By Lyn Wilson (G)
Read part one here: https://logosophiamag.com/2024/03/23/linas-story-part-1-jehovah-jireh-the-lord-did-provide/
Lina woke to the sounds of Riggins, her horse, pawing at the ground as he whinnied softly. She wondered if she was still dreaming. But no, she was lying on the ground, her oilcloth stretched beneath her, wrapped in her cloak for warmth against the damp cold of the cave in which she spent the night. She roused herself from her sleep with some difficulty. Her faithful dog Lorcan lay at her feet, still drowsy. She sat for a moment listening to the sounds of the cave. She could hear nothing but the wind whistling past the cave opening, yet Riggins was clearly agitated – pacing, and shaking his head so that the metal rings that held his bit and reins jangled loudly.
Riggins’ behavior sent a chill up her spine. He almost never displayed signs of anxiety. Her cheeks grew hot and she could hear the sound of her heart pounding in her ears again. As Lina pulled her cloak around her shoulders, she took the dagger from the inside pocket. Speaking calmly and quietly she untied Riggins then took a firm hold of his reins. She did not know what lay ahead of her. Had her enemies come to find her? Was Jakob still asleep at the entrance to the cave? Was she alone? She strained to hear any sound. Every sound she heard seemed to echo loudly. Her heart was beating very fast now. Her legs felt heavy and very weak. She let Riggins walk slightly ahead of her towards the front of the cave. She used him as a buffer against what lie ahead. But the large horse walked so quickly she could hardly keep up. She felt cold, tired, and a little sick. She hadn’t eaten much in the last twenty-four hours.
Lina had run from her home just one day ago. It felt as though she had lived a lifetime of fear and stress in that time. She wasn’t afraid of dying; she knew that she would go to the arms of God with her parents. She feared, in the way one would, what the O’Hanlon boys would do if they caught her. They were vicious. Her once quiet neighbors had turned into brutal men. They wanted the property on which her parents farm sat and they would do anything to get it. She ran but she wouldn’t stay gone permanently. She was going to go back to her farm; it was her heritage. Strong willed as she was, she was also vulnerable and very much alone, with no family to help her. She prayed with all her heart that her friend Jakob would stay to help her get through the upheaval of her current situation.
Her faithful dog, Lorcan, by her side, she and Riggins walked on to the front of the cave to find Jakob there holding the reins of Matild, her faithful workhorse. Lina drew in her breath sharply with surprise and relief. Jakob showed her a feather carved from stone upon which was the mark of her friend Sigur, a dear man who had become her father figure after the loss of her own father to a flash flood. The feather, a symbol of her childhood pet name “Schneewittchen” or Snow-White. Once again, Sigur risked everything in the dead of night to bring her provisions and of course her beautiful horse. Tears welled up in her eyes but she did not cry: there was no time for tears.
Jakob asked Lina to go back into the cave to hide all signs that she and Riggins had been there in the night. But first she went to the freshwater pool to splash water on her face. She tied her hair back with a bit of string from the edge of the oil cloth. With a stick she obscured the signs that she, Riggins and Lorcan had slept in the cave. The only sign to be left would be a small fire upon which Jakob cooked fish for their breakfast. That would not seem as unusual in the cave of Meghera. People often stopped there to get out of the wind and rain.
Lina looked at her childhood friend. His face lined with the sun, his eyes looked like that of a much older man. Clearly life had been hard for him. His dark red hair was streaked with a bit of gray; beneath the surface of his sun-soaked skin were the freckles he had as a little boy. He was no longer that plump child who clambered up the rocks with her to hide sea glass and little treasures. He was tall, well muscled, lean, much more agile than she remembered. He carried a blade on his hip, one in his boot, and she thought she saw one strapped under his loose fitting blouse. The one thing that had not changed was his cocky smile. Jakob did not give off the air of a man that would welcome questions of a personal nature. Lina decided she would not ask why he was now called “Jakob the Wanderer”. If he wanted to tell her about his life he would do so in his own time.
