Kelby watched Galen and Raythe leave camp undetected. Although they had
been told to stay close by, Kelby understood how hard it was for Raythe to deal
with his concern regarding his missing partner. It had been an emotionally challenging
afternoon for many of them and the ability to cope with the added stress
brought about by anxiety was diminishing.
Once the weather had cleared, Raythe had managed to talk Galen into
going with him, or so he thought, and he had tried to persuade Kelby to join
them, but Kelby didn’t feel up to tramping through the damp woods. Although in
the back of his mind Kelby knew he was almost as guilty as they were for
promising not to tell anyone. He quickly pushed that thought down as his loyalty to his friends overtook the feeling of wrong
doing.
He went in search of Quentin. They had been able to come to terms with
what had happened between them. Having talked things over at great length, they
determined there had been misunderstandings on both sides. Kelby even secretly
admitted that the whole episode had played heavier on Quentin’s emotions that
it had on his own. He found his friend in the mess tent calmly shoving
recently raised dough into the oven.
“Hi, Quentin,” he greeted as he peered over the older man’s shoulder to watch
him work before continuing. “Aren’t you concerned about the three men still out
there?”
“Yes I am, but sitting around and worrying isn’t going to bring them back
any faster. Besides, I have every confidence they know what they’re doing.
There, now that I’ve got the bread baking for Walker, how about sitting down
and joining me in a cup of coffee?”
Kelby smiled and nodded. “Thanks, that sounds great and I could use a
drink. How come you’re cooking?”
Quentin carried two mugs and a pot of coffee over to the table and sat
down. “I am helping out while Walker
“Oh Kelby, there you are. I was hoping you might know where Galen is.”
Taking a seat next to Quentin, Kelby stared into his cup and felt a knot
forming in his stomach.
Quentin looked at him when the young man didn’t respond to Thomas’
query. “Kelby,” he stated a little sternly. “Did you hear Thomas?”
Kelby’s head shot up at the tone in Quentin’s voice. “Yes,” he quietly
admitted.
“Well it would be nice if you’d acknowledge the fact.”
“I’m sorry. What was it you wanted to know, Thomas?” Kelby tried to keep
the tremor out of his voice as he looked up at the community leader.
“I saw you with Galen and Raythe shortly after the rain ended. I was
just wondering if you know where Galen has wandered off to now.”
“Isn’t he with the animals? That’s where I saw him heading,” Kelby
hedged and avoided looking Thomas directly in the eyes, hoping the man wouldn’t
see his ears turning red.
Thomas didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary, but Quentin sure did
and knowing the young man like he did, he knew Kelby was withholding information.
“I‘ve looked there. As a matter of fact, I looked everywhere and I
can’t seem to find him or Raythe anywhere in camp. I’m getting a little
concerned.”
Quentin turned to Kelby and placed his hand on the young man’s shoulder
in order to turn him around on the bench until he was facing him. “Kelby, are
you holding something back? Because if you are, I expect you to do what’s
right, so spit it out.”
“I’m not, Quentin; honest!” Kelby quickly blurted out.
“Don’t use the word ‘honest’ with me when I know for a fact you’re not
telling the whole story. I’m asking you one more time to answer Thomas’
question properly and provide any information you have.”
“I can’t. I made a promise and I can’t break it.” Kelby’s
bottom lip began to tremble, but Quentin ignored the threat of tears.
“If that promise you made interferes with the well-being of Thomas’
young friend, I strongly suggest you consider breaking it, young man,” Quentin firmly
stated.
Kelby looked over at Thomas and seeing the worry in the older man’s
eyes, came to the conclusion that Quentin was right. “Raythe believes
Brock has been hurt or something. He is really fretting about it, Thomas.”
Kelby made a valiant effort to support his friend. “Anyway, he left to search
for the hunting party and talked Galen into going with him. They entered the
forest by pretending to make use of the outhouse.” He looked down at the mug in
his hands and sighed.
“What?” Thomas asked in a level but somewhat loud tone.
“Raythe couldn’t stand waiting around and worrying. They’ll be alright,
Thomas. After all, they both did really good in the survival courses and Raythe
goes out with Brock all the time.”
