Thrown to the Wolves (The Faith in Peril Trilogy) (15 page)

“Ideally, it would lead to an engagement.”

The weight of that statement hung in the air. His honesty left me fighting for the right words. “Daniel …” He smiled slightly, continuing to slice away at the wood with the knife. “We don’t know one another at all.”

“Yes, so you’ve said.”

“I’ll have to think on it.” Why hadn’t I cut him down completely, telling him I would never even consider such a thing?

Because it’s not the truth. Something’s changed now, hasn’t it?

Oh, shush!

“It’s not our way to rush into things,” he said. “Courtship lasts more than a year anyhow.” He sliced fluidly, stripping off another piece of bark. “First the rescue, then friendship, and … maybe more.”

I had to remember to see things judiciously. “Perhaps.” Hearing talking in the distance, I got to my feet, because my brother and sister returned. I blurted, “I may find your manner offensive still. I know nothing of your temper or your character, really. I won’t marry someone who has no respect for women. I don’t wish to be mistreated. I’ve seen those sorts of marriages, and I find them appalling.” I had observed his family at gatherings, and I had never perceived such behavior from the father, but no one knew what went on behind closed doors.

“Dat never raised a hand to anyone. You may ask my sisters about it whenever you wish. I’ll tell them to speak to you. You may ask anything you want.” I had expected a defensive retort, but he had spoken with tempered confidence. My blunt words had not offended him.

“I’m sorry I was so bold.”

“No, I like it. It’s what I suspected of you. I don’t want a cowering and frightened wife. I want someone who’ll make me a good partner. I need someone who’s strong. You’ll have to manage a household of wayward children. That’ll test anyone at the best of times.”

I was beginning to see him in a new light. He thought practically. I found him smart and easy to talk to. I had spoken my mind, and he had not been affronted. But, perhaps, he was on his best behavior. Did he only agree because he wanted to court me? Suspicion had me second-guessing all of his answers.

His smile faltered, as if sensing I had closed myself off again. “You should get to know me. I’m not the devil, Rebekah. I might’ve done some things I’m not proud of, but I’m human. I’ve sinned, yes, but I’ve also confessed. I’m truly sorry for what I’ve done.”

“We said we wouldn’t speak about that again. I don’t want you to have to apologize every hour for it. It’s in the past now.”

As Anna and Jacob appeared, Daniel left the wooden stick on the ground. He then closed the pocketknife, leaving it near the stick. After getting to his feet, he strode towards me. “You’re right. I forgot. You just looked at me with such distrust. I thought perhaps you were remembering it.”

“Maybe you’re only saying what you think I want to hear.”

He nodded. “Oh, that was that look then.”

“I don’t know you at all.”

“Not even a little now?”

“It takes more than a few hours to know a person’s character.”

“And yet I was judged by one incident, which lasted several minutes.”

That retort stung. “I …” Goodness, I felt suddenly nervous, as he seemed so tall then; his expression had grown serious. “We should pray and eat so we can go. I really would like to be home soon.”

“Lucky for us, we have hours together still. There’ll be plenty of time to argue the point, don’t you think?”

Anna and Jacob sat by the fire watching us.

“I don’t want to argue.”

He glanced at my siblings. “Then who shall lead the prayer? I’m starving.”

“I will,” said Jacob enthusiastically. “I can do it.”

Daniel indicated the ground. “Let’s kneel.”

Our truce was temporary; I knew this much, but it remained perplexing nonetheless. I resisted feeling friendship towards Daniel, mostly because being near him baffled me, as my senses became easily overwhelmed. I had never felt this way with anyone before.

Once the prayers were said, each person received a handful of nuts, with berries and mushrooms. It wasn’t a great deal of food, but it would keep us from starving. When we returned home tonight, we could feast happily on all the good things Mam made. I craved meat and bread with thick slabs of butter. I longed to drink milk and tea and lemonade. My belly rumbled at the thought.

After kicking dirt into the fire, we made our way into the forest, walking single file, while Daniel brought up the rear. Knowing he carried a weapon eased my mind considerably. The incident with the wolves had terrified us, and I refrained from thinking on it, because it had been disturbing. Poor Molly. That dog needed far more training than she had received, being too young and impulsive, but now she was gone.

We sang and chatted, while walking, our progress easy, as the terrain was level. The first orange ribbon we encountered brought a smile to my face. “Is that yours?”

