Shattered Trail

Chapter Fifteen

Although we haven't even been traveling for a month yet, it's feels like we've been journeying for weeks by time we reach our first fort. “Fort Leavensworth,” Abner says as we approach it. “We'll be able to buy more supplies here, and rest for a day.”

Resting for a day sounds wonderful. My legs ache like they've never ached before, and my arms burn from the strain of carrying a pudgy two year-old around from dawn until we set up camp. I would kill for just a few hours to sit and do nothing.

“Supplies!” Liza exclaims, giggling at the thought of different provisions. “I can't express how happy I'll be to eat something different than salted pork and bread. Oh, my goodness!”

I can't help but smile at her giddiness, and I giggle a bit myself, too. “And a day of rest! I haven't sat down during the day for longer than half an hour since we left Independence.”

“And, Annie,” Samuel adds, coming up behind me, “You've had to carry Maudie the entire way. You deserve some rest.” He grins at me, and I smile back hesitantly.

“I try,” I mutter, more to myself than anyone else. I immediately curse myself for it- how idiotic I must sound! And right in front of this handsome, witty boy...

“Where did you just go in your mind?” Samuel asks softly, and I blink several times, trying to focus on him.

“Nowhere,” I mumble, and step past him. He frowns and puts his hand out, setting it on my shoulder.

“Annie-” he begins, but he's cut off my Liza, who's a ways in front of us.

“I see it!” she cries, gesturing rapidly. She lets out a small shriek of joy. “My goodness, we're at the fort! Thank God!”

I smile at her excitement. “What does it look like?” I call up to her. “How large is it?”

“Oh, it's massive!” she yells back. “And it looks positively wonderful! It's....” she starts to rattle off vivid descriptions of everything- the fence, the tops of the buildings... I try to block out her chatter and focus on walking. Samuel mutters something about having to talk to his father, and he drops back to join the wagons.

As soon as I turn a corner on the trail, the fort suddenly comes into view. Civilization! I scream in my mind, and I hoist Maudie a little higher on my hip. “See the pretty buildings?” I coo, and she stares at them, sucking on her fingers. She lets out a small squeal, and hits my arm to be set down. I lower her to the ground, and she immediately takes off, running as fast as her chubby legs will go.

I follow behind, carefully watching her to make sure she doesn't trip. She already has one long scrape going up her arm from falling the other day, and she cries for nearly an hour.

Tobias comes speeding past me, eager to see the fort. “Slow down!” I call after him, but he just laughs and keeps on running. I can't blame him- I feel like running running and screaming with joy, too.

After a few minutes, the wagons come rumbling up behind me. I dash forward to grab Maudie's hand, and pull her off to the side. Samuel is walking beside them, whistling quietly. “Has Liza calmed down yet?” he asks me, smiling kindly. A piece of dark hair falls into his eyes, and I have to fight the urge to reach out and smooth it back.

“Goodness, I don't know!” Maudie tugs on my hand, and I reach down to pick her up. Glancing forward, I see that Liza is sitting up ahead, perched on a large boulder along side the trail. “Oh, there she is!” Her curls are flying in the wind, and, and she has a large grin on her face. “She looks so cheerful.”

Samuel is silent for a moment. Then, almost as an afterthought, he asks, “Why don't you?”

I stop short. “Pardon me?”