Relief washed over Anna as they headed into open water. Although she had no knowledge of where she and Iya would end up, and nothing about her future was clear, she was at peace. Everything seemed as it should be, at least for now. A warm fire flickered to life inside her as she glanced at Erik then Iya. It seemed right to be together.
The beach disappeared into the mist.
Taking her place at the front of the boat, Anna picked up her paddle and, as the umiak cut through the waves, returned to the rhythm of rowing.
Iya chattered incessantly, her words and smile relaying her relief at having left the afflicted village behind. After a while, she stopped and asked, “I have water?”
Erik lifted one of the canteens and shook it.
Empty.
He checked the others.
One was full and another had water but the splash sounded hollow.
“Not much left. Just take a sip. I’m sorry. I guess I got careless.” He handed her the flask. “We’ll have to ration it until we find a place to put in and refill our containers.”
Iya nodded and took just one swallow.
Erik’s face creased in concern. “We’ll miss the seal meat. Until we have a chance to restock, everything will have to be used sparingly.” A mischievous look crossed his face as he reached into his bag. Pulling out two containers he said, “I do still have my flour and sugar, so we can enjoy sourdough occasionally.”
Anna smiled and Iya clapped her hands in delight.
With hunger and thirst foremost in their minds, the three scoured the shoreline looking for a safe harbor. It didn’t take long before Erik spotted one and forged toward shore.
When they pulled the boat safely out of the surf, their first mission was to find water.
Soon Anna spotted a stream. “Here.” She sprinted down a hill. At the water’s edge, she sprawled on the ground and scooped handfuls of the sweet liquid into her mouth, then dipped her face into the cool stream.
Erik and Iya were beside her almost immediately. Erik plunged his weather-worn face into the icy water and drank his fill. Iya did the same, giggling and squealing as she splashed water about.
With her thirst satisfied, Anna lay on the grass along the bank and stared at the quiet, blue sky. She clasped her hands behind her head and took a deep breath. “Water taste good.”
Iya picked a late-blooming yellow poppy. She held the flower up to her face and touched it to her skin.
“Nice spot.” Erik sat, leaning against an aged tree. He plucked a piece of tough grass and separated it into thin strips. He looked at Anna.
She gazed back at him.
He quickly averted his eyes and pushed to his feet. “I’ve got fishing to do. Maybe you girls could round up some plants and berries.” He strode away toward the boat.
Anna hated to leave the tranquil spot but new provisions were more important than rest. Besides, her empty stomach rumbled. She stood and pulled Iya up.
The two went in search of food.
“Putske!” Anna cried as she bent over and plucked a stock. It’d been so long since she had enjoyed the tangy, green plant. As a girl, she had spent many hours with her mother gathering the wild celery. As she broke several stems off close to the ground Luba seemed near, but when Anna looked up, only Iya stood next to her. She thrust aside the painful image of her mother and forced a smile. “These good for eating. Also good for poultice and medicine. Erik will like.”
Iya squatted beside Anna, broke off a stalk and handed it to her sister. After picking a large bunch of the wild celery, Anna searched for potato tubers. “There,” she said to Iya. “Plants with flowers.”
Iya leaped in front of Anna in a hurry to be the first to dig the wild potatoes.
There were few plants and most were well past maturity.
She dug up the sprawling plants and gathered several small tubers. “We go back now.” Anna headed toward the beach. Along the way, she found salmon berries, and she and Iya filled their baskets.
“Erik happy to see food.” Iya skipped down the trail ahead of Anna.
When they reached the beach, Erik was crouched next to a fire, frying a small salmon.
“We find putske and potatoes and berries!” Iya held up her basket.
“It looks like you had a successful trip. I didn’t do too bad myself. Fishing was good.”
That evening they feasted.
“What is this?” Erik asked as Anna served them some of the wild celery.
“Putske. You try.”
Cautiously Erik took a small bite. He chewed slowly and nodded his head in agreement. “Not bad. Kind of tangy.”
“Tasty to eat. Good medicine, too,” Anna said. “I will dry and save for sickness.”
“What do you use it for?”
“Good for hurting throat or cough. Use for many things.”
“I bet you know a lot about plants, which ones are good for medicine and which aren’t,” Erik said, respect in his voice.
“Mother teach me.” Anna gazed out over the landscape. She missed her mother … and Kinauquak … Alulak … Inoki .... So many gone. Would the hollow pain she felt never end?
