The Lady of Waterleaf and Wire

A Warning

Johnathan left town on an early spring day. He carried with him a rifle, a few traps, and a canteen of water. The townsfolk tipped their hats to him as he marched off to be a man. Johnathan's family had fallen on hard times and he had his heart set on bringing home furs and meat to sell. As he neared the end of the dusty street, where the town of Cadwell met the woods, he caught a glimpse of red hair.

"Johnathan!" the red haired woman shouted.

"Rose!" He took her hands and spun her in a circle. "You look lovely, as always," he said, blushing.

She gave a short laugh and then snatched her hands away. "Johnathan, you should stay in town. Even the strongest of men have suffered cruel fates in those God-forsaken woods. Just... stay here!"

His face hardened solemnly and he shook his head. "I need to do this. My family needs me to do this."

"John..." she whispered, "I know you're proud, but I'll offer again. My parents have money. If we're married, we could share their wealth. I would never let your sister starve. Even if we don't marry, my father is agreeable. We could arrange to buy your family food for the winter. I know last year's harvest was meager."

"We'll be married, but I don't want your riches, Rose. I want you. I love you."

"Johnathan, please, this is bigger than us."

"I told you. I need to do this. I'll be home in a few days, no more than three. I swear I'll come home to you, Rose. Wait and I'll be here before you know it."

She sighed and turned to go. "Johnathan... just be careful."

He nodded and took the last few steps into the forest. It wasn't new to Johnathan; he'd ventured into the woods with his father many times before. He'd learned to hunt and set snares and skin the animals he caught. He wasn't nearly as good as his father, but his old man was aging, and to trod through the woods wasn't as easy as it once had been.

By the time Johnathan had made his way deep enough into the forest to begin his hunt, the sun was high above him. He'd loaded his gun and hunkered down in some bushes at the sight of a fat rabbit. His shot hit its mark and the hare fell dead. Johnathan smiled. It wasn't nearly enough to feed his family or to sell, but it was plenty to provide him dinner, energy for tomorrow's hunt.
The sun was beginning to sink as Johnathan came upon a narrow river. He held his canteen in the water to fill it. From his knees, he noticed a few felled trees alongside the bank. He examined them and found the marks on their stumps were not clean like those of an axe, but short and scraped, as if they'd been chewed. He didn't dare let himself hope that the marks were made by beaver teeth. Even if they were, they looked old, and he couldn't get his hopes up just yet. Even so, he could feel the excitement rising in his chest. Just a few pelts might sell for enough to buy his mother a new dress and his father a new jacket. If he had any money left over, maybe he could buy Rose a ring.

He made his way up the river with a spring in his step, finding fresher and fresher cut trees as he went. About a mile up from the spot he'd found the first stumps, he spotted a log piling in the water. He was sure this was a beaver dam. He prepared a snare and rolled up his pant legs, laying the trap underwater and staking it with a chain. He crossed the stream and stayed at its bank a moment, anxiously waiting to be sure the trap wouldn't wash away. With any luck, he'd find the trap full in the morning.

With the sun setting lower, Johnathan began to scout a place to set up camp for the night. He walked perpendicular to the water until he discovered a sheltered clearing beneath some fir trees. He roasted the rabbit he'd shot over a small fire and then settled to sleep.

In the night, a sudden flash startled Johnathan awake. Rain pelted his cheeks and a clap of thunder rolled like a drumming from the heavens. He pulled his jacket around him tighter to ward off the falling sheets of rain. He missed his warm blankets he'd left at home. Seeing no other choice, he prepared to close his eyes when a strange creaking from overhead drew his attention. "No!" he shouted, instantly recognizing the noise. He leapt to his feet and dove out of the way of the falling branch just as it crashed to the ground.