Chapter 7

Jason is Found!

Jeremy saw it first, a slight movement of a finger, buried deep in the snow. He and Joshua bent down and dug the snow and dirt from away Jason's body.
"J-J-jason!" Jeremy shouted as they uncovered his face. It was as if he was already frozen, ice had formed on his eyebrows, and his lips looked very blue. Jeremy was so afraid that he stopped as he looked at his brothers face.

"Jeremy, keep digging, we have to get him warm!" Joshua shouted at his brother. Sometimes when Jeremy was scared, a loud firm voice was all that it took to help him concentrate on the task at hand. Joshua had gotten to his legs and feet; he immediately took the clan cloth and wrapped it around his legs. Then Jeremy took his and wrapped it around his arms. Finally, they took Jason's cloth and wrapped it around is head and face. They dug some more, under neath him.

"Joshua, how are we going to get him out of here? We can't carry him alone! It is beginning to snow again!" Josh looked around and noticed a smaller cave near the bear cave. He pointed to it and nodded to Jeremy to take his brothers legs, Joshua took his head and shoulders, they carried him into the smaller cave. They did not see any bears in there and so they placed him inside and dug a fire pit. Then Joshua took the bucket that he had brought and placed it over the fire.

"It's going to be awhile before the water is warm enough. Remember when were sleeping in the same bed when we were younger?" Joshua asked Jeremy

"Y-y-yes, why?" Jeremy asked, wondering what Joshua was thinking.

"Well, it is going to take at least an hour or more to heat the water and get him warm. If we lie down on either side of him, it will help him to warm up quicker!" Joshua said as he stoked the fire. They had together made a warm bed with blankets and tree branches. They had placed Jason on the 'bed' and there was room for both of them to lay next to their brother.

"Joshua, will that work, I mean, his, his breathing, it is so shallow? I can barely feel it?" Jeremy said as he lay down next to his brother, like he used to as a small boy. Joshua did not let Jeremy see the worried look on his face, he sat next to the fire, making sure it was stoked well enough. He would have to get up every 15 min to stoke the fire, which meant that that side of Jason might still be cold. He lay down next to his brothers and they lay next to him to keep him warm. Jeremy fell asleep, and then Joshua fell asleep. The fire started to go down.

It was almost morning when Joshua woke up. He looked at the fire it was as if he had stoked it every 15 min but he knew he hadn't. He sat up and crawled from the covers, putting the covers close to his brother as he went over to the fire pit. He saw someone sitting by the fire. Before he could say something, she said:

"I thought you would never wake up Joshua!" She said to him.

"Holly? Holly Huston? What are you doing here!" Joshua asked

"Well, it is a long story, but I was in the neighborhood, I heard that Jason was missing so I decided to find him!" She said with a smile. Joshua was glad she had come by.

"I thought you were back east with your niece and nephews?" Joshua said

"I was, but somehow, I had a dream and I thought I needed to come out her to find out what is going on!" She said as she stoked the fire and she said:

"The water is ready if you want me to help." She took a rag to help clean him up. Joshua was helping as well when he had to wake up Jeremy who was just as surprised as Joshua was to find out Holly was there.

After they had cleaned him up, he still needed someone to lay with him to keep him warm for another day or two. Holly looked at the brothers and said:
"Hold this blanket up for a minute, now, I am going to crawl under the blankets… this is what the Indians do to keep warm! And stay with him through the night. Joshua, you take the first watch, keep the fire going and then Jeremy take the second watch. Each of you sleep on the other side of him!" She said as she snuggled up close to his body to give hm some warmth.

"But Holly, what about your…" Jeremy said. Holly smiled at him and said:

"Only the three of you will know. And I know that you three would never ever say anything to anyone! I trust all of you!" Holly said as she got more under the covers. Jeremy laid down again on the other side of his brother and fell asleep. Joshua kept an eye on them and woke Jeremy about 4 hours later.

Three days later, Jason began to stir. While he had been sleeping Holly had gotten up, eaten did some hunting with Joshua and Jeremy at different times, they all took turns sleeping and keeping Jason as warm as possible.

"His breathing is getting better!" Joshua said

"I agree, but I still think he needs to be kept warm one more day!" Holly said to Jeremy. Joshua just looked at Holly and wondered if she had a motive, the last time she had visited them things just weren't working out.

