SHAUNTI [2015 featured story]

Chapter Twenty-Five: Led to the Cave

Sometime during their walk, Jace started conversations meant to pass the time.  “Hey, I don’t know why I hadn’t thought about this, but have you noticed this wolf is a loner?  Don’t they usually stay in packs?”

Grabbing onto a tree to keep himself from falling, Knox stopped and looked over at Jace.  “You’re right.  I hadn’t thought about that.  Maybe he thinks we’re his pack members now.  Don’t know why—we’re lousy hunters.” 

Jace laughed at the sad truth.  If it wasn’t for the wolf, Jace was sure they would have starved to death or died from the cold.  Turning his collar up, he bunched it close around his neck and held it together with his right hand; his left hand still concealed under his coat.

It was a tiring journey for Jace and Knox, and night had fallen hours ago.  They were taken to rough terrains that challenged their weakened state.  But with patience and support, they took the challenges bravely.  Twice Knox’s leg opened with a bleed and both times Jace stopped to bandage it again. 

And then halfway up a steep hill, Jace’s left hand gave out while they were climbing and Knox had to slip under the damaged hand and act as Jace’s other half.  The wolf never ran ahead of them, but instead nosed at their feet when they slipped or used his jaw to grab the clothing around their shoulders or wrists.  He was as helpful as a four-legged creature could be without being in the way.

It was early Christmas Eve when the two boys were led to a dark cave.  It was a large cave, but not far in depth.  It looked like an abandoned bear cave that had been used once as wolf’s den, a deer’s thicket, and other forms of inhabitation by wild animals.  Knox and Jace crawled inside and sat down on the floor of the cave.  It had a mossy quality and was surprisingly comfortable.

The wolf stood at the entrance and watched the two as they settled in.  When he found that they no longer needed his help, he scampered off to pursue adventures unknown to the boys. 

“Where do you think he goes?”  Jace mumbled as he placed his arms tucked between his bent knees.

Leaning against the textured wall behind him, Knox adjusted his injured leg in front of him and winced as the ground pressed against the sore muscle.  “I don’t know.  But I’m going to go sleep.”

“Okay.”  Jace held his hands against his body and tried to fix his eyes on something that would keep him from falling asleep.  But the wind had orchestrated a lulling symphony made up of rustling leaves and the distance sound of rippling water.  It was impossible for Jace to stay awake.  No matter how many tricks he played on his mind, his body refused to listen and it wasn’t long before he joined Knox in a deep sleep. 

A couple of hours passed by and Knox was the first to awaken.   His eyelids opened and then, from the weight of exhaustion, closed.  It was the pain in his leg that had shaken him from his peaceful slumber and the only way he could stop it was by loosening the bandages.  After he had relieved the pressure around the wound, he looked up and saw Jace slumped over in sleep.  Seeing his friend was all right, Knox scooted his back further down the wall and crossed his arms around his chest.  His eyes closed again and he tried for a few more minutes of rest.

Just moments after Knox had awoken Jace stirred to life and lifted his head.  Spotting his stationed friend through blurred eyes, Jace rubbed drowsiness from his eyes and stood up.  Stretching and yawning until he no longer felt tired, Jace walked over to the backpack and zipped it open.  Sticking his hand inside, he grabbed a can of beans and walked over to Knox.  He knelt down beside him and peered at Knox’s face.  He watched in amusement as his friend’s eyebrows bent and relaxed to whatever dream he was having.

Knox, who had only been dozing, felt the presence of someone very close.  He opened one eye and then, at the sight of Jace’s face in his face, Knox struck out and then shrunk back.  

Jace’s hand flew up to his own face and he felt the skin where the hand had struck, heat up. “Why did you do that?”

“You were right in my face!”  Knox informed defensively as he glared at Jace with a displeased frown.  “I knew someone was hovering, but I didn’t think you’d be right there!” Knox’s hand passed over his heart and he loosened the jacket collar around his neck. 

“Sorry.  I couldn’t tell if your eyes were open or closed—it’s gotten dark.”

Knox picked up the can of beans that had tumbled for Jace’s hands and tossed it in the air.  He caught it and studied the label.  “Tomorrow’s Christmas.”

“Bet our parents are worried sick.”  Jace pulled out his pocket knife, took the beans back, and wedged a large enough hole for them to directly drink from without worrying about the beans getting left behind.  Closing his knife, he took the first gritty gulp and then passed the can to Knox.  “Your parents are probably worrying.”

“No, I’m sure yours are, too—your mom, especially.”  Knox looked up at the ceiling of the cave and found it funny he could reach up and touch the surface.  Handing the can back to Jace, Knox asked in concerned tone, “How’s your hand?”

“It’s okay.  And your leg?”

“It’s fine.”

The two of them sat there, looking out at the icy world.  They both didn’t say so, but as they sat at the mouth of the cave, trading a can of cold beans, they both were homesick. 

It was almost as if the adventures they had read about in stories were far more exciting than when they were actually caught up in one.  They never thought about how unforgiving Nature was until they faced everything between snowstorms and waterfalls.  They also never imagined how painful it was to be hungry, and the severity of thirst, for more than a day.  And moreover, they had never seen themselves as two, incompetent boys sitting in a damp cave with wounds trapping them to near immobility. 

Knox leaned over his leg and unwound it completely.  His face scrunched up at the awful smell of dried blood and rotting flesh.  The odor was apparently so strong that Jace had to leave the cave with his hand covering his nose.  Knox rolled his eyes at Jace’s weak stomach and proceeded with rolling his jeans up.  He had to be careful not to catch any peeled flesh or deepen the holes while his fingers fiddled with the thick hems. 

Jace returned to the cave and sat down beside him.  “Did you get you tetanus shot?”

“Yeah.”  Knox’s face turned into an ashen color as he worked the clothing above the worse section of the lower leg.  The revealing of the holes made his face cringe. “I don’t think it’s too bad.”

“Yeah, it doesn’t look too bad,” Jace said with a sarcastic bounce of the shoulders.  “Anything bubbling puss and smells like rotting flesh looks great!”

Knox elbowed him in the chest and examined the leg closer.  “It looks infected.”

In a spooky voice, Jace leaned toward Knox’s ear and said, “What if we have to remove it?”

“Shut up, no, we don’t.  Are you kidding?  We just need to wash it and put heat on it to pull the puss out of it.  You think we can start a fire here in the cave?  It’s not like the ground is stone.  We can easily start one.”

Jace ran a hand over the thinned soil and agreed it was suitable to safely build a fire.  Slapping his thighs, he popped up to his feet and strolled out of the cave.  “I’ll be back in the moment.  Don’t hallucinate or anything crazy.  You do feel okay, right?”

Knox nodded his head vigorously, as if discussing his well-being only made him know how bad off he really was.  “Yeah, I’m fine.  I’ll be fine.  Just don’t get lost.  That’s all I need.”

Tossing a hand at Knox, telling him through the gesture not to worry, Jace walked out into the snow.  He looked around at the endless mounds and dips of snow, wondering if there was any chance he could find the wolf.   But he knew the wolf wouldn’t show himself unless he knew the boys needed him.