[Song of Alaska 02] - Morning's Refrain (36 page)

“You don’t suppose . . .” Zee fell silent and looked at Lydia. “Remember when Britta was asking us about the Tlingit shamans and their powers?”

Mother blanched. “Oh no, you don’t think the girls went searching for the shamans, do you?”

“Why would they?” Dalton asked.

“I don’t know. For some reason, Britta was asking us earlier today about the shamans and their powers. We were trying to explain that God is the one who has ultimate power, and that while there are evil powers, as well, people with Jesus are able to do great things through Him.”

“Look, we’re wasting time,” his father declared. “We have no idea of where they’ve gotten to or what kind of trouble they might be having. We need to load up and go after them.” He looked at Dalton. “Get our rifles. Lydia, you and Zee have the shotgun. If the girls come back, fire two shots and hopefully we’ll hear it. You and Evie pack us some canteens with water and some jerked meat. Zee, make us some bedrolls.”

“I’ll help you,” Phoebe volunteered and headed off with Zee.

The women went quickly to work while Dalton’s father turned to the men. “We’ll go out to my shop. I have rope and axes there, as well as a couple of knapsacks. We’ll split into two groups once we come to the fork in the trail. Each of us will have a sack of supplies. You each have knives on you, right?”

Dalton felt for his sheath for reassurance. “We also have the camping gear,” he reminded them. “There are extra cans of kerosene for the lanterns and matches, as well as some medical supplies.”

Father nodded. “We’ll divide it up and put it in the knapsacks. Come on.”

Within a short time, they all reconvened on the porch just long enough to collect the remaining supplies. Dalton found the darkness daunting. Poor Britta and Illiyana wouldn’t have any means of navigating the forest. He hated to think of how scared they might be.

Yuri was quite concerned about his mother and father. “Would someone please take word to my folks?”

“Of course, we will,” Dalton’s mother assured.

“I can do that,” Zee declared. “I’ll hitch up the cart and go straightaway.”

“Lydia, keep plenty of water heating,” Kjell told her. “Maybe get the caldron outside going. The cold is going to be our biggest problem.”

She looked to Phoebe. “You can help me with that, can’t you?”

“Of course.”

Evie put her arm around Lydia’s waist. “We’ll both help.”

“Let’s have a prayer, then,” Father said, taking off his hat. The other men did likewise and bowed their heads. Dalton felt peace wash over him. He always found great comfort in his father’s prayers.

“Father, we ask for your help and direction. Show us where the girls have gone and help us to rescue them before any harm can befall them. Give us wisdom in our search and guard our girls as they face this night in unfamiliar territory.”

“Please keep them safe,” Mother begged. “Please watch over them.” Her voice broke, and she began to cry.

Nothing was worse than hearing his mother cry. Dalton wanted only to ease her fears, but there was nothing he could do, short of bringing his sister home.

“Father,” Kjell concluded, “we trust you with our children, as we always have, and thank you even now for the provision you have made on their behalf. Amen.”

“Amen,” the others murmured.

With that, the men secured their packs and headed back up the mountain. Dalton was eager to show his father the fresh tracks. Once they confirmed the find, the men headed en masse up the trail.

“There are more tracks up here,” Yuri declared as they climbed even higher. “We’re going the right way.”

But the tracks became more obscured as a light mist turned into an earnest rain. By the time they reached the fork in the trail, the tracks were washed out, and none of the men were convinced of the direction the girls might have taken.

“Even if they were headed to the village, I don’t think either one of them would know which fork to take,” Father announced. He squatted down and held his lantern closer to the trail. Shaking his head, he stood. “We’ll have to divide up here. Dalton, you and Yuri head this way, and Joshua and I will keep going toward the village.”

“All right.”

“If you find them, fire two shots and we’ll head back this way. We’ll do likewise and you can join us. I don’t think the girls would leave the path if they could help it.”

Dalton nodded, not bothering to ask what they should do if they didn’t find them. He knew he would continue to search until they were recovered. The others knew it, as well. There simply was no other option.

“I want to go home,” Britta said, shivering. “I’m so cold.”

“We need to make camp,” Illiyana declared.

“But we don’t have supplies.” Britta hugged her arms close to her body. “We don’t even have our coats.”

“My papa said that it’s important to keep warm,” Illiyana replied.

“We can find some branches from the trees around us and make a little house. Then if we huddle together, we can be warmer.”

“I don’t want to stay here,” Britta said, looking at the deep darkness in fear. “I can’t see anything.” She paced away from where Illiyana stood. “I can’t even see you from over here.”

“Then don’t go over there.”

“I want to go home,” Britta reiterated.

“So do I, but it’s too dark and now the rain is falling too hard.

We can’t get home yet. If we stay here, we can wait until light and then we’ll find our way.”

Britta turned and tried hard to make out any sign of the trail.

Thick rain clouds overhead blocked out any hope of seeing the moon or stars. She wanted to cry and would have done just that, but it took too much effort and she was so tired.

