Anna fought for consciousness but the dream refused to release her.
A net held her beneath the sea. No matter how hard she fought to free herself, it held her fast. She was trapped. Her lungs felt as if they would burst. She needed to breathe.
Sucking in a deep breath Anna was thrust into wakefulness. She opened her eyes and pressed a hand to her chest, the sensation of being trapped still powerful. Her breathing slowed and she pushed up on one arm.
The man named Erik—why did he want to help her?
“I do not wish to leave.” She sighed and rolled out of bed. Sorrow, fury, and fear mixed in her heart, shriveling it into one of an old and embittered woman. “It is Your fault, God of Heaven.”
Iya stirred and whimpered in her sleep.
How can I tell her she must leave her home?
A knot tightened in the pit of her stomach. If there were another option, she could not find it. “Time to wake up, sleepy one. There is much to be done.”
Iya sat up slowly and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. “It is still early,” she whined, then yawned and stretched her arms above her head.
“Do not be so lazy!” Anna snapped, and was immediately sorry for her ill temper. She patted Iya on the head. “I am sorry. I did not mean that.” She handed Iya a piece of blubber and a cup of fresh water. “Today we will pick more berries. It will be fun.”
Iya smiled and shoved a bite of walrus in her mouth. She spoke around the food. “Gathering berries much more fun than gathering mussels.”
While Iya ate, Anna mentally calculated what they would need for the journey and what had to be done in the next two days to prepare. There was no time to make baskets. What would hold their food?
Her gaze rested upon the walrus hide.
She lifted it in her hands and turned it from side to side. It could be useful.
Iya finished her meager breakfast, then looked at Anna. “Can we pick berries now?”
Anna turned to the little girl and placed her hands squarely on her shoulders. Looking into the child’s eyes, she said gently, “First I have news. Good news.” She smiled as if it might convince Iya that the move would be right for them. “I have decided we must leave this place.”
Iya started to protest.
Anna shushed her. “Please let me explain. Last night while you slept, I met with the stranger.”
Iya’s eyes widened.
“He said he wants to help us. He has a boat and can take us to another village. I think we can trust him.” She squeezed Iya’s shoulder. “We must trust him.”
Iya looked unconvinced. “I do not want to go.”
“I have thought on it a great deal, and it is a good thing. What if something happens to me? You will be alone. How will you survive?”
Iya didn’t answer but stared at the ground.
“I cannot risk leaving you alone.”
“Nothing will happen to you,” Iya argued. “I do not want to leave. Please, do not make me go.”
Anna swallowed hard. “We must.”
“But he is an outsider. We cannot trust him. You said we cannot trust anyone from the outside.”
“I know, I did say that. But that was before I met him. It is true we cannot completely rely on anyone who is not from our people. We must be careful and alert. But this man is our only hope. We have no other choice.”
Iya squared her shoulders, much like Anna did when she struggled with fear. Chin quivering, she choked back tears and climbed into Anna’s lap, huddling there for several minutes.
After a while, Anna loosened Iya’s hold. “No time for tears now. There is much to do. We leave in two days.”
“Two days?” Iya’s voice sounded shrill.
“We cannot wait longer. Winter will come, and we must find a home before the days of darkness.”
Anna stood, reached down, and gently wiped Iya’s tear-stained face. “First, I will make pouches from the walrus hide. I will show you how. You can help.”
Iya watched as Anna set to work.
First, she divided the hide into squares. With this done, Anna took her blade and pierced several holes along the edges of each.
Iya threaded them with long, sturdy strands of braided grass so each pouch could be drawn closed at the top.
They filled several bags with their meager food stores. Each pouch was drawn closed and tied. Iya placed the pouches in a pile in a corner of the cave.
Anna sat back on her heels and wiped perspiration from her brow. “Good. That is done. Now we will gather more berries.” She picked up two baskets, handed one to Iya, and set off for the bluffs.
Iya had to run to keep up with Anna’s determined stride.