Thomas looked over at Quentin and shook his head. Taking a deep
breath to control his emotions, he thanked Kelby and Quentin before striding
purposefully out of the tent, no doubt in order to go after Galen.
“You may not feel this is so, but you made the right decision, Kelby,”
Quentin assured his friend, rubbing a hand over the younger man’s back.
“I sure wouldn’t want to be in Galen’s shoes when Thomas gets a hold of
him,” Kelby mumbled as he closed his eyes and made a silent wish that
Thomas would be as forgiving of Galen’s apparent disobedience as Quentin had
been about his failed attempt to keep pertinent information to himself.
Galen and Raythe stood arguing in the small clearing. Neither young man
was aware of Thomas steadily bearing down on them.
“You can’t do this, Rathye!” Galen insisted.
“I have to. It’s been hours since they left. Something must have
happened to them ‘cause they should have been back by now.” Raythe was
nervously pacing in circles while plucking at the braid he had put in his hair
that now hung over one shoulder.
“B-but they m-may have had to seek shelter from the storm and are only
n-now on their w-way home,” Galen patiently pointed out.
“But we don’t know that; and besides, you are just parroting Thomas’
words.” The taller man continued to rant, increasingly working himself up.
“You’re just scared of Thomas whuppin’ your butt.”
“M-maybe you should be afraid of Brock w-whuppin’ yours.” Galen didn’t
deny the truthfulness of Raythe’s statement. “Let’s get b-back to camp; it
w-will soon b-be time for supper.”
Raythe shrugged off the words of warning. “We’ve already been over all
this, so come on.” He backed towards the forest.
“I can’t,” Galen murmured, shaking his head and standing his ground.
“It’s n-not fair that we cause m-more p-problems for the council when they have
enough to deal with.”
“You said you’d come with me,” Raythe reminded his companion.
“I said I’d w-walk a little w-ways w-with you. I was hoping to
p-persuade you n-not to go.” Galen stared beseechingly at his friend. “What if
you’re the one to get lost or hurt or something; how is Brock going to feel?”
He saw Raythe’s resolve begin to crumble. “The hunting p-party can return any
m-minute now and you know he’ll b-be looking forward to seeing you here,
Raythe, w-waiting for him.” Galen softly hammered the message home and seeing
the other man slowly nod his agreement, inwardly rejoiced at having
accomplished what he had set out to do.
Raythe glanced up and saw a very perturbed Thomas standing on the path
leading back to the encampment. For a brief second, he wondered how long the
older man had been listening but decided not to hang around and find out. He
turned on his heel and bolted for the woods, leaving a startled Galen behind
him.
“Get b-back here, Raythe!” Galen hollered and stamped. “Oww!” he cried,
sinking to the ground and grabbing his foot. He removed the small pebble
embedded in his heel and rubbed at the soreness. “At least it didn’t break the
skin,” he muttered.
Discerning another’s presence, Galen peeked up to see his mentor
standing beside him. He jumped to his feet and stared uncertainly at Thomas, suddenly
nervous about how angry the older man was and just how much trouble he was in.
He bit his lower lip, hung his head and waited.
The young man’s shoulders slumped as a wave of weariness washed over
him. It had been a long, emotionally draining day and a cloud of gloom still
hung over the camp as men worried about friends and loved ones. Galen didn’t
know if he could handle much more; he definitely wasn’t up to dealing with the
punishment he felt sure was imminent. For the first time in a long while, he
wished for his grandfather’s presence. Pappous would cuddle him and dispel his
dark mood by tickling him.
Thomas was relieved to find the young man he’d grown so fond of, safe
and sound; even if he had gone off into the forest against their arrangement. “Galen, I’d like to have a talk with you.”
“But I w-wasn’t going to go far, Thomas. In fact, if you look through
those b-bushes, you can still see the outhouse, so technically I am still in
sight of the camp.” Galen pointed towards the clump of trees behind them as he
offered his defence, such as it was.
The older man gave him a reassuring smile. “I have to confess that at
first I was quite unhappy you’d gone into the forest on your own again.
However, I overheard what you just said to Raythe and I can see your intentions
were good. To be honest, I’m quite proud of you and how you handled this
situation.” He wrapped his arm around the younger man’s shoulder.
