by C. A. Farlow
Together they entered this new cave. This one was carved into the sandstone of the stream bank and had a packed dirt floor. No sooner had they entered then Ice and Snow plowed in. Shaking vigorously, the two wet wolves drenched the two women where they stood. “Oh, this is just great. Thanks, guys. I needed a shower.”
“I am wet because Alex chose to place this cache in a river. I got wet entering the cave.” Ice huffed, continuing to shake herself.
“I would have to agree with my companion,” Snow added.
“I only got my feet and legs wet. I am tall, and I am a horse.” Ffrwyn reinforced her identity, as she shook her legs dry, showering the group again.
Lauren grinned. Alex’s laughter filled the cave, some of her worries momentarily forgotten.
Chapter Eleven
ON THE AFTERNOON OF the tenth day of travel, Lauren’s knee began to ache. This was a sure sign of a change in barometric pressure. She called to Ffrwyn, “Do you think the weather is changing, or is it just me being paranoid?”
“I do think there is a storm coming. We should make all haste to the next cave. I am afraid this may be a bad storm.”
Lauren eyed the sky. Dark clouds began to sweep across the mountain range to west of their position. “Alex, wake up. A storm’s coming, and we need to double-time it.”
Sitting up, Alex looked around. “How far are we from the next cache? I don’t want to be caught out.”
“We are about thirty minutes from the next cave, but if we could make it five hours and cut across the river, we could be at the Teton cache you originally established. That would be much more comfortable if we are snowed in for several days.”
Lauren listened to their conversation, dreading their decision. Five hours was longer than she felt they had.
“You are correct. It is larger, and we would be much more comfortable there. But can we make it?” Alex sat up straighter in the sled. “I do not like the look of those clouds. We will have to ford the river. Do you think it is frozen over or are we going to have to swim?”
“I am hopeful the river is frozen. If Lauren were able to hang on, I could increase my speed to a canter pace. That would have us there faster.”
Alex looked back at Lauren. “I think we should try to make it to the Teton cache. I do not want to be stuck eating horse hay for dinner.”
Laughing, Lauren considered their options. “Right, no hay for me either. Let’s try for your Teton cache.”
The wind picked up, swirling small white whirlwinds of frozen crystals around their feet and the sled. Lauren pulled her gear bag off the top of the saddle and rooted around inside it. “Here we go—goggles and my balaclava. These will work great.” She also removed Alex’s face shield from the depths of the pack. “Alex, let’s get your face shield settled in place.”
Soon the trio was outfitted for the fast trek to the Teton cache. Lauren pulled the balaclava over her face and settled the goggles over her eyes. “Ffrwyn take it easy at first please. I think if you accelerate slowly, I should be able to hang on at a faster speed.”
“Ice, Snow, can you hear me?” Lauren called to the pair.
“We can hear you. What is happening? We do not like the look of those clouds in the distance.”
“We’re heading down to the river to cross and then along the other side to the Teton cache.”
Ffrwyn took off like a shot, and Lauren missed the wolves’ reply. It was all she could do to hang on. Let alone try and carry on a conversation. Ffrwyn’s great strides ate up the terrain, and the world closed down around Lauren. The sled was lost under a continuous stream of broken snow and ice, thrown up by the horse. Her shins took a beating in the backwash hitting her.
Their pace slowed as they came to the wide river. All that marked the river’s course was a smooth snow-white ribbon that meandered across the basin floor. Trotting along the bank, Ffrwyn looked for a place to safely drop down to the edge of the ice with the sled in tow. The slower pace allowed Lauren to have a look around. Alex was completely encrusted in snow and ice with only a small darker spot where her face would be. Bet that’s a warm spot where she exhales. But she probably will want out as soon as possible.
“I do want out. I cannot move under all this. You may want to remove some of it to lighten the load for Ffrwyn,” Alex said across their bond.
Chuckling, Lauren unhooked herself from the sled, coiled the towrope, and fastened it under the remains of one of the stirrup leathers. Moving back to Alex, Lauren began to gently break up the ice encrusted on the sled. Once it started to crack, Lauren was able to pull large chucks off Alex. “There you go. Better?”