Now that the decision had been made to go, she wished to complete her tasks as quickly as possible and put the painful departure behind her.
They hadn’t gone far when Iya asked, “Anna, what was the stranger like?” She scrambled over some large rocks at the bottom of the trail and nearly fell.
Anna caught her and fought the impulse to reprimand the girl for her carelessness. “Well, he is like us, but he is not. When he brought the fish, he acted like one of us. When he wishes to help, he is like our people. That is all. Nothing else is the same. His talk is strange, like other outsiders, and he drinks the dark, foul-smelling liquid.” She stopped and contemplated the man himself. “His voice is quiet yet strong, and his eyes hold no evil, but I think he hides what he thinks. He told me he wants to help, but I think he does not. I am not sure what is within him. He will be hard to know.”
“What is his name?”
“He calls himself Erik. I have not heard this name before, but he says it with pride.”
After climbing the cliff trail, they turned and watched the sea.
The sun peeked through the clouds and warmed them while the wind caught their hair and blew it wildly about their faces.
Heart heavy, Anna draped her arm about Iya’s shoulder. Memories of happier times played through her mind, and tears stung her eyes. She tried to capture each sound and every smell, to feel her surroundings and store the sensations and pictures in her mind—to never forget.
“Anna, where is Mama?”
Taken off guard by the question, Anna didn’t answer right away. “In Heaven. You remember Father Ermelov used to tell us about the good place. Mama and the others are happy there. They no longer know pain or sorrow.”
Yes, Father Ermelov had said that. But how could it be true? He had spoken of a God of love. How could a God who was supposed to love everyone kill her people? If He were such a God, He would have saved the villagers. Instead, He destroyed them.
Father Ermelov had been deceived, as had the shaman. The holy man of her people had trusted in the many gods of their ancestors, yet where had his great gods been when the waves thundered onto their beach?
Was there anything to trust in? Her doubts so disturbed and frightened her that she was unable to think on them longer.
“There are many berries to be picked.” She tucked her basket under her arm and headed for nearby bushes.
She and Iya picked until the baskets were full. This time they didn’t eat any of the precious fruit. It was too important to keep all they could for the journey.
After they had finished, Iya begged, “Please, can I eat just one?”
Unable to refuse, Anna smiled and nodded permission.
Before Iya could eat it, Erik’s voice greeted them from across the field. “Hello!” He approached with his usual relaxed stride.
Iya stood rigid, clearly afraid of the tall man. She grabbed Anna’s hand and clasped it so tightly that Anna was forced to loosen the little girl’s grip.
Anna bent down and whispered, “It is safe.”
“Looks like you two have been busy.”
“There is much to do,” Anna answered stiffly.
Erik knelt in front of Iya. “What is your name?”
Iya stared at him, then edged around behind Anna.
Erik looked at Anna and chuckled. “Do I have two heads or something?”
“You stranger. She not understand talk.”
“I didn’t mean to scare her. I hope we can become friends.” He moved away from Iya. “I checked out the boat. It’s seaworthy and ready to go. I thought I’d see if there was anything I could do to help you.”
“We need water.”
“I’ve got a container of fresh water stored on the boat already. I figure we can catch rain water to refill it, and I’m sure there will be ample streams inland to replenish our supply.”
“This hold water,” Anna said as she lifted her basket. “Skins hold berries and meat.”
Erik’s gaze fixed on her basket. “Can I have a look at that?”
Anna handed him the grass container.
He examined it closely, turning it one way then the other, and running a finger over the fine, tight weave and intricate designs. He gave a low whistle. “Did you say these hold water?”
“Yes.”
“I’ve never seen anything like it. Did you make this one?”
Anna nodded.
“It’s very unusual and beautiful.” Erik handed it back to her.
Heat rushed to her face at the compliment. “We need fish. You catch.”
“Don’t mind a little fishing.” Erik tipped his hat to Anna and smiled at Iya before he headed back in the direction of his camp and disappeared behind the rise. He’d come and gone so quickly it almost seemed he’d never been there.