“All right. I guess we can make camp,” she finally said.

“We just need to find some branches.”

Britta knelt on the damp ground and reached out to feel around.

“I don’t like this. What if there are animals hiding here?”

Illiyana said nothing, and that only served to alarm Britta.

“Where are you?”

“I’m over here.” Illiyana’s muted voice made it clear to Britta that she’d moved off the path.

“Don’t go deeper in the woods,” Britta warned. She struggled to her feet, but caught the hem of her dress against the heel of her boot. Losing her balance, Britta was prepared to slam down against the soggy ground. Instead, the path seemed to give way, and suddenly she was falling.

Chapter 28

S
o the men are already looking for the girls,” Zee told Darya and Aleksei Belikov. “Yuri asked me to let you know what was going on, as well as to see if there was a chance Illiyana and Britta had come here.”

Darya shook her head and looked to her husband. “Where would they have gone?”

Aleksei was already gathering his coat and gun. “Maxim and I will look around town. I’ll come back here before heading over to the Lindquists. You stay here in case the girls show up.”

Zee smiled. “I’ll sit with you a spell,” she promised Darya. The woman looked notably relieved.

“It’s not like either of the girls to do such a thing. You don’t suppose they’ve run away because of the move?” Darya asked Zee.

“I think it’s possible. They have both been pretty upset. Today Britta was asking us about the shamans and whether they had special powers.”

Darya perked up at this. “Illiyana asked me yesterday about the same thing. She asked me to tell her stories about the old days when the shamans seemed to perform miracles. I have to admit, I was rather caught up in the telling.” She put her hands to her head. “Oh, this is all my fault.”

“Nonsense,” Zee declared. She turned to Aleksei as he came back into the room. “You and Maxim should check the Tlingits’ main village first. The girls may be seeking the shaman. They want to find a way to keep you from moving back to Russia, and this might be what they’ve decided is best.”

Aleksei pulled on his coat. “Most of the Tlingits are still here. Some have left for the herring, but I’ll search every house if need be.”

Once the men had gone, Natasha peeked out from a corner near the fireplace. Zee noted that she’d remained very quiet throughout the conversation of the adults. She smiled at Natasha’s worried face.

“You aren’t to blame, either,” she told the girl.

Darya looked to her daughter. “Did they say anything at all about the shaman or the Tlingits?”

Natasha shook her head and began to cry. She rushed to her mother’s arms. “I’m so sorry, Mama. I didn’t watch over her like you told me to. I was playing with Kjerstin and the kittens. It’s all my fault.”

“No, Zee is right. Illiyana and Britta made the foolish choice to disobey. I wish you had kept a better eye on her, but you had no reason to think they would put themselves in danger.” She hugged the child close. “Illiyana knows it was wrong to run off like that.”

“I’m scared for them, Mama.”

Darya looked over her child to Zee. The worried mother’s expression was more than Zee could bear. “You know,” she began, “when I am afraid, I like to talk to God. He always makes me feel better.”

“Britta! Britta where are you?” Illiyana screamed.

Hearing her friend, Britta wanted to answer, but the wind had been knocked from her lungs. She gasped and fought to draw a breath, and just when she was certain that death was about to take her, Britta felt the tiniest bit of air enter.

“Britta!” Illiyana continued to call out.

When she could finally draw a deeper breath, Britta yelled. “I’m down here!” She wasn’t sure where that was exactly, but she knew she had fallen what seemed to be a long ways.

“Are you hurt?”

Assessing the pain in her body, Britta was fairly certain her leg was broken. “I can’t walk, it hurts too much.”

Illiyana’s voice grew louder. “Are you down there?”

Britta nodded but then realized Illiyana couldn’t see her. “You sound very close now. I went over the side. It was like the dirt just fell apart and the side caved in.”

“Can you climb back up?”

“No.” Britta tried her weight again on the left leg. A flash of pain moved up her leg and nearly caused her to cry out.

“Then we need help. I’ll have to go back to your house.”

“But how will you find it in the rain and dark? We couldn’t even see the trail.”

Illiyana said nothing for a few minutes. “I guess I could wait until it gets light, but what if you fall again?”

Britta sat down and snugged up against the rock and dirt. “I’m not going to move. I can’t see where I am and it would be too dangerous.”

“I can walk really slow on the trail. If I feel the ground get rough or the trees get in my way, I’ll know I’m getting off on the side. It’s a lot easier going down than up, so maybe it will only take a little time.”

“But I don’t want you to leave me alone,” Britta cried. “It’s so dark and cold.” She began to shiver again. Her teeth chattered wildly.

“You won’t be alone,” Illiyana declared. “Remember what your mama said about how God is always with us—that He has angels watching over us?”

She did remember. Her mother was always talking about how faithful God was and how He was with you no matter the circumstance in life. Was He really there with her right now? Were there angels beside her, as well?”