an oath of secrecy to the family, it was time for supper. Again there was talk of Chewy, talk that remembered his happy character. In waning light Jessie and Emma cleaned up and also did some setup for breakfast because it would be cold come morning and therefore easier to do the work at present. John finished waxing the sled runners, set the sled upright, reloaded items, and went to check on Ellie. Cody split wood for the morning fire and put several large logs on for the night. The large logs had not been chopped into pieces, as that would have taken too much valuable time and energy. Instead, they had been carried into camp and laid on the fire to repeatedly burn in half through the afternoon. I'm such a way, a fair number of large logs could be fit into the fire at bedtime. Noah and Sophie helped their mother put venison into large leather bags to be stored in the tent so as not to freeze. Laureal set her wolf pelt aside and, leaning forward, used a bare stick to stir a small clay-fired pot just off the fire’s edge. The pot contained a little water along with the brain of the deer John had shot. In it the savage girl had made a paste for tanning the wolf pelt, a simple formula that would leave the pelt flexible, strong, and velvety soft. Thus reaching into the pot with her fingers, she scooped out the warm brain paste and smeared it evenly over the inside of the hide. She then rolled up the hide and put it in the tent. John came and tethered the dogs same as the night before so they would not run off after raccoons or other critters only to end up in a tangle with wolves.
“Yike, Nemo…you look like you’re missing Chewy,” squatting and petting one with each hand.
Laureal came and joined in. Then, taking John’s hand, “Darling, are we okay?”
“Yes,” somewhat surprised that she would ask.
Laureal searched his eyes, “Are you sure?”
“Yes. I’m positive.”
“You seem different.”
“I’m just full of thoughts, that’s all,” the firelight illuminating his handsome eyes, shining within his hood. “I mean, I can’t explain it, but those verses, they weren’t put there for nothing. They lead to something and it’s dogging me.” Then, managing a smile, “You had me worried for a while too…you and Cody.”
Laureal smiled back, “I guess we did go a little crazy. But I think we’re all pleased with grandma’s plan.”
“It’s a good plan.”
“John.”
“Yeah.”
“You said you felt like those verses were meant to be found.”
“Yeah…they must be.”
“Well, maybe we were meant to discover those tunnels.”
"Well, I…
“John,” cutting him off, “when the time comes and we reach that fork in the path where you go off to hunt for your magic place, maybe, instead of separating and going in different directions, it would be better for us to stay together.”
“We’re husband and wife. Whatever directions we go in, nothing’s going to separate us,” reading a mixture of hope and uncertainty in his lover’s eyes. “You’ll see. We’ll have our home. We’ll clear a bit of land along the river. Our children will swim and fish there,” and smiling fondly, “we’ll have our horses, and we’ll take sleigh rides in winter.”
Taking Laureal’s hands in his, John stood and brought her up with him.
Looking towards the tent, Laureal watched as the rest of the family ducked in one member at a time. Mia and the children went in first, followed by Emma. Next Jessie and Cody helped one another with the snow paddle, whereupon Cody went in. Jessie then turned and offered the paddle to Laureal.
Brushing snow from John, Laureal whispered, “I wish we had our own tent.”
John knew his little tent was stowed away in one of the packs. It was not practical in their present situation and still, his wife’s words spurred him to action, “Jessie?”
Jessie, just then removing her boots, poked her head out the tent flap.
“Laureal and I are going for a short ride.”
Caught off guard, Jessie appeared suspended in time.
“Just a little starlit ride,” John quickly added. “We’ll be back in a jiffy.”
Caught between bewilderment and understanding, Jessie gazed at John and Laureal. Then, speaking in a low tone, “Okay…but please, don’t be gone long. And for heaven sake, be careful!”
“Will do,” taking the snow paddle from Laureal and handing it to Jessie.
There’d been no reason for John to give Jessie the paddle. His mind was elsewhere. Jessie laid it beside the door, after which she disappeared into the tent.
John turned to Laureal, his teeth grit in embarrassment, “I apologize,” he whispered, “I should have asked you first but, I don’t know what came over me. You seemed worried about us and…well, I just thought it might do us some good. But of course, we don’t have to go.”
“I want to,” smiling.
“I’ll fetch Ellie,” all at once happy. And setting out, turning to walk backwards, “Get some blankets from the sled.
“What for?”
Staring blankly, “Yeah, forget about that…I must be crazy.”
“No…no, it’s okay! I’ll get them.”
