Shadows Peak |✔

Chapter 4: Casey

"I brought you back some turkey so Ma can make you some soup. Are you hungry?"

"Yes," Noah spoke.

Of the few words he learned so far, "yes" and "no" were among them. Casey smiled as he carried his two year old brother to Elena.

"Okay, Ma. I'm gonna go clean up now, which means Noah's gonna have to help you cook," Casey joked as he set Noah down in his high chair, who was full of glee.

"Well, get to it then, before the whole house smells like you," Elena returned.

When Casey got back to the bathroom the water was hot, so he quickly undressed and got in.

If I eat a little less today, they should have enough leftovers to feed them all of tomorrow and I'll be able to head into town and get a few traps from Marcus. This way while I'm hunting for bigger game, I'll be catching smaller as well. No more coming home empty handed.

Casey smiled at the idea, already feeling accomplished.

His mind then wandered to the other towns in the region he had yet to see. He was 20 and still hadn't traveled farther than one town over on his own.

Maybe, if I have time, I'll see what's in Yorke.

Yorke was the second closest town to LeHorn, with Bartesville being the closest. Casey had yet to go to Yorke, and since he was headed to Bartesville tomorrow, he realized he had the opportunity to travel a little farther.

Yeah. It's time I see more.

After washing all the dirt and sweat out his curly brown hair, Casey looked in the mirror. He could see his beard starting to grow back in, but he decided to wait a little longer before cutting it.

I still need a new razor, so I'll have to wait, regardless. But at least the little scruff looks good.

So, after getting dressed, Casey headed out and played with Noah until the soup was ready. Then, when it was done, Casey set him back in his high-chair. After handing Noah his little bowl, Casey grabbed the portion set aside for the Mayners and headed next door.

He was greeted by Charlie. The fifty-year old carpenter had a bad back and wasn't able to do much work to sustain his family regularly, so they tried their best to help them when they could.

"Hey, son, how's it going?" he asked Casey.

"Caught a wild turkey earlier," Casey said as he headed to their kitchen. "Just bringing over some soup Ma made for you guys."

"Oh, that Elena. Sweetheart, she is," he said as he came to see what was brought.

"Well, it's the boy that keeps coming back with more. What would we do without you, Honey?" Bonnie, Charlie's wife, said as she came in from their garden. She must have heard Charlie's comment.

"I'm sure someone else would step up. We can't let you guys and Carli go hungry, can we?" Casey said.

Carli was Charlie and Bonnie's only child. She was 16, and most days was assisting Annie, the village doctor. She was training to be a doctor as well in case anything happened to Annie or the tribe needed more hands on deck, so she wasn't bringing home much to help with food. Her apprenticeship was a great thing for the village as a whole, but not for Charlie and Bonnie. They had no one bringing in a steady flow of food, so that is why Casey and his family helped so much.