“Much. Thank you.”
Ffrwyn found a path down to the edge of the river ice. Carefully, she stepped out on to the frozen surface. “Do not follow behind me, Lauren. Let us not stress the ice too much.”
Lauren moved off upstream to a smooth water course between some boulders. She lashed her skis to the sides of her pack. Hopping from rock to rock, she was soon across. Turning, she watched the horse and sled make their way. Even from here, she could hear the ice groaning beneath Ffrwyn’s weight. About three quarters of the way across the ice, a step went wrong, and Ffrwyn’s left front leg fell through the ice.
“Ffrwyn!” Lauren screamed and began running back toward them.
The horse raised her head. “Stay where you are! I am fine. I am standing on the bottom and can pull my leg out.”
Creaking and cracking ice marked the rest of the journey across the frozen river. Once on the far bank and standing beside Lauren, Ffrwyn hung her head, breathing deeply. Lauren knelt beside the sled and unfastened the bungee net from around Alex. After Alex was free to move, she reached up and placed her gloved hand on the side of Lauren’s face. Lauren heard a whispered mindvoice. “Ffrwyn is hurt. Please see to her. She will not let you know she is hurt, so you must act as if you just found the injury.”
Nodding, Lauren rose and moved to the left side of the saddled horse. Looking down, Lauren saw a growing red puddle in the snow beneath Ffrwyn’s left forefoot.
“Ffrwyn, you’re hurt. Let me have a look.”
“I am fine. Let us continue as quickly as we can.”
Putting her hands on her hips, Lauren said, “What is it with you all? No one’ll admit they’re hurt or ask for help. And then you all refuse help when it’s offered. You’re bleeding. Let me have a look.” Marching to the horse’s head and staring into her big brown eyes, Lauren softened her voice. “I don’t like to ask for help either. But we need everyone working together to get where we’re going. Now let me have a look. Please”
Ffrwyn curled her lips at Lauren. “If you must. It is just a scratch I got when I fell through the ice.”
“Fine then, if it’s just a scratch, no worries about wrapping it up and getting on our way.” The cut was open and bled freely. Lauren couldn’t see any internal damage to muscles or tendons, though her knowledge of horse anatomy wasn’t the best. I wish Susan were here. She applied a light pressure bandage which stopped the bleeding. With that done, they headed on. After another half hour, Lauren’s worry grew again.
“How much farther?” Lauren called to Ffrwyn. The sky was now a solid gun-metal gray, a menacing morass of thick swirling clouds was sinking slowly toward the ground ahead of them. The wind howled along the river.
“About another two hours or so. We will travel about another hour along the river and then I will need to turn toward the mountains. The cache is at the base of the tallest peak. We will be out of the wind then.”
Lauren gritted her teeth and tried not to fall. Large flakes blown by the wind began to accumulate on Lauren’s face. She shook it off the best she could. Soon Lauren couldn’t move her arms or flex her hands. She was encased in a freezing coat of snow and ice. “We gotta stop. I can’t move. I’m frozen solid.”
“Cannot…stop. Not enough time. Storm…here…soon not able…find the trail. I am following the shield energy…more than trying to see with my ey
es.” Ffrwyn’s breathing sounded labored. Lauren could almost feel her struggling for breath.
Alex’s voice blossomed in her mind. “Concentrate on your breathing. We must share our strength with Ffrwyn. She is struggling.”
“How do we share our strength? How will that even work?”
“Just continue to breathe. She will draw strength from us as we breathe along our bond with her. Slowly in and out. Make each breath deep and slow. Try to breathe in the same pattern she does,” Alex instructed.
Breathing slowly and as deeply as she could, Lauren held on as they plowed through the blinding blizzard that raged around them. She was too tired to think about bonds and sharing energy. They just needed to get to the cache. Needed to breathe.
“We are…near…open shield…get in.” Disjoint thoughts slammed into Lauren.
“Lauren, get me up. I must open the shield. Hurry.” Alex struggled within her ice cocoon.