“Then I’m n-not in trouble?” Galen wanted to be sure he heard correctly.
He stared into Thomas’ handsome face and waited for confirmation.
“No, Galen, you’re not in trouble. I do want you to know though, that
you can come to me to discuss anything you have doubts about, especially
regarding the rules we have agreed on.”
“I didn’t have time to get you ‘cause I didn’t w-want Raythe to get away
from me.”
“But had he continued deep into the woods, you wouldn’t have gone with
him, would you?” Thomas asked.
Galen bit his lip and thought about it. Before he could determine one way
or another, he was distracted by a movement a short distance away. He stared at
the slightly swaying branches and caught sight of Raythe partially hidden
behind a large bush. He smiled when he realised his friend hadn’t run off and
understood Raythe’s frantic signals to keep his whereabouts a secret. Glancing
up at Thomas, he answered truthfully. “I don’t know if I w-would of or not,
Thomas.”
“I appreciate your honesty, Galen. I hope though you will remember we
did agree to the use of consequences had you gone much further.”
“I remember, honest.” Although relieved that everything seemed to have
worked out for the best, Galen’s smile didn’t quite manage to reach his eyes.
“By the way, you don’t have to w-worry about Raythe, Thomas,” he quietly
informed the older man. “He’ll be b-back when he’s ready. It is just that he’s
kinda scared of p-people in authority.”
“I’m not so sure Brock will be very pleased with Raythe’s plans, but if
you’re certain he’ll come back to the camp then I’ll follow your lead. I have
one small thing I’d like you to do for me. I know you like to go barefoot most
of the time and normally in the camp area and beach that’s fine, but the forest
has many hazards that can damage your feet. I saw you’d stepped on something
just as I arrived. I’d like you to wear shoes whenever you’re in the forest,
okay?”
“I really don’t like b-boots, Thomas.” Galen argued and shook his head,
suddenly feeling obstinate. “If it is gonna be a rule, then I w-want to think
about it first.”
Thomas gave serious thought to the young man’s response. “Let’s do
something here. I’d like us to look carefully on the ground all round us and
see how many things you can find that could possibly cut or puncture your bare
feet. See what you think about going barefoot then.”
Galen rolled his eyes at the logic he wasn’t in the mood to accept. “The
soles of my feet are like leather, so there is probably not much around to hurt
them,” his muttering giving a clear indication of his disgruntlement.
Thomas spotted a seemingly abrasive rock a few yards along the path from
them. “Okay, Galen, if you can stand on that rock there in your bare feet
without feeling pain from it then I'll go along with you.”
Galen approached the rock and carefully stepped onto the jagged surface
of it. He stubbornly refused to acknowledge any discomfort. Had someone asked,
even Galen himself would not have been able to explain his uncharacteristic
behaviour.
Thomas carefully studied the face of the younger man. It was obvious
that he was holding back a grimace of pain.
“How’s it feeling?”
“Just fine,” Galen mulishly insisted. He was confused, knowing he
yearned for something but unsure what it was he wanted or needed. He glared up
at Thomas, fully expecting the older man to fix things.
Thomas looked the young man in the eyes and saw the uncertainty there.
“Galen, step down and show me the bottom of your feet,” he commanded.
Galen sighed and complied. Without a word, he sat down on a nearby stump
and held up his legs.
Looking carefully at the soles of the lad’s feet, Thomas was disturbed
by what he saw. The heavy calluses, though not cut, were deeply indented from
the sharp-edged stone and looked painful. He thought back through their
conversation and realised what he had on his hands was a young lad doing his
best to let him know he needed some guidance but was feeling too unsure of
their relationship to ask for it.
“Galen, look at me!” he demanded. The younger man slowly met his eyes.
“Your so-called leather feet hurt quite a bit from what I can see. Whether you
want to admit it or not, they are vulnerable and I am making it a rule. You
will wear your boots in the woods. Do you understand me?”
Galen gazed wide-eyed and nodded his agreement. His emotions seemed to
be running rampant; up one moment and down the next, leaving him feeling
unsettled, and he didn’t like it.
Thomas helped Galen to his feet and pulled him into a firm embrace.
