[Alaskan Quest 02] - Under the Northern Lights (24 page)

Jacob quickly released the sleds, and John led the dogs away. They were feisty, but John was quite capable of keeping them in line.

‘‘I get Oopick and we come,’’ Ayoona told Emma.

‘‘Good. Come along, you three. You can wash up before you eat. I have warm water.’’

They followed Emma to the house, and Leah couldn’t help but laugh at the reception they got as they entered the mission home. Bryce and Nolan rushed her and hugged her so tightly that Leah thought for sure they would break her in half. Even Rachel came dashing across the floor to see what was happening. Leah knelt down, but the little girl shyly took hold of her mother’s dress.

‘‘She doesn’t remember me.’’

‘‘Of course she does, Leah. She’s just going through a stage. She does this with everyone. Even Ayoona.’’ Emma scooped up her daughter and grinned. ‘‘She’ll be playing with you soon enough.

She has to have everyone’s attention eventually.’’

‘‘I’ll be right back. I just want to make sure John has enough help,’’ Jacob said, taking off before the women could answer him.

Emma bounced Rachel on her hip. ‘‘Helaina, why don’t you come with me? I have some clothes that I think will fit you. You can wash up and change from those things and we’ll get you tucked into bed. Then I’ll bring you some soup and bread. Leah, I have plenty of herbs if you want to mix up something for Helaina’s sickness.’’

‘‘You don’t need to fuss over me,’’ Helaina declared as Emma led the way to the back side of the house.

Leah nudged Helaina along. ‘‘We just want to get you back on your feet so that you can be on your way. That’s what you wanted as well—to get back to the States. Now don’t argue with the pastor’s wife.’’

The room they’d added was no bigger than eight foot by six, but it seemed wonderfully large to Leah. A small rope bed stood in one corner. It had been constructed from driftwood and looked quite sturdy.

‘‘It has a feather mattress,’’ Emma said proudly. Rachel fought to get down, and Emma conceded and put her on the floor. In a flash the toddler was off and running. ‘‘I plucked enough ptarmigan and duck feathers to make a pillow as well.’’

‘‘Oh, it sounds divine,’’ Helaina said, rubbing her stomach. ‘‘I wonder if you might help me with something else.’’

Leah and Emma looked at the woman and nodded. Leah felt apprehensive of what Helaina might request, but at this point it would be good just to have the woman settled and out of her hair.

Helaina looked beyond the two women and took a step closer.

‘‘I think my monthly time is due. I have terrible cramps.’’

‘‘Oh, not to worry,’’ Emma said with great assurance. ‘‘I have everything you need. I’ll bring you tea with the soup. Now you just get out of those things. I’ll bring you hot water and something to sleep in. Leah, you come with me to my room. I’ll bring water for you too.’’

Leah hardly heard Emma’s words. She followed her slowly, trying desperately to calculate the last time she’d had her own monthly time. A sickening feeling washed over her. It had been just before her marriage to Jayce. She’d not had her woman’s time since then.

Feeling weak in the knees, Leah sank onto the nearest chair. She could hardly bear the thought of what it all meant. She might very well be pregnant.

‘‘Are you all right?’’ Emma asked, her voice heavy with concern. ‘‘I’m fine . . . just tired. The trip was exhausting.’’

‘‘Well, you were gone for so long.’’

Just then Ayoona and Oopick arrived, their arms full of goodies. ‘‘We are here, Lay-Ya.’’

Leah looked up and forced a smile, while Emma rushed to help the women. The reality of the moment was almost more than she could bear.

I might be with child
. The thought was startling. Worse still was the question that followed.

I might be with child, but who is the father?

Chapter Twenty-one

L
eah and Jacob settled into their house and a sort of familiar routine emerged. Jacob rose daily to care for the dogs and later went to hunt or help in the village, while Leah cooked and preserved, tended the store, and worked with hides and sewing. The store took less and less time as the supplies gave out. Most winters Jacob would have already made a trip to Nome, but given the events of the last few months, their regular schedules were completely altered.

‘‘Most of the folks have traded clothing items and furs for the store’s food and tools,’’ Jacob said as they finished a breakfast of caribou sausage and oatmeal. ‘‘I need to get into Nome and exchange them for goods. We brought some cloth up with us on the
Homestead
. I put it in storage so that we’d have it later. Would you like me to bring some back? I think it might be useful in making shirts and
kuspuks
.’’

‘‘That would be very useful. Will you leave right away?’’ Leah saw it as a good way to get Jacob away from Helaina and her constant nagging to help get her to the States.

