~~~ Five weeks later ~~~
'Camping, I can't believe I let him talk me into camping,' thought Kathryn.
They had walked into the woods and crossed a small wooden footbridge over Massie Creek, half an hour past sunrise. That morning the spider webs shone silver and diamond with dew, and Kathryn traversed the bridge in wonderment. From the center of it they had been able to see the creek tumble over a six meter high fall, bird-song inaudible over the roar of the water. Looking the opposite direction yielded a striking view of the creek in the gorge it had carved. Birch, elm, and stands of cedar trees shaded the paths. Many of the rocks were covered in moss thick enough to look like velvet. Gullies formed by centuries of rain run-off occasionally bisected the path at the edge of the gorge.
Hiking north along the bank that morning they stopped for lunch in a nearby village that boasted an Underground Railroad site. Heading south again, they skirted corn fields and pasture-land. When they got back to the fall, Kathryn walked out onto the fenced-in rock shelf that served as another scenic over-look. Three-hundred-some-odd years before, the ground water of that area had been so polluted that the bottom of the waterfall had been obscured by man-high hills of suds. Centuries of environmental clean-up left the water clear, cool and potable. Clear and cool, however, could not be said of the air. Both hikers were dripping with sweat when they stopped for a break.
Out of her mouth came a sardonic tone: "I hate Ohio, Chakotay. Have I mentioned that lately? The mosquitoes here are much more ill-mannered than the ones in Indiana." Slapping away yet another flying pest, she set her pack down. "I don't know about you, but I'm done for the day. I want to set up the tent and start the citronella emitter so we have a fair chance for a decent night's sleep."
"Ohio has a longer shoreline. Can you fault us for that?" He grinned, revealing a few chiselled dimples. "Besides, if you think of them as very small vampires, you'll enjoy them more."
"You have been watching too many of Tom's twentieth century motion pictures. Besides, the longer shoreline has nothing to do with it - we must be hundreds of kilometers from the lake."
"Pick that up, we have another kilometer and a half to go."
She groaned but did as he said, following him deeper into the woods, and higher up a rocky gorge. Eventually the path led away from the gorge. They came to a clearing with a small hill in the center. Emerging from the overhanging trees, Kathryn observed a wooden sign that said, "No Sledding".
"Any kid who can manage to haul a sled up here, ought to be allowed..." She said, almost under her breath.
"It's a burial mound Kathryn. And the gorge is fairly close by."
"I hadn't realized we were in Mound Builder country. We must be further south than I thought. I'm sorry."
"That is far from the worst desecration I can think of. But I'm glad that sign is there."
They set up camp not in the clearing but just inside the woods between a couple of trees. This done, they walked around the edge of the clearing. The mound was a small one, and scarcely topped the trees round about. Completing their circuit of the mound, Chakotay led Kathryn to a boulder well away from the gorge, but in sight of their camp.
"I have an ulterior motive for bringing you here," he said, standing close in front of her and looking down into her eyes.
She arched an eyebrow and responded, "You, with an ulterior motive? Why am I not surprised?"
Chakotay's left hand reached toward her face. He placed one finger over Kathryn's mouth for a moment and continued, "Since you settled in at your mother's house, we haven't really talked much about your quest for peace, Kathryn. I brought the akoonah if you want make use of it."
Silence reigned as she watched the sky darken, stars slowly fading into sight. Quietly she spoke, "I've gotten into the habit of carrying my medicine bundle on walks around home, Chakotay. I guess I was looking for a good spot to meditate. I don't know why, I never found one."
"How do you feel about this place?" he responded.
Falling silent for awhile, Kathryn reached for the akoonah in Chakotay's hand. She took it, her hand lingering over his a moment. In the years since he had taught her the vision quest, she had requested the use of the akoonah only a few times, yet often enough that Chakotay felt confident in retiring the forty or so meters between the where she now sat and their tent.
He meditated, keeping the trance state light enough that he could hear if she needed him. Some three hours passed before he heard movement from her direction. Hearing Kathryn stir, Chakotay stood and made his way toward her. He made sure she was not disoriented before leading her carefully back to camp. Once there, he offered her a fruit bar to restore her energy, then asked, "Are you ready to talk about what you saw, yet?"
Taking a bite of the fruit bar, she whispered, "No, I'm sorry. I need more time to mull it over."