Willows run, p.14
Willow's Run, page 14
Bear laughed at him. “My goodness, what a sour-puss.”
Micah had to smile back at her. He wasn’t used to anyone calling him on his grumbling.
But once everyone understood Willow’s plan, they all had ideas. Especially after Connor put out a hat and people started dropping bits into it after each performance. Jake surprised them all by taking a turn with his trumpet. He was better than Micah had thought when he wasn’t trying to keep time to the Arrival Song.
When it got dark, Rowan turned on the floodlights and angled half of them straight up creating a beacon. Nan made biscuits and cookies that she was selling for bits while Rupert handed out free coffee and tea. It looked like they had made their own Fair.
Sam set up the Vet tent and had the dogs and Babe there for people to pet. She was the most patient of the Heavies. Silky joined them after awhile, obviously jealous at the attention the dogs were getting. And the kitten, Freckles, followed her in. He was a big hit. The music and animals attracted attention which alerted folks to the items available at the exchange.
The next morning there was a line waiting when Willow opened up. Micah had not looked forward to a down day in Bounders, but this made it a lot more interesting. Word had gotten around that not only did they have unusual things, but Willow was willing to let people buy just a little of something. And buy they did.
At midday there was a bit of a tussle at the back of the line. Micah sent Rowan walking down through the crowd, and it quieted. Willow let Katrina close her booth for lunch but kept her side open. Then when she took a break, she asked Micah to put an extra guard on Katrina. People were getting a little cranky about the long wait and fearful there would be nothing left.
Then when the factories let out, there were some exchanges. “I didn’t think they did exchanges here,” Micah said to Bear. They were mounted, watching the crowd from a higher point of view.
“Willow woke them up. They realized they could get rid of stuff they didn’t want for something more interesting.”
“I guess that’s all anybody wants,” Micah said thoughtfully.
Chapter 45
THE ROAD TO WEST RIDGE was in excellent condition, and the weather was cooperating, so Willow expected an easy ride. She was concerned about Connor because she could still feel that he was in pain. And William was very closed down. The issues with Melody had wounded him in an unexpected way. He’d barely said a word to anyone since they’d left Taskers Station. Nor had he seemed to accept his new assistant. Connor had chosen to walk for the morning. He was back with Sam and Jane trailing the wagon. Katrina was walking with Celia, trying to cheer her up on being separated from her sister. Since they were alone on the wagon for once, Willow decided it was the best time to talk to William. He didn’t even have his nose in a book this morning, instead just staring down the road morosely.
“William?”
“Hmm?”
“Have you talked to Connor?”
“What?” William slowly blinked at her as if he’d just woken up.
“Connor. He’s going to need some help I think.”
“Why?”
“Because of what happened.”
Once again William blinked at her. “I’m not following you.”
“Did you know the judge that was killed?”
“Oh, him. He shouldn’t have been allowed out on his own. The man was a pompous ass. He didn’t deserve killing, but anyone could see he was a disaster waiting to happen.”
“Connor was one of his guards. He was injured trying to protect him,” Willow explained.
“Oh.” William leaned over the side of the wagon to peer behind him. “Is he okay?”
“He’s still in pain,” Willow said. “But I don’t think all of it is physical.”
William nodded. He slipped down the ladder gracefully, dropping to the road from the moving wagon.
With that problem possibly taken care of, she turned her attention to the new guard. She hadn’t had much time to get to know Bear. Micah was up ahead on point. She waited until he circled back around to wave to him. He dismounted, leaving Dart to walk along side, and climbed up on the wagon taking William’s seat.
“Problem?”
“Just checking in about the new guard.”
“She’s good. I think she’s going to be a big help with the boys.”
Willow rolled that answer around a little. It was true that all the guards were young, but Micah hadn’t made an issue of it. “Were they a problem before?”
Micah chuckled. “No. But it’s hard to teach all of them at once. Bear’s been around. She’s going to be a great example for them.”
“Good,” Willow said.