Stores replenished, Erik, Anna, and Iya continued their journey. The sea was calm. Swells gently rocked the boat and quietly lapped at its sides.
Anna gazed over the water toward the distant shore. What awaited them? Memories of family and friends made it almost impossible to keep her thoughts on the present. She yearned for what once was and longed to be part of a home, to belong somewhere.
Iya looked up, met Anna’s gaze, and grinned. Her smile showed off large white teeth, lit up her face, and transformed her eyes into half-moons.
What will there be for her? I am not enough.
One day followed the next, blending into a steady, monotonous rhythm. The sea remained calm. Too calm. Even a small storm blowing in would be welcome to break the tediousness of the daily regimen. The constancy, however, brought with it a feeling of security.
But even that could not be trusted. Complacency was dangerous, for the sea was never a safe place.
As if to remind her of its unpredictability, a dense fog settled about them. The heavy, white blanket smothered them. She had experienced fog before but never on the water and never this thick. When safe on dry land, she could always find refuge from the murky vapor. Here on the sea, the fog confused and isolated. Not knowing what direction they were heading, she pulled her paddle from the water.
Erik continued to row confidently, seeming to know their location.
“How you know way?”
“It’s not easy. I can’t depend on my eyes. I use my ears instead—keep the sound of the surf to my left.”
Anna listened and, sure enough, the muffled sound of waves breaking against rocks echoed off the shore. She returned her paddle to the water. His way seemed good.
The weather gradually changed. The sea and the air grew colder. Darkness descended earlier and stayed longer.
Anna felt chilled much of the time.
Iya’s shivering increased despite the added protection of a sealskin blanket.
Erik seemed edgy, and more so with the passing of each day. His eyes were always trained on the shore as if he were searching for something. And he often reached into the water to feel the temperature of it, then scanned the sky.
“Is something wrong?” Anna asked more than once, but each time he assured her nothing was amiss.
His answer didn’t quiet Anna’s uncertainty. He kept something from her. Why didn’t he trust her? He must still think me unworthy or a child. Yet he’d treated her with respect and had told her that he trusted her good sense. Still, what explanation was there for keeping his worries to himself?
The farther east they traveled, the more unfamiliar the shoreline became. Anna had known only the barren lands of the Aleutians. These mountains looked like they’d been thrust up from the sea and were draped with deep pillows of white. Heavy green trees Erik called spruce bordered the shoreline. And thickets of trees with white bark interspersed with a variety of plants she’d never seen. A little exploration would surely mean finding good medicine.
But they rowed on.
Unfamiliar animals grazed the hillsides. As each was discovered for the first time, she asked Erik to name it. He seemed to delight in identifying and talking about the animals. She came to know the caribou and moose and laughed at the antics of the fox as it pursued a hare.
The lush green scenery and rich images captivated her. It became difficult to keep her eyes on the sea.
“I’m going to have to move us farther out into the channel if you can’t keep your eyes on your work,” Erik teased.
Anna made an exaggerated show of watching the waves and laughed. Erik enjoyed the scenery as much as she did.
Despite his threat, he kept the boat only a few hundred feet off shore whenever possible. One morning, Iya saw an animal first. “Look! What is that?”
The huge creature stood on its hind legs and clawed at the bark of a spruce tree. As it tore at the tree, its body fat shook beneath a shimmering golden coat. For now, he was unaware of the spectators.
Anna had never seen anything like it. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. The magnificent beast’s immense size and power sent shivers through her, and her heart beat faster. “What is it?” she whispered.
Erik answered in a hushed tone. “Grizzly. Foul-tempered devils. You wouldn’t want to meet up with one.”
Anna could not take her eyes off the animal.
Catching the visitors’ scent on the wind, the bear dropped to all fours, lifted its head, and sniffed the air. When he turned and looked in their direction, Anna sucked in her breath.
It peered at them, nosing the air, then nonchalantly turned and lumbered into the forest’s cover.
Anna exhaled slowly. “We see more?”
“Maybe. You never know. There are quite a few of them living in this part of the territory. Just keep your distance. I’ve always given them a wide berth, and I’ve never had any trouble. But I still keep my rifle ready, just in case.” Erik affectionately patted his gun.
The weather grew colder as they continued northeast. Erik pushed onward as if pursued by some unseen enemy. An occasional squall kicked up but nothing bad enough to send them ashore.
