Into the Wilderness
Page 279
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They expected Nathaniel by the end of the week, calculating extra time for him to spend at the Schuylers' and for buying winter provisions and supplies for the schoolhouse. He was traveling by wagon, which would add an additional two days onto the journey or more, if it rained. The afternoon before the earliest day he might be expected to return, Elizabeth found herself agitated, unable to read or concentrate on any sedentary work. Liam hobbled out to the porch behind her with the help of a length of hickory that he had whittled into a rough cane.
"I always wanted to swim in that gorge," he told her, as they stared at the rushing water of the falls.
"Bears and Nathaniel swim in it every morning, summer and winter," Elizabeth told him. "They say it makes them resistant to the worst weather. You could join them, once your leg is healed."
"I can't imagine it," Liam said, his pale skin rising in sympathetic gooseflesh.
Hannah came shooting around the corner, her arms full of pelts.
"Where are you off to?" Liam asked, pulling her up short.
She looked back the way she had come, and Falling—Day and Many-Doves appeared leading the roan, his packsaddles piled high with provisions and small barrels strapped to either side. There was an awkward silence. It was not Elizabeth's place to tell Liam about the cave under the falls, but it would also be very hard to have him living at Lake in the Clouds and not share this knowledge. For the next few days they would be busy transporting supplies there, and he would soon figure out what they did not tell him.
Falling—Day said: "This is your home now."
"I got nowhere else to go," Liam said. "I don't want to go anywhere else."
There was a long pause while she examined him, and then she nodded.
"We store our provisions there—" She gestured with her chin over her shoulder.
In response to Liam's confused look, Many-Doves said: "Behind the falls."
Hannah hefted her load to a more comfortable position. "In case we get robbed again."
Liam dropped his head, but he could not hide the rush of color that moved up his neck and face and made the freckles on his forehead leap into relief. Elizabeth shook her head silently at the women, and they moved off into the forest to make their way around the shoulder of the mountain. It was many minutes before Liam found his voice again.
"They don't trust me," he said sorrowfully. "And they're right not to trust me. We did some terrible things, last year. It was a kind of fever in Billy, wanting them gone. It seemed important to me, too, I guess."
Elizabeth thought for a moment. She was both encouraged by the boy's willingness to take responsibility for actions he had known about and even participated in, and concerned that he took too much on his bony shoulders. For a moment she thought of his brother, and her anger caused her to lose focus of what Liam most needed.
When she could gather her thoughts again, she said: "I don't know many people who are as good a judge of character as Falling—Day. Do you?"
Liam shook his head, scuffing one bare foot back and forth on the smooth boards of the porch.
"She knows how to look inside a person's head, seems like."
"Yes, it does seem like that. She is slow to grant her trust, and loyal once she has done so."
He nodded again, and stole a sidelong glance at her from under the ragged fringe of russet hair. "You're saying?"
"I am saying that she has just shown a great deal of faith in you, Liam Kirby. She pointed out to you the cave where the winter provisions are stored, although it gives you power over us."
"I wouldn't do anything to hurt any of you—”
“I am glad to hear that," Elizabeth said, and she stood. "But I am not surprised. Come now, and I'll show you the cave."
Liam glanced doubtfully at his injured leg and the dingy wrappings that held the long splints in place.
"We shan't go far," Elizabeth said, already off the porch. "Just down there to where the gorge opens on the other side, at the base of the cliff. From there you can almost see the cave, if you know what you're looking for. Maybe Hannah will wave at us."
They crossed to the other side where the flow of water disappeared underground, and Elizabeth stopped as she often did to feel the earth vibrate through the padded soles of her moccasins. The water was still high from all the rain, marbled with foam and pushing hard on its way down the mountainside. As they walked along the lip of the gorge Elizabeth pointed out to Liam the natural stone steps that they used to go down to the water, covered with vibrant green moss.
"Looks deep," Liam said.
"Deep enough to dive in, here."
The sound of the water was louder now, and they gave up talking. Elizabeth lifted her skirts, wishing once again for the courage to give up European fashion once and for all for the practicality and comfort of Kahnyen’keháka dress. She climbed carefully over the first few boulders at the bottom of the cliff face, turning to watch Liam make his way. When she was satisfied that he could manage, she sat down at a spot she liked to think of as her own, on a fine flat expanse of rock with a natural footrest that jutted out over the gorge. From here she had a view of her cabin, and if she craned her neck backward, a glimpse of the rock shelf where she had once stood while Nathaniel tipped her back into the rushing water. Elizabeth wished suddenly for her shawl, for it was cooler here than it had been in the sunshine on the porch, the damp rock a cold seat, indeed.