“My stomach is empty.” Anna set her basket on the ground and picked a handful of berries from the bushes.
Iya followed suit.
With their hands full, they sat on the soft grass.
“I hope there will be berries in our new home,” Iya said as she dropped one of the sweet fruits into her mouth.
Anna smiled but didn’t answer. She ate her berries slowly, one at a time, savoring the sweet indulgence. It might be a long time before she enjoyed such deliciousness again.
Iya shoved a whole handful into her mouth. With her cheeks bulging, she mumbled, “When will we leave?”
“If the sea remains quiet, Erik said soon.” Anna scanned the ocean. “His boat is sturdy and will take us safely across the big water to a new home.”
“Where? What will the people be like? Do you think they are like us?”
Anna smiled. “You ask too many questions. I do not know where we will go, but I have heard there are many villages like ours where the people are kind. We will have a new home soon. Father Ermelov traveled and taught many people. Do you remember how angry he would get when he talked of slaves?”
Iya nodded.
“I do not think we will have to be slaves.”
Iya grinned a blueberry smile and cocked her head to one side. “I’ll be happy to have a family again.” Her eyes misted over. “I miss ours.” Instantly, tears cascaded down her cheeks. “We will never see them again, will we?”
“No, Iya, we will not see them again.” Anna pulled the little girl close.
Silence fell over them. The uncertain future was frightening.
“We need to take these berries and put them in a pouch.” Anna brushed loose grass and dirt from her skirt and helped Iya to her feet.
Slowly they made their way down the trail and crossed the empty stretch of sand.
Erik had been true to his word. Two large salmon waited for them when they entered the small cave. Erik had gutted and cleaned the fish, so Anna laid them across a cutting stone and sliced each into thin strips and laid the pink flesh across the rack to dry.
There wasn’t enough time for them to dry thoroughly, but the meat would still last for several days.
Studying her work, Anna stood back. “We will not go hungry.” But when she added the fresh berries to the other supplies, the small pile of goods looked inadequate for a lengthy journey. If they did not find additional food along the way, there would not be enough.
The next day Anna and Iya made final preparations.
Erik came late in the afternoon and seemed eager to begin their trip. “We will spend the night at the beach where I’ve got the boat. That way we can leave first thing in the morning. I’ve already moved all my gear down. We’ll have to haul these provisions over tonight.”
He spoke as if he were in charge and would be giving orders. Where was her say in the plans? After all, she was the one who had lived her life here. But without argument, she followed his instructions.
“It’s going to take a couple of trips, so we better get started.” Erik reached for the pouches, filled his pack, slung it over his shoulder, and waited for the girls.
Anna and Iya gathered as many of the small bags as they could carry in their skirts and followed Erik as he led the way down the beach and up the steep path. He took long strides, and as the three crossed the plateau, Anna and Iya struggled to follow. The weight of their loads threw them off balance, and their short legs couldn’t keep up with Erik’s long stride. Still, they managed to make it down the winding path that led to another beach and a small inlet.
Iya stayed close to Anna, but kept a good distance between herself and Erik. It took three trips to pack all their provisions to the new beach.
On the final crossing, Erik forged ahead, as if anxious to get the supplies to the boat.
Anna and Iya held back. They stopped at the edge of the bluffs that overlooked their beach as if saying a silent good-bye. Abruptly Anna turned away from the sea, took Iya’s hand in hers, and followed the stranger who promised them a new future.
Erik built a large open fire on the sand, fried some fresh salmon, warmed a can of beans, and made some coffee. After dishing up a plate for each of the girls, he said, “Hope you don’t mind my cooking. It’s probably not what you’re used to.”
After the day’s work, Anna gratefully accepted the meal, the first in years she had not had a part in preparing. They both devoured the fish, but the beans and their starchy flavor felt unfamiliar in her mouth and insulted her taste buds. Not wanting to offend Erik, she forced herself to eat the strange food. Perhaps it was something she would grow accustomed to.
