Into the Cold

“How’s this one?” Amelia asked, showing Caleb her most recent drawing. She’d drawn a picture of a moose they’d seen down at the water’s edge.

“It’s nice,” Caleb replied, with a rueful smile. “It would’ve been nicer if he were hanging in the smoke shed though.”

“I know,” Amelia sighed, putting the drawing down. “But he was so beautiful and majestic.”

“Yeah,” Caleb agreed. “But I really wanted his liver.”

“Ew,” she said, packing her picture away. As she stood, movement outside caught her attention. Looking out the window, Amelia smiled.

“You might get your chance,” she said, pointing. “Looks like he’s back.”

Jumping to his feet, Caleb moved to stand next to her. Amelia was right, the moose was back at the lake drinking his fill. Turning her around and lifting her face, Caleb kissed her deeply.

“Warm up the stove,” he said, reaching for his rifle. “We’re having liver tonight!”

With that, he quietly opened the cabin door and slipped out into the wilderness rifle in hand.

Amelia stared after him, pleased with the kiss and sickened at the thought of moose liver for dinner. Every time she thought about it a shiver went through her body.

‘Yuck,’ she thought, as she began stoking the stove.

Caleb slid soundlessly across the clearing with practiced steps. As he inched into range, he pulled his rifle to his shoulder and with one shot, took the bull to the ground.

Feeling like a kid again, he went back to the cabin and beckoned Amelia to join him.

“I could really use your help with this,” he called, grabbing his skinning knives.

Not sure if she really wanted to be part of this, but having no real excuse Amelia steeled her nerves and went outside. While she was okay with the smaller animals, the job of skinning and gutting the larger ones still made her nauseous.

“We need to pull him away from the lake before we butcher him,” Caleb said, tying a rope to the moose’s front feet. “We don’t want his blood or entrails polluting our drinking water.”

“Okay,” she agreed, grabbing the offered end of rope.

With a great amount of effort the two of them managed to drag the moose several yards away from the water to a small natural divot in the clearing.

“That should do it,” Caleb said, pulling out his honing stone. “Could you run up to the meat shed and grab the cart? It will make it easier to haul this guy’s pieces back.”

Amelia wiped the sweat running from her brow and did as he asked.

Caleb was already removing the animal’s innards and putting the awful into waiting buckets. When he came to the liver, he cut a small slice and offered it to her. Amelia took a step back and shook her head.

“I’m not hungry enough to try it,” she said, putting her hands up in front of her.

“Come on,” Caleb cajoled. “It really is very good.”

“I can’t” Amelia said, a look of revulsion on her face.

“Suit yourself,” Caleb shrugged and ate the piece himself, dark blood running down his chin.

“Oh,” Amelia moaned, turning green and running towards the bushes.

“Are you okay?” he asked, following her.

“Yes,” she managed to say between retches, waving him away.

Caleb backed away, concerned about her, but wanting to respect her wishes.

“Okay,” she said, wiping her chin on her sleeve, “that was gross.”

“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked, rubbing his hand up and down her arm.

“Yeah,” Amelia replied, taking several deep breaths. "That was just really gross."

“Amelia,” Caleb said seriously, looking down at her. “Out here is no place to take a chance with you health.”

“I’m fine,” she assured him, putting on a weak smile.

“Do you think you can help me with the rest?” Caleb asked seriously. “Or do you need to go inside?”

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “I can do it.”

“Alright,” he said, taking her hand, leading the way back to the moose.

Quickly he put the liver in a bucket with the animal’s tongue and heart and set it aside before Amelia had to see them.

She watched in fascination as he expertly sliced and peeled the hide, removing it in one seamless piece. Without being asked, Amelia took the skin from him and moved it to his processing station suppressing the urge to throw up again. The musky smell of the animal clawed at her nose trying to reach into her stomach.

Taking several deep breaths, she was able to keep her gag reflex in check, but only with the greatest effort.

When that part was done, Caleb took his knife and began to cut at the hindquarters. Freeing the first one, he asked Amelia to help him get it onto the sled. While she hauled it back, Caleb continued to cut taking everything edible from the carcass. He then removed the antlers for bleaching and with a sigh at a job well done stood.

Amelia had just returned from her last trip hauling the smaller cuts of meat, leaving the large rib sections for them to move together. It took three more trips with both of them straining under the weight of their bounty to get the rest of the animal back to the shed and hung away from other predators until he could slice and preserve it.

They were both covered in blood by the time they were done.

“Now,” Caleb said, wiping the blood from his knives, “I just need to get these innards and the few bones that are left and use the sled to drag them as far from here as I can. Help me load up?”

“Sure,” she said, lifting a bucket of awful with a grunt.

“Wanna go with me?” he asked when they were done.

“If you don’t mind,” Amelia said, looking down at her blood covered clothes. “I think I’m gonna stay behind and clean up a bit.”

“You probably should,” Caleb smiled, “you seem to have gotten blood smeared on your face.”

“What?” she asked, putting her hand to her cheek. “Where?”

“Here,” he laughed, surging forward and running his sticky wet hands down her cheeks.

“You…,” she said, moving aggressively towards him. “I’m gonna get you!”

She chased Caleb around the clearing, not sure what she was going to do to him, but she’d think of something.

Caleb banked left, then right, laughing uproariously at her expression. He ran straight into the water, sure Amelia wouldn’t dare follow.

Unfortunately, he’d underestimated how much she wanted to get him. With a final leap she tackled him, knocking him backwards into the water. It was chilly, but nothing compared to what it had been the night he fell through the ice.

They wrestled in the water until cold and exhaustion left them standing hip deep in the water, their arms locked in combat.

“You suck,” she said, her lips turning blue.

“Only if you ask nicely,” he replied, pulling her into his arms.

Their kiss was slow and passionate, their hands roaming freely across each others body.

“I think I’m in love with you,” Caleb said, when their kiss ended.

“Caleb,” she sighed, her head falling onto his chest.

“Amelia,” he said, hooking her chin with his finger. “I know you still plan to leave, and that is something I have to come to terms with, but you have to let me tell you how I feel.”

Before she could reply, he was kissing her again, a kiss that was so passionate, Amelia felt herself getting weak at the knees.

When the chill of the water finally forced them back to dry land, Caleb pulled the remains of the moose away from camp while Amelia stayed behind.

While he was gone, Amelia began mixing a batch of flat bread he’d taught her to make, hoping it would help settle her stomach.

Returning, Caleb cooked up a heart and tongue stew which Amelia grudgingly ate, but he couldn’t get her to touch the liver. Even discussing it made her turn green and dry heave, so he dropped it completely.

That night, they made love again, each of them unable to get enough of the other, neither of them wanting to think about her looming departure.