The Power of Love
Chapter 10 – The Forest Service
The next morning promised a beautiful day ahead. A golden sun shone through the trees and all the birds were singing, revealing the music of the mountains. Rivers bubbled happily through the hills and up above the sky was as blue as the water that flowed within them. It must have been the most gorgeous time for the weather up on Brokeback yet but for Ennis there was something even lovelier.
He had woken up, earlier that day, in Jack's arms, his head resting against his chest and fingers entwined through his companion's. Their hearts were beating together and as conscience slowly and lazily claimed him, he noticed they were still naked, a soft reminder of the night before. Yet, unlike the time when he had violently taken Jack in the night a couple of evenings back, he wasn't as on edge or wary about what had happened. Last time he had been torn between what seemed like a thousand different emotions but now, he felt really quite relaxed, basking in the warm sensation of being close to another person and relishing, with surprising comfort, the memories of the time they had shared the previous night.
Still, he tried not to dwell on it too much. There was a tiny part of him that continued to be a little uncomfortable about their experiences yet he didn't want that to ruin his morning. He knew how his thoughts had messed up the day after his first experience with Jack and he really didn't need to go through with that again. So, attempting to concentrate entirely on the outer and inner beauty of the morning, he curled up under the sheets and bumped up against his companion, nudging him gently from his doze.
'' Uhhh, Ennis...'' he groaned sleepily, adjusting his arm around his waist. '' Mmm...you woke me up...''
Ennis closed his eyes and smiled softly. He didn't know what the time was, but it didn't seem like it was that late, and if he was honest, he really didn't want to get up quite yet. The tent was very warm and cosy that day and Jack was so comfortable to lie against. He felt like a dazed and lazy but still content sensation had swept over him and was stopping him from rising from the bedroll. The sheep could wait a little longer.
'' Mmmmmph, Ennis...'' Jack continued after a bit, putting his face against Ennis's bare shoulder and gently kissing the skin there. '' Uh, whassa time...?''
'' Dunno...'' Ennis muttered. '' Don't care. Animals can wait...''
Jack laughed quietly and then turned Ennis to face him, their noses together. A hot hand reached up to brush tenderly at his cheek and messy hair. '' Ennis, ah-ah dunno what happened last night...Ah...Ah...Are you okay...?''
'' Mmm...ah'm fine, Jack...'' Ennis mumbled in response, hoping Jack's questions wouldn't provoke his deeper thoughts. '' Yeah...ah...ah'm fine.''
'' Good...'' Jack smiled and laced their fingers together again. Ennis rested his head on his shoulder and felt their bodies mould against each other. '' Y'know, we gotta get up at some time...'' Jack continued after a while, petting Ennis's hair. '' Aguirre'll go crazy if we don't...''
'' Hmmm...Ah know...Jus' a couple more minutes...'' Ennis couldn't believe he was saying things like that. He was usually quite paranoid and strict about the times he went up to the sheep and worried about the type of money he'd lose if he didn't but at that moment, he couldn't care less. The tent was so warm that morning.
Yet then, after a couple of blissful seconds had passed by, there was a noise out in the camp and the sound of a horse's hooves drew closer. Neither boy heard it at first but when a rough, frustrated voice came booming out, they leapt away from each other, suddenly terrified of being caught. All of Ennis's previous worries immediately came flooding back at the simple notion of being found out and he grabbed his clothes from the corner of the tent, hurriedly starting to dress.
'' Del Mar! Twist! Where the hell are you?!'' It was Aguirre. There was no doubt about it. And he sounded his usual irritable self. '' Those sheep ain't gonna herd 'emselves, y'know!''
Ennis finally got his clothes on in record time and ignoring Jack's confused look, quickly scrambled out of tent, looking a bit of a mess. Aguirre glared at him when he got out, his eyes telling everything about how he felt. Ennis gulped and braced himself for the onslaught. '' Del Mar, where the hell you been?'' his boss shouted. '' It's 10am! Ya shoulda been out there hours ago!''
'' Mmmm...'' Ennis never knew how to answer when he was in a situation like this. All he recognised in arguments was violence – as that was his brother had taught him – but he didn't have a clue had to react to Aguirre. Punches would not have been a good option.