‘‘Not for Nome,’’ Jacob replied. ‘‘I need more furs. One of my suppliers in Nome is big on furs. He has some group in New York that pays him top dollar—especially for beaver, wolf, fox, and such. Oh, and I should lay in a good supply of meat for you before I leave. There’s no telling how long it will be before Jayce returns. No sense making John hunt for you as well as his own family.’’

‘‘No, he’s already done so much for me. I still haven’t found a proper way to thank him for helping you come after us.’’

‘‘I’m sure he’d love some of your baked goods,’’ Jacob said, smiling. ‘‘I know I would.’’

‘‘Well, when you bring back supplies, make sure there’s plenty of sugar and lard. Nothing ever tastes right when I use seal or whale fat.’’

Jacob nodded and grew quite serious. ‘‘I want you to know that I won’t leave if you don’t want me to. If you want me to wait for Jayce to return, I will.’’

‘‘No, there’s a greater need for you to be gathering supplies. I’d rather you go. I know it could be some time before Jayce returns, but then again, maybe he’ll come back tomorrow. We can’t be certain.’’ Leah wanted to keep Jacob focused on his trip. She hoped his interest in Helaina would wane if the two were separated for a time. ‘‘Will you go with someone?’’

Jacob drank the last of his coffee and got to his feet. ‘‘Nut-chuk wants to go hunting with me, and I think it will serve him well. His grandfather is constantly giving him trouble over becoming a Christian.’’

‘‘Well, since his grandfather is a shaman, it isn’t surprising. I’m sure our ways seem just as strange to him as his ways are to us.’’

‘‘I wish their superstitions wouldn’t bind them so strongly. It’s hard for Nutchuk to be in that family with his new faith. I know God will give him the strength he needs, but I think getting away on a trapping trip will give Nutchuk a much needed rest from the rhetoric. We can spend time reading the Bible every day, and hopefully his faith can grow.’’

‘‘I’m sure you’re right. I’ll put some things together for you.’’

Jacob nodded and pulled on his parka. ‘‘I need to finish up with the dogs. Oh, and we have a new batch of puppies. Angel gave birth last night.’’

‘‘How many?’’ Leah asked as she moved to gather the breakfast dishes.

‘‘Six. They all look good and healthy. Not a real runt in the bunch.’’

‘‘I’m glad to hear it. I hate it when we have to put them down. Seems so cruel, yet I know fighting for an existence out here is also cruel when you’re smaller than the rest.’’

‘‘I don’t want you having to be responsible for the dogs while I’m gone, so I’m gonna pay John to help with them. Of course, he won’t want to take money, but I figured I’d promise him a couple of Angel’s pups for all he’s done.’’

‘‘I think that’s a good idea. The dogs will give him better service than my baked goods,’’ she said, smiling. ‘‘But I’ll get some of those prepared as well.’’

‘‘Oh, I nearly forgot,’’ Jacob said, turning at the door, ‘‘I’m gonna need some new mukluks. These are nearly worn through.’’

‘‘It’s no wonder with you traipsing all over the territory. I’ll check around the store and see what we have, and if nothing’s large enough, I’ll go talk with the women in the village. Ayoona may have even made some for you. You know how she likes to give you something special at Christmas.’’

‘‘Well, I’d hate to ruin her surprise.’’

‘‘But you can’t go out there on a long hunt without good boots. Let me see what I can find. I think the trip will do you good, and no doubt the furs and meat will keep us well through the winter. I hope you find some caribou. I’ve really wanted some caribou steak.’’

He smiled. ‘‘That does sound good. I’ll see what I can do.’’

‘‘I know you—you’ll probably bring home a whole herd.’’ She wanted to sound as positive as possible about his trip. Leah didn’t want Jacob to worry about her or do anything that might delay his leaving. The sooner he left, the sooner he would be away from Helaina, and Leah felt that was the most important thing of all.

Jacob had actually been surprised to find Leah so receptive to his leaving again. He feared she’d be uncomfortable staying alone, and maybe worried, too, since Jayce hadn’t returned. Instead she was practically pushing him out the door.

He checked on Angel in the partially open birthing shed he’d made for such occasions and found her happily nursing her pups. ‘‘Just look at you, little mama,’’ he said, bringing her fresh water and food.

Angel was hungry and quickly shook off her babies to come to where Jacob poured her a bowl of food. It was a strange concoction of mixed meats and commercial dried dog food, something Jacob didn’t use often. ‘‘Here you go.’’

