Israel Boone stood beside his cabin and wiped his brow. The hot sun beat down on him, and he paused to take a sip of cool water before returning to his labor. In the last five months his father and he, with some help from the community, had built a snug cabin. In just a few more months, he and Anna Lee would marry and live inside its sturdy walls. He grinned thinking of it, and it made it easier for him to keep up pace of his work. He was busy all the time these days. He worked for Mr. Anders, the blacksmith, to earn money when he could, and spent the rest of his time, here building. Each night he would collapse into his bed without even stirring until the dawn. Lately, he hadn't even bothered to return home to his parent's cabin, but instead slept here.
His parents had set aside this piece of land for his future years and years ago, when he was just a small boy. He had been to it often enough and thought it a nice piece of land. But now fully grown, and eagerly awaiting his marriage to Anna Lee Bradley, he thought it the most beautiful piece of Kentucky, or of America for that matter. It was his - well, theirs, actually, as Anna had pointed out to him just the other day. He glance at the pretty white curtains that she had sewn fluttering in the breeze.
He hadn't been home in three days, and his father had made him promise to be home for supper tonight. "Your Ma's missing her boy." His father had said to him. "Besides, Anna Lee will be there too. She's helping your Ma with the meal. We thought that might guarantee you showing up." His father had said laughing.
Israel was glad to hear that Anna was spending time with his mother cooking. Anna was a beautiful tall, brown-haired, brown-eyed girl who was kind, generous, and loving. She was an excellent seamstress, could skin and tan anything you brought to her, but cooking was not her strongest skill. Of course, growing up eating meals prepared by Rebecca Boone left Israel a harsh judge of cooking. He had been spoiled his entire life by one of the best cooks in all of Kentucky. Looking at it from the outside, he felt sort of sorry for Anna. As the light began to fade from the sky, he stopped his work. He set aside his tools, and washed up before heading home.
***DB***
Rebecca sat back and smiled as she looked down the length of the table. She was content. Her family, minus Mima, were all together again. She looked over at Israel and Anna happily chatting as Israel finished off the last bit of food. Anna was becoming a rather proficient cook. Grace Bradley, Anna's mother and Becky's closest friend, was an excellent cook herself, but being the oldest girl in a house of five children, Anna had spent a fair amount of time caring for her younger brothers, and had missed out on some cooking lessons. But she was a clever girl who could follow any recipe. Most nights, Becky spent writing down recipes for Anna instead of her usual reading. She had a pile of nearly thirty different recipes for her already. It was her wedding gift to the couple.
"Have you had much work lately, Israel?" His father asked him as he sipped his coffee.
"Not too many folks having been coming into the fort of late." Israel answered. "Mr. Anders said there's been too much tension lately. Is that true?"
Daniel glanced around, and avoiding Becky's gaze he said, "Well, I don't know too much about that. You are in the fort more than I am." He rose and setting his cup down he turned and said, "I almost forgot, you wanted to borrow that awl, didn't you? Which one was it?"
"The bigger one." Israel said confused.
"Come out to the barn and show me. We better get it before it gets too dark." Daniel said and disappeared out the door. Israel followed.
"Do they think they are fooling us?" Anna asked Rebecca.
"I don't know." Rebecca smiled at Anna. "I guess it makes them feel better to think they are protecting the womenfolk from upsetting talk." She began to clear the dishes. Katie and Anna both rose to help her.
"Everyone is talking about it." Katie said. "They say that all the tribes are gathering. Is it true Ma? Do you think there will be trouble? Peter says . . ."
"Peter? Peter Anders?" Rebecca asked. "You mentioned something he said the other day too. Katie Grace Boone have you finally decided you like him?"
"You are changing the subject, Ma." Katie said with her hands on her hips, a perfect mirror of her mother.
"You didn't answer the question, either." Anna laughed at the two of them; two peas in a pod.
"Peter's a nice boy, Katie. He sure seems sweet on you. Course I can't think of too many boys who aren't." Anna said.
"What do you mean?" Katie asked surprised, and her mother laughed.
"She never really looks in the mirror." Becky said to Anna. "As to whether or not there will be trouble, I imagine there probably will be. But we've had hard times before and I imagine we will have some again. We endure either way. We'll pretend not to worry about it too much though, alright girls. It upsets the boys when they think we are worried." She winked at Anna Lee and Katie.