But Lauren couldn’t drop the rope. Her hands were frozen in place. She beat her hands against her thighs to break up the ice crust. Pieces flew in all directions. When both hands were free, Lauren tried to get out of her ski bindings but ice coated them, too. “Screw this, I’m coming Ffrwyn.”
Schussing up to her head, Lauren inspected the horse’s face. All she saw was a solid white mask. “I’ll get you out as soon as I can.”
Knowing she couldn’t bash at the ice the way she did with her hands, Lauren pulled her frozen mittens off and placed her hands over Ffrwyn’s nose. Lauren saw the horse’s chest work like a bellows, trying to blow the ice from her nasal passages. She moved her hands over the horse’s eyes and began warming her eyelashes. With a mighty sneeze, Ffrwyn blew the partially melted ice out of her nose and all over Lauren. The blast blew Lauren backwards and coated her face in slime. She wiped her face off. “Thanks, that’s just what I needed.”
“You are welcome. I can breathe now. Thank you. Let us open the shield.”
Lauren moved back to the sled. Looking at the ice-covered mass, all Lauren could make out was the edge of the face shield.
“We will freeze to death out here if we stand around. Get the sword and hold it against the ice. The energy of the blade should melt the ice.”
Lauren rolled her eyes at Alex’s comment. Right, why didn’t I think of that? Oh yeah, I never worked with a sword before, let alone one that is almost alive.
Lauren pulled the sheathed blade from the dees. Ffrwyn’s body heat from the long run kept the blade free of ice and snow. Laying the blade carefully along the length of Alex’s body, Lauren stood back. Ever so slowly the blade melted down through the ice toward Alex.
“Unbelievable,” Lauren muttered, shaking her head.
Once the ice thinned, Alex pushed the remainder away. The ice cocoon splitting in two like a chrysalis. Lauren helped Alex to her feet and out of the sled. The snow battered them, driven by the wind. They were caught in a true whiteout. Lauren couldn’t see the details of the mountain at all. All she could make out was a slightly darker area in one direction. Lauren moved them around to Ffrwyn’s side.
“Here, Lauren. Stop here.” Alex grasped the blade. Slicing upward, she parted the shield, and a wave of warm air washed over them.
Chapter Twelve
SLOGGING ACROSS THE LAST few meters of snowy ground, they made it into the Teton cache. Lauren shook herself off as best she could and then simply stood in place to let the snow and ice melt so she could remove her outer gear and get out of her skis. This cache dwarfed all the others. Lauren couldn’t see the back of the cave from the entrance. The cave was awash in a dim light that emanated from phosphorescent algae covering the rock walls and ceiling. A wall of storage containers and stasis bags were piled to the right of the entrance.
“We stocked all the caches to the north of us from this one,” Alex explained. “It is large, and we will be most comfortable here while we wait out the storm. And looking at those clouds, I fear we will be here for a while.”
Lauren glanced back outside. “Can you hear Snow or Ice? Shouldn’t they be here by now? I haven’t seen them since we crossed the river.”
“They should be here soon. They decided to hunt on the way—preferring fresh-caught game to something that has been in stasis. It seems they have caught an elk and are trying to get it to the cave.”
“Just tell them to leave it outside. No bloody things in here, please. Speaking of bloody, let me have a look at that leg, Ffrwyn.” Lauren didn’t ask this time. She just pulled the forefoot up to have a look at the cut. “You’re going to need stitches for this to heal properly. If we don’t, it’ll leave a scar.”
Lauren stripped out of her outerwear and unsaddled the horse. She pulled the med kit from the sled. “Let’s throw a couple into that leg.”
Once she stitched up the horse, Lauren noticed dark patches on the worn saddle blanket covering Ffrwyn’s back. “Ffrwyn, are your haunches injured?”
“I am a little sore, but nothing that a few days’ rest will not help.”
“Right, let’s have a look.” Lauren pulled the large horse blanket off. The sled pulls had rubbed Ffrwyn’s sides raw. Lauren shook her head at the deep abrasions. “It’s gonna take more than rest to heal these, Ffrwyn. I’ll put some antibiotic ointment on them and then let’s try and keep them clean and dry. Okay?”
