Finding Truth Behind Legends
by Wizardtho
Chapter 25:
Walking into the house, Taha and I step into a flurry of activity… all of my father’s making. He has both Aiden and Jake busy boarding up the master loft stairway, while Shiloh is helping him wrap the dismantled and labeled railings in tarps. I stop in the living room and look up at the loft, uneasy about Dad falling.
I take a breath, then say as I look at the man sitting with his feet dangling over the edge of the loft, “I don’t have money for hospital bills, Dad. Please be careful. Did you dismantle that unneeded plywood shelf in the basement?”
He chuckles, a big smile on his face, then promises, “I’m fine, Bells. I promise to be careful, though. We got just enough material out of that shelf to frame out and close off the stairway opening. Did you have a successful trip?”
Grinning and giving him 2 thumbs up, I offer, “Super successful. The wood looks just like the wood here, the light fixtures are all cool and rustic, the beams and wood trim are immaculate, and the exterior wood can be used to make a 1 room cabin with a bath, if we can get the manpower to get all this done. Shiloh, do you know how many shifters are coming yet?”
He pops his head over the side and shakes it, “No, Miss Bella, but Aiden might. He was the last one out of the 3 of us to be linked into the pack mind.”
Before I can say his name, Aiden calls from my bedroom, “Seven of 12 tribes have come back saying they are sending 2 members. That’s counting Jake and Leah, Miss Bella. Two have come back saying they will send 1 for the meeting, and may send more once they know the situation. We haven’t heard from the other 3 yet, but Zander was hoping to have a final number by late this afternoon.”
I thank him before saying aloud, “That’s all we can handle in the house, with just the tribes who are sending two. If we can get the cabin done, and the 3 who haven’t answered all send 2, that means we only need to find housing for 2 shifters. I don’t like having to split shifters up, though.”
Shiloh starts wrapping another bundle of spindles for Dad, but offers in response, “Zander said he could take a couple at his house, Miss Bella. As soon as I’m finished helping Chief Swan, I’ll be heading over to Gray Haven. It would really help if we had a list, so everyone will know what materials you need. Or better yet, just call things out to me now, and I can jot them down on the paper next to me.”
I grin, then when I see him picking up a pen, I say, “Any long runs of electrical wiring and boxes, any good insulation, the exterior siding… figure enough to cover probably a 30’x 25’ one-story cabin. Then we need any usable beams and trim, unbroken windows if you can manage, light fixtures, at least 1 more dining table and set of chairs, and I saw a few chairs with round side tables between them. Oh, we’ll need one of those smaller side sets of french doors for the cabin. Think of it this way, Shiloh. If it’s needed to make a whole new cabin, we’ll need it. Framing, electrical, plumbing, heating and cooling, the cabinets from the main room bar area, any anything else you can think of. If it wasn’t damaged by the fire, and it’s in working order, consider it a possibility. Anything not used, we can research pricing for and sell on Craigslist. That would really help with a few weeks worth of groceries for all the supes.”
Shiloh nods several times as I speak, his pen a whirl of motion, then he finally promises, “Got it. This will give everyone a basis to work from. Where do you want all the supplies brought?”
I hum, then offer, “Direct most of it to the back and side patios. I’ll move all the furniture to my bedroom porch. Anything breakable, electrical, or insulation related, direct to the basement. If you don’t have time to tally everything there, that’s fine. Nothing will be done until we can get everything accounted for here.”
I take a seat in the living room chair, where I can see Dad, then pull my phone from my pocket. I scroll through my contacts, find Brad’s number, then press the call button. He answers after the second ring, “Miss Bella? What’s up?”
I chuckle, then ask hopefully, “Hi, Brad. I just found out how many shifters we have confirmation for. Please tell me your dad ordered more supplies.”
He barks out a laugh, then calls out, “Yeah, Dad. Hold on. I’ll put her on speaker. Here, Miss Bella.”
I let out a breath, then say, “Hudson, I know you’re doing everything you can with the materials you had on hand, but I just found out how many shifters were possibly coming. My plan is to build a cabin on my land from the salvageable materials at Gray Haven, then keep it as a safe haven for our pack once the pow wow is over. Since I would be keeping 2 bunk sets in the cabin permanently, I would pay you for them. My question is, how long will it take you to order enough supplies to make… let’s say... 4 more sets of bunks?”
