Editor’s Note: This is an ongoing series which runs each Thursday morning titled the Richland Chronicles Volume 3, by author Paul Lintern. It is set in 1831 and tells the story of Richland County through the eyes of young people. This is the third in a three-book trilogy. Volume 1 was Amelia Changes Her Tune, while Volume II was Isaac and Wolf Paw Find Their Home.
Autumn’s mind was spinning the next day, as she rode Chestnut toward Olivesburgh with some clothes that the aunts had altered for the Pittenger girls from the night before.
They didn’t need to be delivered right away, but Autumn wanted to be on her own awhile so she volunteered the errand. She also volunteered to take her little brother, Josh, who loved to ride. Josh was three, but never said a word except, “uhhh.”
Autumn did not have trouble understanding him, though. Today, he just rode quietly and Autumn sat deep in her thoughts.
How much does Ermina know about what her father does? Have there been others? She talks that way. I wonder if the man I saw moved on? Who took him? What would Mother and Father think about it? Is anyone really looking for him?
Suddenly, Autumn was aware that she was passing Mrs. Holstein’s farm. She could see the cabin and barn through the line of trees along the road, even though the barn was partially hidden by a rise in the hill. She paused Chestnut at the clearing and stared at the Mrs. Holstein’s house, small and covered with vines or bushes or whatever plants take over a house that has been neglected.
Mrs. Holstein was a widow. Her farm was just big enough to keep her fed and let her trade for what she needed. She didn’t work the farm the way others did, but instead kept a few animals and a small garden.
The growth of weeds and bushes where they shouldn’t be gave a suspicious, eerie look, even in the daylight. As Autumn was studying the house, Mrs. Holstein stepped onto the porch, looking straight up the lane in her direction.
She sees me, and Autumn quickly nudged Chestnut to move on.
Look natural.
Fortunately for Autumn, Chestnut was in a nonchalant mood, so there was no panic in the view from a distance, even though Autumn’s heart was racing. Now her mind was racing again, too.
I wonder if a witch can tell from that far away who I am and what I was thinking. What if she is waiting for me on the way back? Maybe Emily is right, and Elizabeth. Maybe I am making too much of this, like Katherine says. How did Mrs. Holstein know I was there?
It was a relief for Autumn to arrive at the next farm, Emily’s home, just north of the Big Hill, which was the main landmark in the area. She tried to look calm and pleasant, but felt her heart jumping inside her as she hopped off Chestnut and then helped Josh down.
“You didn’t have to bring those today,” Savannah said as Autumn approached.
“Just wanted to be out this morning,” Autumn said. “Josh, too.”
“How’s the little man this morning?” Savannah asked the 3-year-old.
“Uhhh,” Josh smiled.
“I thought so,” Savannah laughed.
Emily came out of the barn, her dress tied at the knee to raise the hem out of the slop of the barn. Her work shoes were covered with mud and manure. She had straw in her hair and a smudge on her cheek. Wolf Paw should see you now.
“Did you come to help?”
“Just a delivery,” Autumn said. “Josh and I are heading to Olivesburgh.”
“Did you pass Mrs. Holstein’s farm?”
“Of course we did.”
“Did you see anything?”
Maybe, but don’t add to Emily’s list.
“I did get a glimpse of her as I passed by.”
“Was she dancing around with some burning flowers?”
“What?”
“That’s what I heard,” Emily said. “She’ll dance with burning flowers, then make a spell.
“There were some children near Olivesburgh who snuck over to the farm a couple of days ago, and she turned them into dark people. You know, black people — slaves. In the moonlight, she flew them on her broom to a secret castle up north.”
Autumn’s jaw dropped.
“Where did you hear that?”
“A couple of old men up at the general store there in Olivesburgh. I heard them talking about it,” Emily said.
Emily, you either are always at the right place to hear the right thing, or your ears work so hard they just make stuff up. It’s probably both.
Autumn and Josh soon climbed back on Chestnut and were on their way northwest to Olivesburgh. Emily’s farm was about halfway, but they still had to climb over part of the Big Hill, the lower north end. Then came a few creeks and the bigger Black Fork, at a wide spot that made the water more shallow. Today, the water was hardly up to Chestnut’s knees.
They stopped at the edge of the creek long enough for Autumn to clean up Josh after an accident from riding too long, and then catch a toad for Josh to take with him. When they reached the Olivesburgh store, Autumn bought a couple of things Mother could use at the inn, and some candy for Josh.
As they came out, Autumn noticed two old men sitting at a table, and wondered if they might know about Emily’s story. She and Josh sat down at the next table to eat the lunch they had brought along.
She was hoping to hear what the men were saying. Since they were old and hard of hearing, that was not hard. They talked about the weather, the crops, the straight winds that toppled a barn in April, about President Jackson and his predecessor, John Quincy Adams.
They talked about horses and pigs and chickens and cows, but nothing about witches or brooms or northern castles. Finally, with Josh squirming and Chestnut snorting, Autumn decided she had heard enough of nothing and started back.
As they rode, Autumn set her thoughts of slaves and witches aside to consider this Amelia who would be arriving someday soon, all the way from Boston. Will she be friendly or scared? Will she be like me? Will she even like me? What if she is like Emily and they become best friends? What if she thinks we are savages? Wonder if she will talk funny? What if she doesn’t want to stay?
Autumn was so busy wondering about this new visitor that she didn’t even realize she was passing Mrs. Holstein’s farm.
I probably wouldn’t have looked anyway, she thought afterward.
The last part of the journey, Autumn talked Chestnut into more of a trot, just for variety. Autumn’s old horse apparently wanted to recapture some adventure from his youth, or perhaps he knew he was almost to his oat bucket, but he surprised Autumn by trotting, almost galloping the last half mile to the Inn.
Autumn and Josh arrived at the front door almost winded by the exhilarating run. She hopped off Chestnut and set Josh on the ground. He was still holding his toad as she chased him into the Inn, where the adults seemed to have gathered.
Autumn stopped a couple of steps into the doorway by the fireplace. There was a girl at the bottom of the stairs in a beautiful lacy pink dress with high neck and long puffy sleeves. She was standing with Mother and the aunts.
“Hello, I am Amelia Pendergast.”
“Autumn Zeiters. Welcome to Oakland.”
