And the Morning Mists Shall Rise

"I hate to put you to so much trouble, but I really would appreciate it."

"It's really not much trouble. It's not far from here and I've got nowhere I have to be." She gave him a wide smile. "Just let me grab my jacket and shut down my office. I'll only be another minute."

This time it was only a minute before she reappeared, carrying a small purse and wearing a light nylon mountain parka. Richard held the door for her and she indicated the direction to their right.

They walked for about three blocks before coming to a small, two story brick building. It was locked but Katherine had a key and let them inside. She turned on lights and led the way to a small office with her name on a card near the door. A computer rested on the desk and she immediately sat down and flicked it on. While it was booting she said, "We have the references all on computer. Of course the documents themselves are filed away, but if we have anyone of that name in our files, I'll know it in a second."

She examined several files and finally shook her head. "The only Katie Branden is the one I spoke of, and she died sometime right after the Civil War. I thought maybe there was a descendant of the same name I hadn't noticed." Richard gave her a questioning look and she explained. "I'm actually related to her myself, but a long ways back, so I've looked at the Branden history before. The Brandens have been here a long time - since about 1785 or so. I just thought I might have missed someone."

Somehow Richard wasn't surprised: He had just hoped. Now he wasn't sure exactly what to do next. He was so sure Katie would be there, waiting for him, and now he couldn't even find her cabin, much less her. "Would you have, or know someone who might have, anything that told where there are cabins around here?"

"We don't and I doubt anyone else would either. There are hundreds of cabins in this area. I guess it depends on exactly what you mean by 'cabin'."

"Log cabin. It looked just like the ones you see in pictures of the pioneers."

"There are a lot of replicas around. Most, but not all, of them have modern insides, but from the outside they can look two centuries old."

"This one wasn't modern on the inside either. I don't know, I guess it's not likely anyone would have it listed since the post office didn't." He shook his head and was silent for a few seconds. "I guess I'll try to think of something else to try in the morning. I'd like to thank you for your help. You've been awfully kind. If you don't have any plans, maybe you'll let me buy you dinner to thank you."

"You don't have to do that. It really hasn't been that much trouble."

"No, you've really done a great deal. I really would like to buy you dinner. And I'd like to hear some more about the Brandens, if you'd tell me."

Katherine hesitated a couple of seconds and Richard thought she was going to decline again, but then she seemed to come to a decision and said, "All right. I accept."

Somehow this made Richard feel much better and he waited while Katherine shut down her computer and turned off the lights before leaving the building. "You'll have to suggest somewhere," Richard said. "I've only eaten breakfast and one dinner in town, and those were at the motel. In fact, I didn't even get around to lunch today."

"OK. Let's see. There's a small place down the street here. Unless you'd prefer one of the chains."

"No, you are definitely the expert. I can eat at a chain anytime."

"In that case, it's about two blocks from here." She indicated the direction and Richard, in an overly dramatic gesture, bowed and held out his arm for her to take. She laughed but put her hand on his arm and they started down the street.

The restaurant was small - only six tables - but the food was excellent. It was typical all-American food, home cooked and with portions that were actually big enough to see. Once they had tasted their choices, Richard said, "OK. Now what can you tell me about the Katie Branden you do know?"

"Well, I don't know her - she's been dead for well over a century - but sometimes I wish I had known her. She was an extraordinary woman. She came here with her parents when she was six or seven, along with two older brothers. That would have been in about 1785. Her parents had emigrated from Ireland and had lived in North Carolina for twenty years before they decided to move west. They built a cabin up alongside the Wilderness Road and opened a road house for the pioneers who were then streaming over the mountains into Kentucky. That was only ten years after Boonesboro was founded, but there were large numbers moving west then, so the Road was pretty busy. Anyway, they provided meals and a place where the women could wash clothes and so on. They did fairly well for several years and then the traffic began to spread out to other routes and the numbers dwindled. There had been several others who settled near them, but by 1795 the others had moved and the Brandens were the only ones left. Actually, Katie and her parents were all that still lived there. Her brothers had grown and moved out on their own. Both of them later moved back to the area, but then they had moved on down into Kentucky."

