Vince was a mule that both Ripley and I were familiar with, since Lazlo used to ride him out to meet us at an old farmhouse a few times a year.He was friendly with me, and even got on well with the lion.
He was a massive beast, with a striking blond sorrel coat that gleamed golden in the sunlight.He stood tall and broad, easily weighing over 1,500 pounds, with powerful shoulders and muscular haunches.His dark eyes were large and intelligent, always observing everything around him.
“Vince isn’t just strong,” Lazlo explained as he lovingly stroked his neck.“He’s bred from power.His mother was a Belgian draft mare who pulled timber in the mountains, and his father was a Mammoth jack donkey from Tennessee.He was a Grand Champion three years running.”
“Wait, how old is Vince?”I asked, because I couldn’t imagine anyone giving out ribbons to donkeys since civilization fell, no matter how special the animal.
“He’s eleven, born right before the whole mess of everything,” he said.“And he’s got another twenty years in him, if things go well.”
“Are you sure you’re want to part with him?”I asked.“He seems exceptional.”
“He is, but I know what you mean to do,” he said.“You’ll be going for months in the depth of winter, travelling through mountain passes, and if you have any chance of making it alive, you need Vince.”
“That’s very generous of you,” I asked, suddenly overwhelmed.“I don’t know how to repay you.”
“Well, you know how much I owe you,” he replied quietly “So don’t worry about repayment.Just send a porter back with Vince in the spring, after you make it to the Valley.”
Before I left, Lazlo took a moment to go over everything I’d need to make it through the journey safely.He drew a map with the best routes through the mountain passes, warned me about various dangers, and reminded me to watch for signs of frostbite.
Then, he handed me a sturdy set of saddlebags, a warm blanket for Vince, and a kit of basic tack and grooming supplies.He showed me how to check Vince’s hooves for ice buildup and how to adjust the pack load so the mule could carry it comfortably.
“If you look after him, he’ll get you there,” Lazlo assured me.
I hugged him.“Thank you for everything.”
“Take care of yourself,” he said, squeezing me tighter for a moment before releasing me.
“And you won’t tell anyone where I’ve gone, right?”I asked.“I don’t want them wasting time getting hurt going after me.Not when I don’t want to be found.”
Lazlo exhaled roughly, and he gave me a pained smile.“Sure.If that’s what you want.I promise that I won’t tell anyone where you’re going.”
39
Remy
When I returned to the boat with Vince in tow, Boden asked what I needed with a mule, and I told him he’d help me bring back bigger game in the upcoming hunts.That was good enough for him, and he didn’t press me further.
Over the next couple weeks, I started getting my things in order.I couldn’t venture off in winter on my own without proper supplies, but I also couldn’t take so much from the Barbarabelle that it would leave them all in a lurch.On top of all that, I had to go about it stealthily as not to draw attention, because I didn’t want Boden or Stella finding out and trying to stop me.
So I began with a few emergency caches around the boat and on the land nearby.In the back of a closet near the infirmary, I hid away a makeshift first aid kit with ointments, threads, needles, and bandages.In the ceiling tiles of the kitchen, I put a medium-sized tin box and filled it with salt, dried meats and vegetables, flour, anything nutritious and portable that wouldn’t be immediately missed.
The extra gear was harder to stash away, because it was larger.My solution was to move a lot of it to the shed next to the stables on land, claiming that I was diversifying our storage in case of emergency.From the bowels of the steamboat, I moved a quarter of all our extra gear – including, hatchets, folding saws, firestarter kits, snowshoes, canvas tarps, tents, bed rolls, canteens, portable stove, and rope – into the shed with help from Edie.Nobody questioned it, and I was easily able to set aside what I’d need so I could grab it all after I saddled up Vince.
By the time the first snow fell in earnest, I had everything I needed.I waited another day, just to be sure that it would stick around, and that there was enough of it to slow everybody down.
In the middle of the night, when Boden was asleep most soundly, I slipped out of bed.I’d already written my note a few days ago, and I’d been carrying it around in my pocket until the time was right.
“I had to go.I’m sorry.Don’t follow.Take care of yourself and Stella and Fae.”
It was simple,toosimple maybe, but I didn’t know what more to say.I left it on my side of the bed, along with the silver band that Boden had given me after Emberwood burned.Something to symbolize we belonged together, that we were married.
As I stood in the quiet darkness, his back to me and the moonlight revealing his strong silhouette, a wave of guilt and resolve washed over me.But I had made my decision, and soon enough, the open wilderness would swallow me whole.
I slipped out of our room, with Ripley padding silently on the carpet behind me.Sometimes, she needed coaxing to get up for the day, especially when the temperature turned cold, but she didn’t require any then.Like she somehow sensed what we were doing and how quiet and fast we needed to be.
My steps were calm and deliberate, but inside, my heart was racing.By the time I reached the stables, it was pounding so hard, I felt lightheaded, but I didn’t slow.
I rigged Vince with a decker and a padded seat.Not built for comfort, but he’ll carry the gear and let me ride when the snow’s deep or when we need to hurry.
