The place when they finally got to it wasn't what she was expecting, 'home' looked like a hole in the ground. Surrounded by hemlocks and pine trees the slight depression led to a small camp at the back of a small cave. They'd gotten there after a three hour hike through woodland that had left her gasping and dying for something to drink. Logan had thrown her a water skin, "Sip don't gulp, glacier water reacts differently to everyone, so be careful." He went to the back of the cave and began digging, bringing up several large bags and packages. Opening them in front of her she could see the survival equipment, as well as two sleeping bags, well they looked like sleeping bags. She nudged them with her foot.
"What are these?" Seeing her inquiry he flicked the rolled up thing open, the inside rippled like dark water as the stitched pelts flowed over the cold ground.
"Black bear, the other one is Grizzly, I'll have to go and find us some more, those are for one person. I'll go after the fires sorted and the rest of the camp is set up. Come on you're gonna learn how to do this."
It took them until the sun was high to get everything done to his satisfaction, the long fire pit was ready to be lit, there were containers made of birch bark and wood, pine boughs were on the floor keeping them off the cold ground. A fern matress was down to sleep on and supplies had been reburied, those that weren't being used later. He'd taken a look at her face and he'd seen the disappointment in it, she'd countered it honestly. "Now Ah know why you didn't want any of us to know where it was. It's not exactly the Ritz is it?" The hurt showed on his face for a second and she quickly continued, "Anyhow Ah'd rather be here with ya'll than in a mansion with that bastard back there. This is honest an it'll do me some good to get back to what's important."
She tried to soothe him but she knew her words had hurt him, that she'd been unfeeling about just how much trust he was giving her here. This place was well used, the carbon on the small overhang had an age to it, the floor was well used, even the notched trees around showed evidence of long use. He'd been coming here a long time, alone usually; she was a guest and her southern manners finally kicked in. "Anythin' you want me to do while your out huntin'?"
He knew she was trying, it had to be a shock to her but it was home to him and he'd never needed any more than this. She'd adapt soon enough but he needed to get more furs and that meant killing and processing the hide. He motioned to the pile of long poles in the back of the cave.
"Yeah see if any of those are still strong, we'll need them later for the hides. We've got a lot of work ahead of us if we want to survive the winter up here." Her head almost spun round at that remark, eyes wide she rounded on it.
"We're staying *here* for winter?!" He fixed her with a stare, they had about four weeks if they were lucky, plenty of time before the main rush of autumn overtook their little piece of real estate. As he left her still working out what they were going to do to survive this he shouted over his shoulder to her.
"Remember, sips not gulps." She watched him blend into the forest until he just disappeared, sipping the waterskin and savouring the clean taste on her tongue. Just how she was going to cope up here for a few months she had no idea, but she doubted that Xavier would leave them alone that long. Putting the waterskin down she went to check the poles and cord, they had work ahead of them and thats all she concentrated on for now.
Logan returned with something huge on his shoulders, the fur was a darkish brown and it dragged partly behind him. When he dropped the carcass she could see it as it was in it's entirity. A bear, a grizzly, big and fat, Logan's clothes were trashed, the shirt was in tatters. Jeans stiff with blood he took his time getting his wind back before turning to the carcass. She watched in horror as Logan took some of their bed, laying it under the carcass. He then began to skin it, the pale fat layer under the fur making the carcass look like a man who'd just taken off his coat.
Curious she went closer, the 'face' of the bear when it was skinned looked pretty weird. The almost flat muzzle in comparison to the head made it look more human and Logan caught her shudder, his eyes sparkled a little as he spoke to her.
"Now you know why the native people call him Grandfather Bear," trimming the edges of the pelt he moved toward the poles she'd set out. Her gaze was still attached to the large body resting on the ferns, looking at it's wounds, the three perfect puncture marks in the chest. Turning she caught sight of Logan stringing the raw skin across a frame, understanding she went to help. Moving over so she could pull the bottom of the raw skin to a pole, securing it with the string.
It didn't take long but the size surprised her, raising the frame they positioned it where the sun would help dry it out. Logan handed her a blunted knife, "Get the fat off the skin, scrape downward, start in one corner and spread out across the skin, try to get it all in one piece." Leaving her to the job he turned his back on her and she heard the sound of his blades firing, then the soft sound of tissue tearing. If the smell was anything to go by she was glad he'd given her this job. Turning to the skin the veins were still visable on the whitish layer on the hide. Bringing the knife across the still pliant skin made her stomach churn. Breathing through her mouth only made the fatty cells she was releasing into the air stick to the inside of her mouth. Swallowing her revulsion down she got on with it, at least she wasn't upto her armpits in a bear's stomach. When she saw it that way her hands moved faster across the skin, removing the excess tissue.