'' And where's Twist?!'' he continued angrily. '' Ah went up to the pup tent where's he s'posed ta be an' he's not there either!''
'' Ah dunno...'' Ennis mumbled. ''...ah'll get up ta the sheep...''
'' Yeah, you better! Ah got the Forest Service comin' 'round today an' ah don't want them seein' that pup tent out or no funny bus'ness! Ya got that, Del Mar?!''
Ennis nodded frustratedly and kicked at a stone near his foot.
'' An' if ya see Twist, tell him that too!''
'' Mmm...Ah will.''
'' Well then, up ta the sheep with ya! Like ah say, they ain't gonna herd 'emselves!''
Ennis nodded again and then swept past Aguirre, grabbing the supplies on the way. Intent on getting away from the camp, he forgot about food but by the time he remembered, he was much too far away to go back. He'd just have to stick it out as best he could until the evening. Aguirre would not be a happy man if he took a break to go and grab something.
****
Yet, for the rest of the morning and the majority of the afternoon, he was starving for something to eat. He hadn't had anything since the evening before and that realisation was making things worse. All he wanted was just something but he knew that Aguirre would be watching to keep an eye on him after he was late going up to the sheep earlier that day. It was kind of his fault really.
However, one good thing did come out of being continuously hungry. It meant his mind was focused more on that trouble rather than thinking about what him and Jack had got up to the night before. If he was honest, he didn't particularly know what to make of it but much to his despair, he knew it had felt unbelievably good. He wasn't about to accept that though. If anybody found out, he knew what would happen. Except he didn't want to dwell on that memory too long. He never even imagined he would wind up in the same position as those two...
Halfway through the day though, just as the afternoon sun rose to its highest point in the blue sky, there was a noise behind him and Ennis had turned round, momentarily thinking that Aguirre had caught him doing something he wasn't meant to be doing (but what that was, he wasn't sure) and was coming up to tell him in no uncertain terms. He braced himself for the second argument with his boss of the day yet then, Jack appeared through the trees with a big smile on his face. Ennis didn't know whether to tense or relax.
'' Twist, what're you doin'?'' he asked instead, confused. Jack hardly ever came up to see him when they were working and he certainly almost never seemed this happy. Ennis was aware of how much he hated doing this job. But, still, Jack laughed and rode closer, fumbling with the bag attached to the saddle of the horse.
'' Ya left without any food this mornin', Ennis...'' he said, finding something inside the canvas sack. '' Ah knew ya'd be hungry so...Ah brought ya somethin' up...''
And, much to Ennis's delight, he took out a crumbling piece of bread from a small loaf they'd been given by the guy with the supplies. With a big grin of pride, he handed it over and Ennis grabbed it, not sure what to say in reply.
'' Ya enjoy that, Ennis...Ah'll see ya fer supper...No thanks needed...'' Jack giggled and then, tipping his hat a little to his companion, turned the horse and rode back down the hill in the direction of the sheep. Looking after him, Ennis felt a strange sense of warmth spread into his stomach and he smiled, feeling a shiver run through his body but knowing it wasn't from the wind. Everything suddenly seemed alright.
****
That night, after a supper with Ennis, Jack returned to his cold pup tent on the hillside, the darkness bearing down on him but oddly, giving him no sorrow or downcast emotions. It had been a whole day since him and his companion had dramatically increased their intimacy and he felt good about it all. If he was honest, he didn't really know how Ennis felt yet then, Ennis wasn't much of a talker anyway and he wasn't going to wildly display his feelings about the situation at any point so he just stayed optimistic. After all, the previous night had gone incredibly well and it had felt – well – amazing, he thought. That was one thing he couldn't deny.
However, he wasn't scared of the things he was experiencing. He had an idea that maybe Ennis was but for him, personally, it wasn't as daunting as some would have imagined. Of course, he was with another man, which most people in the society he lived in would have seen as disgraceful, but he didn't care all that much. He lived a life that only he manned and no one could take that away from him. That was what his Daddy had said. He doubt he intended his piece of knowledge to be used in these circumstances though. His beliefs towards queers, as he called them, were almost identical to those of the culture he was part of, if not worse.