"Most families were pretty self sufficient then, so even without many travelers, the Brandens got along. Then about 1796 her parents were killed. I think their wagon went into a river and they both drowned. They had left eighteen year old Katie at home and when word of their accident came, she decided to stay on by herself. A lot of people tried to talk her out of it, but she had her mind made up. She lived by herself, alone in the cabin, for seven years until one day a traveler, by the name of John Franklin stopped on his way west. He never left. They were married and remained in the same area but they built a new house after a couple of years. They had two sons, Richard and James."

Katherine stopped for a second, her fork half way to her mouth, a surprised and thoughtful look on her face. "Come to think of it, Richard's middle name was Boone, just like yours. He always said that it was because his mother had said he was some relation to Daniel. Still, it's an interesting coincidence, isn't it?"

Katie lived there for almost another seventy years. One reason I know so much about her is that she kept journals. We have most of them in the historical archives and I've read them all. Along with raising a family and running the place, she found time to write a lot of poetry. She eventually had one volume published - Cumberland Trails. It was well accepted and she's still regarded as one of the true pioneers, not only of the region, but of American poetry. Some of her work was even done in free verse, years before it was accepted anywhere else.

"John died in about 1838, but Katie lived on until 1867. Some of the Branden and Franklin families lived there until the late 1800s. A lot of them are still in the area, but all that's left of the original places are a few ruins and the family graveyard."

"You mean there's still ruins of the cabins after more than two hundred years?" Richard asked incredulously.

"That's right. There are a lot of old cabins - or rather cabin parts - left in these mountains. And a lot of family graveyards. Would you like to see them sometime?"

Richard thought for only a few seconds. He didn't quite know why, but it seemed very important to him that he visit the home of his Katie's ancestors if that's who they were. "Yes, I think I'd really like that. Can you tell me how to get there?"

"It's a little hard to describe. The only way is to go on foot. There's an old trail off the Wilderness Road trail that leads to it, but it's kind of hard to find." She stopped and looked at him and came to a decision. "You look like you might do some hiking."

He nodded. "That's right. I'm a backpacker."

"All right. Tomorrow's Friday. I could show you how to get there, but I can't leave until noon so if you want to have time to look around we'd have to camp overnight."

"I'd love that," Richard said. "But I don't want to put you to that much trouble."

"It's no trouble. I've studied the Brandens a lot and I'd like to go back there again myself. Do you have any gear with you?"

"As a matter of fact, I have everything I need. Suppose I pick you up when you get off tomorrow and we can take my car."

"All right, if you think your car can handle some rough roads."

"It's a Blazer. Shouldn't be a problem."

"OK then, why don't you come to my apartment about twelve thirty. That will give me time to get home and change." She told him how to find her apartment.

Richard went back to his motel. For a long time he just sat in the room, lights off, thinking about everything. He had been so sure Katie would be waiting and he would find her right where he had left her. Now he couldn't even find the cabin. As he watched the nearly full moon through the motel window he almost began to wonder if he had dreamed the entire episode. After all, he had no real physical proof that she had ever existed. He remembered everything - everything! - in great detail but if he were asked to prove he had stopped at a cabin and spent the night, much less made love to Katie Branden, well, he couldn't do it. For the last month he had never questioned the existence of any of it. It was definitely real to him. But he had to admit that he had read of many people whose hallucinations seemed so real that no amount of evidence to the contrary could convince them otherwise. And in his case there was no evidence either way. He also had to admit that he had been under a lot of physical and mental strain that night. Still ...

For nearly three hours Richard sat, thought, and stared out the window. He was certain it had been real. If he had spent that night huddled against some wet tree, he would have remembered it, wouldn't he? The detail of his memories was too great to have been imagination, wasn't it? In the end he still believed that everything had happened, but a small crack was appearing in his beliefs.