The dog, a large powerful animal who held a wheel position on the sled line, devoured her food quickly, then looked to Jacob as if to question if there’d be more. Jacob gave her a rigorous petting. ‘‘You’re a good dog, Angel. But now you need to go back and tend to your babies.’’

She yipped at him as he started to go. Jacob felt sorry for her. She needed more approval and attention than he could offer her right now. He checked the gate of the shed. It was designed to deter intruding wildlife but wasn’t all that sturdy. Of course if anything did approach, the dogs would raise a ruckus and someone could deal with it before anything managed to get to the animals.

He thought about how he still needed to talk to John about the dogs’ care and make sure he was willing to take on the responsibility with Leah. She would be hard-pressed to see to everything, and Jacob didn’t wish to leave her overburdened. Perhaps Helaina could also come over and help. After all, she’d spent the previous summer learning how to care for the animals. But then he remembered she was still recovering from pneumonia.

The thought of Helaina made Jacob momentarily uncomfortable. She didn’t yet know that he planned to leave the village. That would be a difficult thing for her to accept. He pondered how he might break the news as he finished with the dogs.

‘‘She won’t be happy,’’ he muttered to Marty. The dog cocked his head and gave a little whine as if to agree.

That afternoon Jacob finally made his way over to the Kjellmann house. He brought with him a six-month-old sled dog pup that he’d promised to give to Nolan and Bryce. The pup had broken a leg in a fight with an older dog. The leg had not set right and so he walked with a limp. The boys, however, didn’t care. They wanted a pet and Limpy, as they called the pup, seemed the perfect solution. Jayce had promised that as soon as the dog healed completely, he would bring him to live at the mission house.

‘‘Jacob!’’ Bryce declared at the door. ‘‘You brought my dog.’’

‘‘Doggie!’’ Nolan called and came running. ‘‘Mama, come see!’’

Limpy squirmed and yipped as the boys flooded him with attention. Emma soon arrived and laughed at the antics of the boys and dog.

‘‘I hope this isn’t a bad time to bring him. I’m going to be leaving for several weeks and wanted to make sure the boys got their dog first.’’

‘‘Of course it’s not a bad time,’’ Emma said. ‘‘Come in. Would you like some coffee? I have some good Swedish coffee—strong and black.’’

Jacob nodded. ‘‘Sounds good.’’ He glanced toward the back of the house. ‘‘Is Helaina awake?’’

‘‘Ja. She’ll join us pretty soon,’’ Emma replied. Her Swedish cadence seemed particularly noticeable this morning. ‘‘So, you are going away?’’

‘‘Yes, I’m heading out to hunt and trap. We need to lay in some of our own supplies for winter, although Ayoona and her family have taken great pains to see us provided for.’’

‘‘They are good people, as are most in this village,’’ Emma said, bringing Jayce a cup of coffee. ‘‘Have a seat. I’m sure Helaina will join us.’’

Jacob did as she suggested and laughed as the boys rolled about the floor with the dog. ‘‘I’m glad you wanted a pet. I worried about whether I’d have to put Limpy down. Up here everything has to be useful.’’

‘‘He’ll be a good watchdog for the boys, I think.’’ Emma looked to where her sons played. ‘‘I worry about bears and such when they go out to play. A dog will help guard them.’’

‘‘I think that’s true. These dogs are good about bonding with their owners. He should make a useful pet.’’

Helaina chose that moment to make an appearance. ‘‘I thought I heard voices.’’ She had carefully pinned her blond hair into place and looked quite sophisticated, despite her native clothes.

‘‘I just stopped by to bring the boys their dog before I go.’’ He saw her frown and waited for her comment.

‘‘Are you going somewhere?’’ She joined them at the table. A smile suddenly lit her face. ‘‘Are you going to take me to Seward?’’

He focused on the coffee and took a long drink before answering her. ‘‘No. I’m going on a hunting and trapping trip. I’ll be gone for a while. At first I’ll probably just try to get a couple of caribou, and if I do, I’ll be back in a couple of days—maybe a week. Then I plan to go out and trap with Nutchuk. We’ll probably be gone several weeks.’’

‘‘But why?’’ Helaina sounded a little panicked. ‘‘I wish you wouldn’t go.’’

Rachel began to fuss and cry from the other room. Emma got up. ‘‘Sounds like she’s up from her nap. She woke up at four-thirty this morning and wanted to play. Then, when it was a decent hour to wake up, she was ready to sleep again. If you’ll excuse me.’’