“Let me rephrase that. It's the loft area that is cold. I spent two weeks there, and it was hard chopping the wood and collecting the water from the stream every day. The snow is a lot less now than it was when I was there though.”
“We should put down a tarp if you and I have to spend any time on that roof. Being wet and cold sucks,” Charley said.
“I’m with you there. Thank goodness we have time to prepare.”
Charley smiled. “That’s always an advantage.”
When they reached the cabin, Zach unlocked the door, and nostalgia filled her. It was difficult living there alone, but it had been rewarding. Hunting for her own food had been the most satisfying part.
“I’ll show you around, not that there’s much to the place.” Cassidy pointed to the stairs that led to the loft.
“Too bad we can’t access the roof from inside,” Charley said.
“But you can,” Zach said.
“I didn't know that.” Not that Cassidy had wanted to go on the roof when she stayed there, but she hadn’t noticed an access door before. However, she didn’t sleep upstairs, so there was no reason why she should have known.
“We rarely use it, if ever. I think my grandfather built it so he could spot wildlife or look at the stars during the summer.”
Cassidy turned to Charley. “Let’s check it out.”
“You’ll need a ladder,” Zach said. “There’s a homemade one on the side of the building. I’ll get it.”
“Good. We don’t need any of Kitchener’s men finding it and using it to reach us on the roof.”
“That would be bad.” A minute later, Zach carried it in. “I’ll take it upstairs for you. We might as well leave it there for now.”
Cassidy was excited to see the view from on top. “Why don’t you bring your gear? You can show me how to use the crossbow,” she told Charley.
“I’d be happy to.”
Once Zach was satisfied the ladder was sturdy, Charley and Cassidy climbed up. A strong wind buffeted them when they reached the roof, but Cassidy was determined to make this work. The roof was creased in the middle and slanted downward on each side toward the front and back.
“We should set up here,” Charley said. “Maybe we can nail down a blanket across the peak of the roof so our elbows don’t move when we shoot.”
“I’m sure we can do something like that, but Mason mentioned that his plan was to build a blind for us.”
“That would be awesome. Until then, let me show you how to load the cross bow,” Charley said.
“It looks complicated what with the gears, pulleys, cables, and whatever else is there.”
Charley smiled. “It’s not that hard, but it takes practice.”
“Maybe I’ll stick to the bow and arrow then.” Cassidy picked up the bow and arrow Charley had brought and admired the workmanship. “This is sweet.”
“Thanks. My dad made it.”
“Really?”
“He needed a hobby.”
“I love it.”
“Try it out,” Charley said. “You pick the target, and we’ll both aim for it. Just note that the crossbow doesn’t go quite as far as a good old bow and arrow does. Since I have a scope, I’ll be impressively accurate though.” She grinned.
Cassidy loved a challenge. “How about the tree with the two yellow leaves on it?”
“You got it.”