Now Anna longed for the monotony of good weather. Each storm left them wet and shivering, and longing for the warmth of the summer sun or a crackling fire. Still, every day brought new experiences, and Anna looked forward to whatever life sent her way. Her Aleutian home had always been unpredictable, but this country was even more so.
Although Anna had never considered herself a traveler, she enjoyed facing new experiences, even with its dangers.
She studied the shoreline. What if this was her new home? A pleasant idea. “Where we go?”
Erik stopped paddling, swept his hat off his head, and wiped his brow. “I had planned on heading up to Cook Inlet.” He glanced at the forbidding clouds that blanketed the sky. “But it doesn’t look like the weather’s going to hold. I don’t think we can make it before winter sets in. It’s getting colder, and the snows could come anytime. We’ll have to find a place to spend the winter.”
Shock swept through Anna. There would be no village home for her and Iya until spring? Emotions a jumble, she waited for him to explain further.
“This wasn’t part of the plan, but I don’t think we have any choice. It’s too risky to go on. Winter is unpredictable. We’ve got to set up a place while there are still berries to pick and fish in the rivers. When I came through this part of the country, the hunting was good. If we work together, we can build a cabin and put up a cache.”
“We live here?” Iya asked as she pointed toward the beach.
“Well, not right here, but close by. There’s a small river I spent some time on last year. It can’t be much farther. There’s plenty of timber for a cabin, and the fishing is great.” He scanned the shoreline.
Their situation could become desperate if they didn’t locate Erik’s river soon. “Are people at river?”
“No tribes that I know of. Once in a while a prospector wanders through.” He thought for a moment. “There’s a village farther up the coast. Good people, but I’m afraid if we try to make it, we’ll be caught in the ice. The trees have already dropped most of their leaves, and the morning frost is getting heavy. The animals are wearing heavy coats, too, a sure sign of a hard winter.”
“What is winter like here?”
“I’ve only spent a couple of winters in Alaska, but I think it’s colder in this area than your home on the island, but there’s not as much wind. Once winter sets in there’s no rain, only snow. It gets real cold. I’ve seen the temps so low that a man’s spit will freeze before it hits the ground.”
Iya’s brows steepled with worry. “How you know when winter come?”
“It shows up with cold winds coming down from the north. Pretty soon there’s snow and the lakes and rivers ice up—so thick a man can walk clear across. Even the ground freezes up solid.”
“I walk on ice?” Iya reached out to touch the waves and the boat rocked dangerously.
“Whoa, take it easy.” Erik steadied the umiak. “Sure. I’ll take you out. It might be kind of tough for a little one, though. The snow gets pretty deep. We’ll have to make you some snowshoes.”
Snow had piled up deep at Anna’s home when she was young. Her first effort at using snowshoes, she’d been overly confident, certain there was nothing to it. She’d strapped the woven shoes to her mukluks and strode across the snow. She didn’t manage more than a couple of steps before she planted face down on the cold, white blanket. Making the situation more embarrassing, she’d needed help to right herself. She still blushed as she remembered how her family had laughed. Many nights around the evening fire they had chuckled over Anna’s first attempt to use snowshoes. But Anna had been determined to conquer the cumbersome shoes and, true to her nature, she did.
Erik spoke of the local winters. “I hear some years even the sea freezes up solid. It gets so cold a man’s nose can freeze right off if he’s not careful.” A sour expression crossed his face. “I don’t mind the cold so much, but the darkness is hard to take. There are so few hours of daylight.”
“Dark at beach,” Iya said.
“Yeah, I think that’s what I hate the most.” Erik’s mind seemed to wander. “No matter where you live, some years it’s all you can do just to survive.” He rubbed his hands together. “It’s likely going to be a cold one this year. But, with the animals growing heavier coats during cold winters, if I set up a trap line, I ought to have some fine pelts come spring. Might even make enough to stake a claim somewhere.”
Anna’s head swam with information. Winter would be an adventure. The long, dark months loomed ahead, yes, but she would not be alone. In fact ... she found the idea of spending more time with the outsider intriguing.
She rested a hand on her abdomen. Kinauquak’s baby would be born before they left in the spring. How would Erik feel when he found out? She pulled harder on her paddle. I will not think about that now. There is much time before the snow melts.
