Wind Beneath My Arrow

Wind Beneath My Arrow

She silently raised her bow and took aim. The arrow took flight at the same time a stiff October gust brushed her cheek whipping a wayward strand of dark curly hair into her eyes at the same instant it spooked her target. The young buck flinched as the arrow pierced his rear flank far from the intended kill zone. All her carefully laid plans of scoring a winter supply of meat with a single shot close to home slipped away as the dear panicked and skedaddled, limping deeper into the forest.

Nellie-Rae sighed as she grabbed two burlap bags and her knife out of the the one-wheeled cart and debated if she would still need the bow and arrow. Too much to carry through the undergrowth. No telling how far she may need to trail that critter before he lost too much blood and collapsed. In an instant she was through the baited clearing and plunging into the brush broken by his hasty retreat. She was grateful she donned her Pa's rolled up britches and old battered jacket so the briers couldn't shred her delicate arms and legs.

Besides taking on his clothes, the slight sixteen-year-old old was taking on her father's role since his injury left him unable to provide for the approaching cold weather in these Georgian mountains. Sure she was able to catch a snowshoe rabbit in one of her traps once in a while but some aromatic smoked venison steaks stored in the root cellar next to Ma's canned vegetables would ease her mind and fill all three of their bellies.

Poor Pa seemed to be ailing even more as consumption was setting in after his fall in the mine. Folks around called him 'Lucky Leo' because his claim always seemed to yield enough to keep his family from the poor house. But luck may have run out this time around.

“Focus, Nellie, you nilly! Which way is he leading? Follow the blood dripping. Can't be too much longer.”

She barreled on through hill and dell remembering all the way she must also haul any meat back through this path. No easy task. She kept beating herself up for missing an easy shot. She placed the cart nearby to haul it all back home. Now she would have to field dress as much as she could, fill the two bags only as full as she could carry and hopefully make another trip back before some other predator claimed her catch.

Her heart and hope plummeted realizing the injured animal was heading toward her neighbor's property. “Don't cross the creek! Please, don't cross the creek.” She whispered to him.

On the other side of the bordering creek sat Otis Crawford's dilapidated homestead. All the folks in the county suspected any corn the reluctant farmer grew went into making moonshine because Otis was forever intoxicated yet rarely seen buying any store bought hooch. His only family, a teen-aged son, went wanting for everything except black eyes and bruises. Cody was ready to strike out on his own the first chance he got but his dad kept him feeling guilty and obliged to do his bidding.

Nellie knew if her near-dead piece of meat fell on Otis's land he would claim it as his own. She prayed that wouldn't happen.

Her prayer went unanswered this time around. The dear staggered through the shallow creek bed and fell dead at last. Maybe she could make quick work of the carcass and get her portion before Otis discovered her. It would make no difference to him seeing her arrow still attached. On her way across the creek a familiar twitch made her look down and sure enough a shiny piece of rock caught her eye. She stooped long enough to dig it out of the silt and pocket it.

Nellie made quick work selecting the finest cuts she could to fill her bags knowing she probably wouldn't be able to return to claim the rest in time. She was stepping back through the creek when she heard the click.

“Stop thief! Or I'll shoot.”

“Mr. Crawford! I'm no thief and you know it!” She stopped cold in the water.

“I see you killing and gutting a deer on my property and making off with the meat. That makes you a thief and I have every right to shoot you, Little Girl.”

“I crippled the deer near my house and followed it here. You can tell that's my arrow. And you can come look at the trail of blood if you need more proof. Besides I'm willing to leave you more than half for yourself and Cody. A nice bonus for the winter months wouldn't you say? Now my feet are freezing so I'm moving on.”

“Not so fast!” A big burly fist grabbed onto her jacket collar and lifted her out of the water. She managed to cling onto both bags. “What else you got to throw into the bargain?”

“I don't have..”

“You're Lucky Leo's girl, ain't ya? Heard he's always slinging a little gold dust around town. He musta hit it big. What would he give to get his little girl back? Unscathed?”

This close to him, she could smell the reek of booze on him.

“Pa's not been up to the mine for a while since his injury. We're barely getting by like most folks around here. Need this meat to get through the winter. Like that hunk will help you and Cody. Please turn me loose so I can get home before dark.”

“Ya aughta be afraid of the dark. Ya sure don't look like much in those over sized men's clothes covered in blood but I ain't had me a woman in a long time. Can't dress a dear worth your weight but I could take a little outta your hide to make up fer it.” He pulled her in closer to his rank breath.

“I'm no expert like you and Pa. It's my first one ever. Please let go.”

“Who's there?” Otis asked as he heard a twig snap and let go of her collar.

“Hey, Pa. Looks like you bagged a nice buck and are sharing with Nellie. How neighborly.”

“Hi, Cody, So glad to see you but I need to run home before dark. Bye. Thanks, Mr. Crawford.”