winter in my sheltered valley

[beezlebob]

  I was headed back to my valley with my two packhorses in tow and kept feeling I wasn't alone, someone was behind me. When I left the trading post with my winter's supplies, I hadn't noticed anyone following me, and couldn't see anyone on my back trail, yet the itch was there. I came to the lower end of the ridge where the trail let up and over it. There was water from a good spring there so I stopped and watered my horses, then filled my canteen. As I stood there I could see dust on my back trail several miles distant, so I got my horses headed up the ridge and into the cedars on top. I then tied my horses back from the edge where they wouldn't be seen. Then went back and laid down in the grass where I could see the spring to wait and see who was acomin. After a little time I counted seven horses all with riders and coming fast. When they got to the spring I noticed it was six men, all rough looking and heavily armed, and the seventh rider was a young indian woman tied to the saddle she rode. They got off and watered their horses and filled canteens, then they held a council and a bit later all but one man rode off to the west along the base of the ridge. The one left to guard the woman jerked her off her horse, and then tied her feet so she couldn't run off. He then drove four stakes in the ground very deeply and then untied her feet, laid her on the ground and tied her feet to a stake each. He then did the same with her hands so she was tied spread-eagled on the ground. That done he laughed as he groped her body.
  I decided to slip down the trail and see if I could take out the man, and free the young woman. Leaving my horses where they were I slipped down the off side of the ridge out of sight and then slipped around until I was close behind the man. He was easy to find as my nose could smell his stink twenty yards off, a filthy individual who hadn't bathed in a long time. His attention was on the woman so he didn't detect my approach until my rifle butt put him to sleep. I then took his guns and went and cut the woman free. She was afraid of me, so I handed her his rifle and knife. She then went over and slammed the butt repeatedly into the man's head killing him. I led her horse to her and handed the rains to her, then turned my back to her and walked back up the trail to retrieve my horses, not knowing what she'd do. I was worried she'd try to take me out also, but as I climbed, she just stood looking after me. As I reached the top, she jumped on her horse and came after me up the ridge. When she got to the top I was riding into the cedars leading my two pack horses. She then followed at a short distance. I hadn't spoken a word to her yet.
   As we climbed the first snow of the coming winter began to fall and I was concerned about reaching my hidden valley before the snow got to deep for traveling so pushed on into the storm. After a while I decided I needed to find shelter for the night, so turned off the trail and rode a few hundred yards off into the cedars to a small hill I had stashed wood and hay before. As we stopped I got off and removed some dead fall branches and behind that was a cave large enough for my horses and myself. Inside was the firewood and hay I had stashed there earlier in the year. As I unpacked my horses and fed them, the woman came into the cave leading her mount and she then removed the saddle from her horse. She never sat her rifle down but kept it in had as she didn't trust me either. A small pool in one corner took care of water for the horses, so I built a fire on one side and the smoke rose to a hole in the top of the cave beneath a large cedar whose branches dissipated the smoke making it impossible to see.
  I fixed a venison stew from supplies I had on hand and passed her a bowl and spoon, she used her knife to spear her food from the bowl rather than use the spoon, then drank the broth. She smiled at me finally, and gave me the bowl, and I washed our utinsels and put them away.
  Walking outside I saw our tracks had filled in with snow leaving no trace of our passing. I then went back inside, dug out blankets and handed several to her, then I laid down on my own blankets and pretended to fall asleep, watching her all the time. I sensed her watching me also, so I drifted off to sleep. Come morning I went outside to check our back trail, and sure enough, the other men of the group were following the trail up the mountain looking for us. There were no tracks in the trail so I knew they were just searching. The woman had come out and she stood beside me as we watched them go on up the trail. We then went back inside and built the fire up and cooked more stew to eat.
  Later that day, those me came back down the trail, and I had got close enough to listen to their conversations and they were an unhappy bunch. Seems the young woman was going to be traded back to her people for horses and furs, but now they'd lost her and were a grouchy bunch. As we ate, she finally talked to me and told me of her people and where she thought they might be. I told her I'd stop and leave my supplies in my valley, then take her to find her people if she'd like, or, she could go alone. She said nothing to that and I knew she was considering my offer though she was not trusting of going into my valley.
  The next morning we left and headed up the mountain. Two days travel in foot deep snow got us to my valley and as I turned off to drop down through the pines and spruce, she hesitated. I told her if she liked she could wait there for a few hours til I got back, and she agreed to that. When I got back she led the way and we spent several days traveling before we reached a valley protected from the storm and could see smoke from her people's cooking fires rising through the tree branches. Guards accompanied us into the village where we were met by the elders of the village. One was her father who was a stern looking man and didn't act to happy to see his daughter. All there sat around a campfire and a council was held and I had no idea what was going on until heated voices shouting made me wonder if I should've stayed away. Finally guestures made it plain she wouldn't be allowed to stay. She got up and walked to her horse and mounted, so I followed and with tears streaming down her face she turned her horse, and headed back into the forest.
   I rode beside her and asked her what had happened, and she said she had left her village with a white man who had taught her english, and who she had worked for. Now, her people thought she had shared his bed and wanted no part of her. She had never slept with the man who had a wife. Now she had no people, no home. She was coming with me to spend the winter.
  We spent the winter together in my valley, and I found she was a good cook.  We never shared blankets, but I treated her with respect.
  My family consisted of a bear cub I had raised after finding him abandoned and starving, I called him bud, and there was lion cub who had come to live with me, and him I called Sam, and these two were fast friends who played together from dawn to dark most of the time. Moonrive, the indian woman, learned to love Sam and bud and she played with them each day. Bud came to share her blankets at night and they were together everynight. Moonriver was a good fisherman and supplemented our elk and venison at mealtime. Bud also loved to go fishing with her, and he got half of what she caught as she couldn't say no the the little bear. These pets of mine made her see a side of me she had not expected. She came to trust me, and she cared for me. I came to care for her and was thinking quite seriously of asking her to stay come spring, but that would be her decision.
  When the pass at the top of the valley was clear I asked her if she wanted to try and find a village she could join, and told her I would take her if she liked. She looked at me, and I could tell she didn't know what she wanted, so I left her and walked down the valley to check on the horses. When I came back, she walked up to me, took my hand and she led me to her sleeping mat, my blankets were there also. She looked up at me and said she was my woman, and she did not wish to leave our home, but wanted to stay. So, our bed is now shared by three, the two of us, and Bud. Now and then Sam comes in and curls  up with us.

[hotfxr]

Nice tale there Beezlbob. I am happy to see that your situation has settled down to a point you can let your creative side come out. It's post like yours that keep our forum going strong.

[Hawken50]

 

[Patocazador]

Good yarn .. except for the snow part.

[beezlebob]

thanks guys. If'n yer a mountain man, ya had to deal with the snow. It ain't sa bad when yer used to her. ha ha

[Red Badger]

   good yarn

[Tim Burns]

just checking in - and I thoroughly enjoyed this short story...  Tim

[DandJofAZ]

Good story. and I like winter snows on my camp....

Doug