Riley's Journey (38 page)
Every muscle protested. Aches and pains seemed to radiate from his very bones. Catching a whiff of himself, Nathan grimaced. Soon as the meeting was over, he was hitting the shower, hot water or not. The leg felt better and he was able to put some weight on it, but it would be some time before it was back to normal. At least they weren’t running now, for which he was extremely grateful.
Hobbling out, he entered the bright sunshine. Several large rocks had been rolled into the clearing, providing primitive seating for the team. Most were already in attendance and those who weren’t were very likely standing guard. Riley made room for him next to her as Allie passed around cups of hot tea. Suddenly quiet, everyone waited expectantly for Jonas to begin.
Jonas stood up, moving to the center of the circle. “I don’t want to make you think I’ve elected myself as leader,” he said hesitantly.
Micah laughed. “Everyone knows you are—so lead.” Voices clamored as everyone agreed with him.
Jonas grinned. “Okay, okay! Settle down. It’s a dubious position, but if no one objects, I’ll temporary hold that title.” He paused. “Yesterday, we scouted the camp of the newcomers, as Nathan calls them. It’s pretty obvious they’re here to stay. Women and children are down there and I’d say, given the size of the encampment, we’re looking at a fighting force of probably 30 plus men. That’s just a rough estimate. We have no idea how many more were away from the main camp yesterday. Anyway, to make a long story short—there’s no way we can survive against a force that size. Not here anyway.”
Somberly, the group digested the information.
“What do you think we should do?” Geena asked the focal question on everyone’s mind.
“Well, we can stay here and hope they never find us—which I don’t think is reasonable under the circumstances—or we move.”
Heads nodded.
Bethany stepped up. “Do you have any suggestions where?”
Jonas pointed. “No, but the person most able to provide that information is sitting right there.” All eyes swiveled towards Nathan.
He stood up unsteadily, clearing his throat. “I often thought that if I ever had to leave this place, I would head south, possibly to the valley we saw while we were on the run. I think it would be a good choice. Seems to have plenty of game, a good water supply and I didn’t see any sign of human inhabitation.”
Allie raised her hand. “Won’t that just be a quick fix to a bigger problem? That still doesn’t put us out of reach of those crazies.”
“No, it doesn’t. But at least it would give us time to work out a better plan. We can’t stay here.” Everyone nodded in agreement.
“Nathan’s right,” Jonas concurred. “And we need to move soon. We left some bodies back there, and it won’t take them very long to figure out we’re here—they don’t seem to allow intruders in their territory.”
Nathan’s eyes dropped. “No, they don’t! And I’ve seen what they do to outsiders—it isn’t pretty.”
Abe stood up, signaling for quiet. “I have a suggestion.” He glanced around the circle. “I say we go home.”
“Are you nuts?” Bethany’s voice rose stridently. “There’s no going back. I told you that. We’re stuck here.”
Abe continued. “I didn’t mean forward in time home—I meant home in this reality.”
“Home? You mean like Montana?” Jonas looked confused. “How is that possible?”
Abe shrugged. “We just go.”
“I don’t see how we can. To begin with, the Pacific Ocean is a pretty huge problem.”
“It’s theoretically possible,” Bethany said. “During this time period, a land bridge connected Asia to the Americas.”
Riley chimed in. “In the Bering Strait—I’ve heard of it.”
Bethany nodded. “Some scientists believe that’s how the ancients first came to America.”
“So what are you saying?”
“I think we should follow the path of the ancients and go home.” After making his point, Abe sat down.
Chatter erupted as everyone tried to speak. Jonas held up his hand, signaling for quiet. “That’s a big undertaking and, unlike in our time, it could take months, even years for that matter.”
“So we should probably get started,” Geena laughed. “No time like today!”
Jonas’ eyes flickered around the waiting group. Eyes bright, faces hopeful, they all waited for his decision. “I don’t have the right to make that kind of a decision for all of you. I say we put it to a vote—and since Bethany is the only really smart person here, I leave it up to her to handle that.”
“Okay,” Bethany agreed, amused. “By a show of hands. Everyone for going home?” Every hand was raised. Chuckling, she formally counted. “Any objections?” Not one. “The vote stands—we go home.”
“I have a suggestion,” Nathan said. “I say we winter in the valley below, building up our supplies and stocking food for the journey. Then early next spring, we leave.”
“What about the crazies—what about them?”
“We’re taking a chance, I know, but the better prepared we are, the better chance we have of success.” He studied their reactions, satisfied that they were open to the slight change.
“I think Nathan’s right.” Riley took his hand. “He knows better than any of us what it takes to survive here, and if he says winter in the valley below, that’s what we should do.”
Jonas nodded in agreement. “Only makes sense. Nathan has a lot to teach us and we need the time to acclimate ourselves and learn. The more we understand about this world, the better our odds are.”
Seth stood up. “What about changing history? Is that going to be an issue?”
Bethany again intervened. “Shortly before we left, archeologists found a woman’s body in Oregon, vastly older than any found before. Seems like people made it to the Americas a lot earlier than science first thought. Who really knows when they first arrived?”
Nathan’s gaze softened as he looked into Riley’s eyes. “We can’t go home, but our children and their children’s children will be where they belong.”
Cheers erupted. They would go home, thousands of years in the past, but they would be home!
Riley threw herself into Nathan’s arms. “I know it’s corny, but as Ruth will say sometime in the far future—‘Whither thou goest, I will go.’ My home is with you, wherever that is.” Eyes bright, shining with love, she held him close.
His lips claimed hers, infusing strength and hope. “Don’t be afraid,” he breathed. “Think of it as an adventure—the biggest adventure we can ever hope to have. Nothing in our previous lifetime can ever compare to this.”
“I’m not afraid, as long as you’re with me. I was only afraid of being alone. That isn’t going to happen now.”
Nathan grinned, calling across the circle. “Abe—I have a question!” Abe stood up.
“Aren’t you the spiritual leader of our group?” Abe nodded uncertainly, as Nathan continued. “Do you do weddings?”
Riley whooped in surprise, laughing and dancing with excitement. The future was uncertain, and survival would depend on their ability to adapt, but she was happier than she had ever been before. She had gone back to the beginnings and found love and nothing could change that.
The circle of friends stood up, holding hands, joining in the celebration of their future, hopeful and determined to find their place. Life was an adventure and they were going to live it. Perhaps some day, some time, a little bit of them would be discovered and their mark made on mankind. Who knew?
A word about the author…
Offbeat is a perfect word when describing me. For many years, I taught, performed as well as choreographed dance. I am a dreamer and an avid reader of fiction, a sometime gardener and an inept crafter. I love to travel, always returning to my beautiful Idaho where I reside with my husband, my sons, my granddaughters, two huge cats and a toy poodle. I am multi-published author, and a member of RWA.
If you enjoyed Riley’s Journey, the second in the series is available, Into the Savage Dawn and I am currently working on the third novel in the series.