Chapter 7B

Rafe regarded him gravely a minute before answering. There are not many people claiming sanctuary in the winter. Some of these people have been Apprentice for three or more years. They might remain Apprentice for the rest of their lives if they don’t grow up and train someone. They either have no interest in training or no one wants to train with them. Some people pick a partner to train, fall in lust, become sex partners and don’t care about advancing. Then there are others that want to advance and simply not enough people to train. It is highly competitive and you really have to hustle if you want to advance.

I’ve made some enemies. You’re my sixth trainee in a year. No one else has ever done that before.

Another thing is that I’m younger than most of the people here. Some of the older people really resent me. They not only resent me. They resent the newbies I’ve trained because I’ve taught them to be competitive too. Some of these old timers are finding it almost impossible to get anyone to train. They don’t want to camp out at sanctuary for weeks at a time waiting for someone to show up like I did waiting for you. They are getting older and blaming the people I’ve trained for taking all of the newbies.

There are some hard feelings out there and some day something is going to happen. That’s why you have to be careful. Not everyone here is friendly. Some people would like to see you or me disappear or come up with a broken leg or something. Watch you back brother, watch your back.”

Tobal thrilled at being called ‘brother’ but a chill feeling of dread swirled around his tailbone. What had he gotten himself into, he wondered? The events of last night’s party were hazy and he didn’t remember much. He did remember the initiation though and how powerful it had been. He said as much to Rafe.

“You’ll have plenty of opportunities to participate in other initiations and experience them more completely.” “In fact,” he grinned, “you can have an active part in every circle and initiation from now on if you choose. It is an important part of your spiritual training. That’s how we do it out here.”

As they walked toward the center of the camp Tobal was surprised at how big it was and how many permanent log buildings had been built. This was his first real opportunity to see the camp in daylight. There were permanent structures like the sweat lodge nestled near a clear pool of mountain stream water. Others seemed to be just empty sleeping quarters. The larger log building where they were headed was the galley and stood out from the others.

Teepees were being taken down and put away. It seemed some of the empty buildings were used for storage. The teepee seemed to be the favorite for those desiring a little more privacy. They were built with long poles lashed together at the top and spread out in a conical shape at the bottom. They were covered with the gray woolen material that seemed to be used for just about everything out here. Many were insulated with heavy furs fastened over the woolen material and tied into place. Tobal wondered in an amused way how many trips through the sanctuary building had been made to get that many of the gray blankets.

They were not the only ones getting ready to leave. Many others were already leaving or saying their final good-byes. Tobal was trying to remember the names of people he had met and failing miserably. He felt good though and found himself looking forward to next month when he would see them again. In the galley they had a final breakfast of cooked venison, wild onions and sweet potatoes. With bellies stuffed packs and canteens full, they picked up their walking sticks and headed out of the camp.

They didn’t go back up the cliff but went down further through the valley and into the foothills. Rafe explained that nobody stayed near Heliopolis. His camp was about 40 miles away from sanctuary and there were other camps even further out. Most people stayed no further than thirty to sixty miles from the gathering spot though. Everyone was expected to find plenty of food and game in individual areas that were not over hunted and fairly private. It was mainly a nomadic existence, especially during the training phase. So you followed the food.

At various times of the year animals would migrate and move out of one area entirely and into others. Winters were hard and people set up permanent camps with stored food caches to help survive when fresh food was hard to find. This time of year the weather was mild and the days were warm and beautiful. The snow was rapidly thawing and new shoots of green vegetation ensured they wouldn’t have to worry about adequate food in a few more weeks. There were small animals and new plant life everywhere they looked although it was still too early for any insects.

Shortly after leaving the gathering spot Rafe said, “Give me your map.”

Tobal handed Rafe his map and Rafe marked an “X” on it. “This is my main camp,” he said. “We will be heading there first. That’s where I will show you how I make things and what a permanent camp looks like, especially in the winter. We’ll stay there a week or two while I teach you the basics you will need to know. Then for the last two weeks we will go out and find you some new territory to solo in. Ok?”

Tobal fought a knot of icy fear and managed to nod in agreement. He wasn’t quite certain about how easy this was going to be. Two weeks didn’t seem like very much time at all.

“Ok, then,” said Rafe. “You know where my camp is now so you lead the way!”

Tobal was momentarily confused. Then he understood and took his map back. He studied the spot Rafe had marked and compared it to where the mark for the gathering spot was. He knew they were about ½ mile north of the gathering spot and tried to orient himself on the map. The map showed Rafe’s camp lay about 50 miles in a northeast direction. Damn, he thought, Rafe certainly isn’t one that likes living close to the gathering spot. It would take a hard two days getting to his camp, maybe even longer if the terrain was really rough.

He noticed something else. Rafe was making certain his map had sanctuary, the gathering spot and Rafe’s own permanent camp on it. He felt a warmth of gratitude toward Rafe for that. If anything went wrong he would be able to find help if he needed it.

Tobal sat down with the map trying to puzzle out the best way to get to Rafe’s camp. He noticed that it was in some very rough country which meant it would be at least three days and not two.

“I don’t know if we can get to your place by going in a straight line.”

Rafe grinned evilly, “It looks like 50 miles in a straight line but it’s more like 100 the way we’ve got to go. It’s going to take us almost four days to get there.”