“It’s been a difficult day for all of us, Galen. We’re all under stress, but I
want you to know I care about you too much to either allow you to hurt yourself
by running about with unprotected feet or in any other way endangering
yourself.”
Wrapping his arms around the larger man’s waist, Galen gave himself up
to his mentor’s care. This was what he needed. Emotionally depleted, he just
wanted someone to take charge. He shyly glanced upward and announced, “I’m
hungry.”
Thomas chuckled at the sudden change in attitude “Let’s get back to the
camp. I think we could both use something to eat and a rest.” He began to guide
his young charge, but not before noticing they had been observed. Raythe’s form
could be seen by the bushes at the edge of the clearing.
It would soon be six o’clock and although there were still a few hours
of daylight left, the day was steadily drawing to a close. A quiet group of men
was sitting around the campfire after having just finished the evening meal,
but there was a distinct lack of spirit or conversation. The hunting party
had been gone for more than ten hours and the level of anxiety was increasing
as nightfall drew closer.
“They are probably holding up somewhere for the night,” Larry said
to no one in particular. “It wouldn’t make sense to try to make their way
back in the dark.”
“Oh yes,” Lakota concurred. “I agree with you; much safer to wait until
morning.”
Spyke snapped a twig and Raythe jumped at the sudden sound. He
reached out and grabbed the broken twigs and threw them back at Spyke. “Idiot!”
he hissed.
Spyke immediately retaliated and would have thrown the offensive twigs
back at Raythe had Larry not caught hold of him and yanked him against his
side. “Come sit here, babe. Are you cold?”
Distracted with Larry’s kindness, Spyke ignored Raythe and allowed
himself to be pampered.
Nathan heard a little sigh beside him and saw Wayne staring at the couple. His
heart went out to the young man and he touched Wayne’s arm, speaking in a low
voice. “To be honest, I wasn’t expecting them back tonight. I imagine
the animal would have picked up their scents and probably been frightened enough
to run off. I wouldn’t worry too much. There are three of them and they
all are well able to take care of themselves.”
Wayne nodded miserably. The strength of his emotions surprised even
himself. He had known Samuel only three months and yet here he was, pining
for the man after just one day apart. When had he grown so fond of
him? Nathan’s words settled in his stomach and sub-consciously he moved
closer. How right Samuel was to put him in Nathan’s charge. Although
he had resented it earlier, he now fully appreciated the strength of the man
sitting beside him. It made all the difference in the world, having the
physical presence of someone to lean on. It was very comforting indeed.
Nathan drew Wayne closer and put an arm around his
shoulders. Leaning down, he planted a kiss on Wayne’s head, a simple
platonic gesture.
To his other side, Wes looked on wooden-faced.
Samuel’s breath was loud and rasping, and his throat was horribly dry as
he hastily made his way through the undergrowth. He had long lost sight of
the path Brock had marked and was using his instinct more than anything else,
fervently hoping he was going in the right direction. Luckily the days
were long and he still had a reasonable length of daylight before night would
fall. The rain clouds having moved on helped with that. He had been
running and stumbling for well over an hour, scrambling over huge roots and
pushing branches out of his face. Something sticky dripped on his arm and
when he wiped the sweat away from his face, his hands came away red. Steeling
his mind, he ignored the sight of his own blood and pushed on. Time was of
the essence. He had to return with Lakota and medical supplies as quickly
as possible. His mind couldn’t begin to grasp the thought of the long trek
back to the cave. He was almost spent and he had no idea how he was going
to manage it but that was not an option. Only he knew where Aiden lay
injured. He was the only one able to bring the badly needed help.
He heard dogs barking faintly in the distance. His heart gave a
leap of hope and he picked up speed. Soon the camp came into view. He
heard shouts moments before several large figures loomed before
him.
“Samuel!"
“Oh God, he’s hurt!”
“Help him over to the fire and get him some water!
Preston and Mitchell stepped forward to assist and once Samuel was
seated, Lakota and Yancey took over, swiftly cleaning his abrasions and bruises
as Samuel panted and worked on regaining his breath. Wayne, pale and shaken,
hadn’t uttered a word. He sat down as close as he could to his partner but
remained silent while waiting with the rest to find out what had happened.
“Where is Brock?” “Where the hell is Aiden?” Raythe and Spyke shouted
simultaneously, worriedly glancing around in search of their partners.