“Of course.” Daniel untied the lace. “This is how we’ll find our way back, but it’s still a long way off.”

“Oh, praise the Lord,” said Anna. “It’s a relief to know this is the way home. I long for food and bread that’s still hot from the oven.”

“And buttermilk biscuits,” said Jacob.

“Or Shepherds Pie,” I said, my mouth watering at the thought. “I can’t ever remember being this hungry.”

“A welcome home feast it will be then,” said Daniel, smiling.

I did not want to soften my stance towards him, fearing he only humored me to gain my acceptance. “Surely.”

Anna skipped ahead, yelling, “I’m so happy! It’s all wonderful now. God is good! He’s brought us Daniel, and everything will be better!”

Did she have to be so loud? “Where are you going?”

“Home!” She had disappeared behind the trees, but we followed behind her. “Home to my lovely bed and happy parents!”

I glanced at Daniel. “She’s in fine spirits, I suppose.” A loud snap occurred then, as if a branch had broken. A scream followed this, which echoed far and wide. “Anna!” The smile fell from my face. “Oh, no! What’s she done now?”

The three of us hurried ahead, coming upon Anna a moment later. She had fallen into a sizable hole, which had been hidden by branches and leaves. She sat inside, staring up at us with tears in her eyes.

“I didn’t think this would happen.”

Daniel reached out a hand. “Here, let me help you.”

“My ankle. I hurt my ankle.”

“Let’s get you out of that hole first and look at it. It might just be sore.” He lifted her easily, bringing her to him, although she favored her right foot, keeping the left off the ground. “Sit here, and let me look at it.”

“Why must every happy moment be ruined?” she asked sourly. “Can’t we have one bit of joy?”

“Let Daniel look at your foot. I’m hopeful it’s nothing serious.”

He felt her ankle, which was hidden beneath a pair of black stockings. “Does this hurt?”

“Yes.” Turning the foot, she grimaced. “Ouch.”

“Nothing appears broken, but it might be sprained.” He pursed his lips.

I knelt beside him, trying to gauge his reaction. “Will she be able to walk on it?”

“I don’t know. She’ll have to stand and find out.” He glanced at Anna. “Can you get up?”

“I hope so. I don’t want this to hinder us. I’d never forgive myself if it slows our progress.”

“Accidents will happen. It’s to be expected.”

“You’re not angry?” she asked, sounding surprised.

The question bothered him, because his brows had furrowed. “How could you know there was a hole beneath the branches? You didn’t fling yourself in on purpose. It was in the path, and anyone of us could’ve stepped in it.” Grasping her arms, he lifted her to her feet, but she grimaced. “Now, try to put some weight on the foot.”

“Ouch!” Anna placed the left foot beside the right, but only for a second. “Maybe I just need to sit for a few minutes. It’ll be better then.”

If this statement worried Daniel, he did not show it. “You do that. I’ll see what I can find for food around here. There might be some berries.” He gripped the rifle, leaving us then.

I knelt beside my sister, eyeing her foot. “Rest it for a bit. I’m sure it’ll be fine. Does it sting much?”

“It’s just sore and tender. I can’t believe that happened.”

“From the looks of it, the hole’s a good four feet deep.” Jacob examined it further. “I wonder what made it?”

“Erosion or an animal, I assume.” I glanced over my shoulder, spying Daniel amongst the trees. “I’ll be back.”

“You needn’t coddle me. I’ll be perfectly fine in a few minutes.”

I doubted that, but it didn’t matter. Wanting to ask Daniel a few questions, I wandered off after him. He perceived me, stopping, although he hadn’t turned around.

“What do you think?” I asked.

He glanced over his shoulder. “About what?”

“My sister’s foot.”

“It’s sprained at the least. She fell several feet. That’s a hard landing. I’d be shocked if she wasn’t injured.”

“Goodness, what does that mean for our rescue?”

“It slows everything down.”

“No.”

He turned to me, his expression lacking humor. “I’m sorry, but there’s nothing I can do. I can carry her for a while, but—”

“She’s far too heavy. Maybe we can give her two branches to cling to or make a brace for the leg.”

“Either way, she’ll slow us down, and I won’t leave anyone behind. We go together or not at all.”

“Oh, rotten eggs!” Frustration welled within me. “What does it all mean then?”