“What about the new guy?” Micah glanced around, but Willow knew he couldn’t see Connor from where they sat. It was probably just a reflex, constantly surveilling.
“Connor was a guard, and he’s done his share of Circuits, she said.”
“Huh. And he changed tracks.”
Willow could feel a thin thread of disapproval from him. She was about to launch into Connor’s reasons, but decided to distract him instead. “I think Simon might change.”
“No surprise there,” Micah agreed. “He really likes working with you.”
“And Katrina,” Willow added.
“They definitely hit it off yesterday. Do you think we might have a problem there?”
“I hope not. But we can keep an eye on it.” With Melody’s disaster still fresh, she doubted there would be any repeat of that kind of behavior. “But it isn’t one-sided,” she said. She could feel the budding romance between the two of them. It was clean and sweet.
“There are couples that run some of the circuits,” Micah said. “I worked for Bob and Betty on the Bolton – Blake Downs Circuit. But just the once. It was a little too much like being absorbed into someone else’s family.”
“Well, most of their crew is family,” Willow said. “That’s the first one I worked. It’s short and easy. I think they use it as a training run. I remember most of us being new on my run.”
“Ew. Can’t be much fun for them.”
“Well, it is a pretty easy run. And they’ve been doing it forever. New kids all the time must help spice it up.”
“Not my idea of spice,” Micah said as he took his leave. He dropped off the moving wagon and vaulted on to Dart to continue his patrol.
Willow took the sudden alone time to update her journal. Things had gone so well in Bounders that they had sold everything and had turned people away. She proudly made a note that the summer circuit should be prepared for an entirely new market.
Chapter 46
JAKE STARED AT THE herds of livestock in the separate corrals. “We’re taking all of them?”
“Yup,” Sam said. “This part of the circuit is the hardest because it’s going to be more than two weeks to the next station. Could be three if we hit any delays.”
“But...” Jake wasn’t sure what more he wanted to say. There were cattle, sheep, horses, goats and cages full of chicks and ducklings. He was excited to see all the animals and worried about all the extra work.
“The corrals at the lay-bys and Gathering Places are a lot larger and partitioned for the different animals. They also have feed laid in, so we don’t have to carry as much.”
“The dogs are going to be exhausted.”
“That’s why we get to ride now,” Sam said with a grin.
“We get horses?” Jake squealed in excitement. That news changed everything.
Sam led him over to a smaller corral where Celia was already sitting on the fence rail. “What do you think?” she asked.
There were seven horses nibbling at a pile of hay. They all looked up as Jake climbed the fence to sit next to Celia. “Beauties, every one of them,” he said sincerely.
“Jake, I’d like you to pick them out for us,” Sam said.
“Yes, sir,” Jake said. He jumped down into the corral. The horses watched him. He walked over to each one, speaking softly. There was a lazy old fellow who just wanted to stand in the sun and doze. Then there was a skittish boy that wasn’t ready at all. As soon as Jake touched the roan mare, he knew she was perfect for Celia. He led her over to the fence. She was a creamy chestnut brown with dark stockings, tail and mane.
“This one for Celia,” he said.
Sam consulted a paper. “Her name is Berry.”
“She gorgeous,” Celia said holding out a hand for Berry to sniff.
Jake went back to the others. A tall black snorted at him. “Are you a good boy for my boss?” he asked softly. The horse raised his head proudly. Jake patted his shoulder feeling the strength and stubbornness in him. He might be a bit headstrong, but Sam was so good with horses, he could handle it. “Come on,” he said bring the horse to Sam.
“His name is Asphalt,” Sam said. “I had my eye on him. Thanks.”
Jake went back to the three remaining options. One was pining for something, so Jake skipped that one. The other two were complete opposites. One was a sleek young chestnut and the other an older, dusty gray mare. The chestnut had high spirits, almost a playfulness. The gray seemed depressed, but when Jake touched them he saw something else. The gray had strength and loyalty while the chestnut had disdain. Jake chose the gray, who seemed to be surprised by it.
