Child of the Wild

Chapter One

I sat on a log, looking out over a lake. It was a pretty lake, with beautiful maple trees surrounding it. It was calming, looking out over the lake. I never got to sit down and breathe while I was out here.

"Elizabeth!" Father called.

I looked over to see Father standing on the hill behind me. He had both of the horses with him. It was time to leave.

I got up and dusted off my pants. I had no need for dresses in the wild. They got caught in brambles and they got in the way if riding a horse. Pants were just easier.

I got to Father and grabbed my horse's reins. My horse was a beautiful paint. She was a fast one, as well. She was always a step ahead of Father's beautiful stallion.

I swung myself on my horse and settled in. I looked over at Father. He was already settled in. I tapped my horse's side and she started into a walk.

We headed down the deer trails. I knew most of them in this area. But we were heading west. It was scary, to be honest. I've never gone far from the Mississipi River.

Father and I had decided to go west a few weeks ago and had crossed the river a few days ago. Father thought it would be a good learning experience for me. He made sure to teach me how to read, write, and speak. He even taught me to speak German, my mother's native tongue. Everything came easily to me. Father even told me I took to horse riding like a fish to water.

We traveled for quite a while, making it farther from the cities I hated. I never liked going into towns and cities. Everyone judged me for wearing pants and for having short hair. Father always cut my hair short to get it from too tangled and from being unkempt. It was better to have shorter hair.

Father had a few friends from one of the cities we visited and the women there were terrible. They had tried to force their views and mannerisms on me. They even tried to get me fitted for a dress. It wasn't the greatest experience. When they heard my stories of the wild, they were horrified. They didn't want to believe that a woman knew how to shoot a bow or hunt.

By nightfall, we had made it to a clearing. We set up our tiny tents near a large oak tree. Father cooked some rabbits he had caught earlier. It was a good dinner.

After dinner, I wandered over to the tree. I started climbing up the tree, carefully making my way up.

"Elizabeth, be careful!" Father yelled up the tree.

"I am, Papa!" I yelled back.

I got as high as I could and perched there. From where I was, I could see pretty far. From what I could tell, it was trees for miles. It was beautiful, but seeing the same trees got boring over time.

After a while, I climbed down and joined Father around the fire. It felt nice to be warm. After a few minutes, I decided to go to bed. It was late and I was tired.

I dressed down to a pair of undershorts and an undershirt. I climbed under my covers and closed my eyes. The only sounds were the fire crackling, Father humming, and the sounds of nature. I loved the sounds of nature. It was a wonderful sound.

The next morning, I woke up to Father calling my name. I answered him and got dressed in a hurry. I changed into the clothes I had on yesterday and left my tent.

Father and I ate a small breakfast before taking down our tents and packing everything into our bags. We saddled our horses and started our day. We made it quite far, ending up next to a creek by midday.

Father and I stopped to let the horses drink. We refilled our water pouches and sat down on a fallen log. The horses weren't tied to anything, but they stayed close by.

"Father, what was Mama like?" I asked.

"She was nice," Father answered slowly. "She loved books. She always had a book in her hands. She loved animals as well. Cats were her favorite. She had this black cat named Stubs. The cat didn't have a tail. Your mother had a dark sense of humor." Father stopped for a moment, breathing deeply. "She loved Stubs, though he died when you were three. He was a great cat. He loved being with you in your crib. He would sleep with you and be always around you.

"He was like your guardian angel. He never hurt you and attacked anyone he didn't know who got near you. He was never too far from you. People thought Stubs would bring back luck to our family, but he was a good luck to us. He was a good cat. Before you were born, he loved going outside.

"Anyways, your mother was a sweet woman. She had a temper, unlike anyone I've ever met. She'd get angry at the drop of a hat. But she was loving. She'd talk your ear off. She had the biggest smile as well. It'd light up the room. She was wonderful. Nothing short of a goddess."

"Do you have a picture of her?" I asked.

Dad reached for his bag and opened it. He pulled out a book and opened it to a random page. It was a colored sketch of a woman. She was beautiful. She had long, mouse brown hair and an oval face. Her eyes were a deep blue with specks of copper and gold. She looked exactly like me.

"She's beautiful," I muttered.

Father smiled softly. "She was. That's why I fell so deeply in love with her. She wasn't into the social norms, though. She wore pants and cussed like a sailor." Father sighed, brushing his thumb over the picture. "She was a great person. You would've liked her."

"I'm sure I would have." I stayed silent for a few minutes before speaking. "Did she love me?"

"Yes, she did," Dad answered. "She did everything for you. She doted on you and loved you with all her heart."

"I wish I could've remembered her. She seemed like a wonderful woman."

"She was, my dear."

The horses came trotting up, neighing loudly. Father got up, gesturing for me to follow. I climbed onto Blue Jay, my beautiful horse. Father led the way across the creek and deeper into the forest, leaving our past behind us.