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10
The forest is silent for a long time. I eat some of grandmother’s bread and several strips of deer jerky from home. To pass the time, I count the un-cracked acorns on the floor of the hollow. They’ve been gone so long, I worry they have given up on me. My feet are losing sensation from sitting for so long. Then I hear it. A crack of a branch. The wind stirs the orange leaves in front of the opening.
I hold my breath.
Another crack. Leaning out the opening, I peer among the trees. Suddenly something small and hard bounces off my forehead.
“Ow!” I squawk.
A streak of gold blazes through the doorway knocking me backwards slamming my head into the pile of thirty-eight acorns. I scramble to my knees in the small space. Hollis giggles and loads another acorn in her slingshot.
“Don’t you dare,” I yell and put my hands up to shield my face.
She laughs again and shoots it anyway. It hits me in the shoulder and I scowl. She tucks the slingshot into her satchel.
“So, what do you think?” she twirls and directs my attention to what she is wearing.
“Did you steal your brother’s clothes?” I scrutinize her white tunic, brown trousers tucked into lace-up boots and a blue over-dress. With the pants, the over-dress looks more like an apron.
“Actually, I did,” she says and adds, “I couldn’t go flying through the air with a dress on. That just wouldn’t be lady-like.”
“And dressing like a boy is?”
“That’s why I put on my favorite over-dress and cut it shorter.”
She giggles and adjusts the belt that holds her water pouch, a leather sack, and what looks like a small dagger in a sheath. I worry about her having a knife but avoid saying anything. She might pull it on me for asking.
Footsteps approach our hiding place and we both peek out, finding Tolliver and Angus approaching with Kava following close behind.
Tolliver and Angus are loaded down with bags and bundles. Angus carries the burn bin for my contraption. It hits me that I might succeed, and my heart leaps to an enthusiastic rhythm as I smile wide. I will get back to Ellery. I will find Alouette.
Hollis and I attempt to exit the hollow at the same time, elbow to the ribs, pushing and shoving until we are free. Her hair gets in my mouth and I try not to spit on her. We squeeze through the small opening like twin calves being born. She comes out standing up and I plop to the ground like the weaker one.
I peer up at Kava, “What is she doing here?”
Kava glares at me.
Tolliver speaks for her, “I asked for her help and she brought a bag of medicines.”
I snort and pretend to cough. Looking at her then at Tolliver, his hands are on his hips and his eyes tell me there is no challenging him. I look around at all of them. “Are you sure you all want to do this? It really isn’t your fight.”
“Yah, Ledger,” Angus agrees.
Hollis shifts from one foot to another, “For sure.” She looks at me with intensity in her eyes. When she looks away, I see a hint of something else. Fear? Anger? I’m not really sure.
“I’m in too,” Kava answers. She doesn’t know the full extent of why we are going. I don’t understand why she would even care.
“You all realize we will be gone for an entire year? We won’t be back until next harvest. Hollis, your mother might need you,” I say.
“Your mama needs you, Ledger.” Hollis balls her hands into fists. “I am going.”
“Let’s repack some of this and get on our way immediately,” Tolliver intervenes, ripping us from the tense conversation. He drops a few bags on the ground and shortens one of the straps. His long sleeve black tunic shows sweat marks down his back. I feel bad that he’s had to do most of the work. I scramble to my feet and help.
It takes a few minutes to disperse the weight of the contraption, blankets, coal and supplies between the five of us. We all strap on our loads, including Grandfather’s cloak, which I shoved in my satchel because it is too warm for it. Angus’s white shirt is streaked with black marks from the burn bin he carries, though he doesn’t care. Kava has a rope tied around the float of the contraption and has it tied on her back, over top of a burgundy dress with puffy long sleeves and a black over-dress. Maybe Hollis has a point. Flying in a dress will be awkward.
Tolliver leads us out a good distance around the mill on the edge of the river. We follow him over the rockiest part, leaping from boulder to boulder to keep our leather shoes dry. Hollis catches me when I slip once. I bite my tongue to push back how foolish I feel. On the other side, we rest for a moment to fill several water pouches.
We follow Tolliver up the jagged bank of the river and head southward toward the lake. It is getting dark fast. I’m not sure how far it is but we should pick up the pace. Maybe I’m just anxious to get on the island. Tolliver and Angus walk ahead. Their hushed voices conceal their conversation. Hollis and Kava hike behind me in silence. Walking in the middle of my friends, I thank the stars for their help.