Iya, on the other hand, pushed the beans to the side of her plate and refused to eat them.
“Iya, try it. It is rude to refuse food when offered.”
“I’m not sure what you’re saying, but I can tell by the little one’s face that she’s not fond of those beans,” Erik said. “Don’t worry about it. I’m not all that crazy about them myself.” He poured himself a cup of dark liquid and offered some to Anna. “Coffee?”
Catching a whiff of the foreign drink, she refused it. “I like water.”
Erik downed his coffee, stirred the embers of the fire, and cleaned out the barrel of his rifle. He seemed restless. After a while, he stood and looked out over the sea. Without a word, he sauntered down to the beach and out of sight.
Iya fell asleep but Anna sat staring into the fire. She peered in the direction Erik had gone. He is worried. I can see it in his face. I do not think he wishes to take us with him.
Should she trust their lives to a stranger—an outsider she knew nothing about? Did she have a choice?
Her gaze roamed over the swells beyond the breakers and fear welled up at the thought of being on the open sea. Deep water held many dangers and was always unpredictable. Men spoke of the treacherous and changeable currents that moved through the island channels. It would take an excellent seaman to maneuver through the waterways and hidden obstacles that lay in wait for them.
Was Erik a good boatman?
I am probably sending us to our deaths.
Worrying was futile. They had no alternative but to challenge the sea.
The wind whipped across the beach and raised goose bumps on Anna’s arms. She pulled her cloak tight about her shoulders and placed an extra sealskin over Iya to keep out the chill. She lay next to her and cuddled close, more for reassurance than warmth.
Her mind filled with questions without answers. For a long while sleep eluded her and then, mercifully, it came.
Erik moved across the rocky beach, scanning the horizon. What am I doing? How am I going to take care of those two? I convinced them to trust me, and I’m not even sure I can help. I might even make things worse.
He stopped and glanced up at the gray sky. As if speaking to a trusted friend, he said, "Father, it wasn’t so bad when I only had to think about myself. But it’s not just me anymore. What if I make a mistake? They’re depending on me.”
Stroking his beard, he listened for the quiet voice of his Lord. When it didn’t come, he whispered, “Where are You? I need Your help.”
Who do I think I am? I could dump us all into the sea. I don’t even know where to take them. The wind howled in his ears and blew his blond hair wildly about his face, the cold air clearing his thoughts. Erik listened again, seeking the peace only God could give. He dropped to his knees and raised his eyes to the heavens. He needed the Father, the only One who knew the beginning and the end. The One who could see it all. The One whose plans were beyond what he could comprehend.
“You said You would never leave me nor forsake me. I believe that. I’m asking You to help me now. Help me navigate the umiak and read the currents correctly. Be my Guide. Help me follow and not lead.”
He searched the sky, following the rapidly moving clouds pushed along by the wind. “Lord, I’m not worthy of Your trust. I don’t even want to take care of those two Indians. I mean, I’m a loner. You know that. I don’t know anything about them. They aren’t even my kind. Are You sure this is what I’m supposed to do?”
His spirit fought God even in the asking.
He quieted himself before the Lord. “All right. Not my will. Yours.” He waited a moment. “I believe You put us together for a reason, and I’m asking You to give me a heart for them. Help me to love them as You do.”
The peace he’d searched for finally came.
“Thank You, Father. I put our lives in Your hands. This journey belongs to You.” He strolled back to the fire, back to the two who had been placed in his care. The burden he’d felt a short while earlier was gone.
The little one is pretty cute. I bet when she smiles the world lights up. And the older one was kind of pretty in an Indian sort of way. Maybe, in time, she won’t be so hostile. He grinned. And a bath wouldn’t hurt either one of them.
The steady, even breathing of both girls reassured him they were sleeping. He stood over them for a moment, no longer resentful about what he had been asked to do. Instead he was moved by compassion. As he looked upon the two native girls, a sense of excitement stirred at the thought of the adventure that lay ahead.