Now that I have finished the ongoing story set in the Yukon, I wanted to share I am working on a detailed account of the life of Steward, one of my favorite characters. This time, however, I am working in collaboration with my wife, who is writing the book with me. Steward’s Journey is well underway, and the writing process is going smoothly thus far (57,435 words completed).
As promised, below is a preview of the beginning of Steward’s Journey. Enjoy!
William Stanley
STEWARD’S JOURNEY
THE BIRTH
A quiet fell over the Indigenous camp. Two native women were with the new mother who had just birthed a son in this village she called home. The new baby would be named Steward. The year was eighteen sixty-five and the place was the Yukon. Like a shiny diamond, this territory was the jewel of Canada’s north, an undeveloped wilderness inhabited by natives for years before the white man arrived to trap fur.
With the discovery of gold later in its history, this pristine land was invaded by the white culture, the Indigenous way of life in the Yukon never looking the same. The scourge of the white invasion brought disease to the native people. Their culture was introduced to alcohol, which wrought devastation upon these innocent people. Fur and horses were traded by the natives for this evil brew, leaving their families devastated and penniless.
Steward’s father was one of the hapless victims of this scourge. This man left his pregnant wife penniless, dying in the bush only months before the birth of his son. He froze to death on the very ground whose purpose was to support his life. It was a promise his Creator could no longer keep, as this disease called alcoholism ravaged his tired soul.
Shouts of joy erupted spontaneously among the people gathered outside the shelter as the news of the birth of the child was heard. Both the infant and new mother were in good health, both coming through the ordeal unscathed. Steward and his mother would be helped by their tribe and family members, surviving the tragedy involving Steward’s father.
As Steward matured, the story of his father’s death would leave him wondering why his father had been taken before he was born. It was an issue his childhood friends did not seem to be bothered by, but which would leave Steward a broken man, eventually causing him to become disassociated from his tribe, moving deeper into himself and the forests which surround him.
Steward’s mother swaddled her child, hugging him deeply, feeling the love flowing freely from his newborn soul. A new life on a planet called Earth had just begun, a miracle delivered from Steward’s mother, a gift God had bestowed upon her.
CHAPTER ONE
Steward’s eyes were open, as he suckled on his mother’s breasts feeling safe and secure. Steward could not comprehend where he was. He had been taken from his mother’s womb and cast into this strange new world, a world he did not understand. Steward’s mother, Mourning Dove, hugged her newborn tightly. Love coursed through this woman’s heart for the child she had conceived with her now deceased husband.
After satisfying his hunger, Steward fell asleep, his head resting on his mother’s chest. Mourning Dove joined her baby in sleep, exhausted after the ordeal of Steward’s birth. The crackling of campfires burning, and the smell of meat cooking woke Mourning Dove from her comfortable sleep. Steward awakened with his mother, snuggling his tiny face deeper into her.
Mourning Dove’s sister, Beverly, entered the shelter, bringing food cooked on the campfire outside. Mourning Dove, having had no nourishment since going into labour, graciously accepted what was offered to her. Bev admired her new nephew, thrilled he was healthy and bonding with his mother.
The month’s passed quickly, with Steward growing quickly. Mourning Dove and her sister were kept busy making clothes for Steward as winter approached. Clothing made from animal hides and fur assured the survival of the child through the cold months of winter. Living in the forest, depending solely on nature for survival, was a hard life, but one Steward would learn to understand.
Longhouses were built by these native people for shelter, shared by members of their clan. Fires kept burning day and night, protected these winter campers from freezing. During Steward’s first winter, he was cold most of the time. His mother, Mourning Dove, kept him swathed in warm furs, keeping him alive in the extreme environment in which he lived.
As the winter months passed into spring, the sun’s warm rays warmed the land, bringing a rebirth to the frozen wilderness. Mourning Dove had met a man who was willing to marry her and raise her son as his own. Feeling the need for the security he offered, she accepted his proposal. Steward would have a stepfather, and eventually a sister, his mother would call Wendy. As Steward grew into a teenager, he would become protective of his sister, feeling responsible for her safety and well-being. Wendy would be close to Steward, listening to him as any younger sister would. Steward’s relationship with Wendy would become very important to both of them after their parent’s deaths.
As a youth, Steward’s new stepfather, Soaring Eagle, would teach him the ways of the land and animals which called the forest home. As a teenager, Steward would become an experienced hunter and dog sled musher, Soaring Eagle having bred dogs all of Steward’s life.
The warm spring air dominated the nighttime, permeated by the smell of blooming flowers and new green growth. The campfires crackled in the dark night, throwing warm light into the surrounding forest. Steward slept soundly, his new dog cuddled against him tightly, a new friend his dad had given him, in a land where friends were few.