Richard slept fitfully that night and when he awoke, much later than was usual for him, he felt tired and a little depressed. Even the clear, bright fall morning outside didn't do much to lift his dark mood. He showered and dressed and made his way to the motel dining room where he forced himself to eat a good breakfast. Afterwards he felt somewhat improved. How many of the world's ills and bad decisions could be traced to a skipped meal? He was still a little down but his black mood of an hour before was beginning to lift somewhat. When he thought about the prospect of the hike with Katherine it was at least with interest if not yet with wild anticipation. Maybe talking with her he'd discover some clue to Katie Brandon's whereabouts and, even if not, Richard always enjoyed the company of an interesting and pretty girl like Katherine. He assembled his camping gear and checked out of the motel.

Richard spent the next hour in the library trying to find some clue he'd missed the day before. He discovered some maps of the area which showed more detail and he found a copy of the tax and voting roles. But there was no mention of a Katie Branden. About a quarter after twelve he gave it up and left for Katherine's apartment.

He knocked on her door at exactly twelve thirty and when she opened it he found she was already dressed for hiking: long sleeved flannel shirt, jeans, and well worn hiking boots. "I'm just getting everything packed. Come on in and I'll only be another minute." He sat down and watched as she placed a couple of last minute items in a well used frame pack and pulled it closed. When they started for the car, he carried it out for her and found it was light, not more than twenty-five pounds tops. She obviously had had experience at this.

They climbed into his SUV and she directed him towards the road they wanted. As they started off she asked, "Have you had lunch yet?"

"No," Richard replied, "but I had a late breakfast. What about you?"

"I haven't had a chance yet. I was going to suggest we just stop for some hamburgers on the way out of town, it that's OK. You should probably eat something, too. It's a fairly strenuous hike."

Suddenly Richard did feel hungry. "That sounds like a good idea. Where did you have in mind?"

She directed him to a fast food joint and in another ten minutes they were on a small country road on their way out of town. After a couple of miles she pointed out a turnoff and the road switched to a gravel route. This twisted up into the hills and soon narrowed to a single lane. Then the gravel disappeared and the way continued as an unsurfaced rough trail, but still wide enough for the car. At last this ended in a small circular area just big enough to turn around and park two or three cars. "The rest of the way is on foot," Katherine said. "It should take us about three hours or so."

Richard and Katherine got their packs out of the back of the car and Richard carefully locked the vehicle. When he set the alarm Katherine laughed. "You're not in the big city any more," she said. "It's not very likely - about one chance in a million - that anyone will even come by here and if they did, your stuff would be safe."

Richard smiled in slight embarrassment. "Well, I'm still used to the city. And I go by the saying, 'Trust everyone, but always cut the cards."

"I guess that's probably good advice. But if I always went with that, I probably wouldn't be coming on this hike with a near stranger, now would I?"

They shouldered their packs, checked waist belts and boot laces, and began moving along the trail which led away from the parking area. The trail looked nearly unused and Richard began to believe that it was pretty unlikely they would see anyone else at all. They immediately began to climb through the deep woods. The air was cool - in the low sixties - so the hiking was comfortable despite the hard exercise. Richard prided himself on keeping in shape and even with his heavy schedule made time for hard workouts several times a week. Yet traveling the steep path, lugging a full pack, was hard work. He noticed that Katherine seemed to have little trouble setting a quick pace and guessed she must do a lot of climbing.

She led the way, always higher. Richard followed behind her, content to be walking in the quiet woods with the incredible color of fall leaves and also content with the view of Katherine's buttocks snugly fitted into her jeans. She was actually a very pretty woman he decided. Her hair was tied back in a pony tail and she had rolled her shirt sleeves up above her elbows. She moved with an easy, relaxed motion, swinging her arms for balance as she pushed one foot up the hillside and then the other. After half an hour she called a halt for a drink of water. They dropped their packs for a five minute break while they drank and checked their boot laces. Then they started again.