“Another night in the forest.”

“You don’t seem terribly upset by this.” He behaved far too subdued. “Why don’t you shoot your rifle? Let them know we’re here.”

“I’ve limited ammunition, Rebekah. I don’t want to waste it.” He smiled into my face, which I found annoying. “Another night with you isn’t the end of the world. It’s more courting then we’ll be allowed otherwise. We’ll only be able to see each other every other week. We might as well take advantage of it.”

My suspicious nature had taken over. “You didn’t make that hole yourself, did you?”

“Of course not.” The smile had gone, as his eyes narrowed. “I’ve no reason to dig a ditch like that. What would I use to accomplish such a task? Do you see a shovel on my person?”

“No.”

“Why would I injure your sister or anyone else? What would I have to gain by that?”

I had spoken rashly and upset him. “Nothing. I’m sorry. I’m just tired and crabby, and I don’t want to be out in the elements any longer. I’m sick of this. I just want to go home.”

“Let’s find berries or mushrooms or something edible and go back. We’ll have your sister on her feet and moving. We’ll take it one step at a time, if we have to.” He smiled slightly. “I long for the day when you finally trust me. I’d never hurt you or anyone. I swear.”

That was quite a revelation. “I’m sorry I suspected you. That wasn’t fair.”

But he did know we would be coming back this way, following the orange ribbons. Perhaps he had brought a shovel with him, only to discard it. Hating that I felt this way, I pretended to look for berries, wandering around bushes, shoving the foliage aside, looking for a shovel, but none was found. When we returned to Anna, I examined the hole, noting that it looked quite old with worn and weathered roots protruding, having aged with time. This was not freshly dug at all. I chided myself for doubting Daniel, but he didn’t seem to care, treating me and everyone else as he had before with polite kindness.

When my sister felt recovered enough, she held two sticks for balance, hobbling around slowly. Her accident would delay us further, seeing that our momentum had stalled. We plodded along, but the setback had been catastrophic. Jacob knew this as well, but, if he felt frustrated, he hid it. Due to the slow progress, I scoured the landscape as we went, finding berries and mushrooms, which we ate while walking.

“You can ride on my back for a bit,” said Daniel, handing the rifle to Jacob, who happily took the weapon. Dat had taken him hunting before, and he knew how to operate the firearm. “Here.” He grasped her walking sticks, which were hardly adequate. “I’ll give you a lift for a while.”

“I’m so sorry,” said Anna, her expression remorseful. “I should’ve been more careful. I’ve ruined everything. We won’t be home in time for supper now, will we?”

Daniel smiled kindly. “We’ll make as much progress as we can. I can carry you for a while. I’m sturdier than I look.”

“I’ll take your knapsack,” I said, holding out my hand.

“Thank you, Rebekah.”

He bent his knees, while Anna jumped on his back with her uninjured foot. His hands closed around her legs, hauling her upwards. “All right. I’m moving fast. Let’s clear some distance.”

I wasn’t sure how long he could walk like this, but we would not waste another moment, hurrying after Daniel, who strode determinedly with Anna on his back. He adjusted her periodically, getting a better grip. Her arms encircled his neck, which must have bothered him. It could not be comfortable, yet he did not complain, walking further than I thought he would. I began to hope—to pray, we would be home by nightfall.

Chapter Twelve

The first inkling of trouble came with the distant sound of thunder. Having walked for more than an hour, we had passed two more orange markers, but I knew Daniel would have to rest soon. He had slowed considerably, but he continued on, his face a mask of concentration and pain.

I approached him, touching his arm. “You should stop.”

“A little further.”

“It’s going to rain.”

“I know.”

“Put me down, Daniel. I’ll walk now. You’ve done more than you should. You’ve got to be terribly tired.”

The wind had picked up, tossing branches into our faces, while loose leaves took flight. “It’s getting worse,” I said. “We’ll be wet in a few minutes.”

Daniel lowered Anna to the ground, grimacing, while she hobbled on one foot. “Thank you, Daniel,” she said. “You did everything you could. We made good distance.”

“But not enough,” he murmured, glancing upwards. “Jacob, we need to make a shelter. Come on, boy.”

“Yes, sir.”

I glanced at my brother, realizing he enjoyed the adventure, because an enthusiastic smile lit his face. “This is a fine rifle. I’d be pleased to shoot it some day.”