“Her name is Cloudy,” Sam said. He cocked his head in curiosity. “What made you choose her?”
“She suits me,” Jake said. He patted her shoulder raising a cloud of dust. “I’m going to give her a good brushing now.”
“We should bring them over to the circuit corral, so they get used to the others,” Sam said.
Jake took Cloudy to a sunny spot near the corral to brush her. She nuzzled at his shirt. “I’ll get you some treats soon. Let me clean you up a little.” It took him a long time to brush her down, get the knots out of her mane and tail. Her coat was lightly mottled in medium and pale gray that carried into her mane and tail. When he was done, he got a couple carrots for her. He met Celia at the treat locker.
“She looks like a different horse,” Celia said.
“She’s a good one,” Jake said.
“Thanks for Berry. She’s perfect.”
“I thought you would be a good fit,” Jake said. He knew that a lot of people didn’t believe in what he could do. Sometimes even Sam doubted him. He felt very proud that Sam had trusted him to do this.
Chapter 47
WILLOW WAS GLAD FOR the extra guard as they slowly made their way out of West Ridge Station. Since they would be going so long between stations, they had a second supply wagon that Katrina was driving behind the Pantry wagon. The livestock made a long line behind them. The lay-bys would be closer together now since travel was bound to be slower, but all of that made them a much bigger target.
Sam, Celia and Jake were on horseback now, which was also a relief. Having them on foot seemed a recipe for disaster with all the cattle they were moving. Being knocked down by a sheep might hurt, but a cow could kill you.
And now the weather was not cooperating. What started as an annoying drizzle turned into a downpour by mid-morning. Those mounted had slickers on, and everyone else took refuge under the wagon canopy. Unfortunately, the driver’s shelter wasn’t completely weatherproof. Blowing rain spattered in from the side. Willow was soaked through by the time that they stopped for lunch.
The mid-day stop was a lot more complicated. The livestock had to be herded into pens where water troughs could be filled for them. While Sam, Celia and Jake checked in on the caged fowl, the riders checked over and fed their mounts. Willow helped Nan and Rupert with serving hot food. They were all grateful to fill up on a good cooked meal. The shelters over the tables kept out most of the rain. Then it took them much too long to get back on the road.
Willow was relieved that this part came later in the circuit when she was more used to her crew. Even so, it made her nervous to have such an unwieldy cargo. She could see that Micah was feeling the strain as he passed her repeatedly keeping an eye on the road ahead and the stragglers behind. His patrol route was a lot longer now.
They got to the lay-by early which was a relief because it took almost another hour for the tail end to catch up with them. Celia looked ready cry, and Jake was looking wilted. Willow suggested they eat something before they cared for the livestock. Sam gave her a disapproving scowl.
“They’re going to fall over if they don’t eat,” Willow said for his ears alone.
“It’s not going to get any easier,” Sam warned.
“First day out,” Willow said. “Give them a little slack.”
Sam begrudgingly nodded, but the kids hadn’t waited for his permission. They were already wolfing down the hand-held meal that Nan had brought them.
Everything took longer. Getting all the livestock into their separate corrals took the whole crew. By the time every animal was watered and fed, it was time to turn in, but they hadn’t had time to set up the tents yet. She learned some hard lessons that first day out.
Willow woke early the next day with a feeling of apprehension that she knew wasn’t all hers. She asked Nan for hand-helds again for breakfast. That way people could eat while they were working. Jake looked half asleep when he stumbled out of the tent with his bedroll in his arms. He was wearing the same clothes as the day before, but she wasn’t going to call him on it.
Celia was grumbling to herself, Katrina was complaining about sitting all day, and Rowan was limping after a cow had trod on his foot. Willow had another chat with Nan. They got going as early as possible and Nan and Rupert handed around small cups of coffee twice during the morning as they traveled. The second time she had bite-size chunks of nut cake, too. Willow could feel the morale lifting. Her crew was good, they just needed to adjust to the new cargo.
