If You Abuse it, You Lose it. -Twenty Three

Twenty Three

The stew was just as good as it smelled. Coon listened and ate while Lady Lizzie fussed over Logan, who was just eaten it up! Anyone could tell that those two were head over heels in love!

It seems that they had to rescue Logan when he got clumsy trying to get a message to one of their spies. When Logan had gotten to the meeting spot, there were the bad guys waiting for him. Seems that those men had just happened to be there and were just as surprised as Logan for showing up. But they knew Logan was wanted by the boss, so they beat the crap out of him and took him in. In a kangaroo court, the boss declared that Logan was guilty of a myriad of charges, from hoarding to stealing goods belonging to the boss. All the charges of course were false, Logan and the others had simply took as much of their own things as they could when they left town. They were fixing to execute him when Lady Lizzie and the others rescued him.

The group had about 47 people total living in what Logan called a “hanging valley” north about 50 miles. They had been circling around to head north when they stopped for the evening to rest the horses and Coon had literally ran into them. They had shelters made in the valley for themselves and the 50 horses that they had managed to scrounge up over the past few months. They also figured they would be snowed in soon. Over the past month, they had gathered enough food for themselves and the horses and were trying to get the last couple of decent people out of town, which they did manage to do.

Coon met everyone and found out that the man she had whacked was called Buster Jones and she would meet every one of his glares that he tossed her way, with an arched eyebrow and smirk that said, “You got what you deserved, you shouldn’t have messed with me.”

Actually Coon began to like everyone in the group as the evening progressed, even Buster. There was Lady Lizzie, Logan, Buster, Frank Burns (who was not the Frank Burns that was in MASH), Mike Kennedy, his brother Mark, Larry Montgomery, Samuel Freeman, and the list went on and on…..Coon just knew she would not remember them all. But she did get to thinking that the Farm might just be able to use some horses so she brought up the idea of some trading with Lady Lizzie.

So a plan was made that Logan and most of the boys would head to the valley in the morning and Coon would take Lady Lizzie and Buster to the Farm to talk trading. Plus Lady Lizzie was hoping that they might get some help cleaning up their town come spring.

I’m so excited! I get to go on my “rite of passage” quest! Poppy and Granny almost didn’t let me go since there was so much crap goin’ on in the world but I’ve promised to be very careful.

I can only take a knife and the clothes on my back, Poppy said that is what the young warriors took when they would go on their vision quest. I’m not quite going on a vision quest, so that is why I call it my rite of passage.

Poppy also said I must go to someplace that I didn’t know. So that means the cave is off limits. And I also cannot go by any people.

Did I mention how excited I am?

I’m leaving now. I’ve hugged Poppy, Granny, and even The Bugger. All I have is some good moccasins on my feet, a warm set of clothes and my new knife that Poppy gave me. I can’t come back until I know it’s time to. Poppy said I will know when to come home.

I was just a tiny bit scared, but both Granny and Poppy seem convinced that things will go well for me. It is awesome to have someone who knows and loves you so much that they have that much trust and confidence in you! I am SO incredibly blessed!