The man chuckles, then says, “No worries, Bella. I ordered more supplies as soon as I returned home from our initial meeting. I will be picking them up tomorrow morning around sunrise. I’ll need to add another 2 days to the timeline I quoted you before, and Zander would need to be spoken to about me keeping Brad longer, but it can be done without an issue. Do you want any specific style?”
I shake my head as I reply, “I’m not picky. I will take any style you want to make, as they can be separated to stand alone and they keep with the requirement of bedding adult shifters easily. Don’t worry about Zander. I’ll talk to him myself as soon as I see him; I’m sure he’ll understand.”
He chuckles, “As you wish. If you need anything else, please call.”
I reply, “I will, Hudson. Thank you,” then end the call.
When I look up, Aiden is looking down at the coffee table, and I realise I’ve done some mindless doodling as I spoke on the phone. On a scrap of paper, I sketched a floorplan of a cabin, but what came out on paper was more than I had been planning for.
Before I can say anything, Aiden nods, “That’ll do nicely, Miss Bella… but you’ll spend less on outside materials if you change the fireplace into a hearth slab and a wood stove. Gray haven has both of those, and the piping to make it vent properly up and out. Plus, with the open bunk room the way you set it up, you will be able to house the entirety of the people coming. No need to ask others to host them. I think I even saw a stackable washer and dryer for that hall closet in Gray Haven. It was for their tablecloths, kitchen towels and things. I don’t know if it’s usable or not, but it’s worth a shot.”
I nod, then Shiloh comes into the room to peek at the floorplan. He grins, eyes me, then without a word, writes a few more things on his running list. That done, he says, “Chief Swan has released me from duty, so I’m off to help out with the demolition. You should be seeing activity in an hour or so, once trucks are filled and sent this way.”
I hand him my keys, then say, “Only you, Greg, Zander, or Aiden, if he switches off with someone. Jake’s on house duty for now, and we’re waiting for Leah to arrive, so please don’t let anyone else drive it.”
He nods, “Yes, Ma’am,” then takes my keys before heading for the front door.
Taha sits next to me, hands me a cold bottle of water, then nods appreciatively at the sketch. “He’s right. It will work well. With the shape and size of the building, a pier foundation will be easy and stable. That will leave a crawl space under the cabin, if needed for maintenance of incoming plumbing or electrical. Pouring the concrete piers can be done while you take stock of materials, now that we have a layout to go by.”
I take a sip of my water, then smile as Sam and the elders all come back into the room. “Where have you guys been? I was beginning to think I missed your return to Washington with the way I left.”
Old Quil smiles, “We have been touring the reservation and talking with the council. It looks like things are about to become very busy here, if the state of the building up the road is any indication.”
I nod, then look at Sam, “I figured out a way to house all of the coming shifters, by just switching the layout of the cabin a bit. See? I was originally planning on not having a separate bedroom. Just a big one room open cabin. This way, I can easily fit 4 sets of bunks, which will be enough to house what I can’t fit in the house.”
He smiles before saying, “Good. I know you were worried about that. I phased as soon as we got back here, and Leah is well on her way. She should be here before you turn in tonight.”
I let out a breath, saying, “Good. I’ll have Jake link in on the regular to keep track of her progress. Are you guys heading back?”
Billy nods, “Yes. Sam needs to get back to Emily and the pack, and we need to revisit a few of the old writings.”
I take turns hugging each of them, “Please travel safely. Sam, give Emily a hug for me. If any of you need to talk to us, you have both my cell number and Dad’s.”
Old Quil makes his way to Taha, who I’m again standing next to. He holds out his hand, and after Taha shakes it, Taha says something to him in Quileute. Whatever he says, makes the elders gasp in surprise before they nod gratefully. It’s only seconds before Old Quil responds in Quileute himself.
Jake nudges me as he stops next to me, since I stepped back to allow Taha to continue his sudden conversation. I motion with my eyes to the group in front of us, then whisper, “What was all that about?”
He chuckles softly, then whispers, “Taha blessed the council, then wished them safe travels. I guess they didn’t expect it, since he had been wronged for so long by our tribe.”
I nod, then smile as I watch Taha walking everyone to the front door. Thankfully, things are looking up for my mate and his relationship with his tribe.
