Chapter 26
Two months have gone by since the great buffalo hunt. Keith and Shell had gathered a lot of nuts, roots, herbs. Their new home was now built and complete to the best of their ability, protecting them from the strong north winter wind. There were logs gathered and stored for fire and small sticks in piles for kindling and a leather pouch of flint nearby. The buffalo hide became their blanket at night to keep them warm as they slept.
Since the buffalo hunt, Keith managed to take down a few deer and one elk as well. Some of the meat he shared with the wolf and her cubs. The hides has been tanned and sewn into shirts and ponchos to protect their skin from the sun and the bite of the bitter cold.
The crackling fire inside their lodge, vented out through the small hole in the dome roof. As they laid there under the buffalo hide, the still of the morning seem quite different sounding than usual. All was still as if wrapped in blankets and muffled. Keith woke Shell up and asked, “Can you hear that?”
Shell woke from her slumber and tried hard to listen with an acquisitive look on her face. “Hear what Keith? Actually I hear nothing, absolute silence.”
Keith looked around and replied, “That is just it, I hear nothing. No birds, no animals, no wind, no creak of the branches in the trees. Did our world outside this lodge disappear? Has all this been a dream?”
Shell threw back the hide and began to get up and look outside. “No, wait, I should look,”, Keith stopped her. “It is my place to protect you and the baby from harm. Let me look around and make sure all is safe.”
Shell gladly snuggled back under the hide, but first grabbed Keith before he moved away to the door. “Be careful, I need you now more than ever. Me and the baby, “ Shell softly smiled, “I love you.”
Gently reaching down to Shell’s face, Keith pulled her hair away from her eyes. Without words he touched her cheeks and smiled, then lightly kissed her on the forehead. Reaching for his knife, he gripped it in one hand and moved slowly to the door. A shiver ran down his back as he began to move aside the deer hide from the doorway.
Shell watched him with great interest. Slowly she sat up with the buffalo hide still wrapped in front of her. All she could see from the opening of the door was whiteness. No black contrast, no browns or greens, only white.
Keith let out a breath, “Oh my, Shell.”
“Keith what is it? Are we okay? Is the Earth still with us? Keith?” Shell felt the chill run up her spine that in turn made her shiver.
Keith turned and smiled back at Shell, “Do you remember a story Keo told us of this wonderful white icy stuff that would fall from the sky in shapes tiny stars. Like frozen rain, I think he called is snow. Shell it is snowing outside! Come see!”
Standing, Shell wrapped the buffalo hide around her and her ever swollen belly. She moved to Keith’s side and peered out the door. To her surprise the ground and everything as far as the eye could see was indeed covered with snow. Big flakes were still quietly coming down. Together they both stepped out of the lodge and looked all around.
There were wolf paw prints in the snow nearby. The limbs of trees held snow in the crevices of their branches. Looking up at the sky, the gray clouds continued to deliver the snow in huge round flakes. Shell looked at Keith and began to laugh, pointing at him. “You are getting covered in your hair and shoulders with snow!”
He laughed and pointed back, “and so are you.” The both continued to giggle with delight. Soon Shell held out her tongue and began to catch some and let them melt down her throat.
“Keith this is cold, but very beautiful. I am happy we loaded some wood into our lodge. Do you think this will last long?”
Keith ponder for a moment then replied, “I have no idea, but this snow on the ground is not melting like on your tongue. It is getting deep too. I need to work on something to keep our path clear at the door. How about you grab some of the snow and melt it for some tea while I get busy working on that.” Shell smiled at Keith then turned to retrieve a hallowed out gourd to gather the snow.
The morning moved by quickly. The snow was invigorating for Keith and gave him lots of energy, but soon he was cold and could feel the bite in his hands and feet. Moving inside to gather some warmth he looked over his shoulder one more time at the landscape. In the distance he could see the young wolves rolling and playing in the snow.
Inside the fire spread some warmth. Cuddled together in the buffalo hide, Keith and Shell sipped on their tea using the hallowed out gourds. They munched on some jerky and nuts and felt very satisfied. The fire continued to crackle as Keith reached for another piece of wood to burn.
Looking at Shell for a moment, Keith returned his eyes to the fire and spoke, “Shell, I find living here to be great joy, but I do miss our family on the Solar Star Base. To live here is hard work and we are always having to think and invent, however, I find that very pleasing, satisfying. But again, I miss my father. I miss our friend, Stone.”
Shell pulled the hide closer around them and interlocked her arm around his. Without ever leaving her eyes from the fire she laid her head on his shoulder and replied, “I know the feeling. I miss Keo most of all. Always went to him for answers. There is this emptiness that creeps into my heart from time to time. Do you think that emptiness will every go away?”
“I can not say, Shell. But at least we are together in all this.”
After a moment passed, Shell spoke again, “Even though our friends and family are not here, there is Wakan Tanka, the Great Mysterious that seems to still walk with us. We both have been given knowledge and should forever be thankful for that. When the weather warms up again, we need to build us a prayer pipe. It is time to give thanks properly.”
Suddenly outside the wolf began to howl and carry on. Keith and Shell both moved to the door looked out. The snow had stopped falling the clouds gave way to the afternoon sun.
“How awesome this looks, the snow sparkles in the sun’s rays.”
“Keith,” replied Shell, “let’s go for a walk to the river and see the snow from there. I bet it is a wonderful sight in the valley too.”
“I don’t know Shell, it is wet and cold and you are with baby. Not to even mention it is slippery out there.”
“We won’t go far. Look the wolf want us to come out and enjoy the snow. Please, let us go for just a short walk.”
Looking into her pleading eyes, Keith could not say no. So they both bundled up the best they could and went to the riverside, with the wolf leading the way. The river water was still flowing but the banks were packed with snow. Everything glistened. Their breaths showed as vapors in the air. Icicles hung from some of the branches. All was peaceful in the crystal like purifying world. Cold, but peaceful and still.