“Has something happened to them?” Larry asked, his face solemn and his
voice full of concern
“First, let the man have some
space,” Thomas softly suggested as several more questions were fired at Samuel.
“He can tell all once he gets his breath back.”
A mug was pressed into Samuel’s
hand. He drank deeply and then quickly related the most important information
concerning the hunt. Yes, the wolf was now dead but Aiden is in dire straits.
He paused briefly and glanced regretfully at Spyke and Larry. Drawing a deep
breath, he looked them in the eyes and continued his tale. “I fear I am the
bearer of bad news. Aiden has been bitten by a snake and is in need of medical
assistance. Brock is presently caring for him and I am sure all will be well.”
Samuel hastened to set the young men’s minds at ease, if such a feat were
possible.
Spyke hastily scrambled to his feet. “We gotta get to him, Larry! He
needs us!” He was starting to panic and Larry was unable to calm him as he was
himself trying to assimilate all that had been disclosed.
Yancey moved closer and embraced the frightened man. “Sssh, Spyke. Aiden
is a big man. It is unlikely a snake would be able to do as much damage to him
as to another.” He refused to release the struggling lad in his arms and Spkye
gradually calmed down enough to listen to reason.
“Are you able to lead us back to where Aiden and Brock are waiting,
Samuel?” Walker
“I think so. I’ll get my second wind once I’ve rested and eaten. They
are in the cave quite some distance from here. Brock says it is the large one
Galen found when we first arrived here.”
“I’ve been there!” Thomas announced. “I am fairly confident I can find
the way back to it. Samuel needs time to recover.”
“Then we will form a rescue party and leave as soon as possible. It will
be dark long before we return. We will need several strong men and of course
Lakota’s expertise. Eat now, Samuel, while the rest of us gather what we feel
will be needed.” Walker
“I’m going too,” Spyke
insisted, following his partner to their tent.
“It’s going to be a hard
trek, Spyke. I think you should wait here,” Larry strongly suggested. He
relented when he was categorically reminded that Aiden was not just his
partner, but Spyke’s as well.
Twenty minutes later, a group consisting of Thomas, Walker, Larry, Spyke,
Mitchell and Lakota departed on their mission. Trudging through the forest,
thoughts of the men left behind surfaced. Etched into their memories were the
worried faces of young partners who valiantly put aside their own desires to be
part of the undertaking, and of apprehensive men who had agreed to stay behind
and await the outcome.
Much later Thomas was to wonder
how they’d done it. He put it down to an iron determination that had gripped them.
It had enabled him to find both the strength and clarity of mind needed to lead
the rescue party to the cave. A couple of times he faltered, frustrated by the
gradually fading light and unsure for several moments which way to turn, for
there were no clear paths and each patch of undergrowth was much the same as
the next. But crisis sharpened survival skills and knowing he was the only one
who could take them out of the present predicament gave him new vigour. There
was no room for doubt or surrender.
Larry trudged along between
Walker and Mitchell, keeping absolutely silent. His companions occasionally
glanced over at his wooden expression, but they kept quiet as well. The only
sounds from the group were harsh breathing and some muttered curses as branches
and brushwood scratched at their arms and faces, and the bits of colourful
commentary coming from Spyke.
Once, about forty-five
minutes after the start of the mission, Lakota inquired, “How much
longer?”
“We should be over half way
there I reckon,” Thomas replied as he felt the doctor come up beside him.
“We must make haste, Thomas,
venom travels fast.” This was said in a low voice, meant only for Thomas’ ears.
He nodded, wiping a damp
sleeve across his face. “I know, Doctor. I know.”
Thirty minutes later Thomas stopped,
and the others waited anxiously as he surveyed the wilderness. Here in the
forest, the light had all but gone and it was getting steadily harder to see
where they were going. “Listen,” Thomas pointed a finger. “Do you hear
that?”
The others strained their
ears; sure enough they could hear the faint sound of water. Thomas nodded,
secretly relieved beyond words. “Behind those rocks should be a drop, then the
waterfall and the cave.” He turned to Larry and Spyke. “You held up well, lads.
Aiden will be mighty pleased to see you!”
