Settlement: WOLF CROSSING

Chapter 2: Ledger and Shadow

Rachel Dixon rearranged the assorted sundries on the wood-planked table. She attempted to keep the categories of items in order, but as the day went on and people rifled through the bottles and containers, it became a losing battle of organization. She walked to the glass enclosed showcase where she had the valuable knives, tools and much sought after items. She saw that one of the hunter machetes was gone. She picked up the ledger to see who had bought it. Her eyes scanned the record and saw one of Donal's lumbermen had come in while she was outside setting up the overhead canvas had purchased. She turned the page and saw her lead teller had initiated the purchase and registered the amount of the sale on the man's tag card.

“Everything okay?” Georgia, her teller that had signed the tag card, asked.

“Yes. Perfect. Thanks for recording the machete purchase.”

“You're welcome.” Georgia knew how Rachel concerned herself with every purchase and barter. She had issues a few months ago when her ledger wasn't matching up to the currency sheets and tag cards every resident owned showing all their purchases and barters or trades.

The currency sheets were the government's way of tracking the monetary system within the republic. Every person was issued a currency sheet upon turning twelve years of age and that was their way of making purchases and selling items. The sheet kept track of their life savings.

“It was a good sale.” Georgia remarked. “We got the asking price with no quibbling or haggling.”

“That's good.” Rachel replied, and shut the ledger. “Doesn't happen too often.”

Georgia smiled at Rachel and headed over to the grocer side of the complex to assist traders.

Rachel stared at her emporium. Generations ago this large barn had been some kind of gathering barn for different commonwealth events. She had heard tales about how livestock were raised and put on display to be judged, and how people would prepare foods in jars for the same reason. All the time involved and hard work to win a piece of cloth and reward. She couldn't fathom the logic behind such a frivolous activity. Every day people here raise food to reproduce, barter or trade and eat. To put these daily essentials on display for a medal was beyond her rational thinking.

She knew life in generations past was easier and conveniences were unappreciated, but she just couldn't wrap her mind around parading a milking cow or a jar of spiced cucumbers as anything but a valuable commodity and waste of time.

Shaking her head at the notion, she stared up at the lofts overhead. She had extra supplies stored up there, but she could remember when she first happened upon the vacant building all the huge pieces of cloth that had been hung from the rafters. The tattered ends were worn beyond use and she ended up utilizing the clothes as blankets that first winter before the Trading Post came to be a layover for all travelers. Some of the wording on the clothes was confusing at first; it wasn't until she learned more about her domain and the surrounding buildings that she realized the words' meanings.

It had taken her almost a year to get the building in shape; and when she opened its doors over ten years ago, she had been a main supplier to nomads, hunters and trappers and any other lost souls that happened upon her settlement. It took a year to get the Republic government to acknowledge her establishment, but they never approved it to be part of the Globalist Republic. She named it Wolf Crossing. No particular reason other than it sounded ideal considering the Republic wouldn't sanction the community as a government institution. She felt the community would be seen as outsiders and the greatest stranger to unification and acceptance were wolves.

Wolf Crossing used the same bartering and trade currency as authorized communities, but they could never receive governing resources or a judicial system. In Rachel's mind, Wolf Crossing was just a wide spot in the road for travelers to rest, eat and trade.

Her eyes traveled to the individual stalls that had been standing when she first arrived. She had left them all there, only repairing some broken posts. They were perfect for people to have separate markets to sell their goods. Once word got out that the enclosed settlement was accepting inhabitants, Rachel had every building and container occupied. People waiting to get the chance to move into Wolf Crossing had set up a tent city outside the fencing hoping to one day be a permanent resident. But the Republic was intolerant of having more people in one settlement than it would allow. So only five-hundred people could lawfully live within the enclosure. To this day she still found it astounding that no laws were set in place to govern Wolf Crossing but the Republic made no qualms about enforcing laws they felt were within their rights.

When the government sent out a civil patrol group to investigate her region and to keep law and order, one man was assigned to oversee the new community. Evan Knotts. And to Rachel's consternation, the man still resided in the settlement.

Evan Knotts was a strict enforcer and never allowed even the smallest crime to be forgotten or punishment enforced. Where Rachel had a strong hatred towards the man; only because he was always instigating problems, Evan Knotts had strong feelings for Rachel. He never resisted taunting her, flirting with her; which caused other people in the settlement to assume she was sweet on him, and he took every opportunity to seek her out.

The man was insufferable and she despised him more than she could ever thought imaginable. Without realizing it, the man made her disposition sour and unpleasant. She blamed the Globalist Republic's denial of her community for government help more than she blamed Knotts; but the morose she harbored for the government seeped over to her animosity towards him.

“I hope that sullen look isn't meant for me.” Rachel broke from her reverie to see Duncan standing next to her.

“No, never.” She smiled. Duncan could make her worst day seem perfect. Whenever he was around her attitude perked up and she couldn't help but feel complacent.

“Not sure I want to know what, or who, caused such a glowering look on your face.” He returned the smile. “I'm here to pick up the deliveries heading up to The Divide.”

“Oh, yes.” Rachel sidestepped Duncan's massive stature and walked towards the postal where all the incoming and outgoing packages, correspondences and deliveries were kept. She grabbed the register and took a large postal bag and began filling it with letters, small packages and a few other assorted deliveries. She handed the bag to Duncan then walked to the rear of the room and pointed out the larger boxes that needed to be loaded into his wagon.

“I think Donal has some lumber and Solomon may have some things too.” She watched as he stooped down, and with great ease, lifted the sizable packages as if they were nothing. Her eyes roamed up and down his muscular biceps and flexed back. He hefted the packages and placed them on the counter.

“Okay. I can head over to the lumber mill and blacksmith's on my way out. Do you know if Starr has any spun cotton to go up that way?” He repositioned the packages on his broad shoulder and started to walk towards the door.

Starr Allen was the seamstress and sheep herder in the community. She was constantly selling fabric and clothing to people in the north community, known as The Divide. She was also one of Rachel's closest friends.

“She hadn't mentioned it to me, but knowing her, she will have a few packages to give you.” Rachel walked to the door of the postal to overlook the mass center room of the trading post to see if Starr was in the building.

“I haven't seen her here yet. Maybe I'll run over to her house and see what she has.”

“Sounds good. I'll wait for you here then. Let me go to Solomon's and Donal's then I'll be back.”

Rachel watched Duncan walk away and disappear out the large doors. She signaled to Georgia that she was leaving the building, then she walked to Starr's building just a few dozen yards away.