Still, Jack didn't try to keep on thinking about that too much either. For, it wasn't only his Father's advice to make his own decisions that made him be mostly calm about his sudden closer relationship with Ennis. There was another thing too. But that hurt Jack and he didn't like to dwell on it.
So, upon returning to the dreaded pup tent again that night, he stayed out with the sheep for a little while to turn his mind to awful thoughts about Aguirre and how he didn't have the right to make him do this, and then crawled onto the clammy bedroll once it got too late. He fell asleep within minutes, having had quite a hard working day (as always) and soon began to dream of Ennis, which neither scared him nor alarmed him.
However, about an hour or so later, a voice drifted through the canvas of the tent into his drowsy ears and brain. Still lost in his hazy visions, he muttered Ennis name and turned over a little, wrapping his arms around himself. He didn't want to be stirred quite yet. But the words were persistent. '' Twist! Twist!'' they came, slightly louder at each call.
'' Ennnnniiiissss...'' he moaned, though then there was a firm shake on the shoulder and he was immediately drawn from his sleep into the colder world, surrounded by soft bleats of sheep. In the entrance of the tent, he could just about make out a face peering through at him and for the first couple of moments, he was very disorientated, wondering what was going on. Yet, slowly, things fell into place and he recognised Aguirre glaring down at him, looking frustrated, once again.
'' Twist, God almighty, you're a heavy sleeper. Ah bin tryin' a wake ya fer ages...''
'' Mmmmph....What is it?'' At this time of night, Jack didn't care much about respect.
'' Well, as much as ah hate ta say this, the Forest Service came 'round t'day an' saw you an' Del Mar workin' out on the fields an' decided ya need some more help as ya constantly goin' 'bout ya job...They decided to get the other ranch hands ta do more so you an' Ennis can have some...'' Aguirre gulped as if he couldn't say the words. '' – days off...Ah damn well hate ta say that, Twist, and there's even worse news...Apparently, ya left the dang pup tent out last night an' they saw that. They want ya in the main camp with Del Mar now.''
Jack was feeling better and better as Aguirre talked (for once) but when he announced he would be staying in the camp with Ennis, his heart skipped a beat with joy, or the closest thing to joy he could manage in the middle of the night after being woken up by a irritated boss.
'' T'night...?'' he muttered tiredly in response, hoping more than anything that the answer would be yes.
'' Mmmm.''
Jack smiled in the dark, just enough to make him feel good but not enough to make Aguirre aware, and then immediately grabbed his belongings and supplies from the corner of the tent, stuffing them quickly into bags. Aguirre mumbled thousands of musings of disapproval and frustration as he did this but had to let him go in the end, knowing he had to do what the Forest Service said or face the consequences and maybe lose his workers. And that would mean less money for him.
Jack couldn't have cared less about Aguirre's anger at him though. It might have meant being treated even worse by him but at that moment, that didn't matter to him one bit. All he could think about was getting into the main camp with Ennis, as he'd wanted right from the start of working up on Brokeback that year. He'd never liked the Forest Service so much.
It didn't take him long to ride down to Ennis. He arrived there in about quarter of an hour and hurriedly slid off the horse, grabbing his bags and walking quickly over to the tent. Ennis was sleeping peacefully inside and when he saw him, he smiled contentedly, absent mindedly thinking how beautiful he looked like that. His dark blonde hair was curled and fanned out slightly over the pillow, his eyelashes were daintily stroking his gently rosy cheeks and he was curled up innocently, the sheets softly covering him. Jack's heart gave a little skip again and trying to be as quiet as possible, he swept back the canvas entrance to the tent and crawled in, momentarily drawing the blanket back.
'' Uhhhnn...'' Ennis groaned in his sleep but Jack silenced him by bringing the sheets around them again. Underneath, their bodies fit perfectly together and he embraced Ennis tenderly, nuzzling his neck.
'' Goodnight, Ennis...'' he murmured tiredly and within minutes of closing his weary eyes, he fell asleep, hoping this time not to be woken.
TBC