Comforts
Lane was so grateful to her father for having the foresight to put away a supplies box. That afternoon Lane had let down all her defences and enjoyed getting to know the brothers as they sorted though their newly acquired box of treasures. They all felt quite relaxed and relieved to have the few comforts that Lanes Pa had provided. Lane found five potatoes in the root cellar while checking it out with Joe. He said he wasn't surprised that it had been cleaned out of all its food already. However, he promised Lane they wouldn't starve and declared they would be eating fresh meat that night and they did. The day before Joe set a few rough traps and this afternoon when he checked them he had caught a possum. So they dined on possum roasted over a small fire and fried potatoes. And a cup of tea afterwards, it was like heaven.
Lane only wished she had something sweet to follow supper with. Her Ma used to have something sweet for her Pa most nights and she wished she could have had something like that to share with Peter and Joe, just to say thank you for all they had done for her so far. She knew it would have been a long time since they had eaten anything like a cake or crumble, and she vowed to herself to make sure they got something sweet as soon as she had her hands on the right ingredients.
Joe was keeping first watch outside the cave for a while, and Peter was going over her Pa's map of the area. Lane could hear the paper crinkling has he turned it around or flattened it out. She looked over her blanket. Peter was sitting against the wall leaning over the supply box using it as a table. His brows were furrowed and he kept playing with his beard. In the light of the flickering candle he looked like a cave man Lane had once seen a drawing of in one of her Pa's books, and he had to stifle a giggle.
"You are going to miss that thing when its gone." She remarked softly, Peter looked up, sat back and smiled at her.
"Yes I probably will, I'm not sure I will be able to think so well without it, though" he joked. Lane sat back up against the wall, and studied the man before her for a moment. He was a very self assured sort of person and smart. His mind seemed as though it were always ticking.
"Peter, how come you didn't want to stick with the other men?" Peters smile faded and he looked toward the caves roof, hopefully thinking about how to answer her question.
"It wasn't a hard decision Lane, they aren't good men with no intention to change. Joe and I want more." He answered shrugging his shoulders. "You know, we would have been free men in a few months anyway. Joe and I just wanted to quietly finish up our time and move on with life before our best years are gone. When talk of escape started getting everyone excited we knew even if we didn't go along with their plan we might be slapped with a few more years just for being part of the group that tried. We know how it works, they don't care about how we wouldn't have wanted to, guilty by association that's what it would have been. So we decided if it were going to happen we would do it our own way, on our terms. I'm not going to break out just to become someone's lackey.
"So why are you worried about running into them? Aren't you all wanting freedom, isn't that the reason one escapes something? It's not me, is it? I'm not the one making you both jumpy" again Peter just starred at the roof.
"No Lane, we um...we didn't follow through with our part of the plan, you don't need to know the details of that" He said looking at Lane again "but it helped us get away from them and it all worked out in the end." Lane looked away and pulled her blanket up to her ears, burying herself deeper into her cocoon of warmth. She heard the shuffling of papers and before she knew it Peter was sitting down against the wall next to her.
"I'm sorry Lane, I didn't mean to sound heartless. Of course it didn't work out for you." Peter reached over and rubbed Lanes arm over the blanket. Sitting up again Lane tentatively smiled at Peter.
"Well it sort of did. I don't think they suffered long, and I think they left Ma alone." Peter saw the twitching in her mouth and knew she really wasn't alright.
"Well if it's any comfort, Joe and I lost our parents too Lane, so we're all orphans here."
"Oh I'm sorry Peter."
"Don't be sorry Lane it was a long time ago now and that life is over." Both Lane and Peter grew silent falling into their own thoughts.
"Peter, thank you."
"Don't thank me Lane thank your lucky stars, that's all I'll say."
"What, that I ran into you and Joe?"
"No, that you got away." Peter wasn't going to elaborate on how her mother probably wasn't left alone; she didn't need to hear anything like that, especially because he didn't know for sure. He leaned his head back on the stone wall and let out a long breath. "I still can't believe where that rock landed Lane, that's amazing to me." Lane laughed weakly
"I know you really should have been there to see the look on Joes face."
