At least he and Lenna be able to help them if they got into a bad situation. He thought highly of her abilities, even if he didn’t agree with her marrying a white man, especially when his best friend loved her too. He had longed to make her his wife and mother of his children. She’d been engaged to Obadiah’s friend and then left to come back already wed to another man. It caused a rift in their tribe. Now going on this expedition made it worse, as she was the one who signed up her husband and herself.
She shook her head and tried to refocus on the job at hand.
“I’ll hang back with Esther and get what you need,” replied Obadiah.
Eric nodded and turned to leave as they began to set out. Obadiah grabbed the other bag and made his way to where Esther was waiting. She started to walk behind the other ladies. He whistled to get her attention. Seeing confusion on her face, he waved her over to him. Two more steps and she stood near him and he tried hard not to smile.
“We’ll be a little behind them today. I have to do some sketching for the maps.”
Her eyes grew wide, mouth open. “You draw?” He watched as she tried to recover from her question. He loved the way her cheeks flushed so easily.
“Yes. That’s my job on this.”
Chapter Five
She wiped the sweat from her brow as they made a stop next to a small river. Esther sat on the bank’s edge dipping her feet into the cool water. Pebbles scattered on the ground. A few bigger ones were off to the side to step on and they had used them to cross to the this side. The sun bounced off the water, making it look as if small waves rippled through it from the light breeze. She pulled a shawl over her shoulders.
They’d fallen into a routine, walking behind everyone else and stopping from time to time for Obadiah to stop and sketch in his book. It was calm and quiet out in these woods. The most she’d seen or rather heard had been some wolves during the first night. Some rabbits as they hopped through the fields without a care. A deer or two passed through with their beautiful big eyes, as they had looked curiously back at the people. She ached to touch them but decided against it. They must have soft fur from they way it shone in the sun.
She leaned back and let the sun beat on her face, loving the feel of the warmth without no buildings in the way. No voices or noise around, just nature alive and well. One lone rock sat to her right and Obadiah took refuge there with his bag at his feet. He lifted his sketchbook onto his lap and began to draw. The charcoal glided against the paper, his gaze fixed ahead at the field where the animals had been.
She took a drink from the canteen. Cool, refreshing water. She’d never tasted any so clean. She was also glad she was able to work on her needlepoint during the day. One thing she had missed on the journey was the light from lanterns back home. It was hard to see without them. This man annoyed her many times, and yet at other times, he showed a kind side. When they were alone, she’d witnessed this many times. While around the group, he’d become protective ever since she mentioned how odd she felt around James.
What made her husband tick? She wanted to learn more. For the last few days he’d been quiet. Had she done something to upset him? She could not recall anything. Once he finished his sketch she would ask him, or maybe Lenna knew. She could ask Lenna if he didn’t want to talk to her. A knot formed in her gut, like someone had taken a rope and twisted it into loops before pulling tight.
A crunch of pebbles near the water turned her attention back to the present. Her mouth was dry. Danger! She opened her mouth several times, trying to speak or scream. Anything. Her hands shook as she raised them to point. Less than six feet away, there stood a grizzly bear! The bear noticed her at the same time. She tried to scramble to her feet but stumbled and fell to the ground. The commotion caught Obadiah’s attention.
“Are you okay?”
Pointing again, with sweat beading on her forehead and down her neck, fear raced through her veins and turned them ice cold. She’d heard about bears, but had never seen one before. Esther could have lived all her life never seeing one and it would have been fine with her. Her husband raised a brow at the crazy way she was acting.
Glancing over his shoulder. She knew the moment he saw the bear. His back became stiff, and he became so still she wasn’t sure if he was in shock. Who would protect them now? Something brown and green, caught her attention near her fingers. A big oak branch. She grabbed it and sprang to her feet. Someone had to get the bear away and if Obadiah had frozen, then it has up to her. She understood full well she could die.
“Go away! Shoo!” Esther shouted at the big bear, shaking a stick as she walked closer to it. Her heart beat faster in her chest. Her legs shook so much she wasn’t sure how she was still standing. She’d read in a book somewhere that if a bear came into your camp you should make noise and it