Larry had turned even paler
now that they were so close. ‘What if Aiden …’ he stopped himself on that
thought and said savagely, “come on, let’s get going and not waste time!”
His small supply of patience
long gone, Spyke couldn’t wait any longer. He dashed off in the direction
indicated by Thomas before anyone could stop him.
Walker put a hand on Larry’s
arm and stilled the impatient young man before he could follow his younger
partner. “Larry, you must be brave and calm no matter what happens. Do you
understand me, lad? Remember we are here for you.”
“He’ll be fine!” Larry
growled, shaking off Walker
Brock estimated the time at
being nigh onto nine o'clock and Samuel had been gone at least four hours. He
had been pacing restlessly in the cave, bending over Aiden every few minutes to
check his breathing and pulse. The fire lent some measure of light and warmth
to the cave but outside, dusk had rapidly fallen.
Brock jerked his head up as
his sharp ears caught the sound of footsteps on sodden leaves, then the obvious
noise of humans. He hurried to the mouth of the cave and peered out. He heard
scrambling and the gasping cries from Spyke and then Larry as they burst into
view.
“Where is he?” Spyke demanded
as he rushed into the cave with Larry following close on his heels.
A very distraught man rushed
to Aiden’s side, heart pounding so hard in his chest he was sure the others
could hear it echoing off the rocky walls. Larry closed his eyes and whispered
a silent prayer as he dropped to his knees. His mouth went dry. Aiden looked so
pale and there didn’t seem to be any movement coming from underneath the
blankets. His eyes filled with tears and he was overcome with despair,
believing his beloved partner had succumbed to the poison. He laid his head on
the big Scot’s chest and allowed the tears that were threatening to fall since
this whole rescue mission started, to finally flow. He was barely aware of
Spyke, silent for once, sitting across from him.
“Oh God, Aiden; no.” The
strangled cries frightened Spyke and sent chills down Brock’s spine as he squatted
next to the sobbing man.
“Easy, Larry,” Brock
whispered as he reached out to touch his arm “He’s not dead, lad. He’s just
unconscious. Take a deep breath and listen; listen for his heartbeat.”
Larry lifted his head to look
up at the mountain man then doing as he was told, he lay his head back down on
Aiden’s chest and sure enough, there it was. It was weak but the sound was the
most beautiful he’d ever heard.
“Oh Aiden, thank God. I love
you so much, I don’t know what I’d do if….” Larry couldn’t speak anymore. He
was too strongly affected by his emotions.
“What the hell did you do to
yourself, man? Taking on snakes….” Spyke softly admonished, too in shock to say
much more
By this time all the rescue
team had entered the cave and Lakota had taken over. He bent down and gently
began to push Larry aside so he could check out the damage when a moan could be
heard from under the covers.
“Am I dreaming again, Brock,
or ‘tis it truly the voices of me darlin’ lads, I’m hearing?”
“It’s not an illusion this
time, Aiden. Both Larry and Spyke are here as well as the doctor and several
others.”
Lakota allowed Larry and
Spyke a few more seconds with Aiden to assure the big Scot that indeed his
partners were really there. Then he set about preparing his patient for the
long journey back to camp.
“You’ve done a fine job
caring for him, Brock,” Lakota sincerely praised the mountain man’s handiwork.
He worked swiftly, inspecting the wounded area and applying an herb mixture he
produced from his medical bag. The good doctor next mixed some herbal tea in
lukewarm water and encouraged Aiden to sip small amounts from the cup held to
his lips.
Meanwhile, Mitchell and
Walker reinforced the rough but sturdy travois Brock had started to transport the
injured man.
Once Lakota deemed his
patient fit to travel, it took all of them to move the huge man from the cave.
They then began the long exhausting trip back to camp with the men taking turns
hauling the makeshift contraption. The wolf, that in a sense was responsible
for their present predicament, was left behind to be retrieved the next
day.
The entire way home, Larry and
Spyke took turns holding on tightly to Aiden’s hand. It was like they were
trying to transfer strength into their lover to help pull him through.
Just before they reached the
camp, Aiden weakly looked up at his partners and murmured, “I love ye, me
bonnie brave lads. ‘Tis something I must ask ye both. Aye, but t’will have to
wait ‘til I’m stronger.” With these words Aiden once again slipped into
oblivion.
