Chapter 8: Lootah and Tehya

He was mid-swing with his hand axe when something drew his attention away from the tree he was marking. He stood tall and glanced back over at Pepper who was secured to another tree nearby. She was sitting up straight on her haunches with her ears perked up and her tail wagging slowly from side to side.

Her attention was drawn to something behind him to his right. Turning slowly, he glanced in the direction of her rapture ... and saw the largest wolf he had ever encountered, sitting calmly on its haunches barely 5 yards away. It was steel gray in color with a dense shiny coat and it gazed at them with crystal blue eyes that betrayed a startling intelligence. Even seated as it was, its eyes were easily level with the tall Northman’s. “Great Scott!” he exclaimed, “they never mentioned brutes like you when they sold me on this trek!”

He backed slowly away from the beast and turned to glance at his excited young friend. She looked briefly at him and offered a high-pitched whine with a double thump of her tail. She licked her chops with a snort and returned her gaze to the giant canine across from her.

Sadness gripped his heart as he regarded her longing. She glanced calmly at him again and her tail swished back and forth with greater intensity. “So here we are girl,” he scratched her head sadly as he reached to unbuckle her collar. “Be happy.” And with that he released her.

Pepper rose solemnly to her feet and jumped up raising her forepaws to perch on Marcus’ shoulders as she gazed into his eyes. She licked him across his hairy face and then dropped down to face the gray beast nearby. She crossed half the distance and then turned back to regard him for a moment, before joining the male and disappearing into the woods.

Later when he returned to the pavilion Nita watched his expression as he placed the leash and collar upon the table. Her breath caught in her throat, and she wept softly as she reached over and hugged her husband. “It is the way,” she sniffled.

Winter came with a vengeance on the tail of a five-day storm that lashed the coast and covered the land with several feet of snow. The winds were so strong that Marcus had to double the number of ties used to stake the pavilion and his two supply tents to the hard ground. With the extra blankets lining the interior of the shelter, they stayed warm enough. The stove was more than suitable for heating their home. Once the storm gave way it took them days to clean up the camp and clear paths through the snow to the river and their stream. It continued to flow despite the buildup of ice along the cliff face.

Marcus cleared the snow away from the pit where he had begun laying out the base stones of the chimney. The ship had carried an enormous quantity of quicklime, but it was mostly destroyed by the seawater. He decided to fabricate a rough kiln at the site of the chimney for processing the local limestone for his needs. He ground the resulting product and heated it again in his massive crucible, storing the slaked lime in several of the empty barrels for later use. He tested several batches of mortar and was pleased with the results. Even in the cold winter, the blocks retained enough heat to allow adequate curing. He began fashioning the large hearth and kept a fire burning in it continuously, serving his masonry project as well as the kiln.

During idle times he worked inside the pavilion fashioning snowshoes and winter boots for the three of them. Kuwali quietly agreed to stay with them, and they expanded the pallet to accommodate their bodies more comfortably. She was struck with awe at the garments and tools he provided her, and she made herself very useful around the camp as she healed and grew stronger. Like Nita, she filled out and grew healthier with proper nutrition and rest. Still, she pressured Marcus to allow her to retrieve her belongings from her cave.

It proved to be an arduous trek over the hills and through waist-high snow. If it weren’t for their snowshoes, they wouldn’t have been able to complete the journey. It took 7 hours to reach her cave where she began gathering bundles of herbs and containers of dried plants, mosses, and mushrooms. She insisted that they were all vital for her medicines and he helped her organize everything into two packs for them to carry back down to the camp. During the trek up, they noted an abundance of animal tracks from tiny quail and grouse to rabbits and of course wolves.

It should not have surprised him to exit the cave and find a familiar form sitting in the snow looking at him expectantly. She had grown even bigger in the month and fortnight since he had seen her last. Her coat was even thicker and glowed a red-bronze in the afternoon sun. She regarded him with her bright sapphire blue eyes and wagged her tail excitedly.

“Well, hello there lass!” he greeted her pleasantly as his face broke into a delighted grin. She got up and loped over to him, giving him a rough bump with her head against his chest. She yipped and pounced around him happily before standing on her hind legs and propping her forepaws on his shoulders. “Gods! You have grown.” he rubbed her belly and felt her swollen teats and expanded girth. His eyes widened in surprise. “You are carrying some pups in there!”

Kuwali remained inside the entrance to the cave, having never gotten used to the wolf’s presence. She remained calm though as Marcus began rummaging around in his pack. He produced a bundle of dried fish strips and another handful of cured venison. He offered it all to Pepper and she eagerly consumed every scrap.

“I set a dozen snares on the way up here, girl,” he told her as he rubbed her head lovingly, “if you follow us down, I’ll share any catches with you too.” It couldn’t be that easy to find food in her condition. He gestured to Kuwali, and she slung her pack over her shoulders before joining him for the return trip. The wolf made no move to follow them, but she accepted his departing rubs and pats with several licks of her own.

The return trip was much faster with a blazed trail to follow and most of their progress going downhill. Of his twelve snares, he caught 5 plump white rabbits. He dressed and skinned them on the spot and left two of the skinned carcasses hanging directly over his path. It was dark by the time they got back, and Nita had prepared them a hearty venison stew to fill and warm them. After eating their fill, the two made their way to the stream and hot spring pool to bathe and soak.

Sleeping arrangements became routine for the three who grew accustomed to lying naked together. Nita was so large in her pregnancy that she was never comfortable. Kuwali helped her dress and take care of her hygiene and basic needs. She also took over all of her chores so that she could lay about and rest.

The days were short as the nights grew longer. Dusk came by late afternoon, and they busied themselves inside. Kuwali prepared her herbs and remedies while Marcus cut and arranged his newly cured deer skins to fashion clothing and tools. The rabbit pelts were curing, and he set out additional snares in hopes of collecting more. The meat was a nice change from the redundant venison and fish. Once his forge was ready, he planned on fabricating some traps to capture coyotes, badgers, and the elusive beavers. He was startled from his thoughts by Nita’s sudden outburst.

“Lootah!” she cried and he whirled towards the entrance to see Pepper enter. She sauntered over to the recumbent woman and licked her excitedly. Nita cooed and hugged the big wolf and gave her kisses and pats, while Marcus grinned and put away his work. Kuwali looked on quietly but continued with her projects.

“Welcome back lass,” he greeted her when she came to him for attention, “you look like you could use a good meal.” He stepped out to their cold locker and retrieved a large chunk of venison that was nearly frozen. At the table, he cut it into smaller pieces to thaw and began feeding them to her once they were soft enough. She accepted each piece gently and devoured them with a single swallow. Once she was sated, she began wandering about the pavilion sniffing everything. Kuwali froze as she was subjected to intense canine scrutiny. A swift lick to her face made her fight not to giggle.