Sember (Forestfolk, Book 2)

Chapter 12a

By midday, the snow had stopped falling, and we were far enough away from the compound to stop for a break. We tore into our food supply like ravenous coyotes. Apparently, getting dragged out of bed, pretending to burn at the stake, and subsequently running for our lives was hungry work.

The clouds broke, allowing the sun to peek through in places, but Goben remained huddled in his cloak as we walked. The blanket of fresh snow on the ground made for a welcome cushion to my bare feet, and also soothed the little cuts I had gotten from my mad dash out of the barbecue.

If the tribe compound was the halfway point, then we still had a week of walking ahead of us. I didn't voice this thought because I didn't want to discourage Goben. The first week had been grueling enough, and now that it was cold and snowy, I had a feeling the second leg of our journey would be much more challenging.

* * *

The next three days went by without incident. The small trail remained visible as an indentation in the snowy landscape, and we made sure not to stray from it. At night, Goben slept with both cloaks on top of his blanket, and that kept him warm enough. Billowing clouds continued to float northeast, and we were thankful for the respite from snow. Well, my feet weren't. The thin blanket of snow from the last storm had melted, leaving the ground mucky and disgusting. My bare feet squelched into random mudholes, and I had to grit my teeth against the nasty feeling of sludge oozing between my toes.

I came this close to demanding that Goben give me his shoes, but I didn't. The cut high on his forehead reminded me that he'd risked getting beaten to death trying to protect me, so I stayed quiet and kept on squelching.

The next day was another story. The clouds darkened again, temperatures dropped, and the breeze changed direction. We eyed the sky warily and began to walk faster when the wind picked up. By late afternoon, the wind gusted, and light flurries began fluttering to the ground. I spotted a sizable tree on the horizon and we headed toward it.

I learned that, in freezing temperatures, mud no longer squelched. It formed a skin of ice across its surface, which fractured when you stepped on it. Every time the thin ice cracked underfoot, pain lanced through my foot, so I did my best to avoid the worst of it.

By the time we reached the tree, the flurries fell more steadily. It wasn't a huge tree, but it was our best shot at shelter. I scavenged a few nuts that had fallen to the ground, then we laid out our bedrolls side by side against the base of the tree.

With no way to build an actual shelter, all we could do was stack our blankets and cloaks on top of us and huddle for warmth. We tucked the edges around us so the wind wouldn't blow our covers away. We lay there facing each other for a while, listening to the wind whistling outside our cocoon.

"Goben, when we get back home, you're getting me a brand-new bedroll."

"What's wrong with this one?"

"I'm getting mud all over it. My feet are so gross."

"I'm sorry, Sember. I can't believe I forgot your shoes."

"Don't worry about it. You'll just owe me big when we get home."

He chuckled. "I can't wait."

* * *

In the morning, the wind died down. We had actually managed to fall asleep. When we peeled back our covers, a thick layer of snow covered us.

"I wonder if this is how Icelings sleep?" Goben mused. "Nirrin says that someone told her they sleep inside snow banks and live on a diet of fish and icebergs."

I guffawed. Nirrin and her stories.

After a quick meal, we shoveled powdery snow into our water skins and tucked them into our waistbands so it would melt. Our food supplies were getting low. On the bright side, that meant our packs were lighter.

The snow resumed once we got underway, but the wind remained mostly calm. The snow on the ground was so light that the smallest meandering breeze would kick up fascinating swirls of it into the air. This didn't last, though. By midday, the wind picked up again, and Goben ended up wearing both cloaks. By afternoon, the wind howled. A full-on blizzard had moved in.

Snow blew in all directions. Not only could I not tell where the sun was, I couldn't tell where anything was. We were stuck in a surreal, bitterly cold, blinding whirlwind of white. There were no trees. I had to expend a lot more energy than I expected just to keep warm.

A shiver ran through me, catching me by surprise. Goben fared much worse, teeth chattering as he hunched against the howling wind. We couldn't continue in this. I began to question how wise it was to head this far north during winter.

We had no choice but to hunker down next to a small clump of bushes. We huddled together on our bedrolls, tightly holding down the edges of our cloaks and blankets, desperately trying to keep them from flying away. The wind buffeted us and I tried to situate myself to block Goben from it. Most of all, I had to concentrate on providing enough heat to keep him warm without burning our covers.

It was harder than I had imagined. I'd never been in these conditions before. Wind crept through the crevices, and the cold air stole away much of the heat I was generating, so it was difficult for me to gauge how much I had to compensate. I mostly went by Goben's shivering. The more he shook, the more heat I created. The constant modulation was tiring.

The storm blew for hours. We drank water, but there was no chance for sleep. By far, the most harrowing part of it all was the constant battering of the wind, threatening to carry us away. All we could do was huddle and wait. It was easily the most exhausting day I'd ever had.

When the blustering wind finally slowed, I ventured a peek outside. Everything was white. Snowdrifts snaked along the landscape, peaking here and there. The bushes that sheltered us were no longer visible. Worst of all, we were almost out of daylight. Even if the winds did not return, temperatures would plummet once the sun went down.

It was going to be a long night.

We wrapped the covers tightly around ourselves, and for once, Goben didn't protest our close proximity. He lay on his side, curling his legs up into a fetal position. I settled behind him, doing my best to wrap around him like a blanket. His survival depended on me, and I was not going to let him down.

I wouldn't sleep. At least, that's what I told myself. Sometimes I dozed off, only to be woken up by his shivering. I had to consciously radiate heat to keep him warm, otherwise my body only regulated enough to keep me warm. Needless to say, it wasn't a very restful night.

C-c-c-cold! C-c-could you vote before you continue?