TIOA Sns9 eps 49: Abby watched as her two oldest moved the bear skins over to the horses, they slung them over the horses backs and came towards the fire. The freezing air nearing above freezing as the sun came up but the trees blocked it. Her two sons held their hands to the fire, and Abby handed the canteen to them. "Take a drink." Latrell took the canteen in his hand and took a long drink from it, he could feel the water down his
throat and emptying in the canteen. He stopped and handed it to Pallab.
Pallab drank until the canteen was empty and looked at his mother. "Well, go fill it with more water." she said and looked back at Theo, he had just come to the last egg and was de-shelling it. "Take your time Theo." He continued to work on the egg but shook his head. The fire was bigger but about to fade, "Get more wood for the fire Latrell." He looked at her still cold, but knew she was not joking and went to get more wood, he gathered more than his arms could bear and came back.
"Here mother." he dropped the wood on the ground, and she looked at him. "Well add some wood to the fire." Latrell took two of the bigger pieces and added them to the fire, he took some smaller and added it below, the fire licked up and it took a few minutes as Pallab came back for the fire to get bigger. "Heat yourselves by the fire." Abby said as she stood and took the deer leg down from the limb. "Take this and cook it over the fire." Latrell and Pallab looked for sticks to make it work, "Oh, here is an egg for you both, Theo get the jar of cherry jam and let them have one fingers worth."
Theo handed the eggs to his brothers and grabbed the jar after they took them, He took the lid off and let them both take one fingers worth. "Take one more Theo." said Abby and then followed. "Finish and get the meat cooking, we have to move soon." Latrell and Pallab ate their egg faster, it was good, the cherry was nice. "Mom?" asked Latrell. She turned, and said. "What is it?" he still crouched looked her in the face and said. "Where are we going?"
Abby looked over the land and at the horses, they would need as much rest as they or more and more food, she thought a moment and turned back and said. "Away." Abby went to the horses as her sons made a stand again for the dear meat. She went towards the horse and bent down and grabbed grass and moss all the vegetation she could find and started to place it in a pocket she made on the outside of her coat. She gathered as much as she could until it started to fall out.
Abby walked towards the horses and took the grass mixture out, the horses noses all came close and started to sniff at her, she could hear it easily. Runner took grass out of her hand and left a little, Abby took more grass and went to the second horse and it did the same. She continued to the third, and still had more left over and let each horse have seconds and thirds. The horses stood and ate from her hand and breathed in hard. "Come on you are going to need water." She grabbed the harness of Runner and led him closer to the stream, the horse walked gently behind her and the other two followed.
Abby let Runner go and he went to the water, the other two followed, she looked back and her sons had the meat over the fire turning it over. She went over and knelt and added another piece of wood the fire got bigger, her sons looked at her concerned she would burn the meat. Abby took the jar of olive oil and poured it over evenly and the fire licked at it and the meat started to let out its own juices more freely. "Keep turning the meat." she stood and thought some more. They should still be behind them, they needed to move southwest, that would get them out of winter faster and towards crops.
Abby took the canteen and drank from it, she waited and drank again and went down to the stream to fill it. She came back the meat had been cooking over the open flame for more than
three hours, and she told them. "Hold it still." She tore a small piece from the top and ate it. "Do the same." Her sons tore at the top and took larger chunks, and began to eat it fast. "Turn the meat, do not forget." Latrell took all of his meat in his mouth and chewed it as he turned the meat over, he let his younger brothers eat slower, Abby took another piece and the jar of cherry, she turned it over and let some pour over. Theo was watching her and she handed the piece over and said. "Take it in your hands, and tear it away from me."
Theo took the meat in his hands and pulled back and the meat tore, his piece bigger than his mothers and he looked at her. "It is okay, eat it." It did not take a moment for Theo to hear it and he put it in his mouth, the cherry glaze so nice, like a new meal and he savored the flavor. Abby ate hers and took another piece and put cherry glaze on it as well, she gave it to her two oldest and spun the meat as she let them eat.
"Okay let's get this meat finished it should be less than ten minutes, hide the camp; get rid of all the signs you can, take some of the branches and wipe away our footprints, hide the horses dung in the ground and cover it with snow." The boys got up and went busy, she turned the meat it was close, some marrow came out of the bone, and she took her finger and picked it up to her mouth and ate it, it tasted good. The meat was done and she let it finish spinning and took the rope and again tied it.
She took the meat back to the branch and let it hang above the fire, no more cooking the meat as much as keeping it warm. She looked over and her boys were working hard and covering their place, she was glad to see them working that hard on her command, and stood with a slight smile. She watched and Theo was starting to perspire heavily, he was eager to please his mother. "Theo, come here." Theo stopped and went to his mother afraid that he had done something wrong.
"Take the canteen and drink slow, go to the stream and drink slow; fill it and take it back to your brothers." Theo took the canteen and did as she said, the cold water flowing down and felt good, he drank a little too much, but it was nice. He knelt to the stream and filled it and turned and went to his brothers. "Mom said to drink some water." Pallab took the canteen eagerly and drank from it, he handed it to Latrell. Latrell took the rest down and handed it back to Theo, who went back to the stream.