Chapter 8

Worry, concern, and prayers in Seattle

Four days into the biggest Snowstorm that Seattle could ever remember and everyone was ready for a little rain. Candy, Eliza and Biddie had gone to town for supplies. Ben had only a few things left and asked that people took only what they needed.

"Well, certainly Ben. We have the children and we have plenty of soup and Eliza's bread that will work for us, but we would like to purchase some ribbons so that the children can make a Christmas present for their fathers." Candy said.

"We are missing them and the children seem a bit too anxious." Biddie added as she stepped up to the counter and purchased some colorful cloth.

"Biddie, what are you going to make with that? It is a very different color than you usually buy?" Eliza asked Biddie when they were walking out of the store. Christopher came over and asked Candy a question about going with some of the boys to the lake to go fishing.

"Christopher, there is no fishing in the lake it is too cold for the fish!" Candy said, Clancy walked by and heard what Christopher was saying and said:

"Well, me dearie, it seems that it is not too cold for a sea voyage!" He smiled at Candy who did not smile back and she said:

"No, Clancy, I don't think so, we aren't sure if the storm is over yet!" Christopher looked at Candy and frowned. He saw Jackie and Sam heading to the lake, they did not have their fishing poles but that did not stop them.

"Candy, I am going to go with Jackie and Sam to the lake for a little while!" he did not ask, he just said he was going and took off. Clancy was still talking to her, so she did not hear what Christopher had said otherwise she would have so 'no' anyway because of the way he had spoken to her. Clancy left and went to Lottie's for his 'medicine' and Candy and the other ladies' went back home. The small children were playing in the snow. Eliza saw them and said;

"It is time to go in now!" Most of the children went in, except for her son, Peter Joshua, who stood looking towards the mountain. She stood by him for a moment and then said:

"If you would like to talk about it, we can do that inside. It is getting cold and dark outside. He did not act like he heard her but he reached his small hand up to hers, she took hold of it and they walked into the house in silence.

Christopher, Jackie and Sam were having a great time teasing each other. But when Sam taunted Christopher to try to walk on the ice covering the lake, Chris found that he could not resist and took a walk on the lake. He was only 3 feet away when he and his friends heard a crack, he looked down and there was a crack in the ice developing right underneath him. Without warning, the crack widened and broke away and sunk. Chris went in feet first. Sam and Jackie did not know what to do.

"Jackie run back and get someone I will try to help Christopher!" Sam shouted as he looked for a branch that would be long enough. But Christophe did not come up. It was a good half hour before someone was able to come to help.

"Where did he fall in?" Asked Ben, when Sam showed him the hole Ben went over holding onto Swede's arm to keep from falling in himself. He splashed a bit around to see if he could see anything. Suddenly he felt a hat and a head. Swede grabbed a long branch that was still attached to a tree and then held onto Ben as best he could. Ben reached down and grabbed Chris's shoulders he pulled him out of the water, and Swede took Christopher and passed him to Corky and Ross. They left quickly and got him back to the town. Ben got back safely and headed to town with Swede and the others.

Swede knocked on the door, Biddie answered and Swede said he needed to see Candy, Mrs. Bolt. Biddie let him in and then went to get Candy. Candy came to the door she had been in the kitchen making the stew.

"What is it Mr. Gustafson?" She said

"Christopher is at the clinic. Dr. Wright it with him. He fell in the lake!" Swede told her. Candy grabbed her coat and called Biddie and told her where she was going. Molly was just coming down the stairs with one of the babies when she heard.

"Candy, I want to go too!" Candy looked at her little sister and the baby and she said:

"Molly I need you to stay here and help with the little ones!" She ran out then and went to the clinic with Swede. When she got there she was beside herself and wanted to cry. She thought:

"Oh, Jeremy, where are you? Have you found Jason yet? I need you hurry home!" Then she went inside to help Christopher.

During the night, the snowstorm started to pick up again. Some of the citizens of Seattle had gathered in the church for a prayer service. Miss Essie, was there as well as Polly and the Reverend. They had come back and were ministers there in Seattle again for a little while. She was glad to have seen some of her friends and her son had grown up to be quite a respectful young man. He was looking into going to Seminary someday. Aaron had stopped in to the service, his sister Julie insisted that he show up. She had said it would be good for the Seattle community to know that he was as concerned as they were. Jackie and Sam's families were there in thanksgiving as well as prayer for Christopher and Jason.