"I always wanted to swim in that gorge," he told her, as they stared at the rushing water of the falls.
"Bears and Nathaniel swim in it every morning, summer and winter," Elizabeth told him. "They say it makes them resistant to the worst weather. You could join them, once your leg is healed."
"I can't imagine it," Liam said, his pale skin rising in sympathetic gooseflesh.
Hannah came shooting around the corner, her arms full of pelts.
"Where are you off to?" Liam asked, pulling her up short.
She looked back the way she had come, and Falling—Day and Many-Doves appeared leading the roan, his packsaddles piled high with provisions and small barrels strapped to either side. There was an awkward silence. It was not Elizabeth's place to tell Liam about the cave under the falls, but it would also be very hard to have him living at Lake in the Clouds and not share this knowledge. For the next few days they would be busy transporting supplies there, and he would soon figure out what they did not tell him.
Falling—Day said: "This is your home now."
"I got nowhere else to go," Liam said. "I don't want to go anywhere else."
There was a long pause while she examined him, and then she nodded.
"We store our provisions there—" She gestured with her chin over her shoulder.
In response to Liam's confused look, Many-Doves said: "Behind the falls."
Hannah hefted her load to a more comfortable position. "In case we get robbed again."
Liam dropped his head, but he could not hide the rush of color that moved up his neck and face and made the freckles on his forehead leap into relief. Elizabeth shook her head silently at the women, and they moved off into the forest to make their way around the shoulder of the mountain. It was many minutes before Liam found his voice again.
"They don't trust me," he said sorrowfully. "And they're right not to trust me. We did some terrible things, last year. It was a kind of fever in Billy, wanting them gone. It seemed important to me, too, I guess."
Elizabeth thought for a moment. She was both encouraged by the boy's willingness to take responsibility for actions he had known about and even participated in, and concerned that he took too much on his bony shoulders. For a moment she thought of his brother, and her anger caused her to lose focus of what Liam most needed.
When she could gather her thoughts again, she said: "I don't know many people who are as good a judge of character as Falling—Day. Do you?"
Liam shook his head, scuffing one bare foot back and forth on the smooth boards of the porch.
"She knows how to look inside a person's head, seems like."
"Yes, it does seem like that. She is slow to grant her trust, and loyal once she has done so."
He nodded again, and stole a sidelong glance at her from under the ragged fringe of russet hair. "You're saying?"
"I am saying that she has just shown a great deal of faith in you, Liam Kirby. She pointed out to you the cave where the winter provisions are stored, although it gives you power over us."
"I wouldn't do anything to hurt any of you—”
“I am glad to hear that," Elizabeth said, and she stood. "But I am not surprised. Come now, and I'll show you the cave."
Liam glanced doubtfully at his injured leg and the dingy wrappings that held the long splints in place.
"We shan't go far," Elizabeth said, already off the porch. "Just down there to where the gorge opens on the other side, at the base of the cliff. From there you can almost see the cave, if you know what you're looking for. Maybe Hannah will wave at us."
They crossed to the other side where the flow of water disappeared underground, and Elizabeth stopped as she often did to feel the earth vibrate through the padded soles of her moccasins. The water was still high from all the rain, marbled with foam and pushing hard on its way down the mountainside. As they walked along the lip of the gorge Elizabeth pointed out to Liam the natural stone steps that they used to go down to the water, covered with vibrant green moss.
"Looks deep," Liam said.
"Deep enough to dive in, here."
The sound of the water was louder now, and they gave up talking. Elizabeth lifted her skirts, wishing once again for the courage to give up European fashion once and for all for the practicality and comfort of Kahnyen’keháka dress. She climbed carefully over the first few boulders at the bottom of the cliff face, turning to watch Liam make his way. When she was satisfied that he could manage, she sat down at a spot she liked to think of as her own, on a fine flat expanse of rock with a natural footrest that jutted out over the gorge. From here she had a view of her cabin, and if she craned her neck backward, a glimpse of the rock shelf where she had once stood while Nathaniel tipped her back into the rushing water. Elizabeth wished suddenly for her shawl, for it was cooler here than it had been in the sunshine on the porch, the damp rock a cold seat, indeed.