It takes all afternoon to reach the lake through the winding hills. Evening is upon us; the sun is behind the trees and soupy clouds streak across the sky. Cresting another wooded hill, I see shimmery dark blue peeking from between the trees as we descend the ridge. Excitement fills my body with an extra burst of energy as we all scurry down the embankment. I am out of breath by the time we dodge through the trees to reach the gritty shore. The lake fills a large basin with cliffs on the other side. It stretches eastward for what looks like a two or three-day hike. There is no way we can beat Ellery to the other end.
Above the blue expanse of water, Ellery drifts through the air. The sun hasn’t set there, flooding the island with orange light. It is hulking and brightly lit. My heart aches at the thought of missing this chance. I must get up there.
We walk to the water’s edge. Tolliver drops his things on the beach. “How long will it take to expand the float?”
My legs are numb from the journey. Relieved that we are done walking, I answer, “Maybe an hour?”
“If we can take off tonight, let’s do it. By morning, Ellery will be well past the lake and beyond that ridge.” Looking out across the glassy surface, I see Tolliver is right. It’s now or never. “You get that thing ready to fly, I’ll get the fire going.”
***
“How did you get this thing off the ground by yourself?” Hollis asks as we finish expanding the float.
I am nervous because of its enormity. It’s much heavier with the added fabric. What if with the extra weight prevents it from lifting? I wonder. What if it can’t lift anyone else? I just stand there, my guts grinding in worry. I’ll have to leave them all behind if it can’t take off with all these people.
A thunderous noise startles me. I whirl around ready to run away from the sound.
“I’m sorry! That was me,” Angus says with a smirk. He pours the rest of the bag into the forge. The coal crashes down the metal sides, making another deafening bang.
“Angus, you scared the berries out of me,” Hollis shrieks, stomping her foot.
“My apologies,” he offers again and I chuckle.
Kava unplugs her ears and joins Tolliver in the dirt. He is bent over blowing on a scrappy pile of pine needles with little wisps of smoke seeping out. Suddenly a little orange flame lights and Kava cheers. Her voice carries over the water. Tolliver is as competent at building a fire as I am. Though he never really enjoyed smithing the way I do, he knows the trade and has the skills. I notice how dark it is getting as Tolliver picks up the entire pile of flaming scrub and dumps it over our coals.
“It may take a little while for it to get truly hot,” Tolliver says. He installs the bellows to the side and pumps it several times, nursing it to life. “Get the float in the air, Ledger.” I am annoyed that he is telling me what to do with my own contraption. He is helping me, not the other way around. I stare at him for a moment and realize there is no point in arguing.
“I’m going to have to hang it from a tree to get hot air in there. Maybe we should add a rope to the top,” I say. “Bring me that rope.” I locate the top of the float and cut two small slits. Hollis returns with an armful of thin rope. Threading it through the fabric, I tie it tight.
I assess the nearby trees to find a branch high enough to hold up the huge float. Finding one at the right height, I attempt to throw the rope up and over, but after three or four throws Angus tires of my failure and says, “Let me do it.”
My cheeks flush, as I hand him the rope. He bunches the line in his giant hands, thrusts it into the air and hooks the branch on the first try. Seriously? He smiles through his thick orange beard and walks away. Why am I always the worst at everything?
A frustrated groan escapes my lips, as I position the float over the forge. My hands shake in irritation as I connect the ropes to the top of the metal bin. Tolliver pumps the bellows. The fire is not quite hot enough and needs more time.
I stomp off into the woods to relieve myself and clear my head. I think about the fact that it will be an entire year before I see Mother and Father again. My insides sink, full of sorrow from not saying goodbye. They will be so disappointed in me. I walk in several circles looking for mindyberries, little purple berries that ripen in the fall. They are sometimes hard to see in the shadows of the forest. Meandering from bush to bush eating the sweet berries, I am startled by voices shouting from the edge of the lake.
I dart through the trees stirring up the fallen leaves. The cold autumn air courses through my lungs making my chest sting. I reach the clearing and find everyone hurriedly packing.
“What’s going on?” I ask out of breath. I notice the coal fire is burning nicely and the float is almost fully inflated.
“They’re coming,” Hollis says.
“Who?” I look to the sky at the floating island. With hope, I search the clouds.
“Father, Thelonious, our people,” Tolliver shouts as he pumps the bellows. “Angus spotted them from the top of the ridge.”
