A life worth living

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Lavender looked at her surroundings and frowned. She was soaked through, and dirty and uncomfortable - she could not believe she was silly enough to go up the mountain by herself. Now, she did not know where on the planet she was, her horse long gone, and she was stranded in the middle of nowhere.
She sat on a wet log with a huff, and suddenly remembered something she had heard.
If you get lost, stay put where they can find you.
Lavender took a long breath and sat more easily on the cut down tree. A whinney was heard in the distance and she strained her ears to hear it. Was it her horse? Or a rescuer?
She stood up and looked in the supposed direction.
Another sound from a horse pierced the air and a holler rang out.
Thunder roared and lightning streaked across the sky. Lavender shivered as more rain came down like she had never seen. She felt faint, so she crossed her arms on her waist and sat back down. Cold overtook her, and she felt herself laying on the log and giving away to sweet unconsciousness.

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Trev yelled Lavender's name again, and received no response. His brows pressed together in thought and worry as he ducked another branch. He looked to the side and raised his brows back up in surprise.
Lavender was stretched out over a log, pale, dirty, and very wet. Another blast of thunder sounded, and Trev trotted his horse to the log. He was unsure how to properly do this, as she would be very upset when she wakes up and learns that he was carrying her.
He slipped on a pair of gloves.
"This is ridiculous," Trev muttered, as he lifted her off the log onto the front of the horse. He took a hand and pressed his calloused thumb into her wrist. Lavender blood flow was weak, but steady.
Trev took off his coat and wrapped it around her, and then mounted. The sleeping girl was leaning against his chest, and with his hands around her waist, he held the reins and kicked the mares sides. As he entered the trail home, she tossed and turned her head. He heard her whisper some unintelligible words and then murmur "Gabe". Lavender lifted her hands to Trev's and whispered, "Gabe? Is - that you? oh, Gabe, I have so much to tell you," She again whispered words Trev did not understand but then fell silent.
Trev tugged at the reins. "Whoa."
Trev made it home as snowflakes began to fall from the sky. He carried her to the door and opened it, and a cry of relief came from within. "Oh Trev!"Cried the old woman, "I was afraid you two would not come back in time. A snow blizzard is due," She predicted, helping Trev to the living room to set Lavender down.
"I need to put my horse away," He told her, and hurried back outside, after Lavender was made comfortable on the couch.
The door slammed from the wind and Essie called out, "don't get lost!" She thought of stories of how people can get lost during a snowstorm between the barn and the house.
"Why did you go out Miss Lavender?" Essie inquired half to herself, while stroking Lavender's head. She put a blanket on her and heard a cry come from a room.
"Not the first time," Mumbled Essie, getting up and walking toward the bedroom where Lavender's baby hollored. "The poor child's starving, but Lavender should wake up soon."
She came back out with the whimpering child and sat down.
"Lavender," Essie smiled and put the baby in Lavender's lap. The child crawled and came to her face, placing a slobbery kiss on her nose. Lavender came to, and at first asked in confusion, "Where am I Gabe - wheres Gabe?" She looked around, and held her child close for feeding.
"Gabe? No Lavender, he's gone," Essie said softly.
"No, he was there! I was with him, not long ago," faltered Lavender, wrapping herself in a blanket.
"That must have been Trev," replied Essie, "you got lost in the storm, remember? and he brought you home," Lavender pursed her lips as Essie said this, "Now, tell me why and where you went. I was sinfully worried."
"Uh - I...."
"Lavender Etch!" Essie chided.
"You know my last name?!"
"Of course I know your last name," Essie retorted, "why did you go without telling us where you were going?"
"I was going to visit Gabe's grave and put flowers on it," Lavender replied quietly.
"Well," said Essie with a sharp sigh, "Don't do it again without telling us." Essie took the ween child and set it down in the room for bed.