When the sun had set the bear was roasting, several tripods were drying the rest of the meat, the bones were cracked open and the marrow was being added to the stew of internal organs. The skull was in the shrubs somewhere, Logan had taken out the brains earlier, mixing them with a little water he'd handed them to her. The fat layer gone the skin shone in the late light and he just told her to rub the pink porridge into it until it had all gone. He'd been tired by then, his face, showing the strain of being here with someone. Usually he'd have just hunted, eaten and slept on the bare ground, he was making an effort for her. To make this more 'human', so she dipped her hand into the cold pink porridge and tried to forget it was brains. There was just enough to cover the entire thing with a thin layer of pink porridge. After she'd rinsed her hands Logan came to inspect her work, he'd nodded and rubbed the porridge in a little deeper. His grunt of approval seemed to tell her that she'd done okay, but as the sun was setting her stomach began to growl and her body was making it's other needs known.
"Logan, do we have a latrine?" The look that passed his eyes seemed to confuse her for a moment, then she recognised it, embarassment. He just stood up and motioned to a stand of pine with some sheltered bushes beneath. She did think about asking him if there was anything to clean herself up with and then thought better of it. Leaves would do, they'd have to but when her period came that would be another matter entirely. Sighing she went to relieve herself, her stomach reminding her that it hadn't eaten nearly all day. When she returned Logan was nowhere to be seen, the darkness was encroaching and she settled herself next to the fire. Two bowls were by the side of the bubbling pot on the embers, helping herself she just let hunger guide her. Managing three bowls full before she felt full, resting on the fern bed she let herself relax after the long day. Not knowing that her night was far from over.
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The land was still fertile here,the seeds he'd spread around the leeward side of the small ridge he called home were now well established plants. The food on them would come in handy over the next few weeks, they'd have to dry what they couldn't store. Turning away from the night scented plants he caught the flicker of the camp fire, the dry wood burning high. He'd have to teach her how to keep that to a minimum, to get as much heat as she needed without giving away their position to whoever might be out here.
When he'd been out for bear earlier he'd noticed mens footprints, hunters probably but he'd been away for nearly two years. Enough time for the tales of a 'wild man' to get lost and forgotten. Maybe it was time to re-educate some of the visitors, locals remembered his lands and kept clear. It was only fool tourists who ignored their warnings about him that were spread from the hunting lodges around the area.
He'd bought the land in the early 1940's according to the paperwork he'd found. He'd recoginised his handwriting on it, he'd even seen the deed for it, he owned the entire parcel of land. The area was about fifteen square miles in all, most of it wild and unreachable by road or rail. It's steepness making farming impossible and it's price cheap, that's how he'd first come across the place. He'd seen the remains of a cabin on the site but it had opened up a dark part of his soul. A place where the rage and hatred ha poured through him like a spring tide, making him tear what was left to the ground. Scattering the lumber far and wide, smashing everything he'd touched, destroying everything until there was nothing left but the depression of it's footings.
He even kept clear of the place now, the ground making him ache as his feet touched it, the pain still physical for him. He knew that this was where they'd caught him, taken him into slavery after the Second World War. He was too valuable to release to his life, so they came for him. Took him away from what was left of his life, honed him further, turned him into the creature they could use. The one Xavier had been using but that was about to change, what he'd discussed with Marie had made his mind explore the possibilities of what had been going on under his nose. He'd been blind to it, wanted to ignore the reasons and just do the orders, clutching at the small pieces he had of his humanity to his chest. Marie being one of them, she was something he needed and Xavier *had* given her to him. His payment for being a good little lap dog, what he hadn't counted on was the strength of the woman he'd given to him. She looked like a delicate flower but she was tenacious, strong, deadly and she had her teeth still. She'd reminded him that he still had his own; all he had to do was take off the muzzle and he was. The longer he stayed out here the harder it would be to put it back on, a winter out here in the deep snow would make or break them. He'd walk out of here alone if need be and never go near Xavier again, or they'd walk out of here together and meter out some payback of their own.
Relaxing into the cooling darkness Logan let himself hunt, he'd go back when his belly was full. He could smell the stew up there but his body wanted something still kicking as he ate it. He knew his drives and that would be easier to deal with if he let it get what it needed before he went back to see her. Fading into the darkness he became a shadow, lost in the many layered forest.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Logan and Marie get to work, life ticks by and Xavier continues his 'game'.