Shattered Trail

Chapter Fourteen

The next several days start to fall into a pattern. Abner is always the first one awake, and I follow shortly. The Chesters get up soon after that, then Mr. Reed and Tobias. Lavinia and Mrs. Reed wait a long time before emerging from the wagon, and I have to shake Maudie awake every morning. Half the time, she's asleep when I carry her while walking.

As soon as I wake up, I attempt to start a fire, and once that's going- usually after several tries- I start to cook the cured bacon and a bit of porridge. Abner sits beside me on a rock, whistling and whittling a little piece of wood. “Shame you have to do all the work, girlie,” he says every morning. “You'd think the rest of these lazy people could do some of it. But no, they're used to their little spoiled lifestyle. I have no idea how we're going to get through this trip.”

Every morning, I try to argue that they're paying me to do this. But he just can't seem to get that through his head. “I thought you were in charge of the children, not the whole damn camp. You'd better be getting paid a bucket load. I can't remember- what are you planning to do once you get to Oregon Territory?”

Find my daughter. “Start a business, or something along those lines. Now, can you hand me that bag?”

By this point, usually the others are up, warming their hands by the fire. “Thank you, Antonia,” Ruth Chester says warmly every morning. “The fire is wonderful.”

“It's my job,” I always blurt out, and grab a bucket to start on my next set of morning chores.

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One morning several days into the trip, I wake up a bit earlier than usual. The sun is barely up, but I roll over and begin to rise anyway. When I put my hand out, my fingers roll through moist, dewy grass. Sighing, I reach for the dress and underclothes that I had folded neatly at my feet, and slide out from under the wagon to change. Glancing around, I make sure that nobody else is up yet, and yank off my nightdress and pull on a calico one. Once I'm dressed, I fold up my quilts and quietly set them inside the Reed's wagon, where Mrs. Reed and the children are sound asleep. I pick up the water bucket that's beside the wagon, and begin to walk to a stream that I know is nearby.

Swooping up a bucket-full of water, I turn around to head back to camp. My fingers already hurt, but I've gotten strong enough to carry the bucket for a long ways.

“I see you don't need help any more, do you?”

Shrieking, I drop the bucket, and my foot slides backwards, going over the bank of the stream. I'm going to fall in, I think for a fleeting second, but a hand reaches forward to grasp my forearm.

“Whoa,” Samuel says, pulling me up over the bank. “Are you all right?” He clutches my wrists, concern written on his face.

“I'm fine,” I gasp out, as slight tingles travel up my wrists from his touch. “I thought I was going to fall in!” I glance back at the quickly-moving water, shuddering slightly.

Samuel grins, and his grip becomes tighter as I shiver. “I wouldn't let you fall in. Do you really think I would let that happen?”

“I don't know,” I mumble, all too aware of his touch on my wrists. “I don't know you. I'd like to think you wouldn't.”

“Hmm,” he says, and we're both silent for a minute. “I'm sorry about scaring you,” he tells me finally. “This is the second time. I need to stop doing that, don't I?”

I shrug, and shuffle my feet slightly in the mud. “I-I should probably get back to camp with some water.”

“Oh.” He releases my wrists and steps back. “Of course. Have a good day, Annie.” He turns around and walks away, not glancing back once.