"Yeah Joe loves that kind of stuff, things happening for a reason and all that." Lane turned her head to examine Peter. She had to tilt her head up a little because he was taller than her, even when sitting.
"And you don't?" She asked. Peter looked down to Lane and their eyes met. His eyes seemed as though they had seen all the horrors of the world. Lane could tell he carried the weight of his problems there.
"I don't know Lane. All I know is that you have to make the most of your situation, and be the best person you can be." Lane smiled at him, she liked Peter and she felt an instant connection with him when she talked with him properly for the first time the other day. Now, her admiration for the man only grew in listening to him. "Here Lane lay your head down on my shoulder it would be better than the hard ground that's for sure." Lane sat back, a bit unsure of the offer. "Just pretend I'm your brother Lane" she smiled at him.
"I do trust you Peter."
"Good because that's all I ask of you Lane." Peter patted his shoulder and Lane slowly leaned against it, making herself comfortable. "See it's better right?"
"It's actually still quite hard." They both laughed. Lane felt rather shy about leaning on Peter as she was but the contact was nice. What she most needed was another hug like the one Joe gave her earlier, but having someone close was going to have to be good enough for now. At least she wasn't by herself, things would have been much harder to bear if she were. Hours later Peter was still sitting up with Lane leaning on him, listening to her soft snores when he heard Joes whistle then the rustling of leaves as his brother made his way into the cave.
"And how do you think your going to take your shift when you're holed up like that?" Joe asked, quietly smiling at his brother.
"I might know how to comfort a female better than you little brother but I sure do say stupid stuff to make the situation to begin with."
"What did you say this time?" Joe asked as he was making himself comfortable against the wall. Peter watched his younger brother relax, he looked tired and he felt guilty that Joe had to do more than his share of things because of his broken arm which was aching a lot tonight.
"Oh nothing and you're taking over here when it's my turn. That's how I'm going to take my watch." Joes head whipped around to stare at his brother.
"I've already had a go at doing that sort of thing today, Peter." Joe whispered, annoyed.
"Joe it's not just us anymore, we've got Lane to worry about now. We weren't there for Jinny and Sue so we will be here for her." Peter replied then ran his hand over the back of Lanes head to sooth her when she started to stir.
"Well you better get your sleep because I'm waking you on time." Peter didn't need anymore encouragement. He closed his eyes and slipped off into a light sleep, like he always does.
The next morning Lane woke up alone, she was lying on the floor of the cave with the blanket wrapped around her. Smelling food cooking, and feeling her stomach rumble helped her get up and get ready to face the new day. She mused at how refreshed she felt after having used Peter as a pillow and didn't feel worried anymore at the impropriety of it. She wasn't a Lady, just a simple farm girl. And between her parents burnt home and the forest that separated them from the next town who was going to know?
After running the brush through her hair she made her way to the front of the cave and out into the fresh morning air. Going straight over to the nominated out house area, it wasn't until she came back that she noticed the state of the brothers. Halting in her place, and blinking her shock away, Lane was utterly speechless when both Joe and Peter rose from their places by the small fire and smiled at her.
"Look, I knew we should have kept the beards." Joe said nudging his brother. They were laughing at Lane's reaction to their clean shaven faces.
Lane on the other hand couldn't believe that she had spent the last four nights with two men who were, underneath all that hair, very good looking. Even with not having seen a lot of men she knew what a handsome one was, and in front of her were two. Being Brothers they weren't too dissimilar in their facial features. Peters was slightly longer but they were both square jawed with long strong noses and nicely shaped lips. Their hair was still long and hung down to their shoulders which gave them a wild sort of look still. Lane looked down to the forest floor and twisted her hands together, not knowing how to act now.
"Come on Lane, we have breakfast ready for you." Peter coaxed. Lane looked up to Peter who had placed his hands on his hips and smiled when he motioned with his head to come over and sit.