Only three old caribou blankets remained on the sled and Laureal took them all. John brought Ellie and, with blankets laid over the giant’s back, the young lovers mounted via the stepstool. Then sitting on the blankets, they wrapped themselves in Ellie’s buffalo cloak.
Inside the tent, the Matriarch spoke lowly, “Daughter, what is going on out there?”
“They’re going for a ‘starlight ride.’”
Emma sighed in exasperation.
“I know Mother, it worries me too. But they’ve worked so hard, and they’ve had no time alone together, and…I think they need this.”
Emma listened to Ellie’s hooves moving away through the snow, vanishing into the dead of night.
Mia broke the silence, “We can say a prayer for their safe return.”
Outside, Ellie, having eaten and slept most of the day, walked tall and proud with surefooted gait. Completing a jog to exit the ruins, the queen of horses carried her riders north between ruins and bluffs. A well-worn animal trail lie there in an ancient stand of giant jack pines above the wide river. The pines were not crowded together but seemed to share the space well, perhaps having come to an agreement after spending centuries fighting for sunlight. Their shadowy forms towered alongside the limestone skeleton of the university and, together with the river, made for a dramatic nightscape set inside a great dome of stars. One could only guess how the builders of the university must have felt upon finding the site. The perfect place, safe from floods, its gentle contours only adding to its character. A character that had grown strangely beautiful in death. Like a country cemetery, long forgotten, at rest in eternal peace and quiet.
Just then, a tiny shadow came gliding down from high in the trees. Quickly passing through starlight, it crossed the trail directly before them and caused Ellie to pause as if uncertain as to whether she had actually seen something or not. Then, coming on the shadow’s heels like a missile, a second shadow, much larger in size, swept right in front of Ellie's face, “SWOOSH!”
Ellie reared up, nearly throwing her riders. The Seeker struggled to gain control, gripping her mane with one hand, reining with the other to counter the giant as she tried to bolt—
“Easy girl! Easy!” using his legs and reins as the giant danced dangerously close to the bluff’s edge!
A few more aimless steps taken in near panic, first this way, then the other, and Ellie came to a halt on legs and shoulders tense as spring steel. Her ears straight as pikes, her nostrils blowing mighty puffs of steam, her large eyes bulging as if to pin down the whereabouts of the phantom wraith!
Only with cat-like agility had Laureal held to John without dragging him off the giant’s back. Having recovered her place, she caught the motion of the second shadow, now with wings open over the river.
“Are you okay?” asked John.
“Yeah, I’m good,” watching the shadow fly. A Great Horned Owl, somewhat larger than its 21st century forebearers, it glided on a wingspan of seven feet until, flapping its wings at last, it continued west where a crescent moon hung over boggy lowlands.
“We may need to dismount and lead Ellie for a while until she calms.”
Not particularly wanting to dismount, both humans set to stroking and speaking soft words to settle the beast. And when she began to smack her lips, a sign that she had gotten over her fright, John steered her back to the path.
Continuing in peace and quiet, John asked, “Was that little thing, a flying squirrel?”
“I don’t know. I never really saw until it was gone.”
“Well, whatever it was, it got away.”
“It’s probably breathing a sigh of relief…like us.”
(Low laugher.)
John mimicked a messenger that gives a report, “They escaped the wolves but, unfortunately were done in by a squirrel.”
“A flying squirrel!” squeaking.
“And a hooter!” snorting.
At last, our young hero and heroine laughed so hard, they began to slide off their mount.
“John!” shrieking musically.
Calming even as they remained elevated, the riders exited the pines and entered a six or seven acre microcosm of grassland that had originally been the northernmost reach of the Great Plains. The native grasses of the north were not tall like their southern cousins but short and robust and thus completely covered with a smooth blanket of snow that stretched out before them, its snow crystals sparkling like diamonds.
Up the gentle rise they went, up to the crest where, looking north over frosty treetops, they saw how the forest stretched into the night without end. Only the star dome dwarfed the wood and, enveloped all the earth.
John looked on in awe, for although Laureal had told him about the northern lights, he had never seen more than traces of them. Now they danced across the breadth of the northern horizon, shimmering green and blue, shifting and swirling between earth and stars.
“They’re more beautiful than I imagined.”
“They’ve come out for us,” looking over John’s shoulder, her arms around him tight.
He turned to her and pushed his hood back, his eyes shining in starlight, “It’s a gift.”
“Yes, darling. It truly is.”