The reverend thanked everyone there and began his sermon with a psalm:

"Yea though I walk in the valley of the Shadow of death, I will fear no evil…."

Chapter 9

Jason is disturbed/ Christopher wakes up somewhere else

Back at the grove, the little family was quite happy to have their son or grandson with them. They were hoping he would stay with them forever. But something began to happen to him. His thoughts were drawn towards someone on the other side of the grove. He felt as if something were pulling him back. But the beautiful woman who he was sitting with that morning was talking to him, or rather talking and singing at the same time. Her voice was enchanting.

"Jason, please wake up!" he perked his head up she took his chin and brought it closer to her and made him look in her eyes.

"Jason this is Joshua, we need you here!" He heard the voice again. He stood up, she moved back. She looked around, JB saw her confusion and he went over to his great-great- grandson and said:

"Jason, me boy, come sit down besides Maggie, she was singin' you a song, a song from the old country!" He smiled at Jason as Jason sat back down, she began to sing to him again.

"Joshua, it looks as if he is coming around!" Holly said as she placed a spoon of hot broth into his mouth, she skillfully rubbed his throat so he could swallow, which he did but then he faded away again. Joshua looked and was saddened to see that he had faded again.

"Holly, I hope you know what you are doing? It looked like you were trying to drown him!" Joshua said. Jeremy came in at that moment and had caught some rabbits for more stew. They had found an old trappers cabin and had moved there. There was a fireplace, and a place for Jason to rest and recover.

"Holly, don't worry, Joshua is to anxious. I still think I should have gone back to town. I think something happened and I am not sure but Candy needs me!" Jeremy said as he sat putting the rabbits in the stew. He had already cleaned them and he had the rabbit pelts to use for more warmth for Jason.

Jason stirred a little and everyone immediately went to him, calling his name. Wherever he was, he heard his name being called again. She had left him in a hypnotic trance and he was sitting by the lake watching the birds and animals. Suddenly, a body popped up and he went to the edge to see what or who it was. When he realized it was Christopher, Jeremy's adopted brother by marriage, he dragged him out of the water and carried him to the first cabin nearby. His mother came over and started to help him take care of the boy. She started to cry.

"Mother, why are you crying?" Jason asked her.

"He reminds me of when you were this age and you fell into the lake, but you could swim and you made it to the shore safely. It looks like this little one didn't fare so well. He is so cold, it is a wonder that he isn't…" she stopped, she was afraid to say that word because she knew they were dead as well. They cleaned him up and when Jason said that he was Jeremy's wife's brother his mother ran out of the room without explaining anything. Jason made sure that there was food and drink and took care of Christopher.

It was a couple of days that Christopher remained asleep. When he finally woke up he saw Jason and said:
"Are we home? Are you home, Jason?" Christopher asked, he looked around and everything was warm, no snow, he said:

"Did I sleep all the way to Spring?" Jason laughed and said:

" No, you did not sleep all the way to spring! In fact, you woke up here in Scotland!" Jason felt strange saying that? "Where was he before he woke up?" he thought to himself.

"There is the boy!" someone had come into the cottage and went straight to Christopher and grabbed him by the shoulders and said:

"This boy is not of our clan, he is English!" Jason stood up and said:

"JB, this boy is family by adoption!"

"Aye he may be, but his family is English, we have no use for him here!" JB pushed him toward a man who was holding some chains. Christopher was scared and looked at Jason for help. Jason did not know what to do. The man with the chains was already tying Christopher up when Jason's mother appeared and said:

"This boy has my protection! You will not harm him!" She stood next to Christopher and took the chains that had been wrapped around him.

"Maggie, I am the Clan Chief and Ye will not disobey my sentence, we need to throw him back into the lake!" JB said as he came toward her. He was about to strike her when Jason hit JB. Then he grabbed Christopher and took off running away from the village. He was not sure which way to go when an old woman, a hag showed herself, a Crown of silver was upon her head. There was a cold chill in the air. Everyone shrunk from her. They had enjoyed their Spring/Summer but the Queen of Winter had arrived:

"Do not touch them! These are my children. I am sending them back! She held up her hands and arms and said:

"Snow is falling, Snow upon Snow

To home it is time for you to go

West to the clouded mists of the pine

West along the coast line

Snow, falling upon snow,

bleak and weary

Now go!"