Yancey got to his feet and stretched. He added another log to the fire
and glanced around at the handful of men who anxiously maintained their vigil.
He gently smiled at Galen sleeping nearby and then at Jordan
Suddenly Raythe stopped his frantic movements, cocked his head to one
side and listened. Seconds later, after letting out a cry, he was off and
running into the woods.
Yancey sighed out his relief. He too had heard the sounds of the
returning rescue party. He blinked back unexpected tears of joy. In the semi-darkness he could just make out the
silhouettes and more importantly the travois carrying Aiden. He was still
alive! He quickly stepped over to assist his awaking charge to his feet. Then together he
and Galen excitedly awaited the joyous reunion of this eclectic new family of
theirs.
With Lakota’s herbs and
Yancey’s excellent ministrations, together with Aiden’s natural resilience, it
took but a few days for Aiden to recover enough from his ordeal to be allowed
to move out of the infirmary.
During that time, Larry and
Spyke were constantly at his side, only spelling each other for meals and calls
of nature. The two young men talked for hours about their love for the man and what
his presence in their lives meant to them.
On the second day, Aiden was
finally strong enough to participate in the conversation. He told his two
partners how much he loved and treasured them, and how the accident made him
realise how precious life really was.
Lakota and Yancey gave the
three men their space, only coming in to administer medical attention to their
patient then removed themselves from the scene.
By the fourth day, Aiden felt
he was fully recovered and became impatient with his bedridden state. When
Lakota made his appearance, Aiden assured the doctor he was his old self again
and asked to go to his own tent.
Lakota thought things over
for a moment then with a smile on his face, nodded his head. However, he warned
Aiden to not overdo it for the next several days and should he feel weak, he
was to march himself back to the infirmary. Aiden agreed to the terms of his
release. Then with a partner on either side of him, he merrily made his way towards
their tent.
On the way however, he manoeuvred
them down a secluded path to a lovely spot where they could relax in the shadow
of a large oak tree. “Seat yeselves, laddies. There is something I wish to ask
of ye.”
“Is there anything amiss,
Aiden?” Larry enquired.
“Not at all, my love; do ye no
remember our way back to camp when I told ye I had a question for the two of
ye?”
“Yes, I do now,” Larry
assured his older partner as he obeyed the request to sit down.
“What’s the question, Aiden? What
do you want to know?” Spyke curiously asked, stepping in front of the big man
and placing both hands on Aiden’s chest to impede his progress.
Aiden chuckled at the young
man’s enquiry as he bent down and planted a soft kiss on his lips then once
seated, did the same to Larry. “Please listen and do not interrupt me,” Aiden
began. “In the cave I came to the conclusion that I could ne’er be able to go
on without ye two. Speaking my feelings out loud for the first time to Brock,
made me realise just how verra much I want ye both and that I wish to share the
rest of me life with ye.” Aiden had to swallow the lump in his throat prior to
continuing with his next sentence and only then realised how nervous he was. It
was an emotion he rarely felt but despite it, he moved on. “I hope and pray ye
both feel the same way as it is with this admission of my heartfelt love for ye
that I now ask ye both to marry me and become me husbands. This will be the
true and final step I need to make for me a life whole and complete.”
Larry and Spyke sat there
with their eyes glistening as they gazed into the handsome face of this giant
of a man who, as he poured out his soul, had got to his knees in front of them.
The younger men took a split second to glance at each other before jumping
together into Aiden’s open arms and in harmony yelling out, “Yes…Yes…Yes!”
The two were exuberantly
kissing and hugging Aiden at the same time, causing the big man to lose his
balance and fall flat on his back.
“Hey, Larry,” Spyke laughed.
“We got him just where we like him so let’s really show him what marrying him
will mean to us.”
Larry began to chuckle in
overwhelming delight as he kissed Aiden once more before slowly making his way
down the big man’s body. He was immediately joined by Spyke.
Aiden smiled to himself at the creative ways his two partners were answering his question. It was the beginning of a new and great life for them all.
Aiden smiled to himself at the creative ways his two partners were answering his question. It was the beginning of a new and great life for them all.
TBC…..
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