He smiled up at her from under his floppy brimmed felt hat. “Are you ready to go? We must leave soon.” He asked, in an off-handed way while checking the weight in Matild’s saddlebags. Lina looked at him. For the very first time she realized her friend was a very handsome man. He glanced at her; “Lina? Is everything alright?” Embarrassed, she muttered something about being lost in thought.
She proceeded to take some clothes from the bag Sigur had sent with Matild. They were clothes made for a boy. She thought perhaps it was all Sigur could find in a hurry. Lina could not be fussy now. The clothes were warm, dry, and clean. She hurried to a small cavern to one side of the cave, pulled the clothes on hurriedly. She destroyed her boot prints as she went. The clothes were big for her petite form but she wasn’t going to argue; she was warm and dry for the first time in several hours.
“Do you think we’ve covered our tracks well enough?” Jakob said, thinking aloud. He pulled on a long leather riding coat after which he pulled out a long boiled-wool riding coat and a wool hat with a large round brim, obviously made for a boy, adding, “Sigur sent a coat and a hat that will keep you warm. The coat will resist the water so it should keep you dry until we get to our next destination.”
Lina remembered something Sigur said to her, “People only see what they expect to see, little one.” She slid the coat on. It was roomy and very warm. She slid her dagger into the inside pocket then placed the hat on her head, doing her best to tuck her thick black hair into it. She would look like a boy from a distance. It might be enough to fool the O’Hanlon boys. Lina realized that Sigur was always two steps ahead of his adversaries.
Jakob and Lina quickly hitched Lina’s little wagon to Riggins, a task she had done many times before she had to run from her own home, memories flooding back to her mind. He was a very tall horse and Lina was petite, therefore, Jakob helped her up onto the wide back of her spirited horse. Lorcan willingly jumped into the wagon, making himself quite comfortable. With Matild already packed, their stomachs full and their clothes dry both Lina and Jakob were ready to depart Meghera for their next destination. Before they left the cave Jakob prayed to God, “Great God who sees us and knows all. We ask your protection over us and Sigur. Send your angels to watch over us. We give you the glory for the victory ahead. Amen.” Lina said, “Amen”, and they mounted their horses.
The ocean outside the cave seemed angry. The froth rose and fell as the waves pummeled the shore. The sand was littered with seaweed, bits of shell and pieces of fishermen’s nets. The caves of Maghera formed a half circle, trapping the wind and salt spray inside. The wind had a cold bite to it with a mist of salty water. Lina’s eyes stung as the salty air thrashed her face. She was very grateful for the coat and hat Sigur had sent her. She pulled the collar a little closer to her neck and the hat down over her eyes. The tails of Jakob’s riding coat slapped against the saddlebags on Matild’s back making a loud snapping sound. He pulled out a scrap of cloth to cover his mouth and nose. He and Matild took the brunt of the wind striking them full in the face. Matild took the strain without shying.
Jakob led the way past the system of cave openings keeping very close to the rock face. As they reached the end of a rock outcropping Lorcan started to growl. Jakob signaled to Lina to stop. They stood still. Between the pounding of the waves and the sound of her own deep breathing, Lina could not hear anything. Riggins’ ears were laying back against his head. Lina could hear him start to breathe heavily and snort. She reached inside her coat to reassure herself that the dagger her father gave her was in place. It felt cold against her hand, or maybe that was just fear of what was coming. Lorcan growling was one thing, but Riggins showing signs of anger was another thing entirely. Riggins has always been a bit unpredictable. If he ran there would be no controlling him. The wagon with all her possessions would be destroyed. She whispered to Riggins, “God sees and knows, my faithful friend.” She’d been praying all along but now her heart cried out to God for help.
The O’Hanlon boys were fools but not stupid. Whether they’d be waiting for her at the road that led away from the caves or not, she had no way of knowing.
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