Taking one hesitant step after another Lane almost made it to the brothers before she snagged her foot on a protruding tree root. Right away she felt two strong hands gripping her under her arms.
"Lane, are you alright?" Joe asked concerned. Lane looked to her right to lock eyes with a clean shaven Joe, and she blushed, feeling the heat burn her cheeks.
Clearing her throat before she answered in case her words came out as a squeak she replied. "Y...yes I'm fine thank you." Hearing chuckling to her left she whipped her head around to find Peter smiling at her.
"I knew you shined your cheeks up too much Joe, you nearly blinded her to falling." Lane smiled back at Peter. Both men let go of her arms and gestured once again for her to join them at by the fire.
"Well this is a nice surprise." Lane remarked. "I've never had anyone cook for me but my Ma." Lane didn't notice the look of regret pass between Joe and Peter as they all sat around the small fire.
"Joe's good at flat cakes, sorry there's nothing to go on them though." Peter said.
"When I can get some honey Lane they'll be better." In all her life Lane had never come across a man who could cook anything. Well her Pa used to thread game onto a stick and roast it but that was all. Making flat cakes involved mixing ingredients together and that was beyond her Pa's capabilities. She looked to Joe as he handed her a warm cake.
"Um, Lane here you go." Lane shook her head to bring herself out of her state. and took the rolled up cake.
"Thank you. I've never known any man that cooks! I'm a little surprised." She said taking a bite of Joe's offerings. "Mmm, better than jerky." Joe smiled and continued cooking.
"Lane." Peter started. "We've divided everything up so we can get going this morning are you ready for that." It seemed a little unreal to Lane that she was actually going to leave the area her home was in, and venture out into the wilderness more.
"Yeah, I'm sure I'm ready for that. I know my way to the Marsden's. Is that still where we are headed next?"
"Yes, we probably should get something else to wear like you said. Although, we will stick to the bush so tell me what direction we're headed, I'm going to map it down too."
"Alright, it's that way." Lane pointed in the same direction she did the other morning, Peter felt a little relieved knowing she actually did know which way was which.
"So in a westerly direction then." Joe added and Lane looked to Joe, men always seemed to know their North's and West's Lane mused.
"Sure, that's the one" she replied laughing.
After breakfast Peter and Joe fixed up the little camp to make it look as though no one had ever been there. They stomped out the fire making it virtually impossible to tell one was burning an hour before. And gave instruction to Lane on how the cave should be tidied up. Hiding the small tin box that was there already and checking they had everything. Lane was to carry the sack she bought with her from her cabin filled with all the light things, but they divided the food so if they got separated for some reason they each would have something to eat. Lane had the flint, blanket, and other small items. While Peter and Joe carried the flour, pot, utensils, water skins and a few other things in another sack and a sheet they tore in half that was in the supplies box. Lane didn't tell the brothers but she also carried with her the deed to the land her Pa owned and some money she was given by her Pa on her way out the door.
She didn't know why she felt she needed to keep this to herself, because she did honestly feel they could be trusted, but she did. She patted the pocket sewn to the inside of her skirt one last time, just to make sure it was there, then threw the sack over her shoulder and waited for Peter and Joe to do the same. Joe had tied his make shift sheet bag onto the end of a stick, carrying it over is shoulder. Once he was happy with its position, he straightened and met Lanes smile with his own.
"You ready for an adventure Lanie?" Lane laughed she had been on an adventure since she started up that hillside.
"Yes, are you Joey?" Joes smile faded for a moment as he came up closer to Lane, he surprised her when he tweaked her nose and said.
"Lanie, I'm going to let you get away with that because you're cute." Lane giggled and slapped his hand away.
"Alright you two let's get going." Both Lane and Joe turned to Peter. "Lane, Joe and I prefer not to talk while we're walking so we can listen out for things."
"That's fine with me Peter." Lane said coming to stand next to him. "So shall I lead the way then?"
"Yep" Peter said moving out of the way for her.
"Alright then let's go." Lane said smiling and they all started their trek through the forest prepared for nothing, but ready for whatever may come.