Walking into the house, Taha and I step into a flurry of activity… all of my father’s making. He has both Aiden and Jake busy boarding up the master loft stairway, while Shiloh is helping him wrap the dismantled and labeled railings in tarps. I stop in the living room and look up at the loft, uneasy about Dad falling.
I take a breath, then say as I look at the man sitting with his feet dangling over the edge of the loft, “I don’t have money for hospital bills, Dad. Please be careful. Did you dismantle that unneeded plywood shelf in the basement?”
He chuckles, a big smile on his face, then promises, “I’m fine, Bells. I promise to be careful, though. We got just enough material out of that shelf to frame out and close off the stairway opening. Did you have a successful trip?”
Grinning and giving him 2 thumbs up, I offer, “Super successful. The wood looks just like the wood here, the light fixtures are all cool and rustic, the beams and wood trim are immaculate, and the exterior wood can be used to make a 1 room cabin with a bath, if we can get the manpower to get all this done. Shiloh, do you know how many shifters are coming yet?”
He pops his head over the side and shakes it, “No, Miss Bella, but Aiden might. He was the last one out of the 3 of us to be linked into the pack mind.”
Before I can say his name, Aiden calls from my bedroom, “Seven of 12 tribes have come back saying they are sending 2 members. That’s counting Jake and Leah, Miss Bella. Two have come back saying they will send 1 for the meeting, and may send more once they know the situation. We haven’t heard from the other 3 yet, but Zander was hoping to have a final number by late this afternoon.”
I thank him before saying aloud, “That’s all we can handle in the house, with just the tribes who are sending two. If we can get the cabin done, and the 3 who haven’t answered all send 2, that means we only need to find housing for 2 shifters. I don’t like having to split shifters up, though.”
Shiloh starts wrapping another bundle of spindles for Dad, but offers in response, “Zander said he could take a couple at his house, Miss Bella. As soon as I’m finished helping Chief Swan, I’ll be heading over to Gray Haven. It would really help if we had a list, so everyone will know what materials you need. Or better yet, just call things out to me now, and I can jot them down on the paper next to me.”
I grin, then when I see him picking up a pen, I say, “Any long runs of electrical wiring and boxes, any good insulation, the exterior siding… figure enough to cover probably a 30’x 25’ one-story cabin. Then we need any usable beams and trim, unbroken windows if you can manage, light fixtures, at least 1 more dining table and set of chairs, and I saw a few chairs with round side tables between them. Oh, we’ll need one of those smaller side sets of french doors for the cabin. Think of it this way, Shiloh. If it’s needed to make a whole new cabin, we’ll need it. Framing, electrical, plumbing, heating and cooling, the cabinets from the main room bar area, any anything else you can think of. If it wasn’t damaged by the fire, and it’s in working order, consider it a possibility. Anything not used, we can research pricing for and sell on Craigslist. That would really help with a few weeks worth of groceries for all the supes.”
Shiloh nods several times as I speak, his pen a whirl of motion, then he finally promises, “Got it. This will give everyone a basis to work from. Where do you want all the supplies brought?”
I hum, then offer, “Direct most of it to the back and side patios. I’ll move all the furniture to my bedroom porch. Anything breakable, electrical, or insulation related, direct to the basement. If you don’t have time to tally everything there, that’s fine. Nothing will be done until we can get everything accounted for here.”
I take a seat in the living room chair, where I can see Dad, then pull my phone from my pocket. I scroll through my contacts, find Brad’s number, then press the call button. He answers after the second ring, “Miss Bella? What’s up?”
I chuckle, then ask hopefully, “Hi, Brad. I just found out how many shifters we have confirmation for. Please tell me your dad ordered more supplies.”
He barks out a laugh, then calls out, “Yeah, Dad. Hold on. I’ll put her on speaker. Here, Miss Bella.”
I let out a breath, then say, “Hudson, I know you’re doing everything you can with the materials you had on hand, but I just found out how many shifters were possibly coming. My plan is to build a cabin on my land from the salvageable materials at Gray Haven, then keep it as a safe haven for our pack once the pow wow is over. Since I would be keeping 2 bunk sets in the cabin permanently, I would pay you for them. My question is, how long will it take you to order enough supplies to make… let’s say... 4 more sets of bunks?”