Ffrwyn lowered her head. Lauren could tell the horse was more tired and hurt than she let on. She was worried about how they’d make it to Fuar Ćala if the horse couldn’t pull the sled. She’d never be able to pull the sled with Alex and the supplies. Right now, she could barely stand.
Running a hand down the horse’s side, she whispered in her ear. “I hurt, too. We can all benefit from a couple days’ rest and some good food. You’re doing an amazing job. We wouldn’t be here safe and sound without you.” Lauren buried her face in the warm neck and inhaled the scent of warm horse, sweat, and safety. A whiffle into her hair returned her feelings.
The ointment stung and Ffrwyn wasn’t an easy patient to deal with. She snorted and whinnied, shying around the cave while Lauren worked on her injuries. It was only a bag of hay that finally got her to relax and settle for the evening.
While Lauren tended to the horse’s injuries, Alex got herself out of the sled and began to unload supplies. “Be careful, Alex, that shoulder isn’t stable enough for you to do any heavy lifting,” Lauren warned as she glanced over her shoulder at the growing pile of supplies Alex was building from items she pulled from the packing containers.
Once Lauren got both patients settled, she began to prepare a meal. She found fresh vegetables in stasis and soon had a hearty stew bubbling over her camp stove. Lauren redressed Alex’s shoulder while they waited on the stew. After they ate, Alex relaxed into a nest of blankets.
Lauren rummaged through her gear bags, obviously searching for something and not having much luck. Alex called from her blankets. “Lauren, what do you need? Please come and relax with us. You have taken care of us, and now you should rest, too.”
“Gotta find some clean clothes.” Lauren turned and pointed down at her sweat soaked and bloodstained underlayers. “I’m afraid these’ll stand up by themselves once I take them off. But I just hate putting clean clothes on over a dirty body. I’ll have to heat some water and take a sponge bath before getting dressed.”
“No need to sponge anything. I may have something better. Come this way.” Alex rose from her nest and walked to the back of the cavern.
“Now where have I heard that line before?” Lauren laughed as she followed Alex through a small tunnel that exited out the back of the cave. The subtle teasing was gradually increasing, and Lauren smiled, thinking they were becoming friends, maybe even more than friends. Oh right, Lauren, you’re so outclassed.
She felt the heat and smelled the highly mineralized air before she turned the last corner. Alex stepped aside and ushered Lauren into the small cavern. A bubbling hot spring cascaded from a fissure in the far wall. The spring flowed from the
crack and dropped into a depression in the center of the cavern. The circular pool was a deep sapphire blue. The pool’s edge was ringed by multi-colored algae. Steam rose from the water and filled the small cavern with hazy warmth.
“Oh my gawd, this is amazing. How hot is the water? Is it safe to bathe in? How deep is the pool?” Questions spilled from Lauren as she approached the edge.
“You are such a technician.” Alex’s laugh took the sting out of her comment. “The water in the pool is hot but not dangerously so. It is safe to bathe in, and I have on a number of occasions. The pool is deeper than I am tall in the center. But there are some shelves around the edges that make good seats on which to sit and soak.”
“I’m going to love soaking.” Lauren knelt beside the pool and drew her hand through the water. It was slick to the touch, an indicator that the water was loaded with minerals.
Alex came up beside her. “I would enjoy a bath. Do you think I could get in the water? I will keep my shoulder out of the water.”
“I bet we can cover the dressing so you can sit in the shallows. I know you‘ll feel better after you get clean. Neither of us smells very good.”
“You are right about that. The Comin could find us just by using their noses.” Just as that comment crossed their bond, Ice ran into the cavern and took a running leap, landing in the center of the pool. Her belly flop soaked Lauren and Alex.
“I swear I am going to banish you one of these days,” Alex reprimanded the wolf.
“No, you will not. You love me too much.” A wolfy-grin graced Ice’s face as she climbed from the pool, shaking herself. “I had to get all the elk blood out of my fur.”
Lauren shuddered. “I so didn’t need that visual, Ice. Now, I really need a bath. Smelling like wet dog is far worse than how I smelled before. Alex, I think I can cover your shoulder in some plastic from the stasis bags. If we tape the edges that should keep it dry, but I wouldn’t submerge completely.”