They searched for the waterway and, with each passing day, Erik grew more weary. His face was lined with concern. The air took on a cold, sharp bite, and Erik often studied the clouds, as if looking for something.
Cold nights became difficult to tolerate. They needed to find shelter soon. Each time they went ashore in search of food there were fewer berries, the depth of fallen leaves increased, and the crackling noise they made when she walked through them grew sharper. What would happen if Erik didn’t find the river?
Two days later, Erik’s sharp yell startled Anna awake.
“There it is. That’s it!” He steered the boat toward the mouth of a river flowing into the channel. “Anna, I’m going to need your help.” His voice was sharp and tense. “It will take both of us to move this boat upstream.”
Anna positioned herself in the front of the umiak, alert and ready to follow Erik’s instructions.
“When I tell you to paddle, I mean it. You have to give it all you’ve got. We can only do this if we work together.”
Anna nodded and held her paddle over the water.
Iya sat very still and rigid, gripping the side of the umiak.
When Erik gave the order to paddle, Anna thrust hers deep into the water and pushed with all she had.
Where the creamy white water of the tributary met the deep, shadowed ocean, the water had a heavy chop. The current pushed against the boat, trying to force them back into the sea.
Jaw clenched, Anna lifted her paddle and plunged it back into the water, fighting against the surge.
It was an arduous battle, but slowly the umiak inched its way upstream.
Finally Erik called, “That’s far enough.” Pointing toward a small inlet, he added, “Steer for that sandy beach.”
They turned the boat toward shore.
Momentarily Anna felt the pressure against her paddle lessen as Erik dug in with his and pushed the boat toward the bank. Anna forced weary muscles to obey her until the umiak floated into calm, shallow water and scraped along a rocky bottom. She felt the drag on her paddle ease.
Erik leaped into the frigid water, and Anna followed him. Together they pulled the boat onto shore and into tall grasses that grew along the bank.
Iya climbed out of the boat. “Beautiful here.” She headed for a patch of berries. “And there is food.”
Energy depleted, Anna dropped into the deep grass and lay there panting. When her breathing slowed and the pain in her arms and back lessened, she sat up. It was a pleasing spot. She hugged her knees close to her chest, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. The scent of spruce, alder, and birch lifted her spirits.
The branches of a spruce and birch tree intertwined as though embracing. Wind blew across the tops of the trees, bending them and sending down a shower of leaves from the outstretched limbs of the birch.
Anna made no move to avoid the cascade of leaves. As they rained down, one landed on her face. She removed it, examined its delicate design, and reached out and stroked the smooth, white bark of the birch tree.
Cool and clean.
Such trees should grow near her new home.
“These are strong, straight trees. They’ll be good for building a cabin.” Erik patted a birch, examining the forest with a different eye.
Iya sprinted through the leaves, kicking them up as she went. With her arms flung out from her sides, she twirled. Giggling, she strained to maintain her footing until the dizziness subsided. She lost the challenge and dropped to the ground where she lay in the deep carpet of leaves her arms extended above her head, a smile on her face. “I like it here.”
Iya’s antics brought the familiar pain of loss that ached at the base of Anna’s throat. Her mother would have liked this place, too. Images of her family swept through her mind and her eyes burned and teared. It still hurts so much. When will it stop? She pushed the memories back into the hidden places of her mind and composed herself. I must remember. It is the only way I can hang onto them.
Erik moved to a large spruce tree. “We need to build a temporary shelter and get a fire going. Iya, would you gather some wood while Anna and I work on the shelter?”
Iya jumped to her feet and searched for wood nearby.
“We can use spruce boughs for the roof,” he told Anna as he cut off a low-hanging limb. “Could you cut some more of these while I look for larger branches for the frame?”
Anna set to work, laying the cut boughs in a pile.
Erik took his ax and chopped several large branches for the skeleton of the shelter. When he had enough, he hauled them back to the campsite. After checking over the wood they had, he said, “It looks like we’re ready to put it together.” He reached for one of the larger poles, and Anna bent to assist him.
Their hands grabbed the same spot as they went to lift the small log, Erik’s covering Anna’s. She sucked in a breath, taken off guard by the sudden contact.
Erik made no move to shift his hand as they hoisted the pole and stood it upright on the ground.
Their eyes met.
Erik stood so close that his warm breath drifted over her skin. For a long moment, she was unaware of anything but his penetrating blue eyes. Her face heated up and she looked away and gently slipped her hand from beneath his.
