Part X

As he'd expected, Victor didn't have a lot of trouble convincing Jimmy to stay for awhile. Especially after he pointed out that they could use the time for hunting and tracking lessons that they normally would have had to spend looking for a new place to stay. The weather still wasn't very warm, but it was mild enough that they didn't bother with clothes past the loin clothes they'd rigged for themselves (as Victor pointed out, there were some things a guy didn't want to get caught on a thorn bush). A pond not too far away proved to have decent fishing as well, so life that spring proved to be pretty easy on the pair.

By mid-spring, Jimmy's color had improved to the point where someone meeting him for the first time would never guess that he'd ever been sickly. Victor taught him how to swim and the two of them had enough time to themselves that they even began wrestling each other for fun. At first, there really wasn't much of a contest, but Jimmy began to slowly grow broader in the chest. Victor still won, but the matches were starting to last longer. Mainly because even when he was losing, Jimmy would refuse to give up. Just like when they were climbing that ridge, he was determined that anything Victor could do, he could do.

It both pleased and annoyed Victor to see Jimmy's growing confidence. Pleased when they were in full agreement - annoyed when what Jimmy wanted clashed with what he wanted. That really didn't happen too often though. Most of the spring was spent on the few chores that were necessary and the rest of the time was theirs to hunt, fish, swim and play. Playing had never really been a part of Victor's life before and Jimmy didn't have a lot of experience with outdoor play either, so it ended up more in the form of contests. Who could climb a tree quicker. Swim to the other side faster. Get back to the cabin first.
All that activity over the spring did its work on both boys. Victor had always worked hard, but never had enough food for his body to fill out. On the other side of the coin, Jimmy had always had plenty of food, but no exercise. For the first time, each of them had plenty of both.

Spring was starting to fade into summer when Victor looked outside one morning. Much as he'd enjoyed the spring, if he and Jimmy were going to reach a decent sized settlement before mid-summer, they needed to get started.

"Time t' pack up what we need an' head on, Jimmy. Mid-summer's likely t' be hot this year. Best t' have a good piece o' territory behind us 'fore then."

Joining Victor at the door, Jimmy looked outside himself and scowled. That was another thing that both amused and annoyed Victor. Jimmy was starting to pick up some of his expressions.

"Why? Why can't we just stay here for the summer and winter? Head out in the late winter before the thaws come again."

That took Victor off-guard. He'd thought that Jimmy would want to get back around towns and other folks. Then again, he couldn't deny that Jimmy seemed happy here with just the two of them.

"You want t' stay here? Ain't likely t' be another soul for miles. 'Specially when winter moves in again."

His mind was already working. He only knew the rough basics of cooking and nothing at all of how to preserve food. Still, once the snows came, the cold outside should keep any meat they caught from rotting. One fang protruded over his lower lip as he considered. They really hadn't eaten many of the supplies. They'd been eating what they'd gathered and caught mostly so there were plenty of dried beans and canned goods left. He wasn't at all sure how long they'd be good for, but he reckoned that they should be good until spring.

"I... guess we could. Be a lotta work though, little brother. We'll have t' get wood enough an'.."

The grin from Jimmy cut him off.

"We can do it. I know we can. I'm stronger now. And we have an ax now. And the mules can help."

The enthusiasm made Victor smile, but he paused and looked around them. Cabin wasn't the greatest, but they'd survived in caves. Cabin had to be better than a cave, right?

"Alright. We'll try it. We might both get thin again 'fore spring, but we'd be takin' that chance any where we went. We've got to keep putting th' mules out t' crop grass an' stop givin' them any o' th' other feed. We'll have t' save that for their winter food now."

Jimmy whooped, running on outside as Victor watched him and chuckled. Hell, they'd made it through last winter with less. A lot less. He went out into the sunshine to join his brother.