Peppermint Winter

Chapter 16

"Come on Pepper, let's get out of here." I kick her flank and we take off away from the mountain.

The sun is low in the sky, and the mountain looms behind us.

We are riding when I hear a loud crack, and then a rumbling sound coming from the mountain. The snow is chasing us, racing down the mountain at our heels. Pepper shrieks, putting all of her energy into one thing: running. We gallop faster than I knew was possible, charging towards home.

The snow reaches Pepper's heels. It's gaining on us. I cling to her back even tighter, willing her to go just a little faster. we can't even see now, there is a snow cloud shrouding the land as far as the eye can see. Pepper gives it her all in one last stride, before collapsing from exhaustion. We tumble forward a few more times before being engulfed in heavy, cold snow.

I wake gasping, sweat running down my forehead.

I have has this dream occasionally, since the avelanche. It has never been like this though, I have always been on General in this dream. This time, it was Pepper.

I need to see her. I need to make sure she is okay. besides, it's not like I'll be falling back to sleep after that dream.

I get up, pull on some boots and a heavy coat before sneaking down the stairs.

I open the door to complete utter darkness, the moon hidden by clouds. I trudge through the deep snow to the barn, closing the door behind me. Inside here it is warm and dry, but there is fresh air. This is just what I need, and to see Pepper.

"Pepper?" I walk up to her stall, only to find the horror that she is not there.

"Pepper?" I say a lot louder this time, checking all the stalls. I step outside the barn and look in our sheltered corral, to find Pepper standing there.

"Oh, you're okay!" I whisper running up to the fence. When I get closer I notice Kayden standing on the other side of the corral, leaning up against the fence.

"What are you doing out here?" I ask, climbing into the corral.

"Lexi? Oh, I was just... thinking." it is too dark to see his face, much less his expressions.

"I had a bad dream and wanted to come see Pepper."

"Oh, sorry. I'll get out of your way," he opens the gait and starts to walk back to the house.

"Kayden," I quietly say.

"Yeah?"

"Are you okay?"

There is a slight pause before he answers, "yeah," He turns back and continues walking.

Once he is out of sight, I open the gait and slowly walk to the barn, Pepper following.

I walk into the barn and put her into a stall, slipping in with her.

"I love you," I hug her neck tightly before sitting in the straw. She bends her neck down and rests her head on my knee as I drift off to sleep.

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"Hey," I hear someone whisper and tap my shoulder.

"Huh?" I jerk awake.
Tanner is kneeling beside me.

"Oh, morning," I say, rubbing my eyes.

"Any particular reason you're sleeping in the barn?"

"Bad dream."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah of course,"

"Well, mom has breakfast ready. She told me to come get you from your room, but when you weren't there I assumed you'd be here."

"You know me all too well, big brother." I chuckle, standing up.

I brush the straw from my pants and plant a light kiss on Pepper's nose.

"What's for breakfast?" I ask as we walk to the house.

"Waffles,"

"Mom never makes waffles, what's the occasion?"

"It's a surprise. well... a surprise for Kayden,"

I wonder what he meant by that.
We enter the house and walk into the kitchen.

"Morning, Lexi. Why were you outside?" My mother asks as she takes a waffle out of the waffle iron.

"I slept in the barn some of the night," I simply reply.

"Hey," Kayden says. He's already sitting at the table.

"Morning," I reply, as if our encounter last night had never happened.

Once we are all sitting, my mom starts to speak.

"So Kayden, I have some good news for you."