The man chuckles, then says, “No worries, Bella. I ordered more supplies as soon as I returned home from our initial meeting. I will be picking them up tomorrow morning around sunrise. I’ll need to add another 2 days to the timeline I quoted you before, and Zander would need to be spoken to about me keeping Brad longer, but it can be done without an issue. Do you want any specific style?”
I shake my head as I reply, “I’m not picky. I will take any style you want to make, as they can be separated to stand alone and they keep with the requirement of bedding adult shifters easily. Don’t worry about Zander. I’ll talk to him myself as soon as I see him; I’m sure he’ll understand.”
He chuckles, “As you wish. If you need anything else, please call.”
I reply, “I will, Hudson. Thank you,” then end the call.
When I look up, Aiden is looking down at the coffee table, and I realise I’ve done some mindless doodling as I spoke on the phone. On a scrap of paper, I sketched a floorplan of a cabin, but what came out on paper was more than I had been planning for.
Before I can say anything, Aiden nods, “That’ll do nicely, Miss Bella… but you’ll spend less on outside materials if you change the fireplace into a hearth slab and a wood stove. Gray haven has both of those, and the piping to make it vent properly up and out. Plus, with the open bunk room the way you set it up, you will be able to house the entirety of the people coming. No need to ask others to host them. I think I even saw a stackable washer and dryer for that hall closet in Gray Haven. It was for their tablecloths, kitchen towels and things. I don’t know if it’s usable or not, but it’s worth a shot.”
I nod, then Shiloh comes into the room to peek at the floorplan. He grins, eyes me, then without a word, writes a few more things on his running list. That done, he says, “Chief Swan has released me from duty, so I’m off to help out with the demolition. You should be seeing activity in an hour or so, once trucks are filled and sent this way.”
I hand him my keys, then say, “Only you, Greg, Zander, or Aiden, if he switches off with someone. Jake’s on house duty for now, and we’re waiting for Leah to arrive, so please don’t let anyone else drive it.”
He nods, “Yes, Ma’am,” then takes my keys before heading for the front door.
Taha sits next to me, hands me a cold bottle of water, then nods appreciatively at the sketch. “He’s right. It will work well. With the shape and size of the building, a pier foundation will be easy and stable. That will leave a crawl space under the cabin, if needed for maintenance of incoming plumbing or electrical. Pouring the concrete piers can be done while you take stock of materials, now that we have a layout to go by.”
I take a sip of my water, then smile as Sam and the elders all come back into the room. “Where have you guys been? I was beginning to think I missed your return to Washington with the way I left.”
Old Quil smiles, “We have been touring the reservation and talking with the council. It looks like things are about to become very busy here, if the state of the building up the road is any indication.”
I nod, then look at Sam, “I figured out a way to house all of the coming shifters, by just switching the layout of the cabin a bit. See? I was originally planning on not having a separate bedroom. Just a big one room open cabin. This way, I can easily fit 4 sets of bunks, which will be enough to house what I can’t fit in the house.”
He smiles before saying, “Good. I know you were worried about that. I phased as soon as we got back here, and Leah is well on her way. She should be here before you turn in tonight.”
I let out a breath, saying, “Good. I’ll have Jake link in on the regular to keep track of her progress. Are you guys heading back?”
Billy nods, “Yes. Sam needs to get back to Emily and the pack, and we need to revisit a few of the old writings.”
I take turns hugging each of them, “Please travel safely. Sam, give Emily a hug for me. If any of you need to talk to us, you have both my cell number and Dad’s.”
Old Quil makes his way to Taha, who I’m again standing next to. He holds out his hand, and after Taha shakes it, Taha says something to him in Quileute. Whatever he says, makes the elders gasp in surprise before they nod gratefully. It’s only seconds before Old Quil responds in Quileute himself.
Jake nudges me as he stops next to me, since I stepped back to allow Taha to continue his sudden conversation. I motion with my eyes to the group in front of us, then whisper, “What was all that about?”
He chuckles softly, then whispers, “Taha blessed the council, then wished them safe travels. I guess they didn’t expect it, since he had been wronged for so long by our tribe.”
I nod, then smile as I watch Taha walking everyone to the front door. Thankfully, things are looking up for my mate and his relationship with his tribe.
Bella's Cabin Idea