Chapter 18

After supper the natives were a little restless. They called me over to help them rinse off in the shower and they returned the favor. The twins seemed especially frisky, but in the end I held out on them all and could only be counted on for cuddling, kissing, and light petting before I began sawing more logs. I don't really know why since I wasn't that tired, but for some reason I just didn't feel up to it.

Even though I'd tried to be low key about it they'd caught the vibe by morning, and were so quiet getting up and dressed they didn't wake me. The smell of coffee finally did and whatever took the want-to off my mind the night before was gone by the time I'd rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. Still, last night's moodiness had affected them. They were trying to put on a good show, but were obviously subdued.

Catla looked so sad when she reminded me we were out of eggs it nearly broke my heart. By now I knew it must have been a little jag of lonesome for Rose that triggered my cardiac dropsy of last night. This morning I realized how unfair it was to them. Hell, by now I'd already spent more time with Catla than I had with Rose and in days Shayta and Nanita would pass her on the seniority list.

I knew I loved Rose and was sure I always would. It wasn't their fault Rose and I couldn't be together though. It was mine if it was anyone's since I'd been the one to run through my health like a welfare family who'd won a lottery and spent everything they won in only a few months. I'd used my former body completely up and ended up with nothing to show for it but a paid for truck and a three bedroom brick with a nearly paid up mortgage.

Rose had taken up with me on a whim and we'd grown close in a short time. It wasn't really mercenary on either of our parts though we'd both ended up financially better off in the end. These women had taken up with me also and I knew good and well we were growing close too.

Rose had thrown herself into my get packed project wholeheartedly, but the six with me now had become just as dedicated. I was ashamed of myself for even thinking the way I had last night. They were perfect for me here and I should get down on my knees and kiss their feet.

Damned if I didn't too. I called them over, hit my knees and did it, making sure I told each one of them how proud I was they were mine and how sorry I was about making them sad last night.

Leita and Layta were shocked and Keeta was disturbed. Shayta and Nanita were upset too, but Catla was last in line for the treatment and by the time I reached her tears were dripping from my eyes. She tried to get me to quit it and get up, but I made sure I didn't slight her.

"Get up Jack. We know you miss someone and we know how it hurts. We not mad at you. Get up and we all make each other happy together. Get back in furs and we hug some more. Tell us her name and we help you miss her."

"Rose. Her name was Rose and she was my mate where I came from. Spirits sent me here and they wouldn't let her come with me. Rose found all the things I have with me here. She packed them up for me and made sure they all came along," I said, nearly blubbering.

"Where she go?" Keeta asked.

"She had to stay where I came from."

"With the spirits?" Catla asked.

"Not exactly, but sort of."

"Maybe she come later. We hope so," Shayta said.

"I don't think the spirits will let her come."

"Yes, but we not know. Spirits change mind sometimes," Nanita said.

"Come, we go back to bed lay down. We think of Rose with you." Keeta said, and it's what we did for about an hour.

When we got up again we were all in a better mood. We didn't talk about Rose any more and I was over my crying jag.

Catla wasn't to be denied on the egg hunt this morning, so I made sure to dig out and assemble tender traps of suitable size to catch guineas. We had six traps I thought would do a good job. I also brought along the big trap I'd caught Mama in so we could store captured guineas and reuse the smaller traps to catch more.

When Nanita saw me assembling the traps and figured out what I was up to she and Catla decided we might as well camp out down there for a few nights and more packing got underway.

At first I thought it was too much trouble for not enough gain, but then I changed my mind. We would be perfectly safe down there with Mama and the cubs sniffing and exploring everything. They'd be sure to let us know if something undesirable came around and sleeping under the stars had its own rewards.

After we made it to the edge of the woods where we'd gathered eggs before, it was time to set up a campsite. I could have set out the catch traps to get an early start, but didn't think there'd be any advantage to it catching some fowl today just to pen them up for the night. Shayta took Keeta, Layta, and Leita off to gather a few eggs for supper while I gathered squaw wood for the fire and tried to make myself useful in case the cooks needed any help.

Turned out I was needed to help cooking because Catla was tied up getting the wolf pack ship shape. They were excited to be exploring again and they thought it was their job to chase the guineas. It cost them all several severe scoldings.

After a while they settled down near camp to lie around and look chastened. Catla declared a petting and ear scratching free period for all of us to remind them they were supposed to be paying attention. The biggest male finally tore his britches completely when he spotted a nearby fowl, hopped up, and took off again.

Catla was on him like the proverbial duck on a June bug and she made him slink back to camp and then locked him into the big cage I'd brought to keep captured guineas in. They were no longer small enough to get out through the mesh and I'm sure it was a lesson he wouldn't forget. He had to mope in there after the others were given leave again and he looked very sad while Catla was doling out pets, ear scratching, and praise to all the others.

"How long you gonna keep poor Fido in prison? He's looking sad in there," I asked Catla, since he did look pitiful.

"Must learn not chase egg birds. I let him out before dark. He be good wolf then," she said.

She did turn him out later when she handed out the bones we'd brought along for them to chew on. They were all still walking around with distended bellies from the bear bonanza anyway, but the bones kept them occupied.

We built the fire up a little just before we headed for the furs. Catla, Nanita, and Shayta played hide the weenie first with me and I was glad to take the edge off before giving the newbies a turn. I knew good and well they weren't up to taking a good pounding yet, an apparently Catla did too since she was always the one who arranged the pecking order, or poking order as it were.

With the sun for an alarm clock again there was no danger of sleeping late the next morning. Of course we had fresh eggs this morning and they were plentiful besides. I took off to set out the traps for the guineas as soon as I'd finished my third cup of coffee.

Keeta, Layta, and Leita headed out into the large plain with Catla though and I wondered what the hell they were up to, but didn't ask. Once I had the traps scattered out and returned to camp I got the news. They were waiting for me and I saw they'd been gathering wild oats from a huge patch of them on the plain.

They'd cut down the stalks with seed heads intact and when I came back they picked up big bunches and Catla had me show them the traps. They gave each trap several whacks with the oats, scattering seeds on the ground around and inside the traps.

"Birds come inside to get seeds and trap will close," Catla said.

I was glad she'd thought of it because I'd just been counting on the guineas to wander in sooner or later. My way would have made for a much longer stay waiting to catch our quota.

Since waiting was mostly all on my dance card for the moment Catla suggested I saddle Red to ride out and kill something edible. She sent Keeta and the twins with me and we set out about an hour or so before noon. We took a little pemmican to have something to nibble on if we ended up missing lunch and we led Shelia with us too, pulling a travois. We wouldn't be able to find any materials for one on the plain.

It's funny about a large open plain like we were on. We could literally see for miles, and sweeping it with binoculars showed up a group of a hundred or so aurochs which didn't look so far away. Putting the binoculars away let me know they were at least five miles off and grazing their way away from us.

I told the girls to keep their eyes open for predators hiding in the high grass. It wasn't easy to communicate it with the newbies, but I made sure we were all clear on the plan before we took the first step. Mama came with us to be another set of wary eyes.

We weren't going for a month's supply of meat, we only needed something on the small side. It's why I chose to go after the aurochs in the first place. They were easily twice as big as the cattle I was used to, but they had some younger and smaller models with them and I was planning on taking one of those.

We trotted out to within half a mile of our target group and then walked up closer. The aurochs didn't pay us much attention even though I'm sure they thought we were the oddest bunch of horses they'd ever seen. We advanced within a hundred yards before any of them seemed to notice.