Riley's Journey (9 page)

CHAPTER TEN

R
iley sat at the table, cutting long ovals from Nathan’s robe. Her stomach was cramping and she needed some personal items. His robe was the only thing she could come up with that fit her needs. She could have cut up the towels, but there were only two of them and perhaps he wouldn’t notice that his robe was somewhat shorter. Some things you just didn’t talk about or share. She had lost count of the days she had been there. Keeping track just didn’t seem important in the scheme of things.

Outside, a great storm was brewing. The sky had darkened and the wind picked up, the temperature dropping even colder as the storm blew in. Nathan became alarmed, expressing his concern about the amount of snow that had come down already. He left the cave a short while ago to tend to his small flock of animals.

At last count, he had four ewes and one ram, or they appeared to be sheep but could be goats for all she knew about Ice Age mammals. There was even a small horse, which she definitely recognized, Nathan was training as a pack animal. They were all penned up in a cave just south of this one and he visited it every day to water and feed them. He indicated that as soon as the weather warmed up, he would pen them outside during the day so they could graze and enjoy the sunshine. The ewes were pregnant and his little flock would double in size by the spring, if spring ever came here. Riley was beginning to wonder. Nathan assured her it would warm up but every day was like the last and so very cold.

She was learning to tan hides and both of them were working on perfecting spinning wool. Nathan was working on a basic loom, and he was sure they could begin cloth production at any time. Riley was hoping to find some wild cotton bolls when the weather warmed up and perhaps they could weave that as well. Not having anything but leather and some felt was quite a problem. She never realized before how much she depended on cotton material or, better yet, paper products. Being a botanist, she might be able to come up with some basic paper and ink. Might as well put her knowledge to some use. She finished cutting out the ovals and stitched several layers together. Satisfied with her efforts, she put them away and cleaned up the telltale scraps.

Nathan entered the shelter, his face red with cold and his coat wet with snow. “It’s getting really bad out there and it doesn’t look like it will end anytime soon.”

“Are the animals okay?” Riley asked, concerned.

“Yeah, but restless. They can sense the storm and it’s making them nervous. I fed them enough to last for a few days in case I can’t get back right away.” He shook off his coat and draped it near the fire, rubbing his hands to warm them.

“Where’s Demon?”

“He ran off the minute we went out. Probably a female in heat somewhere. He’ll come back. He always does.” Though his comment sounded relaxed, Nathan looked worried.

“Well, that little horn dog!” Riley grinned. “Good to hear somebody around here’s getting some.”

Nathan’s jaw dropped and his face reddened.

“Wha....what do you mean?” He choked out, perplexed by her comment.

“I was teasing, silly. Hasn’t anyone ever teased you?” Her smile widened. “Why, I do believe you’re embarrassed!”

His face flamed even redder. “Sorry,” he growled, “but it’s been so long, I forgot what teasing was.”

Amused at his discomfort, Riley eased up. “Well, I hope he’s careful and uses the right protection.” She had grown used to the dog’s irritating ways.

Demon had finally accepted her somewhat. He no longer snarled or bared his teeth at her every move, at least no more than once a day now, and he was always happy to eat whatever she left and share her bed. His share was generally the greater half but no amount of pushing or prodding would gain her more room. Immune to Nathan’s commands that he get down and stay down, the minute the lights went out, he was back on her bed, angling for position. It was a tug-of-war which neither won, but in reality, Riley was comforted by the fact that he was between her and whatever might come through the door, so she grudgingly allowed his intrusion.

“He’ll be back,” Nathan reiterated, “probably about midnight or shortly thereafter, just about the time I finally get to sleep.” Nathan went into the back room and removed his wet clothes, and returned wearing his robe, which was considerably shorter by now, showing a good portion of his well-shaped male legs. He looked down confused, but shrugged and started dinner.

Sure enough, long after they had bedded down for the night, Demon was howling outside the cave. Nathan got up and let him in but didn’t allow him in the sleeping area because he was wet. The dog fussed and whined but finally laid down in front of the fire pit and settled down. Riley grinned to herself—score one point for her! She kind of missed his big old stinky dog body though.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

I
n the small confines of the cave, Nathan was forced to become more sociable. There were few times during the day that either was alone, mostly when Nathan left to hunt, fish or take care of his flock. It was as though they were married, but without the physical intimacy. By unspoken agreement, they avoided physical contact and were careful about privacy.

Though comfortable with this arrangement, on more than one occasion, Riley caught herself staring at him, the way his muscles moved, his expressive face and the efficiency with which he tackled every task. He didn’t shrink from performing any job, no matter how lowly, and didn’t expect her to take over the “womanly” chores just because a female was now in residence, for which Riley was eternally grateful. A chief cook and bottle washer she was not, and never had been. She was more at ease doing the male-oriented duties than the female ones. However, she admitted grudgingly to herself, had she taken a desk job working nine to five in a normal, safe atmosphere, she would most likely not be where she was today.

Every evening, after the daily chores were completed, they would sit and talk for hours. He was thirsty for information on the modern world, and she was willing to spend whatever time necessary to update him on whatever topic he chose. Nathan’s contribution to these evening sessions was to explain life as it presently existed. Never being a party animal, Riley was not finding it too hard to adjust, but she did miss her books. She still had not fully accepted that she was stuck in this place, but blaming Nathan wasn’t doing any good either. He had accepted wholeheartedly her intrusion into his life and went out of his way to make her feel welcome and needed, and if ever a man needed a companion, he did.

Nathan had fashioned a shelf for her parents’ picture, and other than her one pair of modern day panties, it was the only possession she had. He had helped her sew another pair of leather leggings and several soft tunics. On one occasion, they had made felt, laughing and talking as they walked and walked. Nathan had hummed a tune and they had even danced on the felt for awhile. Demon had viewed the whole incident with bored disgust, yawning and finally snoozing while they played.

