“What are you doing?” she asked.
He didn’t answer. Instead, he squatted and began inspecting her items. After a moment, he stood.
“Pack it up and let’s get the horses loaded.” He pointed. “We’re taking those two.”
Nikki was angry. Back home she was known for her fiery temper, but she held it in check and stuffed her gear back in her backpack. Fred watched impassively. She noticed and finally could not stand it.
“What?” she demanded.
“There’s a thermometer mounted on the barn door,” he said. “Did you see it?”
“That dirty plastic one? Yeah, I saw it, what about it?”
“Twenty-one degrees this morning,” he informed her. “Your gear is shy of a few things, and your pack isn’t waterproof.” He paused a moment. “Let me show you what I mean.”
He picked his own pack up, opened every pocket, and dumped the contents. He then held up his backpack. It looked like it had been through hell and back, but it was intact with no rips or tears.
“It looks like you probably should throw it away.”
“Yep, it doesn’t stand out. That’s the point. Found it in a house, brand new. Didn’t look like the owner ever used it. I used a mixture of mineral spirits and a caulking tube of silicone to make it waterproof. When I was rubbing that mixture onto the bag, I added a little bit of sand. It made the pack look rough.”
Nikki nodded. “You succeeded.”
He gestured again at the bag, and picked up a smaller, canvas bag and tossed it to her. Nikki inspected it. It was canvas and looked like the same waterproof treatment had been done to it.
“Made them by hand. Open that one up.”
Nikki did so and dumped it. Some bandannas and a dozen pairs of socks fell out.
“Do you think you got enough socks there, old man?” she asked teasingly.
“Socks can be used for a lot more than keeping your feet warm,” Fred said. “You can cut the toes out and fashion some leggings, you can use them as mittens, you can make kneepads out of them. They’re all clean, so you can use them as field dressings. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination. You only have one extra pair of socks. If they get wet, your feet will suffer. You need to add a bag of socks to your pack. Cotton and wool, all sizes. Open the other one.”
Nikki opened it and inspected the contents. There were several small pieces of wood and what appeared to be cedar shavings.
“Smalls,” Fred said.
“Smalls?”
“Yep. If you’re going to be out in the wilderness, and that’s what most of America is these days, you always want to have a pack of small pieces of wood. Seasoned and dry. Fatwood is the best. Steel wool is good to have too, but that stuff isn’t easy to find anymore. So, why do you think I carry a bag of wood with me?”
“For starting a fire when everything is wet,” Nikki said in understanding.
“Yep,” Fred replied. “I normally keep some charred cloth in here too, but I’m out and haven’t had a chance to make up a new batch.”
They went through some of the other items in Fred’s pack before he stored it all away and put it in the truck.
“Alright, we’re taking those two,” he said, pointing at two of the horses. “That one is Aisha, and the big lunkhead trying to nibble on your hair is Leeroy.”
Nikki looked them over. Aisha was a beautiful Arabian and Leeroy was a big roan colored gelding. “Why those two?” Nikki asked.
“Aisha is smart, quick, and she has better stamina than almost any horse around.”
“And Leeroy?”
“He’s not the smartest, but he’s a stayer and he’s in love with Aisha. He follows her everywhere. They make a good pair.”
Nikki grinned and helped get the two horses into the trailer. Once they had everything loaded, Fred turned to her.
“I’m not much of a sociable person and you’re likely to be sorely disappointed in this training you think you’re going to get.”
“Are you trying to talk me out of this?” Nikki asked.
He stared at her a long moment before speaking. “It’s up to you.”
“I’d still like to go. If you don’t want me to, you have to say it,” she said.
After a moment, Fred gave a micro nod. Nikki didn’t know it, but it was a nod of approval. He pointed at the truck. She needed no further prompting and got in the passenger seat.
Fred eased the truck and trailer out of the barn, and then waited while Nikki got out and closed the barn door. Approaching the main gate, they repeated the process. When she got back in the truck, Fred fixed her with a pointed stare.
“Did you lock it up properly?” he asked.
“Yep,” she answered, and then wondered if she should be more respectful. “Yessir,” she added.
Fred didn’t respond and soon they were heading east. With the exception of the heater and the truck’s exhaust, it was quiet. Nikki quickly understood Fred was going to be content not to say a word the entire mission, so she decided to try and change that.
“It’s going to be a cold one today, isn’t it?” she asked.
“I expect it to warm up a little,” he surmised.
“What makes you think that?”
He pointed out the window. “Look at the sunrise, tell me what you see.”
Nikki looked out the window. The eastern sky was filled with thick, puffy clouds colored a crimson red. “It’s looking like a pretty sunrise.”
“Red sky at morning, sailor take warning. You remember that saying?” he asked.
Nikki frowned. “I’ve never heard it.”
Fred dropped one hand off the steering wheel and flexed it. Both his hands were stiff from the cold, and that would not do. Nikki noticed but did not say anything.
“What kind of formal education did you have while you were growing up?” he asked.
“Formal education?