The day was clear with only a few fluffy white clouds crossing the deep blue of the autumn sky. A light breeze cooled them and occasionally stirred the crisp fall leaves. Hickories and soft maples painted the woods with splashes of bright yellow while the hard maples, sumac, and scarlet oaks contributed accents of red and a dozen other species added various oranges and browns. The frost had long sense removed the annoyance of bugs, but the smaller animals - squirrels and chipmunks - still dashed about preparing for winter. After about three hours the path began to level out. Suddenly Katherine stopped. "Here's where we intersect the old Wilderness Road," she said, pointing along a direction slightly to their left.

Richard looked where she was indicating. Using a lot of imagination he could just make out what might have been an old trail or wagon road. He looked back the other way and thought he could see where the road went in that direction, too. "I've hiked the Wilderness Road Trail and I don't ever remember seeing this," he said.

"You wouldn't. The Road, like most routes, changed with time and use. This part became disused and isn't part of the best known route. It intersects the main part about four miles that way." She pointed to their right. "In Katie Branden's day this was well used. The old buildings are about another mile along to our left."

They continued along the ghost of the old road, sometimes seeing where countless wagons had left ruts and sometimes having to guess at the location of the road from the lines of trees on either side. In about twenty minutes Katherine pointed off to their right. "There's a nice campsite over there about fifty yards. Why don't we set up the tents and if it's still light we can go over to the ruins tonight. If not, there's always tomorrow morning."

"Sounds good to me," Richard answered, following her. They descended slightly and came to an open area near the edge of the hillside. A small stream flowed along one side of the clearing and dropped over a rock ledge down the hillside. The sun was nearly down and Venus was a bright spot in the darkening cobalt of the sky. In a short time the full moon would be rising behind them, but now looking past the edge of the hill, Richard could see out over a series of ridges and valleys, draped in shadow, with no sign of civilization at all.

They stood and stared at the view for a full minute. "I expect this is a lot like the way it looked when Daniel Boone first came through here in the seventeen seventies," Katherine said. "Only we know there are thousands of people living within a few miles and he knew he was hundreds of miles from civilization. I often wonder what Katie Branden thought when she looked out here, living up here by herself, only seeing the occasional traveler."

"I expect it could get kind of lonely," Richard replied. "And yet, it's so peaceful. No pressure, no rush. I'm not sure, but I think I might like that."

"Ah, if only we didn't have to make a living," Katherine said wistfully. Richard said nothing, but he was thinking that he actually didn't have to do anything to make a living any more. He could live quite well on what he had already accumulated. "Well," Katherine finally said, "we'd better get the tents set up.

They turned away from the view and began to set up their camp. Each had brought a small dome tent and now they cleared two circles next to each other and soon had the brightly colored hemispheres erected. The shadows were rapidly advancing and Katherine suggested, "Maybe we should go ahead and eat supper. Then when the moon comes up we can probably go take a quick look. That is," she teased, "if you're not afraid of ghosts."

Richard smiled at her remark and began getting out the small butane stove and the freeze dried stew they had brought. Katherine let him prepare the food while she cleared a small circle on a large flat rock and used some small stones to make a fire ring. By the time the stew was ready she had a small fire going and had moved a couple of rocks over to sit on. They ate sitting side by side staring into the dancing flames. When the sun had gone down the temperature had dropped and both of them had donned jackets. The fire's heat now felt welcome.

When they had finished eating they continued to sit, watching the fire, and talking. The subject returned to Katie Branden - the one from the seventeen hundreds. "I told you I was related to her," Katherine said. "I even have one of her early journals. I mean me, not the historical society. When I was just six or seven my great grandmother used to tell me stories about Katie. At the time I was too young to know it but she couldn't have known Katie personally. Katie would have died before she was born. But she told the stories so well I thought she must have grown up with her. Anyway, she said I reminded her a lot of Katie and Granny used to call me 'Katie' instead of Kathy like everyone else. Now, I guess Granny got her stories from her grandmother, but at the time I thought she had known Katie as a girl herself."