Nathan proved to be an excellent hunter and fisherman and there was always sufficient food on the table. In the deep recesses of the cave, Nathan had stored dried vegetables and meats for the winter, but Riley looked forward to warmer weather and the addition of some fresh fruits and vegetables to the daily fare. She learned that although they were in the midst of an ice age, they were far enough south that the seasons did come and plant life was abundant during the warmer months. It would be interesting to see if she could identify the vegetation.

Nathan left one morning to hunt, faithful Demon at his side, leaving Riley to fend for herself. With nothing else to do, she decided to investigate the deeper recesses of the cave. Nathan had indicated there was an escape tunnel that exited out from the spring room, and she decided now was as good a time as any to investigate. A quick inspection did not reveal the location but by careful scrutiny and well placed raps with a wooden mallet, she was finally able to locate the opening. Nathan had concealed the opening with another cleverly designed door, rolling on wooden casters like the door to the inner room of the cave. She forced the door open and peered down into the dark. Not eager to explore without some sort of illumination, she found some tallow candles and lit one from the fireplace. A slight breeze wafted through the tunnel, and she had to cup her hand around the candle’s flame to prevent it being blown out.

Riley stepped into the naturally formed tunnel, walking carefully on the uneven floor. The tunnel was claustrophobic. Riley barely had room to stand up, and the tunnel itself was extremely narrow. Anyone much taller than Nathan would be hard pressed to move through the tunnel easily. The candle cast a weak glow in the dark—shadows danced eerily on the rock walls. Riley’s imagination went wild. Nathan had assured her that the tunnel was empty of animal life, but in case it wasn’t, she didn’t want to be the first to make such a discovery. Dying of heart failure so young wasn’t on her present agenda. Her mind conjured up the image of the monstrous bear, now lurking in the shadows. She found reassurance in the fact that it was doubtful he could have fit into the confines of the tunnel, though other creatures might not have the same problem.

She gingerly made her way along the slightly angling downgrade, keeping her eye out for anything slithery or slimy that might be waiting in ambush. If the size of the bear was any indication, she didn’t want to encounter any spiders or snakes, if there happened to be any in here.

Skittering sounds broke the silence and spider webs caught in her hair as she moved forward, her skin crawling with visions of the imagined occupants. Obviously, Nathan didn’t use this outlet on a regular basis and anything could have gotten in. Water dripped down the walls along the way, making the pathway not only uneven, but slick as well and she had to concentrate to keep her footing.

After what seemed like an eternity, she finally arrived at what she believed was the outer door. A quick check of the door proved once again that Nathan had used wooden casters and the door could be opened quickly if needed. Since she was unsure of what might be lurking on the other side, she opted to forego opening the door for another day. She turned and in doing so, the candle glow danced off a large form, covered in fur, filling the tunnel. Riley screamed and fell backwards, the candle dying out as she fell. Scuttling backwards, she groped in the dark for anything she could use as a weapon.

“What are you doing in here?” Nathan’s voice calmly came out of the dark.

“
Oh my God, Nathan
! You scared the be-jesus out of me!” Riley almost fainted in relief, so thankful was she to hear his voice.

Nathan’s hand found her in the dark and he helped her to her feet. “Sorry, but there’s something I wanted to show you so I came back to get you.”

“Well, next time make some noise and let me know you’re behind me. I thought a bear had me!”

“I didn’t know you were so skittish or I would have made noise as I came down.”

“Skittish? I’m not skittish! Generally, I’m a very calm and collected person, in my real life, that is.”

Nathan moved along the tunnel, holding her hand to guide her along. He seemed to know every curve and obstacle by heart so they moved easily through the twists and turns.

“What possessed you to come in here?” Nathan asked again.

“I was a little bored and you talked about an escape route and since I had some time, I thought I should be aware of its location, just in case.”

“You should! But ask me to show you next time. It’s kind of tricky to maneuver in here if you don’t know the layout.” They turned a corner and light from the opening to the spring room softly lit the tunnel.

Riley almost ran into the spring room, immensely grateful to be out of the tunnel. “Now, what did you come back for that you had to scare ten years off of my life?” Bending over, she swished her hands frantically through her hair, praying that she hadn’t picked up some hideous crawling creature in the tunnel. Nathan watched in amusement. He hadn’t realized she was so easily frightened.

“It’s a surprise! Get dressed in your outer clothes and you’ll see. I don’t get to see this very often and I thought you would be interested.” He gathered up some jerky and a water bladder. “We can have a picnic along the way.”

Riley raced around, adding layers in anticipation of the weather outside, excited at the prospect of an outing and the expectation of a surprise. She followed him out of the cave and into the sunshine. It was a beautiful but very cold day, the snow considerably deeper after the recent storm. A slight breeze blew, lifting her hair gently from her already rosy cheeks. Nathan bent down to tie some homemade snowshoes on her feet then they started off.

Having never worn snowshoes before, she tripped a number of times until she got the hang of it. Nathan moved easily while she scooted along like she had a stick up her fanny, but it worked for her. Nathan’s face twisted in amusement as he watched her progress, but he was careful not to say anything to belittle her technique.

Nathan took a course heading north, along a track he had made earlier. Riley followed behind Demon, in her usual place. At the edge of an overhang, Nathan pointed, “Look out there, can you see them?”

Riley’s eyes adjusted to the glare. She could! In the distance, a herd of what she thought looked like giant deer moved slowly through the snow-covered expanse, towards the tree line. From her vantage point, they looked enormous.