Jerimiah's Gold

Chapter 6: Evergreens

The foliage and brush became thicker and more dense the more I followed this broken trail. I was being guided by the hand of previous horse hooves from the riders that once traversed this path long ago. I remembered the story of the Oregon trail and Roanoke as the trees hung down to kiss my face with their pine leaves.

It felt like the more north I went, the further from civilisation I was. Which in itself was quite ironic, given that the midwest has seen a surge in population over the years, and I was sure that I'd run into a town or small settlement sooner or later. Alas, a pond made itself known to me by casting a blinding light of reflection directly into my iris. I blinked away the black dots and halted Wiona.

I dismounted her and led her to the water, cupping some in my hand to see if there were particles. This was rain water. A hole had been mysteriously dug, or blown out, and has invited water and vegetation to grow upon it, blanketing it from the harms of mother nature.

Water fell from rocks that made a crudely shaped waterfall. I rose from my crouched position, allowing Wiona's reigns to fall and dangle just atop the water. I examined the "waterfall", it was a stream, so I followed it. I figured I'd get fresher water from a spring rather than an algae filled pond. I clicked my tongue to call for Wiona; she obeyed my command and followed.

I heard her hooves click against loose rocks as she trailed along behind me. The water from the stream crashed against small stones that made it jump onto my face. The stream was small, only about a foot wide. I cupped some water in my right hand, no dirt particles. I continued my investigation. The stream became an inch wider. I had to move a bit to the left to not get my jeans wet.

I adjusted my eyes away from the stream and directly in front of me. There, sparkling like a beacon of serene paradise, was the source of water. A large lake, that had to stretch for miles, surrounded by evergreens and cluttered with butterflies, and frogs that played along the bank of the shallow water. I grasped Wionas reigns and led her to the lake. I cupped water in my hands, absolutely no particles.

It was as if a human had dug out a perfectly mile wide lake, and poured in God's cleanest water. Wiona drank gleefully from the water. I, ever being skeptical, bottled some water in two empty flasks. Rinsing the alcohol beforehand. I stood from a crouch and walked to the foliage to collect sticks and leaves to set up a small fire that I would boil the water over.

After I collected my fuel, I set a small, portable cooking pot beside me as I prepared the fire pit. I aligned it with stone to keep the fire from spreading. I was set up by the pond to avoid any accidental fires. I lit my fire pit ablaze, and watched as the leaves snapped and popped because of the heat, then I saw the first ember grow into a tiny flame. That flame then spread, reaching it's arms out to the cluttered leaves and sticks, and making itself stronger. I watched the flame grow from an ember, to a peaceful blaze that danced softly in the wind.

I looked up at the sky, the sun was to the west, kissing the western horizon and beginning to settle itself for night time. I planned last minute to just rest throughout the day and continue my travels at night. So, I hitched Wiona to a branch that was jodding out from a fallen tree. I chose this tree because it was closest to the water, and I wanted Wiona to rehydrate as much as she could.

I put the pot atop a still that I had set above the fire, poured all the water into the pot, and waited for it to boil. I removed my hat and set it beside me. My hair was matted and looked like wood in my reflection in the water. While I waited for the water to boil, I removed my clothes and bathed in the lake. I massaged my scalp and drenched my hair. The water was warm still, but that wouldn't be for long, for the heat waves were only just starting to rise; the heat from the water will soon be evaporated and replaced with the chill of night.

I finished bathing and dried myself with a towel I stored in my saddle bags. I also retrieved a slab of venison, excessively salted to keep preserved, and wrapped in a paper napkin to dry the juices so it wouldn't spoil. I then tossed the slab of meat carelessly in the pot and began to cook it. The smell of meat filled the air and I worried about predators smelling it.

I surveyed my surroundings for any sign of animal trackings, but my campsite was completely untamed, untouched by the thresholds of civilisation and unbeaten by the hooves and claws of animals. Everything around the pond, in fact, seemed to be in perfect order. Some of the trees even aligned perfectly. This unsettled me. It wasn't like mother nature to be perfect, intact. Mother nature was rugged, beautiful, and monstrous all at the same time. This, this scene of the water, was unnaturally perfect. Down to each eroded rock and pebble that made the muddy sand.

I tried to brush the thought from my mind as I focused on not burning my only source of protein for the rest of the night. I knew I'd need to save and eat sporadically to not use up food. I'd also need to start conserving energy, which means no more stops to wander about. I needed to be dead set on the mission, on finding Jerimiah's gold.