The stop at mid-day was less of a disaster, but still not pretty. Jake suggested that they split out the livestock. Celia took the horses, Jake took the sheep and Sam took the cattle. They each had a guard and a dog to assist. Having one person in charge of each herd seemed to stabilize things a bit more.
When they reached the lay-by at the end of the day, she split the crew, sending half to set up tents and then help with dinner and the other half to bring in the livestock. By the time the animals were settled, fed and watered, the tents were up, and the food was hot. She felt like they were getting a handle on it.
Chapter 48
THE DOGS SNUGGLED IN close to Jake as soon as he lay down. Being in the saddle all day had left him with a whole new set of sore spots. The night was cool and damp. He wished he had a couple more dogs, but then Freckles came to snuggle up under his chin. The cat radiated warmth like a personal heater. Silky settled on Jake’s legs, and he started to doze, but all the problems of tomorrow came back to annoy him.
They really did need a couple extra dogs for this amount of livestock. He’d speak to Sam about taking Jinx from Celia. The horses didn’t really need a dog. And maybe they could swap partners because Mason had no animal sense at all. Inevitably he would zig when the sheep zagged. Jake decided he was going to tell Willow that he didn’t need Mason because he just made more work for all of them. Despite his worries, the heat from the dogs and cats seeped into his achy muscles relaxing everything.
And then it was dawn.
He couldn’t believe the night had passed so quickly. But the smell of bacon convinced him that is was indeed the morning. There was heavy fog, but he had the feeling it wasn’t going to rain. Small mercies, as his mother used to say. He ate on the go. Nan had sandwiches to hand out again. He changed into clean clothes but didn’t take the time for a thorough washing. By the time he had stuffed all his gear into his locker, Celia was already saddling up the horses. He was mounted and out before he was fully awake.
Micah said he was going to rotate the guards which was a relief. He got Bernard for the day which was a great improvement. But it was still a very long day. He hoped that they would sell a lot of livestock in Ashton.
“Only one more day,” Bernard said cheerfully.
“Are you sure?” Jake asked. “We’re moving pretty slow.”
“That’s expected. They plan it all out that way. As long as we hit the rest areas by midday and the lay-bys at night, it means we’re on schedule.”
Jake found that reassuring. He hadn’t been able to judge their progress before, but now that he had some landmarks to look for, he felt better.
They pulled off into the rest stop just at midday which Jake took as a good sign. Willow sent Katrina, Rupert and Connor back to help with the livestock, so that everyone would have time to eat. Jake was glad because he was starving.
He sat in the shelter to eat with the dogs and cats begging at his feet. Katrina sat down across from him with a groan. “I hate fog,” she grumbled.
Jake didn’t think she required an answer, so he kept eating. Freckles jumped up on the table and sat looking at him intently.
“I saw you feed them, are they still hungry?” Katrina asked.
“Not really,” Jake said. “It’s more about attention.” He tore off bits of his lunch and distributed them carefully. Jinx was first, as the oldest of the dogs, then Dusty and Belle. Silky got her tidbit before Freckles, even though the kitten had a hard time being patient. He made sure everyone got petted and scratched as evenly as possible.
He’d barely finished chewing when Willow called them. Silky leapt up the ladder to the top of the wagon. Jake boosted Freckles to where he could climb up easily. Both cats liked riding on top where they could see in all directions. He sent the dogs back to work and went to check on Cloudy.
Rupert was handing out water bottles. He looked a little different today. His hair was standing up, and he had a dark scowl on his face. Sometimes he was quiet, and sometimes he was almost out of control. Today looked like one of those days when he might make a fuss. Jake had tried to treat Rupert the same way he would a difficult animal, and it had backfired. In return, he now treated Jake roughly, sometimes saying rude things not quite out of earshot. Nan had apologized to Jake and scolded Rupert, but that hadn’t made any difference. Behind her back, he acted out at them all.