Four days! Tobal suddenly felt very vulnerable and unprotected. How in the world was he supposed to survive in this God forsaken place? He fought a rising panic and looked at the map again more carefully. Four days meant they were going to need water. He noticed a small stream 25 miles away and decided to make that their first camp. It was a little out of the way but he felt it was a good idea to stay close to water.

He studied the map some more and decided the second day they could head straight north and set up a dry camp. The third day would be another dry camp and they would reach Rafe’s camp sometime on the fourth day. They would also reach water on the fourth day before reaching the camp. He explained his plan to Rafe and showed him the map. Rafe studied the map thoughtfully.

“Ya, We can try that.” He said. “You did a good job thinking about what you were going to do and made a plan. You also remembered we need water and that’s very important out here. It looks like a good plan and I’m willing to try it with you. Lead the way.” He said.

Tobal pulled out his cord and undid all the knots in it. He aligned the red line on his compass for a northeast heading and surveyed the landscape seeking the best pathway through it. Choosing his route between trees he set out purposefully with Rafe following cheerfully behind him.

It was rough going the next three days. He didn’t need to worry about water because it rained all the way to Rafe’s camp. Tobal was glad for the makeshift woolen poncho that kept him halfway warm even when it was wet. It was miserable travelling.

He made a hat to keep body heat from escaping out the top of his head. It was welcome protection from both the sun and the rain since Tobal had fair skin that burned easily. Rafe had been insistent he had some type of head covering. One of the quickest ways of loosing body heat was not having your head covered. Sun stroke and sun burn could be dangerous killers. In the wilderness these things were not to be taken lightly. Tobal learned to move carefully and deliberately in the rain and slick mud.

Rafe continued his education by pointing out and gathering herbs. The unceasing rain made the snow disappear almost overnight. He explained about tinder and how to find good dry firewood even in the rain. Tobal learned to always have enough dry tinder and kindling to start a fire. He carried it with him in a pouch on his belt. The pouch was created by cutting some of the fabric off the poncho. He used the sewing kit to sew it together. He also used the sewing kit to mend some of his socks.

He made it a habit to gather small pieces of firewood as they went along so he didn’t need to look so hard for it at night. While it was more weight to carry, it was easier than looking in the rain and darkness for dry wood.

Each evening Tobal would select the campsite and start the fire under Rafe’s supervision. Together they would gather the rest of the evening’s wood and take turns preparing the meal. At night they set snares for small animals. In the morning they would check the snares and sometimes they would be lucky. Often they would find only an empty snare.

They couldn’t get warm enough in the constant drizzle but the fire did feel good even if they couldn’t get dry. During the day they also hunted for small game. Rafe and Tobal each cut a long strip of fabric and made a sling out of it. Together they practiced with small stones at various targets. The first day Rafe hit a rabbit and that night they ate rabbit stew. There was always some kind of greens for a salad.

Small animals were not all they would eat. Rafe showed him how to break open rotten logs and find the grubs within them.

“They are better cooked in something.” Rafe grinned as Tobal fought off a wave of nausea. “Still, they are better than not eating at all. The large wood ants have a lemony flavor but you need to make sure you bite them hard before swallowing or they will try to crawl back up.”

By water they set traps overnight for fish and set snares for small animals. If they caught anything it was usually a rabbit or squirrel and went into the stew or was simply roasted. They ate the fish immediately.

At noon every day Tobal triangulated his true position on the map and made small corrections in their course. At times he rethought the best route to Rafe’s camp from their current position. The wilderness often looked much different than it did on the map and the differences took some getting used to. Some areas that looked passable on the map certainly did not look inviting in real life and other times it seemed appropriate to take a short cut that had not been considered.

In all this Tobal was the guide and Rafe simply listened and followed. Once in awhile he would make a comment about some of the changes in the plan that Tobal proposed but he went along with them. At times Tobal realized he had made a mistake and hours were spent retracing the way back to their starting point. Still, with each success and miscalculation he learned more about both reading the map and moving through rough country.

Late afternoon of the fourth day they arrived at Rafe’s base camp. The rain had stopped but they were soaked to the bone. It was a secluded valley and Rafe had to show Tobal the hidden entrance or he would never have found it. The main camp was a large teepee with several small outbuildings made of logs. He had his own sweat lodge built next to a small mountain stream. There was also a rack for smoking meat and making jerky. The first thing they did was get into some warm dry clothes and fix a decent meal.

The rest of the first week passed quickly. They stayed in the area and set traps for fish and snares for smaller animals. Tobal learned the ways of each animal he hunted. Rafe showed him the game trails and what the individual tracks of each animal looked like. They smoked the fish and other meat so it would keep and not spoil.

In the evenings at the campfire Rafe had him work first on a bow and then on some arrows so he could hunt larger game. He learned how to skin and dress the smaller animals like beaver, muskrat and mink. He would carefully stretch and dry the pelts for later use as winter clothing. He learned the basics of tanning leather and made his first leather crafted items. The weather was turning too warm to be wearing furs anymore and the pelts would soon loose their value as the animals shed their heavy winter fur. He could always use some leather though and concentrated mainly on tanning leather.

Each morning they explored the area, checking game trails and sneaking up on animals without trying to kill them. They had plenty to eat and practiced stalking larger game animals like deer and mountain goat. During the following week Tobal learned more about tracking and how fresh an old track might be. He was getting fairly good with the sling and practiced every day with the bow.