***DB***
"I imagine we will have to move everyone inside the fort then, won't we Pa?" Israel asked his father.
"I reckon we will soon. Things don't look to good. With Blackfish's death, everyone is fighting to become the chief. It would have been better if his son had lived. Then there would be a clear successor. And it doesn't help that the other tribes see this as an opportunity to take advantage of their weakness. Plenty of blood could be spilled 'for this is over. I sure hope not though."
"I'll be sure to come home each night. I want to be there to help Ma, if they need to move inside in a hurry." Israel said.
"I'd appreciate it son. And let's keep this talk just 'tween us. There's no sense making the womenfolk nervous just yet. It is important that you think carefully about what you say in front of Anna Lee. She will naturally worry about you - that's what a wife does. Your job is not to give her an extra pile of reasons to worry."
"You don't really think Ma has no idea? She was in the fort just the other day, Pa. I'm pretty sure at least she has a good idea of what's going on. Everyone has been talking about it." Israel said.
"Well, I reckon its my job not to keep reminding her. Your Ma's got enough to think on without me bringing this trouble up all the time." His father said. "We better bring that awl back with us, or they will know what we were up to." Israel picked it up, but was pretty sure that both his mother and Anna were well aware of what was going on.
***DB***
"Aren't you coming to bed?" Becky Boone asked her husband. He was sitting by the fire, and had been for hours. She had gone to bed long ago, but awoke to find herself alone and went in search of him.
"I'm sorry." He said. "I guess I just lost track of time." He smiled at his wife. She came over and sat down on the footstool facing him. Her long red hair fell all around her. He reached out and ran his finger along her cheek. "You should go to bed. You worked hard today. That was some feast you cooked up for us."
"Well, I imagine I won't be able to cook up a feast like that again once we move inside the fort." She smiled at him.
"Rebecca . . ." He began. Laughing she sat down next to him.
"I don't know why you think I can't hear the talk as well as you can. You are worried, aren't you?" She asked him.
He let out a long slow sigh looking at her. "I'm a bit concerned." He admitted at last. She moved and sat down beside him and he put his arm around her.
"Well, things have been worrisome before. I imagine will get through alright." She said looking up into his green eyes. "What have you always told me about keeping secrets? Hmm? You are just as bad." She kissed his cheek.
"You know, you are a difficult woman, Rebecca. I don't appreciate you throwing my own words back at me." He sighed. "I can't imagine we'll have easy days ahead, darlin'. I've never seen so many tribes gather together. You better keep up your prayers. That might be the only thing that gets us through it."
"It is only thing, Dan." She said softly.
"You are right." He said. "I keep thinking I have the power, but you and I both know I'm not the fella in charge. Thank you for reminding me, love. It is good to know that I don't have to be the one to solve things."
"You will know what to do when the time comes." She said confidently.
He looked at her, raising an eyebrow, "You sound awfully sure of yourself."
"Not of myself. I'm sure of you." She said. "I think some people are put on this earth with a specific purpose, and you are one of those people. You are just the man to help the people here find a way to make peace."
"No one else can do it? Seems to me that there's plenty of men who are smarter than I am." He said surprised and somewhat embarrassed.
"I don't know about whether or not others could do it. I just know that you are here now and you can do it; you were created to solve it." He was silent, stunned.
"And what about you Becky? What's your purpose then?" He asked her after a bit. She laughed.
"I don't know about that. I suppose to make sure you don't lose heart, I guess. Or maybe my purpose is just to make the best biscuits I possibly can." She laughed again.
"I think your first idea is more like it. If you weren't at my side . . ." He paused. She blushed.
"Oh, now. This is too much seriousness and it is much too late. We've got a lot of work, if we're going to get moved into the fort tomorrow." She moved to get up but he held her to him.
"That's a mite unfair. You can say all those kind things about me, but I even start to flatter you - you try and stop me." He lifted her chin forcing her to look him in the eye. "You know they say that Boonesborough is really named for you, not me."
"Oh, Daniel. That's just an old joke." She laughed deprecatingly.
"I think it is true. I'd just be wandering around these hills lonesome without you. Whatever we face in the future, I know I can face it with you beside me. You were right, Becky. It is love that strengthens. Your love makes me feel like I'm ten feet tall."
"Oh, no! You are tall enough . . ." She started to say, but he kissed her quiet, and lifting her carried her back to bed.