“Hold this for me while I pound it into the ground,” Erik said, his voice sounding huskier than usual.
The moment passed, leaving Anna’s mind full of questions. Why does my stomach flutter at his touch? I am Kinauquak’s. I carry his child. Unnerved, she remembered his intense blue eyes. Yes, Erik had become more than just a traveling companion, but he must never know of her feelings. They were from two different worlds and that is how they would remain.
They continued to work side by side, but there was no mention of what had passed between them.
Anna was careful not to touch Erik.
When they had finished, Erik stood back and studied the shelter. “Not bad. It’s not fancy, but it’ll keep us dry until we can get the cabin built.” He glanced toward the river. “We’d better pull the boat farther onto the shore. I’ll build a rack for it later.” He headed toward the stream and called over his shoulder, “I’ll need your help.”
Anna caught up to him. Because of his height, she had to take two steps for every one of his. She glanced up at him. “You walk too fast.”
“No, your legs are too short.” He grinned. “Tomorrow we’ll get started on the cabin. There’s no time to lose. It’s getting colder every day. We’ll have to work harder than beavers to get it done before the first snow.”
“Beavers?”
Erik chuckled. “Yeah, they’re furry critters that live in ponds and streams. They use trees and limbs to build their homes and have a reputation for being hard workers.”
Anna still didn’t understand. It must have shown on her face because Erik shook his head.
“Don’t worry about it. You’ll probably see lots of them before we leave in the spring.” A gust of wind whipped Erik’s hat off and carried it across the open field. He chased after it.
A memory of her brother Inoki chasing after waves flitted through Anna’s mind. Like Inoki, Erik looked cute chasing his hat.
Erik trapped it beneath one foot, then picked it up and settled it back on his head. “No reason to worry about this old thing. Soon I’ll be trading it in for a parka.”
After the boat had been hoisted farther onto shore, Erik rubbed his hands together and blew on them. “It’s cold. I’ll need to start wearing my gloves.”
“I make new ones.”
“Good, I’m sure they’ll be the best pair I’ll ever own. Tomorrow I’ll rub the boat down with some oil to keep it from cracking. It ought to be fine until spring.” A cold breeze caught at his shirt. “Time for a good hot fire.”
After returning to camp, Anna heaped the leaves and small sticks Iya had gathered into a pile and reached for her flints.
Erik stopped her. “No time for that tonight. I’ve been hoarding these.” He pulled a tin from his pouch, “We’ve got plenty to see us through the winter. They make life a little easier.” He removed a small stick from the container.
Ah, the fire sticks. He’d used them once before, when camping on the beach during the first storm. She had been too frightened of Erik then and too weary to care much about his strange ways. This time, curious, she watched closely.
“Here, let me show you.” Erik struck one of the matches against a rock.
A flame instantly flickered to life.
Anna smiled. A small miracle.
Erik held the tiny fire to the leaves, and they quickly ignited. “See how easy it is?” He added pieces of wood to the fledgling fire.
Anna nodded and held out her hand. “I try?”
“Sure.” Erik handed her a match.
Anna examined the small stick and rubbed the dark, smooth end.
“I covered them in wax. To keep them dry.”
Anna looked more closely at the end of the match. How clever of Erik. He would have been a welcome member of her village. Anna struck the match slowly against the same rock Erik had.
Nothing happened.
“You’ve got to strike harder.”
Anna tried again.
The stick flared into a small, brilliant light.
Surprised, she dropped it, but quickly picked it up and watched the flame dance until it burned down to her fingertips. “It is like the stars,” she said softly.
Iya jumped up and down. “I do it?”
Erik chuckled. “No, I don’t think so. We’ll wait until you grow some, then I’ll teach you.”
Iya frowned and sat back down in a huff.
That evening, they feasted on berries and fish before settling down for the night.
Anna looked up at the stars and stretched her arms over her head. How nice they were no longer cramped in the small boat. The fire popped and crackled, its heat warming her face. And how wonderful it was to be warm and dry and on solid ground. She snuggled deeper into her bedding.
A fluttering sensation moved inside her abdomen. The child grows. Soon I must tell Iya. Her little sister would be pleased.
But Erik? A baby would be another burden for him.
She turned her gaze back to the sky. There was much time still. No reason to tell him yet.